if.goldfinger-第13节

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ist。　They　were　surprised　when　he　said　the　stuff　was　gold。　I　won't　bother　you　with　the　formula；　but　you　see　gold　can　be　made　to　dissolve　in　a　mixture　of　hydrochloric　and　nitric　acids；　and　reducing　agents　…　sulphur　dioxide　or　oxalic　acid　…　precipitate　the　metal　as　a　brown　powder。　This　powder　can　be　reconstituted　into　gold　ingots　by　melting　at　around　a　thousand　degrees　Centigrade。　Have　to　watch　the　chlorine　gas；　but　otherwise　it's　a　simple　process。
　'The　usual　nosey　parker　in　the　salvage　firm　gossiped　to　one　of　the　Dover　Customs　men　and　in　due　course　a　report　filtered　up　through　the　police　and　the　CID　to　me；　together　with　a　copy　of　the　cargo　clearance　papers　for　each　of　Goldfinger's　trips　to　India。　These　gave　all　the　cargoes　as　mineral　dust　base　for　crop　fertilizers　…　all　perfectly　credible　because　these　modern　fertilizers　do　use　traces　of　various　minerals　in　their　make…up。　The　whole　picture　was　clear　as　crystal。　Goldfinger　had　been　refining　down　his　old　gold；　precipitating　it　into　this　brown　powder　and　shipping　it　to　India　as　fertilizer。　But　could　we　pin　it　on　him？　We　could　not。　Had　a　quiet　look　at　his　bank　balance　and　tax　returns。　Twenty　thousand　pounds　at　Barclays　in　Ramsgate。　Ine　tax　and　super　tax　paid　promptly　each　year。　Figures　showed　the　natural　progress　of　a　well…run　jewellery　business。　We　dressed　a　couple　of　the　Gold　Squad　up　and　sent　them　down　to　knock　on　the　door　of　Mr　Goldfinger's　factory　at　Reculver。　〃Sorry；　sir；　routine　inspection　for　the　Small　Engineering　Section　of　the　Ministry　of　Labour。　We　have　to　make　sure　the　Factory　Acts　are　being　observed　for　safety　and　health。〃
　〃e　in。　e　in。〃　Mr　Goldfinger　positively　weled　them。　Mark　you；　he　may　have　been　tipped　off　by　his　bank　manager　or　someone；　but　that　factory　was　entirely　devoted　to　designing　a　cheap　alloy　for　jewellers'　findings　…　trying　out　unusual　metals　like　aluminium　and　tin　instead　of　the　usual　copper　and　nickel　and　palladium　that　are　used　in　gold　alloys。　There　were　traces　of　gold　about；　of　course；　and　furnaces　to　heat　up　to　two　thousand　degrees　and　so　forth；　but　after　all　Goldfinger　was　a　jeweller　and　a　smelter　in　a　small　way；　and　all　this　was　perfectly　above…board。　The　Gold　Squad　retired　disfited；　our　legal　department　decided　the　brown　dust　in　the　trawler's　timbers　was　not　enough　to　prosecute　on　without　supporting　evidence；　and　that　was　more　or　less　that；　except'　…　Colonel　Smithers　slowly　wagged　the　stem　of　his　pipe　…'that　I　kept　the　file　open　and　started　sniffing　around　the　banks　of　the　world。'
　Colonel　Smithers　paused。　The　rumble　of　the　City　came　through　the　half…open　window　high　up　in　the　wall　behind　his　chair。　Bond　glanced　surreptitiously　at　his　watch。　Five　o'clock。　Colonel　Smithers　got　up　from　his　chair。　He　placed　both　hands　palm　downwards　on　the　desk　and　leant　forward。　'It　took　me　five　years；　Mr　Bond；　to　find　out　that　Mr　Goldfinger；　in　ready　money；　is　the　richest　man　in　England。　In　Zurich；　in　Nassau；　in　Panama；　in　New　York；　he　has　twenty　million　pounds'　worth　of　gold　bars　on　safe　deposit。　And　those　bars；　Mr　Bond；　are　not　Mint　bars。　They　don't　carry　any　official　marks　of　origin　whatsoever。　They're　bars　that　Mr　Goldfinger　has　melted　himself。　I　flew　to　Nassau　and　had　a　look　at　the　five　million　pounds'　worth　or　so　he　holds　there　in　the　vaults　of　the　Royal　Bank　of　Canada。　Oddly　enough；　like　all　artists；　he　couldn't　refrain　from　signing　his　handiwork。　It　needs　a　microscope　to　see　it；　but　somewhere；　on　each　Goldfinger　bar；　a　minute　letter　Z　has　been　scratched　in　the　metal。　And　that　gold；　or　most　of　it；　belongs　to　England。　The　Bank　can　do　nothing　about　it；　so　we　are　asking　you　to　bring　Mr　Gold…finger　to　book；　Mr　Bond；　and　get　that　gold　back。　You　know　about　the　currency　crisis　and　the　high　bank　rate？　Of　course。　Well；　England　needs　that　gold；　badly　…　and　the　quicker　the　better。'
　
　CHAPTER　SEVEN
　
　THOUGHTS　IN　A　DB　III
　
　BOND　FOLLOWED　Colonel　Smithers　to　the　lift。　While　they　waited　for　it；　Bond　glanced　out　of　the　tall　window　at　the　end　of　the　passage。　He　was　looking　down　into　the　deep　well　of　the　back　courtyard　of　the　Bank。　A　trim　chocolate…brown　lorry　with　no　owner's　name　had　e　into　the　courtyard　through　the　triple　steel　gates。　Square　cardboard　boxes　were　being　unloaded　from　it　and　put　on　to　a　short　conveyor　belt　that　disappeared　into　the　bowels　of　the　Bank。
　Colonel　Smithers　came　over。　'Fivers；'　he　mented。　'Just　e　up　from　our　printing　works　at　Loughton。'
　The　lift　came　and　they　got　in。　Bond　said；　'I'm　not　very　impressed　by　the　new　ones。　They　look　like　any　other　country's　money。　The　old　ones　were　the　most　beautiful　money　in　the　world。'
　They　walked　across　the　entrance　hall；　now　dimly　lit　and　deserted。　Colonel　Smithers　said；　'As　a　matter　of　fact　I　agree　with　you。　Trouble　was　that　those　Reichsbank　forgeries　during　the　war　were　a　darn　sight　too　good。　When　the　Russians　captured　Berlin；　among　the　loot　they　got　hold　of　the　plates。　We　asked　the　Narodni　Bank　for　them；　but　they　refused　to　give　them　up。　We　and　the　Treasury　decided　it　was　just　too　dangerous。　At　any　moment；　if　Moscow　had　been　inclined；　they　could　have　started　a　major　raid　on　our　currency。　We　had　to　withdraw　the　old　fivers。　The　new　ones　aren't　much　to　look　at；　but　at　least　they'd　be　hell　to　forge。'
　The　night　guard　let　them　out　on　to　the　steps。　Thread…needle　Street　was　almost　deserted。　The　long　City　night　was　beginning。　Bond　said　goodbye　to　Colonel　Smithers　and　walked　along　to　the　Tube。　He　had　never　thought　very　much　about　the　Bank　of　England；　but　now　that　he　had　been　inside　the　place　he　decided　that　the　Old　Lady　of　Threadneedle　Street　might　be　old　but　she　still　had　some　teeth　left　in　her　head。
　Bond　had　been　told　to　report　back　to　M　at　six。　He　did　so。　M's　face　was　no　longer　pink　and　shining。　The　long　day　had　knocked　it　about；　stressed　it；　shrunken　it。　When　Bond　went　in　and　took　the　chair　across　the　desk；　he　noticed　the　conscious　effort　M　made　to　clear　his　mind；　cope　with　the　new　problem　the　day　was　to　fling　at　him。　M　straightened　himself　in　his　chair　and　reached　for　his　pipe。　'Well？'
　Bond　knew　the　false　belligerence　of　that　particular　bark。　He　told　the　gist　of　the　story　in　less　than　five　minutes。
　When　he　had　finished；　M　said　thoughtfully；　'Suppose　we've　got　to　take　it　on。　Don't　understand　a　thing　about　the　pound　and　bank　rate　and　all　that　but　everyone　seems　to　be　taking　it　damned　seriously。　Personally　I　should　have　thought　the　strength　of　the　pound　depended　on　how　hard　we　all　worked　rather　than　how　much　gold　we'd　got。　Germans　didn't　have　much　gold　after　the　war。　Look　where　they've　got　in　ten　years。　However；　that's　probably　too　easy　an　answer　for　the　politicians　…　or　more　likely　too　difficult。　Got　any　ideas　how　to　tackle　this　chap　Goldfinger？　Any　way　of　getting　closer　to　him；　offering　to　do　some　dirty　work　for　him　or　something　like　that？'
　Bond　said　thoughtfully；　'I　wouldn't　get　anywhere　sucking　up　to　him；　asking　him　for　a　job　or　something　of　that　sort；　sir。　I　should　say　he's　the　sort　of　man　who　only　respects　people　who　are　tougher　or　smarter　than　he　is。　I've　given　him　one　beating　and　the　only　message　I　got　from　him　was　that　he'd　like　me　to　play　golf　with　him。　Perhaps　I'd　better　do　just　that。'
　'Fine　way　for　one　of　my　top　men　to　spend　his　time。'　The　sarcasm　in　Ad's　voice　was　weary；　resigned。　'All　right。　Go　ahead。　But　if　what　you　say　is　right；　you'd　better　see　that　you　beat　him。　What's　your　cover　story？'
　Bond　shrugged。　'I　hadn't　thought；　sir。　Perhaps　I'd　better　be　thinking　of　leaving　Universal　Export。　No　future　in　it。　Having　a　holiday　while　I　look　round。　Thinking　of　emigrating　to　Canada。　Fed　up　here。　Something　like　that。　But　perhaps　I'd　better　play　it　the　way　the　cards　fall。　I　wouldn't　think　he's　an　easy　man　to　fool。'
　'All　right。　Report　progress。　And　don't　think　I'm　not　interested　in　this　case。'　M's　voice　had　changed。　So　had　his　expression。　His　eyes　had　bee　urgent；　manding。　'Now　I'll　give　you　one　piece　of　information　the　Bank　didn't　give　you。　It　just　happens　that　I　also　know　what　Mr　Goldfinger's　gold　bars　look　Like。　As　a　matter　of　fact　I　was　handling　one　today　…　scratched　Z　and　all。　It　had　e　in　with　that　haul　we　made　last　week　when　the　Redland　Resident　Director's　office　〃caught　fire〃　in　Tangier。　You'll　have　seen　the　signals。　Well；　that's　the　twentieth　of　these　particular　gold　bars　that　have　e　our　way　since　die　war。'
　Bond　interrupted；　'But　that　Tangier　bar　was　out　of　the　SMERSH　safe。'
　'Exactly。　I've　checked。　All　the　other　nineteen　bars　with　the　scratched　Z　have　been　taken　from　SMERSH　operatives。'　M　paused。　He　said　mildly；　'D'you　know；　007；　I　wouldn't　be　at　all　surprised　if　Goldfinger　doesn't　turn　out　to　be　the　foreign　banker；　the　treasurer　so　to　speak；　of　SMERSH。'
　　
　James　Bond　flung　the　DBIII　through　the　last　mile　of　straight　and　did　a　racing　change　down　into　third　and　then　into　second　for　the　short　hill　before　the　inevitable　traffic　crawl　through　Rochester。　Leashed　in　by　the　velvet　claw　of　the　front　discs；　the　engine　muttered　its　protest　with　a　mild　back…popple　from　the　twin　exhausts。　Bond　went　up　into　third　again；　beat　the　lights　at　the　bottom　of　the　hill　and　slid　resignedly　up　to　the　back　of　the　queue　that　would　crawl　on　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour　…　if　he　was　lucky　…　through　the　sprawl　of　Rochester　and　Chatham。
　Bond　settled　back　into　second　and　let　the　car　idle。　H