NIGHT WITHOUT END Cee ee ee eee the deadly, icy winds can freeze a man to death in minutes, But the survivors of the crashed aisliner are lucky - they are rescued by three scientists from a nearby weather station eee eee radio to pieces? And why does the dead pilot have a ballet ee eer eee eres through the endless Arctic night, a race against time, eee ts Ce Se ee real reading in English. Each one has been chosen for its oar eee ses an eens Ce eed MI NIGHT WITHOUT END Pea Sot eT SEE a SIT Ta){NIGHT WITHOUT END Stage 6 Men wh live snd wock inthe endlee sights ofthe Polar icecaphaverobetough Tey havero knowhow tosvive in condone chat woud Kil more fut few hoes — temperatures many dgres below freeing, snow stene snd:ce bizar rvape winds tac blow for huts on end Peter Mason, Jacktra nd Jos ate experience in sheae none, ‘They undeceand the danger of the cold the Winds, the storms. They understand and eas each othe. [A toa’s fe often depends on Bis fend But when Patengerilner eraser on the i cap nea ei remote teethee sation, they son elie dae «new danger has foueed ee slveady dangerous world. There sefour dead tenon the plane, Buen of them ded rom lls noe from the cath. Soon fifth man de, The wen auvione seen ie ordinary peopl. Bu ace they? Wh i dang the ling = and wi? Asse MacLean (1922-07) wat born and brought up in Send, and wrote more han rweny Gerling there His books are popula throughout the wold, and sma have been made nt succes fs.OXFORD BOOKWORMS ‘ovum > Black Series ~ = He Se | Et Nich WirHour END ees NIGHT WirHoUT END ALISTAIR MACLEAN sepa go ater Sees nde, Sees eatsane "Ge aly Raley tre ‘drier oe Thebudor te Cote Gare siekestand ide chant “Neteg epe Emyot SNovVonen Oley bose CREM ee) asap stops Sack Sona Santis Taner tty ety ee Gye jb ey ‘onan! Ge bho eso je Wi rca Sone Demon Bay Dass Repu retold by Margaret Naudi 7 Gras aoe forse en ~ Green Seies pase tna inom. eal Jv oes) Ta eC Cra “ eens stint (OXFORD BOOKWORMS COLLECTION ———— : toby down non at de nd mad Tones ctebgder apie ino Tre ace ~ Frame Cnet Gre Cinenner ray ‘OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS (Shree St ie Mah ov Dal, ihrer Ath ii Sinemet Eau, ron re a eel ple Nea 7 ‘ro Sago hymn Cte Sera Spe Merry alg Sr Cua oy rein‘To Howry, Chantal and Robin ot on Tn ses Stat eel re et sare" see mel Oo Ue Pe eee ‘eee thon Oxo ey Po 8 No waboiil pase eee. No pa af palin my seg nse rn Sp ea i ot ied dw ‘ein binging he bene pure assy Jon May “Tipsy msrp Wren Backs "rnin tiny Cae ee I jumped through the window of the wrecked plane and landed ontop of a dead man. Although itoas completely dark inside the plane, I somehow knew that be was dead, 1 switched on my torch and saw that was right. Itwas the second pilot, ished between bisseatand she plane swreckage. Covering his horibly injured body with a blanket, wondered how many other dead bodies Lwas going to have to deal with .. ‘This sudden meeting with death was my frst experience of ‘buman civilization in months. For four long months I had been working, with only a few other scientists for company, in a lonely scientific station an the Polar ice-cap in Greenland, The sudden sound ofthe plane which had broken into the icy stillness ofthat night had been ou first reminder of theworld we bad lft bebind Ie was Jacksttaw who had heard the sound fst. “Aeroplane,’ he snnovnced, ‘Aeroplane” I asked disbelicvingly. "You've been drinking whisky again” ‘Certinly not, Dr Maso Jackstraw smiled. We both iw thar he never drank anyching stonger chan coffee. ‘Come and listen? ‘That was che lase thing I fle ike doing. Thad becn lying ia ny sleepng:bag fr fifteen minutes and had only jst succeeded 1Night Without Bad Monday midnight in cxeatng litte warmth inside it. My feet, which had been ‘vompletely frozen, were beginning co come to life again andthe fea of getting out into the sub-zero temperatures of our cabin filled me with hoeeoe. “Can you stil hear che plane? I asked. "Yes. Is getting louder and closer all the time” I lay there ‘wondering whae ype of plane it could possibly be. "De Mason!” His voice was urgent now. think the plane's in trouble! I's coming lower and close. Isa big plane~ Ian hear several engines.” "Damn" [said with extreme annoyance 1 got out of my sleeping, bog and hurriedly put on several layers of clothes. They had already frozen wp in the hal howe since [had taken them off. I went oyér to Joss, our radioman, “Wake up, Joss. I chink we'ze going to need you.” ‘Thethree ofusclimbed ino ous furs~ trousers, jackets, hats, boots and gloves ~ and put on our snow mask, to protect our faces from the freezing cold oussie. Then L went up the steps leading to the trap-door inthe ceiling, our only exit fom the cabin, I banged hard agains the dao to loosen the frozen ice which surrounded ie ‘Tonight the ice cracked easily, so we lost no time in getting ‘out ofthe eabin. We gasped in pain asthe bitter cold entered four lungs. The wind was even stcongerthan Thad expected Its sound, ikethar of human being crying outin pain, was onder than usual, bue above that sound we could now hess the roar of the plane's engines. And chen oe saw it Teas less than eo kilomezes away, ‘no more than ewo hundred and fifty metres above the ice-cep. T only sav ie for five seconds but what I saw filled me with 2 amazement. Te was not the small typeof plane [was expecting, Tewasa huge passenger airlines. Terrifying visions flooded into ‘ny mind as Timagined the plane crashing, and the passengers being plunged inco those feczing emperatues, sixty degrées below the temperature of the pave ‘The plane had tuoned a full circle and eas now slowing down. Lescemed tobe fying ata dangerously slow speed. Then 1 saw its landing lights come on "He's going to land? I shouted to Jackattaw. “He's looking fora place to land. Get the dogs. Tie them to thesledge. Hurry” ran back to che cabin, crying to chink of all the different things we might need in an emergency. ‘Gecall che warm clothes you can find, Joss’ Ishouted. ‘And bing slepingchags, blankets ~ whatever you can think of Don't forget the firefighting equipment, and the snow sticks ~and for God's sake don't forgee the homing spool. We'll ever {ind ous way back wo the cabin without that” Jacktraw was busy tying the dogs tothe sledge with thehelp cof Balto, the lead dog. Although the dogs were bad-tempered and unwilling, Balto showed his true qualities as a leader, growling and biting his team until they obeyed. * hurried over to the snow-teactor snd with great difficuky removed che ffozen searchlight that we would no doubt be ceding. Then we heaed the zoar of the plane's engines once grin. This time they sounded very low and very neat, The plane came into sight, pasily within ro hundeed metes Shus Tike «huge, hoztible bie, “He's coming down to the north of us I sad “Good God, he'l killhimslf shouted Joss.’He'll crash into ‘hose small ice hills”Night Without End ur progress was slow and painful as we moved along, Fighting agains the bite, iy wind. We wer follwing the line of the radio antenna, chat stretched eighty metzes to the north and was supported at inervals by pars of pole, four metces igh Suddenly che roar ofthe engines became deaeningly louder, ‘Throwing myself to the ground, saw the planefly directly over us. Then the engine noise suddenly stopped and T heard a Monday midnight hissing sound, fllowed by another loud sound asthe earth al around us shook, ané chen nally the sound of metal being torn apart. After chat there was si We had wo act fast. Turning to Joss, Tasked hurtiedly, How Jong’s the homing spool” ‘Four hundred metees ur hundred metzes and then tara nosth." ‘We set offimmediately, making sure that we ted the end ofthe line from che spoa! tone ofthe an pended on that homing spool find our way back tothe antenna and then che cabin, Ie was our "Well go eas for na poles. Our lives now thout it we would never ‘only guide in the darkness and the blinding wind, aver iron= hard snow, where dere were never any footprints to help us find our way. We were sunning now. And at Iran, desperate thoughts flooded my mind. Were the passengers eeapped inside the plane ‘hd they been thrown aut onto the ice-cap? IF so, they would freeze to death within five minutes. How were we going to get them back to the cabin? And how were we going to feed them all if we got them back safely? ‘When we came co the end of our line, we pushing snow sick into the frozen ground every guide us on our way back. Thea, quite unexpectedly, we came jorh, now cross it~ huge hollow that che plane had dig inthe sutface Of the ice-cap. By some amazing piece of luck we had cun steaightinco the place whesethe plane had erash-landed, “~ ‘We ran on into the teeth ofthe wind and came insight of the plane. It looked huge — huge and helpless. As I looked at it, knew chat this enormous, wounded bird would never move again2 T becathed an immediate sgh of relief on secing chat there wae no sign of fire anywhere. Even che smallest flame would have been enough co cause total destruction if ie had found the plane's petrol. We switched on the searchlight and saw thar the tall and the main body ofthe plane were undamaged, bus that ‘one wing and the nose of che plane were very badly smashed. ‘Then I caughe sight of the wo words "British Airways’ on the side of the plane. I looked at thege.two words in shocked amazement, What on earth was a British Airways passenger plane doing inthe middle ofthe Polat ice-cap? I wascereain that British Airways didn’t fly any planes over this isolated gat of the world. So how had this plane flown so far away from its oemal route? ‘We ran carefully over the slippery ic, ound tothe front of the plane. There we saw the small ic-hill that had obviously caused the crash. The nose ofthe plane had taken the fll force of the ceash, andthe control eabin and the windsceens were compleely smashed, I daced not imagine what sate the pilots would be in when we finally got to them, Pointing che searchlight at che cabin, Iced vo jump onto the lower part of che windscreen but I coulda’t find anything to hold onto.’ Jackseasy, seeing me in difficulty, ran up and supported me from below. With my knees on his shouldes, 1 smashed away the rest of the broken glass inthe windscreen, 6 — dentp tenon Ul In evo minutes the hole was big enough to climb throwh {jumped down into the cabin and landed on top of a dead sman=the tcond pilot. Never in my life had I seen Such dread) injures on any man. I put my head out of the windscreen and shouted to Jackstraw, ‘Bring blanket. And the bag of sedicines?” Jackstraw needed to assistance in jumping into che plane. He was one of the strongest and healthiest men I had ever known. He jumped up, pulled himself through the windscreen and landed beside me. Tcovered the dead man wih blanket and then rend 9 the chief pile, who was stil in his sac. He was unmavked but compleely cold ~ colder than any living body could be, even in the Polar ice- “Well, chat leaves jue the ewo of you, Tsaid,eutning to the white aired older man and the Jewish man, "Theodore Mahler,” said the Jew softly. I waited, but he added nothing. aired 1»Night Without Bnd ‘Bewster;” announced the other. ‘Senator Brewster” The a5 be was a colourful characcer in American polis. ‘Fm on a Bucopcan tour t0 + ame was instansly familiar collec information for one of our politcal committees? looked at che group again. What crowd tobe exponsible for, I thought to myself right inthe middle of the Greenland ice-capl A business man, an actress, a minister of religion, a boxer and his manager, a London society woman and her German maid, + Senator, a silent Jew and an emotional sewardess. And a seriously injured radio operator wh might live ordi Thad to gee them all to safety, but how was I going. to do it? They had no suitable clothing for the sub-2er0 remperatutes,no experience of travelling in Arctic conditions. -Most of them did nor even have the strength co survive on this wild and cruel ice-cap. My despairing thoughts were interrupted by « flood of auestions from the group. How could the plat have gone so far from the normal route? Had something happened to him? Was the plane's radio damaged? Why was there no wasning ofthe crash? answered all the questions as best I could, insisting all the time chat I knew no more than they di “Buc you sid earlier that you did, peshaps, know one th rmoce than we did Te ‘one thing, De Mason” 1 decided not to mention my first thought, and quickly Invented something elke to say. ‘Oh yes} Lzeplied. "I remember now. I simply meant that we've recently noticed, in our orazzini who spoke, "What wae d scientific investigations, vacious disturbances inthe atmosphere Which com interfere with radio communication, This may 20 Monay 2 om. 10.3 am.Night Without End Monday 2 a.m. to 3.9 possibly explain why the pilot go lost and came so far north.” + As T spoke, could see the puzzled look on Joss face. He knew, a5 well a5 I cld, char what was saying simply did not make scientific sense. The others, luckily, seemed quite happy with my explanation. I returned o the injured radio operator and, withthe help of che stewardess, bandaged his head as gently as T could. "What do you think of his condition now, Dt Mason? she asked, "Ts diffieule co say. I'm noc a specialist in bean injuries. IE he were in a proper hospital, I'd say he had a good chance of sucviving? [looked at her anxious, exhausted face. ‘Tell me, Miss... “Ross. Margaret Ross’ “Tell me, Miss Ross. Why was the plane so empsy?* “Te was an extra one’ she answered. “We had booked too ‘many passengers, so we had eo put on an extra plane.” "Wella east, with only ren passengers you had tine to put your feet up and have a short sleep.” “That's unkind!” she said, looking decply offended. ‘ve never fallen asleep on duty before And if ic hadw’ happened this time, [could have warned the passengers I could have moved Colonel Harton to a safer seat in the front and he ‘might not have died, And Mise Fleming wouldn't have had hee collar-bone broken’ looked at her; unsure of whar to chink. She ws certainly behaving strangely, and I wasn’t convinced by her anxiety about the passengers. I would have to watch this gil more carefully, T thought co myself ‘Aloud I said, “There's nothing to feel guilty about, Miss 2 Ross. The plot probably had no idea what was happening unci hhe was actually crashing’ To myself thought, Either this gil really had no idea what was happening ~ or else she's an cetzemely good acteess" ‘We hd a satisfying meal of soup, mett, potatoes and vegetables ~all out of tins and chen we discussed the sleeping arrangements. Margacet Ros, the seewardes, sid she wanted to sleep by the injared radio operator. That left the three women with bed each, and the six men with Five beds beeween ther Corazzini suggested they should chrow a coin co see who should be the one to sleep on the foot. The rest agreed and orazzini ended vp losing, but he accepted defeat without any argument. 'As soon as they were in their beds, I looked at Joss and. moved towards the srap-door. Joss had no difficulty in ‘undeescanding char | wanted to talk to him, so he followed me ‘outof hecabin, The wind had died down abit uit was colder than eves. “Tone like chis a all’ said Joss strongly. “The whole thing is just too strange for words.” “Amazingly strange,’ 1 agreed. ‘But how do we get to the bosom of ie?” ‘Baier on you said you knew something thae the others ida’, What as ie? “Wel, think Iknow why none of them knew anything about the crash until ater it had happened. They mast have all been slrugeed. Joss looked at me. “Are you sure? he sad sof “Absolutely, I sad “They all had that dazed look in heir ‘yes, and their ceactions were unusually slow. Ie must ahave been some kind of sleeping drug.” ‘But I don't understand said Joss Surely, 00 waking up, they would have realized thae chey had been deugged? In normal ciceurostances, yes. But they were probably s0 confused that they must have blamed the crash forall theie strange ceactions.” ‘As we sat thece shivering on the frozen snow, Joss though cout loud. “e's simply not possible, he insised. ‘How could anyone go around the plane dropping sleeping drugs into the passengers’ drinks?” ‘Justa minute, Jos, Tsaid. ‘What happened to the radio in our eabin?® ‘Teno idea. Burthe leon that table coulda’ just break like tac, Someone must have pushed over dhe table deliberately,” “And tne only person neat it atthe time was Margacet Rost Now tell me. Who inthe plane isin the bes postion co drug the passengers’ drinks?" “Good God! Of course! Ie muse have been hes! dido’e want eo waste any moce time ‘ll Jackstraw about ou suspicions as soon as you ge the ‘opportunity,’ Tsai. Now le’s get back tothe cabin before we freeze to death” Inside the eabin the temperature was forty-four degrees ‘centigrade below zero. [lay down on the floor, pulled my fur jacket up over my ears co keep them from Ereeting, and was asleep within » inate, 4 “When I woke up, feling cold and very sf, it was late — 930 in fact. Jacksteaw was already up, and had lit che oil lamp, ‘Outside, ie was ail as dark as midnight, At this dime of year daylight was reduced to just two ote hours aday, at around ‘noon. Ice now covered the walls right up tothe ceiling, I could see from our scientific equipment thatthe remperature outside ‘was now forty-eight degrees centigrade below zero. Jackstraw looked fresh and fully rested, and was busily meltingicein « bucket on the stove. The others were awake to0, shivering fcom head tte, thee faces blue and white with the cold. MarieLeGarde was he firsttogreetme and Timmediatly noticed that she was looking cen years older chan she had looked the previous night. She had lost none of her concern for ‘others, however, She asked the German gel how she was feeling and chen, tening to Mrs Dansby-Gregg, enquired, ‘And did you survive che night? "Survive isthe right word,’ was Mrs Dansby-Grega’s biter response. Then, tscning to the German gic, she said loudly, “That coffee they're preparing over there smells delicious Fleming, bring me.» exp, will you? Trook a cup and walked over to give it tothe German gt. ‘Have you forgocten chat Helene has 2 broken collar-bone? I nid sbarply Twas obvious thar she had not forgotten bur this did't stop asight Withowe ind = Monday 6m. to 6pm. her from saying, ‘Ob, how stupid of met I had completly _forgoctent" Her eyes were cold and hatd as she looked at me, and I knew [had an enemy. ‘Thirty seconds later Thad forgotten all about it was jst hhanding Marie LeGerde a cup of coffee when somcone screamed. [e wasn particularly loud bue ic had a frightening duality in that bare, silene cabin. It was Margaret Ross, the stewardess. She was stating atthe figure beside he, ehe young :adio operator, and it was immediately obvious to me thet he hha been dead for several hours examined him, When I stood lp, everyone's eyes were upon me, Zagero broke the silence, “He's dead, isn't he, De Mason?" “Yes, Internal bleeding in the bin, as far a8 Ian ell? lied to them. Iwas certain of the cause of death, Murder. ‘The young man had been cruelly, cold-blaodedly murdered, as he lay unconscious, unable ro move or help himself, Someone had covered his face with a pillow to stop him breathing, and Aalled him as easily and as quickly asifhehad been very young child. ‘We buried him out on the ice-cap. His grave was shallow. Ic was impossible to dig a deep one because the snow was coo hard. The Reverend Smallwood said a few words over the trave, but he spoke in such alow voice and he was shivering 50 much that I could’e catch anything he sai. Back in che cabin we had a small and silent beeakfast and 1 noticed that Margaret Ross ate nothing a ll "You murdeves,’ T thought to myself “Your performance as 4 sorrowful colleague i ust not convincing, and soon the others are going 1 seare wondering too ‘Thad no doubt in my mind that she had killed him, ashe lay 26 unconscious. he had killed him, just as she had destroyed che radio and drugged che passangers. Bur why? She had probably lulled the radio operator to stop him from talking. But why descroy the radio =the one piece of equipment so necessary for ‘our survival? My head was full of questions chat 1 couldn't answer. I looked at her again. ‘She's either a very intelligent kuille, I thought co myself, ‘planaing ber every move. Or ese she's mad.’ Neither possibilty was a very comforting one Forcing myself ro carry on as normal, I explained to the ‘0up, in detail, the reality of our situation. They sat listening, looking pale sand sickly in the frst greyness af the mosning light ‘When I finshed, Corszsini spoke. "So what you're saying, De Mason, i this. Your other colleagues left here three weeks ago in the modern snow-tractor and won't renen for another three weeks. You've already finished most of your tinned food and have ver lil lef. With thiceeen of us here, we now have food for less than five days, That means s foright without food before they rerurn” ‘Corres’ I answered. “Hoos long would iteake to getto the coastin your old snow- “In good weather, pechapsa week. In bad weather thecractor juse would’ complete the journey. I's top old.” “Then why dos’e we wait for the other tacror to gee back?" asked Zagero, ‘Well just have to stretch the food out. “Impossible, I eplied. ‘We would all die~ without a doube. ‘Hamans ean suevive without food for a considerable time in ‘noxmal weather conditions. Buti these condicions we couldn't survive for more than «wo days after our food runs out” “What if we try and contact your colleagues?” Corazzini ”Night Withous End Cees Mondo 6.106 9.0m. sugaesced. ‘know this radio’ broken but you said there was + a radio on your old tractor? ‘Teonly works aca distance of 160 kilometres, pechaps 240, in perfect conditions. Our friends ae more than 320 kilometres away and they won't be moving from thee present postion unless they cally haven. They don't have much petrol to spare “You have plenty of petrol here, 1 suppose?” “Ofcourse. There's about ehree and aalf thousand lites out there,’ Ted, pointing to the run “T see; sid Corazini, looking thoughtful. Ee... please don't think Imm asking coo many questions — ue I believe you contact your friends regulatly by radio. Won't they worry if ‘they don’: heae com you?” "No, not at all’ I replied. ‘Hilleest ~ he's the scientist in charge ‘dio isn't working properly at he moment. They'll probably blame it on that” ‘So what do we do? Solly Levin asked anxiously. ‘Starve to death or start walking? We'd bertr make a decision.” ‘Tye already decided,’ T said, "We leave romatrow. All of ws, thats exeepe Joss. Hell tay hee to mece the others when they “Why don’e we eave today?” ‘Because we've got to get che tractor ready for the long joueney. ell take several hours. But firet well go back co the plane o get everyone's lggage. You'eall goingto have to wear ‘as many clothes a8 you can. ever woreies about anything. Anyway, theie own I retuened tthe plane with Corazzini and Zagero, marking out route with snow sticks so that we could find ous way back 28 tothe cabin. The plane was cold and dack and it felt as though we were entering a grave. In che light af our torches we moved around like ghost, only too aware of the dead bodies lying around ‘Zagezo was the fist to speak inthe deadly quiet. ‘Ace we ‘ing eo leave them here, Doc? Aren't we going to bury then? “Buty them? The ice-cap wil bury them soon enough. In six months che plane will hve completely disappeared under the ‘As spoke, saw Corazzini shaking a metal portable radio, with asad expression on his face. He was listening to che noise coming feom inside “Isic a coral loss? Isai ‘W'm afesd so, And I only bought it two days ago —cost me ‘wo hundeed dollars. “Takei with you, Tadvised. ‘Listen, there's Jackstraw now." We could hear che barking of the dogs and lose no time in loading che suitcases onto the sledge. There were so many that swe had to make two tips to bring them all back tothe cabin, ‘When we zeuuned, we were shaking with cold, and Corazzin's nose and checks were whive with frostbite [Lunch that day was soup and some dey cake ~ not whee we needed to give us the necessary warmeh and energy forthe work ahead. Preparing the old tractor for our long joucney 38 no ‘easy job. While we worked, we had to put up a screen round the teactar to protect us from the knife-like wind. However, ‘even ith chat protection and with two oil-lamps to give us some light and warmth, most af us had to return frequently to the cabin to beat some life back into our frozen bodles. 2»ighe Withowe Bd Monday 6 a.m. 108 p.m For long journeys che tractor could carsy a wooden cabin ‘chat contained four beds, We had co put together all the separate pieces ofthis cabin, working in the freezing cold and near-darkoess It took us over an hous just 10 fix the floor pieces. Eventually, after several house’ work, the tractor was almost ready for che long journey ahead. By then we were all frozen to the bone, and our hands were eracked and bleeding, ‘We were just fixing the beds when [heard someone call me, Ie was Marie LeGaede. ‘Would you come below for a minute, please? I want you to have a look at Margaret. Her back huts she's in quite a lo of pain,” "Toffered to see her lastnight f she wants me, why doesn't she come and ask me? “Because she’s ftightened of you, chats why,’ she said impacientl. ‘Ace you coming or not? {went back to the cabin, and having removed my gloves and washed my cracked and bleeding hands, I examined the stewardess’ back. She had an ugly bruise under her left shoulder and in the middle of her back there was a deep cut hich looked as though it had been caused by a heavy piece of sharp meta "How did you get this? I said. ‘And why didn’ you show it to me yesrerday?” “T didn’t want to bother you yesterday" she sad. ‘And Dve 10 idea how I got it” “Well, pethaps we can find out, Istid, looking her stcaighe inthe eve “Find out? Whac docs it matte? Why do you seem so angry with me, Dr Mason? What have I done?* There weve tears in har big brown eyes. 30 [BE te wan adicable penance, had adie {ould Phare ht her, bo it was adil ose no time. pulled on my fues and snow mask and reached 1 Behe plane in five o six minutes. I jumped up and climbed ‘through the windsercen, chen went straight to the small kitchen area where we had found the stewardess immediately after the { ceash. A thorough inspection showed that my suspicions had been right. Thete was nothing thee which could have caused | thar serious injury o her back. I wene through ro che adio ~ compartment and there found what was looking for. The top lefchand cocner ofthe eadio cabinet was badly damaged and aleo nociced a small dark stain and some threads of oavy blue cloth on the comer. I Jooked inside the radio and saw that it hhad been deliberately and thoroughly wrecked. Although my mind wes working with painful slowness because of the freezing cold, I could now understand why che radia operator had ent out no slarm, no warning messages. He had had no choice. The stewardess must have been pointing @ gun at him. ‘A gun! Thac thought, for some reason, made me chink ofthe dead captain ofthe plane. I went over to him and lifted up his jacket, Sure enough, just ae I was expecting, there was a bullet hole straight chrough the middle of his back With 2 dey mouth and my hear beating heavily, I walked through the plane ro the passenger whom the stewardess had called Colonel Harrison. Carefully Hifted up his jacket. There Jwas, che same deadly lite hole. I moved him feeward gently tnd noticed thatthe seat behind his back was slightly toen. 1 ‘noticed, too, that the Colonel had been carrying gun, Without 32 Nigh Withowe End hesitation, rook ths and pat it into my jacket pocket together + with some bullets chat I found in one of hie pockers, In is other pocket was a passport and wallet. The waller’s conencs were disappointing —a couple of letters from his wife, some British and American money, and a newspapet article from a copy of the New York Herald Tribune jus over two ‘months previously. For a moment I seudied the article inthe light of ey torch, ‘There was a small picture of railway ceash, and [realized that i was some sort of followup story about a tenn disaster in [New Jersey, when a passenger tain had fallen over the edge of 1 bridge and plunged into the water. Taras in no mood for reading, but feling that this might be of some importance, I folded the article and pat it in my pocket together with the gun and bulls, Just ae chat moment, heard a sharp metallic sound coming from the front of the deserted plane 32 5 For five, maybe ten seconds, I stood there without moving, 35 sciffas the dead man by ay side. Only one chought, a tecrifying and crazy thought, was racing through my E:ozen mind ~thae ‘one of the dead pilots had cise from his seat and was walking, rowarde me, ‘Then I heacd che same sound again, it was the sound of someone moving about inthe daekness among the wreckage hid behind a seat quickly, This time [was sute of one thing. ‘The sound had not been caused by any dead pilot, but by a living person che stewardess. Ie had to be her. She was the only fone, apart from Marie LeGarde, who had seen me leave the cabin, She had already killed hee times and she wouldn't hesitate to Kill «fourth, now that her secret was no longer 2 secret, As long as lived [knew and she knew, thae T was a anger co her. ‘Suldenly my fear was replaced by a wil anger. I pulled out the gun from my pocket and ran tothe fat of the plane. There was no one there but I caught sight of a dark figure jumping ‘ot of the smashed windscreen. I ttied to shoot, Nothing happened. As I heaed the sound of feet hitting the ground, realized tha [had not loaded the go. Looking out ofthe window, saw the figuee hurrying cound che lefe wing of the plane and disappearing into the snow. ‘Ten seconds later I was on the ground myselE. Ie wxs now 33ight Withous End Monday 6 p.m. t07 9.0 snowing heavily but could just see the figure running shead sof me, along the line of the snow sticks. Suddenly she tuened off in anew direction. I tured after he, sing hee torchlight and the sound of het feet to guide me. Then stopped and stood very sill. Her torch had gone out and I could hese nothing at all, Teursed my stupidity. I should have gone straight back to the cabin. Instead Thad been led out here, away from the snow sticks, Why? Not so that she eould escape me, As long as we both lived, we hoth needed to get back to the eabin and we Would meer there sooner or later. As long as we both lived I suddenly realized what a foo! 1 had been. The only way she could ceally teape me was if Ino longer lived. If | were shor here, no one would ever know. Probably at this very moment she was aiming her gun at me. switched on my torch and spun round in a circle, staring {nc the darkness and the driving snaw. Nobody there, nothing «0 be seen at all moved quickly co the lefe and switched off ny torch, Pd been foolish to switch it on at all. Lhad now let her know exactly where I was. Slowly and silently, I moved round in a wide cil, listening forthe slightest sound, But 1 heard nothing, and saw nothing. It was as if | were alone on the icecap, “An! chen the dreadful eruth hit me~ Twas alone. ws alone because shooting me would have been a stupid way of geting rid ofme, Thediscovery next day of my dead body, fill of bullet holes, would have caused a lot of awkwaed questions, There was a far more effciene way of geting id of me. The most ‘experienced man ean get lost in & snowstorm on the ice-cap — and die of cold [And [vas lost. There was no doubs about it, Bue my anges, 3 atbeing tricked, was so great char was even more determined “The snow was nov build up into a blizzard I could see ro further than a metre or two, and my torch was growing ‘weaker. I decided that finding che plane, which was probably ‘only about ninery metees away, would be far easier than tying to find the cabin. I rurned into the wind, and within a few minutes cameto the deep impresion in the snow which had been caused bythe crash, Thirty seconds later I found th plane ital 1 walked round the wing, found a snow stick and started to follow the line, Thee were only five sticks altogether After that nothing, Every one of them had been carefully removed. My chances of finding the cabin were now extremely small Desperately, I eemoved the first ofthe five sticks and ered 10 place it in line with che end one, I cepeated thie withthe next sticks, but in the driving snow and my filing torchlight, ie was impossible co keep the direction accurate. I quickly abandoned this plan and decided to aim forthe radio antenna. Ie was, [ knew, about four hundzed metces from the plane in a south westerly ditetion. ‘With my back to the plane I walked steadily forwards, keeping the wind on my back and counting my steps. Just a8 [was giving up all hope, [ bumped straight ino one of the antenna poles. My joy was indescribable. I threw my arms round the pole and held it as iF would never let it go. Then ry joy turned to anger as I realized how close I had been co death. Izamall the way back to the cabio, using the antenna line to guide me "The first thing I noticed, on entering the cabin, was thatthe sewardest was wearing a fur jacket and rabbing her hands asNighe Withowe End 3d, Miss Ross? 1 asked, tying to show concern but not * succeeding very wel “And why shouldn't she be, De Mason® said Marie LeGarde, rising to hee defence, ‘She's spent the last fifzen minutes wich the men on the tractor. ‘Doing what I stked. “Las giving them coo, replied the stewardess, ‘What's ‘wrong with thac? “Nothing.” | nodded eo Joss and he followed me into the fodd tune. 1 dido’e waste any words, Somebody, our there, has ust eied to murder me,’ I sad ‘Murder you! Joss seazed at me for 8 minute and theo said thoughtflly, "Well, Px nor rally surpesed ... This erowd’s capable of doing juse about anything” “What do you mean?” ‘Somebody has been looking hough out explosives” “The explosives” For a moment a picture of some madman, trying wo blow up our tractor flashed dhrough my mind. "What have they taken?" ‘Nothing, That's the strange thing, The explosives ate still all ehere bu they're all ove che place, mixed up with the fuse Wwites and our other equipment. ..Anyvray, what happened ro you? You'd beter tell me” {told him, and I saw his fae tighten, We've cerainly got 4 cold-blooded and calculating killer amongst us!" he said softly. ‘But we've got no pxoof, you know.” “Tm going to get it’ I said. ‘Right now.” | walked back into the cabin and over to the stewardess. need you to come back tothe plane with me, Mise Ross; Ieaid 36 ‘Monday 6 pam. t07 pa caldly. There must be some food left on the plane and we're ‘going to need every bi of food we can get” Tecook us only ten minutes to get othe plane. The snow was not so heavy now and we could see for several metees. When ‘we arrived, I pointed up at the windscreen “You first, Mise Ross, I said. ‘Up you go. “Buchow can shesaidheplesly, Jooking atthe windscreen high above her “The way you did it before,’ seid ferely. She tried to jump; bue dida’e gee anywhere near the windscreen, She tried again, but sil didn't manage it. On her thitd jump, I supported her rom below, sothacher hands could hold onto the windowsill She pile herself up aliede way but then eying ont, she elo the ground, Slowly and painfull she ssoodl up and looked at me. What a wonderful actress she is, Thought to myself. What a clever performance! ‘Lean’t doit’ she said shaky. ‘cold you that [ couldn’, ‘What ate you trying ro da to me? Then she ened. ‘'m going, back to the cabin.” “Ohno, you're not I shouted, catching her arm. “You'll stay bere where I can watch you.” 1 jumped up and climbed through the windscreen, chen reached dawn and pulled her up afer me. Angrily, I led hee to the kitchen azea.'A convenient place to drugall the passengers! drinks, in it, Miss Ross?” ToT don’t understand.” “Don'tyou? Then tel me this. Wher’ the piece of metal which cused your back injury when the plane exashed? Where ii? I. Tdon’e know, she said “Whae does it matter? I don’ uundeestand anything any more.” a{pulled Margret Ross othe front ofthe plane whee the dead Py Monday 6 pm. t07 pm 1 rook herby the arm, led her co che radio compartment and shone the torch onta the tp of the radio cabinet. Blood, Miss Ross, I said. ‘Blood from your back. And ehese navy blue thcesds ae from your uniform. You were sanding here when the plane crashed. le’ a pity you fll But ate the gun? Silence "You missed your line these, Miss Ross. You should have ssid “What gun?” Well, I'l ell you. The gun you weee aiming atthe radio operator. Pity you didnt Kill him ehere and then, But you made a good job of it later when you used pillow ra stop him breathing, ‘illow?? Her brown eyes were wide with fear, Yes. Last night, in the cabin, you murdered that young “You're mad," she whispered unsteadily. ‘Quite mad." In answer pulled her tothe frontof the plane where the dead captain was siting, I pulled up his jacker to uncover the bullet holein his back. “I don’t suppote you know anything about hs by any chance? [As I spoke, she fainted and fell on the floor in a heap. Another fine performance thought for a second. But no, this was noperformsnee. She lly hinted. Margaret Ross was completely unconscious Ieishard for me to describe the Feelings of guile and selhatred that I fle during those next few minutes. Looking at er as she lay on the floor, | wondered how I could possibly have been so stupid, Why hadn't I tealizedthac with hee back injury ie was quite impossible for her co jump into the plane through che 2ight Withoue End ‘windscreen? Apace from that, she was noc even tall oF strong * enough to manage thejump. I had been blin, blind with anger. {As she opened her eyes, I did my best to comfort he. ‘e's allright, Miss Ross. I'm not really mad, Justan absolute fool Pm socry for everything said. Can you forgive me?" 1 don’t chink she heard a word I said. Only one thing was ‘on ee mind.‘Musderel she cried. "He's been murdered! Who ‘who killed him?” “Idon’eknow. All know is that you had nothing to-do wich it. And also, that the marderer killed not only oace bur three times ~ he killed the captain, and Colonel Hasson, and the radio operator? She shivered, this time eutof fear, not because she was cold ‘Vm frightened, Dr Mason. .1'm frightened,’ wasall she coal say. Iced co stop her thinking about the killer, but she could think of nothing else. ‘Why was I taken into the radio compartment before the crash? she asked, ‘Probably so that someone could point a gun at you and ‘threaten co kill you if che radio operator didn’ do as he was told sid ‘So who else was there?” she continued. Secing the puzzled Jook on my faee, she went on, ‘Can't you se? If someone was pointing a gun ac Jimmy, the radio operator, another person ‘must have been pointing & gun st Captain Johnson. Te couldn't Ihave been the same pezton.” Yer again I cuesed my stupidity. Why hadn't I seen his before? Fe was obvions that there mast have been two different people with wo different guns on the plane. Good God, this was ovice—no, cen times—as bad. Outof the nine people back at the cabin, two of them must be merciless killers who “ | woulda'thestatetokillagnin ifnecessary. And Ihad absolutely no idea who hey were. 1 sat silently, lost in those teeible thoughts. ‘I know what you'se thinking she sad, Hee voice was unnaturally calm. ‘At this moment you're suspicious of everybody, including me. ‘Well, look at this.’ She took off» rng from the tied finger of her lefehand, “This is my engagement ring, Jimmy and I wece going to get married at Christmas. Now do you trust me?” For the frst time in almost eweneyfour hours 1 acted sensibly. said nothing Ijustsarand watched her astearsrolled silenly dawn hee face, When she buried hec head in her bands, Treached out and pulled hee towards me. She turned, pushed her face into the fue of my jacket and cried as if her hear was breaking. And I suppose i was | suppose too, that ie was hardly the best moment for me co begin ofall in love with her, But Fm afraid that’s how it was. Emotions don't wai for convenient appointments, They just happen. Ihado’e thought abot women since my wife had been killed in ear rash, four years ago, only chree months after out -matriage. Since then I had lived the lonelies of lives, working in isolated places, completely cut off from the company of ‘women, And nov, emotions thar bad thoughe were long dead, iwete suddenly alive and kicking. As Tlooked dow at che small dark head against my shoulder, [felt my heart turn over. 1 couldn't explain it, and didn't even ty ‘Altera while the crying topped. She murmured, Tm sorry’ and wiped her eyes with a glove. Thea she said, “Whac do we ddo now, Dr Mason? Now that we know that che crash was nor an acide, and tha the plane was forced down at gum point” “wish I knew’ I sghed. aNight Without Bd “Buc why did they kill Colonel Harrison? she went on. + ‘Pethaps the drugs chey putin his drink dia’ work well ‘enough, Pethaps he saw too much, or knew too much. Orboth.” Buc now you've seen too much and you know too much! she asid anxiously, ‘Let's get out of here ~ please. I'm frightened” 'No sooner had she sid those words than we heard «noise ‘outside ~ a quiet knocking on che side ofthe plane. Reaching for my gun and torch, I jumped through the windscreen and landed lac on che snow. I waited, listening, bur there was only the sound of the wind. Using my torch, I ran right round the plane but there was nothing eo be seen, so F called softy co ‘Margaret, who appeared atthe windscreen. ‘e's all cight. We were imagining things. Come on down” “Why did youleave meup here? Her voice shook with error. "Those dead men in here... Ie was horrible, Why did you leave me?” “Ym sorey [just didnt stop to think? I pu my arms round her, calmed her down and cogether we walked back to the cabin, 2 6 TUESDAY 7 A.M. Jacksteaw and the others had just finished the work on the tractor when we arived. Ath fist opportunity L went ouside With Jackataw and told him everything that had happened, “What are we going to do, Dr Mason?” “Well leave as soon as we've had some slep.? “For Uplavnik?” That was where ou main scientific sation was, on the coast. ‘Do you think well ever get there?" Tnew whathe was thinking. Travelling nan old, unceliable tractor witha group of people unused to arctic conditions was bad enough, buccravelling with «wo killers among us made the chances of oue ever reaching Uplavaik very unlikely. Ie was obvious co the smallest intelligence cha the killers, whoever they were, would only avoid police investigation and imprisonment if they were the only two people co come out of the icecap alive ‘Tjustdon'tknow,’Tanswered. But know that wel rarve to death if we stay here. I think well make one more attempt to identify the killers before we leave ..” Lexplained to Bimm what I intended to do and he agreed Returning t0 the eabin, I looked carefully at the nine passengers one by one. Ir wasn't easy trying o decide which ewo out of the ine were the killers. Dressed in several layers of clothes, they all looked different, almost unreal. Each one of them, ac fies glance, could have been a murderer o¢ murdetess 8ligbe Without Bind But on a second glance, chey were just a group of shivering, “miserable, very ordinary people. Buc were they so ordinary? sedied them one by one.Zagero war hereally a boxer? He had the physical seength ofa boxer bu he seemed too well-educated, and there were no ents oF rmarks om his face. ‘And wha about his manager Soy Levin? He seemed to be ‘everything that boxing manager should be~ he was almost too good co be true, And the same could be said for the Reverend Smallwood. He was mild, quit, nd rather nervous =a ally typical minster of God. They weze both 50 typical that I was suspicious ‘Corazzini was a question mark. He was obviously a tough and ineligent businessman, but, unusually for a businessman, the had a physical roughness as well Corazzin, in fat, was not typical, and [ was equally suspicious of him, ‘One of the wo remaining men, Theodore Mahler and Senator Brewster, I had my doubrs about Mahler. But that, I Inad to admit, was only because he was thin and dark and had said absolutely nothing abour himself during all our time together ‘As for Senator Brewster, surely he must be innocent? Bu then a worrying thought eameco-me. How did I know that he was realy Senator Brewste? Anyone could grow a moustache and peetend to be a middle-aged Senator. ‘My thoughts were becoming more and more confused. 1 thought about the women. The young gel, Helen, had said that she was from Munich, Pethaps she belonged to some polisical o criminal group? On che other hand, she was only Monday 7 p.m. to Tuesday 7m ‘Mrs Dansby-Gregg? She came from a world of high society that I knew nothing about. She was cleatly a selfish and inseositive person, but she lacked the hardness, che roughness ‘of profesional criminal. Or so I thought. But pechaps [a5 ‘wrong, ‘The only one lee was Maric LeGarde. Of her I had no Adoubes, She was above suspicion. Gradually became aware that everyone was staring a¢ me ‘They had obviously noticed me studying them one by one. Stil, Iwas glad to be the centre of atzenton because that allowed Jacksteaw to ence the cabin, with his eifle in his hand, almost ‘wonoticed, ‘With everyone's eyes still on me, I nodded in Jackstraw’s ireeson and said, "Yes. We always carry sifles on our expeditions, for use against wolves or other wild animals Jacksteaw is pacicularly accurate wich «rifle, so don'e ery fanything. Jose raise your hands, All of you.” While speaking, I pulled out the gun I had taken from Colonel Hartson. Senator Beewster was the ftst to react Jumping to his fee, his face red with ange, he shouted, “What Tidiculous game do you think you'e playing?” ‘Then he stopped, suddenly. A deafening ecash fom Jadkstiaw’s rifle rang through the room. When che smoke “eared, we could see hole in the wooden floor just where the Senator had been sitting. There was silence inthe room as the Senator, visibly shocked, sat down again, There was now no