the moon pool-第12部分

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〃Sail　he　b'long　port　side！〃



Da　Costa　straightened　and　gazed　while　I　raised　my　glass。

The　vessel　was　a　scant　mile　away；　and　must　have　been　visible

long　before　the　sleepy　watcher　had　seen　her。　　She　was　a

sloop　about　the　size　of　the　Suwarna；　without　power。　　All

sails　set；　even　to　a　spinnaker　she　carried；　she　was　making

the　best　of　the　little　breeze。　　I　tried　to　read　her　name；　but

the　vessel　jibed　sharply　as　though　the　hands　of　the　man　at

the　wheel　had　suddenly　dropped　the　helmand　then　with

equal　abruptness　swung　back　to　her　course。　　The　stern　came

in　sight；　and　on　it　I　read　Brunhilda。



I　shifted　my　glasses　to　the　man　at　wheel。　　He　was　crouch…

ing　down　over　the　spokes　in　a　helpless；　huddled　sort　of　way；

and　even　as　I　looked　the　vessel　veered　again；　abruptly　as

before。　　I　saw　the　helmsman　straighten　up　and　bring　the

wheel　about　with　a　vicious　jerk。



He　stood　so　for　a　moment；　looking　straight　ahead；　entirely

oblivious　of　us；　and　then　seemed　again　to　sink　down　within

himself。　　It　came　to　me　that　his　was　the　action　of　a　man　striv…

ing　vainly　against　a　weariness　unutterable。　　I　swept　the　deck

with　my　glasses。　　There　was　no　other　sign　of　life。　　I　turned　to

find　the　Portuguese　staring　intently　and　with　puzzled　air　at

the　sloop；　now　separated　from　us　by　a　scant　half　mile。



〃Something　veree　wrong　I　think　there；　sair；〃　he　said　in

his　curious　English。　　〃The　man　on　deck　I　know。　　He　is　cap…

tain　and　owner　of　the　Br…rwun'ild。　　His　name　Olaf　Huldricks…

son；　what　you　sayNorwegian。　　He　is　eithair　veree　sick　or

veree　tiredbut　I　do　not　undweerstand　where　is　the　crew

and　the　starb'd　boat　is　gone〃



He　shouted　an　order　to　the　engineer　and　as　he　did　so　the

faint　breeze　failed　and　the　sails　of　the　Brunhilda　flapped

down　inert。　　We　were　now　nearly　abreast　and　a　scant　hun…

dred　yards　away。　　The　engine　of　the　Suwarna　died　and　the

Tonga　boys　leaped　to　one　of　the　boats。



〃You　Olaf　Huldricksson！〃　shouted　Da　Costa。　　〃What's　a

matter　wit'　you？〃



The　man　at　the　wheel　turned　toward　us。　　He　was　a　giant；

his　shoulders　enormous；　thick　chested；　strength　in　every　line

of　him；　he　towered　like　a　viking　of　old　at　the　rudder　bar　of

his　shark　ship。



I　raised　the　glass　again；　his　face　sprang　into　the　lens　and

never　have　I　seen　a　visage　lined　and　marked　as　though　by

ages　of　unsleeping　misery　as　was　that　of　Olaf　Huldricksson！



The　Tonga　boys　had　the　boat　alongside　and　were　waiting

at　the　oars。　　The　little　captain　was　dropping　into　it。



〃Wait！〃　I　cried。　　I　ran　into　my　cabin；　grasped　my　emerg…

ency　medical　kit　and　climbed　down　the　rope　ladder。　　The

Tonga　boys　bent　to　the　oars。　　We　reached　the　side　and　Da

Costa　and　I　each　seized　a　lanyard　dangling　from　the　stays

and　swung　ourselves　on　board。　　Da　Costa　approached　Hul…

dricksson　softly。



〃What's　the　matter；　Olaf？〃　he　beganand　then　was　silent；

looking　down　at　the　wheel。　　The　hands　of　Huldricksson　were

lashed　fast　to　the　spokes　by　thongs　of　thin；　strong　cord；　they

were　swollen　and　black　and　the　thongs　had　bitten　into　the

sinewy　wrists　till　they　were　hidden　in　the　outraged　flesh；

cutting　so　deeply　that　blood　fell；　slow　drop　by　drop；　at　his

feet！　　We　sprang　toward　him；　reaching　out　hands　to　his　fetters

to　loose　them。　　Even　as　we　touched　them；　Huldricksson

aimed　a　vicious　kick　at　me　and　then　another　at　Da　Costa

which　sent　the　Portuguese　tumbling　into　the　scuppers。



〃Let　be！〃　croaked　Huldricksson；　his　voice　was　thick　and

lifeless　as　though　forced　from　a　dead　throat；　his　lips　were

cracked　and　dry　and　his　parched　tongue　was　black。　　〃Let　be！

Go！　　Let　be！〃



　The　Portuguese　had　picked　himself　up；　whimpering　with

rage　and　knife　in　hand；　but　as　Huldricksson's　voice　reached

him　he　stopped。　　Amazement　crept　into　his　eyes　and　as　he

thrust　the　blade　back　into　his　belt　they　softened　with　pity。



〃Something　veree　wrong　wit'　Olaf；〃　he　murmured　to　me。

〃I　think　he　crazee！〃　And　then　Olaf　Huldricksson　began　to

curse　us。　　He　did　not　speakhe　howled　from　that　hideously

dry　mouth　his　imprecations。　　And　all　the　time　his　red　eyes

roamed　the　seas　and　his　hands；　clenched　and　rigid　on　the

wheel；　dropped　blood。



〃I　go　below；〃　said　Da　Costa　nervously。　　〃His　wife；　his

daughter〃　he　darted　down　the　companionway　and　was

gone。



Huldricksson；　silent　once　more；　had　slumped　down　over

the　wheel。



Da　Costa's　head　appeared　at　the　top　of　the　companion

steps。



〃There　is　nobody；　nobody；〃　he　pausedthen〃nobody

nowhere！〃　His　hands　flew　out　in　a　gesture　of　hopeless　in…

comprehension。　　〃I　do　not　understan'。〃



Then　Olaf　Huldricksson　opened　his　dry　lips　and　as　he

spoke　a　chill　ran　through　me；　checking　my　heart。



〃The　sparkling　devil　took　them！〃　croaked　Olaf　Huldricks…

son；　〃the　sparkling　devil　took　them！　　Took　my　Helma　and　my

little　Freda！　　The　sparkling　devil　came　down　from　the　moon

and　took　them！〃



He　swayed；　tears　dripped　down　his　cheeks。　　Da　Costa

moved　toward　him　again　and　again　Huldricksson　watched

him；　alertly；　wickedly；　from　his　bloodshot　eyes。



I　took　a　hypodermic　from　my　case　and　filled　it　with　mor…

phine。　　I　drew　Da　Costa　to　me。



〃Get　to　the　side　of　him；〃　I　whispered；　〃talk　to　him。〃　He

moved　over　toward　the　wheel。



〃Where　is　your　Helma　and　Freda；　Olaf？〃　he　said。



Huldricksson　turned　his　head　toward　him。　　〃The　shining

devil　took　them；〃　he　croaked。　　〃The　moon　devil　that

spark〃



A　yell　broke　from　him。　　I　had　thrust　the　needle　into　his

arm　just　above　one　swollen　wrist　and　had　quickly　shot　the

drug　through。　　He　struggled　to　release　himself　and　then　be…

gan　to　rock　drunkenly。　　The　morphine；　taking　him　in　his

weakness；　worked　quickly。　　Soon　over　his　face　a　peace

dropped。　　The　pupils　of　the　staring　eyes　contracted。　　Once；

twice；　he　swayed　and　then；　his　bleeding；　prisoned　hands　held

high　and　still　gripping　the　wheel；　he　crumpled　to　the　deck。



With　utmost　difficulty　we　loosed　the　thongs；　but　at　last　it

was　done。　　We　rigged　a　little　swing　and　the　Tonga　boys　slung

the　great　inert　body　over　the　side　into　the　dory。　　Soon　we　had

Huldricksson　in　my　bunk。　　Da　Costa　sent　half　his　crew　over

to　the　sloop　in　charge　of　the　Cantonese。　　They　took　in　all　sail；

stripping　Huldricksson's　boat　to　the　masts　and　then　with

the　Brunhilda　nosing　quietly　along　after　us　at　the　end　of　a

long　hawser；　one　of　the　Tonga　boys　at　her　wheel；　we　re…

sumed　the　way　so　enigmatically　interrupted。



I　cleansed　and　bandaged　the　Norseman's　lacerated　wrists

and　sponged　the　blackened；　parched　mouth　with　warm　water

and　a　mild　antiseptic。



Suddenly　I　was　aware　of　Da　Costa's　presence　and　turned。

His　unease　was　manifest　and　held；　it　seemed　to　me；　a　queer；

furtive　anxiety。



〃What　you　think　of　Olaf；　sair？〃　he　asked。　　I　shrugged　my

shoulders。　　〃You　think　he　killed　his　woman　and　his　babee？〃

He　went　on。　　〃You　think　he　crazee　and　killed　all？〃



〃Nonsense；　Da　Costa；〃　I　answered。　　〃You　saw　the　boat

was　gone。　　Most　probably　his　crew　mutinied　and　to　torture

him　tied　hi