alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第15部分

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　that　the　man's　neck　might　well　have　been　cold…bloodedly　broken　after　death　to　conceal　its　true　cause。
　
　The　leather　strap　across　the　man's　chest　led　to　a　felt…covered　holster　under　the　arm。　I　took　out　the　little　dark　snub…nosed　automatic；　pressed　the　release　switch　and　shook　the　magazine　out　from　the　base　of　the　grip。　It　was　an　eight　shot　clip；　full。　I　replaced　it　and　shoved　the　gun　into　the　inside　pocket　of　my　parka。
　
　There　were　two　inside　breast　pockets　in　the　jacket。　The　left…hand　one　held　another　clip　of　ammunition；　in　a　thin　leather　case。　This；　too；　I　pocketed。　The　right…hand　pocket　held　only　passport　and　wallet。　The　picture　on　the　passport　matched　the　face；　and　it　was　made　out　in　the　name　of　Lieut。…Colonel　Robert　Harrison。　The　wallet　contained　little　of　interest…a　couple　of　letters　with　an　Oxford　postmark；　obviously　from　his　wife；　British　and　American　currency　notes　and　a　long　cutting　that　had　been　torn　from　the　top　half　of　a　page　of　the　New　York　Herald　Tribune；　with　a　mid…September　date…mark；　just　over　two　months　previously。
　
　For　a　brief　moment　I　studied　this　in　the　light　of　my　torch。　There　was　a　small；　indistinct　picture　of　a　railway　smash　of　some　kind；　showing　carriages　on　a　bridge　that　ended　abruptly　over　a　stretch　of　water；　with　boats　beneath；　and　I　realised　that　it　was　some　kind　of　follow…up　story　on　the　shocking　train　disaster　of　about　that　time　when　a　loaded　muters'　train　at　Elizabeth；　New　Jersey；　had　plunged　out　over　an　opened　span　of　the　bridge　into　the　waters　of　Newark　Bay。　I　was　in　no　mood　for　reading　it　then；　but　I　had　the　obscure；　unreasonable　idea　that　it　might　be　in　some　way　important。
　
　I　folded　it　carefully；　lifted　up　my　parka　and　thrust　the　paper　into　my　inside　pocket；　along　with　the　gun　and　the　spare　ammo　clip。　It　was　just　at　that　moment　that　I　heard　the　sharp　metallic　sound　ing　from　the　front　of　the　dark　and　deserted　plane。
　
　
　CHAPTER　FIVE…Monday　6　P。M。…7　P。M。
　
　For　maybe　five　seconds；　maybe　ten；　I　sat　there　without　moving；　as　rigid　and　motionless　as　the　dead　man　by　my　side；　bent　right　arm　frozen　in　the　act　of　folding　the　newspaper　cutting　into　my　parka　pocket。　Looking　back　on　it；　I　can　only　think　that　my　brain　had　been　half　numbed　from　too　long　exposure　to　the　cold；　that　the　shock　of　the　discovery　of　the　savagely　murdered　men　had　upset　me　more　than　I　would　admit　even　to　myself；　and　that　the　morgue…like　atmosphere　of　that　chill　metal　tomb　had　affected　my　normally　unimaginative　mind　to　a　degree　quite　unprecedented　in　my　experience。　Or　maybe　it　was　a　bination　of　all　three　that　triggered　open　the　floodgates　to　the　atavistic　racial　superstitions　that　lurk　deep　in　the　minds　of　all　of　us；　the　nameless　dreads　that　can　in　a　moment　destroy　the　tissue　veneer　of　our　civilisation　as　if　it　had　never　been；　and　send　the　adrenalin　pumping　crazily　into　the　bloodstream。　However　it　was；　I　had　only　one　thought　in　mind　at　that　moment；　no　thought；　rather；　but　an　unreasoning　blood…freezing　certainty：　that　one　of　the　dead　pilots　or　the　flight　engineer　had　somehow　risen　from　his　seat　and　was　walking　back　towards　me。　Even　yet　I　can　remember　the　frenzy　of　my　wild；　frantic　hope　that　it　wasn't　the　co…pilot；　the　man　who　had　been　sitting　in　the　right…hand　pilot's　seat　when　the　telescoping　nose　of　the　airliner　had　folded　back　on　him；　mangling　him　out　of　all　human　recognition。
　
　Heaven　only　knows　how　long　I　might　have　sat　there；　petrified　in　this　superstitious　horror；　had　the　sound　from　the　control　cabin　not　repeated　itself。　But　again　I　heard　it；　the　same　metallic　scraping　sound　as　someone　moved　around　in　the　darkness　among　the　tangled　wreckage　of　the　flight　deck；　and　as　the　touch　of　an　electric　switch　can　turn　a　room　from　pitch　darkness　to　the　brightness　of　daylight；　so　this　second　sound　served　to　recall　me；　in　an　instant；　from　the　thrall　of　superstition　and　panic　to　the　world　of　reality　and　reason；　and　I　dropped　swiftly　to　my　knees　behind　the　high　padded　back　of　the　seat　in　front　of　me；　for　what　little　shelter　it　offered。　My　heart　was　still　pounding；　the　hairs　still　stiff　on　the　back　of　my　neck；　but　I　was　a　going　concern　again；　my　mind　beginning　to　race　under　the　impetus　invariably　provided　by　the　need　for　self…preservation。
　
　And　that　self…preservation　entered　very　acutely　into　it　I　did　not　for　a　moment　doubt。　A　person　who　had　killed　three　times　to　achieve　her　ends　…1　had　no　doubt　at　all　as　to　the　identity　of　the　person　in　the　control　cabin；　only　the　stewardess　had　seen　me　leave　for　the　plane…and　protect　her　secret　wouldn't　hesitate　to　kill　a　fourth。　And　she　knew　her　secret　was　no　longer　a　secret；　not　while　I　lived；　I　had　stupidly　made　my　suspicions　plain　to　her。　And　not　only　was　she　ready　to　kill；　but　she　had　the　means　to　kill…of　the　fact　that　she　carried　a　gun　and　was　murderously　ready　to　use　it　I'd　had　grisly　evidence　in　the　past　few　minutes。　Nor　need　she　hesitate　to　use　it：　apart　from　the　fact　that　falling　snow　had　a　peculiarly　blanketing　effect　on　all　sound；　the　south　wind　would　carry　the　crack　of　a　pistol…shot　away　from　the　cabin。
　
　Then　something　snapped　inside　my　mind　and　I　was　all　of　a　sudden　fighting　mad。　Perhaps　it　was　the　thought　of　the　four　dead　men…five；　including　the　co…pilot…perhaps　it　was　the　inevitable　reaction　from　my　panic…stricken　fear　of　a　moment　ago；　and　perhaps；　too；　it　had　no　little　to　do　with　the　realisation　that　I；　too；　had　a　gun。　I　brought　it　out　from　my　pocket；　transferred　the　torch　to　my　left　hand；　jumped　up；　pressed　the　torch　button　and　started　running　down　the　aisle。
　
　It　was　proof　enough　of　my　utter　inexperience　in　this　murderous　game　of　hide…and…seek　that　it　was　not　until　I　was　almost　at　the　door　at　the　forward　end　of　the　cabin　that　I　remembered　how　easy　it　would　have　been　for　anyone　to　crouch　down　behind　the　backs　of　one　of　the　rearward　facing　front　seats　and　shoot　me　at　point…blank　range　as　I　passed。　But　there　was　no　one　there　and　as　I　plunged　through　the　door　I　caught　a　fleeting　glimpse　of　a　dark　muffled　figure；　no　more　than　a　featureless　silhouette　in　the　none　too　powerful　beam　of　my　torch；　wriggling　out　through　the　smashed　windscreen　of　the　control　cabin。
　
　I　brought　up　my　automatic…the　thought　that　I　could　be　indicted　on　a　murder　charge　for　killing　a　fleeing　person；　no　matter　how　criminal　a　person；　never　entered　my　mind…and　squeezed　the　trigger。　Nothing　happened。　I　squeezed　the　trigger　again；　and　before　I　remembered　the　existence　of　such　a　thing　as　a　safety…catch　the　windscreen　was　no　more　than　an　empty　frame　for　the　thickening　snow　that　swirled　greyly　in　the　darkness　beyond；　and　I　plainly　heard　the　thud　of　feet　hitting　the　ground。…Cursing　my　stupidity；　and　again　oblivious　of　the　perfect　target　I　was　presenting；　I　leaned　far　out　of　the　window。　Again　I　was　lucky；　again　I　had　another　brief　sight　of　the　figure；　this　time　scurrying　round　the　tip　of　the　left　wing　before　vanishing　into　the　snow　and　the　dark。
　
　Three　seconds　later　I　was　on　the　ground　myself。　I　landed　awkwardly　but　picked　myself　up　at　once　and　skirted　round　the　wing；　pounding　after　the　fleeing　figure　with　all　the　speed　I　could　muster　in　the　hampering　bulkiness　of　my　furs。
　
　She　was　running　straight　back　to　the　cabin；　following　the　line　of　bamboo　sticks；　and　I　could　both　hear　the　thudding　of　feet　in　the　frozen　snow　and　see　the　wildly　erratic　swinging　of　a　torch；　the　beam　one　moment　pooling　whitely　on　the　ground　beside　the　flying　feet；　the　next　reaching　ahead　to　light　up　the　bamboo　line。　She　was　moving　swiftly；　much　more　so　than　I　would　have　thought　her　capable　of　doing；　but　nevertheless　I　was　steadily　overhauling　her　when　suddenly　the　torch　beam　ahead　curved　away　in　a　new　direction；　as　the　runner　angled　off　into　the　darkness；　about　forty…five　degrees　to　the　left。　I　turned　after　her；　still　following　both　my　sight　of　the　torch　and　sound　of　the　feet。　Thirty　yards；　forty；　fifty…then　I　stopped　and　stood　very　still　indeed。　The　torch　ahead　had　gone　out　and　I　could　hear　nothing　at　all。
　
　For　the　second　time　that　night　I　cursed　my　unthinking　folly。　What　I　should　have　done；　of　course；　was　to　carry　straight　on　back　to　the　cabin　and　await　the　moment　she　turned　up　there；　as　she　inevitably　must：　no　person　could　hope　to　survive　for　any　great　length　of　time；　without　shelter　of　some　kind；　in　the　deadly　cold　of　that　arctic　night。
　
　But　it　wasn't　too　late　yet。　The　wind　had　been　blowing　almost　directly　in　my　face　as　I　had　been　running：　all　I　had　to　do　was　walk　back；　keeping　it　on　my　left　cheek；　and　I　would　be　bound　to　hit　the　line　of　bamboos　at　right　angles；　and　the　chances　of　my　passing　unwittingly　between　two　of　them；　with　the　light　of　my　torch　to　help　me；　did　not　exist。　I　turned；　took　one　step；　then　two；　then　halted　in　my　tracks。
　
　Why　had　I　been　lured　out　here　away　from　the　bamboo　line？　Not　so　that　she　could　thereby　escape　me…she　couldn't　do　it　that　way。　As　long　as　we　both　lived；　we　were　both　utterly　dependent　on　the　cabin　and　would　have　to　meet　there　sooner　or　later。
　
　As　long　as　we　both　lived！　God；　what　a　fool　I　was；　what　a　veriest　amateur　at　this　game。　The　only　way　she　could　escape　me；　really　and　permanently　escape　me；　was　if　I　no　longer　lived。　I　could　be　shot　down　here　and　no　one　would　ever　know。　And　as　she　had　stopped　running　before　I　had　and　been　first　to　switch　out　her　torch；　she　must　have　a　much　better　idea　of　my　position　than　I　of　hers。　And　these　two　rash；　incautious　steps　I　had　taken　had　given　her　a　new　and　even　more　accurate　bearing　on　my　position。　Perhaps　she　was　only　feet　away　now；　lining　her　gun　up　for　the　kill。
　
　I　switched　on　my　torch　and　whirled　round　in　a　plete　circle。　Nobody　there；　nothing　to　be　seen　at　all。　Only　the　frozen　feathers　of　the　snow　brushing　my　cheeks　in　the　blackness　of　the　night；　the　low　moaning　lament　of　the　soughing　south　wind　and　the　faint　rustle　of　ice　spicules　brushing　their　blind　way　across　the　iron…hard　surface　of　the　ice…cap。
　
　Swiftly；　softly；　I　moved　half　a　dozen　long　steps　to　my　left。　My　torch　was　out　now；　and　I'd　been　crazy　ever　to　switch　it　on　in　the　first　place。　Nothing　could　have　been　better　calculated　to　betray　my　position…the　light　of　a　torch；　seen　head　on；　can　be　seen　at　twenty　times　the　farthest　distance　that　its　beam　will　reach。　I　prayed　that　a　flurry　of　snow　had　hidden　it。
　
　Where　would　the　attack　e　from…downwind；　so　that　I　could　see　nothing　in　that　blinding　snow；　or　upwind；　so　that　I　could　hear　nothing？　Downwind；　I　decided…on　the　ice…cap　one　could　move　as　silently　as　on　a　tar…macadam　road。　The　better　to　hear；　I　pulled　the　parka　hood　off　my　head：　the　better　to　see；　I　slipped　up　my　goggles　and　stared　out　unwinkingly　under　my　visored　hands。
　
　Five　minutes　passed；　and　nothing　happened…if；　that　is；　the　freezing　of　my　ears　and　forehead　could　be　called　nothing。　Still　no　sound；　still　no　sight　of　anything：　the　strain；　the　nerve…racking　expectancy　could　not　be　borne　for　much　longer。　Slowly；　with　infinite　care；　I　moved　off　in　a　circle　of　about　twenty　yards　diameter；　but　I　saw　nothing；　heard　nothing；　and　so　well　adjusted　now　were　my　eyes　to　the　darkness；　so　well　attuned　my　ears　to　the　ice…cap's　mournful　symphony　of　sound；　that　I　would　have　sworn　that　had　there　been　anyone　there　to　be　seen　or　heard；　I　would　have　seen　or　heard　them。　It　was　as　if　I　were　alone　on　the　ice…cap。
　
　And　then　the　appalling　truth　struck　me