alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第58节

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。　〃Was　that　how　you　wanted　it　done；　Doc？〃
　 〃That　was　exactly　how　I　wanted　it　done；　Zabrinski。　Thank　you　very　much。　A　first…class　job。〃
　 〃A　first…class　job；〃　Rawlings　sniffed。　He　retrieved　the　fallen　Mauser　and　pointed　it　in　Jolly's　general　direction。　〃At　four　feet；　even　Zabrinski　couldn't　miss。〃　He　dug　into　a　pocket；　pulled　out　a　roll　of　bandage；　and　tossed　it　to　Jolly。　〃We　kinda　thought　we　might　be　having　to　use　this；　so　we　came　prepared。　Dr。　Carpenter　said　your　pal　here　would　be　requiring　the　services　of　a　doctor。　He　is。　You're　a　doctor。　Get　busy。〃
　 〃Do　it　yourself；〃　Jolly　snarled。　No　〃old　boy；〃　no　〃old　top。〃　The　bonhomie　was　gone；　and　gone　forever。
　 Rawlings　looked　at　Swanson　and　said　woodenly；　〃Permission　to　hit　Dr。　Jolly　over　the　head　with　this　little　old　gun；　sir？〃
　 〃Permission　granted；〃　Swanson　said　grimly。　But　no　further　persuasion　was　necessary。　Jolly　cursed　and　started　ripping　the　cover　off　the　bandage。
　 For　almost　a　minute　there　was　silence　in　the　room　while　we　watched　Jolly　carry　out　a　rough；　ready　and　far　from　gentle　repair　job　on　Kinnaird's　hand。　Then　Swanson　said　slowly：　〃I　still　don't　understand　how　the　hell　Jolly　got　rid　of　the　film。〃
　 〃It　was　easy。　Ten　minutes'　thinking　and　you'd　get　it。　They　waited　until　we　had　cleared　the　ice　cap；　then　they　took　the　films；　shoved　them　in　a　waterproof　bag；　attached　a　yellow　dye　marker　to　the　bag；　then　pumped　it　out　through　the　garbage…disposal　unit　in　the　galley。　Remember；　they'd　been　on　a　tour　of　the　ship　and　seen　italthough　the　suggestion　was　probably　radioed　them　by　a　naval　expert。　I　had　Rawlings　posted　on　watch　in　the　early　hours　of　this　morning；　and　he　saw　Kinnaird　go　into　the　galley　about　half…past　four。　Maybe　he　just　wanted　a　ham　sandwich；　I　don't　know。　But　Rawlings　says　he　had　the　bag　and　marker　with　him　when　he　sneaked　in　and　empty　hands　when　he　came　out。　The　bag　would　float　to　the　surface　and　the　marker　stain　thousands　of　square　yards　of　water。　The　naval　ship　up　top　would　have　worked　out　our　shortest　route　from　Zebra　to　Scotland　and　would　be　within　a　few　miles　of　our　point　of　exit　from　the　ice　pack。　It　could　probably　have　located　it　without　the　helicopter　but　the　chopper　made　it　dead　certain。
　 〃Incidentally；　I　was　being　rather　less　than　accurate　when　I　said　I　didn't　know　the　reason　for　Jolly's　attempts　to　delay　us。　I　knew　all　along。　He'd　been　told　that　the　ship　couldn't　reach　our　exit　point　until　such　and　such　a　time　and　that　it　was　vital　to　delay　us　until　then。　Jolly　even　had　the　effrontery　to　check　with　me　what　time　we　would　be　emerging　from　the　ice　pack。〃
　 Jolly　looked　up　from　Kinnaird's　hand　and　his　face　was　twisted　in　a　mask　of　malevolence。
　 〃You　win；　Carpenter。　So　you　win。　All　along　the　line。　But　you　lost　out　in　the　only　thing　that　really　mattered。　They　got　the　filmsthe　films　showing　the　location；　as　you　said；　of　nearly　every　missile　base　in　America。　And　that　was　all　that　mattered。　Ten　million　pounds　couldn't　buy　that　information。　But　we　got　it。〃　He　bared　his　teeth　in　a　savage　smile。　〃We　may　have　lost　out；　Carpenter；　but　we're　professionals。　We　did　our　job。〃
　 〃They　got　the　films；　all　right；〃　I　acknowledged。　〃And　I'd　give　a　year's　salary　to　see　the　faces　of　the　men　who　develop　them。　Listen　carefully；　Jolly。　Your　main　reason　in　trying　to　cripple　Benson　and　myself　was　not　so　much　that　you　could　have　the　say…so　on　Bolton's　health　and　so　delay　us：　your　main　reason；　your　overriding　reason；　was　that　you　wanted　to　be　the　only　doctor　on　the　ship　so　that　it　could　be　only　you　who　would　carry　out　the　X…ray　on　Zabrinski's　ankle　and　remove　the　plaster　cast。　Literally；　everything　hinged　on　that：　basically；　nothing　else　mattered。　That　was　why　you　took　such　a　desperate　chance　in　crippling　me　when　you　heard　me　say　I　intended　to　X…ray　Zabrinski's　ankle　the　following　morning。　That　was　the　one　move　you　made　that　lacked　the　hallmark　of　classof　a　professionalbut；　then；　I　think　you　were　close　to　panic。　You　were　lucky。
　 〃Anyway；　you　removed　the　plaster　cast　two　mornings　ago　and　also　the　films　that　you　had　hidden　there　in　oilskin　paper　when　you　applied　the　plaster　to　Zabrinski's　leg　the　first　night　we　arrived　in　Zebra。　A　perfect　hiding　place。　You　could　always；　of　course；　have　wrapped　them　in　bandages　covering　survivors'　burns；　but　that　would　be　too　risky。　The　cast　was　brilliant。
　 〃Unfortunately　for　you　and　your　friends；　I　had　removed　the　original　plaster　during　the　previous　night；　extracted　the　films　from　the　oiled　paper；　and　replaced　them　with　others。　That；　incidentally；　is　the　second　piece　of　evidence　I　have　on　you。　There　are　two　perfect　sets　of　prints　on　the　leaders　of　the　satellite　films：　yours　and　Kinnaird's。　Along　with　the　saltcovered　aluminum　foil　and　the　confession　freely　made　in　front　of　witnesses；　that　guarantees　you　both　the　eight　o'clock　walk　to　the　gallows。　The　gallows　and　failure；　Jolly。　You　weren't　even　a　professional。　Your　friends　will　never　see　those　films。〃
　 Mouthing　soundless　words　through　smashed　lips；　his　face　masked　in　madness；　and　pletely　oblivious　to　the　two　guns；　Jolly　flung　himself　at　me。　He　had　taken　two　steps　and　two　only　when　Rawlings'　gun　caught　him；　not　lightly；　on　the　side　of　the　head。　He　crashed　to　the　floor　as　if　the　Brooklyn　bridge　had　fallen　in　on　top　of　him。　Rawlings　surveyed　him　dispassionately。
　 〃Never　did　a　day's　work　that　gave　me　profounder　satisfaction；〃　he　said　conversationally。　〃Except；　perhaps；　those　pictures　I　took　with　Dr。　Benson's　camera　to　give　Dr。　Carpenter　here　some　negatives　to　shove　inside　that　oiled　paper。〃
　 〃Pictures　of　what？〃　Swanson　asked　curiously。
　 Rawlings　grinned　happily。　〃All　those　pin…ups　in　Doc　Benson's　sick　bay。　Yogi　Bear；　Donald　Duck；　Pluto；　Popeye；　Snow　White　and　the　Seven　Dwarfsyou　name　it；　I　got　it。　The　works。　Each　a　guaranteed　work　of　artand　in　glorious　technicolor。〃　He　smiled　a　beatific　smile。　〃Like　Doc　Carpenter　here；　I'd　give　a　year's　pay　to　see　their　faces　when　they　get　around　to　developing　those　negatives。〃
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
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