alistairmaclean.bearisland-第3章

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　I　suspect　Mr。　Gerran　of　having　a　suspicious　checking　mind。　However；　if　I　may。。。〃
　〃My　guest。〃
　I　helped　myself　again　and　replaced　the　bottle　in　the　cabinet。　Smithy；　as　he'd　warned；　wasn't　very　talkative；　but　the　silence　was　panionable　enough。　Presently　he　said：　〃Navy；　aren't　you；　Doc？〃
　〃Past　tense。〃
　〃And　now　this？〃
　〃A　shameful　edown。　Don't　you　find　it　so？〃
　〃Touche。〃　I　could　dimly　see　the　white　of　teeth　as　he　smiled　in　the　half　dark。　〃Medical　malpractice；　flogging　penicillin　to　the　wogs；　or　just　drunk　in　charge　of　a　surgery？〃
　〃Nothing　so　glamorous。　〃Insubordination　is　the　word　they　used。〃
　〃Snap。　Me　too。〃　
　A　pause。　〃This　Mr。　Gerran　of　yours。　Is　he　all　right？〃
　〃So　the　insurance　doctors　say。〃
　〃I　didn't　mean　that。〃
　You　can't　expect　me　to　speak　ill　of　my　employer。〃　Again　there　was　that　dimly　seen　glimpse　of　white　teeth。
　〃Well；　that's　one　way　of　answering　my　question。　But；　well；　look；　the　bloke　must　be　loony…or　is　that　an　offensive　term？〃
　〃Only　to　psychiatrists。　I　don't　speak　to　them。　Loony's　fine　by　me。　But　I'd　remind　you　that　Mr。　Gerran　has　a　very　distinguished　record。〃
　〃As　a　loony？〃
　〃That；　too。　But　also　as　a　film…maker；　a　producer。〃
　〃What　kind　of　producer　would　take　a　film　unit　up　to　Bear　Island　with　winter　ing　on？〃
　〃Mr。　Gerran　wants　realism。〃
　〃Mr。　Gerran　wants　his　head　examined。　Has　he　any　idea　what　it's　like　up　there　at　this　time　of　year？〃
　〃He's　also　a　man　with　a　dream。〃
　〃No　place　for　dreamers　in　the　Barents　Sea。　How　the　Americans　ever　managed　to　put　a　man　on　the　moon…〃
　〃Our　friend　Otto　isn't　an　American。　He's　a　central　European。　If　you　want　the　makers　of　dreams　or　the　peddlers　of　dreams　there's　the　place　to　End　them…among　the　headwaters　of　the　Danube。〃
　〃And　the　biggest　rogues　and　confidence　men　in　Europe？〃
　〃You　can't　have　everything。〃
　〃He's　a　long　way　from　the　Danube。〃
　'Otto　had　to　leave　in　a　great　hurry　at　a　time　when　a　large　number　of　people　had　to　leave　in　a　great　hurry。　Year　before　the　war；　that　was。　Found　his　way　to　America…where　else…then　to　Hollywood…again；　where　else？
　Say　what　you　like　about　Otto…and　I'm　afraid　a　lot　of　people　do　just　that　you　have　to　admire　his　recuperative　powers。　He'd　left　a　thriving　film　business　behind　him　in　Vienna　and　arrived　in　California　with　what　he　stood　up　in。〃
　〃That's　not　so　little。〃
　It　was　then。　I've　seen　pictures。　No　greyhound；　but　still　about　a　hundred　pounds　short　of　what　he　is　today。　Anyway；　inside　just　a　few　years　chiefly　；　I'm　told；　by　switching　at　the　psychologically　correct　moment　from　anti…Nazism　to　anti…munism…Otto　prospered　mightily　in　the　American　film　industry　on　the　strength　of　a　handful　of　nauseatingly　superpatriotic　pictures；　which　had　the　critics　in　despair　and　the　audiences　in　raptures。　In　the　mid…'50s；　sensing　that　the　cinematic　sun　was　setting　over　Hollywood…you　can't　see　it　but　he　carries　his　own　built…in　radar　system　with　him…Otto's　devotion　to　his　adopted　country　evaporated　along　with　I0　his　bank　balance　and　he　transferred　himself　to　London　where　he　made　a　number　of　avant…garde　films　that　had　the　critics　in　rapture；　the　audiences　in　despair；　and　Otto　in　the　red。〃
　〃You　seem　to　know　your　Otto；〃　Smithy　said。
　〃Anybody　who　has　read　the　first　five　pages　of　the　prospectus　for　his　last　film　would　know　his　Otto。　I'll　let　you　have　a　copy。　Never　mentions　the　film；　just　Otto。　Misses　out　words　like　〃nauseating〃　and　〃despair〃　of　course　and　you　have　to　read　between　the　lines　a　bit。　But　it's　all　there。〃
　〃I'd　like　a　copy。〃　Smithy　thought　some　then　said：　〃If　he's　in　the　red　where's　the　money　ing　from？　To　make　this　film；　I　mean。〃
　〃Your　sheltered　life。　A　producer　is　always　at　his　most　affluent　when　the　bailiffs　are　camped　outside　the　studio　gates…rented　studio；　of　course。　Who；　when　the　banks　are　foreclosing　on　him　and　the　insurance　panies　drafting　their　ultimatums；　is　throwing　the　party　of　the　year　at　the　Savoy？　Our　friend　the　big…time　producer。　It's　kind　of　like　the　law　of　nature。　You'd　better　stick　to　ships；　Mr。　Smith；〃　I　added　kindly。
　〃Smithy；〃　he　said　absently。　〃So　who's　bankrolling　your　friend？〃
　〃My　employer。　I've　no　idea。　Very　secretive　about　money　matters　is　Otto。〃
　〃But　someone　is。　Backing　him；　I　mean。〃
　〃Must　be。〃　I　put　down　my　glass　and　stood　up。　〃Thanks　for　the　hospitality　。〃
　〃Even　after　he's　produced　a　string　of　losers？　Seems　balmy　to　me。　Fishy；　at　least。〃
　〃The　film　world；　Smithy；　is　full　of　balmy　and　fishy　people。〃　I　didn't；　in　fact；　know　whether　it　was　or　not　but　if　this　shipload　was　in　any　way　representative　of　the　cinema　industry　it　seemed　a　pretty　fair　extrapolation。　〃Or　perhaps　he's　just　got　hold　of　the　story　to　end　all　stories。〃
　〃The　screenplay。　There；　now；　you　may　have　a　point…but　it's　one　you　would　have　to　raise　with　Mr。　Gerran　personally。　Apart　from　Heissman；　who　wrote　it；　Gerran　is　the　only　one　who's　seen　it。〃
　It　hadn't　been　a　factor　of　the　height　of　the　bridge。　As　I　stepped　out　on　to　the　starboard　ladder　on　the　lee　side…there　were　no　internal　munications　between　bridge　and　deck　level　on　those　elderly　steam　trawlers　I　was　left　in　no　doubt　that　the　weather　had　indeed　deteriorated　and　deteriorated　sharply；　a　fact　that　should　have　probably　been　readily　apparent　to　anyone　whose　concern　for　the　prevailing　meteorological　conditions　hadn't　been　confronted　with　the　unfair　challenge　of　Otard…Dupuy。　Even　on　this；　what　should　have　been　the　sheltered　side　of　the　ship；　the　power　of　the　wind；　bitter　cold；　was　such　that　I　had　to　cling　with　both　hands　to　the　handrails：　and　with　the　Morning　Rose　now　rolling；　erratically　and　violently；　through　almost　fifty　degrees　of　arc…which　was　wicked　enough　but　I'd　once　been　on　a　cruiser　that　had　gone　through　a　hundred　degrees　of　arc　and　still　survived…I　could　have　used　another　pair　of　arms。　Even　on　the　blackest　night；　and　this　was　incontestably　one　of　the　blackest；　it　is　never　wholly　dark　at　sea：　it　may　never　be　possible　precisely　to　delineate　the　horizon　line　where　sea　and　sky　meet；　but　one　can　usually　look　several　vertical　degrees　above　or　below　the　horizon　line　and　say　with　certainty　that　here　is　sky　or　here　is　sea：　for　the　sea　is　always　darker　than　the　sky。　Tonight；　it　was　impossible　to　say　any　such　thing　and　this　was　not　because　of　the　violently　rolling　Morning　Rose　made　for　a　very　unstable　observation　platform　nor　because　the　big　uneven　seas　bearing　down　from　the　cast　made　for　a　tumbling　amorphous　horizon：　because　tonight；　for　the　first　time；　not　yet　dense　but　enough　to　obscure　vision　beyond　two　miles；　smoke　frost　lay　on　the　surface　of　the　sea；　that　peculiar　phenomenon　which　one　finds　in　Norway　where　the　glacial　land　winds　pass　over　the　warm　fiord　waters　or；　as　here；　where　the　warm　Atlantic　air　passed　over　the　Arctic　waters。　All　I　could　see；　and　it　was　enough　to　see；　was　that　the　tops　were　now　being　torn　off　the　waves；　white…veined　on　their　leeward　sides；　and　that　the　seas　were　breaking　clear　across　the　foredeck　of　the　Morning　Rose；　the　white　and　icy　spume　hissing　into　the　sea　on　the　starboard。　A　night　for　carpet　slippers　and　the　fireside。　I　turned　foreword　towards　the　acmodation　door　and　bumped　into　someone　who　was　standing　behind　the　ladder　and　holding　on　to　it　for　support。　I　couldn't　see　the　person's　face　for　it　was　totally　obscured　by　windblown　hair　but　I　didn't　have　to；　there　was　only　one　person　aboard　with　those　long　straw…coloured　tresses　and　that　was　Mary　dear：　given　my　choice　of　people　to　bump　into　on　the　Morning　Rose　I'd　have　picked　Mary　dear　any　time。　〃Mary　dear'；　not　〃Mary　Dear'：　I'd　given　her　that　name　to　distinguish　her　from　Gerran's　continuity　girl　whose　given　name　was　Mary　Darling。　Mary　dear　was　really　Mary　Stuart　but　that　wasn't　her　true　name　either：　Ilona　Wisniowecki　she'd　been　christened　but　had　prudently　decided　that　it　wasn't　the　biggest　possible　asset　she　had　for　making　her　way　in　the　film　world。　Why　she'd　chosen　a　Scots　name　I　didn't　know：　maybe　she　just　liked　the　sound　of　it。
　〃Mary　dear；〃　I　said。　〃Abroad　at　this　late　hour　and　on　such　a　night。〃　I　reached　up　and　touched　her　cheek；　we　doctors　can　get　away　with　murder　。　The　skin　was　icily　cold。　〃You　can　carry　this　fresh　air　fanatic　bit　too　far。　e　on；　inside。〃　I　took　her　arm…I　was　hardly　surprised　to　find　she　was　shivering　quite　violently…and　she　came　along　docilely　enough。　The　acmodation　door　led　straight　into　the　passenger　lounge　which；　though　fairly　narrow；　ran　the　full　width　of　the　ship。　At　the　far　end　was　a　built…in　bar　with　the　liquor　kept　behind　two　glassed…in　iron　grill　doors：　the　doors　were　kept　permanently　locked　and　the　key　was　in　Otto　Gerran's　pocket。
　〃No　need　to　frog…march　me；　Doctor。〃　She　habitually　spoke　in　a　low…pitched　quiet　voice。　〃Enough　is　enough　and　I　was　ing　in　anyway。〃
　〃Why　were　you　out　there　in　the　first　place？〃
　〃Can't　doctors　always　tell？〃　She　touched　the　middle　button　of　her　black　leather　coat　and　from　this　I　understood　that　her　internal　economy　wasn't　taking　too　kindly　to　the　roller…coaster　antics　of　the　Morning　Rose。　But　I　also　understood　that　even　had　the　sea　been　mirror…smooth　she'd　still　have　been　out　on　that　freezing　upper　deck：　she　didn't　talk　much　to　the　others　nor　the　others　to　her。
　She　pushed　the　tangled　hair　back　from　her　face　and　I　could　see　she　was　very　pale　and　the　skin　beneath　the　brown　eyes　tinged　with　the　beginnings　of　exhaustion。　In　her　high　cheekboned　Slavonic　way…she　was　a　Latvian　but；　I　supposed；　no　less　a　Slav　for　that…she　was　very　lovely；　a　fact　that　was　freely　admitted　and　slightingly　mented　upon　as　being　her　only　asset：　her　last　two　pictures…her　only　two　pictures…were　said　to　have　been　disasters　of　the　first　magnitude。　She　was　a　silent　girl；　cool　and　aloofly　remote　and　I　liked　her　which　made　me　a　lonely　minority　of　one。
　〃Doctors　aren't　infallible；〃　I　said。　〃At　least；　not　this　one。〃　I　peered　at　her　in　my　best　clinical　fashion。　〃What's　a　girl　like　you　doing　in　those　parts　on　this　floating　museum？〃
　She　hesitated。　〃That's　a　personal　question。〃
　〃The　medical　profession　are　a　very　personal　lot。　How's　your　headache？
　Your　ulcer？　Your　bursitis？　We　don't　know　where　to　stop。〃
　I　need　the　money。〃
　〃You　and　me　both。〃　I　smiled　at　her　and　she　didn't　smile　back　so　I　left　her　and　went　down　the　panionway　to　the　main　deck。
　Here　was　located　the　Morning　Rose's　main　passenger　acmodation；　two　rows　of　cabins　lining　the　fore　and　aft　central　passageway。　This　had　been　the　area　of　the　former　fish…holds　and　although　the　place　had　been　steam…washed；　fumigated；　and　disinfected　at　the　time　of　conversion　it　still　stank　most　powerfully　and　evilly　of　cod　liver　oil　that　has　lain　too　long　in　the　sun。　In　ordinary　circumstances；　the　atmosphere　was　nauseating　enough：　in　those　extraordinary　ones　it　was　hardly　calculated　to　assist　sufferers　in　a　rapid　recovery　from　the　effects　of　seasickness。　I　knocked　on　the　first　door　on　the　starboard　side　and　went　in。
　Johann　Heissman；　horizontally　immobile　on　his　bunk；　looked　like　a　cross　between　a　warrior　taking　his　rest　and　a　medieval　bishop　modelling　for　the　stone　effigy　which　in　the　fullness　of　time　would　adorn　the　top　of　his　sarcophagus。　Indeed；　with　his　thin　waxy　fingers　steepled　on　his　narrow　chest；　his　thin　waxy　nose　pointing　to　the　ceiling　and　his　curiously　transparent　eyelids　closed；　the　image　of　the　tomb　seemed　particularly　apposite　in　this　case：　but　it　was　a　deceptive　image　for