alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第32节

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ow…buckets　on　the　stove。　〃When　the　temperature　there　reaches　85°；　stick　your　feet　in　it。　Wait　till　the　skin　turns　red。　It　won't　be　pleasant；　but　it'll　work。　If　there　are　any　blisters　I'll　puncture　and　sterilise　them　tomorrow。〃
　
　He　stared　at　me。　〃Is　that　sort　of　thing　going　to　go　on　all　the　time；　Doc？〃
　
　〃I'm　afraid　so。〃
　
　And　it　did　go　on　for　all　the　time…or　for　the　next　ten　hours；　at　least；　during　which　time　the　temperature　dropped　down　to　the　low　seventies；　halted　and　began　its　slow；　ever　so　slow；　upward　swing　again。　Ten　hours　while　the　snow…buckets　were　never　off　the　stove；　ten　hours　while　Mrs　Dansby…Gregg；　her　maid；　Helene　and；　later　on；　Solly　Levin　held　blow…torches　against　the　sides　of　the　buckets　to　hurry　up　the　melting　and　heating　process；　ten　hours　while　we　drivers　suffered　the　regularly　recurring　pounding　agony　of　circulation　returning　to　our　frozen　limbs；　ten　hours　during　which　we　began　to　build　up　an　almost　pathological　dread　of　the　moment　when　we　must　again　plunge　our　feet　into　hot　water；　ten　hours　during　which　Mahler　grew　steadily　weaker　and　Marie　LeGarde；　falling　silent　for　the　first　time；　slipped　down　and　lay　huddled　in　a　corner；　eyelids　closed；　like　one　already　dead。　Ten　hours。　Ten　interminable　indescribable　hours　of　suffering　borrowed　from　purgatory。　But　long　before　these　ten　hours　were　up　something　happened　to　change　the　picture　pletely。
　
　At　noon　we　halted　the　tractor。　While　the　women　were　heating　up　soup　and　using　a　blow…torch　to　thaw　out　two　cans　of　fruit；　Jackstraw　and　I　rigged　up　the　radio　transmitter；　strung　out　an　antenna　and　started　triggering　out　our　GFK　call…sign。　Normally；　on　these　hand…cranked　eight…watt　jobs；　a　morse　key　was　used　for　transmission　while　reception　was　by　a　pair　of　earphones；　but　thanks　to　a　skilful　improvisation　by　Joss　who　knew　how　hopelessly　awkward　morse　was　for　everyone　in　the　party　except　himself；　the　set　had　been　rigged　so　that　the　key　was　used　only　for　the　call…up　sign。　After　the　link　was　made；　a　hand　microphone　could　be　used　for　transmission：　and　simply　by　throwing　the　receiving　switch　into　the　antenna　lead；　the　microphone　was　transformed　into　a　small　but　sufficiently　effective　loudspeaker。
　
　Calling　up　Joss　was　only　a　gesture。　I'd　made　a　promise　and　was　keeping　it；　that　was　all。　But　by　this　time；　I　estimated；　we　were　120　miles　distant　from　him；　near　enough　the　limit　of　our　small　set：　I　didn't　know　what　effect　the　intense　cold　would　have　on　radio　transmission；　but　I　suspected　it　wouldn't　be　anything　good：　there　had　been　no　aurora　that　morning；　but　the　ionosphere　disturbance　might　still　be　lingering　on。　and；　of　course；　Joss　himself　had　declared　that　his　RCA　was　entirely　beyond　repair。
　
　Ten　minutes　passed；　ten　minutes　during　which　Jackstraw　industriously　cranked　the　handle　and　I　sent　out　the　call…sign；　GFK　three　times　repeated；　a　flick　of　the　receiver　switch；　ten　seconds　listening；　then　the　switch　pulled　back　and　the　call…sign　made　again。　At　the　end　of　the　ten　minutes　I　sent　out　the　last　call；　pushed　over　the　receiving　switch；　listened　briefly　then　stood　up；　resignedly　gesturing　to　Jackstraw　to　stop　cranking。　It　was　then；　almost　in　the　very　last　instant；　that　the　mike　in　my　hand　crackled　into　life。
　
　〃GFX　calling　GFK。　GFX　calling　GFK。　We　are　receiving　you　faint　but　clear。　Repeat；　we　are　receiving　you。　Over。〃
　
　I　fumbled　and　nearly　dropped　the　mike　in　my　excitement。
　
　〃GFK　calling　GFX；　GFK　calling　GFX。〃　I　almost　shouted　the　words；　saw　Jackstraw　pointing　to　the　switch　which　was　still　in　the　receiving　position；　cursed　my　stupidity；　threw　it　over；　called　out　the　signs　again　and　then；　quite　forgetting　the　procedure　and　etiquette　of　radio　munication；　rushed　on；　the　words　tumbling　over　one　another：　〃Dr　Mason　here。　Dr　Mason　here。　Receiving　you　loud　and　clear。　Is　that　you；　Joss？〃　I　threw　the　switch。
　
　〃Yes；　sir。　Glad　to　hear　from　you。〃　Static　lent　a　flat　impersonality　to　the　crackling　words；　robbed　them　of　meaning。　〃How　are　you？　What　weather；　how　far　out？〃　
　
　〃Going　strong；〃　I　replied。　〃Cold　intense…minus　70°。　Approximately　120　miles　out。　Joss；　this　is　a　miracle！　How　on　earth　did　you　fix　it？〃
　
　〃I　didn't；〃　he　said　unemotionally。　There　was　a　pause　and　then　his　voice　came　again。　〃Captain　Hillcrest　is　waiting　to　speak　to　you；　sir。〃
　
　〃Captain　Hillcrest！　What　on　earth　is　Captain　Hillcrest…〃　I　broke　off　abruptly；　not　through　astonishment；　great　though　that　was；　that　Hillcrest；　whom　I　had　believed　to　be　almost　250　miles　to　the　north　of　our　IGY　cabin　should　have　suddenly　turned　up　there；　but　because　the　warning　glance　from　Jackstraw　had　found　an　echoing　answer　in　the　back　of　my　own　mind。　〃Hold　on；〃　I　said　quickly。　〃Will　call　you　back　in　two　or　three　minutes。〃
　
　We　had　set　up　the　transmitter　just　to　the　rear　of　the　tractor　cabin；　and　I　knew　that　every　word　said　on　both　sides　could　be　heard　by　those　inside。　It　was　just　then　that　the　curtains　parted　and　Corazzini　and　Zagero　peered　out；　but　I　ignored　them。　I　never　cared　less　about　the　hurt　I　was　offering　to　anybody's　feelings；　just　picked　up　the　radio　and　generator　while　Jackstraw　unstrung　the　antenna；　and　walked　away　from　the　tractor。　Two　hundred　yards　away　I　stopped。　Those　in　the　tractor　could　still　see　us…the　brief　light　of　noonday　was　flooding　over　the　ice…cap…but　they　could　no　longer　hear　us。
　
　We　rigged　the　radio　again；　and　I　tried　to　tap　out　the　call…sign　but　it　was　hopeless；　we'd　been　out　too　long　in　that　dreadful　cold　and　my　hand　was　beating　an　uncontrollable　tattoo　on　the　key。　Fortunately；　they　knew　or　guessed　at　the　other　end　what　was　happening；　for　Hillcrest's　voice；　calm；　confident；　infinitely　reassuring；　came　through　as　soon　as　I　pressed　the　receiving　switch。
　
　〃Surprise；　surprise；〃　the　mike　crackled　mechanically。　〃OK；　Dr　Mason；　from　what　Joss　has　said…and　the　recent　delay　…1　guess　you're　a　good　way　from　the　tractor。　At　seventy　below　you　won't　want　to　stay　there　too　long。　Suggest　I　do　all　the　talking。　I'll　keep　it　brief。　Receiving　me？〃
　
　〃Loud　and　clear。　What　on　earth　are　you…sorry；　carry　on。〃
　
　〃Thanks。　We　heard　Monday　afternoon；　on　both　British　and　American　broadcasts；　of　the　overdue　airliner。　Tuesday　morning　…yesterday；　that　is…we　heard　from　the　Uplavnik　base。　They　say　this　hasn't　been　announced　officially；　but　the　US　and　British　governments　are　convinced　that　the　plane　has　not　been　lost　at　sea；　but　that　it　has　landed　somewhere　in　Greenland　or　Baffin　Island。　Don't　ask　me　why　they're　convinced…I've　no　idea。　Anyway；　they've　mounted　the　biggest　air…sea　rescue　search　since　the　war。　Merchant　vessels　of　several　nationalities　have　been　diverted。　American；　British；　French　and　Canadian　fishing　trawlers　are　moving　in　to　the　Greenland　coast…the　west　coast　mainly。　The　east's　already　blocked　with　ice。　A　dozen　US　air　force　search　bombers　are　already　operating　from　Thule　and　Sondre　Strom…fjord。　US　coastguard　cutters　are　on　the　job；　a　flotilla　of　Canadian　destroyers　have　been　rerouted　from　mid…Atlantic　and　are　steaming　at　full　speed　for　the　southern　entrance　of　the　Davis　Strait…although　it　will　take　them　at　least　thirty…six　more　hours　to　get　there…and　a　British　aircraft…carrier；　acpanied　by　a　couple　of　destroyers；　has　already　rounded　Cape　Farewell：　we　don't　know　yet　how　far　north　she　can　get；　the　ice　is　solid　on　the　Baffin　side；　but　it's　open　at　least　to　Disko　on　the　Greenland　coast；　maybe　as　far　as　Svartenhuk。　All　IGY　stations　in　Greenland　have　been　ordered　to　join　in　the　search。　That's　why　we　came　back　non…stop　to　the　cabin…to　pick　up　more　petrol。〃
　
　I　could　contain　myself　no　longer；　threw　over　the　receiving　switch。
　
　〃What　on　earth's　all　the　mad　flap　about？　You'd　think　the　President　of　the　United　States　and　half　the　Royal　Family　were　aboard　that　plane。　Why　no　more　information　from　Uplavnik？〃
　
　I　waited；　and　then　Hillcrest's　voice　crackled　again。
　
　〃Radio　transmission　impossible　during　preceding　twenty…four　hours。　Will　raise　them　now；　tell　them　we've　found　the　missing　plane　and　that　you're　on　your　way　to　the　coast。　Any　fresh　developments　with　you？〃
　
　〃None。　Correction。　One　of　the　passengers…Mahler…turns　out　to　be　an　advanced　diabetic。　He's　in　a　bad　way。　Radio　Uplavnik　to　get　insulin。　Godthaab　will　have　it。〃
　
　〃Wilco；〃　the　microphone　crackled　back。　A　long　pause；　during　which　I　could　faintly　hear　the　murmur　of　conversation；　then　Hillcrest　came　on　again。　〃Suggest　you　return　to　meet　us。　We　have　plenty　of　petrol；　plenty　of　food。　With　eight　of　us　on　guard　instead　of　two；　nothing　could　happen。　We're　already　forty　miles　out〃　…1　glanced　at　Jackstraw；　caught　the　sudden　wrinkling　of　the　eyes　which　I　knew　to　be　the　tell…tale　sign　of　a　quick　grin　of　astonished　delight　which　so　accurately　reflected　my　own　feelings…'so　not　more　than　eighty　miles　behind　you。　We　could　meet　up　in　five　or　six　hours。〃
　
　I　felt　elation　wash　through　me　like　a　releasing　wave。　This　was　wonderful；　this　was　more　than　anything　I　had　ever　dared　hope　for。　All　our　troubles　were　at　an　end。　。　。　。　And　then　the　momentary　emotion　of　relief　and　triumph　ebbed；　the　cold　dismaying　processes　of　reason　moved　in　inexorably　to　take　their　place；　and　it　didn't　require　the　slow；　definite　shake　of　Jackstraw's　head　to　tell　me　that　the　end　of　our　troubles　was　as　far　away　as　ever。
　
　〃No