alistairmaclean.bearisland-第30部分

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hought　you　might　not　be　levelling　with　me。　I'm　worried　stiff　now。　Because　I　know　you're　not。〃
　〃Because　I've　taken　up　ornithology？〃　I　said　mildly。
　〃That　among　other　things。　This　wholesale　poisoning；　now。　I've　had　time　to　think；　just　a　bit。　Of　course　you　couldn't　have　had　any　idea　who　the　poisoner　was…it's　hardly　conceivable　that　if　you　knew　the　person　who　had　done　in　that　Italian　boy　that　you'd　have　let　him　do　the　same　to　six　others；　two　of　whom　were　to　die。　In　fact　you　couldn't　even　have　been　sure　that　the　whole　thing　wasn't　accidental；　the　poisoning　was　on　so　apparently　haphazard　a　basis。〃
　〃Thank　You　kindly；〃　I　said。　My　opinion　of　Smithy　had　fallen　sharply。
　〃Except　that　it　wasn't　on　an　apparently　haphazard　basis。　It　was　haphazard　That　was　last　night。〃　It　was　as　if　he　hadn't　heard　me。　〃Then　you　couldn't　have　had　any　idea。　Now　you　can。　Things　have　happened；　haven't　they？〃
　〃What　things？〃　My　opinion　of　Smithy　had　risen　sharply。　He　was　sure　that　there　was　mayhem　afoot；　but　why？　Was　he　making　a　mental　short　list；　guessing　as　to　who　might　be　the　handy　lad　with　the　aconite…not　that　he　could　possibly　know　the　poison　used　was　aconite…wondering　where　he　had　got　it；　where　he　kept　it　now；　where　he　had　learned　to　prepare　it　so　skilfully　that　it　could　indetectably　be　introduced　into　food？　And　not　only　who　was　the　poisoner　but　why　was　the　poisoner　acting　as　he　did？　And　why　the　random　nature　of　the　poisoning？　Was　he　basing　his　guesses　just　on　my　stealthy　behaviour？
　〃Lots　of　things；　not　all　of　which　have　necessarily　lately　happened；　just　things　that　have　e　to　light　or　seem　odd　in　view　of　what　we　might　call　recent　developments。　For　instance；　why　have　Captain　Imrie　and　Mr。　Stokes　been　chosen　for　the　job　instead　of　any　two　young　and　efficient　yacht　and　charter　skippers　and　engineers　who　usually　find　themselves　unemployed　at　this　time　of　year？　Because　they're　so　old　and　so　soaked　in　Scotch　and　rum　that　they　can't　tell　the　time　of　day　twenty　hours　out　of　the　twenty…four。　They　just　don't　see　what　goes　on　and　even　if　they　were　to　they'd　probably　attach　no　significance　to　it　anyway。〃
　I　didn't　put　down　my　glass；　look　keenly　at　Smithy　or　in　any　other　way　indicate　that　I　was　not　listening　with　undivided　attention。　But　I　was。　This　thought　had　never　occurred　to　me。
　Smithy　continued。　I　said　last　night　that　I　thought　the　presence　of　Mr。　Gerran　and　his　pany　up　here　at　this　time　in　the　year　was　a　bit　odd。　I　don't　think　so　any　more。　I　think　it's　damned　peculiar　and　calls　for　some　sort　of　rational　explanation　from　your　friend　Otto；　which　we're　not　likely　to　get。〃
　〃He's　not　my　friend；〃　I　said。
　〃And　this。〃　He　pulled　out　a　copy　of　the　Olympus　Productions　manifesto。　〃A　load　of　meaningless　rubbish　that　old　smoothie　Goin　has　been　inflicting　on　everybody　in　sight。　Have　you…〃
　〃Goin？　A　smoothie？〃
　〃An　untrustworthy；　time…serving；　money…grubbing　smoothie　with　his　two　hands　never　on　speaking　terms　and　I'd　say　that　even　if　he　weren't　a　professional　accountant。〃
　〃Maybe　he'd　better　not　be　my　friend　either；〃　I　said。
　〃All　this　ridiculous　secrecy　they　harp　on　in　this　clap…trap。　To　protect　the　importance　of　their　damned　screenplay。　A　hundred　gets　one　it's　a　screen　to　protect　something　an　awful　lot　more　important　than　their　screenplay。　Another　hundred　gets　one　that　there's　no　screenplay　in　the　bank　vaults　they　speak　of　for　the　reason　that　there　is　no　screenplay。　And　their　shooting　schedule　for　Bear　Island。　Have　you　read　that？　It's　not　even　ic。　Just　a　lot　of　unrelated　incidents　about　caves；　and　mysterious　motorboats　and　shooting　dummy　submarines　and　climbing　cliffs　and　falling　into　the　sea　and　dying　in　Arctic　snows　that　any　Eve…year…old　could　have　dreamed　up。
　〃You've　got　a　very　suspicious　mind；　Smithy；〃　I　said。
　〃Have　I　not？　And　this　young　Polish　actress；　the　blonde　one…〃
　〃Latvian。　Mary　Stuart。　What　of　her？〃
　〃A　strange　one。　Aloof　and　alone。　Never　mixes。　But　…when　there's　illness　on　the　bridge；　or　in　Otto's　cabin　or　in　the　cabin　of　that　young　lad　they　call　the　Duke；　who's　there？　Who　but　our　friend　Mary　Stuart。〃
　〃She's　a　kind　of　Samaritan。　Would　you　be　so　conspicuous　if　you　wanted　to　avoid　attention？〃
　〃Might　be　the　very　best　way　to　achieve　it。　But　if　that's　not　the　case　why　make　a　point　of　being　so　damned　inconspicuous　just　now　when　meeting　Heissman　in　a　blizzard　on　the　afterdeck？〃
　I　would　very　much　rather；　I　thought；　have　Smith　for　me　than　against　me。　I　said：　〃A　romantic　assignation；　perhaps？〃
　〃With　Heissman？〃
　〃You're　not　a　girl；　Smithy。〃
　〃No。〃　He　grinned　briefly。　〃But　I've　met　〃em；　Why　are　all　the　big　nobs　on　the　management　side　so　pally　with　Otto　in　public　and　so　critical　in　private？　Why　is　a　cameraman　a　director？　Why…〃
　〃flow　did　you　know　that？〃
　〃Uh…huh。　So　you　knew　too。　Because　Captain　Imrie　showed　me　this　guarantee　thing　that　you　and　the　directors　of　Olympus　had　signed：　the　Count　had　signed　as　one　of　them。　Why　is　the　director；　this　Divine　fellow　who　is　supposed　to　be　so　good　at　his　job　so　scared　of　Otto；　while　Lonnie；　who　is　not　only　a　permanent　alcoholic　layabout　but　latches　on　to　Otto's　private　hooch　supplies　with　impunity；　doesn't　give　a　damn　about　him？〃
　〃Tell　me；　Smithy；〃　I　said；　〃Just　how　much　time　have　you　been　devoting　lately　to　steering　and　navigating　this　boat？〃
　〃Hard　to　say。　just　about　as　much　time；　I　would　say；　as　you　have　been　to　the　practice　of　medicine。〃
　I　didn't　say　〃Touche〃　or　anything　like　that；　I　just　let　Smithy　pour　some　more　of　the　aconite…free　drink　into　my　glass　and　looked　out　the　window　at　the　grey　swirling　icy　world　beyond。　So　many　whys；　Smithy；　so　many　whys。　Why　had　Mary　been　foregathering　clandestinely　with　Heissman　when　the　Heissman　I'd　observed　last　night　had　been　so　clearly　unwell　as　to　be　unable　to　indulge　in　any　skullduggery…not　that　this　ruled　out　the　chilling　possibility　that　Heissman　might　be　one　of　two　or　more　who　held　life　so　lightly　and　might　easily　be　either　a　principal　or　a　go…between？
　Why　had　Otto；　though　himself　a　poisoning　victim；　reacted　so　violently　including　having　been　violently　ill…when　he'd　heard　that　Antonio　had　been　a　poisoning　victim？　Had　Cecil's　larder　raid　been　as　innocuous　as　he　had　claimed？　Had　Sandy's？　Who　had　checked　on　the　aconitine　article；　disposed　of　the　leftovers　in　the　galley；　been　in　my　cabin　during　the　night　and　searched　my　baggage？　Why　had　he　searched　my　baggage？　This　extremely　active　poisoner；　the　same　man；　perhaps；　who　had　doctored　the　Scotch　bottle；　clobbered　me　and　been　responsible　for　Halliday's　death？
　Again；　was　there　more　than　one　of　them？　And　if　Halliday　had　died　accidentally；　as　I　was　sure　he　had；　then　why　had　he　e　to　the　saloon；　where　his　visit；　I　was　equally　sure；　had　not　been　accidental？
　It　was　all　so　full　of　〃ifs〃　and　〃buts〃　that　I　was　beginning　to　clutch　at　ridiculous　straws　rather　than　fight　my　way　through　the　impenetrable　fog。
　What　accounted　for　Lonnie's　diatribe…for　it　had　amounted　to　no　less　against　Judith　Haynes　to　the　effect　that　she　detested　all　mankind；　especially　when　they　were　womankind。　No　doubt　Miss　Haynes　was　as　capable　of　being　catty　and　jealous　as　many　other　otherwise　likeable　females　are　but　one　would　have　thought　that　she　had　too　much　going　for　her　in　the　way　of　wealth；　success；　fame；　position；　and　looks　to　have　to　bother　too　much　about　despising　every　woman　she　met。　But　if　that　were　so；　why　had　she　cold…shouldered　Mary　darling？
　But　what　could　that　have　to　do　with　murder？　I　didn't　know；　but　nothing　the　slightest　bit　odd；　I　thought　gloomily；　could　be　dismissed　out　of　hand　as　having　nothing　to　do　with　the　very　odd　goings…on　aboard　the　Morning　Rose。　Were　Jungbeck　and　Heyter；　for　instance；　to　be　considered　as　being　possibly　under　suspicion　because　one　had　recently　followed　me　from　the　saloon…especially　as　Conrad　had　earlier　thrown　a　degree　of　suspicion　on　them　by　disclaiming　all　knowledge　of　them　as　actors？　Or　did　this　factor　of　apparently　throwing　suspicion　bring　Conrad　himself　under　just　the　tiniest　cloud？　Dammit　to　hell；　I　thought　wearily；　if　I　keep　on　thinking　like　this　I'll　he　casting　young　Allen　as　the　master　poisoner　just　because　he'd　told　me　that　he'd　once　studied　chemistry；　briefly；　at　university。
　〃A　penny　for　your　thoughts；　Dr。　Marlowe。〃　Smithy　wasn't　very　much　of　a　one　for　letting　his　face　act　as　a　front　man　for　his　mind。
　〃Don't　throw　your　money　away。　What　thoughts？〃
　〃Two　thoughts。　Two　kinds　of　thoughts。　All　the　thoughts　you're　having　about　all　the　things　you're　not　telling　me　and　all　the　guilty　thoughts　you're　having　about　not　telling　me　them。〃
　〃It's　like　a　rule　of　nature；〃　I　said。　〃Some　people　are　always　more　liable　to　have　injustices　done　to　them　than　others。〃
　〃So　you've　told　me　all　your　thoughts？〃
　〃No。　But　the　ones　I　haven't　told　aren't　worth　the　telling。　Now；　if　I　had　some　facts…'
　〃So　you　admit　something　is　pretty　far　wrong？〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　〃And　you've　told　me　everything　you　know；　just　not　everything　you　think？〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　I　speak　in　sorrow；〃　Smithy　said；　〃for　my　lost　illusions　about　the　medical　profession。〃　He　reached　up　under　the　hood　of　my　parka；　pulled　down　the　scarf　around　my　neck　and　stared　at　what　was　by　now　the　great　multicoloured　and　blood…encrusted　weal　on　my　neck。　〃Jesus！　That　is　something。
　What　happened　to　you？〃
　I　fell。〃
　〃The　Marlow