alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第32部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　 〃Not　a　chance。　Our　friend　has　been　here　for　some　months　now；　and　he　must　know　exactly　the　effect　those　ice　storms　have。　The　spicules　silt　up　against　any　object　that　lies　in　their　path。　The　metal　frameworks　at　the　bases　of　the　destroyed　buildings　are　still　in　position；　and　the　floors　of　the　hutsor　where　the　wooden　floors　used　to　beare　covered　with　solid　ice　to　a　depth　of　from　four　to　six　inches。　He　would　have　done　as　well　to　bury　his　gun　in　quick…setting　concrete。〃
　 We　started　on　the　meteorological　hut。　We　looked　in　every　shelf；　every　box；　every　cupboard；　and　had　just　started　ripping　the　backs　off　the　metal　cabinets　that　housed　the　meteorological　equipment　when　Swanson　said　abruptly；　〃I　have　an　idea。　Back　in　a　couple　of　minutes。〃
　 He　was　better　than　his　word。　He　was　back　in　a　minute　flat；　carrying　in　his　hands　four　objects　that　glittered　wetly　in　the　lamplight　and　smelled　strongly　of　petrol。　A　guna　Mauser　automaticthe　halt　and　broken…off　blade　of　a　knife；　and　two　rubber…wrapped　packages　that　turned　out　to　be　spare　magazines　for　the　Mauser。　He　said：　〃I　guess　this　was　what　you　were　looking　for。〃
　 〃Where　did　you　find　them？〃
　 〃The　tractor。　In　the　gas　tank。〃
　 〃What　made　you　think　of　looking　there？〃
　 〃Just　luck。　I　got　to　thinking　about　your　remark　that　the　man　who　had　used　this　gun　might　want　to　use　it　again。　But　if　he　was　to　hide　it　anywhere　where　it　was　exposed　to　the　weather；　it　might　have　bee　jammed　up　with　ice。　Even　if　it　didn't；　he　might　have　figured　that　the　metal　would　contract；　so　that　the　shells　wouldn't　fit；　or　that　the　firing　mechanism　and　lubricating　oil　would　freeze　solid。　Only　two　things　don't　freeze　solid　in　those　sub…zero　temperaturesalcohol　and　gasoline。　You　can't　hide　a　gun　in　a　bottle　of　gin。〃
　 〃It　wouldn't　have　worked；〃　I　said。　〃Metal　would　still　contractthe　petrol　is　as　cold　as　the　surrounding　air。〃
　 〃Maybe　he　didn't　know　that。　Or　if　he　did；　maybe　he　just　thought　it　was　a　good　place　to　hide　it；　quick　and　handy。〃　He　looked　consideringly　at　me　as　I　broke　the　butt　and　looked　at　the　empty　magazine；　then　said　sharply：　〃You're　smearing　that　gun　a　little；　aren't　you？〃
　 〃Finger　prints？　Not　after　being　in　petrol。　He　was　probably　Wearing　gloves；　anyway。〃
　 〃So　why　did　you　want　it？〃
　 〃Serial　number。　May　be　able　to　trace　it。　It's　even　possible　that　the　killer　had　a　police　permit　for　it。　It's　happened　before；　believe　it　or　not。　And　you　must　remember　that　the　killer　believed　there　would　be　no　suspicion　of　foul　play；　much　less　that　a　search　would　be　carried　out　for　the　gun。
　 〃Anyway；　this　knife　explains　the　gun。　Firing　guns　is　a　noisy　business；　and　I'm　surprisedI　was　surprisedthat　the　killer　risked　it。　He　might　have　waked　the　whole　camp。　But　he　had　to　take　the　risk　because　he'd　gone　and　snapped　off　the　business　end　of　this　little　sticker　here。　This　is　a　very　slender　blade；　the　kind　it's　very　easy　to　snap　unless　you　know　exactly　what　you're　doing；　especially　when　extreme　cold　makes　the　metal　brittle。　He　probably　struck　a　rib　or　broke　the　blade　trying　to　haul　it　out：　a　knife　slides　in　easily　enough　but　it　can　jam　against　cartilage　or　bone　when　you　try　to　remove　it。〃
　 〃You　meanyou　mean　the　killer　murdered　a　〃third〃　man？〃　Swanson　asked　carefully。　〃With　this　knife？〃
　 〃The　third　man　but　the　first　victim；〃　I　nodded。　〃The　missing　half　of　the　blade　will　be　stuck　inside　someone's　chest。　But　I'm　not　going　to　look　for　it：　it　would　be　pointless　and　take　far　too　long。〃
　 〃I'm　not　sure　that　I　don't　agree　with　Hansen；〃　Swanson　said　slowly。　〃I　know　it's　impossible　to　explain　away　the　sabotage　on　the　boatbut；　my　God；　this　looks　like　the　work　of　a　maniac。　All　thisall　this　senseless　killing。〃
　 〃All　this　killing；〃　I　agreed。　〃But　not　senseless…not　from　the　point　of　view　of　the　killer。　No；　don't　ask　me；　I　don't　know　what　his　…point　of　view　wasor　is。　I　knowyou　knowwhy　he　started　the　fire：　what　we　don't　know　is　why　he　killed　those　men　in　the　first　place。〃
　 Swanson　shook　his　head；　then　said：　〃Let's　get　back　to　the　other　hut。　I'll　phone　for　someone　to　keep　a　watch　over　those　sick　men。　I　don't　know　about　you；　but　I'm　frozen　stiff。　And　you　had　no　sleep　last　night。〃
　 〃I'll　watchthem　meantime；〃　I　said。　〃For　an　hour　or　so。　And　I've　some　thinking　to　do；　some　very　hard　thinking。〃
　 〃You　haven't　much　to　go　on；　have　you？〃
　 〃That's　what　makes　it　so　hard。〃
　
　
　 I'd　said　to　Swanson　that　I　didn't　have　much　to　go　on；　a　less　than　accurate　statement；　for　I　didn't　have　anything　to　go　on　at　all。　So　I　didn't　waste　any　time　thinking。　Instead　I　took　a　flashlight　and　went　once　again　to　the　lab　where　the　dead　men　lay。　I　was　cold　and　tired　and　alone；　and　darkness　was　falling　and　I　didn't　very　much　fancy　going　there。　Nobody　would　have　fancied　going　there；　a　place　of　dreadful　death　which　any　sane　person　would　have　avoided　like　the　plague。　And　that　was　why　I　was　going　there；　not　because　I　wasn't　sane；　but　because　it　was　a　place　that　no　man　would　ever　voluntarily　visitunless　he　had　an　extremely　powerful　motivation；　such　as　the　intention　of　picking　up　some　essential　thing　he　had　hidden　there　in　the　near　certainty　that　no　one　else　would　ever　go　near　the　place。　It　sounded　plicated；　even　to　me。　I　was　very　tired。　I　made　a　fuzzy　mental　note　to　ask　around；　when　I　got　back　to　the　〃Dolphin〃；　to　find　out　who　had　suggested　shifting　the　dead　men　in　there。
　 The　walls　of　the　lab　were　lined　with　shelves　and　cupboards　containing　jars　and　bottles　and　retorts　and　test　tubes　and　such…like　chemical　junk；　but　I　didn't　give　them　more　than　a　glance。　I　went　to　the　corner　of　the　hut　where　the　dead　men　lay　most　closely　together；　shone　my　light　along　the　side　of　the　room；　and　found　what　I　was　looking　for　in　a　matter　of　secondsa　floorboard　standing　slightly　proud　of　its　neighbors。　Two　of　the　blackened；　contorted　lumps　that　had　once　been　men　lay　across　that　board。　I　moved　them　just　far　enough；　not　liking　the　job　at　all；　then　lifted　one　end　of　the　loose　floorboard。
　 It　looked　as　if　someone　had　had　it　in　mind　to　start　up　a　supermarket。　In　the　six…inch　space　between　the　floor　and　the　base　of　the　hut　were　stacked　dozens　of　neatly　arranged　canssoup；　beef；　fruit；　vegetables；　a　fine　varied　diet　with　all　the　proteins　and　vitamins　a　man　could　want。　Someone　had　had　no　intention　of　going　hungry。　There　was　even　a　small　pressure　stove　and　a　couple　of　gallons　of　kerosene　to　thaw　out　the　cans。　And　to　one　side；　lying　flat；　two　rows　of　gleaming　Nife　cellsthere　must　have　been　about　forty　in　all。
　 I　replaced　the　board；　left　the　lab；　and　went　across　to　the　meteorological　hut　again。　I　spent　over　an　hour　there；　unbuttoning　the　backs　of　metal　cabinets　and　peering　into　their　innards；　but　I　found　nothing。　Not　what　I　had　hoped　to　find；　that　is。　But　I　did　e　across　one　very　peculiar　item；　a　small　green　metal　box　six　inches　by　four　by　two；　with　a　circular　control　that　was　both　switch　and　tuner；　and　two　glassed…in　dials　with　neither　figures　nor　marking　on　them。　On　one　side　of　the　box　was　a　brass…rimmed　hole。
　 I　turned　the　switch　and　one　of　the　dials　glowed　green；　a　magic…eye　tuning　device　with　the　fans　spread　well　apart。　The　other　dial　stayed　dead。　I　twiddled　the　tuner　control　but　nothing　happened。　Both　the　magic　eye　and　the　second　dial　required　something　to　activate　themsomething　like　a　preset　radio　signal。　The　hole　in　the　side　would　acmodate　the　plug　of　any　standard　telephone　receiver。　Not　many　people　would　have　known　what　this　was；　but　I'd　seen　one　betore　a　transistorized　homing　device　for　locating　the　direction　of　a　radio　signal；　such　as　emitted　by　the　〃Sarah〃　device　on　American　space　capsules　which　enables　searchers　to　locate　it　once　it　has　landed　in　the　sea。
　 What　legitimate　purpose　could　be　served　by　such　a　device　in　Drift　Ice　Station　Zebra？　When　I'd　told　Swanson　and　Hansen　of　the　existence　of　a　console　for　monitoring　rocket…firing　signals　from　Siberia；　that　much　of　my　story；　anyway；　had　been　true。　But　that　had　called　for　a　giant　aerial　stretching　far　up　into　the　sky：　this　parative　toy　couldn't　have　ranged　a　twentieth　of　the　distance　to　Siberia。
　 I　had　another　look　at　the　portable　radio　transmitter　and　the　now　exhausted　Nife　batteries　that　served　them。　The　dialing　counter　was　still　tuned　to　the　wave　band　on　which　the　〃Dolphin〃　had　picked　up　the　distress　signals。　There　was　nothing　for　me　there。　I　looked　more　closely　at　the　nickel…cadmium　cells　and　saw　that　they　were　joined　to　one　another　and　to　the　radio　set　by　wire…cored　rubber　leads　with　very　powerful　spring…loaded　sawtooth　clips　on　the　terminals：　those　last　ensured　perfect　electrical　contact；　as　well　as　being　very　convenient　to　use。　I　undid　two　of　the　clips；　held　my　flashlight　high；　and　peered　closely　at　the　terminals。　The　indentations　made　by　the　sharpened　steel　saw　teeth　were　faint　but　unniistakable。
　 I　made　my　way　back　to　the　laboratory　hut；　lifted　the　loose　floorboard　again；　and　shone　my　light　on　the　Nile　cells　lying　there。　At　least　half　of　the　cells　had　the　same　characteristic　markings。　Cells　that　looked　fresh　and　unused；　yet　had　those　same　markings；　and　if　anything　was　certain；　it　was　that　those　cells　had　been　brand　new　and　unmarked　when　Drift　Ice　Station　Zebra　had　been　first　set　up。　A　few　of　the　cells　were　tucked　so　far　away　under　adjacent　floorboards　that　I　had　to　stretch　my　hand　far　in　to　reach　them。　I　pulled　out　two；　and　in　the　space　behind　them；　I　seemed　to　see　something　dark　and　dull　and　metallic。
　 It　was　too　dark　to　distinguish　clearly　what　the　object　was　but　after　I'd　levered　up　another　two　floorboards；　I　could　see　without　any　trouble　at　all。　It　was　a　cylinder　about　thirty　inches　long　and　six　in　diameter　with　brass　stopcock　and　mounted　pressure　gauge　registering　〃Full；〃　close　beside　it　was　a　package　about　eighteen　inches　square　and　four　thick　stenciled　with　the　words　〃Radio　Sonde　Balloons。〃　Hydrogen；　batteries；　balloons；　corned　beef；　and　mulligatawny　soup。　A　catholic　enough　assortment　of　stores　by　any　standards：　but　there　wouldn't　have　been　anything　haphazard　about　the　choice　of　that　assortment。
　 When　I　made　it　back　to　the　bunkhouse；　the　two　patients　were　still　breathing。　That　was　about　all　I　could　say　for　myself；　too；　I　was　shaking　with　cold；　and　even　clamping　my　teeth　together　couldn't　keep　them　from　chattering。　I　thawed　out　under　the　big　electric　heaters　until　I　was　only　half　frozen；　th