alistairmaclean.bearisland-第8节
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ck。 Presently he re…entered； closed the door； staggered across the deck and collapsed into his chair。 His face was ashen。 I handed him his glass and he drained the contents； reached out for the bottle and refilled his glass。 He drank some more and stared at me。
〃Poison？〃
〃Looked like strychnine。 Had all…〃
〃Strychnine？ Strychnine！ Great God！ Strychnine！ You…you'll have to
carry out a post…mortem； an…an autopsy。〃
〃don't talk rubbish。 I'll carry out no such thing； and for a number of excellent reasons。 For one thing； have you any idea what an autopsy is like…it's a very messy business indeed； I can assure you。 I haven't the facilities。 I'm not a specialist in pathology…and you require one for an autopsy。 You require the consent of the next of kin…and how are you going to get that in the middle of the Barents Sea？ You require a coroner's order…no coroner。 Besides； a coroner only issues an order where theirs a suspicion of foul play。 No such suspicion exists here。〃
〃No…no foul play？ But you said…〃
I said it looked like strychnine。 I didn't say it was strychnine。 I'm sure it's not。 He seemed to show the classical symptoms of having had tetanic spasms and opisthotonos…that's when the back arches so violently that the body rests on the head and the heels only…and his face showed pure terror： there's nearly always this conviction of impending death at the onset of strychnine poisoning。 But when I straightened him out there were no signs of tetanic contractions。 Besides； the timing is all wrong。 Strychnine usually shows its first effects within ten minutes and half an hour after taking the stuff you're gone。 Antonio was at least twenty minutes here with us at dinner and there was nothing wrong with him then…well； seasickness； that's all。 And he died only minutes ago…far too long。 Besides； who on earth would want to do away with a harmless boy like Antonio？ Do you have in your employ a raving psycho who kills just for the kicks of it？ Does it make any kind of sense to you？〃
〃No。 No； it doesn't。 But…but poison。 You said…〃
〃Food poisoning。〃
〃Food poisoning！ But people don't die of food poisoning。 You mean ptomaine poisoning？〃
I mean no such thing for there is no such thing。 You can eat ptomaines to your heart's content and you'll e to no harm。 But you can get all sorts of food poisoning…chemically contaminated…mercury in fish； for instance…edible mushrooms that aren't edible mushrooms； edible mussels that aren't edible mussels…but the nasty one is salmonella。 And that can kill； believe me。 just at the end of the war one variety of it； Salmonella enteritidis； laid low about thirty people in Stoke…on…Trent。 Six of them died。 And there's an even nastier one called Clostridium botulinum kind of half…cousin of botulinus； a charming substance that is guaranteed to wipe out a city in a night…the Ministry of Health makes it。 This Clostridium secretes an exotoxin…a poison…which is probably the most powerful occurring in nature。 Between the wars a party of tourists at Loch Maree in Scotland had a picnic lunch…sandwiches filled with potted duck paste。 Eight of them had this。 All eight died。 There was no cure then； there is no cure now。 Must have been this or something like this that Antonio ate。〃
I see； I see。〃 He had some more brandy； then looked up at me； his eyes round。 〃Good God！ Don't you see what this means； man！ We're all at risk； all of us。 This clostridium or whatever you call it could spread like wildfire。〃
〃Rest easy。 It's neither infectious nor contagious。〃
〃But the galley…〃
〃You think that hadn't occurred to me？ The source of infection can't be there。 If it were； we'd all he gone…I assume that Antonio…before his appetite deserted him； that was…had the same as all of us。 I didn't pay any particular attention but I can find out probably from the people on either side of him…I'm sure they were the Count and Cecil。〃
〃Cecil？〃
〃Cecil Golightly…your camera focus assistant or something like that。〃
〃Ah！ The Duke。〃 For some odd reason Cecil； a diminutive； shrewd； and chirpy little Cockney sparrow was invariably known as the Duke； probably because it was so wildly unsuitable。 〃That little pig see anything！
He never lifts his eyes from the table。 But Tadeusz…well； now； he doesn't miss much。〃
〃I'll ask。 I'll also check the galley； the food store； and the cold room。 Not a chance in ten thousand…I think we'll find that Antonio had his own little supply of tinned delicacies…but I'll check anyway。 Do you want me to see Captain Imrie for you？〃
〃Captain Imrie？〃
I was patient。 〃The master must be notified。 The death must be logged。
A death certificate must be issued…normally； he'd do it himself but not with a doctor aboard…but I'll have to be authorised。 And he'll have to make preparations for the funeral。 Burial at sea。 Tomorrow morning； I should imagine。〃
He shuddered。 〃Yes； please。 Please do that。 Of course； of course； burial at sea。 I must go and see John at once and tell him about this awful thing。〃
By 〃John〃 I assumed he meant John Cummings Goin； production accountant ； pany accountant； senior partner in Olympus Productions and widely recognised as being the financial controller…and so in many ways the virtual controller…of the pany。 〃And then I'm going to bed。 Yes； yes； to bed。 Sounds terrible； I know； poor Antonio lying down there； but I'm dreadfully upset； really dreadfully upset。〃 I couldn't fault him on that one； I'd rarely seen a man look so unhappy。
I can bring a sedative to your cabin！'
〃No； no； I'll he all right。〃 Unthinkingly； almost； he picked up the bottle of Hine； thrust it into one of the capacious pockets of his tentlike jacket and staggered from the saloon。 As far as insomnia was concerned Otto clearly preferred homemade remedies to even the most modern pharmaceutical products。
I went to the starboard door； opened it and looked out。 When Smithy had said that the weather wasn't going to improve； he'd clearly been hedging his bets： conditions were deteriorating and； if I were any judge； deteriorating quite rapidly。 The air temperature was now well below freezing and the first thin flakes of snow were driving by overhead； almost parallel to the surface of the sea。 The waves were now no longer waves； just moving masses of water； capriciously tending； it seemed； in any and all directions； but in the mass still bearing mainly easterly。 The Morning Rose was no longer just corkscrewing； she was beginning to stagger； falling into a bridge…high trough with an explosive impact more than vaguely reminiscent of flat； whiplike crack of a not…so…distant naval gun； then struggling and straining to right herself only to be struck by a following wall of water that smashed her over on her beam ends again。 I leaned farther outwards； looked upwards and was vaguely puzzled by the dimly seen outline of the madly flapping flag on the foremast： puzzled； because it wasn't streaming out over the starboard side； as it should have been； but towards the starboard quarter。 This meant that the wind was moving round to the northeast and what this could portend I could not even guess： I vaguely suspected that it wasn't anything good。 I went inside； yanked the door closed with some effort； made a silent prayer for the infinitely reassuring and petent presence of Smithy on the bridge； made my way to the stewards〃 pantry again and helped myself to a bottle of Black Label； Otto having made off with the last of the brandy…the drinkable brandy； that is。 I took it across to the captain's table； sat in the captain's chair； poured myself a small measure and stuck the bottle in Captain Imrie's convenient wrought…iron stand。
I wondered why I hadn't told Otto the truth。 I was a convincing liar； I thought； but not a pulsive one： probably because Otto struck me as being far from a stable character and with several more pegs of brandy inside him； in addition to what he had already consumed； he seemed less than the ideal confidant。
Antonio hadn't died because he'd taken or been given strychnine。 Of that I was quite certain。 I was equally certain that he hadn't died from Clostridium botulinum either。 The exotoxin from this particular anaerobe was quite as deadly as I had said but； fortunately； Otto had been unaware that the incubation period was seldom less than four hours and； in extreme
cases； had been known to be as long as forty…eight…not that the period of incubation delay made the final results any less fatal。 It was faintly possible that Antonio might have scoffed； say； a tin of infected truffles or suchlike from his homeland in the course of the afternoon； but in that case the symptoms would have been showing at the dinner table； and apart from his odd chartreuse hue I'd observed nothing untoward。 It had to be some form of systemic poison； but there were so many of them and I was a long way from being an expert on the subject。 Nor was there any necessary question of foul play： more people die from accidental poisoning than from the machinations of the ill…disposed。
The lee door opened and two people came staggering into the room； both young； both bespectacled； both with faces all but obscured by wind…blown hair。 They saw me； hesitated； looked at each other and made to leave； but I waved them in an
