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nt to talk to anybody else。 Heissman embarked upon a pedantic and what promised to be lengthy lecture about Arctic survival； a subject concerning which his long and intimate acquaintance with Siberia presumably made him uniquely qualified to speak； but there were no takers； it was questionable whether he was even listening to himself。 Then he； Otto； and Neal Divine began a rather desultory discussion of their plans for…weather permitting…the following day's shooting； but obviously they hadn't their hearts even in that。 It was； eventually； Conrad who put his finger on the cause of the general malaise； or； more accurately； expressed the thought that was in the mind of everybody with the possible exception of myself。
He said to Heissman： In the Arctic； in winter； you require torches。
Right？'；
〃Right。'
〃We have them？〃
〃Plenty； of course。 Why？〃
〃Because I want one。 I want to go out。 We've been in here now； all of us； how long； I don't know； twenty minutes at least and for all we know there may be a man out there sick or hurt or frost…bitten or maybe fallen and broken a leg。〃
〃Oh； e now； e now； that's pitching it a bit strongly； Charles；〃
Otto said。 〃Mr。 Smith has always struck me as a man eminently able to take care of himself。〃 Otto would probably have said the same thing if he'd been watching Smithy being mangled by a polar bear： because of both nature and build Otto was not a man to bee unnecessarily involved in anything even remotely physical。 If you don't really care； why don't you e out and say so？〃 This was a new side of Conrad to me and he continued to develop his theme at my expense。 〃I'd have thought you'd have been the first to suggest this； Dr。 Marlowe。〃 I might have been； too； had I not known considerably more about Smithy than he did。
I don't mind being the second；〃 I said agreeably。
In the event； we all went； with the exception of Otto； who plained of feeling unwell and Judith Haynes who roundly maintained that it was all nonsense and that Mr。 Smith would conic back ；；；；hen he felt like it； an opinion which I held myself but for reasons entirely different from hers。 We were all provided with torches and agreed to keep as closely together as possible or； if separated； to be back inside thirty minutes at the latest。
The party set off in a wide sweep up the escarpment fronting the Sor…Hamna to the north。 At least； the others did。 I headed straight for the equipment hut where the diesel generator was thudding away reassuringly for it was unlikely that anyone of us would be missed…no one would probably be aware of the presence of any other than his immediate neighbours…and the best place to sit out a wild goose chase was the warmest and most sheltered spot I could find。 With my torch switched off。 so as not to betray my presence I opened the door of the hut； passed inside； closed the door； took a step forward and swore out loud as I stumbled over something paratively yielding and almost measured my length on the planked floor。 I recovered； turned； and switched on my torch。
A man was lying stretched out on the floor and to my total lack of surprise it proved to be Smithy。 He stirred and groaned； half…turned； raised a feeble arm to protect his eyes from the bright glare of the torch； then slumped back again； his arm falling limply by his side； his eyes closed。
There was blood smeared over his left cheek。 He stirred uneasily； moving from side to side and moaning in that soft fashion a man does when he is close to the borderline of consciousness。
〃Does it hurt much； Smithy？〃 I asked。
He moaned some more。
〃Where you scratched your cheek with a handful of frozen snow；〃 I said。
He stopped moving and he stopped moaning。
〃The edy act we'll keep for later in the programme；〃 I said coldly。
In the meantime； will you kindly get up and explain to me why you've behaved like an irresponsible idiot？〃
I placed the torch on the generator casing so that the beam shone upwards。 It didn't give much light； just enough to show Smithy's carefully expressionless face as lie got to his feel？
〃What do you mean？〃 he said。
〃TQS I82I3I； James R。 Huntingdon； Colder Greens and Beirut； currently and wrongly known as Joseph Rank Smith is who I mean。〃
I guess I'm the irresponsible idiot you mean；〃 Smithy said。 〃It would be nice to have introductions all round。〃
〃Dr。 Marlowe；〃 I said。 He kept the same carefully expressionless face。
〃Four years and four months ago when we took you from your nice cosy job as Chief Officer in that broken…down Lebanese tanker we thought you had a future with us。 A bright one。 Even four months ago we thought the same thing。 But here； now； I'm very far from sure。〃
Smithy smiled but his heart wasn't in it。 〃You can't very well fire me on Bear Island。〃
I can fire you in Timbuctoo if I want to；〃 I said matter…of…factly。 〃Well； e on。
〃You might have made yourself known to me。〃 Smithy sounded aggrieved and I supposed I would have been also in his position。 I was beginning to guess。 I didn't know there was anyone else aboard apart from Me。
〃You weren't supposed to know。 You weren't supposed to guess。 You were supposed to do exactly what you were told。 Just that and no more。 You remember the last line in your written instructions？ They were underlined。 A quotation from Milton。 I underlined it。〃
〃'They also serve who only stand and wait；〃〃 Smithy said。 〃Corny； I thought it at the time。〃
〃I've had a limited education；〃 I said。 〃Point is； did you stand and wait？
Did you hell。 Your orders were as simple and explicit as orders could ever be。 Remain constantly aboard the Morning Rose until contacted。 Do not； under any circumstances； leave the vessel even to step ashore。 Do not； repeat not； attempt to conduct any investigations upon your own； do not seek to discover anything； at all times behave like a stereotype merchant navy officer。 This you failed to do。 I wanted you aboard that ship； Smithy。
I needed you aboard…now。 And where are you…stuck in a Godforsaken hut on Bear Island。 Why in God's name couldn't you follow out simple instructions？〃
〃OK。 My fault。 But I thought I was alone。 Circumstances alter cases； don't they？ With four men mysteriously dead and four others pretty close to death…well； damn it all； am I supposed to stand by and do nothing？
Am I supposed to have no initiative； not to think for myself even once？〃
〃Not till you're told to。 And now look where you've left me…one hand behind my back。 The Morning Rose was my other hand and now you've deprived me of it。 I wanted it on call and close to hand every hour of the day and night。 I might need it at any time…and now I haven't got it。 Is there anybody aboard that blasted trawler who could maintain position just offshore in the darkest night or bring her up the Sor…Hamna in a full blizzard？ You know damn well there's not。 Captain Imrie couldn't bring her up the Clyde on a midsummer's afternoon。〃
〃You have a radio with you then？ To municate with the trawler？〃
〃Of course。 Built into my medical case…no more than a police job； but range enough。〃
〃Be rather difficult to municate with the Morning Rose's transceiver lying in bits and pieces。〃
〃How very true；〃 I said。 〃And why is it in bits and pieces？ Because on the bridge you started talking freely and at length about shouting for help over that selfsame radio and whistling up the NATO Atlantic forces if need be； while all the time some clever…cuts was taking his case out on the bridge wing drinking in every word you said。 I know； there were fresh tracks in the snow…well； my tracks； but re…used； if you follow me。 So； of course； our clever…cuts hies himself off。 and gets himself a heavy hammer。〃
I could have been more circumspect at that； I suppose。 You can have my apologies if you want them but I don't see them being all that useful at this stage。〃
〃I'm hardly in line myself for a citation for distinguished services； so we'll leave the apologies be。 Now that you're here…well； I won't have to watch my back so closely。〃
〃So they're on to you…whoever they are？〃
〃Whoever they are are unquestionably on to me。〃 I told him briefly all I knew； not all I thought I knew or suspected I knew； for I saw no point in making Smithy as confused as myself。 I went on： 〃Just so we don't act at cross…purposes； let me initiate any action that I…or we…may think may have to be taken。 I need hardly say that that doesn't deprive you of initiative if and when you find yourself or think you find yourself physically threatened。 In that event； you have my advance permission to flatten anybody。〃
〃That's nice to know。〃 Smithy smiled briefly for the first time。 〃It would be even nicer to know who it is that I'm likely to have to flatten。 It would be even nicer still to know what you who are； I gather； a fairly senior Treasury official； and I； whom I know to be a junior one； are doing on this goddamned island anyway。〃
〃The Treasury's basic concern is money； always money； in one shape or other and that's why we're here。 Not our money； not British money； but what we call international dirty money and all the members of the Central Banks co…operate very closely on this issue。〃
〃When you're as poor as I am； 〃 Smithy said； 〃there's no such thing as dirty money。〃
〃Even an underpaid civil servant like yourself wouldn't touch this lot。
This is all ill…gotten gains； illegal loot from the days of World War II。
This money has all been earned in blood and what has been recovered of it…and that's only a fraction of the total…has almost invariably been recovered in blood。 Even as late as the spring of I945 Germany was still a land of priceless treasures： by the summer of that year the cupboard was almost entirely bare。 Both the victors and the vanquished laid their sticky fingers on every imaginable object of value they could clap eyes on…gold； precious stones； old masters； securities…German bank securities issued forty years ago are still perfectly valid…and took off。 in every conceivable direction。 I need hardly say that none of those involved saw fit to declare their latest acquisitions to the proper authorities。〃 I looked at my watch。 ‘Your worried friends are scouring Bear Island for you…or a very small part of it； anyway。 A half…hour search。 I'll have to bring in your unconscious form in about fifteen minutes。〃
〃It all sounds pretty dull to me；〃 Smith said。 〃All this loot； I mean。 Was there much of it？〃
〃It all depends what you call much。 It's estimated that the Allies…and hen I say 〃Allies〃 I mean Britain and America as well as the much maligned Russians…managed to get hold of about two…thirds of the total。
That left the Nazis and their sympathisers with about a paltry one…third and the conservative estimate of that one…third…conservative； Smithy is that it amounts to approximately ？350；000；000。 Pounds sterling； you understand。〃
〃A thousand million all told？〃
〃Give or take a hundred million。〃
〃That childish remark about this being a dull subject。 Strike it off。 The record。〃
〃Granted。 Now this loot has found its way into some very odd places indeed。 Some of it； inevitably； lies in secret numbered bank accounts。 Some of it…there is no question about this…lies in the form of specie in some of the very deepest Austrian alpine lakes and has so far proved irrecoverable。 I know of two Raphaels in the cellar gallery of a Buenos Aires millionaire； a Michelangelo in Rio； several Hals and Rubens in the same illegal collection in New York and a Rembrandt in London。 Their owners are either people who have been in； were in or are closely connected to the governments or armed forces of the countries concerned： there's nothing the governments concerned can do about it and there are no signs that they're particularly keen to do anything about it anyway； they themselves might be the ultimate beneficiaries。 As lately as the end of I970 an international cartel went on the market with ？30；000；000 worth of perfectly valid German securities issued in the 〃30s； approaching in turn the London； New York； and Zurich markets but the Federal Bank of Germany refused to cash those until proper owner identification was established： the point is that it's an open secret that those securities were taken from the vaults of the Reichsbank in I945 by a special Red Army un