alistairmaclean.bearisland-第56节
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a brimming measure and downed half of it at a gulp； his shaking hand spilling a fair proportion of it on the way up to his mouth。
〃That was very thoughtless of you； Mr。 Gerran；〃 I said reproachfully。
Upsetting your daughter like that。 She's really a very sick girl and what she needs is tender affection； a measure of taking care。〃
〃Tender affection！〃 He was on the second half of his glass now and he splattered much of it over his shirt front。 〃Loving care！ Jesus！〃 He splashed some more Scotch into his glass and gradually subsided a little。
By and by he became calm； almost thoughtful： when he spoke no one would have thought that only a few minutes previously his greatest yearning in life would have been to disembowel me。 〃Maybe I wasn't as thoughtful as I ought to have been。 But an hysterical girl； very hysterical。 This actress temperament； you know。 I'm afraid your sedatives aren't very effective； Dr。 Marlowe。〃
〃People's reactions to sedatives vary greatly； Mr。 Gerran。 And unpredictably。〃
I'm not blaming you； not blaming you；〃 he said irritatedly。 〃Care and attention。 Yes； yes。 But sonic rest； a damned good sleep is more important； if you ask me。 Hem； about another sedative…a more effective one this time？
No danger in that； is there？〃
〃No。 No harm in it。 She did sound a bit…what shall we say…worked up。 But she's rather a self…willed person。 If she refuses…〃
〃Ha！ Self…willed！ Try； anyway。〃 He seemed to lose interest in the subject and gazed moodily at the floor。 He looked up without any enthusiasm as Jungbeck made a sleepy entrance； turned and shook Luke roughly by the shoulder。 〃Wake up； man。〃 Luke stirred and opened bleary eyes。
〃Bloody fine guard you are。 Your watch is over。 Go to bed。〃 Luke mumbled some sort of apology； rose stiffly and moved off。
〃You might have let him be；〃 I said。 〃He'll have to get up for the day inside a few hours anyway。〃
〃Too late now。 Besides；〃 Otto added inconsequentially； 〃I'm going to have the lot of them up inside two hours。 Weather's cleared； there's a moon to travel by； we can all be where we want to be and ready to shoot as soon as there's enough light in the sky。〃 He glanced along the corridor where his daughter's cubicle was。 〃Well； aren't you going to try？〃
I nodded and left。 Ten minutes〃 time…in the right circumstances which in this case were the wrong ones…can bring about a change in a person's features which lies just within the bounds of credibility。 The face that had looked merely drawn so very recently； now looked haggard： she looked her real age and then ten hard and bitter years after that。 She wept in a sore and aching silence and the tears flowed steadily down her temples and past the carlobes； the damp marks spreading on the grey rough linen of her pillow。 I would not have thought it possible that I could ever feel such deep pity for this person and wish to fort her： but that was how it was。 I said： I think you should sleep now。〃
〃Why？〃 Her hands were clenched so tightly that the ivory of the knuckles showed。 〃What does it matter？ I'll have to wake up； won't l？〃
〃Yes； I know。〃 It was the sort of situation where； no matter what I said； the words would sound banal。 〃But the sleep would do you good； Miss Haynes。〃
〃Well； yes；〃 she said。 It was hard for her to speak through the quiet tears。 〃All right。 Make it a long sleep。〃
So； like a fool； I made it a long sleep。 Like an even greater fool I went to my cubicle and lay down。 And； like the greatest fool of all； I went to sleep myself。
I slept for over four hours and awoke to an almost deserted cabin。 Otto had indeed been as good as his word and had had everyone up and around at what they must have regarded as the most unreasonable crack of dawn。
Understandably enough； neither he nor anyone else had seen fit to wake me： I was one of the few who had no functions to perform that day。 Otto and Conrad were the only two people in the main quarter of the cabin。 Both were drinking coffee but as both were heavily muffled they were clearly on the point of departure。 Conrad said a civil good morning。
Otto didn't bother。 He informed me that the Count； Neal。 Divine； Allen； Cecil； and Nary Darling had taken off。 with the Sno…Cat and cameras along Lerner's Way and that he and Conrad were following immediately。
Hendriks and the Three Apostles were abroad with their sound recording equipment。 Smithy and Heyter had left over an hour previously for Tunheim。 Initially； I found &s vaguely disturbing； I would have thought that Smithy would have at least woken and spoken to me before leaving。 On reflection； however； I found this omission less than disturbing： it was a measure of Smithy's confidence in himself and； by implication； my unspoken confidence in himself； that he had not thought it necessary to seek either advice or reassurance before his departure。 Finally； Otto told me； Heissman and his handheld camera； along with Jungbeck； had taken off。 on his location reconnaissance in the sixteen…foot work…boat： they had been acpanied by Goin； who had volunteered to stand in for the now absent Heyter。
Otto stood up； drained his cup and said： 〃About my daughter； Dr。 Marlowe。〃
〃She'll be all right。〃 She would never again be all right。
〃I'd like to talk to her before I go。〃 I couldn't begin to imagine a reason why he should wish to talk to her or she to him； but I refrained from ment。 He went on： 〃You have no objections？ Medical ones； I mean？〃
〃No。 just straightforward monsense ones。 She's under heavy sedation。 You couldn't even shake her awake。〃
〃But surely…〃
〃Two or three hours at the very least。 If you don't want my advice； Mr。 Gerran； why ask for it？〃
〃Fair enough； fair enough。 Leave her be。〃 He headed towards the outer door。 〃Your plans for the day； Dr。 Marlowe？〃
〃Who's left here？〃 I said。 〃Apart from your daughter and myself？〃
He looked at me； his brows levelled in a frown； then said： 〃Mary Stuart。
Then there's Lonnie； Eddie； and Sandy。 Why？〃
〃They're asleep？〃
〃As far as I know。 Why？〃
〃Someone has to bury Stryker。〃
〃Ah； yes； of course。 Stryker。 I hadn't forgotten； you know； but…yes； of course。 Yes； yes。 You…？〃
Yes。
I am in your debt。 A ghastly business； ghastly； ghastly； ghastly。 Thank you again； Dr。 Marlowe。〃 He waddled purposefully towards the door。
〃e； Charles； we are overdue。〃
They left。 I poured myself some coffee but had nothing to eat for it wasn't a morning for eating； went outside into the equipment shed and found myself a spade。 The frozen snow was not too deep； not much more than a foot； but the perma…frost had set into the ground and it cost me over an hour and a half and； what is always dangerous in those high latitudes； the loss of much sweat before I'd done what had to be done。 I returned the spade and went inside quickly to change： it was a fine clear morning of bitter cold with the sun not yet in the sky； but no morning for an overheated man to linger。 Five minutes later； a pair of binoculars slung round my neck； I closed the front door softly behind me。 Despite the fact that it was now close on ten o'clock； Eddie； Sandy； Lonnie； and Mary Stuart had not as yet put in an appearance。 The presence of the first three would have given me no cause for concern for all were notorious for their aversion to any form of physical activity and it was extremely unlikely that any would have suggested that they acpany me on my outing： Mary Stuart might well have done so； for any number of reasons： curiosity； the wish to explore； because she'd been told to keep an eye on me； even； maybe； because she would have felt safer with me than being left behind at the cabin。 But whatever her reasons might have been I most definitely didn't want Mary Stuart keeping an eye on me when I was setting out to keep an eye on Heissman。
But to keep an eye on Heissman I had first of all to find him and Heissman； inconveniently and most annoyingly； was nowhere to be seen。 The intention； as I had understood it； was that he； with Jungbeck and Goin； should cruise the Sor…Hamna in the sixteen…footer； in search of likely background material。 But there was no trace of their boat anywhere in the Sor…Hamna and from where I stood in the vicinity of the cabin I could take in the whole sweep of the bay at one glance。 Against the remote possibility that the boat might have temporarily moved in behind one of the tiny islands on the east side of the bay I kept the glasses on those for a few minutes。 Nothing stirred。 Heissman； I was sure； had left the Sor…Hamna。
He could have moved out to the open sea to the cast by way of the northern tip of the island of Makehl； but this seemed unlikely。 The northerly seas were whitecapped and confused； and apart from the fact that Heissman was as far removed from the popular concept of an intrepid seaman as it was possible to imagine it seemed unlikely that he would have forgotten Smithy's warning the previous day about the dangers inherent in taking an open…pooped boat out in such weather。 Much more likely； I thought； he'd moved south out of the Sor…Hamna into the sheltered waters of the next bay to the south； the Eviebukta。
I； too； made my way south。 Initially； I moved in a southwesterly direction to give the low cliffs of the bay as wide a b
