alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第52部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

　disbelief　as　they　drew　great　draughts　down　into　their　aching　lungs　and　found　that　it　was　not　poisonous　gases　they　were　inhaling　but　fresh；　breathable　air：　men　who　had　made　up　their　minds　for　death　began　to　wonder　how　they　could　ever　have　thought　that　way。　As　air　went；　I　suppose；　it　was　pretty　substandard　stuff；　and　the　Factory　Acts　would　have　had　something　to　say　about　it；　but；　for　us；　no　pine…drenched　mountain　air　ever　tasted　half　so　sweet。
　 Swanson　kept　a　careful　eye　on　the　gauges　recording　the　air　pressure　in　the　submarine。　Gradually　it　sank　down　to　the　fifteen　pounds　at　which　the　atmosphere　was　normally　kept；　then　below　it。　He　ordered　the　pressed　air　to　be　released　under　higher　pressure；　and　then；　when　the　atmospheric　pressure　was　back　to　normal；　he　ordered　the　diesel　stopped　and　the　pressed　air　shut　off。
　 〃mander　Swanson；〃　I　said。　〃If　you　ever　want　to　make　admiral；　you　can　apply　to　me　for　a　reference　any　time。〃
　 〃Thank　you。〃　He　smiled。　〃We　have　been　very　lucky。〃
　 Sure　we　had　been　lucky；　the　way　men　who　sailed　with　Swanson　would　always　be　lucky。
　 We　could　now　hear　the　sounds　of　pumps　and　motors　as　Cartwright　started　in　on　the　slow　process　of　bringing　the　nuclear　power　plant　to　life　again。　Everyone　knew　that　it　was　touch　and　go　whether　there　would　be　enough　life　left　in　the　batteries　for　that；　but；　curiously；　no　one　seemed　to　doubt　that　Cartwright　would　succeed：　we　had　been　through　too　much　to　entertain　even　the　thought　of　failure　now。
　 Nor　did　we　fail。　At　exactly　eight　o'clock　that　morning　Cartwright　phoned　to　say　that　he　had　steam　on　the　turbine　blades　and　that　the　〃Dolphin〃　was　a　going　proposition　again。　I　was　glad　to　hear　it。
　
　
　 For　three　hours　we　cruised　along　at　slow　speed　while　the　air…conditioning　plant　worked　under　maximum　pressure　to　bring　the　air　inside　the　〃Dolphin〃　back　to　normal。　After　that；　Swanson　slowly　stepped　up　our　speed　until　we　had　reached　about　fifty　per　cent　of　normal　cruising　speed；　which　was　as　fast　as　the　propulsion　officer　deemed　it　safe　to　go。　For　a　variety　of　technical　reasons　it　was　impractical　for　the　〃Dolphin〃　to　operate　without　all　turbines　in　mission；；　so　we　were　reduced　to　the　speed　of　the　slowest；　and；　without　sheathing　on　it；　Cartwright　didn't　want　to　push　the　starboard　highpressure　turbine　above　a　fraction　of　its　power。　This　way；　it　would　take　us　much　longer　to　clear　the　ice　pack　and　reach　the　open　sea；　but　'the　captain；　in　a　broadcast；　said　that　if　the　limit　of　the　ice　pack　was　where　it　had　been　when　we'd　first　moved　under　itand　there　was　no　reason　to　think　it　should　have　shifted　more　than　a　few　mileswe　should　be　moving　out　into　the　open　sea　at　about　four　o'clock　the　following　morning。
　 By　four　o'clock　that　afternoon；　members　of　the　crew；　working　in　relays；　had　managed　to　clear　away　from　the　machinery　space　all　the　debris　and　foam　that　had　accumulated　during　the　long　night。　After　that；　Swanson　reduced　all　watches　to　the　barest　skeletons　required　to　run　the　ship；　so　that　as　many　men　as　possible　might　sleep　as　long　as　possible。　Now　that　the　exultation　of　victory　was　over；　now　that　the　almost　intolerable　relief　of　knowing　that　they　were　not；　after　all；　to　find　their　gasping　end　in　a　cold　iron　tomb　under　the　ice　cap　had　begun　to　fade；　the　inevitable　reaction；　when　it　did　e；　was　correspondingly　severe。　A　long　and　sleepless　night　behind　them；　hours　of　cruelly　back…breaking　toil　in　the　metal　jungle　of　the　machinery　space；　that　lifetime　of　tearing　tension　when　they　had　not　known　whether　they　were　going　to　live　or　die　but　had　believed　they　were　going　to　die；　the　poisonous　fumes　that　had　laid　them　all　on　the　rackall　of　these　bined　had　taken　cruel　toll　of　their　reserves　of　physical　and　mental　energy；　and　the　crew　of　the　〃Dolphin〃　were　now　sleep…ridden　and　exhausted　as　they　had　never　been。　When　they　lay　down　to　sleep；　they　slept　at　once；　like　dead　men。
　 I　didn't　sleep。　Not　then；　not　at　four　o'clock。　I　couldn't　sleep。　I　had　too　much　to　think　about：　like　how　it　had　been　primarily　my　fault；　through　mistake；　miscalculation；　or　sheer　pig…headedness；　that　the　〃Dolphin〃　and　her　crew　had　been　brought　to　such　desperate　straits；　like　what　mander　Swanson　was　going　to　say　when　he　found　out　how　much　I'd　kept　from　him；　how　little　I'd　told　him。　Still；　if　I　had　kept　him　in　the　dark　so　long；　I　couldn't　see　that　there　would　be　much　harm　in　it　if　I　kept　him　in　the　dark　just　that　little　time　longer。　It　would　be　time　enough　in　the　morning　to　tell　him　all　I　knew。　His　reactions　would　be　interesting；　to　say　the　least。　He　might　be　striking　some　medals　for　Rawlings；　but　I　had　the　feeling　that　he　wouldn't　be　striking　any　for　me。　Not　after　I'd　told　him　what　I'd　have　to。
　 Rawlings。　That　was　the　man　I　wanted　now。　I　went　to　see　him；　told　him　what　I　had　in　mind；　and　asked　him　if　he　would　mind　sacrificing　a　few　hours'　sleep　during　the　night。　M　always；　Rawlings　was　co…operation　itself。
　 Later　that　evening　I　had　a　look　at　one　or　two　of　the　patients。　Jolly；　exhausted　by　his　Herculean　efforts　of　the　previous　night；　was　fathoms　deep　in　slumber；　so　Swanson　had　asked　if　I　would　deputize　for　him。　So　I　did；　but　I　didn't　try　very　hard。　With　only　one　exception　they　were　sound　asleep；　and　none　of　them　was　in　so　urgent　need　of　medical　attention　that　there　would　have　been　any　justification　for　waking　him　up。　The　sole　exception　was　Dr。　Benson；　who　had　recovered　consciousness　late　that　afternoon。　He　was　obviously　on；　the　mend；　but　plained　that　his　head　felt　like　a　pumpkin　with　sonieone　at　work　on　it　with　a　riveting　gun；　so　I　fed　him　some　pills　and　that　was　the　extent　of　the　treatment。　I　asked　him　if　he　had　any　idea　as　to　what　had　been　the　cause　of　his　fall　from　the　top　of　the　sail；　but　he　was　either　too　woozy　to　remember　or　just　didn't　know。　Not　that　it　mattered　now。　I　already　knew　the　answer。　…
　 I　slept　for　nine　hours　after　that；　which　was　pretty　selfish　of　me；　considering　that　I　had　asked　Rawlings　to　keep　awake　half　the　night；　but；　then；　I　hadn't　had　much　option　about　that；　for　Rawlings　was　in　a　position　to　perform　for　me　an　essential　task　that　I　couldn't　perform　for　myself。
　 Sometime　during　the　night　we　passed　out　from　under　the　ice　cap　into　the　open　Arctic　Ocean　again。
　 I　awoke　shortly　after　seven；　washed；　shaved；　and　dressed　as　carefully　as　I　could　with　one　hand　out　of　mission　for　I　believe　a　judge　owes　it　to　his　public　to　be　decently　turned　out　when　he　goes　to　conduct　a　trialthen　breakfasted　well　in　the　wardroom。　Shortly　before　nine　o'clock　I　walked　into　the　control　room。　Hansen　had　the　watch。　I　went　up　to　him　and　said　quietly；　so　that　I　couldn't　be　overheard：　〃Where　is　mander　Swanson？〃
　 〃In　his　cabin。〃
　 〃I'd　like　to　speak　to　him　and　you。　Privately。〃
　 Hansen　looked　at　me　speculatively；　nodded；　handed　over　the　watch　to　the　navigator；　and　led　the　way　to　Swanson's　cabin。　We　knocked；　went　in；　and　closed　the　door　behmd　us。　I　didn't　waste　any　time　in　preamble。
　 〃I　know　who　the　killer　is；〃　I　said。　〃I've　no　proof；　but　I'm　going　to　get　it　now。　I　would　like　you　to　be　on　handif　you　can　spare　the　time。〃
　 They　had　used　up　all　their　emotional　responses　and　reactions　during　the　previous　thirty　hours；　so　they　didn't　throw　up　their　hands　or　do　startled　double…takes　or　make　any　of　the　other　standard　signs　of　incredulousness。　Instead；　Swanson　just　looked　thoughtfully　at　Hansen；　rose　from　his　table；　folded　the　chart　he'd　been　studying；　and　said　dryly：　〃I　think　we　might　spare　the　time；　Dr。　Carpenter。　I　have　never　met　a　murderer。〃　His　tone　was　impersonal；　even　light；　but　the　clear　gray　eyes　had　gone　very　cold　indeed。　〃It　will　be　quite　an　experience　to　meet　a　man　with　eight　deaths　on　his　conscience。〃
　 〃You　can　count　yourself　lucky　that　it　is　only　eight；〃　I　said。　〃He　almost　brought　it　up　to　the　hundred　mark　yesterday　morning。〃
　 This　time　I　did　get　them。　Swanson　stared　at　me；　then　said　softly；　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　 〃Our　friend　with　the　gun　also　carries　a　box　of　matches　around　with　him；〃　I　said。　〃He　was　busy　with　them　in　the　engine　room　in　the　early　hours　of　yesterday　morning。〃
　 〃Someone　〃deliberately〃　tried　to　set　the　ship　on　fire？〃　Hansen　looked　at　me　in　open　disbelief。　〃I　don't　buy　that；　Doe。〃
　 〃I　buy　it；〃　Swanson　said。　〃I　buy　anything　Dr。　Carpenter　says。　We're　dealing　with　a　madman。　Only　a　madman　would　risk　losing　his　life　along　with　the　lives　of　a　hundred　others。〃
　 〃He　miscalculated；〃　I　said　mildly。　〃e　along。〃
　 They　were　waiting　for　us　in　the　wardroom　as　I'd　arranged；　eleven　of　them　in　all：　Rawlings；　Zabrinski；　Captain　Folsom；　Dr。　Jolly；　the　two　Harrington　twins；　who　were　now　just　barely　well　enough　to　be　out　of　bed；　Naseby；　Hewson；　Hassard；　Kinnaird　and　Jeremy。　Most　of　them　were　seated　around　the　wardroom　table　except　for　Rawlings；　who　opened　the　door　for　us；　and　Zabrinski；　his　foot　still　in　the　cast；　who　was　sitting　in　a　chair　in　one　corner　of　the　room　studying　an　issue　of　the　〃Dolphin　Daze〃；　the　submarine's　own　mimeographed　newspaper。　Some　of　them　made　to　get　to　their　feet　as　we　came　in；　but　Swanson　waved　them　down。　They　sat　silently；　all　except　Dr。　Jolly；　who　boomed　out　a　cheerful　〃Good　morning；　Captain。　Well；　well；　this　is　an　intriguing　summons。　Most　intriguing。　What　is　it　you　want　to　see　us　about；　Captain？〃
　 I　cleared　my　throat。　〃You　must　forgive　a　small　deception。　It　is　I　who　wa