if.thunderball-第11节

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nergies　to　other　pursuits。〃　Blofeld　looked　down　the　table。　He　said　amiably；　〃Any　questions？〃
　
　The　twenty　pairs　of　eyes；　on　this　occasion　all　of　them；　gazed　stolidly；　unemotionally　back　at　their　chairman。　Each　man　had　made　his　own　calculation；　knew　his　own　mind。　There　was　no　ment　to　be　extracted　from　these　good；　though　narrow；　minds。　They　were　satisfied；　but　it　was　not　a　part　of　their　harsh　personalities　to　say　so。　These　were　known　things　that　their　chairman　had　spoken。　It　was　time　for　the　unknown。
　
　Blofeld　slipped　a　second　cachou　into　his　mouth；　maneuvered　it　under　his　tongue；　and　continued。
　
　〃Then　so　be　it。　And　now　to　the　last　operation；　pleted　a　month　ago　and　yielding　one　million　dollars。〃　Blofeld's　eyes　moved　down　the　left…hand　rank　of　members　to　the　end　of　the　row。　He　said　softly；　〃Stand　up；　No。　7。〃
　
　Marius　Domingue　of　the　Union　Corse；　a　proud；　chunky　man　with　slow　eyes；　who　was　wearing　ready…made；　rather　sharp　clothes　that　probably　came　from　the　Galleries　Barbes　in　Marseilles；　got　slowly　to　his　feet。　He　looked　squarely　down　the　table　at　Blofeld。　His　big；　rough　hands　hung　relaxed　at　the　seams　of　his　trousers。　Blofeld　appeared　to　answer　his　gaze；　but　in　fact　he　was　noting　the　reaction　of　the　Corsican　next　to　No。　7；　No。　12；　Pierre　Borraud。　This　man　sat　directly　facing　Blofeld　at　the　far　end　of　the　long　table。　It　was　his　eyes　that　had　been　evasive　during　the　meeting。　Now　they　were　not。　Now　they　were　relaxed；　assured。　Whatever　the　eyes　had　feared　had　passed。
　
　Blofeld　addressed　the　pany。　〃This　operation；　you　will　recall；　involved　the　kidnaping　of　the　seventeen…year…old　daughter　of　Magnus　Blomberg；　owner　of　the　Principality　Hotel　in　Las　Vegas　and　participant　in　other　American　enterprises　through　his　membership　of　the　Detroit　Purple　Gang。　The　girl　was　abducted　from　her　father's　suite　in　the　Hotel　de　Paris　in　Monte　Carlo　and　taken　by　sea　to　Corsica。　This　part　of　the　operation　was　executed　by　the　Corsican　section。　One　million　dollars　ransom　was　demanded。　Mr。　Blomberg　was　willing　and；　in　accordance　with　the　instructions　of　SPECTRE；　the　money　in　an　inflated　life　raft　was　dropped　at　dusk　off　the　Italian　coast　near　San　Remo。　At　nightfall　the　raft　was　recovered　by　the　ship　operated　by　our　Sicilian　section。　This　section　is　to　be　mended　for　detecting　the　transistorized　radio　transmitter　concealed　in　the　raft　which　it　was　intended　should　allow　a　unit　of　the　French　Navy　to　direction…find　our　ship　and　hunt　it　down。　On　receipt　of　the　ransom　money；　and　in　accordance　with　our　undertaking；　the　girl　was　returned　to　her　parents　apparently　suffering　from　no　ill　effects　except　for　the　hair　dye　that　had　been　necessary　to　transfer　her　from　Corsica　to　a　wagon…lit　in　the　Blue　Train　from　Marseilles。　I　say　‘apparently。'　From　a　source　in　the　police　missariat　at　Nice；　I　now　learn　that　the　girl　was　violated　during　her　captivity　in　Corsica。〃　Blofeld　paused　to　allow　this　intelligence　time　to　sink　in。　He　continued。　〃It　is　the　parents　who　maintain　that　she　was　violated。　It　is　possible　that　only　carnal　knowledge；　with　her　consent；　was　involved。　No　matter。　This　organization　undertook　that　the　girl　would　be　returned　undamaged。　Without　splitting　hairs　about　the　effect　of　sexual　knowledge　on　a　girl；　I　am　of　the　opinion　that；　whether　the　act　was　voluntary　or　involuntary　on　the　girl's　part；　she　was　returned　to　her　parents　in　a　damaged；　or　at　least　used；　condition。〃　Blofeld　rarely　employed　gestures。　Now　he　slowly　opened　the　left　hand　that　lay　on　the　table。　He　said；　in　the　same　even　tone　of　voice；　〃We　are　a　large　and　powerful　organization。　I　am　not　concerned　with　morals　or　ethics；　but　members　will　be　aware　that　I　desire；　and　most　strongly　remend；　that　SPECTRE　shall　conduct　itself　in　a　superior　fashion。　There　is　no　discipline　in　SPECTRE　except　self…discipline。　We　are　a　dedicated　fraternity　whose　strength　lies　entirely　in　the　strength　of　each　member。　Weakness　in　one　member　is　the　deathwatch　beetle　in　the　total　structure。　You　are　aware　of　my　views　in　this　matter；　and　on　the　occasions　when　cleansing　has　been　necessary　you　have　approved　my　action。　In　this　case；　I　have　already　done　what　I　considered　necessary　vis…a…vis　this　girl's　family。　I　have　returned　half　a　million　dollars　with　an　appropriate　note　of　apology。　This　despite　the　matter　of　the　radio　transmitter　which　was　a　breach　of　our　contract　with　the　family。　I　dare　say　they　knew　nothing　of　the　ruse。　It　was　typical　police　behavior…a　pattern　that　I　was　expecting。　The　dividend　for　all　of　us　from　this　operation　will　be　correspondingly　reduced。　Regarding　the　culprit；　I　have　satisfied　myself　that　he　is　guilty。　I　have　decided　on　the　appropriate　action。〃
　
　Blofeld　looked　down　the　table。　His　eyes　were　fixed　on　the　man　standing…on　No。　7。　The　Corsican；　Marius　Domingue；　looked　back　at　him　steadily。　He　knew　he　was　innocent。　He　knew　who　was　guilty。　His　body　was　still　with　tension。　But　it　was　not　fear。　He　had　faith；　as　they　all　had；　in　the　rightness　of　Blofeld。　He　could　not　understand　why　he　had　been　singled　out　as　a　target　for　all　the　eyes　that　were　now　upon　him；　but　Blofeld　had　decided；　and　Blofeld　was　always　right。
　
　Blofeld　noted　the　man's　courage　and　sensed　the　reasons　for　it。　He　also　observed　the　sweat　shining　on　the　face　of　No。　12；　the　man　alone　at　the　head　of　the　table。　Good！　The　sweat　would　improve　the　contact。
　
　Under　the　table；　Blofeld's　right　hand　came　up　off　his　thigh；　found　the　knob；　and　pulled　the　switch。
　
　The　body　of　Pierre　Borraud；　seized　in　the　iron　fist　of　3000　volts；　arced　in　the　airchair　as　if　it　had　been　kicked　in　the　back。　The　rough　mat　of　black　hair　rose　sharply　straight　up　on　his　head　and　remained　upright；　a　gollywog　fringe　for　the　contorted；　bursting　face。　The　eyes　glared　wildly　and　then　faded。　A　blackened　tongue　slowly　protruded　between　the　snarling　teeth　and　remained　hideously　extended。　Thin　wisps　of　smoke　rose　from　under　the　hands；　from　the　middle　of　the　back；　and　from　under　the　thighs　where　the　concealed　electrodes　in　the　chair　had　made　contact。　Blofeld　pulled　back　the　switch。　The　lights　in　the　room　that　had　dimmed　to　orange；　making　a　dull　supernatural　glow；　brightened　to　normal。　The　roasted…meat　and　burned…fabric　smell　spread　slowly。　The　body　of　No。　12　crumpled　horribly。　There　was　a　sharp　crack　as　the　chin　hit　the　edge　of　the　table。　It　was　all　over。
　
　Blofeld's　soft；　even　voice　broke　the　silence。　He　looked　down　the　table　at　No。　7。　He　noted　that　the　stanch；　impassive　stance　had　not　quavered。　This　was　a　good　man　with　good　nerves。　Blofeld　said；　〃Sit　down；　No。　7。　I　am　satisfied　with　your　conduct。〃　（Satisfaction　was　Blofeld's　highest　expression　of　praise。）　〃It　was　necessary　to　distract　the　attention　of　No。　12。　He　knew　that　he　was　under　suspicion。　There　might　have　been　an　untidy　scene。〃
　
　Some　of　the　men　round　the　table　nodded　their　understanding。　As　usual；　Blofeld's　reasoning　made　good　sense。　No　one　was　greatly　perturbed　or　surprised　by　what　he　had　witnessed。　Blofeld　always　exercised　his　authority；　meted　out　justice；　in　full　view　of　the　members。　There　had　been　two　previous　occasions　of　this　nature；　both　at　similar　meetings　and　both　on　security　or　disciplinary　grounds　which　affected　the　cohesion；　the　inner　strength；　of　the　whole　team。　In　one；　the　offender　had　been　shot　by　Blofeld　through　the　heart　with　a　thick　needle　fired　from　a　pressed…air　pistol…no　mean　feat　at　around　twelve　paces。　In　the　other；　the　guilty　man；　who　had　been　seated　next　to　Blofeld　on　his　left　hand；　had　been　garroted　with　a　wire　noose　casually　flicked　over　his　head　and　then；　with　two　swift　steps　by　Blofeld；　pulled　tight　over　the　back　of　the　man's　chair。　Those　two　deaths　had　been　just；　necessary。　So　had　this　death；　the　third。　Now；　the　members；　ignoring　the　heap　of　death　at　the　end　of　the　table；　settled　in　their　chairs。　It　was　time　to　get　back　to　business。
　
　Blofeld　snapped　shut　the　gold　vinaigrette　and　slipped　it　into　a　waistcoat　pocket。　〃The　Corsican　section；〃　he　said　softly；　〃will　put　forward　remendations　for　a　replacement　for　No。　12。　But　that　can　wait　until　after　pletion　of　Plan　Omega。　On　this　matter；　there　are　certain　details　to　be　discussed。　Sub…operator　G；　recruited　by　the　German　section；　has　made　an　error；　a　serious　error　which　radically　affects　our　time　table。　This　man；　whose　membership　of　the　Red　Lightning　Tong　in　Macao　should　have　made　him　expert　in　conspiracy；　was　instructed　to　make　his　headquarters　at　a　certain　clinic　in　the　south　of　England；　an　admirable　refuge　for　his　purposes。　His　instructions　were　to　keep　intermittent　contact　with　the　airman　Petacchi　at　the　not…far…distant　Bosbe　Downs　airfield　where　the　bomber　squadron　is　under　training。　He　was　to　report　at　intervals　on　the　airman's　fitness　and　morale。　His　reports　have　been　satisfactory；　and　the　airman；　by　the　way；　continues　to　be　willing。　But　Sub…operator　G　was　also　required　to　post　the　Letter　on　D　plus　One；　or　three　days　from　now。　Unfortunately　this　foolish　man　took　it　upon　himself　to　bee　embroiled　in　a　hotheaded　fashion　with　some　fellow　patient　at　the　clinic；　as　a　result　of　which；　and　I　need　not　go　into　details；　he　is　now　in　Brighton　Central　Hospital　suffering　from　second…degree　burns。　He　is　thus　out　of　action　for　at　least　a　week。　This　will　involve　an　irritating　but　fortunately　not　a　serious　delay　in　Plan　Omega。　Fresh　instru