alistairmaclean.bearisland-第38部分

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ance　from　horse…radish；　was　introduced　at　specific　points　into　the　evening　meal　we　had　on　the　occasion　when　those　people　were　struck　down。〃
　I　checked　to　see　if　I　had　the　attention　of　all　those　present　and　I've　never　made　a　more　superfluous　check。　They　were　so　stunned　that　they　hadn't　even　got　to　the　lengths　of　looking　at　each　other：　Otto's　liquid　largesse　wholly　forgotten；　they　had　eyes　only　for　me；　ears　only　for　what　I　was　saying；　the　average　university　lecturer　would　have　found　it　a　dream　of　paradise：　but　then　the　average　university　lecturer　rarely　had　the　doubtful　fortune　to　chance　upon　such　wholly　absorbing　subject　matter　as　I　had　to　hand。
　〃And　then　we　have　the　mysterious　disappearance　of　Halliday。　I　have　no　doubt　that　the　cause　of　his　death　could　be　established　beyond　doubt　if　an　autopsy　could　be　carried　out；　but　as　I've　equally　no　doubt　that　the　unfortunate　Halliday　lies　on　the　floor　of　the　Barents　Sea　this　can　never　be　possible。　But　it　is　my　belief…and　this；　again；　is　but　conjecture…that　he　died　not　from　any　form　of　food　poisoning　but　because　he　had　a　nightcap　from　a　poisoned　whisky　bottle　that　was　intended　for　me。〃　I　looked　at　Mary　Stuart：　huge　eyes　and　parted　lips　in　a　white　shocked　face；　but　I　was　the　only　one　who　saw　it。
　I　pulled　down　the　collar　of　my　duffle　coat　and　showed　them　the　impressively　large　and　impressively　multicoloured　bruise　on　the　left…hand　side　of　my　neck。
　〃This；　of　course；　could　have　been　self…inflicted。　Or　maybe　I　just　slipped　somewhere　and　banged　myself。　Or　take　this　odd　business　of　the　smashed　radio。　Somebody　with　an　aversion　to　radios　perhaps　and　suchlike　outwards　manifestations　of　what　we　choose　to　call　progress　or　someone　who　found　the　Arctic　just　too　much　for　him　and　had　to　take　it　out　on　something…you　know；　the　equivalent　of　going　cafard　in　the　desert。
　〃So　far；　nothing　but　conjecture。　An　extraordinary　and　even　more　extraordinarily　unconnected　series　of　violent　and　tragic　mishaps；　one　might　claim；　Coincidence　is　an　accepted　part　of　life。　But　not；　surely；　Coincidence　multiplied　to　the　nth　degree　like　this；　that　would　have　to　lie　at　the　very　farthest　bounds　of　possibility。　I　think　you　would　admit　that　if　we　could　prove　the　existence；　beyond　any　doubt；　of　a　carefully　premeditated　and　carefully　executed　crime；　then　the　other　violent　happenings　must　cease　to　be　regarded　as　conjectural　Coincidences　and　considered　as　being　what　they　then　would　be；　deliberately　executed　murders　in　pursuit　of　some　goal　that　can't　yet　even　be　guessed　at　but　must　be　of　overwhelming　importance！'
　They　weren't　admitting　anything；　or；　at　least；　if　they　were　admitting　anything　to　themselves　they　weren't　saying　it　out　loud；　but　I　think　it　was　really　a　case　of　their　minds　having　stopped　working；　not　all　their　minds；　there　had　to　be　one　exception；　probably　more。
　〃And　we　have　this　one　proven　crime；〃　I　went　on。　〃The　rather　clumsily　executed　murder　of　Michael　Stryker　which　was　at　the　same　time　an　attempt；　and　not　a　very　clever　attempt；　to　frame　young　Allen　here　for　something　he　never　did。　I　don't　think　the　murderer　had　any　special　ill…will　towards　Allen；　well；　no　more　than　he　seems　to　have　for　the　general　run　of　mankind：　he　just　wanted　to　divert　any　possible　suspicion　from　himself。　I　think　if　you'd　all　had　time　enough　to　think　about　it　you'd　have　e　to　the　eventual　conclusion　that　Allen　couldn't　possibly　have　had　anything　to　do　with　it：　with　a　doctor　in　the　house；　if　you'll　excuse　the　phrase；　he　hadn't　a　hope　in　hell。
　〃Allen　says　he　has　no　recollection　at　all　about　what　happened。　I　believe　him　absolutely。　He's　sustained　a　severe　blow　on　the　back　of　the　head…the　scalp　is　open　to　the　bone。　How　he　escaped　a　fractured　skull；　far　less　concussion；　I　can't　imagine。　It　certainly　must　have　rendered　him　unconscious　for　a　considerable　period。　Which　leads　one　to　assume　that　this　assailant　was　still　in　excellent　shape　after　what　was　clearly　this　coup…de…gi…dee。　Are　we　to　assume　then　that　Allen；　after　having　been　knocked　senseless；　immediately　leapt　up　and　smote　his　assailant　hip　and　thigh？　That　doesn't　make　any　kind　of　sense　at　all。　What　does　make　sense；　what　is　the　only　answer；　is　that　the　unknown　crept　up　behind　Allen　and　laid　him　out；　not　with　his　hands　but　with　some　heavy　and　solid　object…probably　a　stone；　there's　more　than　enough　lying　around。　Having　done　this　he　proceeded　to　cut　the　unconscious　Allen　up　about　the　face；　ripped　his　coat　and　tore　off　a　couple　of　buttorls…all　to　give　the　very　convincing　impression　that　he'd　been　in　a　fight。
　〃The　same　thing；　but　this　time　on　a　lethal　scale；　happened　to　Stryker。
　I'm　convinced　that　it　was　no　accident　that　Allen　was　merely　knocked　unconscious　while　Stryker　was　killed…our　friend；　who　must　be　a　bit　of　an　expert　in　such　matters；　knew　just　how　much　weight　to　bring　to　bear　in　each　case；　by　no　means　as　easy　a　matter　as　you　might　think。　Then　this　ghoul；　in　a　stupid　attempt　to　create　the　impression　that　Stryker　had　been　the　other　party　to　the　fight；　proceeded　to　rough　up　Stryker's　face　as　he　had　done　Allen's：　I　leave　it　to　you　to　form　your　own　estimate　of　just　how　evil　must　be　the　mind　of　a　man　who　will　deliberately　set　about　mutilating　the　face　of　a　dead　man。〃
　I　left　them　for　a　little　to　form　their　own　estimates。　For　the　most　part　they　looked　neither　sick　nor　revolted：　their　reactions　were　mainly　of　shock　and　minds　still　consciously　fighting　against　prehension。　No　glances　were　exchanged；　no　eyes　moved：　their　eyes　were　only　for　me。
　Stryker　had　a　split　upper　lip；　a　tooth　missing；　and　a　reddish　rough　mark　on　his　temple　which　I　think　must　have　been　caused　by　another　stone　very　probably　all　the　injuries　were　inflicted　in　this　fashion　to　avoid　any　telltale　marking　of　the　hands　or　knuckles。　Had　those　injuries　been　sustained　in　the　course　of　a　fight　there　would　have　been　extensive　bleeding　and　fairly　massive　bruising：　there　were　no　signs　of　either　because　Stryker　was　dead　and　circulation　had　ceased　before　those　wounds　were　caused。　To　plete　what　he　thought　would　be　a　most　convincing　effect；　the　murderer　then　closed　the　dead　man's　hand　round　one　of　the　buttons　torn　from　Allen's　coat。　Incidentally；　there　were　no　signs　whatever　of　the　churned　up　snow　one　would　have　expected　to　find　at　the　scene　of　a　fight：　there　were　two　sets　of　tracks　leading　to　the　place　where　Stryker　lay；　one　set　leading　away。　No　fuss；　no　motion；　just　a　quick　if　not　particularly　clean　dispatch。〃　I　sipped　some　more　of　Otto's　Scotch…it　must　have　e　from　his　own　private　supply　for　it　was　excellent　stuff…then　asked　in　my　best　lecturer's　fashion：　〃Are　there　any　questions？〃
　Predictably；　there　were　none。　They　were　all　clearly　far　too　busy　asking　themselves　questions　to　have　any　time　to　put　any　to　me。　I　went　on：　〃I　think　you'd　agree；　then；　that　it　now　seems　extremely　improbable　that　any　of　the　four　previous　deaths　were　the　results　of　innocent　Coincidence。　I　think　that　only　the　most　gullible　and　the　most　navve　would　now　be　prepared　to　believe　that　those　deaths　were　unconnected　and　not　the　work　of　the　same　agent。　So　what　we　have　is；　in　effect；　a　mass　murderer。
　A　man　who　is　either　mad；　a　pathological　killer；　or　a　vicious　and　evil　monster　who　finds　it　essential　to　murder　with　what　can　be　only　an　apparent　indiscrimination　in　order　to　achieve　God　knows　what　murky　ends。　He　may；　it　is　possible；　be　all　three　of　those　at　once。　Whatever　he　is　or　whoever　he　is；　he's　in　this　cabin　now。　I　wonder　which　one　of　you　it　is？〃
　For　the　first　time　their　eyes　left　me　as　they　looked　quickly　and　furtively　at　one　another　as　if　in　the　ludicrous　hope　that　they　might　by　this　means　discover　the　identity　of　the　killer。　None　of　them　examined　one　another　as　closely　as　I　observed　them　all　over　the　rim　of　my　glass；　if　one　pair　of　eyes　remained　fixed　on　mine　it　could　only　be　because　its　owner　knew　who　the　murderer　was　and　didn't　have　to　bother　to　look　around：　but　I　knew；　even　as　I　watched　them；　that　I　had　no　real　foundation　for　any　such　hope；　the　murderer　may　have　been　no　great　shakes　at　physiology　but　he　was　far　too　clever　to　walk　into　what；　for　an　intelligent　man　with　five　deaths　on　his　conscience；　must　have　been　a　very　obvious　trap　indeed。　I　was　certain　that　there　wasn't　a　pair　of　eyes　before　me　that　didn't　flicker　surreptitiously　around　the　cabin。　I　waited　patiently　until　I　had　their　bined　attention　again。
　I　have　no　idea　who　this　murderous　fiend　may　be；〃　I　said；　〃but　I　think　I　can　with　certainty　say　who　it　isn't。　Counting　the　absent　Miss　Haynes；　there　are　twenty…two　of　us　in　this　cabin：　to　nine　of　those　I　cannot　see　that　any　suspicion　can　possibly　attach。〃
　〃Merciful　God！〃　Goin　muttered。　〃Merciful　God！　This　is　monstrous；　Dr。　Marlowe；　unbelievable。　One　of　us　here；　one　of　the　people　we　know；　one　of　our　friends　has　the　blood　of　five　people　on　his　hands？　It　can't　be！
　It　just　can't　be！〃
　〃Except　that　you　know　that　it　must　be；〃　I　said。　Goin　made　no　reply。　〃To　begin　with；　I　myself　am　in　the　clear；　not　because　I　know　I　am…we　could　all　claim　that…but　because　two　hostile　acts　have　been　mitted　against　my　person；　one　of　which　was　intended　to　be　lethal。　Further；　I　was　bringing　in　Mr。　Smith　here　when　Stryker　was　killed　and　Allen　injured。〃　This　last　was　the　truth　but　not　the　whole　truth　but　only　the　killer　himself　would　know　that　and　as　he　was　already　on　to　me　his　opinion　was　unimportant　because　he　couldn't　possibly　voice　it。　〃Mr。　Smith　is　in　the　clear　because　not　only　was　he　unconscious　at　the　time；　he　was　a　nearly　fatal　victim　of　the　poisoner's　activities　and　its　hardly　likely　that　he　would　go　around　poisoning　himself。〃
　〃Then　that　lets　me　out；　Dr。　Marlowe！〃　The　Duke's　voice　was　a　cracked　falsetto；　hoarse　with　strain。　It　wasn't　me；　it　couldn't…〃
　〃Agreed；　Cecil；　it　wasn't　you。　Apart　from　the　fact　that　you　were　another　poisoning　victim　I　don't　think…well；　I'm　not　being　physically　disparaging　but　I'd　think　it　very　unlikely　that　you　could　have　hoisted　that　rock　that　was　used　to　kill　Stryker。　Mr。　Gerran；　too；　is　above　suspicion：　not　only　was　he　poisoned　but　he　was　in　the　cabin　here　at　the　time　of　Stryker's　death。　Allen　obviously；　could　have　had　nothing　to　do　with　it　and　neither　did　Mr。　Goin　here；　although　you'll　have　to　take　my　word　for　that。〃
　〃What　does　that　mean；　Dr。　Marlowe？〃　Goin's　voice　was　steady。
　〃Because　when　you　first　saw　Stryker's　body　you　turned　as　white　as　the　proverbial　sheet。　People　can　do　lots　of　things　with　their　bodies　but　they　can't　switch　on　and　off　the　epidermal　blood　supply　at　will。　Had　you　been　prepared　for　the　sight　you　saw　you　wouldn't　have　changed　colour。　You　did。　So　you　weren't　prepared。　Our　two　Marys　here　we'll　have　to　leave　out　of　the　reckoning　for　it　would　have　been　a　physical　impossibility　for　either　of　them　to　have　attacked　Stryker　with　that　rock。　And　Miss　Haynes；　of　course；　doesn't　e　into　the　reckoning　at　all。　Which；　by　my　count；　leaves　thirteen　potential　suspects　in　all。〃　I　looked　round　the　cabin　and　counted。
　〃That's　right。　Thirteen。　Let's　hope　it's　going　to　be　a　very　unlucky　number　for　one　of　you。〃
　〃Dr。　Marlowe；〃　Goin　said。　I　think　you　should　consider　withdrawing　your　resignation。
　〃Consider　it　withdrawn。　I　was　beginning　to　wonder　what　I'd　do　for　food　anyway。〃　I　looked　at　my　now　empty　glass　then　at　Otto。　〃Seeing　that　I'm　now　back　on　the　strength；　as　it　were；　would　it　be　in　order…〃
　〃Of　course；　of　course。〃　Otto；　look