alistairmaclean.seawitch-第28节

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be　just　another　arms　depot　insofar　as　the　public　is　concerned…　and　so；　mainly；　it　is。　But　it's　also　a　TNW　arsenal。　TNW　means　'tactical　nuclear　weapons。*　Two　of　them　were　stolen　in　the　break…in　and　appear　to　have　vanished　without　trace。〃
　〃God　above！〃　The　expression　and　tone　of　the　man　from　Honduras　accurately　reflected　the　shocked　feelings　of　all　around　the　table。　〃Cron…kite？〃
　〃I'd　bet　on　it。　No　proof；　naturally；　but　who　the　hell　else？〃
　Henderson　said：　〃No　disrespect　to　Mr。　Boro…soff　here；　but　couldn't　the　Russians；　say；　have　been　seeking　a　prototype？〃
　Benson　looked　as　weary　as　his　voice　sounded。　〃The　Russians　already　have　God　knows　how　many　of　those　things。　It's　public　knowledge　that　they　have　thousands　of　them　deployed　along　the　border　between　the　Warsaw　pact　and　NATO　countries…many　of　them；　it　is　suspected；　more　sophisticated　than　ours。　The　Russians　need　our　TNWs　the　way　they　need　bows　and　arrows。〃　Borosoff；　despite　the　anxiety　he　shared　with　the　others；　permitted　himself　the　ghost　of　a　smile　of　placency；　〃Cronkite。　The　man's　running　wild。〃
　Mr。　A　said：　〃You　think　he's　so　totally　crazy　as　to　use　a　nuclear　device　against　the　Seawitch？〃
　〃I　do　not　profess　to　understand　the　workings　of　an　obviously　diseased　mind；〃　Benson　said。　〃He's　capable　of　anything。〃
　Patinos　said：　〃What's　this　weapon　like？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　I　phoned　the　Pentagon；　a　very　senior　official　there；　but　although　he's　an　old　friend　of　mine；　he　refused　to　release　highly　classified　information。　All　I　know　is　that　it　can　be　used　as　a　land…based　time　bomb…I　suppose　that　ineludes　the　sea　as　well…or　as　an　aircraft　bomb。　It　can　only　be　used　in　a　limited　number　of　supersonic　fighter…bombers；　which　will　already；　I　suppose；　be　under　the　heaviest　security　guard　ever；　which　would　strike　me　as　a　superfluous　precaution　as　there　is　no　chance　that　Cronkite；　even　with　his　obviously　wide　range　of　contacts；　could　know　anyone　who　could　fly　one　of　those　planes。〃
　〃So　what　happens？〃
　〃I　think　we'd　better　consult　an　astrologer　on　that　one。　All　I　know　is　that　Cronkite　has　gone　stark　raving　mad。〃
　Cronkite；　aboard　the　Georgia；　would　have　thought　the　same　of　them。　He　had　a　job　to　do　and　he　was　doing　it　to　the　best　of　his　ability。　Had　he　known　of　the　possible　withdrawal　of　the　warships　that　had　sailed　from　Cuba　and　Venezuela；　he　would　not　have　been　unduly　concerned。　He　had　had　some　vague　idea　that　they　might　have　been　useful　to　him　in　some　way；　but　he　had　primarily　wished　to　have　them　as　a　cover　and　a　smokescreen。　Cronkite's　vendetta　against　Lord　Worth　was　a　highly　personal　and　extremely　vindictive　one　and　he　wanted　no　other　than　himself　to　administer　the　coup　de　grace。　Retribution　exacted　through　the　medium　of　other　hands　would　not　do　at　all。
　Meantime；　he　was　well　content。　He　was　convinced　that　the　Seawitch　was　in　his　hands。
　e　the　dawn　it　would　be　doubly　in　his　hands。　He　knew　of　their　defenses　and　radar。　The　Starlight；　under　Easton；　was　waiting　until　full　darkness　before　it　moved　hi　for　the　initial　attack；　and　as　rain　had　been　falling　steadily　for　some　time　now　and　the　lowering　sky　blotted　out　the　quarter…moon；　it　promised　to　be　as　nearly　dark　as　it　ever　bees　at　sea。
　A　message　was　brought　to　him　from　the　radio　office。　Cronkite　glanced　at　it　briefly；　picked　up　the　phone　to　the　helipad　and　reached　the　pilot　in　his　shelter。　〃Ready　to　go；　Wilson？〃
　〃Whenever　you　say；　Mr。　Cronkite。〃
　〃Then；　now。〃　Cronkite　closed　a　rheostat　switch　and　a　dull　glow　of　light　outlined　the　helipad；　just　enough　to　let　Wilson　make　a　clean　takeoff。　The　helicopter　made　a　half…circle；　switched　on　its　landing　light　and　made　a　smooth　landing　on　the　calm　waters　less　than　a　hundred　yards　from　the　stationary　Georgia。 …
　Cronkite　called　the　radar1　room。　〃You　have　him　on　the　screen？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　He's　making　an　instrument　approach　on　our　radar。〃
　〃Let　me　know　when　he's　about　three　miles　out。〃
　Less　than　a　minute　later　the　operator　gave　him　the　word。　Cronkite　turned　the　rheostat　to　full　and　the　helipad　became　brilliantly　illuminated。
　A　minute　later　a　helicopter；　landing　lights　on；　appeared　from　the　north　through　the　driving　rain。　Just　over　another　minute　later　it　touched　down　as　delicately　as　a　moth；　an　understandable　precaution　by　the　pilot；　in　view　of　the　cargo　he　was　carrying。　The　fueling　hoses　were　connected　immediately。　The　door　opened　and　three　men　descended…the　alleged　Colonel　Farquharson；　Lieutenant　Colonel　Dewings　and　Major　Breck…ley；　who　had　been　responsible　for　the　Netley　Rowan　Arsenal　break…in。　They　helped　unload　two　large；　double…handed　and　obviously　very　heavy　suitcases。　Cronkite；　with　suitable　admonitions　as　to　delicacy　in　handling；　showed　crew　members　where　to　stow　the　cases　in　shelter。
　Within　ten　minutes　the　helicopter　was　on　its　way　back　to　the　mainland。　Five　minutes　after　that；　the　Georgia's　own　helicopter　had　returned　and　ail　the　helipad　lights　were　switched　off。
　
　Chapter　8
　
　JIT　was　due　only　to　cruel　ill　luck　and　the　extremely　jittery　state　of　Durand's　nerves　that　John　Roomer　and　Melinda　Worth　found　themselves　the　first　patients　in　Dr。　Greenshaw's　sick　bay。
　Durand　was　in　a　highly　apprehensive　state　of　mind；　a　mood　that　transferred　itself　all　too　easily　to　his　four　subordinates。　Although　he　held　control　of　the　Seawitch；　he　knew　that　his　hold　was　a　tenuous　one：　he　had　not　bargained　on　finding　Palermo　and　his　cutthroats　on　board；　and　even　though　he　held　the　master　keys　to　both　the　occidental　and　oriental　quarters　in　his　pocket…　the　drilling　crew　was　in　the　former　quarters；　Palermo　and　his　men　in　the　latter…he　was　acutely　aware　that　there　were　far　too　many　windows　in　both　quarters　and　he　didn't　have　the　men　to　cover　every　possible　exit。　He　had　broadcast　a　message　over　the　external　loud…speaker　that　anyone　found　on　the　platform　would　be　shot　on　sight　and　had　two　men　on　constant　patrol　round　the　oriental　quarters…he　had　no　fear　of　the　unarmed　drilling…rig　crew…and　another　two　constantly　patrolling　the　platform。　He　had　no　fear　of　Lord　Worth；　his　seismologists　and　the　girls…as　sources　of　danger　he　held　them　in　contempt。　Besides；　they　were　unarmed。　Even　so；　the　two　men　patrolling　the　platform　had　been　instructed　to　do　so　in　such　a　fashion　as　to　make　sure　that　at　least　one　had　an　eye　on　the　doors　to　the　suite　of　Lord　Worth；　the　laboratory　and　the　sick　bay；　all　three　of　which　had　intermunicating　doors。
　No　one　inside　those　three　places　had　heard　the　warning　broadcast…and　this；　ironically；　because　Lord　Worth　was　not　above　indulging　in　what　he　regarded　as　the　bare　minimum　of　basic　creature　forts。　Oil　rigs　can　be　unmonly　noisy　places；　and　those　quarters　he　had　heavily　insulated。
　Mitchell　had　been　in　his　tiny　cubicle　of　the　laboratory　at　the　time；　reading　the　plete　plan　of　the　layout　of　the　Seawitch　over　and　over　until　he　was　certain　that　he　could　have　found　his　way　around　the　rig　blindfolded。　This　had　taken　him　about　twenty　minutes。　It　was　in　the　fifth　minute　of　his　studying　that　the　shots　had　been　fired；　but　again；　because　of　the　soundproofing；　the　sound　had　not　reached　him。　He　had　just　put　the　plans　away　in　a　drawer　when　his　door　opened　and　Marina　entered。　She　was　white…faced　and　shaking　and　her　face　was　streaked　with　tears。　He　put　his　arms　round　her　and　she　grabbed　him　tightly。
　〃Why　weren't　you　there？〃　she　sobbed。　〃Why　weren't　you　there？　You　could　have　stopped　them。　You　could　have　saved　them！〃
　Mitchell　took　no　time　out　to　dwell　upon　the　injustices　of　life。　He　said　gently：　〃Stopped　what？　Saved　who？〃
　〃Melinda　and　John。　They've　been　terribly　hurt。〃
　〃How？〃
　〃Shot。〃
　〃Shot？　I　didn't　hear　anything。〃
　〃Of　course　you　didn't。　This　area　is　all　soundproofed。　That's　why　Melinda　and　John　didn't　hear　the　broadcast　warning。〃
　〃Broadcast　warning？　Tell　it　to　me　slowly。〃
　So　she　told　him　as　slowly　and　coherently　as　she　could。　There　had　been　such　a　warning　but　it　had　gone　unheard　in　Lord　Worth's　suite。　The　rain　had　stopped；　at　least　temporarily；　and　when　Mitchell　had　retired　to　study　the　plans；　Melinda　and　Roomer　had　elected　to　go　for　a　stroll。　They　had　been　wandering　around　the　foot　of　the　drillinig　rig；　where　most　of　the　lights　had　been　turned　off　since　Durand　had　ordered　the　abandonment　of　drilling；　and　it　was　there　that　they　had　been　gunned　down　without　warning。
　〃Terribly　hurt；　you　said。　How　bad？〃
　'Tm　not　sure。　Dr。　Greenshaw　is　operating　in　the　sick　bay。　I'm　not　a　coward；　you　know　that；　but　there　was　so　much　blood　that　I　didn't　want　to　look。〃

　Arrived　in　the　sick　bay；　Mitchell　could　hardly　blame　her。　Melinda　and　Roomer　lay　in　adjacent　cots　and　both　were　saturated　with　blood。　Melinda　already　had　her　left　shoulder　heavily　bandaged。　Roomer　had　bandages　swathing　his　neck　and　Dr。　Greenshaw　was　working　on　his　chest。
　Lord　Worth；　his　face　a　mask　of　bitter　fury；　was　sitting　in　a　chair。　Durand；　his　face　a　mask　of　nothingness；　was　standing　by　the　doorway。　Mitchell　looked　speculatively　at　both；　then　spoke　to　Dr。　Greenshaw。　〃What　can　you　tell　so　far；　Doctor？〃
　〃Would　you　listen　to　him？〃　Roomer's　voice　was　a　hoarse　whisper　and　his　face　creased　with　near…agony。　〃Never　think　of　asking　us　how　we　feel。〃
　〃In　a　minute。　Doctor？〃
　〃Melinda's　left　shoulder　is　bad；　Tve　extracted　the　bullet　but　she　needs　immediate　surgery。　I'm　a　surgeon；　but　I'm　not　an　orthoped