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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃I don't know。 I think he was。 Maybe he's divorced。 Why do you ask so many questions about him？〃
〃Because Fin a typically knowing； prying sawbones and I like to know as much as possible about people who are or may be my patients。 For instance； I know enough about Lonnie now never to give him a brandy if he were in need of a restorative for it wouldn't have the slightest effect。〃
She smiled and closed her eyes。 Conversation over。 I took another steamer rug from under my seat； wrapped it around me…the temperature in the saloon was noticeably dropping…and picked up the folder that Goin had given me。 I turned to page 1； which； apart from being titled B Island； started off without any preamble。
〃It is widely maintained；〃 it read； 〃that Olympus Productions is approaching the making of this； its latest production； in conditions so restrictive as to amount to an aura of almost total secrecy。 Allegations to this effect have subsequently made their appearance in popular and trade presses and in light of the absence of production office denials to the contrary those uncorroborated assertions have achieved a considerable degree of substance and credence which one might regard； in the circumstances； as being a psychological inevitability。〃 I read through this rubbish again； a travesty of the Queen's English fit only for the columns of the more learned Sunday papers； and then I got it： they were making a hush…hush picture and didn't care who knew。 And very good publicity it was for the film； too； I thought； but； no； I was doing the boys an injustice。 Or so the boys said。 The article continued：
〃Other cinematic productions〃…I assumed he meant films…〃have been approached and； on occasion； even executed under conditions of similar secrecy but those other and； one is afraid； spurious sub rosa ventures have had for their calculated aim nothing less； regrettably； than the extraction of the maximum free publicity。 This； we insist； and with some pride； is not the objective of Olympus Productions。〃 Good old Olympus； this I had to see； a cinema pany who didn't want free publicity： next thing we'd have the Bank of England turning its nose up at the sound of the word money。〃 〃Our frankly cabalistic approach to this production； which has given rise to so much intrigued and largely ill…informed speculation； has； in fact； been imposed upon us by considerations of the highest importance： the handling of this； a story which in the wrong hands might well generate potentially and dangerously explosive international repercussions； calls for the utmost in delicacy and finesse； essential qualities for the creation of what we confidently expect will be hailed as a cinematic masterpiece； but qualities which even we feel…nay； are certain…would not be able to overe the immense damage done by…and we are certain of this…the world…wide furore that would immediately and automatically follow the premature leaking of the story we intend to film。
〃We are confident； however； that when…there is no 〃If…this production is made in our own way； in our own time； and under the very strictest security conditions…this is why we have gone to the quite extraordinary lengths of obtaining notarised oaths of secrecy from every member of the cast and crew of the film project under discussion； including the managing director and his co…directors…we will have upon our hands； when this production is presented to a public； which will have been geared by that time to the highest degree of expectancy； a tour de force of so unparalleled an order that the justification for…〃
Mary Stuart sneezed and I blessed her； twice； once for her health and once for the heaven…sent interruption of the reading of this modestly phrased manifesto。 I glanced at her again just as she sneezed again。 She was sitting in a curiously huddled fashion； hands clasped tightly together； her face white and pinched。 I laid down the Olympus manifesto； unwrapped my rug； crossed the saloon in a zigzag totter which resulted from the now very pronounced pitching of the Morning Rose； sat beside her and took her hands in mine。 They were icily cold。
〃You're freezing；〃 I said somewhat unnecessarily。
〃I'm all right。 I'm just a bit tired。〃
〃Why don't you go below to your cabin？ It's at least twenty degrees warmer down there and you'll never sleep up here if you have to keep bracing yourself all the time from falling off your seat。〃
〃No。 I don't sleep down there either。 I've hardly slept since…〃 She broke off。 〃And I don't feel nearly so…so queasy up here。 Please。〃
I don't give up easily。 I said： 〃Then at least take my corner scat； you'll be much more fortable there。〃
She took her hands away。 〃Please。 Just leave me！'
I gave up。 I left her。 I took three wavering steps in the direction of my scat； halted in irritation； turned back to her and hauled her none too gently to her feel？。 She looked at me； not speaking； in tired surprise； and continued to say nothing； and to offer no resistance； as I led her across to my corner； brought out another two steamer rugs； cocooned her in those； lifted her feel？ onto the settee and sat beside her。 She looked up at me for a few seconds； her gaze transferring itself from my right eye to my left and back again； then she turned her face to me； closed her eyes and slid one of her icy hands under my jacket。 During all this performance she didn't speak once or permit any expression to appear on her face and I would have been deeply moved by this touching trust in me were it not for the reflection that if it were her purpose or instructions to keep as close an eye as possible on me she could hardly； even in her most optimistic moments ； have hoped to arrive at a situation where she could keep an eye within half an inch of my shirt front。 I couldn't even take a deep breath without her knowing all about it。 On the other hand； if she were as innocent as the driven snow that had now pletely obscured the plate glass not six inches from my head； then it was less than likely that any illdisposed citizen or citizens would contemplate taking action of a violent
So and permanent nature against me as long as I had Mary Stuart practically sitting on my lap。 It was； I thought； a pretty even trade。 I looked down at the half…hidden lovely face and reflected that I was possibly having a shade the better of the deal。 I reached for my own rug； draped it round my shoulders in Navaho style； picked up the Olympus manifesto again and continued to read。 The next two pages were largely a hyperbolic expansion of what had gone before with the writer…I assumed it was Heissman…harping on at nauseating length on the twin themes of the supreme artistic merit of the production and the necessity for absolute secrecy。 After this self…adulatory exercise； the writer got down to facts。
〃After long consideration； and the close examination and subsequent rejection of a very considerable number of possible alternatives； we finally decided upon Bear Island as the location for this project。 We are aware that all of you； and this includes the entire crew of the Morning Rose from Captain Imrie downwards； believed that we were heading for a destination in the neighbourhood of the Lofoten Islands off northern Norway and it was not exactly； shall we say； through fortuitous circumstance； that this rumour was gaining some currency in certain quarters in London immediately prior to our departure。 We make no apologies for what may superficially appear to be an unwarranted deception for it was essential to our purposes and the maintenance of secrecy that this subterfuge be adopted。
〃For the following brief description of Bear Island we are indebted to the Royal Geographical Society of Oslo； who have also furnished us with a translation。〃 That was a relief； just as long as the translator wasn't Heissman I might be able to get it on the first reading。 〃This information； it is perhaps superfluous to add； was obtained for us through the good offices of a third party entirely unconnected with Olympus Productions； a noted ornithologist who must remain entirely incognito。 It may be mentioned in the passing that the Norwegian Government has given us permission to film on the island。 We understand that it is their understanding that we propose to make a wild life documentary： such an understanding； far less a mitment； was not obtained from us。〃
I wondered about the last bit…not the cleverer… than…thou smugness of it； that was clearly inseparable from everything Heissman wrote…but the fact that he should say it at all。 Heissman； clearly； was not a man much given to hiding his own brilliance…the phrase low cunning〃 would not have occurred to him…under a bushel but equally he wasn't a man who would permit this particular type of self gratification to lead him into〃 danger。 Almost certainly if the Norwegians did find out they had been deluded there would be nothing in international law they could do about it…Olympus wouldn't have overlooked anything so obvious…other than ban the pleted film from their country and as Norway could hardly be regarded as a major market this would cause few sleepless nights。 On the other hand； it would be effective in stilling any qualms of conscience …true； this was a world of the cinema but Heissman would be unlikely to overlook even the most remote possibility…that might have arisen had the project been denied even this superficial official blessing； and the very fact that they were being made privy to the secret inner workings of Olympus would tend to bind both cast and crew closer to the pany for it is an almost universal law of nature that mankind； which is still in the painful process of growing up； dearly loves its little closed and/or secret societies； whether those be the most remote Masonic Lodge in Saskatchewan or White's of St。 James's； and tend to form an intense personal attachment and loyalty to other members of that group while presenting a united front to the world of the unfortunates beyond their doors。 I did not overlook the possibility that there might be another； and conceivably sinister ； interpretation of Heissman's confidential frankness but as it was now into the early hours of the morning I didn't particularly feel like seeking it out。
〃Bear Island；〃 the resume began。 〃One of the Svalbard group； of which Spitzbergen is much the largest。 This group remained neutral and unclaimed until the beginning of the 20th Century when； because of its very considerable investments in the exploitation of mineral resources and the establishment of whaling operation； Norway requested sovereignty of the area； placing her petition before the Conference〃…they didn't specify what conference…〃at Christiana （Oslo） in 1910； 1912； and again in 1914。 On each occasion Russian objections prevented ratification of the proposals。 However； in 1919 the Allied Supreme Council granted Norway sovereignty； formal possession being taken on August 14； 1925。〃
Having established the ownership beyond all doubt the report proceeded： 〃The （Bear） island； 74'28w； 1913'E。； lies some 260 miles N。NW。 of North Cape； Norway； and some 140 miles south of Spitzbergen and may be regarded as the meeting point of the Norwegian； Greenland； and Barents seas。 In terms of distance from its nearest neighbours ； this is the most isolated island in the Arctic。〃
There followed a long and for me highly uninteresting account of the island's history which seemed to consist mainly of interminable squabbles between Norwegians； Germans； and Russians over whaling and mining rights…although I was mildly intrigued to learn that as recently as the 20S there had been as many as a hundred and eighty Norwegians working the coal mines at Tunheim in the northeast of the island…I would have imagined that even the polar bears； after whom the island was named； would have given this desolation as wide a berth as possible。 The mines； it seemed； had been closed down following a geological survey which showed that the purity and thickness of the seams were not sufficient to make it a profitable proposition。 The island； however； was not entirely uninhabited even today： it appeared that the Norwegian Government maintained a meteorological and radio station at Tunheim。
Then came articles on the natural resources； vegetation and animal life； all of which I took as re