alistairmaclean.bearisland-第12节

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！


ng　about　him：　neither；　anyway；　was　the　outdoor　type。　
　I　said　something　that　might　have　been　misconstrued　as　a　brusque　apology；　side…stepped　and　had　my　foot　on　the　first　rung　when　she　caught　my　arm　with　both　hands。
　〃Something's　wrong。　I　know　it　is。　What？〃　Her　voice　was　calm；　just　loud　enough　to　make　itself　heard　over　the　high…pitched　obbligato　of　the　wind　in　the　rigging。　Sure　she　knew　something　was　wrong；　the　sight　of　Dr。　Marlowe　moving　at　anything　above　his　customary　saunter　was　as　good　as　a　police　or　air…raid　siren　any　day。　I　was　about　to　say　something　to　this　effect　when　she　added：　〃That's　〃why　I　came　on　deck；〃　which　effectively　rendered　still…born　any　cutting　remarks　I'd　been　about　to　make；　because　she'd　been　aware　of　trouble　before　I'd　been：　but；　then；　she　hadn't　had　her　thoughts　taken　up　with　Aconitum　napellus。
　〃The　ship's　not　under　mand。　There's　nobody　in　charge　on　the　bridge；　nobody　trying　to　keep　a　course。〃
　〃Can　I　do　anything？〃
　She　was　wonderful。　〃Yes。　There's　a　hot　water　electric　geyser　on　the　galley　bulkhead　by　the　stove。　Bring　up　a　jug　of　hot　water；　not　too　hot　to　drink；　a　mug　and　salt。　Lots　of　salt。〃
　I　sensed　as　much　as　saw　her　nod　and　then　she　was　gone。　Four　seconds　later　I　was　inside　the　wheelhouse。　I　could　dimly　see　one　figure　crumpled　against　the　chart　table；　another　apparently　sitting　straight　by　the　wheel；　but　that　was　all　I　could　see。　The　two　overhead　lights　were　dull　yellow　glows。　It　took　me　almost　fifteen　frantic　seconds　to　locate　the　instrument　panel　just　foreword　of　the　wheel；　but　only　a　couple　of　seconds　thereafter　to　locate　the　rheostat　and　twist　it　to　its　clockwise　maximum。　I　blinked　in　the　hurtfully　sudden　wash　of　white　light。
　Smithy　was　by　the　chart　table；　Oakley　by　the　wheel；　the　former　on　his　side；　the　latter　upright；　but　that；　I　could　see；　didn't　mean　that　Oakley　was　in　any　better　state　of　health　than　the　first　mate；　it　was　just　that　neither　appeared　capable　of　moving　from　the　positions　they　had　adopted。　Both　had　their　heads　arched　towards　their　knees；　both　had　their　hands　clasped　tightly　to　their　midriffs。　Neither　of　them　was　making　any　sound。　Possibly　neither　was　suffering　pain　and　that　the　contracted　positions　they　had　assumed　resulted　from　some　wholly　involuntary　motor　mechanism：　it　was　equally　possible　that　their　vocal　cords　were　paralysed。
　I　looked　at　Smithy　first。　One　life　is　as　important　as　the　next；　or　so　any　one　of　a　group　of　sufferers　will　think；　but　in　this　case　I　was　concerned　with　the　greatest　good　of　all　concerned　and　the　fact　that　the　〃all〃　here　just　Coincidentally　included　me　had　no　bearing　on　my　choice：　if　the　Morning　Rose　was　running　into　trouble；　and　I　had　a　strange　fey　conviction　that　it　was；　Smithy　was　the　man　I　wanted　around。
　Smithy's　eyes　were　open　and　the　look　in　them　intelligent。　Among　other　things　the　aconite　article　had　stated　that　full　intelligence　is　maintained　to　the　very　end。　Could　this　be　the　end？　Paralysis　of　motion；　the　article　had　said；　and　paralysis　of　motion　we　undoubtedly　had　here。　Then　paralysis　of　sensation…maybe　that's　why　they　weren't　crying　out　in　agony；　it　could　have　been　that　they　had　been　screaming　their　heads　off　up　on　the　bridge　here　with　no　one　around　to　hear　them；　but　now　they　weren't　feeling　anything　any　more。　I　saw　and　vaguely　recorded　the　fact　that　there　were　two　metal　canteens　lying　close　together　on　the　floor；　both　of　them　very　nearly　emptied　of　food。　Both　of　them；　I　would　have　thought；　were　in　extremis；　but　for　one　very　odd　factor：　there　was　no　sign　of　the　violent　vomiting　of　which　the　article　had　spoken。　I　wished　to　God　that　somewhere；　sometime；　I　had　taken　the　trouble　to　learn　something　about　poisons　；　their　causes；　their　effects；　their　symptoms　and　aberrant　symptoms　which　we　seemed　to　have　here…if　any。
　Mary　Stuart　came　in。　Her　clothes　were　soaking　and　her　hair　was　in　a　terrible　mess；　but　she'd　been　very　quick　and　she'd　got　what　I'd　asked　her　to…including　a　spoon；　which　I'd　forgotten。　I　said：　〃A　mug　of　hot　water；　six　spoons　of　salt。　Quick。　Stir　it　well。〃　Gastric　lavage；　the　book　had　said；　but　as　far　as　the　availability　of　tannic　acid　and　animal　charcoal　was　concerned　I　might　as　well　have　been　on　the　moon。　The　best　and　indeed　the　only　hope　lay　in　a　powerful　and　quick…acting　emetic。　Alum　and　zinc　sulphate　was　what　the　old　boy　in　my　medical　school　had　preferred　but　I'd　never　e　across　anything　better　than　sodium　chloride…mon　salt。　I　hoped　desperately　that　aconitine　absorption　into　the　bloodstream　hadn't　progressed　too　far…and　that　it　was　aconitine　I　didn't　for　a　moment　doubt。
　Coincidence　is　Coincidence　but　to　introduce　some　such　fancy　concoction　as　curare　at　this　stage　would　be　stretching　things　a　bit。　I　levered　Smithy　into　a　sitting　position　and　was　just　getting　my　hands　under　his　armpits　when　a　dark…haired　young　seaman；　clad…in　that　bitter　weather…in　only　jersey　and　jeans　came　hurrying　into　the　wheelhouse。　It　was　Allison；　the　senior　of　the　two　quartermasters。　He　looked…not　stared…at　the　two　men　on　the　deck：　he　was　very　much　a　seaman　cast　in　Smithy's　mould。
　〃What's　wrong；　Doctor？〃
　〃Food　poisoning。〃
　〃Had　to　be　something　like　that。　I　was　asleep。　Something　woke　me。　I　knew　something　was　wrong；　that　we　weren't　under　mand。〃　I　believed　him；　all　experienced　seamen　have　this　in…built　capacity　to　sense　trouble。
　Even　in　their　sleep。　I'd　e　across　it　before。　He　moved　quickly　to　the　chart　table　then　glanced　at　the　pass。　〃Fifty　degrees　off　course；　to　the　east。〃
　〃We've　got　all　the　Barents　Sea　to　rattle　about　in；〃　I　said。　〃Give　me　a　hand　with　Mr。　Smith；　will　you？〃
　We　took　an　arm　each　and　dragged　him　towards　the　port　door。　Mary　dear　stopped　stirring　the　contents　of　the　metal　mug　she　held　in　her　hand　and　looked　at　us　in　some　perplexity。
　〃Where　are　you　going　with　Mr。　Smith？〃
　〃Taking　him　out　on　the　wing。〃　What　did　she　think　we　were　going　to　do　with　him；　throw　him　over　the　side？　〃All　that　fresh　air。　It's　very　therapeutic。〃
　〃But　it's　snowing　out　there！　And　bitterly　cold。〃
　〃He's　also…I　hope…going　to　be　very　very　sick。　Better　outside　than　in。
　How　does　that　concoction　taste？〃
　She　sipped　a　little　salt　and　water　from　her　spoon　and　screwed　up　her　face。　〃It's　awful'
　〃Can　you　swallow　it？〃
　She　tried　and　shuddered。　〃Just。〃
　〃Another　three　spoons。　〃We　dragged　Smithy　outside　and　propped　him　in　a　sitting　position。　The　canvas　wind　dodger　gave　him　some　protection　but　not　much。　His　eyes　were　open　and　following　our　actions　and　he　seemed　aware　of　what　was　going　on。　I　put　the　emetic　to　his　lips　and　tilted　the　mug　but　the　fluid　just　trickled　down　his　chin。　I　forced　his　head　back　and　poured　some　of　the　emetic　into　his　mouth。　Clearly；　all　sensation　wasn't　lost；　for　his　face　contorted　into　an　involuntary　grimace　of　distaste：　more　importantly；　his　Adam's　apple　bobbed　up　and　down　and　I　knew　he'd　swallowed　some　of　it。　Encouraged；　I　poured　in　twice　as　much；　and　this　time　he　swallowed　it　all。　Not　ten　seconds　later　he　was　as　violently　ill　as　ever　I've　seen　a　man　be。　Over　Mary's　protests　and　in　spite　of　Allison's　very　evident　apprehension　I　forced　some　more　of　the　salt　and　water　on　him：　when　he　started　coughing　blood　I　turned　my　attention　to　Oakley。
　Within　fifteen　minutes　we　had　two　still　very　ill　men　on　our　hands；　clearly　suffering　violent　abdominal　pains　and　weak　to　the　point　of　exhaustion　；　but；　more　importantly；　we　had　two　men　who　weren't　going　to　go　the　same　way　as　the　unfortunate　Antonio　had　gone。　Allison　was　at　the　wheel；　with　the　Morning　Rose　back　on　course：　Mary　dear；　her　straw…coloured　hair　now　matted　with　snow；　crouched　beside　a　very　groggy　Oakley：　Smithy　was　now　sufficiently　recovered　to　sit　on　the　storm　sill　of　the　wheelhouse；　though　he　still　required　my　arm　to　brace　him　against　the　staggering　of　the　Morning　Rose。　He　was　beginning　to　recover　the　use　of　his　voice　although　only　to　a　minimal　extent。
　〃Brandy；〃　he　croaked。
　I　shook　my　head。　〃Contraindicated。　That's　what　the　textbooks　say。〃
　〃Otard…Dupuy；〃　he　insisted。　At　least　his　mind　was　clear　enough。　I　rose　and　got　him　a　bottle　from　Captain　Imrie's　private　reserve。　After　what　his　stomach　had　just　been　through　nothing　short　of　carbolic　acid　was　going　to　damage　it　any　more。　He　put　the　bottle　to　his　head；　swallowed　and　was　immediately　sick　again。
　〃Maybe　I　should　have　given　you　cognac　in　the　first　place；〃　I　said。　〃Salt　water　es　cheaper；　though。〃
　He　tried　to　smile；　a　brief　and　painful　effort；　and　tilted　the　bottle　again。
　This　time　the　cognac　stayed　down；　he　must　have　had　a　stomach　lined　with　steel　or　asbestos。　I　took　the　bottle　from　him　and　offered　it　to　Oakley　who　winced　and　shook　his　head。
　〃Who's　got　the　wheel？〃　Smithy's　voice　was　a　hoarse　and　strained　whisper　as　if　it　hurt　him　to　speak；　which　it　almost　certainly　did。
　〃Allison。〃
　He　nodded；　satisfied。　〃Damn　boat；〃　he　said。　〃Damn　sea。　Fra　seasick。　Me。　Seasick。〃
　‘You're　sick；　all　right。　Nothing　to　do　with　the　sea。　This　damn　boat　wallowing　about　in　this　damn　sea　was　all　that　saved　you：　a　flat　calm　and　Smithy　was　among　the　immortals。〃　I　tried　to　think　why　anyone　who　was　not　pletely　unhinged　should　want　Smithy　and　Oakley　among　the　immortals　but　the　idea　was　so　preposterous　that　I　abandoned　it　almost　the　moment　it　occurred　to　me。　〃Food　poisoning　and　I　was　lucky。　I　got　here　in　time。〃
　He　nodded　bu