alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第31部分
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add that I don't mean you'd deliberately give me away or anything like that but that you may inadvertently give me away。 Now I've no option but to tell you what I can and chance the consequences。 Why couldn't you just have accepted that directive from your Chief of Naval Operations and acted accordingly？〃
〃Directive？〃 Hansen looked at Swanson。 〃What directive？〃
〃Order from Washington to give Dr。 Carpenter here carte blanche for practically everything。 Be reasonable； Carpenter。 I don't like operating in the dark and I'm naturally suspicious。 You came aboard in highly questionable circumstances。 You knew too damn much about submarines。 You were as evasive as hell。 You had this sabotage theory all cut and dried。 Damn it； man； of course I had reservations。 Wouldn't you have had； in my place？〃
〃I suppose so。 I don't know。 Me； I obey orders。〃
〃Uh…huh。 And your orders in this case？〃
〃Meaning what exactly is all this about？〃 I sighed。 〃It would have to e to this。 You must be told now； and you'll understand why your Chief of Naval Operations was so anxious that you give me every help possible。〃
〃We can believe this one？〃 Swanson asked。
〃You can believe this one。 The story I spun you back in the Holy Loch wasn't all malarkey。 I just dressed it up a bit to make sure you'd take me along。 They did indeed have a very special item of equipment here…an electronic marvel that was used for monitoring the count…down of Soviet missiles and pinpointing their locations。 This machine was kept in one of the huts now destroyedthe second from the west in the south row。 Night and day a giant captive radio…sonde balloon reached thirty thousand feet up into the skybut it had no radio attached。 It was just a huge aerial。 Incidentally； I should think that this is the reason why the oil fuel appears to have been flung over so large an areaan explosion caused by the bursting of the hydrogen cylinders used to inflate the balloons。 They were stored in the fuel hut。〃
〃Did everybody in Zebra know about this monitoring machine？〃
〃No。 Most of them thought it a device for investigating cosmic rays。 Only four people knew what it really wasmy brother and the three others who all slept in the hut that housed this machine。 Now the hut is destroyed。 The free world's most advanced listening post。 You wonder why your C。N。O。 was so anxious？〃
〃Four men？〃 Swanson looked at me； a faint speculation still in his eye。 〃Which four men； Dr。 Carpenter？〃
〃Do you have to ask？ Four of the seven men you see lying here； mander。〃
He stared down at the floor； then looked quickly away。 He said： 〃You mentioned that you were convinced even before we left port that something was wrong。 Why？〃
〃My brother had a top…secret code。 We had messages sent by him： he was an expert radio operator。 One said that there had been two separate attempts to wreck the monitor。 He didn't go into details。 Another said that he had been attacked and left unconscious when making a midnight check and finding someone bleeding off the gas from the hydrogen cylinders： without the radio…sonde aerial； the monitor would have been useless。 He was lucky； he was out for only a few minutes； as long again and he would have frozen to death。 In the circumstances did you expect me to believe that the fire was unconnected with the attempts to sabotage the monitor？〃
〃But how would anyone know what it was？〃 Hansen objected。 〃Apart from your brother and the other three men； that is？〃 Like Swanson； he glanced at the floor and； like Swanson； looked as hurriedly away。 〃For my money； this is the work of a psycho。 A madman。 A coldly calculating criminal wouldwell； he wouldn't go in for wholesale murder like this。 But a psycho would。〃
〃Three hours ago；〃 I said； 〃before you loaded the torpedo into number 3 tube； you checked the manually controlled levers and the warning lights for the tube bow caps。 In the one case； you found that the levers had been disconnected in the open position： in the other； you found that the wires had been crossed in a junction box。 Do you think that was the work of a psycho？ Another psycho？〃
He said nothing。 Swanson said； 〃What can I do to help； Dr。 Carpenter？〃
〃What are you willing to do； mander？〃
〃I will not hand over mand of the 〃Dolphin〃。〃 He smiled； but he wasn't feeling like smiling。 〃Short of that； I and the crew of the 〃Dolphin〃am at your plete disposal。 You name it； Doctor； that's all。〃
〃This time you believe my story？〃
〃This time I believe your story。〃
I was pleased about that； I almost believed it myself。
8
The hut where we'd found all the Zebra survivors huddled together was almost deserted when we got back to it； only Dr。 Benson and the two very sick men remained。 The hut seemed bigger now； somehow； bigger and colder； and very shabby and untidy； like the remnants of a church rummage sale where the housewives have trained for a couple of months before moving up to battle stations。 Pieces of clothing； bedding； frayed and shredded blankets； gloves； plates； cutlery； and dozens of odds and ends of personal possessions lay scattered all over the floor。 The sick men had been too sickand too glad to be on their wayto worry much about taking too many of their various knickknacks out of there。 All they had wanted out of there was themselves。 I didn't blame them。
The two unconscious men had their scarred and frost…bitten faces toward us。 They were either sleeping or in a a。 But I took no chances。 I beckoned to Benson and he came and stood with us in the shelter of the west wall。
I told Benson what I'd told the mander and Hansen。 He had to know。 As the man who would be in the most constant and closest contact with the sick men； he had to know。 I suppose he must have been pretty astonished and shaken； but he didn't show it。 Doctors' faces behave as doctors tell them to； when they e across a patient in a pretty critical state of health； they don't beat their breasts and break into loud lamentations； as this tends to discourage the patient。 This now made three men from the 〃Dolphin's〃 crew who knew what the score waswell； half the score； anyway。 Three was enough。 I only hoped it wasn't too much。
Thereafter Swanson did the talking； Benson would take it better from him than he would from me。 Swanson said； 〃Where were you thinking of putting the sick men we've sent back aboard？〃
〃In the most fortable places I can find。 Officers' quarters； crew's quarters； scattered all over so that no one is upset too mUch。 Spread the load； so to speak。〃 He paused。 〃I didn't know of the latestum…development at the time。 Things are somewhat different now。〃
〃They are。 Half of them in the wardroom； the other half in the crew's mess No； the crew's quarters。 No reason why they shouldn't be made fortable。 If they wonder at this； you can say it's for ease of medical treatment and that they can all be under constant medical watch； like heart patients in a ward。 Get Dr。 Jolly behind you in this。 He seems a co…operative type。 And I've no doubt he'll support you in your next movethat all patients are to be stripped； bathed and provided with clean pajamas。 If they're too ill to move； a bed bath。 Dr。 Carpenter here tells me that prevention of infection is of paramount importance in cases of severe burn injuries。〃
〃And their clothes？〃
〃You catch on more quickly than I did；〃 Swanson grunted。 〃All their clothes to be taken away and labeled。 All contents to be removed and labeled。 The clothes； for anyone's information； are to be disinfected and laundered。〃
〃It might help if I am permitted to know just what we are looking for；〃 Benson suggested。
Swanson looked at me。
〃God knows；〃 I said。 〃Anything and everything。 One thing certainyou won't find a gun。 Be especially careful in labeling gloveswhen we get back to Britain； we'll have the experts test them for nitrates from the gun used。〃
〃If anyone has brought aboard anything bigger than a postage stamp； I'll find it；〃 Benson promised。
〃Are you sure？〃 I asked。 〃Even if you brought it aboard yourself？〃
〃What？ Me？ What the devil are you suggesting？〃
〃I'm suggesting that something may have been shoved inside your medical kit； even your pockets； when you weren't looking。〃
〃Good Lord。〃 He dug feverishly into his pockets。 〃The idea never even occurred to me。〃
〃You haven't the right type of nasty； suspicious mind；〃 Swanson said dryly。 〃Off you go。 You too； John。〃
They left； and Swanson and I went inside。 Once I'd checked that the two men really were unconscious； we went to work。 It must have been many years since Swanson had policed a deck or parade ground； much less doubled as scavenger； but he took to it in the manner born。 He was assiduous； painstaking and missed nothing。 Neither did I。 We cleared a corner of the hut and brought over there every single article that was either lying on the floor or attached to the still ice…covered walls。 Nothing was missed。 It was either shaken； turned over； opened or emptied according to what it was。 Fifteen minutes and we were all through。 If there was anything bigger than a match stick to be found in that room； we would have found it。 But we found nothing。 Then we scattered everything back over the floor again until the hut looked more or less as it had before our search。 If either of the two unconscious men came to； I didn't want him knowing that we had been looking for anything。
〃We're no great shakes in the detecting business；〃 Swanson said。 He looked slightly discouraged。
〃We can't find what isn't here to be found。 And it doesn't help that we don't know what we're looking for。 Let's try for the gun now。 May be anywhere； he may even have thrown it away on the ice cap； though I think that unlikely。 A killer never likes to lose his means of killingand he couldn't have been sure that he wouldn't require it again。 There aren't so very many places to search。 He wouldn't have left it here； for this is the main bunkhouse and in constant use。 That leaves only the met office and the lab where the dead men are lying。〃
〃He could have hidden it among the ruins of one of the burnt…out huts；〃 Swanson objected。
〃Not a chance。 Our friend has been here for some months now； and he must know exactly the effect those ice sto
