alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第44章
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super…secret and a hundred times as sensitive as the finest films available on the mercial market today。
〃This was to be fitted to the two…ton satellite the Americans called 'Samos III''Samos' for 'Satellite and Missile Observation System。' It never was。 This； the only camera of its kind in the world； vanished； hijacked in broad daylight； and； as we later learned； dismantled； flown from New York to Havana by a Polish jet…liner which had cleared for Miami and so avoided customs inspection。
〃Four months ago this camera was launched in a Soviet satellite on a polar orbit； crossing the U。S。 Middle West seven times a day。 Those satellites can stay up indefinitely； but in just three days； with perfect weather conditions； the Soviets had all the pictures they ever wantedpictures of every American missile…launching base west of the Mississippi。 Every time this camera took a picture of a small section of the United States； another； smaller camera in the satellite； pointing vertically upward； took a fix on the stars。 Then it was only a matter of checking map coordinates and they could have a Soviet intercontinental ballistics missile ranged in on every launching pad in America。 But first they had to have the pictures。
〃Radio transmission is no good； there's far too much quality and detail lost in the processand you must remember that this was a relatively； tiny negative in the first place。 So they had to have the actual films。 There are two ways of doing this： bring the satellite back to earth； or have it eject a capsule with the films。 The Americans； with their Discoverer tests； have perfected the art of using planes to snatch falling capsules from the sky。 The Russians haven't； although we do know they have a technique for ejecting capsules should a satellite run amuck。 So they had to bring the satellite down。 They planned to bring it down some two hundred miles east of the Caspian。 But something went wrong。 Precisely what； we don't know； but our experts say that it could only have been due to the fact that the retro rockets on one side of the capsule failed to fire when given the radio signal to do so。 You are beginning to understand； gentlemen？〃
〃We are beginning to understand indeed。〃 It was Jeremy who spoke； his voice very soft。 〃The satellite took up a different orbit。〃
〃That's what happened。 The rockets firing on one side didn't slow her up any that mattered： they just knocked her far off course。 A new and wobbly orbit that passed through Alaska； south over the Pacific； across Grahamland in Antarctica and directly south of South America； up over Africa and western Europe； then around the North Pole in a shallow curve； maybe two hundred miles distant from it at the nearest point。
〃Now； the only way the Russians could get the films was by ejecting the capsule； for with retro rockets firing on one side only； they knew that even if they did manage to slow up the satellite sufficiently for it to leave orbit； they had no idea where it would go。 But the damnably awkward part of it from the Russians' viewpoint was that nowhere in its orbit of the earth did the satellite pass over the Soviet Union or any sphere of munist influence whatsoever。 Worse； ninety per cent of its travel was travel over open sea； and if they brought it down there they would never see their films again as the capsule is so heavily coated with aluminum and Pyroceram to withstand the heat of re…entry into the atmosphere that it was much heavier than water。 And； as I said； they had never developed the American know…how of snatching falling capsules out of the airand you will appreciate that they couldn't very well ask the Americans to do the job for them。
〃So they decided to bring it down in the only safe place open to themeither the polar ice cap in the north； or the Antarctic in the south。 You will remember； Captain； that I told you I had just returned from the Antarctic。 The Russians have a couple of geophysical stations there； and； up until a few days ago； we thought that there was a fifty…fifty chance that the capsule might be brought down there。 But we were wrong。 Their nearest station in the Antarctic was three hundred miles from the path of orbitand no field parties were stirring from home。〃
〃So they decided to bring it down in the vicinity of Drift Ice Station Zebra？〃 Jolly asked quietly。 It was a sign of his perturbation that he didn't even call me 〃old boy。〃
〃Drift Ice Station Zebra wasn't even in existence at the time the satellite' went haywire； although all preparations were plete。 We had arranged for Canada to lend us a St。 Lawrence ice breaker to set up the station； but the Russians； in a burst of friendly goodwill and international cooperation； offered us the atomic…powered 〃Lenin〃； the finest ice breaker in the world。 They wanted to make good and sure that Zebra was set up in good time。 It was。 The eastwest drift of the ice cap was unusually slow this year； and almost eight weeks elapsed after the setting…up of the station until it was directly beneath the 'flight trajectory of the satellite。〃
〃You 〃knew〃 what the Russians had in mind？〃 Hansen asked。
〃We knew。 But the Russians had no idea whatsoever that we were on to them。 They had no idea that one of the pieces of equipment which was landed at Zebra was a satellite monitor which would tell Major Halliwell when the satellite received the radio signal to eject the capsule。〃 I looked slowly around the Zebra survivors。 〃I'll wager none of you knew that。 But Major Halliwell didand the three other men who slept in his hut where this machine was located。
〃What we did not know was the identity of the member of Zebra's pany who had been suborned by the Russians。 We were certain someone 〃must〃 have been； but we had no idea who it was。 Every one of you had first…class security clearances。 But someone was subornedand that someone； when he arrived back in Britain； would have been a wealthy man for the rest of his life。 In addition to leaving what was in effect an enemy agent planted in Zebra； the Soviets also left a portable monitoran electronic device for tuning…in on a particular radio signal which would be activated inside the capsule at the moment of its ejection from the satellite。 A capsule can be so accurately ejected three hundred miles up that it will land within a mile of its target； but the ice cap is pretty rough territory and dark most of the time； so this monitor would enable our friend to locate the capsule； which would keep on emitting its signal for at least； I suppose； twenty…four hours after landing。 Our friend took the monitor and went out looking for the capsule。 He found it； released it from its drogue； and brought it back to the station。 You are still with me； gentlemen？ Especially one particular gentleman？〃
〃I think we are all with you； Dr。 Carpenter；〃 mander Swanson said softly。 〃Every last one of us。〃
〃Fine。 Well； unfortunately； Major Halliwell and his three panions also knew that the satellite had ejected its capsuledon't forget that they were monitoring this satellite twenty…four hours a day。 They knew that someone was going to go looking for it pretty soon； but who that someone would be they had no idea。 Anyway； Major Halliwall posted one of his men to keep watch。 It was a wild night； bitterly cold； with a gale blowing an ice 。storm before it； but he kept a pretty good watch all the same。 He either bumped into our friend returning with the capsule or； more probably； saw a light in a cabin； investigated； found our friend stripping the film from the capsule； and； instead of going quietly away and reporting to Major Halliwell； he went in and challenged this man。 If that was the way of it； it was a bad mistake； the last he ever made。 He got a knife between the ribs。〃 I gazed at all the Zebra survivors in turn。 〃I wonder which one of you did it？ Whoever it was； he wasn't very expert。 He broke off the blade inside the chest。 I found it there。〃 I was looking at Swanson； and he didn't bat an eyelid。 He knew I hadn't found the blade there； he had found the haft in the gas tank。 But there was time enough to tell them that。
〃When the man he had posted didn't turn up； Major Halliwell got worried； it must have been something like that。 I don't know and it doesn't matter。 Our friend with the broken knife was on the alert now； he knew someone was on to himit must have e as a pretty severe shockhe'd thought himself pletely unsuspectedand when the second man the major sent turned up； he was ready for him。 He had to kill him； for the first man was lying dead in his cabin。 Apart from his broken knife； he also had a gun。 He used it。
〃Both those men had e from Halliwell's cabin。 The killer knew that Halliwell must have sent them and that he and the other man still in the major's cabin would be around in double…quick time if the second watcher didn't report back immediately。 He decided not to wait for that： he'd burned his bridges； anyway。 He took his gun； went into Major Halliwell's cabin； and shot him and the other man as they lay on their beds。 I know that because the bullets in their heads entered low from the front and emerged high at the back the angle the bullets would naturally take if the killer was standing at the foot of their beds and fired at them as they were lying down。 I suppose this is as good a time as any to say that my name is not really Carpenter。 It's Halliwell。 Major Halliwell was my elder brother。〃
〃Good God！〃 Dr。 Jolly whispered。 〃Good God above！〃
〃One thing the； killer knew it was essential to do right awayto conceal the traces of his crime。 There was only one way： burn the bodies out of all recognition。 So he dragged a couple of drums of oil out of the fuel store； poured them against the walls of Major Halliwell's huthe'd already pulled in there the first two men he'd killedand set fire to it。 For good measure； he also set fire to the fuel store。 A thorough type； my friends； a man who never did anything by halves。〃
The men seated around the wardroom table were dazed and shocked； unprehending and incredulous。 But they were incredulous only because the enormity of the whole thing was beyond them。 But not beyond them all。
〃I'm a man with a curious turn of mind；〃 I went on。 〃I wondered why sick； burned； exhausted men had wasted their time and their little strength in shifting the dead men intO the lab。 Because someone had suggested that it might be a good thing to do； the decent thing to do。 The real reason； of course； was to discourage anyone from going there。 I looked under the floorboards and what did I find？ Forty Nife cells in first…class condition； stores of food； a radio…sonde balloon； a hydrogen cylinder for inflating the balloon。 I had expected to find the Nife cells。 Kinnaird here has told us that there were a good many reserves；' but Nife cells won't be destroyed in a fire。 Buckled and bent a bit； but not destroyed。 I hadn't expected to find the other items of equipment； but they made everything clear。
〃The killer had had bad luck on two countsbeing found out and with the weather。 The weather really put the crimp on all his plans。 The idea was that when conditions were favorable he'd send the films up into the sky attached to a radio…sonde balloon which could be swept up by a Russian plane。 Snatching a fal
