三十九级台阶.docx
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三十九级台阶.docx
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三十九级台阶
TheThirtyNineStepsbyJohnBuchan
■1Themanwhodied
Ireturnedtomyflatataboutthreeo'clockonthatMayafternoonveryunhappywithlife.IhasbeenbackinBritainforthreemonthsandIwasalreadybored.Theweatherwasbad,thepeopleweredull,andtheamusementsofLondonseemedasexcitingasaglassofcoldwater.'RichardHannay,'Itoldmyself,'youhavemadeamistake,andyouhadbetterdosomethingaboutit.'
ItmademeangrywhenIthoughtoftheyearsIhadspentinAfrica.Ihadspentthoseyearsworkingveryhardandmakingmoney.Notalotofmoney,butenoughforme.IhadleftScotlandwhenIwassixyearsold,andIhadneverbeenhomesince.ForyearsIhaddreamtofcominghometoBritainandspendingtherestofmylifethere,butIwasdisappointedwiththeplaceafterthefirstweek.AndsohereIwas,thirty-sevenyearsold,healthy,withenoughmoneytohaveagoodtime,andboredtodeath.
ThateveningIwentouttodinnerandsatreadingthenewspapersafterwards.Theywerefullofthetroublesinsouth-eastEurope,andtherewasalongreportaboutKarolides,theGreekPrimeMinister.Heseemedtobeanhonestman,butsomepeopleinEuropehatedhim.However,manypeopleinBritainlikedhim,andonenewspapersaidthathewastheonlymanwhocouldpreventawarstarting.IrememberwonderingifIcouldgetajobinsouth-eastEurope;itmightbealotlessboringthanlifeinLondon.
AsIwalkedhomethatnight,IdecidedtogiveBritainonemoreday.Ifnothinginterestinghappened,IwouldtakethenextboatbacktoAfrica.
MyflatwasinabignewbuildinginLanghamPlace.Therewasadoormanattheentrancetothebuilding,buteachflatwasseparate,withitsownfrontdoor.Iwasjustputtingthekeyintomydoorwhenamanappearednexttome.Hewasthin,withashortbrownbeardandsmall,verybrighteyes.Irecognizedhimasthemanwholivedinaflatonthetopfloorofthebuilding.Wehadspokenonceortwiceonthestairs.
'CanIspeaktoyou?
'heasked.'MayIcomeinforaminute?
'Hisvoicewasshakingalittle.
Iopenedthedoorandwewentin.
'Isthedoorlocked?
'heasked,andquicklylockedithimself.
'I'mverysorry,'hesaidtome.'It'sveryrudeofme.ButI'minadangerouscornerandyoulookedlikethekindofmanwhowouldunderstand.IfIexplain,willyouhelpme?
'
'I'lllistentoyou,'Isaid.'That'sallIpromise.'Iwasgettingworriedbythisstrangeman'sbehaviour.
Therewasatablewithdrinksonitnexttohim,andhetookalargewhiskyforhimself.Hedrankitquickly,andthenputtheglassdownsoviolentlythatitbroke.
'I'msorry,'hesaid.'I'malittlenervoustonight.Yousee,atthismomentI'mdead.'
Isatdowninanarmchairandlitmypipe.
'Howdoesitfeel?
'Iasked.Iwasnowalmostsurethatthemanwasmad.
Hesmiled.'I'mnotmad-yet.Listen,I'vebeenwatchingyou,andIguessthatyou'renoteasilyfrightened.I'mgoingtotellyoumystory.Ineedhelpverybadly,andIwanttoknowifyou'retherightmantoask.'
'Tellmeyourstory,'Isaid,'andI'lltellyouifIcanhelpyou.'
Itwasanextraordinarystory.Ididn'tunderstandallofit,andIhadtoaskalotofquestions,buthereitis:
HisnamewasFranklinP.ScudderandhewasanAmerican,buthehadbeeninsouth-eastEuropeforseveralyears.Byaccident,hehaddiscoveredagroupofpeoplewhowereworkingsecretlytopushEuropetowardsawar.Thesepeoplewereclever,anddangerous.Someofthemwantedtochangetheworldthroughwar;otherssimplywantedtomakealotofmoney,andthereisalwaysmoneytobemadefromawar.TheirplanwastogetRussiaandGermanyatwarwitheachother.
'Iwanttostopthem,'Scuddertoldme,'andifIcanstayaliveforanothermonth,IthinkIcan.'
'Ithoughtyouwerealreadydead,'Isaid.
'I'lltellyouaboutthatinaminute,'heanswered.'Butfirst,doyouknowwhoConstantineKarolidesis?
'TheGreekPrimeMinister.I'vejustbeenreadingabouthimintoday'snewspapers.'
'Right.He'stheonlymanwhocanstopthewar.He'sintelligent,he'shonest,andheknowswhat'sgoingon-andsohisenemiesplantokillhim.Ihavediscoveredhow.Thatwasverydangerousforme,soIhadtodisappear.Theycan'tkillKarolidesinGreecebecausehehastoomanyguards.Butonthe15thofJunehe'scomingtoLondonforabigmeeting,andhisenemiesplantokillhimhere.'
'Youcanwarnhim,'Isaid.'He'llstayathome.'
'That'swhathisenemieswant.Ifhedoesn'tcome,they'llwin,becausehe'stheonlymanwhounderstandsthewholeproblemandwhocanstopthewarhappening.'
'Whydon'tyougototheBritishpolice?
'Isaid.
'Nogood.Theycouldbringinfivehundredpolicemen,buttheywouldn'tstopthemurder.Themurdererwillbecaught,andhe'lltalkandputtheblameonthegovernmentsinViennaandBerlin.Itwillallbelies,ofcourse,buteverybodywillbereadytobelieveit.ButnoneofthiswillhappenifFranklinP.ScudderishereinLondononthe15thofJune.'
Iwasbeginningtolikethisstrangelittleman.Igavehimanotherwhiskyandaskedhimwhyhethoughtthathewasnowindangerhimself.
Hetookalargemouthfulofwhisky.'IcametoLondonbyastrangeroute-throughParis,Hamburg,Norway,andScotland.Ichangedmynameineverycountry,andwhenIgottoLondon,IthoughtIwassafe.ButyesterdayIrealizedthatthey'restillfollowingme.There'samanwatchingthisbuildingandlastnightsomebodyputacardundermydoor.OnitwasthenameofthemanIfearmostintheworld.
'SoIdecidedIhadtodie.Thentheywouldstoplookingforme.Igotadeadbody-it'seasytogetoneinLondon,ifyouknowhow-andIhadthebodybroughttomyflatinalargesuitcase.Thebodywastherightage,butthefacewasdifferentfrommine.Idresseditinmyclothesandshotitinthefacewithmyowngun.Myservantwillfindmewhenhearrivesinthemorningandhe'llcallthepolice.I'veleftalotofemptywhiskybottlesinmyroom.ThepolicewillthinkIdranktoomuchandthenkilledmyself.'Hepaused.'IwatchedfromthewindowuntilIsawyoucomehome,andthencamedownthestairstomeetyou.'
Itwasthestrangestofstories.However,inmyexperience,themostextraordinarystoriesareoftenthetrueones.Andifthemanjustwantedtogetintomyflatandmurderme,whydidn'thetellasimplerstory?
'Right,'Isaid.'I'lltrustyoufortonight.I'lllockyouinthisroomandkeepthekey.Justoneword,MrScudder.Ibelieveyou'rehonest,butifyou'renot,IshouldwarnyouthatIknowhowtouseagun.'
'Certainly,'heanswered,jumpingup.'I'mafraidIdon'tknowyourname,sir,butIwouldliketothankyou.AndcouldIuseyourbathroom?
'
WhenInextsawhim,halfanhourlater,Ididn'trecognizehimatfirst.Onlythebrighteyeswerethesame.Hisbeardwasgone,andhishairwascompletelydifferent.Hewalkedlikeasoldier,andhewaswearingglasses.AndhenolongerspokelikeanAmerican.
'MrScudder—'Icried.
'NotMrScudder,'heanswered.'CaptainTheophilusDigbyoftheBritishArmy.Pleaserememberthat.
Imadehimabedinmystudy,andthenwenttobedmyself,happierthanIhadbeenforthepastmonth.Interestingthingsdidhappensometimes,eveninLondon.
ThenextmorningwhenmyservantPaddockarrived,IintroducedhimtoCaptainDigby.IexplainedthattheCaptainwasanimportantmaninthearmy,buthehadbeenworkingtoohardandneededrestandquiet.ThenIwentout,leavingthembothintheflat.WhenIreturnedataboutlunchtime,thedoormantoldmethatthegentlemaninflat15hadkilledhimself.Iwentuptothetopfloor,hadafewwordswiththepolice,andwasabletoreporttoScudderthathisplanhadbeensuccessful.ThepolicebelievedthatthedeadmanwasScudder,andthathehadkilledhimself.Scudderwasverypleased.
Forthefirsttwodaysinmyflat,hewasverycalm,andspentallhistimereadingandsmoking,andwritinginalittleblacknotebook.Butafterthathebecamemorerestlessandnervous.Itwasnothisowndangerthatheworriedabout,butthesuccessofhisplantopreventthemurderofKarolides.Onenighthewasveryserious.
'Listen,Hannay,'hesaid.'IthinkImusttellyousomemoreaboutthisbusiness.Iwouldhatetogetkilledwithoutleavingsomeoneelsetocarryonwithmyplan.'
Ididn'tlistenverycarefully.IwasinterestedinScudder'sadventures,butIwasn'tveryinterestedinpolitics.IrememberthathesaidKarolideswasonlyindangerinLondon.HealsomentionedawomancalledJuliaCzechenyi.HetalkedaboutaBlackStoneandamanwholispedwhenhespoke.Andhedescribedanotherman,perhapsthemostdangerousofthemall-anoldmanwithayoungvoicewhocouldhoodhiseyeslikeahawk.
ThenexteveningIhadtogoout.IwasmeetingamanIhadknowninAfricafordinner.WhenIreturnedtotheflat,Iwassurprisedtoseethatthelightinthestudywasout.IwonderedifScudderhadgonetobedearly.Iturnedonthelight,buttherewasnobodythere.ThenIsawsomethinginthecornerthatmademybloodturncold.
Scudderwaslyingonhisback.Therewasalongknifethroughhisheart,pinninghimtothefloor.
■2Themilkmanstartshistravels
Isatdowninanarmchairandfeltverysick.AfteraboutfiveminutesIstartedshaking.Thepoorwhitefacewithitsstaringeyeswastoomuchforme,soIgotatableclothandcoveredit.ThenItookthewhiskybottleanddrankseveralmouthfuls.Ihadseenmendieviolentlybefore.IhadkilledafewmyselfintheMatabelewar;butthiswasdifferent.AfterafewmoreminutesImanagedtocalmmyselfdownalittle.Ilookedatmywatchandsawthatitwashalfpastten.Isearchedtheflatcarefully,buttherewasnobodythere.ThenIlockedthedoorsandwindows.
By
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