indow…I'd screwed it shut so that it was impossible for anyone to have entered from the outside。 I'd also found that a hypodermic and a phial of morphine had been stolen。 You don't have to admit any of this…both Jungbeck and Heyter will sing like canaries。〃
〃I admit everything。〃 Otto spoke with a massive calm。 〃You are correct in every detail。 Not that I see that any Of it is going to do you any good。〃 I'd said that he was an artist in palming things and he proceeded to prove it。 The very unpleasant…looking little black automatic that he held in his hand just seemed to have materialised there。 〃I don't see that that's going to do you any good either；〃 I said。 〃After all； you've just admitted that you're guilty of everything I claimed you were。〃
I was standing directly under the conning tower hatchway； where I'd deliberately and advisedly positioned myself as soon as we'd arrived； and I could see things that Otto couldn't。 〃Where do you think the Morning Rose is now？〃
〃What was that？〃 I didn't much like the way his pudgy little hand tightened round the butt of his gun。 〃She never went farther than Tunbeim where there have been people up there waiting to hear from me。 True； they couldn't hear by direct radio contact； because you'd had one of your hard men smash the trawler's transceiver； hadn't you？ But before the Morning Rose left here I'd left aboard a radio device that tunes into a radio homer。 They bad clear instructions as to what to do the moment that device was actuated by the homer transmitter。 It's been transmitting for almost ninety minutes now。 There are armed soldiers and police officers of both Norway and Britain aboard that trawler。 Rather； they were。 They're aboard this vessel now。 Please take my word for it。 Otherwise we have useless bloodshed。〃
Otto didn't take my word for it。 He stepped forward quickly； raising his gun as he peered up towards the conning tower。 Unfortunately for Otto； he was standing in a brightly lit spot while peering up into the darkness。 The sound of a shot； hurtful to the ears in that enclosed space； came at the same instant as his scream of pain followed by a metallic clunk as the gun falling from his bloodied hand struck a bar of bullion。 〃I'm sorry；〃 I said。 〃You didn't give me time to tell you that they were specially picked soldiers。〃
Four men descended into the body of the vessel。 Two were in civilian clothes； two in Norwegian army uniforms。 One of the civilians said to me： 〃Dr。 Marlowe？〃 I nodded； and he went on： 〃Inspector Matthewson。 This is Inspector Nielsen。 It looks as if we were on time？〃
〃Yes； thank you。〃 They weren't in time to save Antonio and Halliday the two stewards； Judith Haynes and her husband。 But that was entirely my fault。 〃You were very prompt indeed。〃
〃We've been here for some time。 We actually saw you go below。 We came ashore by rubber dinghy from the outside； north of Makehl。 Captain Imrie didn't much fancy ing up the Sor…Hamna at night。 I don't think he sees too well。〃
'But I do。〃 The harsh voice came from above。 〃Drop that gun！ Drop it or I'll kill you。〃 Heyter's voice carried utter conviction。 There was only one person carrying a gun； the soldier who had shot Otto； and he dropped it without hesitation at a sharp word from the Norwegian inspector。 Heyter climbed down into the hull； his eyes watchful； his gun moving in a slight arc。 〃Well done； Heyter； well done；〃 Otto moaned from the pain of his shattered hand。 〃Well done？〃 I said。 〃You want to be responsible for another death？ You want this to be the last thing Heyter ever does； well or not？〃
〃Too late for words。〃 Otto's puce face had turned grey； the blood was dripping steadily on to the gold。 〃Too late。〃
〃Too late？ You fool； I knew that Heyter was mobile。 You'd forgotten I was a doctor； even if not much of a one。 He'd a badly cut ankle inside a thick leather boot。 That could only have been caused by a pound fracture。 There was no such fracture。 A sprained ankle doesn't cut the skin open。 A self…inflicted injury。 As in killing Stryker； so in killing Smith …a crude and total lack of imagination。 You did kill him； didn't you； Heyter？〃
〃Yes。〃 He turned his gun on me。 〃I like killing people。〃
〃Put that gun down or you're a dead man。〃
He swore at me； viciously and in contempt； and was still swearing when the red rose bloomed in the centre of his forehead。 The Count lowered his Beretta； dark smoke still wisping from its muzzle and said apologetically： 〃Well； I was a Polish count。 But we do get out of practice； you know。〃
〃I can see that；〃 I said。 〃A rotten shot but I guess it's worth a royal pardon at that。〃
On the jetty； the police inspectors insisted on handcuffing Goin； Heissman； and even the wounded Otto。 I persuaded them that the Count was not a danger and further persuaded them to let me have a word with Heissman while they made their way up to the cabin。 When we were alone I said： 〃The water in the harbour there is below the normally accepted freezing point。 With those heavy clothes and your wrists handcuffed behind your back you'll be dead in thirty seconds。 That's the advantage of being a doctor； one can be fairly definite about those things。〃 I took him by the arm and pushed him towards the edge of the jetty。
He said in a big…strained voice： 〃You had Heyter deliberately killed； didn't you？〃
〃Of course。 Didn't you know…there's no death penalty in England now。 Up here； there's no problem。 Goodbye； Heissman。〃
〃I swear it！ I swear it！〃 His voice was now close to a scream。 〃I'll have Mary Stuart's parents released and safely reunited。 I swear it！ I swear it！〃
It's your life； Heissman。〃
〃Yes。〃 He shivered violently and it wasn't because of the bitter wind。
〃Yes； I know that。〃
The atmosphere in the cabin was extraordinarily quiet and subdued。 It stemmed； I suppose； from that reaction which is the inevitable conitant of profound and still as yet unbelieving relief。
Matthewson； clearly； had been explaining things。
Jungbeck was lying on the floor； his right hand clutching his left shoulder and moaning as in great pain。 I looked at Conrad who looked at the fallen man and then pointed to the broken shards of glass on the floor。 〃I did as you asked；〃 he said。 〃I'm afraid the bottle broke。〃
〃I'm sorry about that；〃 I said。 〃The Scotch； I mean。〃 I looked at Mary Darling； who was sobbing bitterly and at Mary Stuart who was trying to fort her and looked only fractionally less unhappy。 I said reprovingly： 〃Tears； idle tears； my two Marys。 It's all over now。〃
〃Lonnie's dead。〃 Big blurred eyes staring miserably from behind huge glasses。 〃Five minutes ago。 He just died。〃
〃I'm sorry；〃 I said。 〃But no tears for Lonnie。 His words； not mine。 〃He hates him much that would upon the rack of this tough world stretch him out longer。〃
She looked at me unprehendingly。 〃Did he say that？〃
〃No。 Chap called Kent。〃
〃He said something else；〃 Mary Stuart said。 〃He said we were to tell the kindly healer…I suppose he meant you…to bring his penny to toss for the first round of drinks in some bar。 I didn't understand。 A four…ale bar。〃
〃It wouldn't have been in purgatory〃
〃Purgatory？ Oh； I don't know。 It didn't make any sense to me。〃
〃It makes sense to me；〃 I said。 〃I won't forget my penny。〃
A film to be made on location high above the Arctic Circle and a movie pany with an international cast which included。。。
OTTO GERRAN： his ruthless determination had made him a famous but hated director CHARLES CONRAD： ruggedly handsome； the male lead in the film MARY STUART： a quiet； beautiful blonde surrounded by mystery JUDITH HAYNES： a venomous woman devoted only to herself COUNT TADEUSZ LESZCZYNSKI： with the lean and aquiline face； the black pencil moustache 。。。 and evil intentions MICHAEL STRYKER： tall and handsome； cynical and immoral； he was held to his wife only by blackmail DR。 MARLOWE： the pany's doctor who knew from the outset that something was amiss； but had no idea how to deal with it And terror and death； acpanied them on the journey to 。。。
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