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〃None。 Correction。 One of the passengers…Mahler…turns out to be an advanced diabetic。 He's in a bad way。 Radio Uplavnik to get insulin。 Godthaab will have it。〃
〃Wilco；〃 the microphone crackled back。 A long pause； during which I could faintly hear the murmur of conversation； then Hillcrest came on again。 〃Suggest you return to meet us。 We have plenty of petrol； plenty of food。 With eight of us on guard instead of two； nothing could happen。 We're already forty miles out〃 …1 glanced at Jackstraw； caught the sudden wrinkling of the eyes which I knew to be the tell…tale sign of a quick grin of astonished delight which so accurately reflected my own feelings…'so not more than eighty miles behind you。 We could meet up in five or six hours。〃
I felt elation wash through me like a releasing wave。 This was wonderful； this was more than anything I had ever dared hope for。 All our troubles were at an end。 。 。 。 And then the momentary emotion of relief and triumph ebbed； the cold dismaying processes of reason moved in inexorably to take their place； and it didn't require the slow； definite shake of Jackstraw's head to tell me that the end of our troubles was as far away as ever。
〃No go；〃 I radioed back。 〃Quite fatal。 The minute we turned back the killers would be bound to show their hand。 And even if we don't turn they know now that we've been in contact with you and will be more desperate than ever。 We must go on。 Please follow at your best speed。〃 I paused for a moment； then continued。 〃Emphasise to Uplavnik essential for our lives to know why crashed plane so important。 Tell them to find out the passenger list； how genuine it is。 This is absolutely imperative； Captain Hillcrest。 Refuse to accept 'No' for an answer。 We must know。〃
We talked for another minute； but we'd really said all there was to be said。 Besides； even during the brief periods that I'd pushed down my snow…mask to speak the cold had struck so cruelly at my cut and bleeding lips that I could now raise scarcely more than a mumble； so after arranging an 8 p。m。 rendezvous and making a time…check I signed off。
Back in the tractor cabin curiosity had reached fever pitch； but at least three minutes elapsed…three excruciatingly unfortable minutes while Jackstraw and I waited for the blood to e surging back through our frozen veins…before anyone ventured to speak。 The inevitable question came from the Senator…a now very much chastened Senator who had lost much of his choler and all of his colour； with the heavy jowls； hanging more loosely than ever； showing unhealthily pale through the grey grizzle of beard。 The very fact that he spoke showed； I suppose； that he didn't regard himself as being heavily under suspicion。 He was right enough in that。
〃Made contact with your friends； Dr Mason； eh？ The field party； I mean。〃 His voice was hesitant； unsure。
〃Yes；〃 I nodded。 〃Joss…Mr London…got the set working after almost thirty hours' non…stop work。 He raised Captain Hillcrest …he's in charge of the field party…and managed to establish a relay contact between us。〃 I'd never heard of the phrase 'relay contact' in my life； but it sounded scientific enough。 〃He's packing up immediately； and ing after us。〃
〃Is that good？〃 the Senator asked hopefully。 〃I mean； how long…？〃
〃Only a gesture； I'm afraid；〃 I interrupted。 〃He's at least 258 miles away。 His tractor's not a great deal faster than ours。〃 It was； in fact； almost three times as fast。 〃Five or six days； at the least。〃
Brewster nodded heavily and said no more。 He looked disappointed； but he looked as if he believed me。 I wondered which of them didn't believe me； which of them knew I was lying because they knew that they had so thoroughly destroyed all the spare condensers and valves that it would have been quite impossible for Joss to repair the RCA。
The long bitter day； a day filled by nothing except that dreadful cold； an endless suffering and the nerve…destroying thunderous roar and vibration of that big engine； crawled by like a dying man。 About two…thirty in the afternoon； as the last glow of the noon…light faded and the stars began to stand clear in the cold and brittle sky； the temperature reached its nadir…a frightening 73 degrees below zero。 Then it was； that strange things happened： flashlights brought from under a parka died out inside a minute： rubber became hard as wood and cracked and fractured like wood： breath was an opaque white cloud that shrouded the heads of every person who ventured outside the tractor body： the ice…cap froze to such an unprecedented degree of hardness that the tractor treads spun and slipped on flat surfaces； the crimp marks no more than half…seen hairlines on the ground： the dogs； who could with impunity stand up to howling blizzards that would kill any man； whined and wailed in their utter misery in that appalling cold： and； now and again； like some far…off intimation of doom and the end of the world； a dull rumbling sound would e echoing across the ice…cap and the ground shake beneath the treads of the tractor as some great areas of snow and ice contracted still farther under the iron hand of that glacial cold。
It was then； inevitably； that the tractor started to give trouble： it was only a matter for wonder that it hadn't broken down long before that。 What I feared above all was the shearing of some moving metal part； made brittle by that intense cold； that would have been the end of us： a valve…stem； a cam…rod； any one part of the delicate timing mechanism； even so small a thing as a crankshaft pin： it needed just one of these to go； and we would be gone also。
We were spared these lethal mishaps； but what we had was almost as bad。 Carburettor ice was a constant problem。 The steering box froze up and had to be thawed out by blow…torches。 Generator brushes stuck and broke； but fortunately we carried spares enough of these。 But the biggest trouble was the radiator。 Despite the fact that we had it heavily lagged； the cold penetrated the lagging as if it were tissue paper and the subsequent metal contraction produced distortion。 Soon it began to leak； and by three o'clock in the afternoon we were losing water at dismaying speed。 I doled out some of our precious reserves of heat pads for Mahler's feet； with the instructions that the water from the snow…buckets on the stove was to be kept solely for the radiator。 But even with blow…torches assisting the heat of a stove； the melting of super…chilled snow is a discouragingly slow process： soon we were reduced to pouring half…melted slush down the radiator cap； and finally to cramming snow itself down in order to keep going at all。 All this was bad enough： but the frightening thing was that for every pint of radiator liquid lost and every pint of snow…water used to replace it； the anti…freeze became that much more diluted； and though we carried a small reserve drum of ethylene glycol its weight diminished perceptibly with every halt we made。
We had； hours before that； dispensed with a lookout； and the burden of all this work fell on Jackstraw； Zagero； Corazzini and myself。 Of the four of us； Jackstraw was the only one who escaped what I knew would be permane