alistairmaclean.bearisland-第36节

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had　offered　up　the　offending　conning　tower　piece　to　the　flange：　a　score　of　times　it　had　had　to　be　lifted　again　and　painstakingly　assaulted　by　hammers。　Several　times　a　perfect　fit　had　been　achieved　where　it　had　been　previously　lacking　only　to　find　that　the　distortion　had　mysteriously　and　mischievously　transferred　itself　a　few　inches　farther　along　the　metal。　Nor；　now；　despite　the　fact　that　the　submarine　section　was　in　the　considerable　lee　afforded　by　both　pier　and　vessel；　were　matters　being　made　any　easier　by　the　little　waves　that　were　beginning　to　creep　around　the　bows　of　the　Morning　Rose　and　rock　it；　gently　at　first　but　with　increasing　force；　to　the　extent　that　the　ultimate　good　fit　was　clearly　going　to　depend　as　much　on　the　luck　of　timing　as　the　persuasion　of　the　hammers。　Captain　Imrie　wasn't　frantic　with　worry　for　the　sound　enough　reason　that　it　wasn't　in　his　nature　to　bee　frantic　about　anything　but　the　depth　of　his　concern　was　evident　enough　from　the　fact　that　he　had　not　only　skipped　lunch　but　hadn't　as　much　as　fortified　himself　with　anything　stronger　than　coffee　since　our　arrival　in　the　Sor…Hamna。　His　main　concern　apart　from　the　well…being　of　the　Morning　Rose…he　clearly　didn't　give　a　damn　about　his　passengers…was　to　get　the　foredeck　cleared　of　its　remaining　deck　cargo　because；　as　I'd　heard　Otto　rather　unnecessarily　and　unpleasantly　reminding　him；　it　was　part　of　his　contractual　obligations　to　land　all　passengers　and　cargo　before　departure　for　Hammerfest。　And；　of　course；　what　was　exercising　Captain　Imrie's　mind　so　powerfully　was　that；　with　darkness　ing　on　and　the　weather　blowing　up；　the　foreword　deck　cargo　had　not　yet　been　unloaded　and　would　not　be　until　the　fore　derrick　was　freed　from　its　present　full…time　occupation　of　holding　the　conning　tower　suspended　over　the　midsection。
　The　one　plus　factor　about　Captain　Imrie's　concentration　was　that　it　gave　him　little　time　to　worry　about　Halliday's　disappearance。　More　precisely；　it　gave　him　little　time　to　try　to　do　anything　constructive　about　it；　for　I　knew　it　was　still　very　much　on　his　mind　from　the　fact　that　he　had　taken　time　off　to　tell　me　that　upon　his　arrival　in　Hammerfest　his　first　intention　would　be　to　contact　the　law。　There　were　two　things　I　could　have　said　at　this　stage；　but　didn't。　The　first　was　that　I　failed　to　see　what　earthly　purpose　this　could　serve…it　was　just；　I　suppose；　that　he　felt　that　he　had　to　do　something；　anything；　however　ineffectual　that　might　be：　the　second　was　that　I　felt　quite　certain　that　he　would　never　get　the　length　of　Hammerfest　in　the　first　place　although　just　then　hardly　seemed　the　time　to　tell　him　why　I　thought　so。　He　wasn't　then；　in　the　properly　receptive　mood：　I　had　hopes　that　he　would　be　shortly　after　he　had　left　Bear　Island。
　I　went　down　the　screeching　metal　gangway…its　rusty　iron　wheels；　apparently　permanently　locked　in　position；　rubbed　to　and　fro　with　every　lurch　of　the　Morning　Rose…and　made　my　way　along　the　ancient　jetty。　A　small　tractor　and　a　small　Sno…Cat…they　had　been　the　third　and　fourth　items　to　be　unloaded　from　the　trawler's　afterdeck…were　both　equipped　with　towing　sledges　and　everybody　from　Heissman　downwards　was　helping　to　load　equipment　aboard　those　sledges　for　haulage　up　to　the　huts　that　lay　on　the　slight　escarpment　not　more　than　twenty　yards　from　the　end　of　the　jetty。　Everybody　was　not　only　helping；　they　were　helping　with　a　will：　when　the　temperature　is　fifteen　degrees　below　freezing　the　temptation　to　dawdle　is　not　marked。　I　followed　one　consignment　up　to　the　huts。
　Unlike　the　jetty；　the　huts　were　of　paratively　recent　construction　and　in　good　condition；　relics　from　the　latest　IGY…there　could　have　been　no　possible　economic　justification　in　dismantling　them　and　taking　them　back　to　Norway。　They　were　not　built　of　the　modern　kapok；　asbestos；　and　aluminium　construction　so　favoured　by　modern　expeditions　in　Arctic　regions　as　base　headquarters：　they　were　built…although　admittedly　presectioned　in　the　low…slung　chalet　design　fairly　universally　found　in　the　higher　Alpine　regions　of　Europe。　They　had　about　them　that　four…square　hunch　shouldered　look；　the　appearance　of　lowering　their　heads　against　the　storm；　that　made　it　seem　quite　likely　that　they　would　still　be　there　in　a　hundred　years〃　time。　Provided　they　are　not　exposed　to　prevailing　high　winds　and　the　constant　fluctuation　of　temperature　above　and　below　the　freezing　point；　manmade　structures　can　last　almost　indefinitely　in　the　deep　freeze　of　the　high　Arctic。
　There　were　five　structures　here　altogether；　all　of　them　set　a　considerable　distance　apart…as　far　as　the　shoulder　of　the　hill　beyond　the　escarpment　would　permit。　Little　as　I　knew　of　the　Arctic；　I　knew　enough　to　understand　the　reason　for　this　spacing：　here；　where　exposure　to　cold　is　the　permanent　and　dominating　factor　of　life；　it　is　fire　which　is　the　greatest　enemy；　for　unless　there　are　chemical　fire…fighting　appliances　to　band；　and　there　nearly　always　are　not；　a　fire；　once　it　has　taken　hold；　will　not　stop　until　everything　bustible　has　been　destroyed：　blocks　of　ice　are　scarcely　at　a　premium　when　it　es　to　extinguishing　flames。　Four　small　huts　were　set　at　the　corners　of　a　much　larger　central　block。　According　to　the　rather　splendid　diagram　Heissman　had　drawn　up　in　his　manifesto　those　were　to　be　given　over；　respectively；　to　transport；　fuels；　provisions　and　equipment：　I　was　not　quite　sure　what　he　meant　by　equipment。　Those　were　all　square　and　windowless。　The　central　and　very　much　larger　building　was　of　a　peculiar　starfish　shape　with　a　pentagonal　centrepiece　and　five　triangular　annexes　forming　an　integral　whole：　the　purpose　of　this　design　was　difficult　to　guess；　I　would　have　thought　it　one　conducive　to　maximum　heat　loss。　The　centrepiece　was　the　living；　dining；　and　cooking　area：　each　arm　held　two　tiny　bare　rooms　for　sleeping　quarters。　Heating　was　by　electric　oil…filled　black　heaters　bolted　to　the　walls　but　until　we　got　our　own　portable　generator　going　we　were　dependent　on　simple　oil　stoves：　lighting　was　by　pressurised　Coleman　kerosene　lamps。　Cooking；　which　was　apparently　to　consist　of　the　endless　opening　and　heating　of　contents　of　tins；　was　to　be　done　on　a　simple　oil　stove。　Otto；　needless　to　say；　hadn't　brought　a　cook　along：　cooks　cost　money。　With　the　notable　exception　of　Judith　Haynes；　everyone；　even　the　still　groggy　Allen；　worked　willingly　and　as　quickly　as　the　unfamiliar　and　freezing　conditions　would　permit：　they　also　worried　silently　and　joylessly；　for　although　no　one　had　been　on　anything　approaching　terms　of　close　friendship　with　Halliday　the　news　of　his　disappearance　had　added　fresh　gloom　and　apprehension　to　a　pany　who　believed　themselves　to　be　evilly　jinxed　before　even　the　first　day　of　shooting。　Stryker　and　Lonnie；　who　never　spoke　to　each　other　except　when　essential；　checked　all　the　stores；　fuel；　oil；　food；　clothing；　Arcticising　equipment…Otto；　whatever　his　faults；　insisted　on　thoroughness：　Sandy；　considerably　recovered　now　that　he　was　on　dry　land；　checked　his　props；　Hendriks　his　sound　equipment；　the　Count　his　camera　equipment；　Eddie　his　electrical　gear　and　I　myself　what　little　medical　kit　I　had　along。　By　three　o'clock；　when　it　was　already　dusk；　we　had　everything　stowed　away；　cubicles　allocated　and　camp　beds　and　sleeping　bags　placed　in　those：　the　jetty　was　now　quite　empty　of　all　the　gear　that　had　been　unloaded　there。
　We　lit　the　oil　stoves；　left　a　morose　and　muttering　Eddie…with　the　doleful　assistance　of　the　Three　Apostles…to　get　the　diesel　generator　working　and　made　our　way　back　to　the　Morning　Rose；　myself　because　it　was　essential　that　I　speak　to　Smithy；　the　others　because　the　hut　was　still　miserably　bleak　and　freezing　whereas　even　the　much…maligned　Morning　Rose　still　offered　a　parative　haven　of　warmth　and　fort。　Very　shortly　after　our　return　a　variety　of　incidents　occurred　in　short　and　eventually　disconcerting　succession。
　At　ten　past　three；　totally　unexpectedly　and　against　all　indications；　the　conning　tower　fitted　snugly　over　the　flange　of　the　midship　section。　Six　bolts　were　immediately　fitted　to　hold　it　in　position…there　were　twenty…four　altogether…and　the　work…boat　at　once　set　about　the　task　of　towing　the　unwieldy　structure　into　the　almost　total　shelter　offered　by　the　right　angle　formed　by　the　main　body　of　the　jetty　and　its　north　facing　arm。
　At　three…fifteen　the　unloading　of　the　foredeck　cargo　began　and；　with　Smithy　in　charge；　this　was　undertaken　with　efficiency　and　despatch。　Partly　because　I　didn't　want　to　disturb　him　in　his　work；　partly　because　it　was　at　that　moment　impossible　to　speak　to　Smithy　privately；　I　went　below　to　my　cabin；　removed　a　small　rectangular　clothbound　package　from　the　base　of　my　medical　bag；　put　it　in　a　small　purse…strung　duffle　bag　and　went　back　on　top。
　This　was　at　three…twenty。　The　unloading　was　still　less　than　twenty　percent　pleted　but　Smithy　wasn't　there。　It　was　almost　as　though　he　had　awaited　my　momentary　absence　to　betake　himself　elsewhere。　And　that　he　had　betaken　himself　elsewhere　there　was　no　doubt。　I　asked　the　winchman　where　he　had　gone；　but　the　winchman；　exclusively　preoccupied　with　a　job　that　had　to　be　executed　with　all　despatch；　was　understandably　vague　about　Smithy's　whereabouts。　He　had　either　gone　below　or　ashore；　he　said；　which　I　found　a　very　helpful　remark。　I　looked　in　his　cabin；　on　the　bridge