alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第45部分

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　Still　fifty　yards　away；　already　trying　all　we　could　to　brake　ourselves；　we　heard　the　staccato　roar　of　cannon　shells　seemingly　directly　above　us　and　as　I　flung　myself　flat　on　the　ice；　not　to　avoid　the　fire　but　to　stop　myself　before　I；　too；　plunged　into　the　crevasse　by　the　nunatak　where　I　knew　Margaret　and　Smallwood　must　have　disappeared；　I　caught　a　glimpse　of　two　Scimitars　hurtling　low　across　the　glacier；　red　fire　streaking　from　their　guns。　For　a　moment；　rolling　over　and　over；　I　saw　no　more；　then　I　had　another　glimpse　of　the　lower　part　of　the　glacier；　of　exploding　cannon　shells　raking　a　lethal　barrier　of　fragmenting　steel　across　the　glacier's　entire　width；　and；　about　sixty　or　seventy　yards　lower　down；　the　men　from　the　trawler　lying　flat　on　their　faces　to　escape　the　whistling　flying　shrapnel。　Even　in　that　brief　moment　I　had　time　to　see　a　third　Scimitar　screaming　down　out　of　the　north；　exactly　following　the　path　of　the　other　two。　They　were　making　no　attempt　to　kill　the　trawler　men；　obviously　they　were　under　the　strictest　instructions　to　avoid　any　but　the　most　necessary　bloodshed。　And　it　wasn't　necessary；　if　ever　anything　was　crystal　clear　it　was　the　fact　that　we　weren't　going　to　have　any　trouble　at　all　from　those　trawler　men。　Both　men　and　trawler　could　depart　now；　unmolested：　with　the　missile　mechanism　beyond　their　reach；　they　no　longer　mattered。
　
　Ten　yards　ahead　of　Jackstraw；　sick　to　the　heart　and　almost　mad　with　fear；　I　reached　the　crevasse　by　the　nunatak…no　more　than　a　three…foot　wide　gap　between　ice　and　rock…peered　down　over　the　side；　and　as　I　peered　I　felt　faint　from　the　wave　of　relief　that　swept　over　me：　the　crevasse；　narrowing　as　it　went　down　to　not　much　more　than　two　feet；　ended　about　fifteen　feet　down　in　a　solid　shelf　of　rock；　a　ledge　sculpted　by　thousands　of　years　of　moving；　grinding　ice。
　
　Margaret　and　Smallwood　were　still　on　their　feet；　shaky；　I　could　see；　but　seemingly　unharmed…it　had　been　a　short　drop　and　they　could　have　slowed　their　descent　by　pressing　against　both　sides　of　the　crevasse　as　they　fell。　Smallwood；　flattened　lips　drawn　back　over　his　teeth；　was　staring　up　at　me；　his　pistol　barrel　pressed　savagely　against　Margaret's　temple。
　
　〃A　rope；　Mason！〃　he　said　softly。　〃Get　me　a　rope。　This　crevasse　is　closing…the　ice　is　moving！〃
　
　And　it　was；　I　knew　it　was。　All　glaciers　moved；　some　of　them；　on　this　West　Greenland　coast；　with　astonishing　speed…the　great　Upernivik　glacier；　farther　north；　covered　over　four　feet　every　hour。　As　if　in　confirmation　of　his　words；　the　ice　beneath　my　feet　groaned　and　shuddered　and　slid　forward　a　couple　of　inches。
　
　〃Hurry　up！〃　Smallwood's　inparable　nerve　held　to　the　last；　his　voice　was　urgent　but　pletely　under　control；　his　face　tight…lipped　but　calm。　〃Hurry　up　or　I'll　kill　her！〃
　
　I　knew　he　meant　it　absolutely。
　
　〃Very　well；〃　I　said　calmly。　My　mind　felt　preternaturally　clear；　I　knew　Margaret's　life　hung　on　a　fraying　thread　but　I　had　never　felt　so　cool；　so　self…possessed　in　my　life。　I　unwound　the　rope　round　my　shoulders。　〃Here　it　es。〃
　
　He　reached　up　both　hands　to　catch　the　falling　rope；　I　took　a　short　step　forward　and　then；　stiff…legged　and　with　my　hands　pressed　close　to　my　sides；　fell　on　top　of　him　like　a　plummeting　stone。　He　saw　me　ing；　but　with　the　tangle　of　the　rope　and　the　narrowness　of　the　crevasse　he　had　no　chance　to　get　clear。　My　feet　caught　him　on　the　shoulder　and　outstretched　arm；　and　we　crashed　on　to　the　ledge　together。
　
　He　was；　as　I　have　said；　phenomenally　strong　for　his　size；　but　he　had　no　chance　then。　True；　he　was　partially　numbed　by　the　shock　of　my　fall；　but　that　was　more　than　cancelled　out　by　my　weakness；　by　the　loss　of　blood　from　my　wounded　shoulder。　But　he　still　had　no　chance；　I　locked　my　hands　round　that　scrawny　throat；　ignored　his　kickings；　his　eye…gougings；　the　fusillade　of　blows　rained　on　my　unprotected　head；　and　squeezed　and　knocked　his　head　against　the　blue…banded　striations　of　the　side　of　the　crevasse　until　I　felt　him　go　limp　in　my　hands。　And　then　it　was　time　to　go；　the　ice…wall　was　now　no　more　than　eighteen　inches　distant　from　the　polished　rock　of　the　nunatak。
　
　Smallwood　apart；　I　found　myself　alone　on　that　narrowing　ledge。　Jackstraw　had　already　been　lowered　by　Hillcrest　and　his　men；　fastened　a　rope　round　Margaret　and　been　pulled　up　himself　after　her：　I　could　have　sworn　that　I　had　fought　with　Smallwood　for　no　more　than　ten　seconds；　but　was　told　later　that　we　had　struggled　like　madmen　for　three　or　four　minutes。　It　may　well　have　been　so；　I　have　no　memory　of　that　time；　my　coolness；　my　detachment　was　something　altogether　outside　me。
　
　My　first　clear　recollection　was　hearing　Jackstraw's　voice；　quick　and　urgent；　as　a　rope　snaked　down　over　my　shoulders。
　
　〃Quickly；　Dr　Mason！　It'll　close　any　second　now。〃
　
　〃I'm　ing。　But　another　rope　first；　please。〃　I　pointed　to　the　radio　lying　at　my　feet。　〃We've　e　too　long　a　way　with　this；　we've　suffered　too　much　for　this　to　leave　it　now。〃
　
　Twenty　seconds　later；　just　as　I　scrambled　over　the　edge　of　the　crevasse；　the　grinding　ice…wall　lurched　another　inch　or　two　towards　the　rock　of　the　nunatak；　and；　at　the　same　moment；　Smallwood's　voice　came　to　us　again。　He　had　propped　himself　up　on　his　hands　and　knees　and　was　staring　up　numbly；　almost　disbelievingly；　at　the　narrowing　walls　above　him。
　
　〃Throw　me　a　rope。〃　He　could　see　death's　hand　reaching　out　to　touch　him；　but　the　urgency　in　his　voice　was　still　under　that　iron　control；　his　face　an　expressionless　mask。　〃For　God's　sake；　throw　me　a　rope。〃
　
　I　thought　of　the　trail　of　death　Smallwood　had　left　behind　him；　of　the　plane's　dead　captain；　the　three　dead　crew　members；　Colonel　Harrison；　Brewster　and　Mrs　Dansby…Gregg；　of　how　close　to　the　brink　of　death　he　had　brought　Marie　LeGarde　and　Mahler；　of　how　often　he　had　threatened　death　to　the　girl　now　trembling　violently　in　the　crook　of　my　arm。　I　thought　of　these　things；　then　I　looked　at　Jackstraw；　who　carried　a　rope　over　his　arm；　and　I　saw　reflected　in　his　face　the　same　implacability；　the　same　bleak　mercilessness　that　informed　my　own　mind。　And　then　Jackstraw　moved　towards　the　brink　of　the　crevasse；　lifted　the　tightly　coiled　rope　high　above　his　head；　hurled　it　down　on　top　of　the　man　below　and　stepped　back　without　a　word。
　
　We　turned；　Jackstraw　and　I；　with　Margaret　Ross　supported　between　us；　and　walked　slowly　up　the　glacier　to　meet　the　officer　in　charge　of　the　landing　party；　and　as　we　walked　we　could　feel　the　glacier　shiver　beneath　our　feet　as　a　million　tons　of　ice　lurched　down　towards　the　head　of　the　Kangalak　Fjord。
　
　THE　END
　







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