alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第50部分

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Jolly　claimed　that　he　had　been　asphyxiated。　Well；　he　wasn't　asphyxiated　inside　the　hut；　because　he　managed　to　e　out　under　his　own　steam。　Then　he　collapsed。　Curious。　Fresh　air　invariably　revives　people。　But　not　Jolly。　He's　a　special　breed。　He　wanted　to　make　it　clear　to　everyone　that　he　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　fire。　Just　to　drive　home　the　point；　he　has　repeatedly　emphasized　that　he　is　not　a　man　of　action。　If　he　isn't；　then　I've　never　met　one。〃
　 〃You　can　hardly　call　that　proof　of　guilt；〃　Swanson　interrupted。
　 〃I'm　not　adducing　evidence；〃　I　said　wearily。　〃I'm　merely　introducing　pointers。　Pointer　number　2。　You；　Naseby；　felt　pretty　bad　about　your　failure　to　wake　up　your　two　friends；　Flanders　and　Bryce。　You　could　have　shaken　them　for　an　hour　and　not　woken　them　up。　Jolly　here　used　either　ether　or　chloroform　to　lay　them　out。　This　was　after　he　had　killed　Major　Halliwell　and　the　three　others；　but　before　he　started　getting　busy　with　matches。　He　realized　that　if　he　burned　the　place　down；　there　might　be　a　long；　long　wait　before　rescue　came；　and　he　was　going　to　make　damned　certain　that　he　wasn't　going　to　go　hungry。　If　the　rest　of　you　had　died　from　starvation；　well；　that　was　just　your　bad　luck。　But　Flanders　and　Bryce　lay　between　him　and　the　food。　Didn't　it　strike　you　as　very　strange；　Naseby；　that　your　shouting　and　shaking　had　no　effect？　The　only　reason　could　be　that　they　had　been　druggedand　only　one　man　had　access　to　drugs。　Also；　you　said　that　both　Hewson　and　yourself　felt　pretty　groggy。　No　wonder。　It　was　a　pretty　small　hut；　and　the　chloroform　or　ether　fumes　had　reached　and　affected　you　and　Hewson。　Normally；　you'd　have　smelled　it　on　waking　up；　but　the　stink　of　burning　diesel　obliterates　every　other　smell。　Again；　I　know　this　is　not　proof　of　any　kind。
　 〃Third　pointer。　I　asked　Captain　Folsom　this　morning　who　had　given　the　orders　for　the　dead　men　to　be　put　in　the　lab。　He　said　he　had。　But；　he　remembered；　it　was　Jolly's　suggestion　to　him。　Something　learnedly　medical　about　helping　the　morale　of　the　survivors　by　putting　the　charred　corpses　out　of　sight。
　 〃Fourth　pointer。　Jolly　said　that　〃how〃　the　fire　started　was　unimportant。　A　crude　attempt　to　side…track　me。　Jolly　knew　as　well　as　I　did　that　it　was　all…important。　I　suppose；　by　the　way；　Jolly；　that　you　deliberately　jammed　all　the　fire　extinguishers　you　could　before　you　started　the　fire。　About　that　fire；　mander。　Remember　you　were　a　bit　suspicious　of　Hewson　because　he　said　the　fuel　drums　hadn't　started　exploding　until　he　was　on　his　way　to　the　main　bunkhouse？　He　was　telling　the　truth。　There　were　no　fewer　than　four　drums　in　the　fuel　stores　that　didn't　explode。　The　ones　Jolly　used　to　pour　against　the　huts　to　start　the　fire。　How　am　I　doing；　Dr。　Jolly？〃
　 〃It's　all　a　nightmare；〃　he　said　very　quietly。　〃It's　a　nightmare。　Before　God；　I　know　nothing　of　any　of　this。〃
　 〃Pointer　number　five。　For　some　reason　that　is　unclear　to　me；　Jolly　wanted　to　delay　the　〃Dolphin〃　on　its　return　trip。　He　could　best　do　this；　he　decided；　if　Bolton　and　Brownell；　the　two'　very　sick　men　still　left　out　on　the　station；　were　judged　too　sick　to　be　transferred　to　the　〃Dolphin〃。　The　snag　was　that　there　were　two　other　doctors　around　who　might　say　that　they　〃were〃　fit　to　be　transferred。　So　he　tried；　with　a　fair　measure　of　success；　to　eliminate　us。
　 〃First　Benson。　Didn't　it　strike　you　as　strange；　mander；　that　the　request　for　the　survivors　to　be　allowed　to　attend　the　funeral　of　Grant　and　Lieutenant　Mills　should　have　e　from　Naseby　in　the　first　place；　then　Kinnaird？　Jolly；　as　the　senior　man　of　the　party；　with　Captain　Folsom　temporarily　unfit；　was　the　obvious　man　to　make　the　approach；　but　he　didn't　want　to　go　calling　too　much　attention　to　himself。　Doubtless　by　dropping　hints；　he　engineered　it　so　that　someone　else　should　do　it　for　him。　Now；　Jolly　had　noticed　how　glasssmooth　and　slippery　the　ice…banked　sides　of　the　sail　were　and　he　made　a　point　of　seeing　that　Benson　went　up　the　rope　immediately　ahead　of　him。　You　must　remember　it　was　almost　pitch　darkjust　light　enough　for　Jolly　to　make　out　the　vague　outline　of　Benson's　head　from　the　wash　of　light　from　the　bridge　as　it　cleared　the　top　of　the　sail。　A　swift　outward　tug　on　the　rope　and　Benson　overbalanced。　It　seemed　that　he　had　fallen　on　top　of　Jolly。　But　only　seemed。　The　loud；　sharp　crack　I　heard　a　fraction　of　a　second　after　Benson's　body　struck　was　not　caused　by　his　head　hitting　the　iceit　was　caused　by　Jolly　here　trying　to　kick　his　head　off。　Did　you　hurt　your　toes　much；　Jolly？〃
　 〃You're　mad；〃　he　said　mechanically。　〃This　is　utter　nonsense。　Even　if　it　wasn't　nonsense；　you　couldn't　prove　a　word　of　it。〃
　 〃We'll　see。　Jolly　claimed　that　Benson　fell　on　top　of　him。　He　even　flung　himself　on　the　ice　and　cracked　his　head　to　give　some　verisimilitude　to　his　story。　Our　friend　never　misses　any　of　the　angles。　I　felt　the　slight　bump　on　his　head。　But　he　wasn't　laid　out。　He　was　faking。　He　recovered　just　that　little　bit　too　quickly　and　easily　when　he　got　back　to　the　sick　bay。　And　it　was　then　that　he　made　his　first　mistake；　the　mistake　that　put　me　on　to　himand　should　have　put　me　on　guard　for　an　attack　against　myself。　You　were　there；　mander。〃
　 〃I've　missed　everything　else；〃　Swanson　said　bitterly。　〃Do　you　want　me　to　spoil　a　hundred　per　cent　record？〃
　 〃When　Jolly　came　to；　he　saw　Benson　lying　there。　All　he　could　see　of　him　was　a　blanket　and　a　big　gauze　pack　covering　the　back　of　his　head。　As　far　as　Jolly　was　concerned；　it　could　have　been　anybodyit　had　been　pitch　dark　when　the　accident　occurred。　But　what　did　he　say？　I　remember　his　exact　words。　He　said：　'Of　course；　of　course。　Yes；　that's　it。　He　fell　on　top　of　me；　didn't　he？'　〃He　never　thought　to　ask　who　it　was〃the　natural；　the　inevitable　question　in　the　circumstances。　But　Jolly　didn't　have　to　ask。　He　knew。〃
　 〃He　knew。〃　Swanson　stared　at　Jolly　with　cold；　bleak　eyes；　and　there　was　no　doubt　in　his　mind　now　about　Jolly。　〃You're　right；　Dr。　Carpenter。　He　knew。〃
　 〃And　then　he　had　a　go　at　me。　Can't　prove　a　thing；　of　course。　But　he　was　there　when　I　asked　you　where　the　medical　store　was；　and　he　no　doubt　nipped　down　smartly　behind　Henry　and　myself　and　loosened　the　latch　on　the　hatch　cover。　But　he　didn't　achieve　quite　the　same　high　degree　of　success　this　time。　Even　so；　when　we　went　out　to　the　station　next　morning；　he　still　tried　to　stop　Brownell　and　Bolton　from　being　transferred　back　to　the　ship　by　saying　Bolton　was　too　ill。　But　you　overruled　him。〃
　 〃I　was　right　about　Bolton；〃　Jolly　said。　He　seemed　strangely　quiet　now。　〃Bolton　died。〃
　 〃He　died；〃　I　agreed。　〃He　died　because　you　murdered　him；　and　for　Bolton　alone　I　can　make　certain　you　hang。　For　a　reason　I　still　don't　know；　Jolly　was　still　determined　to　stop　this　ship。　Delay　it；　anyway。　I　think　he　wanted　only　an　hour　or　two's　delay。　So　he　proposed　to　start　a　small　fire；　nothing　much；　just　enough　to　cause　a　small　scare　and　have　the　reactor　shut　down　temporarily。　As　the　site　of　his　fire　。he　chose　the　machinery　spacethe　one　place　in　the　ship　where　he　could　casually　let　something　drop　and　where　it　would　lie　hidden；　for　hours　if　need　be；　among　the　maze　of　pipes　down　there。　In　the　sick　bay　he　concocted　some　type　of　delayed…action　chemical　fuse　that　would　give　off　plenty　of　smoke　but　very　little　flamethere　are　a　dozen　binations　of　acids　and　chemicals　that　can　bring　this　about；　and　our　friend　will　be　a　highly　trained　expert　well　versed　in　all　of　them。　Now；　all　Jolly　wanted　was　an　excuse　to　pass　through　the　engine　room　when　it　would　be　nice　and　quiet　and　virtually　deserted。　In　the　middle　of　the　night。　He　fixed　this；　too。　He　can　fix　anything。　He's　a　very；　very　clever　man　indeed；　is　our　friend　here：　；he's　also　an　utterly　ruthless　fiend。
　 〃Late　in　the　evening　of　the　night　before　the　fire；　the　good　healer　here　made　a　round　of　his　patients。　I　went　with　him。　One　of　the　men　he　treated　was　Bolton；　in　the　nucleonics　laband；　of　course；　to　get　to　the　nucleonics　lab　you　have　to　pass　through　the　engine　room。　There　was　an　enlisted　man　watching　over　the　patients；　and　Jolly　left　special　word　that　he　was　to　be　called　at　any　hour　if　Bolton　became　any　worse。　He　was　called。　I　checked　with　the　engine…room　staff　after　the　fire。　The　engineer　officer　on　watch　and　two　others　were　in　the　maneuvering　room；　but　an　engineman　carrying　out　a　routine　lubrication　job　saw　him　passing　through　the　engine　room　about　1：30　a。m。　in　answer　to　a　call　from　the　man　watching　over　the　patients。　He　took　the　opportunity　to　drop　his　little　chemical　fuse　as　he　was　passing　by　the　machinery　space。　What　he　didn't　know　was　that　his　little　toy　lodged　on　or　near　the　oil…saturated　lagging　on　the　housing　of　the　starboard　turbo　generator；　and　that　when　it　went　off；　it　would　generate　sufficient　heat　to　set　the　sheathing　on　fire。〃
　 Swanson　looked　at　Jolly；　bleakly　and　for　a　long　time；　then　turned　to　me　and　shook　his　head。　〃I　can't　buy　that；　Dr。　Carpenter。　This　phone　call　because　a　patient　just　happens　to　turn　sick。　Jolly　is　not　the　man　to　leave　〃anything〃　to　chance。〃
　 〃He　isn't；〃　I　agreed。　〃He　didn't。　Up　in　the　refrigerator　in　the　sick　bay　I　have　an　exhibit　for　the　Old　Bailey。　A　sheet　of　aluminum　foil　liberally　covered　with　Jolly's　fingerprints。　Smeared　on　this　foil　is　the　remains　of　a　salve。　That　foil　was　what　Jolly　had　bandaged　on　Bolton's　burned　forearm　that　night；　just　after　he　had　given　him　pain…killing　shotsBolton　was　suffering　very　badly。　But　before　Jolly　put　the　salve　on　the　foil　he　spread　on　something　else　first；　a　layer　of　sodium　chloridemon　or　garden　household　salt。　Jolly　knew　that　the　drugs　he　had　given　Bolton　would　keep　him　under　for　three　or　four　hours：　he　also　knew　that　by　the　time　Bolton　had　regained　consciousness；　his　body　heat　would　have　thinned　the　salve　and　brought　the　salt　into　contact　with　the　raw　flesh　on　the　forearm。　He　knew　that　Bolton；　when　he　came　out　from　the　effects　of　the　drugs；　would　e　out　screaming　in　agony。　Can　you　imagine　what　it　must　have　been　like？　The　whole　forearm　a　mass　of　raw　fleshand　covered　with　salt？　When　he　died　soon　after；　he　died　from　shock。　Our　good　healer　herea　lovable　little　lad；　isn't　he？
　 〃Well；　that's　Jolly。　Incidentally；　you　can　discount　most　of　the　gallant　doctor's　heroism　during　the　firealthough　he　was　understandably　as　anxious　as　any　of　us　that　we　survive。　The　first　time　he　went　into　the　engine　room　it　was　too　damned