alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第23章

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　There　were　no　objections。　For　the　most　part；　I　suppose；　they　were　too　cold；　too　tired；　too　hungry　and　too　thirsty…for　with　the　rapid　evaporation　of　moisture　from　the　warm；　relatively　humid　body　thirst　was　always　a　problem　in　dry；　intensely　cold　air…to　raise　any　objections。　To　people　unaccustomed　to　the　Arctic；　it　must　have　seemed　that　they　had　reached　the　nadir　of　their　sufferings；　that　things　could　get　no　worse　than　they　were：　I　hoped　as　much　time　as　possible　would　elapse　before　they　found　out　how　wrong　they　were。
　
　There　were　no　objections；　but　there　were　two　suggestions。　Both　came　from　Nick　Corazzini。
　
　〃Look；　Doc；　about　this　diet　Mr　Mahler　must　have。　Maybe　we　can't　balance　it；　but　we　can　at　least　make　sure　that　he　gets　a　fair　number　of　calories…not　that　I　know　how　you　count　the　damn'　things。　Why　don't　we　double　his　rations…no；　even　that　wouldn't　keep　a　decent　sparrow　alive。　What　say　each　of　the　rest　of　us　docks　a　quarter　of　his　rations　and　hands　them　over？　That　way　Mr　Mahler　would　have　about　four　times　his　normal…〃
　
　〃No；　no！〃　Mahler　protested。　〃Thank　you；　Mr　Corazzini；　but　I　cannot　permit…〃
　
　〃An　excellent　idea；〃　I　interrupted。　〃I　was　thinking　along　the　same　lines　myself。〃
　
　〃Good；〃　Corazzini　grinned。　〃Carried　unanimously。　I　also　suggest　we'd　get　along　farther　and　faster　if；　say；　Mr　Zagero　and　I　were　to　spell　you　two　on　the　tractor。〃　He　held　up　a　hand　as　if　to　forestall　protest。　〃Either　of　us　may　be　the　man　you　want；　in　fact；　we　might　be　the　two　men　you　want…if　it　is　two　men。　But　if　I'm　one　of　the　killers；　and　I　know　nothing　about　the　Arctic；　navigation；　the　maintenance　of　this　damned　Citroen　and　wouldn't　as　much　as　recognise　a　crevasse　if　I　fell　down　one；　it's　as　plain　as　the　nose　on　your　face　that　I'm　not　going　to　make　a　break　for　it　until　I'm　within　shouting　distance　of　the　coast。　Agreed？〃
　
　〃Agreed；〃　I　said。　Even　as　I　spoke；　there　came　a　coughing　clattering　roar　as　Jackstraw　coaxed　the　still…warm　Citroen　back　into　life；　and　I　looked　up　at　Corazzini。　〃All　right；〃　I　went　on。　〃e　on　down。　You　can　have　your　first　driving　lesson　now。〃
　
　We　left　at　half…past　seven　that　morning；　in　driving　conditions　that　were　just　about　perfect。　Not　the　slightest　breath　of　air　stirred。　across　the　ice…cap　and　the　deep　blue…black　vault　of　the　sky　was　unmarred　by　even　the　tiniest　wisp　of　cloud。　The　stars　were　strangely　remote；　pale　and　shimmering　and　unreal　through　the　gossamer　gauze　of　the　glittering　ice　needles　that　filled　the　sky　and　sifted　soundlessly　down　on　the　frozen　snow；　but　even　so　visibility　was　all　that　could　have　been　desired：　the　powerful　headlights　of　the　Citroen；　striking　a　million　sparkling　diamond　points　of　light　off　the　ice　spicules；　reached　a　clear　three　hundred　yards　ahead　into　the　darkness；　leaving　the　ground　to　either　side　of　the　twin　interlocking　beams　shrouded　in　impenetrable　darkness。　The　cold　was　intense；　and　deepening　by　the　hour：　but　the　Citroen　seemed　to　thrive　on　it　that　morning。
　
　Luck　was　with　us　almost　right　away。　Within　fifteen　minutes　of　starting　off；　Balto；　ranging　free　as　always；　appeared　out　of　the　darkness　to　the　south…west　and　ran　alongside　the　dog…sledge；　barking　to　attract　Jackstraw's　attention。　Jackstraw　gave　us　the　signal　to　stop…a　rapid　flickering　of　the　red　and　green　lights　on　the　tractor　dashboard…and　in　two　or　three　minutes　appeared　out　of　the　darkness；　grinning；　to　tell　us　that　Balto　had　picked　up　a　standing　trail　flag。　That　was　good　news　in　itself；　in　that　it　meant　that　our　navigation　the　previous　night　had　been　all　that　could　have　been　wished　for　and　that　we　were　almost　exactly　on　course：　even　more　important；　however；　was　the　fact　that　if　this　flag　was　the　first　of　a　series　we　could　dispense　with　the　navigator　on　the　dog…sledge　and　that　Jackstraw　and　I　could　have　some　sleep…if　sleep　were　possible　in　that　miserably　cold　and　lurching　tractor　body。　And；　indeed；　that　flag　proved　to　the　first　of　an　almost　unbroken　series　that　was　to　guide　us　all　the　length　of　that　interminable　day；　so　that　from　eight　o'clock　onwards　Jackstraw；　Zagero；　Corazzini　and　I　took　it　in　turns　to　drive；　with　the　Senator；　the　Reverend　Smallwood　or　Solly　Levin　up　front　as　lookout。　Theirs　was　probably　the　coldest；　certainly　the　most　unwele　job　of　all：　but　all　three　bore　up　unplainingly；　even　to　the　extent　of　thawing　out　in　silent　agony　at　the　end　of　their　hour　on　duty。
　
　Shortly　after　eight　o'clock　I　left　an　obviously　petent　Corazzini　to　his　own　devices；　dropped　back　to　the　shelter　of　the　tractor　body　and　asked　the　Senator　to　go　up　front。　I　then　set　about　breaking　the　strictest　rule　of　all；　where　these　old　tractors　were　concerned…that　no　fire　should　ever　be　lit　inside　when　they　were　in　motion。　But　even　the　most　stringent　rules　are　to　be　observed　only　until　such　time　as　the　need　for　breaking　them　is　paramount：　and　now　both　the　need　and　the　time　were　here。　My　concern　was　not　for　the　warmth　and　fort　of　the　passengers；　or　even　for　the　cooking　of　the　food…we　had　little　enough　of　that；　heaven　knew；　though　a　constant　supply　of　warm　water　would　e　in　useful　for　dealing　with　the　inevitable　cases　of　frostbite…but　purely　and　simply　for　the　life　of　Theodore　Mahler。
　
　Even　following　Corazzini's　suggestion　we　couldn't　give　him　enough　food；　and　what　we　could　didn't；　and　wouldn't；　even　begin　to　resemble　a　balanced　diet。　His　best　chance　of　survival；　and　that　was　slender　enough；　lay　in　conserving　his　body　reserves　and　his　energy　as　far　as　lay　within　our　power。　To　achieve　that；　work；　or　exercise　of　even　the　lightest　kind；　was　out：　he　had　to　remain　as　immobile　as　possible；　which　was　why　I　had　him　climb　into　a　sleeping…bag　and　lie　down　on　one　of　the　bunks；　wrapped　in　a　pair　of　heavy　blankets；　as　soon　as　I　entered。　But　without　work　or　exercise　he　would　have　no　means　to　bat　that　numbing　cold　except　by　a　constant　shivering　which　would　deplete　his　reserves　just　as　quickly　as　the　most　violent　exercise　would。　So　he　had　to　have　heat：　heat　from　the　stove；　heat　from　the　warm　fluids　which　I　told　Margaret　Ross　that　he　was　to　have　at　least　every　two　hours。　Mahler　protested　strongly　against　all　these　arrangements　being　made　on　his　behalf；　but　at　the　same　time　he　was　sensible　enough　to　realise　that　his　only　chance　of　survival　depended　on　doing　what　I　said：　but　I　believe　that　the　main　factor　which　finally　made　him　yield　was　not　so　much　my　medical　explanations　as　the　pressure　of　public　opinion。
　
　That　all　the　passengers　should　suddenly；　and　so　vehemently；　be　concerned　with　Theodore　Mahler's　welfare　seemed；　on　the　face　of　it；　inexplicable。　But　only　on　the　face　of　it。　It　did　not　require　a　great　deal　of　thought　or　probing　beneath　the　surface　to　discover　that　the　true　motivating　factor　was　not　selflessness…though　there　may　have　been　some　of　that；　too…but　selfishness。　Mahler　represented　not　so　much　a　sufferer　as　a　most　wele　diversion　from　their　own　thoughts　and　suspicions；　from　the　tension；　from　the　never…ending　constraint　that　had　laid　its　chilling　hand　over　the　entire　pany　for　the　past　twelve　hours。
　
　This　constraint；　apart　from　its　awkwardness　and　sheer　unpleasantness；　had　the　further　effect　of　splitting　up　the　passengers　into　tiny　groups。　munal　speech　had　ceased　entirely；　except　where　necessity　and　the　barest　demands　of　mon　politeness　made　it　inevitable。
　
　Marie　LeGarde　and　Margaret　Ross；　each　of　whom　knew　that　the　other　was　not　under　suspicion；　kept　very　much　to　themselves　and　talked　only　between　themselves。　So；　too；　did　Zagero　and　Solly　Levin；　and　also…though　this　would　have　seemed　ridiculously　improbable　only　twenty…four　hours　ago…Mrs　Dansby…Gregg　and　her　maid；　Helene。　Improbable　then；　but　inevitable　now：　whether　guilty　or　not；　both　knew　exactly　where　the　other　stood；　and；　of　all　the　passengers；　each　could　only　fully　trust　the　other。　They　could；　of　course；　as　could　all　the　others；　trust　Marie　LeGarde　and　Margaret　Ross：　but　the　fact　that　they　knew　that　Marie　LeGarde　and　Margaret　Ross　couldn't　trust　them　was　enough　to　prohibit　any　attempts　to　establish　an　easier　relationship。　As　for　Corazzini；　the　Rev。　Small　wood；　the　Senator　and　Mahler；　they　kept　very　much　to　themselves。
　
　In　the　circumstances；　then；　it　was　inevitable　that　they　should　wele　the　introduction　of　an　absolutely　innocuous　subject　of　interest　and　conversation；　something　that　would　ease；　however　slightly；　the　coldness　and　disfort　of　the　social　atmosphere；　something　that　would　divert　their　unwele　and　suspicious　thoughts　into　some　more　tolerable　channel。　Theodore　Mahler　promised　to　be　the　best　looked　after　patient　I　had　ever　had。
　
　I　had　just　got　the　oil　stove　going　to　my　satisfaction　when　Zagero　called　to　me　from　his　seat　by　the　rear　canvas　screen。
　
　〃There's　somethin'　funny　goin'　on　outside；　Doc。　e　and　have　a　look。〃
　
　I　had　a　look。　Far　off　to　the　right…the　north…west；　that　was…and　high　above　the　horizon　a　great　diffuse　formless　volume　of　luminosity；　spreading　over　almost　a　quarter　of　the　dark　dome　of　the　sky；　was　beginning　to　pulse　and　fade；　pulse　and　fade；　strengthening；　deepening；　climbing　with　the　passing　of　every　moment。　At　first　it　was　no　more　than　a　lightening　in　the　sky；　but　already　it　was　beginning　to　take　form；　and　faint　colours　beginning　to　establish　themselves　in　definite　patterns。
　
　〃The　Aurora；　Mr　Zagero；〃　I　said。　〃The　Northern　Lights。　First　time　you've　seen　it？〃
　
　He　nodded。　〃Yeah。　Amazin'　spectacle；　ain't　it？〃
　
　〃This？　This　is　nothing。　It's　just　starting　up。　It's　going　to　be　a　curtain…you　get　all　sorts；　rays；　bands；　coronas；　arcs　and　what　have　you；　but　this　is　a　curtain。　Best　of　the　lot。〃
　
　〃Get　this　sort　of　thing　often；　Doc？*
　
　〃Every　day；　for　days　on　end；　when　the　weather　is　like　this…you　know；　cold　and　clear　and　still。　Believe　it　or　not；　you　can　even　get　so　used　to　it　that　you　won't　bother　looking。〃
　
　〃I　don't　believe　it。　It's　amazin'；〃　he　repeated；　〃just　amazin'。　Tired　of　it；　you　say　…1　hope　we　see　it　every　day。〃　He　grinned。　〃You　don't　have　to　look；　Doc。〃
　
　〃For　your　own　sake　you'd　better　hope　for　something　else；〃　I　said　grimly。
　
　〃Meanin'？〃
　
　〃Meaning　that　radio　reception　is　hopeless　when　the　aurora　is　on。〃
　
　〃Radio　reception？〃　He　crinkled　his　brows。　〃What　we　gotta　lose；　with　the　radio　set　in　the　cabin　smashed　and　your　friends　in　the　trail　party　gettin'　further　away　every　minute？　You　couldn't　raise　either　of　them　anyway。〃
　
　〃No；　but　we　can　raise　our　Uplavnik　base　when　we　get　a　bit　nearer　the　coast；〃　I　said；　and　the　next　moment　I　could　have　bitten　my　tongue　off。　I　had　never　even　thought　of　the　matter　until　then；　but　as　soon　as　the　words　were　out　I　realised　that　I　should　have　kept　this　piece　of　knowledge　to　myself。　The　chances　of　Uplavnik　listening　in　at　the　right　time　and　on　the　right　frequency　were　remote　enough；　but　it　was　always　a　chance：　we　could　have　sent　out　a　warning；　summoned　help　long　before　the　killers　would　have　thought　of　making　a　break　for　it。　But；　now；　if　Zagero　were　one　of　the　killers；　he　would　make　good　and　certain　that　the　set　would　be　smashed　long　before　we　got　within　radio　range　of　the　Uplavnik　base。
　
　I　cursed　myself　for　a　blundering　idiot；　and　stole　a　quick　glance　at　Zagero。　In　the　light　streaming　out　from　the　gap　in　the　curtain　and　in　the　fainter　light　of　the　aurora；　his　every　feature　was　plain；　but　I　could　tell　nothing　from　his　express