alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第31部分

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　a　halt。　I　asked　Margaret　Ross　to　heat　some　food　on　the　stove…soup；　dried　fruit；　one　of　our　four　remaining　tins　of　corned　beef…asked　Jackstraw　to　rig　up　the　antenna　for　the　radio；　then　went　back　to　the　tractor；　stooped　and　turned　the　radiator　drainage　cap；　catching　the　liquid　hi　a　can。　Hie　anti…freeze　in　the　water　had　been　thinned　down　so　much　in　the　course　of　the　day　that　I　was　pretty　certain　that；　in　those　temperatures；　it　wouldn't　take　half　an　hour　for　the　radiator　water　to　freeze　up　and　split　open　the　cylinder　jacket。
　
　I　suppose　it　was　because　of　the　gurgling　of　the　water　into　the　can　that　I　didn't　hear　the　sound　behind　me　until　the　last　moment；　and　even　so　I　had　no　particular　reason　just　then　to　be　suspicious　of　anything。　I　half…straightened　and　turned　round　to　see　who　was　there；　but　I　was　too　late。　The　consciousness　of　a　vague　blur　hi　the　darkness　and　the　blinding　white　flash　of　light　and　pain　as　something　solid　smashed　into　my　forehead；　just　above　the　goggles　on　my　right　eye；　came　in　one　and　the　same　instant。　I　was　out；　pletely　unconscious；　long　before　I　crumpled　down　on　to　the　frozen　surface　of　the　ice…cap。
　
　Death　could　easily　have　supervened　then。　It　would　have　been　easy；　ever　so　easy；　for　me　to　drift　from　unconsciousness　into　that　numbed　sleep　from　which；　almost　eighty　degrees　of　frost　in　the　ground；　I　would　never　have　awaked。　But　awake　I　did；　slowly；　painfully；　reluctantly；　at　the　insistence　of　urgently　shaking　hands。
　
　〃Dr　Mason！　Dr　Mason！〃　Dimly　I　realised　that　it　was　Jackstraw　speaking；　that　he　had　my　head　and　shoulders　supported　in　the　crook　of　his　arm。　His　voice　was　low；　but　with　a　peculiarly　carrying　quality。　〃Wake　up；　Dr　Mason。　Ah；　good；　good。　Easy　does　it　now；　Dr　Mason。〃
　
　Groggily；　Jackstraw's　strong　arm　helping；　I　levered　myself　up　into　an　upright　sitting　position。　A　brilliant　flame　of　pain　lanced　like　a　scalpel　through　my　head；　I　felt　everything　blurring　once　more；　consciously；　almost　violently；　shook　off　the　shadows　that　were　creeping　in　on　me　again；　then　looked　dazedly　up　at　Jackstraw。　I　couldn't　see　very　well；　I　thought　for　one　frightening　moment　that　the　vision　centre　had　been　damaged　when　the　back　of　my　head　had　struck　against　the　iron…hard　ice…cap…the　ache　there　was　almost　as　severe　as　the　one　in　my　forehead…but　I　soon　discovered　that　it　was　only　the　blood　seeping　from　the　cut　on　my　forehead　that　had　frozen　and　gummed　together　the　lids　of　my　right　eye。
　
　〃No　idea　who　did　it；　Dr　Mason？〃　Jackstraw　wasn't　the　man　to　ask　stupid　questions　like　'What　happened？〃
　
　〃No　idea　at　all。〃　I　struggled　to　my　feet。　〃Have　you？〃
　
　〃Hopeless。〃　I　could　sense　rather　than　see　the　shrug　in　the　darkness。　〃As　soon　as　you　stopped；　three　or　four　of　them　came　out。　I　don't　know　where　they　went　…1　was　out　to　the　south　rigging　up　the　antenna。〃
　
　〃The　radio；　Jackstraw！〃　I　was　beginning　to　think　again。　〃Where's　the　radio？〃
　
　〃No　worry；　Dr　Mason；　I　have　it　with　me；〃　Jackstraw　said　grimly。　〃It's　here。　。　。　。　Any　idea　whyT
　
　〃None。。　。　。　Yes；　I　have。〃　I　thrust　my　hand　into　the　inside　pocket　of　my　parka；　then　looked　at　Jackstraw　in　disbelief。　〃My　gun…it's　still　there！〃
　
　〃Nothing　else　missing？〃
　
　〃No。　Spare　ammo　clip　there…wait　a　moment；〃　I　said　slowly。　I　hunted　around　in　my　parka　pocket；　but　with　no　success。　〃A　paper　…1　took　a　newspaper　cutting　from　Colonel　Harrison's　pocket…it's　gone。〃
　
　〃A　cutting？　What　was　in　it；　Dr　Mason？〃
　
　〃You're　talking　to　one　of　the　world's　prize　idiots；　Jackstraw。〃　I　shook　my　head　in　self…reproach；　winced　as　the　pain　struck　again。　〃I've　never　even　read　the　damn'　thing。〃
　
　〃If　you　had；〃　Jackstraw　murmured　philosophically；　〃you'd　probably　know　why　it　was　taken　from　you。〃
　
　〃But…but　what　was　the　point　in　it？〃　I　asked　blankly。　〃For　all　they　know　I　might　have　read　it　a　dozen　times。〃
　
　〃I　think　they　know　you　haven't　even　read　it　once；〃　Jackstraw　said　slowly。　〃If　you　had；　they'd　have　known　it　by　the　fact　that　you　would　have　said　or　done　something　they　would　have　expected　you　to　say　or　do。　But　because　you　haven't…well；　they　know　they're　still　safe。　They　must　have　been　desperate　to　take　a　chance　like　this。　It　is　a　great　pity。　I　do　not　think；　Dr　Mason；　that　you　will　ever　see　that　paper　again。〃
　
　Five　minutes　later　I　had　washed　and　bandaged　the　cut　on　my　forehead…I'd　savagely　told　an　inquiring　Zagero　that　I'd　walked　into　a　lamp…post　and　refused　to　answer　all　other　questions…and　set　off　with　Jackstraw　in　the　strengthening　light　of　the　newly…risen　moon。　We　were　late　for　our　rendezvous；　but　when　I　switched　the　receiver　into　the　antenna　I　heard　Joss's　call…up　sign　e　through　straight　away。
　
　I　acknowledged；　then　asked　without　preamble：　〃What　news　from　Uplavnik？〃
　
　〃Two　things；　Dr　Mason。〃　Hillcrest　had　taken　the　microphone　over　from　Joss；　and；　even　through　the　distortion　of　the　speaker；　his　voice　sounded　strange；　with　the　flat　controlled　unemotiona…lism　of　one　speaking　through　a　suppressed　anger。　〃Uplavnik　has　been　in　touch　with　HMS　Triton…the　carrier　ing　up　the　Davis　Strait。　Triton　is　in　constant　munication　with　the　British　Admiralty　and　the　Government。　Or　so　I　gather。
　
　〃The　answers　to　your　questions　are　these。　Firstly；　the　passenger　list　from　BOAC　in　America　is　not　yet　through；　but　it　is　known　from　newspaper　reports　that　the　following　three　people　were　aboard：　Marie　LeGarde；　the　musical　edy　star；　Senator　Hoffman　Brewster　of　the　United　States　and　a　Mrs　Phyllis　Dansby…Gregg；　who　appears　to　be　a　very　prominent　London　socialite。〃
　
　I　wasn't　greatly　excited　over　this　item　of　news。　Marie　LeGarde　had　never　been　a　suspect。　Mrs　Dansby…Gregg…and；　by　implication；　Helene　Fleming…had　never　had　more　than　a　faint　question　mark　against　their　names；　and　I　had　already　e　to　the　conclusion　that　it　was　long　odds　against　the　man　who　was；　or　purported　to　be；　Senator　Brewster　being　one　of　the　killers。
　
　〃The　second　thing　is　this。　The　Admiralty　cannot　or　will　not　say　why　the　plane　has　been　forced　down；　but　I　gather　there　must　have　been　a　most　vital　reason。　Uplavnik　suggests；　on　what　basis　I　cannot　say；　perhaps　it　is　officially　inspired；　that　some　person　aboard　the　plane　must　have　been　in　possession　of　something　of　the　utmost　importance；　so　important　that　plete　secrecy　was　vital。　Don't　ask　me　what　it　was。　A　microfilm；　a　formula；　something；　perhaps；　only　mitted　to　memory…it　sounds　fanciful；　but　that's　all　we　can　guess　at。　It　does　seem　likely　that　Colonel　Harrison　was　in　possession　of　it。〃
　
　I　looked　at　Jackstraw；　and　he　at　me。　The　man　who　had　so　recently　knocked　me　out　had　been　desperate　all　right。　I　knew　then　what　I　had　subconsciously　known　all　along；　that　I　was　dealing　blindfolded　against　a　man…or　men…far　cleverer　than　myself。　They　knew　that　Joss　couldn't　possibly　have　hoped　to　repair　the　RCA。　They　knew；　therefore；　that　I　must　have　been　talking　direct　to　Hillcrest。　They　knew；　because　I　had　told　them；　that　the　eight…watt　radio　we　had　with　us　had　a　range　of　not　more　than　150　miles　under　normal　conditions；　so　that　the　chances　were　high　that　Hillcrest　was　actually　speaking　from　the　IGY　cabin…or　a　point　even　nearer。　I　had　also　told　them　that　Hillcrest　and　his　four　panions　wouldn't　be　returning　from　their　field　trip　for　another　two　or　three　weeks；　so　that　this　premature　return　could　only　be　accounted　for　by　some　unforeseen　and　extraordinary　event。　It　wasn't　hard　to　guess　what　that　event　must　have　been。　That　I　should　ask　Hillcrest　to　find　out　the　reason　for　the　crash　followed　inevitably；　but　what　was　not　inevitable；　what　pointed　most　clearly　of　all　to　the　shrewdness　of　the　killers；　was　their　guess　that　whoever　knew　the　reason　for　the　crash　would　be　most　reluctant　to　go　into　specific　detail：　and　they　had　robbed　me　of　the　only　clue　that　might　have　helped　me　discover　what　that　detail　was　and　so　also；　I　felt　sure；　the　identity　of　the　killers。　But　the　time　was　far　past　now　for　crying　over　spilt　milk。
　
　I　pressed　the　switch　to　Transmit'。
　
　〃Thank　you。　But　please　radio　Uplavnik　again；　emphasise　desperate　urgency　of　finding　out　crash　reasons。　。　。　。　How　far　behind　do　you　estimate　you　are　now？　We　have　made　only　twenty　miles　since　noon。　Cold　extreme；　bad　radiator　trouble。　Over。〃
　
　〃We　have　made　only　eight　miles　since　noon。　It　seems…〃
　
　I　threw　the　switch　over。
　
　〃Eight　miles？〃　I　demanded　harshly。　〃Did　I　hear　you　say　eight　miles？〃
　
　〃You　heard。〃　Hillcrest's　voice　was　savage。　〃Remember　the　missing　sugar？　Well；　it's　turned　up。　Your　fine　friends　dumped　the　whole　bloody　lot　into　the　petrol。　We're　pletely　immobilised。〃
　
　
　CHAPTER　NINE…Wednesday　8　P。M。…Thursday　4　P。M。
　
　We　were　on　our　way　again　just　after　nine　o'clock　that　night。　It　had　been　my　original　intention；　by　dreaming　up　a　variety　of　excuses　and　even；　if　necessary；　by　sabotaging　the　engine；　to　stay　there　for　several　hours　or　at　least　what　I　reckoned　to　be　the　longest　possible　time　before　the　killers　became　restive；　suspected　that　I　was　deliberately　stalling；　and　took　over。　Or　tried　to　take　over。　For　it　had　been　my　further　intention　that；　after　an　hour　or　two；　Jackstraw　should　produce　his　rifle…it　was　strapped　to　his　shoulders　night　and　day…and　I　my　automatic；　and　hold　them　all　at　the　point　of　the　gun　until　Hillcrest　came　up。　If　all　had　gone　well；　he　should　have　been　with　us　by　midnight。　Our　troubles　would　have　been　over。
　
　But　it　had　not　gone　well；　our　troubles　were　as　bad　as　ever；　the　Sno…Cat　was　bogged　down　and　with　Mahler　now　seriously　ill　and　Marie　LeGarde　frighteningly　weak　and　exhausted；　I　couldn't　remain　any　longer。　Had　I　been　made　of　tougher　stuff；　or　even　had　I　not　been　a　doctor；　I　might　have　brought　myself　to　recognise　that　both　Marie　LeGarde　and　Theodore　Mahler　were　expendable　pawns　in　a　game　where　the　stakes；　I　was　now　certain；　were　far　greater　than　just　the　lives　of　one　or　two　people。　I　might　have　held　everybody…or　the　major　suspects；　at　least…at　gunpoint　until　such　time；　twenty…four　hours　if　need　be；　as　Hillcrest　did　e　up。　But　I　could　not　bring　myself　to　regard　our　sick　passengers　as　expendable　pawns。　A　weakness；　no　doubt；　but　one　that　I　was　almost　proud　to　share　with　Jackstraw；　who　felt　exactly　as　I　did。
　
　That　Hillcrest　would　e　up　eventually　I　felt　pretty　sure。　The　dumping　of　the　sugar　in　the　petrol…I　bit　my　lips　in　chagrin　whenever　I　remembere