if.thunderball-第14节

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her　more　than　all　the　women　at　present　in　his　life　rolled；　if　that　were　feasible；　together。
　
　But　Bond　refused　to　be　owned　by　any　car。　A　car；　however　splendid；　was　a　means　of　lootion　（he　called　the　Continental　〃the　lootive〃。　。　。　〃I'll　pick　you　up　in　my　lootive〃）　and　it　must　at　all　times　be　ready　to　loote…no　garage　doors　to　break　one's　nails　on；　no　pampering　with　mechanics　except　for　the　quick　monthly　service。　The　lootive　slept　out　of　doors　in　front　of　his　flat　and　was　required　to　start　immediately；　in　all　weathers；　and；　after　that；　stay　on　the　road。
　
　The　twin　exhausts…Bond　had　demanded　two…inch　pipes；　he　hadn't　liked　the　old　soft　flutter　of　the　marque…growled　solidly　as　the　long　gray　nose　topped　by　a　big　octagonal　silver　bolt　instead　of　the　winged　B；　swerved　out　of　the　little　Chelsea　square　and　into　King's　Road。　It　was　nine　o'clock；　too　early　for　the　bad　traffic；　and　Bond　pushed　the　car　fast　up　Sloane　Street　and　into　the　park。　It　would　also　be　too　early　for　the　traffic　police；　so　he　did　some　fancy　driving　that　brought　him　to　the　Marble　Arch　exit　in　three　minutes　flat。　Then　there　came　the　slow　round…the…houses　into　Baker　Street　and　so　into　Regents　Park。　Within　ten　minutes　of　getting　the　Hurry　call　he　was　going　up　in　the　lift　of　the　big　square　building　to　the　eighth　and　top　floor。
　
　Already；　as　he　strode　down　the　carpeted　corridor；　he　smelled　emergency。　On　this　floor；　besides　M's　offices；　was　housed　munications；　and　from　behind　the　gray　closed　doors　there　came　a　steady　zing　and　crackle　from　the　banks　of　transmitters　and　a　continuous　machine…gun　rattle　and　clack　from　the　cipher　machines。　It　crossed　Bond's　mind　that　a　General　Call　was　going　out。　What　the　hell　had　happened？
　
　The　Chief　of　Staff　was　standing　over　Miss　Moneypenny。　He　was　handing　her　signals　from　a　large　sheaf　and　giving　her；　routing　instructions。　〃CIA　Washington；　Personal　for　Dulles。　Cipher　Triple　X　by　Teleprinter。　Mathis；　Deuxième　Bureau。　Same　prefix　and　route。　Station　F　for　Head　of　NATO　Intelligence。　Personal。　Standard　route　through　Head　of　Section。　This　one　by　Safe　Hand　to　Head　of　M。I。5；　Personal；　copy　to　missioner　of　Police；　Personal；　and　these〃…he　handed　over　a　thick　batch…〃Personal　to　Heads　of　Stations　from　M。　Cipher　Double　X　by　Whitehall　Radio　and　Portishead。　All　right？　Clear　them　as　quick　as　you　can；　there's　a　good　girl。　There'll　be　more　ing。　We're　in　for　a　bad　day。〃
　
　Miss　Moneypenny　smiled　cheerfully。　She　liked　what　she　called　the　shot…and…shell　days。　It　reminded　her　of　when　she　had　started　in　the　Service　as　a　junior　in　the　Cipher　Department。　She　leaned　over　and　pressed　the　switch　on　the　inter；　〃007's　here；　sir。〃　She　looked　up　at　Bond。　〃You're　off。〃　The　Chief　of　Staff　grinned　and　said；　〃Fasten　your　lap…strap。〃　The　red　light　went　on　above　M's　door。　Bond　walked　through。
　
　Here　it　was　entirely　peaceful。　M　sat　relaxed；　sideways　to　his　desk　looking　out　of　the　broad　window　at　the　distant　glittering　fretwork　of　London's　skyline。　He　glanced　up。　〃Sit　down；　007。　Have　a　look　at　these。〃　He　reached　out　and　slid　some　foolscap…sized　photostats　across　the　desk。　〃Take　your　time。〃　He　picked　up　his　pipe　and　began　to　fill　it；　absent…minded　fingers　dipping　into　the　shell…base　tobacco　jar　at　his　elbow。
　
　Bond　picked　up　the　top　photostat。　It　showed　the　front　and　back　of　an　addressed　envelope；　dusted　for　fingerprints；　which　were　all　over　its　surface。
　
　M　glanced　sideways。　〃Smoke　if　you　like。〃
　
　Bond　said；　〃Thanks；　sir。　I'm　trying　to　give　it　up。〃
　
　M　said；　〃Humpf；〃　put　his　pipe　in　his　mouth；　struck　a　match；　and　inhaled　a　deep　lungful　of　smoke。　He　settled　himself　deeper　in　his　chair。　The　gray　sailor's　eyes　gazed　through　the　window　introspectively；　seeing　nothing。
　
　The　envelope；　prefixed　〃PERSONAL　AND　MOST　IMMEDIATE；〃　was　addressed　to　the　Prime　Minister；　by　name；　at　No。　10；　Downing　Street；　Whitehall；　London；　sw1。　Every　detail　of　the　address　was　correct　down　to　the　final　〃P。C。〃　to　denote　that　the　Prime　Minister　was　a　Privy　Councillor。　The　punctuation　was　meticulous。　The　stamp　was　postmarked　Brighton；　8：30　a。m。　on　June　3。　It　crossed　Bond's　mind　that　the　letter　might　therefore　have　been　posted　under　cover　of　night　and　that　it　would　probably　have　been　delivered　some　time　in　the　early　afternoon　of　the　same　day；　yesterday。　A　typewriter　with　a　bold；　rather　elegant　type　had　been　used。　This　fact；　together　with　the　generous　5…by…7　1/2…inch　envelope　and　the　spacing　and　style　of　the　address；　gave　a　solid；　businesslike　impression。　The　back　of　the　envelope　showed　nothing　but　fingerprints。　There　was　no　sealing　wax。
　
　The　letter；　equally　correct　and　well　laid　out；　ran　as　follows：
　
　***
　
　Mr　Prime　Minister；
　
　You　should　be　aware；　or　you　will　be　if　you　municate　with　the　Chief　of　the　Air　Staff；　that；　since　approximately　10　p。m。　yesterday；　2nd　June；　a　British　aircraft　carrying　two　atomic　weapons　is　overdue　on　a　training　flight。　The　aircraft　is　Villiers　Vindicator　O/NBR　from　No。　5　R。A。F。　Experimental　Squadron　based　at　Bosbe　Down。　The　Ministry　of　Supply　Identification　Numbers　on　the　atomic　weapons　are　MOS/bd/654/Mk　V。　and　MOS/　bd/655/Mk　V。　There　are　also　U。S。A。F。　Identification　Numbers　in　such　profusion　and　of　such　prolixity　that　I　will　not　weary　you　with　them。
　
　This　aircraft　was　on　a　NATO　training　flight　with　a　crew　or　five　and　one　observer。　It　carried　sufficient　fuel　for　ten　hours'　flying　at　600　m。p。h。　at　a　mean　altitude　of　40；000　feet。
　
　This　aircraft；　together　with　the　two　atomic　weapons；　is　now　in　the　possession　of　this　organization。　The　crew　and　the　observer　are　deceased　and　you　have　our　authority　to　inform　the　next…of…kin　accordingly；　thus　assisting　you　in　preserving；　on　the　grounds　that　the　aircraft　has　crashed；　the　degree　of　secrecy　you　will　no　doubt　wish　to　maintain　and　which　will　be　equally　agreeable　to　ourselves。　The　whereabouts　of　this　aircraft　and　of　the　two　atomic　weapons；　rendering　them　possible　of　recovery；　will　be　municated　to　you　in　exchange　for　the　equivalent　of　￡100；000；000　in　gold　bullion；　one　thousand；　or　not　less　than　nine　hundred　and　ninety…nine；　fine。　Instructions　for　the　delivery　of　the　gold　are　contained　in　the　attached　memorandum。　A　further　condition　is　that　the　recovery　and　disposal　of　the　gold　will　not　be　hampered　and　that　a　free　pardon；　under　your　personal　signature　and　that　of　the　President　of　the　United　States；　will　be　issued　in　the　name　of　this　organization　and　all　its　members。
　
　Failure　to　accept　these　conditions　within　seven　days　from　5　p。m。　G。M。T。　on　June　3rd；　1959…i。e。　not　later　than　5　p。m。　G。M。T。　on　June　10th；　1959…will　have　the　following　consequences。　Immediately　after　that　date　a　piece　of　property　belonging　to　the　Western　Powers；　valued　at　not　less　than　the　aforesaid　￡100；000；000；　will　be　destroyed。　There　will　be　loss　of　life。　If；　within　48　hours　after　this　warning；　willingness　to　accept　our　terms　is　still　not　municated；　there　will　ensue；　without　further　warning；　the　destruction　of　a　major　city　situated　in　an　undesignated　country　of　the　world。　There　will　be　very　great　loss　of　life。　Moreover；　between　the　two　occurrences；　this　organization　will　reserve　to　itself　the　right　to　municate　to　the　world　the　48…hour　time　limit。　This　measure；　which　will　cause　widespread　panic　in　every　major　city；　will　be　designed　to　hasten　your　hand。
　
　This；　Mr。　Prime　Minister；　is　a　single　and　final　munication。　We　shall　await　your　reply；　every　hour　on　the　hour　G。M。T。；　on　the　16…megacycle　waveband。
　
　Signed
　
　S。P。E。C。T。R。E。
　
　（The　Special　Executive　for　Counterintelligence；　Terrorism；　Revenge；　and　Extortion）
　
　***
　
　James　Bond　read　through　the　letter　again　and　put　it　carefully　down　on　the　desk　in　front　of　him。　He　then　turned　to　the　second　page；　a　detailed　memorandum　for　the　delivery　of　the　gold。　〃Northwestern　slopes　of　Mount　Etna　in　Sicily　。　。　。　Decca　Navigational　Aid　transmitting　on　。。。　Full　moon　period　。　。　。　between　midnight　and　0100　G。M。T　。　。　。　individual　quarter…ton　consignments　packed　in　one…foot…thick　foam　rubber　。　。　。　minimum　of　three　parachutes　per　consignment　。　。　。　nature　of　planes　and　flight　schedule　to　be　municated　on　the　16…megacycle　waveband　not　later　than　24　hours　before　the　operation　。　。　。　Any　counter…measures　initiated　will　be　considered　a　breach　of　contract　and　will　result　in　the　detonation　of　Atomic　Weapon　No。　1　or　No。　2　as　the　case　may　be。〃　The　typed　signature　was　the　same。　Both　pages　had　one　last　line：　〃Copy　to　the　President　of　the　United　States　of　America；　by　Registered　Airmail；　posted　simultaneously。〃
　
　Bond　laid　the　photostat　quietly　down　on　top　of　the　others。　He　reached　into　his　hip　pocket　for　the　gunmetal　cigarette　case　that　now　contained　only　nine　cigarettes；　took　one；　and　lit　it；　drawing　the　smoke　deep　down　into　his　lungs　and　letting　it　out　with　a　long；　reflective　hiss。
　
　M　swiveled　his　chair　round　so　they　were　facing　each　other。　〃Well？〃
　
　Bond　noticed　that　M's　eyes；　three　weeks　before　so　clear　and　vital；　were　now　bloodshot　and　strained。　No　wonder！　He　said；　〃If　this　plane；　and　the　weapons；　really　are　missing；　I　think　it　stands　up；　sir。　I　think　they　mean　it。　I　think　it's　a　true　bill。〃
　
　M　said；　〃So　does　the　War　Cabinet。　So　do　I。〃　He　paused。　〃Yes；　the　plane　with　the　bombs　is　missing。　And　the　stock　numbers　on　the　bombs　are　correct。〃