alistairmaclean.bearisland-第39节

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　〃OK。　My　fault。　But　I　thought　I　was　alone。　Circumstances　alter　cases；　don't　they？　With　four　men　mysteriously　dead　and　four　others　pretty　close　to　death…well；　damn　it　all；　am　I　supposed　to　stand　by　and　do　nothing？
　Am　I　supposed　to　have　no　initiative；　not　to　think　for　myself　even　once？〃
　〃Not　till　you're　told　to。　And　now　look　where　you've　left　me…one　hand　behind　my　back。　The　Morning　Rose　was　my　other　hand　and　now　you've　deprived　me　of　it。　I　wanted　it　on　call　and　close　to　hand　every　hour　of　the　day　and　night。　I　might　need　it　at　any　time…and　now　I　haven't　got　it。　Is　there　anybody　aboard　that　blasted　trawler　who　could　maintain　position　just　offshore　in　the　darkest　night　or　bring　her　up　the　Sor…Hamna　in　a　full　blizzard？　You　know　damn　well　there's　not。　Captain　Imrie　couldn't　bring　her　up　the　Clyde　on　a　midsummer's　afternoon。〃
　〃You　have　a　radio　with　you　then？　To　municate　with　the　trawler？〃
　〃Of　course。　Built　into　my　medical　case…no　more　than　a　police　job；　but　range　enough。〃
　〃Be　rather　difficult　to　municate　with　the　Morning　Rose's　transceiver　lying　in　bits　and　pieces。〃
　〃How　very　true；〃　I　said。　〃And　why　is　it　in　bits　and　pieces？　Because　on　the　bridge　you　started　talking　freely　and　at　length　about　shouting　for　help　over　that　selfsame　radio　and　whistling　up　the　NATO　Atlantic　forces　if　need　be；　while　all　the　time　some　clever…cuts　was　taking　his　case　out　on　the　bridge　wing　drinking　in　every　word　you　said。　I　know；　there　were　fresh　tracks　in　the　snow…well；　my　tracks；　but　re…used；　if　you　follow　me。　So；　of　course；　our　clever…cuts　hies　himself　off。　and　gets　himself　a　heavy　hammer。〃
　I　could　have　been　more　circumspect　at　that；　I　suppose。　You　can　have　my　apologies　if　you　want　them　but　I　don't　see　them　being　all　that　useful　at　this　stage。〃
　〃I'm　hardly　in　line　myself　for　a　citation　for　distinguished　services；　so　we'll　leave　the　apologies　be。　Now　that　you're　here…well；　I　won't　have　to　watch　my　back　so　closely。〃
　〃So　they're　on　to　you…whoever　they　are？〃
　〃Whoever　they　are　are　unquestionably　on　to　me。〃　I　told　him　briefly　all　I　knew；　not　all　I　thought　I　knew　or　suspected　I　knew；　for　I　saw　no　point　in　making　Smithy　as　confused　as　myself。　I　went　on：　〃Just　so　we　don't　act　at　cross…purposes；　let　me　initiate　any　action　that　I…or　we…may　think　may　have　to　be　taken。　I　need　hardly　say　that　that　doesn't　deprive　you　of　initiative　if　and　when　you　find　yourself　or　think　you　find　yourself　physically　threatened。　In　that　event；　you　have　my　advance　permission　to　flatten　anybody。〃
　〃That's　nice　to　know。〃　Smithy　smiled　briefly　for　the　first　time。　〃It　would　be　even　nicer　to　know　who　it　is　that　I'm　likely　to　have　to　flatten。　It　would　be　even　nicer　still　to　know　what　you　who　are；　I　gather；　a　fairly　senior　Treasury　official；　and　I；　whom　I　know　to　be　a　junior　one；　are　doing　on　this　goddamned　island　anyway。〃
　〃The　Treasury's　basic　concern　is　money；　always　money；　in　one　shape　or　other　and　that's　why　we're　here。　Not　our　money；　not　British　money；　but　what　we　call　international　dirty　money　and　all　the　members　of　the　Central　Banks　co…operate　very　closely　on　this　issue。〃
　〃When　you're　as　poor　as　I　am；　〃　Smithy　said；　〃there's　no　such　thing　as　dirty　money。〃
　〃Even　an　underpaid　civil　servant　like　yourself　wouldn't　touch　this　lot。
　This　is　all　ill…gotten　gains；　illegal　loot　from　the　days　of　World　War　II。
　This　money　has　all　been　earned　in　blood　and　what　has　been　recovered　of　it…and　that's　only　a　fraction　of　the　total…has　almost　invariably　been　recovered　in　blood。　Even　as　late　as　the　spring　of　I945　Germany　was　still　a　land　of　priceless　treasures：　by　the　summer　of　that　year　the　cupboard　was　almost　entirely　bare。　Both　the　victors　and　the　vanquished　laid　their　sticky　fingers　on　every　imaginable　object　of　value　they　could　clap　eyes　on…gold；　precious　stones；　old　masters；　securities…German　bank　securities　issued　forty　years　ago　are　still　perfectly　valid…and　took　off。　in　every　conceivable　direction。　I　need　hardly　say　that　none　of　those　involved　saw　fit　to　declare　their　latest　acquisitions　to　the　proper　authorities。〃　I　looked　at　my　watch。　‘Your　worried　friends　are　scouring　Bear　Island　for　you…or　a　very　small　part　of　it；　anyway。　A　half…hour　search。　I'll　have　to　bring　in　your　unconscious　form　in　about　fifteen　minutes。〃
　〃It　all　sounds　pretty　dull　to　me；〃　Smith　said。　〃All　this　loot；　I　mean。　Was　there　much　of　it？〃
　〃It　all　depends　what　you　call　much。　It's　estimated　that　the　Allies…and　hen　I　say　〃Allies〃　I　mean　Britain　and　America　as　well　as　the　much　maligned　Russians…managed　to　get　hold　of　about　two…thirds　of　the　total。
　That　left　the　Nazis　and　their　sympathisers　with　about　a　paltry　one…third　and　the　conservative　estimate　of　that　one…third…conservative；　Smithy　is　that　it　amounts　to　approximately　？350；000；000。　Pounds　sterling；　you　understand。〃
　〃A　thousand　million　all　told？〃
　〃Give　or　take　a　hundred　million。〃
　〃That　childish　remark　about　this　being　a　dull　subject。　Strike　it　off。　The　record。〃
　〃Granted。　Now　this　loot　has　found　its　way　into　some　very　odd　places　indeed。　Some　of　it；　inevitably；　lies　in　secret　numbered　bank　accounts。　Some　of　it…there　is　no　question　about　this…lies　in　the　form　of　specie　in　some　of　the　very　deepest　Austrian　alpine　lakes　and　has　so　far　proved　irrecoverable。　I　know　of　two　Raphaels　in　the　cellar　gallery　of　a　Buenos　Aires　millionaire；　a　Michelangelo　in　Rio；　several　Hals　and　Rubens　in　the　same　illegal　collection　in　New　York　and　a　Rembrandt　in　London。　Their　owners　are　either　people　who　have　been　in；　were　in　or　are　closely　connected　to　the　governments　or　armed　forces　of　the　countries　concerned：　there's　nothing　the　governments　concerned　can　do　about　it　and　there　are　no　signs　that　they're　particularly　keen　to　do　anything　about　it　anyway；　they　themselves　might　be　the　ultimate　beneficiaries。　As　lately　as　the　end　of　I970　an　international　cartel　went　on　the　market　with　？30；000；000　worth　of　perfectly　valid　German　securities　issued　in　the　〃30s；　approaching　in　turn　the　London；　New　York；　and　Zurich　markets　but　the　Federal　Bank　of　Germany　refused　to　cash　those　until　proper　owner　identification　was　established：　the　point　is　that　it's　an　open　secret　that　those　securities　were　taken　from　the　vaults　of　the　Reichsbank　in　I945　by　a　special　Red　Army　unit　who　were　constituted　as　the　only　legalised　military　burglars　in　history。
　〃But　that's　only　the　tip　of　the　iceberg；　so　to　speak；　the　vast　bulk　of　this　immense　fortune　is　hidden　because　the　war　is　still　too　recent　and　people　the　illegal　owners…still　too　scared　to　convert　their　treasures　into　currency。　There's　a　special　Italian　Government　Recovery　Office　that　deals　exclusively　with　this　matter　and　its　boss；　one　Professor　Siviero；　estimates　that　there　are　at　least　seven　hundred　old　masters；　many　of　them　virtually　priceless；　still　untraced　while　another　expert；　a　Simon　Wiesenthal　of　the　Austrian　Jewish　Documentation　Service；　says　virtually　the　same　thing　he；　incidentally；　maintains　that　there　are　countless　highly　wanted　characters；　such　as　top　ranking　officers　in　the　S。S。；　who　are　living　in　great　fort　from　hundreds　of　numbered　bank　accounts　scattered　throughout　Europe。
　〃Siviero　and　Wiesenthal　are　the　acknowledged　legal　experts　in　this　form　of　recovery。　Unfortunately；　there　are　known　to　be　a　handful　of　people…they　amount　to　certainly　not　more　than　three　or　four…who　are　possessed　of　an　equal　or　even　greater　expertise　in　this　matter；　but　who　unfortunately　are　lacking　in　the　high　principles　of　their　colleagues；　if　that　is　the　word；　who　operate　on　the　right　side　of　the　law。　Their　names　are　known　but　they　are　untouchable　because　they　have　never　mitted　any　known　crimes；　not　even　fraudulent　conversion　of　stocks；　because　the　stocks　are　always　good；　the　claimants　always　proven。　They　are；　nevertheless；　criminals　operating　on　an　international　level。　We　have　the　most　skilful　and　successful　of　the　lot　with　us　here　on　Bear　Island。　His　name　is　Johann　Heissman。〃
　〃Heissman！〃
　〃None　other。　He's　a　very　gifted　lad　is　our　Johann。〃
　〃But　Heissman！　How　can　that　be？　Heissman？　What　kind　of　sense　can　that　make？　Why　it's　only　two　years…'
　I　know。　It's　only　two　years　since　Heissman　made　his　spectacular　escape　from　Siberia　and　arrived　in　London　to　the　acpaniment　of　lots　of　noise　and　TV　cameras　and　yards　of　newspaper　space　and　enough　red　carpet　to　go　from　Tilbury　to　Tomsk；　since　which　time　he　has　occupied　himself　exclusively　with　his　old　love　of　film…making；　so　how　can　it　possibly　be　Heissman？
　〃Well　it　can　be　Heissman　and　it　is　Heissman　for　our　Johann　is　a　very　downy　bird　indeed。　We　have　checked；　in　fact；　that　he　was　a　movie　studio　partner　of　Otto　in　Vienna　just　before　the　war　and　that　they　did；　in　fact；　attend　the　same　gymnasium　in　St。　Peiten；　which　is　not　all　that　far　away。
　We　do　know　that　Heissman　ran　the　wrong　way　while　Otto　ran　the　right　way　at　the　time　of　the　Anschluss；　and　we　do　know　that　Heissman；　because　of　his　then　munist　sympathies；　was　a　very　wele　guest　of　theThird　Reich。　What　followed　was　one　of　those　incredibly　involved　double　and　treble…dealing　spy　switches　that　occurred　so　frequently　in　Central
　Europe　during　the　war。　Heissman　was　apparently　allowed　to　escape　to　Russia；　where　his　sympathies　were　well　known；　and　then　sent　back　to　Germany　where　he　was　ordered　to　transmit　all　possible　misleading　but　still　accep