alistairmaclean.bearisland-第3节

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not　kill　so　that　if　I　were　to　state　categorically　that　some　member　or　members　of　his　cast　or　crew　were　in　no　condition　to　withstand　any　further　punishment　from　the　seas　he　would　insist　on　proof　of　the　existence　of　some　disease　which；　in　conjunction　with　seasickness；　might　be　potentially　lethal；　a　proof　that；　in　the　first　place；　would　have　been　very　difficult　for　me　to　adduce　in　light　of　the　limited　examination　facilities　available　to　me　aboard　ship　and；　in　the　second　place；　would　have　been　impossible　anyhow　for　every　single　member　of　cast　and　crew　had　been　subjected　to　a　rigorous　insurance　medical　before　leaving　Britain：　if　I　gave　a　clean　bill　of　health　to　all；　then　Otto　would　press　on　with　all　speed　for　Bear　Island；　regardless　of　the　sufferings　of　〃our　people〃　about　whom　he　professed　to　be　so　worried；　thereby　effecting　a　considerable　saving　in　time　and　money：　and；　in　the　remote　event　of　any　of　them　inconsiderately　dying　upon　our　hands；　why；　then；　as　the　man　who　had　given　the　green　light；　I　was　the　one　in　the　dock。　I　drained　my　glass　of　inferior　brandy　that　Otto　had　laid　on　in　such　meagre　quantities　and　rose。　〃You'll　be　here？　〃；〃Yes。　Most　co…operative　of　you；　Doctor；　most。〃　〃We　never　close；〃　I　said。　I　was　beginning　to　like　Smithy　though　I　hardly　knew　him　or　anything　about　him：　I　was　never　to　get　to　know　him；　not　well。　That　I　should　ever　get　to　know　him　in　my　professional　capacity　was　unthinkable：　six　feet　two　in　his　carpet　slippers　and　certainly　nothing　short　of　two　hundred　pounds；　Smithy　was　as　unlikely　a　candidate　for　a　doctor's　surgery　as　had　ever　e　my　way。
　In　the　first…aid　cabinet　there。〃　Smithy　nodded　towards　a　cupboard　in　a　corner　of　the　dimly　lit　wheelhouse。　〃Captain　Imrie's　own　private　elixir。　For　emergency　use　only。〃
　I　extracted　one　of　half　a　dozen　bottles　held　in　place　by　felt…lined　spring　clamps　and　examined　it　under　the　chart　table　lamp。　My　regard　for　Smithy　went　up　another　notch。　In　latitude　70〃　something　north　and　aboard　a　superannuated　trawler；　however　converted；　one　does　not　look　to　End　Otard…Dupuy　VSOP。
　〃What　constitutes　an　emergency？〃　I　asked。
　〃Thirst。〃
　I　poured　some　of　the　Otard…Dupuy　into　a　small　glass　and　offered　it　to　Smithy　who　shook　his　head　and　watched　me　as　I　sampled　the　brandy　then　lowered　the　glass　with　suitable　reverence。
　〃To　waste　this　on　a　thirst；〃　I　said；　〃Is　a　crime　against　nature。　Captain　Imrie　isn't　going　to　be　too　happy　when　he　es　up　here　and　finds　meknocking　back　his　special　reserve。〃
　〃Captain　Imrie　is　a　man　who　lives　by　fixed　rules。　The　most　fixed　of　the　lot　is　that　he　never　appears　on　the　bridge　between　8　P。m。　and　8　A。M。
　Oakley…he's　the　bosun…and　I　take　turns　during　the　night。　Believe　me；　that　way　it's　safer　for　everyone　all　round。　What　brings　you　to　the　bridge；　Doctor…apart　from　this　sure　instinct　for　locating　VSOP？〃
　〃Duty。　I'm　checking　on　the　weather　prior　to　checking　on　the　health　of　Mr。　Gerran's　paid　slaves。　He　fears　they　may　start　dying　off　like　flies　if　we　continue　on　this　course　in　those　conditions。〃　The　conditions；　I'd　noted；　appeared　to　be　deteriorating；　for　the　behaviour　of　the　Morning　Rose；　especially　its　degree　of　roll；　was　now　distinctly　more　unfortable　than　it　had　been：　perhaps　it　was　just　a　factor　of　the　height　of　the　bridge　but　I　didn't　think　so。
　〃Mr。　Gerran　should　have　left　you　at　home　and　brought　along　his　palm　reader　or　fortuneteller。〃　A　very　contained　man；　educated　and　clearly　intelligent　；　Smithy　always　seemed　to　be　slightly　amused。　〃As　for　the　weather；　the　6　P。m。　forecast　was　as　it　usually　is　for　those　parts；　vague　and　not　very　encouraging。　They　haven't；〃　he　aided　superfluously；　〃a　great　number　of　weather　stations　in　those　parts。〃
　〃What　do　you　think？〃
　〃It's　not　going　to　improve。〃　He　dismissed　the　weather　and　smiled。　〃I'm　not　a　great　man　for　the　small　talk　but　with　the　Otard…Dupuy　who　needs　it？　Take　the　weight　off　your　feet　for　an　hour　then　go　tell　Mr。　Gerran　that　all　his　paid　slaves；　as　you　call　them；　are　holding　a　square　dance　on　the　poop。
　I　suspect　Mr。　Gerran　of　having　a　suspicious　checking　mind。　However；　if　I　may。。。〃
　〃My　guest。〃
　I　helped　myself　again　and　replaced　the　bottle　in　the　cabinet。　Smithy；　as　he'd　warned；　wasn't　very　talkative；　but　the　silence　was　panionable　enough。　Presently　he　said：　〃Navy；　aren't　you；　Doc？〃
　〃Past　tense。〃
　〃And　now　this？〃
　〃A　shameful　edown。　Don't　you　find　it　so？〃
　〃Touche。〃　I　could　dimly　see　the　white　of　teeth　as　he　smiled　in　the　half　dark。　〃Medical　malpractice；　flogging　penicillin　to　the　wogs；　or　just　drunk　in　charge　of　a　surgery？〃
　〃Nothing　so　glamorous。　〃Insubordination　is　the　word　they　used。〃
　〃Snap。　Me　too。〃　
　A　pause。　〃This　Mr。　Gerran　of　yours。　Is　he　all　right？〃
　〃So　the　insurance　doctors　say。〃
　〃I　didn't　mean　that。〃
　You　can't　expect　me　to　speak　ill　of　my　employer。〃　Again　there　was　that　dimly　seen　glimpse　of　white　teeth。
　〃Well；　that's　one　way　of　answering　my　question。　But；　well；　look；　the　bloke　must　be　loony…or　is　that　an　offensive　term？〃
　〃Only　to　psychiatrists。　I　don't　speak　to　them。　Loony's　fine　by　me。　But　I'd　remind　you　that　Mr。　Gerran　has　a　very　distinguished　record。〃
　〃As　a　loony？〃
　〃That；　too。　But　also　as　a　film…maker；　a　producer。〃
　〃What　kind　of　producer　would　take　a　film　unit　up　to　Bear　Island　with　winter　ing　on？〃
　〃Mr。　Gerran　wants　realism。〃
　〃Mr。　Gerran　wants　his　head　examined。　Has　he　any　idea　what　it's　like　up　there　at　this　time　of　year？〃
　〃He's　also　a　man　with　a　dream。〃
　〃No　place　for　dreamers　in　the　Barents　Sea。　How　the　Americans　ever　managed　to　put　a　man　on　the　moon…〃
　〃Our　friend　Otto　isn't　an　American。　He's　a　central　European。　If　you　want　the　makers　of　dreams　or　the　peddlers　of　dreams　there's　the　place　to　End　them…among　the　headwaters　of　the　Danube。〃
　〃And　the　biggest　rogues　and　confidence　men　in　Europe？〃
　〃You　can't　have　everything。〃
　〃He's　a　long　way　from　the　Danube。〃
　'Otto　had　to　leave　in　a　great　hurry　at　a　time　when　a　large　number　of　people　had　to　leave　in　a　great　hurry。　Year　before　the　war；　that　was。　Found　his　way　to　America…where　else…then　to　Hollywood…again；　where　else？
　Say　what　you　like　about　Otto…and　I'm　afraid　a　lot　of　people　do　just　that　you　have　to　admire　his　recuperative　powers。　He'd　left　a　thriving　film　business　behind　him　in　Vienna　and　arrived　in　California　with　what　he　stood　up　in。〃
　〃That's　not　so　little。〃
　It　was　then。　I've　seen　pictures。　No　greyhound；　but　still　about　a　hundred　pounds　short　of　what　he　is　today。　Anyway；　inside　just　a　few　years　chiefly　；　I'm　told；　by　switching　at　the　psychologically　correct　moment　from　anti…Nazism　to　anti…munism…Otto　prospered　mightily　in　the　American　film　industry　on　the　strength　of　a　handful　of　nauseatingly　superpatriotic　pictures；　which　had　the　critics　in　despair　and　the　audiences　in　raptures。　In　the　mid…'50s；　sensing　that　the　cinematic　sun　was　setting　over　Hollywood…you　can't　see　it　but　he　carries　his　own　built…in　radar　system　with　him…Otto's　devotion　to　his　adopted　country　evaporated　along　with　I0　his　bank　balance　and　he　transferred　himself　to　London　where　he　made　a　number　of　avant…garde　films　that　had　the　critics　in　rapture；　the　audiences　in　despair；　and　Otto　in　the　red。〃
　〃You　seem　to　know　your　Otto；〃　Smithy　said。
　〃Anybody　who　has　read　the　first　five　pages　of　the　prospectus　for　his　last　film　would　know　his　Otto。　I'll　let　you　have　a　copy。　Never　mentions　the　film；　just　Otto。　Misses　out　words　like　〃nauseating〃　and　〃despair〃　of　course　and　you　have　to　read　between　the　lines　a　bit。　But　it's　all　there。〃
　〃I'd　like　a　copy。〃　Smithy　thought　some　then　said：　〃If　he's　in　the　red　where's　the　money　ing　from？　To　make　this　film；　I　mean。〃
　〃Your　sheltered　life。　A　producer　is　always　at　his　most　affluent　when　the　bailiffs　are　camped　outside　the　studio　gates…rented　studio；　of　course。　Who；　when　the　banks　are　foreclosing　on　him　and　the　insurance　panies　drafting　their　ultimatums；　is　throwing　the　party　of　the　year　at　the　Savoy？　Our　friend　the　big…time　producer。　It's　kind　of　like　the　law　of　nature。　You'd　better　stick　to　ships；　Mr。　Smith；〃　I　added　kindly。
　〃Smithy；〃　he　said　absently。　〃So　who's　bankrolling　your　friend？〃
　〃My　employer。　I've　no　idea。　Very　secretive　about　money　matters　is　Otto。〃
　〃But　someone　is。　Backing　him；　I　mean。〃
　〃Must　be。〃　I　put　down　my　glass　and　stood　up。　〃Thanks　for　the　hospitality　。〃
　〃Even　after　he's　produced　a　string　of　losers？　Seems　balmy　to　me。　Fishy；　at　least。〃
　〃The　film　world；　Smithy；　is　full　of　balmy　and　fishy　people。〃　I　didn't；　in　fact；　know　whether　it　was　or　not　but　if　this　shipload　was　in　any　way　representative　of　the　cinema　industry　it　seemed　a　pretty　fair　extrapolation。　〃Or　perhaps　he's　just　got　hold　of　the　story　to　end　all　stories。〃
　〃The　screenplay。　There；　now；　you　may　have　a　point…but　it's　one　you　would　have　to　raise　with　Mr。　Gerran　personally。　Apart　from　Heissman；　who　wrote　it；　Gerran　is　the　only　one　who's　seen　it。〃
　It　hadn't　been　a　factor　of　the　height　of　the　bridge。　As　I　stepped　out　on　to　the　starboard　ladder　on　the　lee　side…there　were　no　internal　munications　between　bridge　and　deck　level　on　those　elderly　steam　trawlers　I　was　left　in　no　doubt　that　the　weather　had　indeed　deteriorated　and　deteriorated　sharply；　a　fact　that　should　have　probably　been　readily　apparent　to　anyone　whose　concern　for　the　prevailing　meteorological　condition