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II
The three men started on their tour of the island.
It proved unexpectedly simple. On the northwest side, towards the coast, the cliffs fell
sheer to the sea below, their surface unbroken.
On the rest of the island there were no trees and very little cover. The three men worked
carefully and methodically, beating up and down from the highest point to the water’s edge,
narrowly scanning the least irregularity in the rock which might point to the entrance to a cave.
But there were no caves.
They came at last, skirting the water’s edge, to where General Macarthur sat looking out to
sea. It was very peaceful here with the lap of the waves breaking over the rocks. The old man
He paid no attention to the approach of the searchers. His oblivion of them made one at
least faintly uncomfortable.
Blore thought to himself:
“ ’Tisn’t natural—looks as though he’d gone into a trance or something.”
He cleared his throat and said in a would-be conversational2 tone:
“Nice peaceful spot you’ve found for yourself, sir.”
The General frowned. He cast a quick look over his shoulder. He said:
“There is so little time—so little time. I really must insist that no one disturbs me.”
“We won’t disturb you. We’re just making a tour of the island so to speak. Just wondered,
you know, if someone might be hiding on it.”
The General frowned and said:
“You don’t understand—you don’t understand at all. Please go away.”
Blore retreated. He said, as he joined the other two:
“He’s crazy … It’s no good talking to him.”
Lombard asked with some curiosity:
“What did he say?”
“Something about there being no time and that he didn’t want to be disturbed.”
Dr. Armstrong frowned.
He murmured:
“I wonder now….”
2
三个人在岛上展开了搜查行动。
结果，没想到小岛上这么容易就搜完了。岛的西北角，也就是面朝大陆的一侧，是直
垂入海的悬崖，光秃无一物。
岛上其他地方连一棵树都没有，也很少有其他植物。他们三个人有条不紊地进行地毯
式搜查，把士兵岛从山顶到海边，上上下下翻了个遍。任何一条形状怪异的岩石缝、任何
一处有可能通向岩洞深处的旮旯，他们都没放过。然而一无所获，没发现一个可疑的岩
洞。
他们绕着海边走，最后来到了麦克阿瑟将军独坐远眺的地方。此处只有层层叠叠的海
浪拍打着礁石，溅起一片片浪花，看上去安宁惬意。将军挺直腰板，坐在椅子上，一直目
不转睛地望着海平线。
他全然没有注意这几个搜查小岛的人。这种超然的态度让布洛尔感到有些奇怪。
布洛尔心里想：
“他有些不对劲儿，看上去好像着了魔。”
他清了清喉咙，凑上前打算和麦克阿瑟将军好好聊一聊，说道：
“你可真会给自己找个安逸的好地方啊，将军。”
麦克阿瑟将军皱起眉头，回头看了他们一眼说：
“没多少时间了——没时间了。你们千万别打扰我。”
布洛尔客客气气地说：
“不会打扰你的。我们在岛上转了一圈，主要是担心也许有人正躲在岛上的某个地
方。”
麦克阿瑟将军皱着眉头说：
“你们不懂……你们根本就不懂。你们快走吧。”
布洛尔走开了。他走到另外两人身边，说：
“他简直有毛病，根本没法交流。”
隆巴德好奇地问：
“他说什么了？”
布洛尔耸了耸肩膀，说：
“他说没时间了，让别人不要打扰他。”
阿姆斯特朗医生皱起眉头，自言自语道：
“真奇怪……”
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