alistairmaclean.bearisland-第38节

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n　darkness　was　to　embark　upon　a　monumental　folly。　His　fervour　for　the　search　had　diminished　to　vanishing　point：　but　his　failure　to　find　Smithy　had；　if　anything；　increased　his　determination　to　depart　immediately。　Having　ensured　that　the　last　of　the　foredeck　cargo　had　been　unloaded　and　that　all　of　the　film　pany's　equipment　and　personal　effects　were　ashore；　he　and　Mr。　Stokes　courteously　but　swiftly　shook　hands　with　us　all　as　we　were　ushered　ashore。　The　derricks　were　already　stayed　in　position　and　the　mooring　ropes　singled　up：　Captain　Imrie　was　not　about　to　stay　upon　the　order　of　his　going。
　Otto；　properly　enough；　was　the　last　to　leave。　At　the　head　of　the　gangway；　he　said：　〃Twenty…two　days　it　is；　then；　Captain　Imrie？　You'll　be　back　in　twenty…two　days？〃
　I　won't　leave　you　here　the　winter；　Mr。　Gerran；　never　fear。〃　With　both　the　mystery　and　his　much…unloved　Bear　Island　about　to　be　left　behind　Captain　Imrie　apparently　felt　that　he　could　permit　himself　a　slight　relaxation　of　attitude。　〃Twenty…two　days？　At　the　very　outset。　Why；　man；　I　can　be　in　Hammerfest　and　back　in　seventy…two　hours。　I　wish　you　all　well。〃
　With　this　Captain　Imrie　ordered　the　gangway　to　be　raised　and　went　up　to　the　bridge　without　explaining　his　cryptic　remark　about　the　seventy…two　hours。　It　was　more　likely　than　not　that　what　he　had　in　mind　at　that　very　moment　was；　indeed；　to　be　back　inside　seventy…two　hours　with；　his　manner　seemed　to　convey；　a　small　regiment　of　heavily　armed　Norwegian　police。　I　wasn't　concerned：　I　was　as　certain　as　I　could　be　that；　if　that　were　indeed　what　he　had　in　mind；　he　would　change　his　mind　before　the　night　was　out。
　The　navigation　lights　came　on　and　the　Morning　Rose　moved　off　slowly　northwards　from　the　jetty；　slewed　round　in　a　half…circle　and　headed　down　the　Sor…Hamna；　her　engine　note　deepening　as　she　picked　up　speed。
　Opposite　the　jetty　again　Captain　Imrie　sounded　his　hooter…only　the　captain　could　have　called　it　a　siren…twice；　a　high　and　lonely　sound　almost　immediately　swallowed　up　in　the　muffling　blanket　of　snow：　within　seconds；　it　seemed；　both　the　throb　of　the　engine　and　the　pale　glow　of　the　navigation　lights　were　lost　in　the　snow　and　the　darkness。
　For　what　seemed　quite　some　time　we　all　stood　there；　huddled　against　the　bitter　cold　and　peering　into　the　driving　snow；　as　if　by　willing　it　could　bring　the　lights　back　into　view　again；　the　engine　throb　back　into　earshot。　The　atmosphere　was　not　one　of　voyagers　happily　arrived　at　their　hoped…for　destination　but　of　castaways　marooned　on　an　Arctic　desert　island。
　The　atmosphere　inside　the　big　living　cabin　was　not　much　of　an　improvement。　The　oil　heaters　were　〃functioning　well　enough　and　Eddie　had　the　diesel　generator　running　so　that　the　black　heaters　on　the　walls　were　just　beginning　to　warm　up；　but　the　effects　of　a　decade　of　deep　freeze　were　not　to　be　overe　in　the　space　of　an　hour：　the　inside　temperature　was　still　below　freezing。　Nobody　went　to　their　allocated　cubicles　for　the　excellent　reason　that　they　were　considerably　colder　than　the　central　living　space。　Nobody　appeared　to　want　to　talk　to　anybody　else。　Heissman　embarked　upon　a　pedantic　and　what　promised　to　be　lengthy　lecture　about　Arctic　survival；　a　subject　concerning　which　his　long　and　intimate　acquaintance　with　Siberia　presumably　made　him　uniquely　qualified　to　speak；　but　there　were　no　takers；　it　was　questionable　whether　he　was　even　listening　to　himself。　Then　he；　Otto；　and　Neal　Divine　began　a　rather　desultory　discussion　of　their　plans　for…weather　permitting…the　following　day's　shooting；　but　obviously　they　hadn't　their　hearts　even　in　that。　It　was；　eventually；　Conrad　who　put　his　finger　on　the　cause　of　the　general　malaise；　or；　more　accurately；　expressed　the　thought　that　was　in　the　mind　of　everybody　with　the　possible　exception　of　myself。
　He　said　to　Heissman：　In　the　Arctic；　in　winter；　you　require　torches。
　Right？'；
　〃Right。'
　〃We　have　them？〃
　〃Plenty；　of　course。　Why？〃
　〃Because　I　want　one。　I　want　to　go　out。　We've　been　in　here　now；　all　of　us；　how　long；　I　don't　know；　twenty　minutes　at　least　and　for　all　we　know　there　may　be　a　man　out　there　sick　or　hurt　or　frost…bitten　or　maybe　fallen　and　broken　a　leg。〃
　〃Oh；　e　now；　e　now；　that's　pitching　it　a　bit　strongly；　Charles；〃
　Otto　said。　〃Mr。　Smith　has　always　struck　me　as　a　man　eminently　able　to　take　care　of　himself。〃　Otto　would　probably　have　said　the　same　thing　if　he'd　been　watching　Smithy　being　mangled　by　a　polar　bear：　because　of　both　nature　and　build　Otto　was　not　a　man　to　bee　unnecessarily　involved　in　anything　even　remotely　physical。　If　you　don't　really　care；　why　don't　you　e　out　and　say　so？〃　This　was　a　new　side　of　Conrad　to　me　and　he　continued　to　develop　his　theme　at　my　expense。　〃I'd　have　thought　you'd　have　been　the　first　to　suggest　this；　Dr。　Marlowe。〃　I　might　have　been；　too；　had　I　not　known　considerably　more　about　Smithy　than　he　did。
　I　don't　mind　being　the　second；〃　I　said　agreeably。
　In　the　event；　we　all　went；　with　the　exception　of　Otto；　who　plained　of　feeling　unwell　and　Judith　Haynes　who　roundly　maintained　that　it　was　all　nonsense　and　that　Mr。　Smith　would　conic　back　；；；；hen　he　felt　like　it；　an　opinion　which　I　held　myself　but　for　reasons　entirely　different　from　hers。　We　were　all　provided　with　torches　and　agreed　to　keep　as　closely　together　as　possible　or；　if　separated；　to　be　back　inside　thirty　minutes　at　the　latest。
　The　party　set　off　in　a　wide　sweep　up　the　escarpment　fronting　the　Sor…Hamna　to　the　north。　At　least；　the　others　did。　I　headed　straight　for　the　equipment　hut　where　the　diesel　generator　was　thudding　away　reassuringly　for　it　was　unlikely　that　anyone　of　us　would　be　missed…no　one　would　probably　be　aware　of　the　presence　of　any　other　than　his　immediate　neighbours…and　the　best　place　to　sit　out　a　wild　goose　chase　was　the　warmest　and　most　sheltered　spot　I　could　find。　With　my　torch　switched　off。　so　as　not　to　betray　my　presence　I　opened　the　door　of　the　hut；　passed　inside；　closed　the　door；　took　a　step　forward　and　swore　out　loud　as　I　stumbled　over　something　paratively　yielding　and　almost　measured　my　length　on　the　planked　floor。　I　recovered；　turned；　and　switched　on　my　torch。
　A　man　was　lying　stretched　out　on　the　floor　and　to　my　total　lack　of　surprise　it　proved　to　be　Smithy。　He　stirred　and　groaned；　half…turned；　raised　a　feeble　arm　to　protect　his　eyes　from　the　bright　glare　of　the　torch；　then　slumped　back　again；　his　arm　falling　limply　by　his　side；　his　eyes　closed。
　There　was　blood　smeared　over　his　left　cheek。　He　stirred　uneasily；　moving　from　side　to　side　and　moaning　in　that　soft　fashion　a　man　does　when　he　is　close　to　the　borderline　of　consciousness。
　〃Does　it　hurt　much；　Smithy？〃　I　asked。
　He　moaned　some　more。
　〃Where　you　scratched　your　cheek　with　a　handful　of　frozen　snow；〃　I　said。
　He　stopped　moving　and　he　stopped　moaning。
　〃The　edy　act　we'll　keep　for　later　in　the　programme；〃　I　said　coldly。
　In　the　meantime；　will　you　kindly　get　up　and　explain　to　me　why　you've　behaved　like　an　irresponsible　idiot？〃
　I　placed　the　torch　on　the　generator　casing　so　that　the　beam　shone　upwards。　It　didn't　give　much　light；　just　enough　to　show　Smithy's　carefully　expressionless　face　as　lie　got　to　his　feel？
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　he　said。
　〃TQS　I82I3I；　James　R。　Huntingdon；　Colder　Greens　and　Beirut；　currently　and　wrongly　known　as　Joseph　Rank　Smith　is　who　I　mean。〃
　I　guess　I'm　the　irresponsible　idiot　you　mean；〃　Smithy　said。　〃It　would　be　nice　to　have　introductions　all　round。〃
　〃Dr。　Marlowe；〃　I　said。　He　kept　the　same　carefully　expressionless　face。
　〃Four　years　and　four　months　ago　when　we　took　you　from　your　nice　cosy　job　as　Chief　Officer　in　that　broken…down　Lebanese　tanker　we　thought　you　had　a　future　with　us。　A　bright　one。　Even　four　months　ago　we　thought　the　same　thing。　But　here；　now；　I'm　very　far　from　sure。〃
　Smithy　smiled　but　his　heart　wasn't　in　it。　〃You　can't　very　well　fire　me　on　Bear　Island。〃
　I　can　fire　you　in　Timbuctoo　if　I　want　to；〃　I　said　matter…of…factly。　〃Well；　e　on。
　〃You　might　have　made　yourself　known　to　me。〃　Smithy　sounded　aggrieved　and　I　supposed　I　would　have　been　also　in　his　position。　I　was　beginning　to　guess。　I　didn't　know　there　was　anyone　else　aboard　apart　from　Me。
　〃You　weren't　supposed　to　know。　You　weren't　supposed　to　guess。　You　were　supposed　to　do　exactly　what　you　were　told。　Just　that　and　no　more。　You　remember　the　last　line　in　your　written　instructions？　They　were　underlined。　A　quotation　from　Milton。　I　underlined　it。〃
　〃'They　also　serve　who　only　stand　and　wait；〃〃　Smithy　said。　〃Corny；　I　thought　it　at　the　time。〃
　〃I've　had　a　limited　education；〃　I　said。　〃Point　is；　did　you　stand　and　wait？
　Did　you　hell。　Your　orders　were　as　simple　and　explicit　as　orders　could　ever　be。　Remain　constantly　aboard　the　Morning　Rose　until　contacted。　Do　not；　under　any　circumstances；　leave　the　vessel　even　to　step　ashore。　Do　not；　repeat　not；　attempt　to　conduct　any　investigations　upon　your　own；　do　not　seek　to　discover　anything；　at　all　times　behave　like　a　stereotype　merchant　navy　officer。　This　you　failed　to　do。　I　wanted　you　aboard　that　ship；　Smithy。
　I　needed　you　aboard…now。　And　where　are　you…stuck　in　a　Godforsaken　hut　on　Bear　Island。　Why　in　God's　name　couldn't　you　follow　out　simple　instructions？〃
　〃OK。　My　fault。　But　I　thought　I　was　alone。　Circumstances　alter　cases；　don't　they？　With　four　men　mysteri