alistairmaclean.bearisland-第47节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
A man who is either mad； a pathological killer； or a vicious and evil monster who finds it essential to murder with what can be only an apparent indiscrimination in order to achieve God knows what murky ends。 He may； it is possible； be all three of those at once。 Whatever he is or whoever he is； he's in this cabin now。 I wonder which one of you it is？〃
For the first time their eyes left me as they looked quickly and furtively at one another as if in the ludicrous hope that they might by this means discover the identity of the killer。 None of them examined one another as closely as I observed them all over the rim of my glass； if one pair of eyes remained fixed on mine it could only be because its owner knew who the murderer was and didn't have to bother to look around： but I knew； even as I watched them； that I had no real foundation for any such hope； the murderer may have been no great shakes at physiology but he was far too clever to walk into what； for an intelligent man with five deaths on his conscience； must have been a very obvious trap indeed。 I was certain that there wasn't a pair of eyes before me that didn't flicker surreptitiously around the cabin。 I waited patiently until I had their bined attention again。
I have no idea who this murderous fiend may be；〃 I said； 〃but I think I can with certainty say who it isn't。 Counting the absent Miss Haynes； there are twenty…two of us in this cabin： to nine of those I cannot see that any suspicion can possibly attach。〃
〃Merciful God！〃 Goin muttered。 〃Merciful God！ This is monstrous； Dr。 Marlowe； unbelievable。 One of us here； one of the people we know； one of our friends has the blood of five people on his hands？ It can't be！
It just can't be！〃
〃Except that you know that it must be；〃 I said。 Goin made no reply。 〃To begin with； I myself am in the clear； not because I know I am…we could all claim that…but because two hostile acts have been mitted against my person； one of which was intended to be lethal。 Further； I was bringing in Mr。 Smith here when Stryker was killed and Allen injured。〃 This last was the truth but not the whole truth but only the killer himself would know that and as he was already on to me his opinion was unimportant because he couldn't possibly voice it。 〃Mr。 Smith is in the clear because not only was he unconscious at the time； he was a nearly fatal victim of the poisoner's activities and its hardly likely that he would go around poisoning himself。〃
〃Then that lets me out； Dr。 Marlowe！〃 The Duke's voice was a cracked falsetto； hoarse with strain。 It wasn't me； it couldn't…〃
〃Agreed； Cecil； it wasn't you。 Apart from the fact that you were another poisoning victim I don't think…well； I'm not being physically disparaging but I'd think it very unlikely that you could have hoisted that rock that was used to kill Stryker。 Mr。 Gerran； too； is above suspicion： not only was he poisoned but he was in the cabin here at the time of Stryker's death。 Allen obviously； could have had nothing to do with it and neither did Mr。 Goin here； although you'll have to take my word for that。〃
〃What does that mean； Dr。 Marlowe？〃 Goin's voice was steady。
〃Because when you first saw Stryker's body you turned as white as the proverbial sheet。 People can do lots of things with their bodies but they can't switch on and off the epidermal blood supply at will。 Had you been prepared for the sight you saw you wouldn't have changed colour。 You did。 So you weren't prepared。 Our two Marys here we'll have to leave out of the reckoning for it would have been a physical impossibility for either of them to have attacked Stryker with that rock。 And Miss Haynes； of course； doesn't e into the reckoning at all。 Which； by my count； leaves thirteen potential suspects in all。〃 I looked round the cabin and counted。
〃That's right。 Thirteen。 Let's hope it's going to be a very unlucky number for one of you。〃
〃Dr。 Marlowe；〃 Goin said。 I think you should consider withdrawing your resignation。
〃Consider it withdrawn。 I was beginning to wonder what I'd do for food anyway。〃 I looked at my now empty glass then at Otto。 〃Seeing that I'm now back on the strength； as it were； would it be in order…〃
〃Of course； of course。〃 Otto； looking stricken； sunk heavily onto a providentially sturdy stool and insofar as it was possible for over two hundred weights of lard to look like a punctured balloon； he looked like a punctured balloon。 〃Dear God； this is ghastly。 One of us here is a murderer。 One of us here has killed five people！〃 He shivered violently although the temperature had by this time risen well above freezing point。 〃Five people。 Dead。 And the man who did it is here！〃
I lit a cigarette； sipped a little more of Otto's Scotch and waited for some further contributions to the conversation。 Outside； the wind had strengthened until it was now a high and lonesome moaning sound that set the teeth on edge； a moan that regularly climbed up the register into a weird and eldritch whistling as the wind gusted and fell away： everyone appeared to be listening to it and listening intently； a weirdly appropriate litany for the fear and the horror that was closing in on their minds； a fit requiem for the dead Stryker。 A whole minute dragged by and no one spoke so I took up the conversational burden again。
〃The implications will not have escaped you；〃 I said。 〃At least； when you have had as much time to think about them as I've had； they won't。
Stryker is dead…and so are four others。 Who should want them dead？ Why should they have dieX Is there a reason； a purpose behind those slayings？ Have we a psychopathic murderer amongst us？ If there is a purpose； has it been achieved：〃 If it hasn't…or if the killer is a psychopath…which one of us is going to be next？ Who is going to die tonight？
Who is going to go to his cubicle tonight knowing that anyone； a crazed killer； it may be； is going to enter at any time…or even； possibly one's own roommate may be waiting his turn with a knife or a suffocating pillow？
In fact； I should think that the roommate possibility might be by far the more likely…for who would do anything so crazily obvious as that？ Except； of course； a crazy man。 SO； before us； we have what you might call a sleepless vigil。 Perhaps we can all keep it up for one night。 But for twenty…two nights…can we keep it up for twenty…two nights？ Is there any one of us here who can be sure of still being alive when the Morning Rose returns？〃
From their expressions and the profound silence that greeted this last question it was apparent that no one was prepared to express any such certainty。 When I came to consider it myself； instead of just asking them to do so； I realised that the question of continued existence applied more particularly and more strongly to myself than to any of the others for if the killer were no wayward psycho who struck out as the fancy took him but was an ice…cold and calculating murderer with a definite objective in view then I was convinced that I was first on his calling list。 I didn't for a moment think that any attempt to dispose of me would be because that was any part of the kilICT'S preconceived plans but solely because I represented a threat to those plans。
〃And how are we going to port ourselves from now on？〃 I said。 〃Do we now polarize into two groups； the nine acknowledged innocent giving a very wide berth and a leery eye to the thirteen potentially guilty even although this is going to be a mite hard on； say； twelve of the latter？ Shall we be like oil and water and resolutely refuse to mix？ Or about your shooting plans for tomorrow。 Mr。 Gerran and the Count； I believe； are heading for the fells tomorrow； a goodie and a potential baddic…Mr。 Gerran is going to make sure that he has at least another goodie along with him to watch his back？ Heissman is taking the workboat to reconnoitre possible locations along the Sor…Hamna and perhaps a bit farther south。 I believe Jungbeck and Heyter here have volunteered to go along with him。 Three of those； you note； whose innocence is not proved。 Any white sheep going to go along with black wolf or wolves who may e back and sorrowfully explain that the poor sheep fell over the side and that in spite of their heroic efforts the poor fellow perished miserably。 And those splendid precipices at the south of the island…one little well…timed nudge； a deft clicking together of the ankles…well； sixteen hundred feel？ is a considerable drop； especially when you bear in mind that it's straight down all the way。 A perplexing and a difficult problem； isn't it； gentlemen？〃
〃This is preposterous；〃 Otto said loudly。 〃Absolutely preposterous。〃
〃Isn't it？〃 I said。 〃A pity we can't ask Stryker his opinion about that。 Or the opinions of Antonio and Halliday and Moxen and Scott。 When your pale ghost looks down from the limbo； Mr。 Gerran； and watches you being lowered into a hole in the frozen snow…do you think it will still look preposterous？〃
Otto shuddered and reached for the bottle。 〃Mat in God's name are we going to do？〃
〃I've no idea；〃 I said。 〃You heard what I just said to Mr。 Goin。 I have reverted to the position of employee。 I haven't got my shirt on this film as I heard Mr。 Goin say to Captain Imrie that you had。 I'm afr
