alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第45部分

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　 〃The　physical　and　mental　recuperative　power　of　homo　sapiens；〃　Jolly　said　jovially。　〃Beyond　belief　at　times；　old　lad；　beyond　belief。　Now；　let's　have　a　look　at　that　broken　wing　of；　yours。〃
　 So　he　had　a　look；　and　because　I　was　a　colleague　and　therefore　inured　to　human　suffering；　he　didn't　spend　any　too　much　time　in　molly…coddling　me；　but　by　hanging　on　to　the　arm　of　my　chair　and　the　shreds　of　my　professional　pride；　I　kept　the　roof　from　falling　in　on　me。　When　he　was　finished　he　said；　〃Well；　that's　the。　lot；　except　for　Brownell　and　Bolton；　the　two　lads　out　on　the　ice。〃
　 〃I'll　e　with　you；〃　I　said。　〃mander　Swanson　is　waiting　pretty　anxiously　to　hear　what　we　have　to　say。　He　wants　to　get　away　from　here　as　soon　as　possible。〃
　 〃Me　too；〃　Jolly　said　fervently。　〃But　what's　the　mander　so　anxious　about？〃
　 〃Ice。　You　never　know　the　hour　or　minute　it　starts　to　close　in。　Want　to　spend　the　next　year　or　two　up　here？〃
　 Jolly　grinned；　thought　it　over　for　a　moment；　then　stopped　grinning。　He　said　apprehensively；　〃How　long　are　we　going　to　be　under　this　damned　ice？　Before　we　reach　the　open　sea；　I　mean？〃
　 〃Twenty…four　hours；　Swanson　says。　Don't　look　so　worried；　Jolly。　Believe　me；　it's　far　safer　under　this　stuff　than　among　it。〃
　 With　a　very　unconvinced　look　on　his　face；　Jolly　picked　up　his　medical　kit　and　led　the　way　from　the　sick　bay。　Swanson　was　waiting　for　us　in　the　control　room。　We　climbed　up　the　hatches；　dropped　down　over　the　side；　and　walked　over　to　the　drift　station。
　 Most　of　the　crew　had　already　made　their　way　out　there。　We　passed　numbers　of　them　on　the　way　back；　most　of　them　looked　grim　or　sick　or　both；　and　didn't　even　glance　up　as　we　passed。　I　didn't　have　to　guess　why　they　looked　as　they　did；　they'd　been　opening　doors　that　they　should　have　left　closed。
　 With　the　sharp　rise　in　outside　temperature　and　the　effect　of　the　big　electric　heaters　having　been　burning　there　for　twenty…four　hours；　the　bunkhouse　hut　was　now；　if　anything；　overheated；　with　the　last　traces　of　ice　long　vanished　from　walls　and　ceiling。　One　of　the　men；　Brownell；　had　recovered　consciousness　and　was　sitting　up；　supported；　drinking　soup　provided　by　one　of　the　two　men　who　had　been　keeping　watch　over　him。
　 〃Well；〃　I　said　to　Swanson；　〃here's　one　ready　to　go。〃
　 〃No　doubt　about　that；〃　Jolly　said　briskly。　He　bent　over　the　other；　flolton；　for　some　seconds；　then　straightened　and　shook　his　head。　〃A　very　sick　man；　mander；　very　sick。　I　wouldn't　care　to　take　the　responsibility　of　moving　him。〃
　 〃I　might　be　forced　to　take　the　responsibility　myself；〃　Swanson　said　bluntly。　〃Let's　have　another　opinion　on　this。〃　His　tone　and　words；　I　thought；　could　have　been　more　diplomatic　and　conciliatory；　but　if　there　were　a　couple　of　murderers　aboard　the　〃Dolphin〃；　there　was　a　thirty…three　and　a　third　per　cent　chance　that　Jolly　was　one　of　them；　and　Swanson　wasn't　forgetting　it　for　a　moment。
　 I　gave　Jolly　an　apologetic　half…shrug；　bent　over　Bolton；　and　examined　him　as　best　I　could　with　only　one　hand　available　for　the　task。　I　straightened　and　said；　〃Jolly's　right。　He　is　pretty　sick。　But　I　think　he　might　just　stand　the　transfer　to　the　ship。〃
　 〃'Might　just'　is　not　quite　the　normally　accepted　basis　for　deciding　the　treatment　of　a　patient；〃　Jolly　objected。
　 〃I　know　it's　not。　But　the　circumstances　are　hardly　normal；　either。〃
　 〃I'll　take　the　responsibility；〃　Swanson　said。　〃Dr。　Jolly；　I'd　be　most　grateful　if　you　would　supervise　the　transport　of　those　two　men　back　to　the　ship。　I'll　let　you　have　as　many　men　as　you　want　right　away。〃
　 Jolly　protested　some　more；　then　gave　in　with　good　grace。　He　supervised　the　transfer；　and　very　petent　he　was　about　it；　too。　I　remained　out　there　a　little　longer；　watching　Rawlings　and　some　others　dismantling　heaters　and　lights　and　rolling　up　cables；　and　after　the　last　of　them　was　gone　and　I　was　alone；　I　made　my　way　around　to　the　tractor　shed。
　 The　broken　shaft　of　the　knife　was　still　in　the　tank　of　the　tractor。　But　not　the　gun　and　not　the　two　magazines。　Those　were　gone。　And　whoever　had　taken　them；　it　hadn't　been　Dr。　Jolly；　he　hadn't　been　out　of　my　sight　for　two　consecutive　seconds　between　the　time　he'd　left　the　〃Dolphin〃　and　the　time　of　his　return　to　it。
　 At　three　o'clock　that　afternoon　we　dropped　down　below　the　ice　and　headed　south　for　the　open　sea。
　
　
　10
　
　 The　afternoon　and　evening　passed　quickly　and　pleasantly　enough。　Closing　our　hatches　and　dropping　down　from　our　hardly　won　foothold　in　that　lead　had　had　a　symbolic　significance　at　least　as　important　as　the　actual　fact　of　leaving　itself。　The　thick　ceiling　of　ice　closing　over　the　hull　of　the　〃Dolphin〃　was　a　curtain　being　drawn　across　the　eye　of　the　mind。　We　had　severed　all　physical　connection　with　Drift　Ice　Station　Zebra；　a　home　of　the　dead　that　might　continue　to　circle　slowly　around　the　Pole　for　mindless　centuries　to　e；　and　with　the　severance　had　e　an　abrupt　diminution　of　the　horror　and　the　shock　that　had　hung　pall…like　over　the　ship　and　its　crew　for　the　past　twenty…four　hours。　A　dark　door　had　swung　to　behind　us；　and　we　had　turned　our　backs　on　it。　Mission　acplished；　duty　done；　we　were　heading　for　home　again；　and　the'　sudden　upsurge　of　relief　and　happiness　among　the　crew　to　be　on　their　way　again；　their　high　anticipation　of　port　and　leave；　was　an　almost　tangible　thing。　The　mood　of　the　ship　was　close　to　that　of　light…hearted　gaiety。　But　there　was　no　gaiety　in　my　mind；　and　no　peace：　I　was　leaving　too　much　behind。　Nor　could　there　be　any　peace　in　the　minds　of　Swanson　and　Hansen；　of　Rawlings　and　Zabrinski：　they　knew　we　were　carrying　a　killer　aboard；　a　killer　who　had　killed　many　times。　Dr。　Benson　knew　also；　but　for　the　moment　Dr。　Benson　did　not　count：　he　still　had　not　regained　consciousness；　and　I　held　the　very　unprofessional　hope　that　he　wouldn't　for　some　time　to　e。　In　the　twilit　world　of　emergence　from　a；　a　man　can　start　babbling　and　say　all　too　much。
　 Some　of　the　Zebra　survivors　had　asked　if　they　could　look　around　the　ship　and　Swanson　agreed。　In　light　of　what　I　had　told　him　in　his　cabin　that　morning；　he　must　have　agreed　very　reluctantly　indeed；　but　no　trace　of　this　reluctance　showed　in　his　calmly　smiling　face。　To　have　refused　their　request　would　have　been　rather　a　churlish　gesture；　for　all　the　secrets　of　the　〃Dolphin〃　were　pletely　hidden　from　the　eye　of　the　layman。　But　it　wasn't　good　manners　that　made　Swanson　give　his　consent：　refusing　a　reasonable　request　could　have　been　responsible　for　making　someone　very　suspicious　indeed。
　 Hansen　took　them　around　the　ship　and　I　acpanied　them；　less　for　the　exercise　or　interest　involved　than　for　the　opportunity　it　gave　me　to　keep　a　very　close　eye　indeed　on　their　reactions　to　their　tour。　We　made　a　plete　tour　of　the　ship；　missing　only　the　reactor　room；　which　no　one　could　visit　anyway；　and　the　inertial…navigation　room；　which　had　been　barred　to　me　also。　As　we　moved　around　I　watched　them　all；　and　especially　two　of　them；　as　closely　as　it　is　possible　to　watch　anyone　without　making　him　aware　of　your　observation；　and　I　learned　precisely　what　I　had　expected　to　learnnothing。　I'd　been　crazy　even　to　hope　I'd　learn　anything；　our　friend　with　the　gun　was　wearing　a　mask　that　had　been　forged　into　shape　and　riveted　into　position。　But　I'd　had　to　do　it　anyway；　playing　in　this　league；　I　couldn't　pass　up　the　one　chance　in　a　miffion。
　
　
　 Supper　over；　I　helped　Jolly　as　best　I　could　with　his　evening　surgery。　Whatever　else　Jolly　was；　he　was　a　damned　good　doctor。　Quickly　and　efficiently　he　checked　and　where　necessary　rebandaged　the　walking　cases；　examined　and　treated　Benson　and　Folsom；　then　asked　me　to　e　right　aft　with　him　to　the　nucleonics　laboratory　in　the　stern　room；　which　had　been　cleared　of　deck　gear　to　acmodate　the　four　other　bed　patients；　the　Harrington　twins；　Brownell；　and　Bolton。　The　sick　bay　itself　had　only　two　cots　for　invalids；　and　Benson　and　Folsom　had　those。
　 Bolton；　despite　Jolly's　dire　predictions；　hadn't　suffered　a　relapse　because　of　his　transfer　from　the　hut　to　the　ship　which　had　been　due　largely　to　Jolly's　extremely　skillful　and　careful　handling　of　the　patient　and　the　stretcher　into　which　he　had　been　strapped。　Bolton；　in　fact；　was　conscious　now　and　plaining　of　severe　pain　in　his　badly　burned　right　forearm。　Jolly　removed　the　burn　covering。　Bolton's　arm　was　a　mess；　all　right；　no　skin　left　worth　speaking　of；　showing　an　angry　violent　red　between　areas　of　suppuration。　Different　doctors　have　different　ideas　as　to　the　treatment　of　burns：　Jolly　favored　a　salve…coated　aluminum　foil　which　he　smoothed　across　the　entire　burn　area；　then　lightly　bandaged　in　place。　He　then　gave　him　a　pain…killing　injection　and　some　sleeping　pills　and　briskly　informed　the　enlisted　man　who　was　keeping　watch　that　he　was　to　be　informed　immediately　of　any　change　or　deterioration　in　Bolton's　condition。　A　brief　inspection　of　the　three　others；　a　changed　bandage　here　and　there；　and　he　was　through　for　the　night。
　 So　was　I。　For　two　nights　now　I　had　had　practically　no　sleep；　what　little　had　been　left　for　me　the　previous　night　had　been　ruined　by　the　pain　in　my　left　hand。　I　was　exhausted。　When　I　got　to　my　cabin；　Hansen　was　already　asleep　and　the　engineer　officer　gone。
　 I　didn't　need　any　of　Jolly's　sleeping　pills　that　night。
　
　
　 I　awoke　at　two　o'clock。　I　was　sleep…drugged；　still　ex