alistairmaclean.bearisland-第64节

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　〃But…but　he's　quite　warm　now…？'
　It　won't　be　exposure　that　will　kill　him；　if　that's　what　you　mean。〃
　She　looked　at　me；　the　eyes　behind　the　horn…rims　at　once　earnest　and　scared。　〃You　mean…you　mean　he　might　go　from　alcoholic　poisoning？〃
　〃He　might。　I　don't　know。〃
　She　said；　with　a　flash　of　that　almost　touching　asperity　that　could　be　so　characteristic　of　her：　〃You　don't　really　care；　do　you；　Dr。　Marlowe？〃
　〃No；　I　don't。〃　She　looked　at　me；　the　pinched　face　shocked；　and　I　put　my　arm　round　the　thin　shoulders。　I　don't　care；　Mary；　because　he　doesn't　care。　Lonnie's　been　dead　a　long　time　now。〃
　I　went　back　to　my　cubicle；　found　the　Count　there　and　wasted　no　words。　I　said：　〃Are　you　aware　that　that　was　a　deliberate　attempt　on　Lonnie's　life？〃
　〃No。　But　I　wondered。〃　The　Count's　customary　cloak　of　badinage　had　fallen　away　pletely。
　〃Do　you　know　that　Judith　Haynes　was　murdered？〃
　〃Murdered！〃　The　Count　was　badly　shaken　and　there　was　no　pretence　about　it　either。
　〃Somebody　injected　her　with　a　lethal　dose　of　morphine。　just　for　good　measure；　it　was　my　hypodermic；　my　morphine。〃　He　said　nothing。　〃So　your　rather　illegal　bullionlunt　has　turned　out　to　be　something　more　than　fun　and　games。〃
　Indeed　it　has。〃
　‘You　know　you　have　been　consorting　with　murderers？〃
　I　know　now。〃
　‘You　know　now。　You　know　what　interpretation　the　law　will　put　on　that？〃
　〃I　know　that　too。〃
　‘You　have　your　gun？〃　He　nodded。　‘You　can　use　it？〃
　I　am　a　Polish　count；　sir。〃　A　touch　of　the　old　Tadeusz。
　〃And　very　impressive　a　Polish　count　should　look　in　a　witness　box；　too。〃
　I　said。　〃You　are　aware　of　course　that　your　only　hope　is　to　turn　Queen's　Evidence？〃
　〃Yes；〃　he　said。　〃I　know　that　too。〃
　
　13
　
　〃Mr。　Gorran；〃　I　said；　〃I'd　be　grateful　if　you；　Mr。　Heissman；　Mr。　Goin；　and　Tadeusz　here　would　step　outside　with　me　for　a　moment。〃
　〃Step　outside？〃　Otto　looked　at　his　watch；　his　three　fellow　directors；　his　watch　again　and　me　in　that　order。　〃On　a　night　like　this　and　an　hour　like　this？　Whatever　for？〃
　〃Please。〃　I　looked　at　the　others　in　the　cabin。　〃I'd　also　be　grateful　if　the　rest　of　you　remained　here；　in　this　room；　till　I　return。　I　hope　I　won't　be　too　long。　You　don't　have　to　do　as　I　ask　and　I'm　certainly　in　no　position　to　enforce　my　request；　but　I　suggest　it　would　be　in　your　own　best　interests　to　do　so。　I　know　now；　I've　known　since　this　morning；　who　the　killer　amongst　us　is。　But　before　I　put　a　name　to　this　man　I　think　it　is　only　fair　and　right　that　I　should　first　discuss　the　matter　with　Mr。　Gerran　and　his　fellow　directors。〃
　This　brief　address　was　received；　not　unsurprisingly；　in　total　silence。　Otto；　predictably；　was　the　one　to　break　the　silence：　he　cleared　his　throat　and　said　carefully：　〃You　claim　to　know　this　man's　identity？〃
　I　do。〃
　‘You　can　substantiate　this　claim！'
　〃Prove　it；　you　mean？〃
　〃Yes。
　〃No；　I　can't。〃
　〃Ah！〃　Otto　said　significantly。　He　looked　around　the　pany　and　said：　〃You're　taking　rather　much　upon　yourself；　are　you　not？〃
　In　what　way？〃
　〃This　rather　dictatorial　attitude　you've　been　increasingly　adopting。　Good　God；　man；　if　you've　found；　or　think　you've　found　our　man；　for　God's　sake　tell　us　and　don't　make　this　big　production　out　of　it。　It　ill　bees　any　man　to　play　God。　Dr。　Marlowe；　I　would　remind　you　that　you're　but　one　of　a　group；　an　employee；　if　you　like；　of　Olympus　Productions；　just　like…〃
　I　am　not　an　employee　of　Olympus　Productions。　I　am　an　employee　of　the　British　Treasury　who　has　been　sent　to　investigate　certain　aspects　of　Olympus　Productions　Ltd。　Those　investigations　are　now　pleted。〃
　Otto　overreacted　to　the　extent　that　he　let　his　drop。　Goin　didn't　react　much　but　his　smooth　and　habitually　bland　face　took　a　wary　expression　that　was　quite　foreign　to　it。　Heissman　said　incredulously：　〃A　government　agent！　A　secret　service…〃
　〃You've　got　your　countries　mixed　up。　Government　agents　work　for　the　U。　S。　Treasury；　not　the　British　one。　I'm　just　a　civil　servant　and　I've　never　fired　a　pistol　in　my　life　far　less　carry　one。　I　have　as　much　official　power　as　a　postman　or　a　Whitehall　clerk。　No　more。　That's　why　I'm　asking　for　cooperation。〃　I　looked　at　Otto。　〃That's　why　I'm　offering　you　what　I　regard　as　the　courtesy　of　a　prior　consultation。〃
　〃Investigations〃　〃　Clearly；　I'd　lost　Otto　at　least　half　a　minute　previously。
　〃What　kind　of　investigations？　And　how　does　it　e　that　a　man　hired　as　doctor　Otto　broke　off。；　shaking　his　head　in　the　classic　manner　of　one　baffled　beyond　all　hope　of　illumination。
　〃How　do　you　think　it　came　that　none　of　the　seven　other　applicants　for　the　post　of　medical　officers　turned　up　for　an　interview？　They　don't　teach　us　much　about　manners　in　medical　school　but　we're　not　as　rude　as　that。
　Shall　we　go？〃
　Goin　said　calmly：　〃I　think；　Otto；　that　we　should　hear　what　he　has　to　say。〃
　I　think　I'd　like　to　hear　what　you　have　to　say；　too；〃　Conrad　said。　He　was　one　of　the　very　few　in　the　cabin　who　wasn't　looking　at　me　as　if　I　were　some　creature　from　outer　space。
　〃I'm　sure　you　would。　However；　I'm　afraid　you'll　have　to　remain。　But　I　would　like　a　private　word　with　You；　if　I　may。　I　turned　without　waiting　for　an　answer　and　made　for　my　cubicle。　Otto　barred　my　way。
　〃There's　nothing　you　can　have　to　say　to　Charles　that　you　can't　say　to　all　of　us。〃
　〃How　do　you　know？〃　I　brushed　roughly　by　him　and　closed　the　door　when　Conrad　entered　the　cubicle。　I　said：　I　don't　want　you　to　e　for　two　reasons。　If　our　friends　arrive；　they　may　miss　me　down　at　the　jetty　and　e　straight　here…I'd　like　You　in　that　case　to　tell　them　where　I　am。　More　importantly；　I'd　like　you　to　keep　an　eye　on　Jungbeck。　If　he　tries　to　leave；　try　to　reason　with　him。　If　he　won't　listen　to　reason；　let　him　go…about　three　feel？。　If　you　can　kind　of　naturally　happen　to　have　a　full　bottle　of　Scotch　or　suchlike　in　your　hand　at　the　time　then　clobber　him　with　all　you　have。　Not　on　the　head…that　would　kill　him。　On　the　shoulder；　close　in　to　the　neck。　You'll　probably　break　the　odd　bone：　in　any　event　it　will　surely　incapacitate　him。〃　
　Conrad　didn't　as　much　as　raise　an　eyebrow。　He　said：　I　can　see　why　you　don't　bother　with　guns。〃
　〃Socially　and　otherwise；〃　I　said；　〃a　bottle　of　Scotch　is　a　great　leveller。〃　
　I'd　taken　a　Coleman　storm　lantern　along　with　me　and　now　hung　it　on　a　rung　of　the　vertical　iron　ladder　leading　down　from　the　conning　tower　to　the　interior　of　the　submarine　mock…up：　its　harsh　glare　threw　that　icily　dank　metallic　tomb　into　a　weirdly　heterogeneous　melange　of　dazzling　white　and　inkily　black　geometrical　patterns。　While　the　others　watched　me　in　a　far　from　friendly　silence　I　unscrewed　one　of　the　wooden　floor　battens　；　lifted　and　placed　a　ballast　bar　on　top　of　the　pressor　and　scraped　at　the　surface　with　the　blade　of　my　knife；　
　〃You　will　observe；〃　I　said　to　Otto；　〃that　I　am　not　making　a　production　of　this。　Prologues　dispensed　with；　we　arrive　at　the　point　without　waste　of　time。〃　I　closed　my　knife　and　inspected　the　handiwork　it　had　wrought。
　〃All　that　glitters　is　not　gold。　But　does　this　look　like　toffee　to　you？〃
　I　looked　at　them　each　in　turn。　Clearly；　it　didn't　look　like　toffee　to　any　of　them。
　〃A　total　lack　of　reaction；　a　total　lack　of　surprise。〃　I　put　my　knife　back　in　my　pocket　and　smiled　at　the　stiffening　attitudes　of　three　out　of　the　four　of　them。　〃Scout's　honour；　we　civil　servants　never　carry　guns。　And　why　should　there　be　surprise　even　at　the　fact　of　my　knowledge…all　four　of　you　have　been　perfectly　well　aware　for　some　time　that　I　am　not　what　I　was　engaged　to　be。　And　why　should　any　of　you　express　surprise　at　the　sight　of　this　gold…after　all；　that　was　the　only　reason　for　your　ing　to　Bear　Island　in　the　first　place。〃
　They　said　nothing。　Curiously　enough；　they　weren't　even　looking　at　me；　they　were　all　looking　at　the　gold　ingot　as　if　it　were　vastly　more　important　than　I　was；　which；　from　their　point　of　view；　was　probably　a　perfectly　understandable　priority　preference。
　〃Dear　me；　dear　me；〃　I　said。　〃Where　are　all　the　instant　denials；　the　holier　than…thou　clutching　of　the　hearts；　the　outraged　cries　of　〃What　in　God's　name　are　you　talking　about'？　I　would　think；　wouldn't　you；　that　the　unbiassed　observer　would　find　this　negative　reaction　every　bit　as　incriminating　as　a　written　confession？〃　I　looked　at　them　with　what　might　have　been　interpreted　as　an　encouraging　expression　but　again…apart　from　Heissman's　apparently　finding　it　necessary　to　lubricate　his　lower　lip　with　the　tip　of　his　tongue…I　elicited　no　response；　so　I　went　on：　〃It　was；　as　even　your　defending　counsel　will　have　to　admit　in　court；　a　clever　and　well…thoughtout　scheme。　Would　any　of　you　care　to　tell　me　what　the　scheme　was？〃
　It　is　my　opinion；　Dr。　Marlowe；〃　Otto　said　magisterially；　〃that　the　strain　of　the　past　few　days　has　made　you　mentally　unbalanced。〃
　〃Not　a　bad　reaction　at　all；〃　I　said　approvingly。　〃Unfortunately；　you're　about　two　minutes　too　late　in　ing　up　with　it。　No　volunteers　to　set　the　scene；　then？　Do　we　suffer　from　an　excess　of　modesty　or　just　a　lack　of　cooperation？　Wouldn't　you；　for　instance；　Mr。　Goin；　care　to　say　a　few　words？
　After　all；　you　are　in　my　debt。　Without　me；　without　our　dramatic　little　confrontation；　you'd　have　been　dead　before　the　week　was　out。〃
　I　think　Mr。　Gerran　is　right；〃　Goin　said　in　that　measured　voice　he　knew　so　well　how　to　use。　〃Me？　About　to　die？〃　He　shook　his