帷幕36

IV

I think that here and now I should like to place on record that I had never,all through, considered for one moment that Poirot might fail. In the con-flict between Poirot and X I had never contemplated the possibility that Xmight come out victor. In spite of Poirot’s feebleness and ill health, I hadfaith in him as potentially the stronger of the two. I was used, you see, toPoirot’s succeeding.

It was Poirot himself who first put a doubt into my head.

I went in to see him on my way down to dinner. I forget now exactlywhat led to it, but he suddenly used the phrase ‘if anything happens tome’.

I protested immediately and loudly. Nothing would happen – nothingcould happen.

‘Eh bien, then you have not listened carefully to what Dr Franklin toldyou.’

‘Franklin doesn’t know. You’re good for many a long year yet, Poirot.’

‘It is possible, my friend, though extremely unlikely. But I speak now inthe particular and not the general sense. Though I may die very soon, itmay still be not soon enough to suit our friend X.’

‘What?’ My face showed my shocked reaction.

Poirot nodded. ‘But yes, Hastings. X is, after all, intelligent. In fact, mostintelligent. And X cannot fail to perceive that my elimination, even if itwere only to precede natural decease by a few days, might be of inestim-able advantage.’

‘But then – but then – what would happen?’ I was bewildered.

‘When the Colonel falls, mon ami, the second in command takes over.

You will continue.’

‘How can I? I’m entirely in the dark.’

‘I have arranged for that. If anything happens to me, my friend, you willfind here –’ he patted the locked despatch case by his side – ‘all the cluesyou need. I have arranged, you see, for every eventuality.’

‘There is really no need to be clever. Just tell me now everything there isto know.’

‘No, my friend. The fact that you do not know what I know is a valuableasset.’

‘You have left me a clearly written account of things?’

‘Certainly not. X might get hold of it.’

‘Then what have you left?’

‘Indications in kind. They will mean nothing to X – be assured of that –but they will lead you to the discovery of the truth.’

‘I’m not so sure of that. Why must you have such a tortuous mind,Poirot? You always like making everything difficult. You always have!’

‘And it is now with me a passion? Is that what you would say? Perhaps.

But rest assured, my indications will lead you to the truth.’ He paused.

Then he said: ‘And perhaps, then, you would wish that they had not ledyou so far. You would say instead: “Ring down the curtain.”’

Something in his voice started again that vague unformulated dreadthat I had once or twice felt spasms of already. It was as though some-where, just out of sight, was a fact that I did not want to see – that I couldnot bear to acknowledge. Something that already, deep down, I knew …I shook the feeling off and went down to dinner.

 

分享到：