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！
son； you were in charge of the fuel store and generator hut。 Have you no opinion on this？〃
〃None。 It 〃must〃 have been electrical； but how I can't guess。 It's possible that there was a leakage from one of the fuel drums and that oil vapor was present in the air。 There were two black heaters in； the fuel store； designed to keep the temperature up to zero Fahrenheit so that the oil would always flow freely。 Arcing across the make and break of the thermostats might have ignited the gas。 But it's only a wild guess； of course。
〃No possibility of any smoldering rags or cigarette butts being the cause？〃
Hewson's face turned a dusky red。 〃Look； mister； I know my job。 Burning rags； cigarette butts； I know how to keep a bloody fuel store〃
〃Keep your shirt on；〃 I interrupted。 〃No offense。 I'm only doing 〃my〃 job。〃 I turned back to Naseby。 〃After you'd sent Hewson to rouse Captain Folsom； what then？〃
〃I ran across to the radio roomthat's the hut due south of the cookhouse and west of Major Halliwell's〃
〃But those two lab techniciansFlanders and Bryce； wasn't it？surely you made sure they were awake and out of it before you left the dining hail？〃
〃God help me； I didn't。〃 Nasehy stared down at the deck； his shoulders hunched； his face bleak。 〃They're dead。 It's my fault they're dead。 But you don't know what it was like inside that dining hail。 Flames were breaking through the east wall； the place was full of choking smoke and oil； I couldn't see； I could hardly breathe。 I shook them both and shouted at them to get out。 I shook them hard and I certainly shouted loud enough。〃
〃I can bear him out on that；〃 Hewson said quietly。 〃I was right beside him at the time。〃
〃I didn't wait；〃 Naseby went on。 〃I wasn't thinking of saving my own skin。 I thought Flanders and Bryce were all right and that they would be out the door on my heels。 I wanted to warn the others。 It wasn'tit wasn't until minutes later that I realized there was no sign of them。 And then…well； then it was too late。〃
〃You ran across to the radio room。 That's where you slept； Kinnaird； wasn't it？〃
〃That's where I slept； yes。〃 His mouth twisted。 〃Me and my mate Grant； the boy that died yesterday。 And Dr。 Jolly slept in the partitioned…off east end of the hut。 That's where he had his surgery and the little cubby hole where he carried out his tests on ice samples。〃
〃So your end would have started to go on fire first？〃 I said to Jolly。
〃Must have done；〃 he agreed。 〃Quite frankly； old chap； my recollection of the whole thing is just like a dreama nightmare； rather。 I was almost asphyxiated in my sleep； I think。 First thing I remember was young Grant bending over me； shaking me and shouting。 Can't recall what he was shouting； but it must have been that the hut was on fire。 I don't know what I said or did； probably nothing； for the next thing I clearly remember was being hit on both sides of the face； and not too gently； either。 But； by Jove； it worked。 I got to my feet； and he dragged me out of my office into the radio room。 I owe my life to young Grant。 I'd just enough sense left to grab the emergency medical kit that I always kept packed。〃
〃What woke Grant？〃
〃Naseby here woke him；〃 Kinnaird said。 〃He woke us both； shouting and hammering on the door。 If it hadn't been for him； Dr。 Jolly and I would both have been goners。 The air inside that place was like poison gas； and I'm sure if Naseby hadn't shouted on us； we would never have woken up。 I told Grant to wake the doctor while I tried to get the outside door open。〃
〃It was locked？
〃The damned thing was jammed。 That was nothing unusual at night。 During the day； when the heaters were going full blast to keep the huts at a decent working temperature； the ice around the doors tended to melt。 At night； when we got into our sleeping bags； we turned our heaters down； and the melted ice froze hard around the door openings； sealing it solid。 That happened most nights in most of the hutsusually had to break our way out in the morning。 But I can tell you that I didn't take too long to burst it open that night。〃
〃And then？〃
〃I ran out；〃 Kinnaird said。 〃I couldn't see a thing for black smoke and flying oil。 I ran maybe twenty yards to the south to get some idea of what was happening。 The whole camp seemed to be on fire。 When you're woken up like that at two in the morning； half blinded； half asleep and groggy with fumes； your mind isn't at its best but thank God I'd enough left of my mind to realize that an S。O。S。 radio message was the one thing that was going to save our lives。 So I went back inside the radio hut。〃
〃We all owe our lives to Kinnaird。〃 Speaking for the first time was Jeremy； a burly； red…haired Canadian who had been chief technician on the base。 〃And if I'd been a bit quicker with my hands； we'd all have been dead。〃
〃Oh； for Christ's sake； mate； shut up；〃 Kinnaird growled。
〃I won't shut up；〃 Jeremy said soberly。 〃Besides； Dr。 Carpenter wants a full report。 I was the first out of the main bunkhouse after Captain Folsom。 As Hewson said； we tried the extinguisher on Major Halliwell's hut。 It was hopeless from the beginning； but we had to do itafter all； we knew there were four men trapped in there。 But； like I say； it was a waste of time。 Captain Folsom shouted that he was going to get another extinguisher and told me to see how things were in the radio room。
〃The place was ablaze from end to end。 As I came around as close as I could to the door at the west end I saw Naseby here bending over Dr。 Jolly； who'd keeled over as soon as he had e out into the fresh air。 He shouted to me to give him a hand to drag Dr。 Jolly clear； and I was just about to when Kinnaird came running up。 I saw that he was heading straight for the door of the radio room。〃 He smiled without humor。 〃I thought he had gone off his rocker。 I jumped in front of him to stop him。 He shouted at me to get out of the way。 I told him not to be crazy； and he yelledyou had to yell to make yourself heard above the roar of the flamesthat he had to get the portable radio out； that all the oil was gone； and the generator and the cookhouse with all the food were burning up。 He knocked me down； and the next thing I saw was him disappearing through that door。 Smoke and flames were pouring through the doorway。 I don't know how he ever got out alive。〃
〃Was that how you got your face and hands so badly burned？〃 mander Swanson asked quietly。 He was standing in a far corner of the wardroom； having taken no part in the discussion up till now but missing nothing； all the same。 That was why I had asked him to be present； just because he was a man who missed nothing。
〃I guess so； sir。〃
〃That should earn you a trip to Buckingham Palace；〃 Swanson murmured。
〃The hell with Buckingham Palace；〃 Kinnaird said violently。 〃How about my mate； eh？ How about young Jimmy Grant？ Can he make the trip to Buckingham Palace？ Not now he can't； the poor bastard。 Do you know what he was doing？ He was still 〃inside〃 the radio room when I went back in； sitting at the main transmitter； sending out an S。O。S。 on our regular frequency。 His clothes were on fire。 I dragged him off his seat and shouted to him to grab some Nife