alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第12部分

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econd　pilot　would　have　known　something　was　wrong？　Could　the　radio　have　been　damaged？　It　had　been　a　bitterly　cold　afternoon　even　when　they　had　left　Gander；　was　it　possible　that　some　of　the　naps　and　controls　had　iced　up；　forcing　them　off　course？　But　if　this　were　the　case；　why　hadn't　someone　e　to　warn　them　of　the　possibility　of　the　crash？
　
　I　answered　all　of　their　questions　as　best　I　could　but　these　answers　were　all　to　the　same　effect；　that　I　didn't　really　know　anything　more　about　it　than　they　did。
　
　〃But　you　said　some　time　ago　that　you　did；　perhaps；　know　one　thing　more　than　we　did。〃　It　was　Corazzini　who　put　the　question；　and　he　was　looking　at　me　shrewdly。　〃What　was　that；　Dr　Mason？〃
　
　〃What？　Ah；　yes；　I　remember　now。〃　I　hadn't　forgotten；　but　the　way　things　were　shaping　up　in　my　mind　I'd　had　second　thoughts　about　mentioning　it；　and　had　time　to　think　up　a　plausible　alternative。　〃I　need　hardly　tell　you　that　it's　nothing　that　I　actually　know；　Mr　Corazzini…how　could　I；　/　wasn't　in　the　plane…just　a　reasonably　informed　guess　in　the　absence　of　all　other　solutions。　It's　based　on　the　scientific　observations　made　here　and　in　other　IGY　stations　in　Greenland；　some　of　them　over　the　past　eighteen　months。
　
　〃For　over　a　year　now；　we　have　been　experiencing　a　period　of　intense　sun…spot　activity…that's　one　of　the　main　interests　of　the　IGY　year…the　most　intense　of　this　century。　As　you　may　know；　sun…spots；　or；　rather；　the　emission　of　solar　particles　from　these　sun…spots；　are　directly　responsible　for　the　formation　of　the　aurora　borealis　and　magnetic　storms；　both　of　these　being　related　to　disturbances　in　the　ionosphere。　These　disturbances　can　and；　actually；　almost　invariably　do　interfere　with　radio　transmission　and　reception；　and　when　severe　enough　can　pletely　disrupt　all　normal　radio　munications：　and　they　can　also　produce　temporary　alterations　of　the　earth's　magnetism　which　knock　magnetic　passes　pletely　out　of　kilter。〃　All　of　which　was　true　enough　as　far　as　it　went。　〃It　would；　of　course；　require　extreme　conditions　to　produce　these　effects：　but　we　have　been　experiencing　these　lately；　and　I'm　pretty　sure　that　that's　what　happened　with　your　plane。　Where　astral　navigation…by　the　stars；　that　is…is　impossible；　as　it　was　on　a　night　like　this；　you　are　dependent　on　radio　and　passes　as　your　two　main　navigational　aids：　if　these　are　knocked　out；　what　have　you　left？〃
　
　A　fresh　hubbub　of　talk　arose　at　this；　and　though　it　was　quite　obvious　that　most　of　them　had　only　a　vague　idea　what　I　was　talking　about；　I　could　see　that　this　idea　was　finding　a　fair　degree　of　ready　acceptance；　satisfying　them　and　fitting　the　facts　as　they　knew　them。　I　saw　Joss　gazing　at　me　with　an　expressionless　face；　looked　him　in　the　eye　for　a　couple　of　seconds；　then　turned　away。　As　a　radio　operator；　Joss　knew　even　better　than　I　that；　though　there　was　still　some　sun…spot　activity；　it　had　reached　its　maximum　in　the　previous　year：　and　as　an　ex…aircraft　radio　operator；　he　knew　that　airliners　flew　on　gyropasses；　which　neither　sun…spots　nor　magnetic　storms　could　ever　affect　in　the　slightest。
　
　〃We'll　have　something　to　eat　now。〃　I　cut　through　the　buzz　of　conversation。　〃Any　volunteers　to　give　Jackstraw　a　hand？〃
　
　〃Certainly。〃　Marie　LeGarde；　as　I　might　have　guessed；　was　first　on　her　feet。　〃I'm　by　way　of　being　what　you　might　call　a　mean　cook。　Lead　me　to　it；　Mr　Nielsen。〃
　
　〃Thanks；　Joss；　you　might　give　me　a　hand　to　rig　a　screen。〃　I　nodded　at　the　injured　pilot。　〃We'll　see　what　we　can　do　for　this　boy　here。〃　The　stewardess；　unbidden；　moved　forward　to　help　me　also。　I　was　on　the　point　of　objecting　…1　knew　that　this　wasn't　going　to　be　nice…but　I　didn't　want　trouble　with　her；　not　yet。　I　shrugged　my　shoulders　and　let　her　stay。
　
　Half　an　hour　later；　I　had　done　all　I　could。　It　indeed　hadn't　been　nice；　but　both　the　patient　and　the　stewardess　had　stood　it　far　better　than　I　had　expected。　I　was　fixing　and　binding　on　a　stiff　leather　helmet　to　protect　the　back　of　his　head　and　Joss　was　strapping　him　down；　inside　the　sleeping…bag；　to　the　stretcher；　so　that　he　couldn't　toss　around　and　hurt　himself；　when　the　stewardess　touched　my　arm。
　
　〃What…what　do　you　think　now；　Dr　Mason？〃
　
　〃It's　hard　to　be　sure。　I'm　not　a　specialist　in　brain　or　head　injuries；　and　even　a　specialist　would　hesitate　to　say。　The　damage　may　have　penetrated　deeper　than　we　think。　There　may　be　haemorrhaging…it's　often　delayed　in　these　cases。〃
　
　〃But　if　there's　no　haemorrhaging？〃　she　persisted。　〃If　the　damage　is　no　worse　than　what　you　think；　what　you　see？〃
　
　〃Fifty…fifty。　I　wouldn't　have　said　so　a　couple　of　hours　ago；　but　he　seems　to　have　quite　astonishing　powers　of　resistance　and　recuperation。　Better　than　an　even　chance；　I　would　say…if　he　had　the　warmth；　the　food；　the　skilled　nursing　he　would　have　in　a　first　class　hospital。　As　it　is…well；　let's　leave　it　at　that；　shall　we？〃
　
　〃Yes；〃　she　murmured。　〃Thank　you。〃
　
　I　looked　at　her；　looked　at　the　washed…out　face；　the　faint　blue　circles　forming　under　her　eyes；　and　almost　felt　touched　with　pity。　Almost。　She　was　exhausted；　and　shivering　with　cold。
　
　〃Bed；〃　I　said。　〃You're　dying　for　sleep　and　warmth；　Miss…　I'm　so　sorry；　I　forgot　to　ask　your　name。〃
　
　〃Ross。　Margaret　Ross。〃
　
　〃Scots？〃
　
　〃Irish。　Southern　Irish。〃
　
　〃I　won't　hold　it　against　you；〃　I　smiled。　There　was　no　answering　smile　from　her。　Tell　me；　Miss　Ross；　why　was　the　plane　so　empty？〃
　
　〃We　had　an　'X'　flight…an　extra　or　duplicate　charter　for　an　overflow　of　passengers…out　from　London　yesterday。　Day　before　yesterday　it　is　now；　I　suppose。　We　just　stayed　the　night　in　Idlewild　and　had　to　return　after　we'd　slept。　The　office　phoned　up　people　who　had　booked　out　on　the　evening　plane；　giving　the　chance　of　an　earlier　flight：　ten　of　them　accepted。〃
　
　〃I　see。　By　the　way；　isn't　it　a　bit　unusual　to　have　only　one　stewardess　aboard？　On　a　trans…Atlantic　flight；　I　mean？〃
　
　〃I　know。　There's　usually　two　or　three…a　steward　and　two　stewardesses…or　two　stewards　and　a　stewardess。　But　not　for　ten　people。〃
　
　〃Of　course。　Hardly　worth　stewarding；　you　might　say。　Still；〃　I　went　on　smoothly；　〃it　at　least　gives　you　time　for　the　odd　forty　winks　on　these　long　night…flights。〃
　
　〃That　wasn't　fair！〃　I　hadn't　been　as　clever　as　I　thought；　and　her　white　cheeks　were　stained　with　red。　〃That's　never　happened　to　me　before。　Never！〃
　
　〃Sorry；　Miss　Ross…it　wasn't　really　meant　as　a　dig。　It　doesn't　matter　anyhow。〃
　
　〃It　does　so　matter！〃　Her　extraordinary　brown　eyes　were　bright　with　unshed　tears。　〃If　I　hadn't　been　asleep　I　would　have　known　what　was　going　to　happen。　I　could　have　warned　the　passengers。　I　could　have　moved　Colonel　Harrison　to　a　front　seat　facing　the　rear…〃
　
　〃Colonel　Harrison？〃　I　interrupted　sharply。
　
　〃Yes。　The　man　in　the　back　seat…the　dead　man。〃
　
　〃But　he　hadn't　a　uniform　on　when…〃
　
　〃I　don't　care。　That　was　his　name　on　the　passenger　list。。。。　If　I'd　known；　he　wouldn't　be　dead　now…and　Miss　Fleming　wouldn't　have　had　her　collar…bone　broken。〃
　
　So　that's　what　has　been　worrying　her；　I　thought。　That　accounts　for　her　strange　distraught　behaviour。　And　then　a　moment　later　I　realised　that　it　didn't　account　for　it　all…she　had　been　behaving　like　that　before　ever　she　had　known　what　had　happened　to　any　of　the　passengers。　My　slowly　forming　suspicions　came　back　with　renewed　force：　the　lady　would　bear　watching。
　
　〃You've　nothing　to　reproach　yourself　with；　Miss　Ross。　The　captain　must　have　been　flying　blind　in　the　storm…and　we're　more　than　8000　feet　up　here。　Probably　he'd　no　knowledge　of　what　was　going　to　happen　until　the　actual　moment　of　crashing。〃　In　my　mind's　eye　I　saw　again　the　doomed　airliner；　landing　lights　on；　circling　our　cabin　for　at　least　ten　minutes；　but　if　Miss　Ross　had　any　such　thing　in　her　mind's　eye；　it　was　impossible　for　me　to　detect　it。　She　had　no　idea　at　all…or　she　was　an　extraordinarily　good　actress。
　
　〃Probably；〃　she　murmured　dully；　〃I　don't　know。〃
　
　We　had　a　hot　and　satisfying　meal　of　soup；　corned　meat；　potatoes　and　vegetables…everything　out　of　cans；　but　passable　enough　for　all　that。　It　was　the　last　satisfying　meal　that　our　guests…or　ourselves；　for　that　matter…were　likely　to　have　for　some　considerable　time　to　e；　but　I　felt　the　moment　unpropitious　for　breaking　that　sort　of　news。　Time　enough　for　that　tomorrow…or　later　in　the　day；　rather；　for　it　was　now　already　after　three　o'clock　in　the　morning。
　
　I　suggested　that　the　four　women　sleep　in　the　top　bunks…not　from　any　delicacy　of　sentiment　but　because　it　was　at　least　twenty…five　degrees　wanner　there　than　it　was　at　ground　level；　and　the　proportional　difference　would　increase　as　the　night　wore　on　after　the　stove　had　been　put　out。　There　were　some　half…hearted　protests　when　they　learnt　that　I　intended　to　shut　down　the　fire；　but　I　didn't　even　bother　arguing　with　them。　Like　all　people　who　have　lived　for　any　length　of　time　in　the　Arctic；　I　had　an　almost　pathological　dread　of　fire。
　
　Margaret　Ross；　the　stewardess；　refused　the　offer　of　a　bunk；　and　said　she　would　sleep　by　the　injured　pilot；　lest　he　should　wake　and　want　anything　during　the　night。　I　had　intended　doing　that　myself；　but　I　saw　her　mind　was　set　on　it；　and　though　I　felt　unaccountably　uneasy　about　the　idea；　I　raised　no　objection。
　
　That　le