alistairmaclean.bearisland-第26章

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　Smithy　removed　the　last　of　the　screws　and；　not　without　some　effort；　removed　the　face…plate。　I　looked　at　the　revealed　interior　for　about　ten　seconds　then　said：　I　see　now　why　you　put　the　face…plate　back　on。　The　only　thing　that　puzzles　me　is　that　that　cabinet　looks　a　bit　small　for　a　man　to　get　inside　it　with　a　fourteen…pound　sledgehammer。〃
　〃Looks　just　like　it；　doesn't　it？〃　The　tangled　mess　of　wreckage　inside　was；　literally；　indescribable；　the　vandal　who　had　been　at　work　had　seen　to　it　that；　irrespective　of　how　vast　a　range　of　spares　were　carried；　the　receiver…transmitter　could　never　be　made　operable　again。　〃You've　seen　enough？〃
　I　think　so　He　started　to　replace　the　cover　and　I　said：　‘You've　radios　in　the　lifeboats？〃
　〃Yes。　Hand…cranked。　They'll　reach　farther　than　the　galley　but　a　megaphone　would　be　about　as　good。〃
　〃You'll　have　to　report　this　to　the　captain；　of　course。〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　〃Then　it's　heigh…ho　for　Hammerfest？〃
　〃Twenty…four　hours　from　now　and　he　can　heigh…ho　for　Tahiti　as　far　as　I'm　concerned。〃　Smithy　tightened　the　last　screw。　〃That's　when　I'm　going　to　tell　him。　Twenty…four　hours　from　now。　Maybe　twenty…six。〃
　〃Your　outside　limit　for　dropping　anchor　in　Sor…Hamna？〃　
　〃Tying　up。　Yes。〃
　〃You're　a　very　deceitful　man；　Smithy。〃
　〃It's　the　pany　I　keep。　And　the　life　I　lead。〃
　〃You're　not　to　blame　yourself；　Smithy；〃　I　said　kindly。　〃We　live　in　vexed　and　troubled　times。〃
　
　7
　
　When　the　Norwegian　pilers　of　the　report　on　Bear　Island　had　spoken　of　it　as　possessing　perhaps　the　most　inhospitably　bleak　coastline　in　the　world；　they　had　been　speaking　with　the　measured　understatement　of　true　professional　geographers。　As　we　approached　it　in　the　first　light　of　dawn　which　in　those　latitudes；　at　that　time　of　year；　and　under　grey　and　lowering　skies　which　were　not　only　full　of　snow　but　getting　rid　of　it　as　fast　as　they　could；　was　as　near　midforenoon　as　made　no　difference…it　presented　the　most　awesome；　awe…inspiring　and；　in　the　true　sense　of　the　word；　awful　spectacle　of　nature　it　had　ever　been　my　misfortune　to　behold。　A　frightening　desolation；　it　was　a　weird　bination　of　the　wickedly　repellent　and　unwillingly　fascinating；　an　evil　and　dreadful　and　sinister　place；　a　place　full　of　the　terrifying　intimation　of　mortality；　the　culmination　of　all　the　terrors　for　our　long　lost　Nordic　ancestors　for　whom　hell　was　the　land　of　eternal　cold　and　for　whom　this　would　be　the　eternally　frozen　purgatory　to　be　visited　only　in　their　dying　nightmares。
　Bear　Island　was　black。　That　was　the　shocking；　the　almost　frightful　thing　about　it。　Bear　Island　was　black；　black　as　a　widow's　weeds。　Here's　in　the　regions　of　year…long　snow　and　ice；　where；　in　winter；　even　the　waters　of　the　Barents　Sea　ran　a　milky　white；　to　find　this　ebony　mass　towering　fifteen　hundred　vertical　feel？　up　into　the　grey　overcast　evoked　the　same　feeling　of　total　disbelief；　the　same　numbing　impact；　although　here　magnified　a　hundred　fold；　as　does　the　first　glimpse　of　the　black　cliff　of　the　north　face　of　the　Eiger　rearing　up　its　appalling　grandeur　among　the　snows　of　the　Bernese　Oberland：　this　benumbment　of　the　senses　stemmed　from　a　dichotomous　struggle　to　accept　the　evidence　before　the　eyes　for　while　reason　said　that　it　had　to　be　so　that　primeval　part　of　the　mind　that　existed　long　before　man　knew　what　reason　was　just　flatly　refused　to　accept　it。
　We　were　just　southwest　of　the　most　southerly　tip　of　Bear　Island；　steaming　due　cast　through　the　calmest　seas　that　we　had　encountered　since　leaving　Wick；　but　even　that　term　was　only　relative；　it　was　still　necessary　to　hang　on　to　something　if　one　wished　to　maintain　the　perpendicular。　Overall；　the　weather　hadn't　changed　any　for　the　better；　the　parative　moderating　of　the　seas　was　due　entirely　to　the　fact　that　the　wind　blew　now　directly　from　the　north　and　We　were　in　the　lee　of　whatever　little　shelter　was　afforded　by　those　giant　cliffs。　We　were　making　this　particular　approach　to　our　destination　at　Otto's　request　for　he　was　understandably　anxious　to　build　up　a　library　of　background　shots　which；　so　far；　was　pletely　nonexistent；　and　those　bleak　precipices　would　have　made　a　cameraman's　or　director's　dream：　but　Otto's　luck　was　running　true　to　form；　those　driving　gusts　of　snow；　which　would　in　any　event　have　driven　straight　into　the　camera　lens　and　pletely　obscured　it；　more　often　than　not　obscured　the　cliffs　themselves。
　Due　north　lay　the　highest　cliffs　of　the　island；　the　dolomite　battlements　of　the　Hambergfiell　dropping　like　a　stone　into　the　spume…topped　waves　that　lashed　its　base；　with；　standing　out　to　sea；　an　imposing　rock　needle　thrusting　up　at　least　250　feet？：　to　the　northeast；　and　less　than　a　mile　distant；　stood　the　equally　magnificent　Bird　Fell　cliffs　with；　clustered　at　their　foot；　an　incredible　series　of　high　stacks。。　pinnacles　and　arches　that　could　only　have　been　the　handiwork　of　some　Herculean　sculptor；　at　once　both　blind　and　mad。
　All　this　we…about　ten　others　and　myself…could　see　purely　by　courtesy　of　the　fact　that　we　were　on　the　bridge　which　had　its　foreword　screen　windows　equipped　with　a　high…speed　Kent　clear…view　screen　directly　in　front　of　the　helmsman…which　at　this　particular　moment　was　Smithy；While　on　either　side　were　two　very　large　windscreen　wipers　which　coped　rather　less　effectively　with　the　gusting　snow。
　I　was　standing　with　Conrad；　Lonnie；　and　Mary　Stuart　in　front　of　the　port　wiper。　Conrad；　who　was　by　no　means　as　dashing　in　real　life　as　he　was　on　the　screen；　appeared　to　have　struck　up　some　kind　of　diffident　friendship　with　Mary　which；　I　reflected；　was　as　well　for　her　social　life　as　she'd　barely　spoken　to　me　since　the　morning　of　the　previous　day；　which　might　have　been　interpreted　as　being　a　bit　graceless　of　her　considering　I'd　incurred　a　large　variety　of　aches　and　cramps　in　preventing　her　from　falling　to　the　floor　during　most　of　the　preceding　night。　She　hadn't　exactly　avoided　me　in　the　past　twenty…four　hours　but　neither　had　she　sought　me　Out；　maybe　she　had　certain　things　on　her　mind；　such　as　her　conscience　and　her　unforgivable　treatment　of　me：　nor　had　I　exactly　sought　her　out　for　I；　too；　had　a　couple　of　things　on　my　mind；　the　first　of　which　was　herself。
　I　had　developed　towards　her　a　markedly　ambivalent　feeling：　while　I　had　to　be　grateful　to　her　for　having；　however　unwittingly；　saved　my　life　because　her　aversion　to　Scotch　had　prevented　me　from　having　the　last　nightcap　I'd　ever　have　had　in　this　world；　at　the　same　time　she'd　prevented　me　from　moving　around　and；　just　possibly；　stumbling　upon　the　lad　who　had　been　wandering　about　in　the　middle　watches　with　ill…intent　in　his　heart　and　a　sledgehammer　in　his　hand。　That　she；　and　for　whomsoever　she　worked；　knew　beyond　question　that　I　was　a　person　who　might　have　reason　to　be　abroad　at　inconvenient　hours　I　no　longer　doubted。　And　the　second　thing　in　my　mind　was　the　〃whomsoever〃：　I　no　longer　doubted　that　it　was　Heissman　and　perhaps　he　didn't　even　stand　in　need　of　an　acplice：　doctors；　by　the　nature　of　their　profession；　are　even　　more　fallible　and　liable　to　error　than　the　average　run　of　mankind　and　I　might　well　have　been　in　error　when　I'd　seen　him　on　his　bed　in　pain　and　him　unfit　to　move　around。　Moreover；　Goin　apart；　he　was　the　only　man　with　a　cabin　to　himself　and　so　able　to　sally　out　and　return　undetected　by　a　roommate。
　And；　of　course；　there　was　always　this　mysterious　Siberian　background　of　his。　None　of　which；　not　even　his　secret　meeting　with　Mary　Stuart；　was　enough　to　hang　a　cat　on。
　Lonnie　touched　my　arm　and　I　turned。　He　smelt　like　a　distillery。　He　said：　〃Remember　what　we　were　talking　about？　Two　nights　ago。〃
　〃We　talked　about　a　lot　of　things。〃
　〃Bars。〃
　〃Don't　you　ever　think　of　anything　else；　Lonnie？　Bars？　What　bars？〃
　In　the　great　hereafter；〃　Lonnie　said　solemnly。　〃Do　you　think　there　are　any　there？　In　heaven；　I　mean。　I　mean；　you　couldn't　very　well　call　it　heaven　if　there　are　no　bars　there；　now　could　you？　I　mean；　I　wouldn't　call　it　an　act　of　kindness　to　send　an　old　man　like　me　to　a　prohibition　heaven；　now　would　you。　It　wouldn't　be　kind。〃
　〃I　don't　know；　Lonnie。　On　biblical　evidence　I　should　expect　there　would　be　some　wine　around。　And　lots　of　milk　and　honey。〃　Lonnie　looked　pained。　〃What　leads　you　to　expect　that　you're　ever　going　to　be　faced　with　the　problem？〃
　I　was　but　posing　a　hypothetical　question。〃　The　old　man　spoke　with　dignity。　〃It　would　be　positively　un…Christian　to　send　me　there。　God；　I'm　thirsty。　Unkind；　is　what　I　mean。　I　mean；　charity　is　the　greatest　of　Christian　virtues。〃　He　shook　his　head　sadly。　〃An　act　of　the　greatest　uncharity；　my　dear　boy；　the　very　negation　of　the　spirit　of　kindness。〃　Lonnie　gazed　out　through　a　side　window　at　the　fantastically　shaped　islets　of　Keilhous　Of；　Hesteinen；　and　Stappen；　now　directly　off　our　port　beam　and　less　than　half　a　mile　distant。　His　face　was　set　in　lines　of　tranquil　sacrifice。　He　was　as　drunk　as　an　owl。
　〃You　do　believe　in　this　kindness；　Lonnie？〃　I　said　curiously。　After　a　lifetime　in　the　cinema　business　I　didn't　see　how　he　possibly　could。〃
　〃What　else　is　there；　my　dear　boy。〃
　〃Even　to　those　who　don't　deserve　it'；〃
　〃Ah！　Now。　There　is　the　point。　Those　are　the　ones　who　deserve　it　most。〃
　〃Even　Judith　Haynes？〃
　He　looked　as　if　I　had　struck　him　and　when　I　saw　the　expression　on　his　face　I　felt　as　if　I　had　struck　him；　even　although　I　felt　his　to　be　a　mysteriously　exaggerated　reaction。　I　reached　out　a　hand　even　as　I　was　about　to　apologise　for　I　knew　not　what　but　he　turned　away；　a　curious　sadness　on　his　face；　and　left　the　bridge。
　〃Now　I've　seen　the　impossible；〃　Conrad　said。　He　wasn't　smiling　but　he　wasn't　being　censorious　either。　〃Someone　has　at　last　given　offence　to　Lonnie　Gilbert。〃
　〃One　has　to　work　at　it；〃　I　said。　〃I've　transgressed　against　Lonnie's　creed。
　He　thinks　that　I'm　unkind。〃
　〃Unkind〃　Mary　Stuart　laid　a　hand　on　the　arm　I　was　using　to　steady　myself。　The　skin　under　the　brown　eyes　was　perceptibly　darker　than　it　had　been　thirty…six　hours　ago　and　was　even　beginning　to　look　puffy　and　the　whites　of　the　eyes　themselves　were　dulled　and　slightly　tinged　with　red。　She　hesitated；　as　if　about　to　say　something；　then　her　gaze　shifted　to　a　point　over　my　left　shoulder。　I　turned。
　Captain　Imrie　closed　the　starboard　wheelhouse　door　behind　him。　Insofar　as　it　was　possible　to　detect　the　shift　and　play　of　expression　on　that　splendidly　bewhiskered　and　bearded　face　it　seemed　that　the　captain　was　upset；　even　agitated。　He　crossed　directly　to　Smithy　and　spoke　to　him　in　a　low　and　urgent　voice。　Smithy　registered　surprise　then　shook　his　head。　Captain　Imrie　spoke　again；　briefly。　Smithy　shrugged　his　shoulders；　then　said　something　in　return。　Both　men　looked　at　me　and　I　knew　there　was　more　trouble　ing；　if　not　actually　arrived；　if　for　no　reason　other　than　that　so　far　nothing　untoward　had　happened　with　which　I　hadn't　been　directly　or　indirectly　concerned。　Captain　Imrie　fixed　me　with　his　piercing　blue　eyes；　jerked　his　head　with　most　uncharacteristic　peremptoriness　towards　the　chartroom　door　and　headed　for　it　himself。　I　shrugged　my　own　shoulders　in　apology　to　Mary　and　Conrad　and　followed。　Captain　Imrie　closed　the　door　behind　me。
　〃More　trouble；　mister。〃　I　didn't　much　care　for　the　way　he　called　me　（mister。〃　〃One　of　the　film　crew；　John　Halliday；　has　disappeared。〃
　〃Disappeared　where？〃　It　wasn't　a　very　intelligent　question　but　then　it　wasn't　meant