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de or ungrateful。 But I'm going。 Jimmy Grant was my mate。〃
〃I know how you feel；〃 Benson said。 〃I also know how 〃I〃 feel about ityour condition； I mean。 You're in no state to do anything except lie down。 You're making things very difficult for me。〃
〃I'm the captain of this ship；〃 Swanson put in mildly。 〃I can forbid it； you know。 I can say no and make it stick。〃
〃And you are making things difficult for us； sir；〃 Kinnaird said。 〃I don't reckon it would advance the cause of AngloAmerican unity very much if we started hauling off at our rescuers an hour or two after they'd saved us from certain death。〃 He smiled faintly。 〃Besides； look at what it might do to our wounds and burns。〃
Swanson cocked an eyebrow at me。 〃Well； they're your countrymen。〃
〃Dr。 Benson is perfectly correct；〃 I said。 〃But it's not worth a civil war。 If they could survive five or six days on that damned ice cap； I don't suppose a few minutes more is going to finish them off。〃
〃Well； if it does；〃 Swanson said heavily； 〃we'll blame you。〃
If I ever had any doubt about it； I didn't have then； not after ten minutes out in the open。 The Arctic ice cap was no place for a funeral； but I couldn't have imagined a more promising set…up for a funeral director who wanted to drum up some trade。 After the warmth of the 〃Dolphin〃； the cold seemed intense and within five minutes we were all shivering violently。 The darkness was as nearly absolute as it ever bees on the ice cap； the wind was lifting again； and thin flurries of snow came gusting through the night。 The solitary floodlight served only to emphasize the ghostly unreality of it all： the huddled circle of mourners with bent heads； the two shapeless； canvas…wrapped forms lying huddled at the base of an ice hummock； mander Swanson bent over his book； the wind and the snow snatching the half…heard mumble from his lips as he hurried through the burial service。 I caught barely one word in ten of the mittal and then it was all over： no meaningless rifle salutes； no empty blowing of bugles； just the service and the silence and the dark shapes of stumbling men hurriedly placing fragments of broken ice over the canvas…sheeted forms。 And within twentyfour hours the eternally drifting spicules and blowing snow would have sealed them forever in their icy tomb； and there they might remain forever； drifting in endless circles about the North Pole； or someday； perhaps a thousand years from then； an ice lead might open up and drop them down to the uncaring floor of the Arctic； their bodies as perfectly preserved as if they had died only that day。 It was a macabre thought。
Heads bent against the snow and ice； we hurried back to the shelter of the 〃Dolphin〃。 From the ice cap to the top of the sail it was a climb of over twenty feet up the almost vertically inclined huge slabs of ice that the submarine had pushed upward and sideways as she had forced her way through。 Hand lines had been rigged from the top of the sail； but even then it was a fairly tricky climb。 It was a set…up where； with the icy slope； the frozen slippery ropes； the darkness and the blinding effect of the snow and ice； an accident could all too easily happen。 And happen it did。
I was about six feet up； giving a hand to Jeremy； the lab technician from Zebra； whose burnt hands made it almost impossible for him to climb alone； when I heard a muffled cry above me。 I glanced up and had a darkly blurred impression of someone teetering on top of the sail； fighting for his balance； then jerked Jeremy violently toward me to save him from being swept away as that same someone lost his footing； toppled over backward； and hurtled down past us to the ice below。 I winced at the sound of the impact two sounds； rather： a heavy； muffled thud followed immediately by a sharper； crisper crack。 First the body； then the head。 I half imagined that I heard another sound afterward； but I couldn't be sure。 I handed Jeremy over to the care of someone else and slithered down an ice…coated rope； not looking forward very much to what I must see。 The fall had been the equivalent of a twenty…foot drop on to a concrete floor。
Hansen had got there before me and was shining his light； not on one prostrate figure； as I had expected； but on two。 Benson and Jolly； both of them out cold。
I said to Hansen； 〃Did you see what happened？〃
〃No。 Happened too quickly。 All I know is that it was Benson that did the falling and Jolly that did the cushioning。 Jolly was beside me only a few seconds before the fall。〃
〃If that's the case； then Jolly probably saved your doctor's life。 We'll need to strap them in stretchers and haul them up and inside。 We can't leave them out … here。〃
〃Stretchers？ Well； yes； if you say so。 But they might some around any minute。〃
〃One of them might。 But one of them is not going to e around for a long time。 You heard that crack when a head hit the ice； it was like someone being clouted over the head with a fence post。 And 1 don't know which it is yet。〃
Hansen left。 I stooped over Benson and eased back the hood of the duffel coat he was wearing。 A fence post was just about right。 The side of his head； an inch above the right ear； was a blood…smeared mess； a three…inch…long gash in the purpling flesh with the blood already coagulating in the bitter cold。 Two inches further forward and he'd have been a dead man； the thin bone behind the temple would have shattered under such an impact。 For Benson's sake； I hoped the rest of his skull was pretty thick。 No question but that this had been the sharp crack I'd heard。
Benson's breathing was very shallow； the movement of his chest barely discernible。 Jolly's； on the other hand； was fairly deep and regular。 I pulled back his anorak hood； probed carefully over his head； and encountered a slight puffiness far back； near the top on the left…hand side。 The inference seemed obvious。 I hadn't been imagining things when I thought I had heard a second sound after the sharp crack caused by Benson's head striking against the ice。 Jolly must have been in the way of the falling Benson； not directly enough beneath him to break his fall in any way； but directly enough to be knocked backward on to the ice and bang the back of his head as he fell。
It took ten minutes to have them strapped in stretchers； taken inside； and placed in a couple of temporary cots in the sick bay。 With Swanson waiting anxiously； I attended to Benson first； though there was little enough I could do。 I had just started on Jolly when his eyes flickered and he slowly came back to consciousness； groaning a bit and trying to hold the back of his head。 He made an effort to sit up in his cot； but I restrained him。
〃Oh； Lord； my head。〃 Several times he squeezed his eyes tightly shut； opened them wide； focused with difficulty on the bulkhead riotous with the color of Benson's cartoon characters； then looked away as if he didn't believe it。 〃Oh； my word； that must have been a dilly。 Who did it； old boy？〃
〃Did what？〃 Swanson asked。
〃Walloped me on the old bean。 Who？ Eh？〃
〃You mean to say you don't remember？〃
〃Remember？〃 Jolly said irritably。 〃How the devil should I〃 fle broke off as his eye caught sight of Be