Roll call was in the big lecture room. Everyone was present and answeredto his or her name. Then they were marshalled into a long column andmarched off.
The route was, as usual, through a maze1 of winding2 corridors. Hilary,walking by Peters, knew that he had, concealed3 in his hand, a tiny com-pass. From this, unobtrusively, he was calculating their direction.
“Not that it helps,” he observed ruefully in a low tone. “Or at any rate itdoesn’t help at the moment. But it may do—some time.”
At the end of the corridor they were following was a door and there wasa momentary4 halt as the door was opened.
Peters took out his cigarette case—but immediately Van Heidem’s voicewas raised peremptorily5.
“No smoking, please. That has already been told you.”
“Sorry, sir.”
Peters paused with the cigarette case in his hand. Then they all went for-ward6 again.
“Just like sheep,” said Hilary disgustedly.
“Cheer up,” Peters murmured. “Baa, baa, black sheep is among the flock,thinking up devilry hard.”
She flashed him a grateful glance and smiled.
“Women’s dormitory to the right,” said Miss Jennson.
She shepherded the women off in the direction indicated.
The men were marched to the left.
The dormitory was a large room of hygienic appearance rather like ahospital ward. It had beds along the walls with curtains of plastic materialthat could be pulled for privacy. There was a locker7 by each bed.
“You will find arrangements rather simple,” said Miss Jennson, “but nottoo primitive8. The bathroom accommodation is through there to the right.
The communal9 living room is through the door at the end.”
The communal living room where they all met again was plainly fur-nished rather like an airport waiting room—there was a bar and snackcounter at one side. Along the other side was a row of bookshelves.
The day passed quite agreeably. There were two cinema performancesshown on a small portable screen.
The lighting10 was of the daylight type which tended to obscure the factthat there were no windows. Towards evening a fresh set of bulbs cameon—soft and discreet11 night lighting.
“Clever,” said Peters appreciatively. “It all helps to minimize the feelingof being walled up alive.”
How helpless they all were, thought Hilary. Somewhere, quite nearthem, were a party from the outside world. And there was no means ofcommunicating with them, of appealing for help. As usual, everything hadbeen ruthlessly and efficiently12 planned.
Peters was sitting with Miss Jennson. Hilary suggested to the Murchis-ons that they should play bridge. Tom Betterton refused. He said hecouldn’t concentrate, but Dr. Barron made a fourth.
Oddly enough, Hilary found the game enjoyable. It was half-past elevenwhen their third rubber came to an end, with herself and Dr. Barron thewinners.
“I enjoyed that,” she said. She glanced at her watch. “It’s quite late. Isuppose the V.I.P.s will have left now—or do they spend the night here?”
“I don’t really know,” said Simon Murchison. “I believe one or two of thespecially keen medicos stay over. Anyway, they’ll all have gone by tomor-row midday.”
“And that’s when we’re put back into circulation?”
“Yes. About time, too. It upsets all one’s routine, this sort of thing.”
“But it is well arranged,” said Bianca with approval.
She and Hilary got up and said good night to the two men. Hilary stoodback a little to allow Bianca to precede her into the dimly lit dormitory. Asshe did so, she felt a soft touch on her arm.
She turned sharply to find one of the tall, dark-faced servants standingbeside her.
He spoke13 in a low urgent voice in French.
“S’il vous pla?t, Madame, you are to come.”
“Come? Come where?”
“If you will please follow me.”
She stood irresolute14 for a moment.
Bianca had gone on into the dormitory. In the communal living roomthe few persons left were engaged in conversation with each other.
Again she felt that soft urgent touch on her arm.
“You will follow me please, Madame.”
He moved a few steps and stood, looking back, beckoning15 to her. A littledoubtfully Hilary followed him.
She noticed that this particular man was far more richly dressed thanmost of the native servants. His robes were embroidered16 heavily with goldthread.
He led her through a small door in a corner of the communal livingroom, then once more along the inevitable17 anonymous18 white corridors.
She did not think it was the same way by which they had come to theEmergency Wing, but it was always difficult to be sure because of the sim-ilarity of the passages. Once she tried to ask a question but the guideshook his head impatiently and hurried on.
He stopped finally at the end of a corridor and pressed a button in thewall. A panel slid back disclosing a small lift. He gestured her in, followedher, and the lift shot upwards19.
Hilary said sharply: “Where are you taking me?”
The dark eyes held hers in a kind of dignified20 reproof21.
“To the Master, Madame. It is for you a great honour.”
“To the Director, you mean?”
“To the Master. .?.?.”
The lift stopped. He slid back the doors and motioned her out. Then theywalked down another corridor and arrived at a door. Her guide rapped onthe door and it was opened from inside. Here again were white robes, goldembroidery and a black impassive face.
The man took Hilary across the small red-carpeted anteroom and drewaside some hangings at the farther side. Hilary passed through. She foundherself, unexpectedly, in an almost oriental interior. There were lowcouches, coffee tables, one or two beautiful rugs hanging on the walls. Sit-ting on a low divan22 was a figure at whom she stared with complete in-credulity. Small, yellow, wrinkled, old, she stared unbelievingly into thesmiling eyes of Mr. Aristides.
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1
maze
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| n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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peremptorily
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| adv.紧急地，不容分说地，专横地 | |
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6
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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7
locker
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| n.更衣箱，储物柜，冷藏室，上锁的人 | |
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8
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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communal
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| adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的 | |
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10
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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efficiently
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| adv.高效率地，有能力地 | |
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13
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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14
irresolute
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| adj.无决断的，优柔寡断的，踌躇不定的 | |
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15
beckoning
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| adj.引诱人的，令人心动的v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的现在分词 ) | |
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16
embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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anonymous
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| adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的 | |
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upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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reproof
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| n.斥责，责备 | |
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divan
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| n.长沙发；（波斯或其他东方诗人的）诗集 | |
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