Until now, Neeland had not been scared; Ali Baba and his automatic pistol were only part of this unreality; his appearance on the scene had been fantastically classical; he entered when his cue was given by Scheherazade—this oily, hawk-nosed Eurasian with his pale eyes set too closely and his moustache hiding under his nose à la Enver Pasha—a faultless make-up, an entry properly timed and prepared. And then, always well-timed for dramatic effect, Golden Beard had appeared. Everything was en règle, every unity1 nicely preserved. Scheherazade had protested; and her protest sounded genuine. Also entirely2 convincing was the binding3 and gagging of himself at the point of an automatic pistol; and, as for the rest of the business, it was practically all action and little dialogue—an achievement really in these days of dissertation4.
All, as he looked on at it over the bandage which closed his mouth, had seemed unreal, impersonal5, even when his forced attitude had caused him inconvenience and finally pain.
But now, with the light extinguished and the closing of the door behind Golden Beard and Ali Baba, he 247experienced a shock which began to awaken6 him to the almost incredible and instant reality of things.
It actually began to look as though these story-book conspirators—these hirelings of a foreign government who had not been convincing because they were too obvious, too well done—actually intended to expose him to serious injury.
In spite of their sinister7 intentions in regard to him, in spite of their attempts to harm him, he had not, so far, been able to take them seriously or even to reconcile them and their behaviour with the commonplaces of the twentieth century in which he lived.
But now, in the darkness, with the clock on the washstand shelf ticking steadily8, he began to take the matter very seriously. The gag in his mouth hurt him cruelly; the bands of linen9 that held it in began to stifle10 him so that his breath came in quick gasps12 through his nostrils13; sweat started at the roots of his hair; his heart leaped, beat madly, stood still, and leaped again; and he threw himself against the strips that held him and twisted and writhed14 with all his strength.
Suddenly fear pierced him like a poignard; for a moment panic seized him and chaos15 reigned16 in his bursting brain. He swayed and strained convulsively; he strove to hurl17 all the inward and inert18 reserve of strength against the bonds that held him.
After what seemed an age of terrible effort he found himself breathing fast and heavily as though his lungs would burst through his straining, dilating19 nostrils, seated exactly as he had been without a band loosened, and the icy sweat pouring over his twitching20 face.
He heard himself trying to shout—heard the imprisoned21 groan22 shattered in his own throat, dying there within him.248
Suddenly a key rattled23; the door was torn open; the light switched on. Golden Beard stood there, his blue eyes glaring furious inquiry24. He gave one glance around the room, caught sight of the clock, recoiled25, shut off the light again, and slammed and locked the door.
But in that instant Neeland’s starting eyes had seen the clock. The fixed26 hands on one of the dials still pointed27 to 2:13; the moving hands on the other lacked three minutes of that hour.
And, seated there in the pitch darkness, he suddenly realised that he had only three minutes more of life on earth.
All panic was gone; his mind was quite clear. He heard every tick of the clock and knew what each one meant.
Also he heard a sudden sound across the room, as though outside the port something was rustling28 against the ship’s side.
Suddenly there came a click and the room sprang into full light; an arm, entering the open port from the darkness outside, let go the electric button, was withdrawn29, only to reappear immediately clutching an automatic pistol. And the next instant the arm and the head of Ilse Dumont were thrust through the port into the room.
Her face was pale as death as her eyes fell on the dial of the clock. With a gasp11 she stretched out her arm and fired straight at the clock, shattering both dials and knocking the timepiece into the washbasin below.
For a moment she struggled to force her other shoulder and her body through the port, but it was too narrow. Then she called across to the bound figure 249seated on the bed and staring at her with eyes that fairly started from their sockets31:
“Mr. Neeland, can’t you move? Try! Try to break loose––”
Her voice died away in a whisper as a flash of bluish flame broke out close to the ceiling overhead, where the three bombs were slung32.
For an instant her brain reeled; she instinctively34 recoiled as though to fling herself out into the darkness. Then, in a second, her extended arm grew rigid35, slanted36 upward; the pistol exploded once, twice, the third time; the lighted bombs in their sling37, released by the severed38 rope, fell to the bed, the fuses sputtering39 and fizzling.
Instantly the girl fired again at the big jug40 of water on the bracket over the head of the bed; a deluge41 drenched42 the bed underneath43; two fuses were out; one still snapped and glimmered44 and sent up little jets and rings of vapour; but as the water soaked into the match the cinder45 slowly died until the last spark fell from the charred46 wet end and went out on the drenched blanket.
She waited a little longer, then with an indescribable look at the helpless man below, she withdrew her head, pushed herself free, hung to the invisible rope ladder for a moment, swaying against the open port. His eyes were fastened on her where she dangled47 there against the darkness betwixt sky and sea, oscillating with the movement of the ship, her pendant figure now gilded48 by the light from the room, now phantom49 dim as she swung outward.
As the roll of the ship brought her head to the level of the port once more, she held up her pistol, shook it, and laughed at him:250
“Now do you believe that I can shoot?” she called out. “Answer me some time when that mocking tongue of yours is free!”
Then, climbing slowly upward into darkness, the light, falling now across her body, now athwart her skirt, gilded at last the heels of her shoes; suddenly she was gone; then stars glittered through the meshes50 of the shadowy, twitching ladder which still barred the open port. And finally the ladder was pulled upward out of sight.
He waited. After a little while—an interminable interval51 to him—he heard somebody stealthily trying the handle of the door; then came a pause, silence, followed by a metallic52 noise as though the lock were being explored or picked.
For a while the scraping, metallic sounds continued steadily, then abruptly53 ceased as though the unseen meddler54 had been interrupted.
A voice—evidently the voice of the lock-picker—pitched to a cautious key, was heard in protest as though objecting to some intentions evident in the new arrival. Whispered expostulations continued for a while, then the voices became quarrelsome and louder; and somebody suddenly rapped on the door.
Then a thick, soft voice that he recognised with a chill, grew angrily audible:
“I say to you, steward55, that I forbid you to entaire that room. I forbid you to disturb thees yoong lady. Do you know who I am?”
“I don’t care who you are––”
“I have authority. I shall employ it. You shall lose your berth56! Thees yoong lady within thees room ees my fiancée! I forbid you to enter forcibly––”
“Haven’t I knocked? Wot’s spilin’ you? I am 251doing my duty. Back away from this ’ere door, I tell you!”
“You spik thees-a-way, so impolite––”
“Get out o’ my way! Blime d’you think I’ll stand ’ere jawin’ any longer?”
“I am membaire of Parliament––”
“Ahr, stow it! Don’t I tell you as how a lydy telephones me just now that my young gentleman is in there? Get away from that door, you blighter, or I’ll bash your beak58 in!”
The door trembled under a sudden and terrific kick; the wordy quarrel ceased; hurried steps retreated along the corridor; a pass key rattled in the lock, and the door was flung wide open:
“Mr. Neeland, sir—oh, my Gawd, wot ever ’ave they gone and done, sir, to find you ’ere in such a ’orrid state!”
But the little cockney lost no time; fingers and pen-knife flew; Neeland, his arms free, tore the bandage from his mouth and spat59 out the wad of cloth.
“I’ll do the rest,” he gasped60, forcing the words from his bruised61 and distorted lips; “follow that man who was outside talking to you! Find him if you can. He had been planning to blow up this ship!”
“That man, sir!”
“Yes! Did you know him?”
“Yes, sir; but I darsn’t let on to him I knew him—what with ’earing that you was in here––”
“You did know him?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Who is he?”
“Mr. Neeland, sir, that there cove62 is wot he says 252he is, a member of Parliament, and his name is Wilson––”
“You’re mad! He’s an Eurasian, a spy; his name is Karl Breslau—I heard it from the others—and he tried to blow up the captain’s cabin and the bridge with those three bombs lying there on the bed!”
“My God, sir—what you tell me may be so, but what I say is true, sir; that gentleman you heard talking outside the door to me is Charles Wilson, member of Parliament, representing Glebe and Wotherness; and I knew it w’en I ’anded ’im the ’ot stuff!—’strewth I did, sir—and took my chance you’d ’elp me out if I got in too rotten with the company!”
Neeland said:
“Certainly you may count on me. You’re a brick!” He continued to rub and slap and pinch his arms and legs to restore the circulation, and finally ventured to rise to his shaky feet. The steward offered an arm; together they hobbled to the door, summoned another steward, placed him in charge of the room, and went on in quest of Captain West, to whom an immediate30 report was now imperative63.
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1
unity
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| n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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3
binding
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| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
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4
dissertation
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| n.（博士学位）论文，学术演讲，专题论文 | |
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impersonal
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| adj.无个人感情的，与个人无关的，非人称的 | |
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6
awaken
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| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
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7
sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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8
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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9
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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10
stifle
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| vt.使窒息；闷死；扼杀；抑止，阻止 | |
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11
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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12
gasps
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| v.喘气( gasp的第三人称单数 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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13
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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14
writhed
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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16
reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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17
hurl
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| vt.猛投，力掷，声叫骂 | |
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18
inert
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| adj.无活动能力的，惰性的；迟钝的 | |
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19
dilating
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| v.（使某物）扩大，膨胀，张大( dilate的现在分词 ) | |
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20
twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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21
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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23
rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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24
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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25
recoiled
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| v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 )；退缩；报应；返回 | |
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26
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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27
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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28
rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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29
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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30
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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31
sockets
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| n.套接字，使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 )；孔( socket的名词复数 )；（电器上的）插口；托座；凹穴 | |
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32
slung
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| 抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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33
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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34
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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35
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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36
slanted
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| 有偏见的； 倾斜的 | |
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sling
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| vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓 | |
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38
severed
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| v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂 | |
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39
sputtering
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| n.反应溅射法；飞溅；阴极真空喷镀；喷射v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的现在分词 )；发劈啪声；喷出；飞溅出 | |
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40
jug
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| n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂 | |
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41
deluge
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| n./vt.洪水，暴雨，使泛滥 | |
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42
drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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43
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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44
glimmered
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| v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45
cinder
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| n.余烬，矿渣 | |
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46
charred
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| v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦 | |
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47
dangled
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| 悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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48
gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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49
phantom
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| n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的 | |
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50
meshes
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| 网孔( mesh的名词复数 )； 网状物； 陷阱； 困境 | |
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51
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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52
metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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53
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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54
meddler
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| n.爱管闲事的人，干涉者 | |
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55
steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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56
berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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57
defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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58
beak
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| n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻 | |
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59
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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60
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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61
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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62
cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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63
imperative
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| n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的 | |
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