alistairmaclean.bearisland-第41节
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I don't like it； I don't like it！〃 Her voice was strained and anxious； it could have been acting but I didn't think so。 〃What's keeping him？ Why is he so long？ He's out there with that Allen fellow。 Something's wrong。
I know it is； I know it。〃 When I didn't answer she said： 〃Well； aren't you going out to look for him？〃
〃Just as you went out to look for Mr。 Smith here；〃 I said。 It wasn't very nice but then I didn't always feel so very kind to other people as Lonnie did。 〃Maybe your husband will e back when he feels like it。〃
She looked at me without speaking； her lips moving but not speaking； no real hostility in her face； and I realised for the second time that day that her rumoured hatred for her husband was； in fact； only a rumour and that； buried no matter how deep； there did exist some form of concern for him。 She turned away and I reached for my torch。
〃Once more unto the breach；〃 I said。 〃Any takers？〃
Conrad； Jungbeck； Heyter； and Hendriks acpanied me。 Volunteers there were in plenty but I reasoned that not only would increased numbers get in one another's way but the chances of someone else being lost would be all that greater。 Immediately after leaving the hut the five of us fanned out at intervals of not more than fifteen feel？ and moved off to the north。 We found Alien inside the first thirty seconds： more accurately； he found us； for he saw our torches…he'd lost his own…and came stumbling towards us out of the snow and the darkness。 〃Stumbled〃 was the operative word； he was weaving and swaying like one far gone in alcohol or exhaustion and when he tried to speak his voice was thick and slurred。 He was shivering like a man with the ague。 it seemed not only pointless but cruel to question him in that condition so we hurried him inside。
I had a look at him as we sat him on a stool by an oil stove and I didn't have to look twice or very closely to see that this hadn't exactly been Alien's day。 Alien had been in the wars again and the damage that had been inflicted on him this time at least matched up to the injuries he'd received that morning。 He had two nasty cuts above what had been up till then his undamaged eye； a bruised and scratched right cheek and blood came from both his mouth and nose； blood already congealed in the cold： but his worst injury was a very deep gash on the back of the head； the scalp laid open clear to the bone。 Someone had given young Alien a very thorough going over indeed。
〃And what happened to you this time？〃 I asked。 He winced as I started to clean up his face。 〃Or should I say； do you know what happened to you？〃
I don't know；〃 he said thickly。 He shook his head and drew his breath in sharply as some pain struck through either head or neck。 I don't know。 I don't remember。〃
〃You've been in a fight； laddie；〃 I said。 〃Again。 Someone's cut you up； and quite badly。〃
I know。 I can feel it。 I don't remember。 Honest to God； I don't remember。 I…I just don't know what happened。〃
Tut you must have seen him；〃 Goin said reasonably。 〃Whoever it was； you must have been face to face with him； God's sake； boy； your shirt's tom and there's at least a couple of buttons missing from your coat。 And he had to be standing in front of you when he did this to you。 Surely you must have caught a glimpse of him at least。〃
〃It was dark；〃 Allen mumbled。 〃I didn't see anything。 I didn't feel anything； all I knew was that I woke up kind of groggy like in the snow with the back of my head hurting。 I knew I was bleeding and…please； I don't know what happened。〃
〃Yes； you do； yes； you Do〃 Judith Haynes had pushed her way to the front。 The transformation that had taken〃 place in her face was as astonishing as it was ugly and although her morning performance had partially prepared me for something of this kind and though this expression was different from the one that had disfigure her face that time； it was still an almost frightening thing to watch。 The red gash of the mouth had vanished； the lips drawn in and back over hared teeth； the green eyes were no more than slits and； as had happened that morning； the skin was stretched back over her cheekbones until it appeared far too tight for her face。 She screamed at him： 〃You damned liar！ Wanted your own back； didn't you？ You dirty little bastard； what have you done with my husband？ Do you hear me？ Do you hear me？ What have you done with him； damn you？ Where is he？ Where did you leave him？〃
Allen looked up at her in a half…scared astonishment； then shook his head wearily。 〃I'm sorry； Miss Haynes； I don't know what…〃
She hooked her long…nailed fingers into talons and lunged for him but I'd been waiting for it。 So had both Goin and Conrad。 She struggled like a trapped wildcat； screaming invective at Allen； then suddenly relaxed； her breath ing in harsh； rasping sobs。
〃Now then； now then； Judith；〃 Otto said。 〃There's no…〃
〃Don't you 〃now then〃 me； you silly old bastard！〃 she screamed。 Filial respect was clearly not Judith Haynes's strong point but Otto； though clearly nervous； accepted his daughter's abuse as if it were a matter of course。 〃Why don't you find out instead what this young swine's done to my husband？ Why don't you？ Why don't you！〃 She struggled to free her arms and as she was trying to move away we let her go。 She picked up a torch and ran for the door。
〃Stop her；〃 I said。
Heyter and Jungbeck； big men both； blocked her flight。
〃Let me go； let me out！〃 she shouted。 Neither Heyter nor Jungbeck moved and she whirled round on me。 〃Who the hell are you to…I want to go out and find Michael！〃
〃I'm sorry； Miss Haynes；〃 I said。 〃You're in no condition to go to look for anyone。 You'd just run wild； no trace of where you'd been； and in five minutes〃 time you'd be lost too and perhaps lost for good。 We're leaving in just a moment。〃
She took three quick steps towards Otto； her fists clenched。 her teeth showing again。
〃You let him push me around like this？〃 This with an incinerating glare in my direction。 〃Spineless； that's you； absolutely spineless！ Anybody can walk over you！〃 Otto blinked nervously at this latest tirade but said nothing。 〃Aren't I supposed to be your bloody daughter？ Aren't you supposed to be the bloody boss？ God's sake； who gives the orders about here？ You or Marlowe？〃
〃Your father does；〃 Goin said。 〃Naturally。 But； without any disrespect to Dr。 Marlowe； we don't hire a dog just to bark ourselves。 He's a medical man and we'd be fools not to defer to him in medical matters。〃
〃Are you suggesting I'm a medical case？〃 All the colour had drained from her cheeks and she looked uglier than ever。 〃Are you？ Are you； then？
A mental case； perhaps？〃
Heaven knows I wouldn't have blamed Goin if he'd said 〃yes〃 straight out and left it at that but Goin was far too balanced and diplomatic to say any such thing and； besides； he'd clearly been through this sort of crisis before。 He said； quietly but not condescendingly： 〃I'm suggesting no such thing。 Of course you're distressed； of course you're overwrought； after all it is your husband that's missing。 But I agree with Dr。 Marlowe that you're not the person to go looking for him。 We'll have him back here all the quicker if you co…operate with us； Judith。〃
She hesitated； still halfway between hysteria and rage； then swung away。 I taped the gash on Allen's head and said： 〃That'll do till I e back。 Afraid I'll have to shave off。 a few locks and stitch it。〃 On the way to the door I stopped and said quietly to Goin： 〃Keep her away from Allen； will you？〃
Goin nodded。
〃And for heaven's sake keep her away from Mary darling。〃
He looked at me in what was as close to astonishment as he was capable of achieving。 〃That kid？〃
〃That kid。 She's next on the list for Miss Haynes's attentions。 When Miss Haynes gets around to thinking about it； that is。〃
I left with the same four as previously。 Conrad； the last out； closed the door behind him and said： 〃Jesus！ My charming leading lady。 What a virago she is！〃
〃She's a little upset；〃 I said mildly。
〃A little upset！ Heaven send I'm in the next county if she ever gets really mad。 What the hell do you think can have happened to Stryker？〃
I have no idea；〃 I said； and because it was dark I didn't have to assume an honest expression to go with the words。 I moved closer to him so that the others； already fanned out in line of search； couldn't hear me。
〃Seeing we're such a bunch of odd…balls anyway； I hope an odd request from another odd…ball won't e amiss。〃
〃You disappoint me； Doctor。 I thought you and I were two of the very few halfway normal people around here。〃
〃By the prevailing standards； any moderate odd…ball is normal。 You know anything of Lonnie's past？〃
He was silent for a moment then said： 〃I've has a past？〃
〃We all have a past。 If you think I mean a criminal past； no。 Lonnie hasn't got one。 I just want to find out if he was married or had any family。 That's all。〃
〃Why don't you ask him yourself？〃
〃If I felt free to ask him myself； would I be asking you？〃
Another silence。 〃Your name really Marlowe； Doe？〃
〃Marlowe； as ever was。 Christopher Marlowe。 Passport； birth certificate； driving licence…they're all agreed on it。〃
〃Christopher Marlowe？ just like the playwright； eh？〃
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