if.thunderball-第25节

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　Cellophane…wrapped　basket　of　dingy　fruit　〃with　the　pliments　of　the　Manager；〃　and　a　strip　of　〃sanitized〃　paper　across　the　lavatory　seat。　After　a　shower　and　a　tepid；　touristy　breakfast　on　his　balcony　overlooking　the　beautiful　beach；　he　had　gone　up　to　Government　House　at　nine　o'clock　for　a　meeting　with　the　missioner　of　Police；　the　Chief　of　Immigration　and　Customs；　and　the　Deputy　Governor。　It　was　exactly　as　he　had　imagined　it　would　be。　The　MOST　IMMEDIATES　and　the　TOP　SECRETS　had　made　a　superficial　impact　and　he　was　promised　full　cooperation　in　every　aspect　of　his　assignment；　but　the　whole　business　was　clearly　put　down　as　a　ridiculous　flap　and　something　that　must　not　be　allowed　to　interfere　with　the　normal　routine　of　running　a　small；　sleepy　colony；　nor　with　the　fort　and　happiness　of　the　tourists。　Roddick；　the　Deputy　Governor；　careful；　middle…of…the…way　man　with　a　ginger　mustache　and　gleaming　pince…nez；　had　put　the　whole　affair　in　a　most　sensible　light。　〃You　see；　mander　Bond；　in　our　opinion…and　we　have　most　carefully　debated　all　the　possibilities；　all　the；　er；　angles；　as　our　American　friends　would　say…it　is　inconceivable　that　a　large　four…engined　plane　could　have　been　hidden　anywhere　within　the　confines　of　the　Colony。　The　only　airstrip　cable　of　taking　such　a　plane…am　I　right；　Harling？…　is　here　in　Nassau。　So　far　as　a　landing　on　the　sea　is　concerned；　a；　er；　ditching　I　think　they　call　it；　we　have　been　in　radio　contact　with　the　Administrators　on　all　the　larger　outer　islands　and　the　replies　are　all　negative。　The　radar　people　at　the　meteorological　station　。　。　。〃
　
　Bond　had　interrupted　at　this　point。　〃Might　I　ask　if　the　radar　screen　is　manned　round　the　clock？　My　impression　is　that　the　airport　is　very　busy　during　the　day；　but　that　there　is　very　little　traffic　at　night。　Would　it　be　possible　that　the　radar　is　not　so　closely　watched　at　night？〃
　
　The　missioner　of　Police；　a　pleasant；　very　military…looking　man　in　his　forties；　the　silver　buttons　and　insignia　on　whose　dark　blue　uniform　glittered　as　they　can　only　when　spit　and　polish　is　a　main　activity　and　there　are　plenty　of　batmen　around；　said　judiciously；　〃I　think　the　mander　has　a　point　there；　sir。　The　airport　mandant　admits　that　things　do　slacken　off　a　bit　when　there's　nothing　scheduled。　He　hasn't　got　all　that　amount　of　staff　and　of　course　most　of　them　are　locals；　sir。　Good　men；　but　hardly　up　to　London　Airport　standards。　And　the　radar　at　the　met。　station　is　only　a　G。C。A。　set　with　a　low　horizon　and　range…mostly　used　for　shipping。〃
　
　〃Quite；　quite。〃　The　Deputy　Governor　didn't　want　to　be　dragged　into　a　discussion　about　radar　sets　or　the　merits　of　Nassavian　labor。　〃There's　certainly　a　point　there。　No　doubt　mander　Bond　will　be　making　his　own　inquiries。　Now　there　was　a　request　from　the　Secretary　of　State〃…the　title　rolled　sonorously　forth…〃for　details　and　ments　on　recent　arrivals　in　the　island；　suspicious　characters；　and　so　forth。　Mr。　Pitman？〃
　
　The　Chief　of　Immigration　and　Customs　was　a　sleek　Nassavian　with　quick　brown　eyes　and　an　ingratiating　manner。　He　smiled　pleasantly。　Nothing　out　of　the　ordinary；　sir。　The　usual　mixture　of　tourists　and　businessmen　and　local　people　ing　home。　We　were　asked　to　have　details　for　the　past　two　weeks；　sir。〃　He　touched　the　brief　case　on　his　lap。　〃I　have　all　the　immigration　forms　here；　sir。　Perhaps　mander　Bond　would　care　to　go　through　them　with　me。〃　The　brown　eyes　flicked　toward　Bond　and　away。　〃All　the　big　hotels　have　house　detectives。　I　could　probably　get　him　further　details　on　any　particular　name。　All　Passports　were　checked　in　the　normal　manner。　There　were　no　irregularities　and　none　of　these　people　was　on　our　Wanted　List。〃
　
　Bond　said；　〃Might　I　ask　a　question？〃
　
　The　Deputy　Governor　nodded　enthusiastically。　〃Of　course。　Of　course。　Anything　you　like。　We're　all　here　to　help。〃
　
　〃I'm　looking　for　a　group　of　men。　Probably　ten　or　more。　They　probably　stick　together　a　good　deal。　Might　be　as　many　as　twenty　or　thirty。　I　guess　they　would　be　Europeans。　They　probably　have　a　ship　or　a　plane。　They　may　have　been　here　for　months　or　only　a　few　days。　I　gather　you　have　plenty　of　conventions　ing　to　Nassau…salesmen；　tourist　associations；　religious　groups；　heaven　knows　what　all。　Apparently　they　take　a　block　of　rooms　in　some　hotel　and　hold　meetings　and　so　forth　for　a　week　or　so。　Is　there　anything　like　that　going　on　at　the　moment？〃
　
　〃Mr。　Pitman？〃
　
　〃Well；　of　course　we　do　have　plenty　of　those　sort　of　gatherings。　Very　wele　to　the　Tourist　Board。〃　The　Chief　of　Immigration　smiled　conspiratorially　at　Bond　as　if　he　had　just　given　away　a　closely　guarded　secret。　〃But　in　the　last　two　weeks　we've　only　had　a　Moral　Rearmament　Group　at　the　Emerald　Wave　and　the　Tiptop　Biscuit　people　at　the　Royal　Bahamian。　They've　gone　now。　Quite　the　usual　convention　pattern。　All　very　respectable。〃
　
　〃That's　just　it；　Mr。　Pitman。　The　people　I'm　looking　for；　the　people　who　may　have　arranged　to　steal　this　plane；　will　certainly　take　pains　to　look　respectable　and　behave　in　a　respectable　fashion。　We're　not　looking　for　a　bunch　of　flashy　crooks。　We　think　these　must　be　very　big　people　indeed。　Now；　is　there　anything　like　that　on　the　island；　a　group　of　people　like　that？〃
　
　〃Well〃…the　Chief　of　Immigration　smiled　broadly…〃of　course　we've　got　our　annual　treasure　hunt　going　on。〃
　
　The　Deputy　Governor　barked　a　quick；　deprecating　laugh。　〃Now；　steady　on；　Mr。　Pitman。　Surely　we　don't　want　them　to　get　mixed　up　in　all　this；　or　heaven　knows　where　we　shall　end。　I　can't　believe　mander　Bond　wants　to　bother　his　head　over　a　lot　of　rich　beachbers。〃
　
　The　missioner　of　Police　said　doubtfully；　〃The　only　thing　is；　sir…they　do　have　a　yacht；　and　a　small　plane　for　the　matter　of　that。　And　I　did　hear　that　a　lot　of　shareholders　in　the　swindle　had　e　in　lately。　Those　points　do　tally　with　what　the　mander　was　asking　about。　I　admit　it's　ridiculous；　but　this　man　Largo's　respectable　enough　for　mander　Bond's　requirements　and　his　men　have　never　once　given　us　trouble。　Unusual　to　have　not　even　one　case　of　drunkenness　in　a　ship's　crew　in　nearly　six　months。〃
　
　And　Bond　had　leaped　at　the　flimsy　thread　and　had　pursued　it　for　another　two　hours…　in　the　Customs　building　and　in　the　missioner's　office…　and；　as　a　result；　he　had　gone　walking　in　the　town　to　see　if　he　could　get　a　look　at　Largo　or　any　of　his　party　or　pick　up　any　other　shreds　of　gossip。　As　a　result　he　had　got　a　good　look　at　Domino　Vitali。
　
　And　now？
　
　The　taxi　had　arrived　at　the　airport。　Bond　told　the　driver　to　wait　and　walked　into　the　long　low　entrance　hall　just　as　the　arrival　of　Larkin's　flight　was　being　announced　over　the　Tannoy。　He　knew　there　would　be　the　usual　delay　for　customs　and　immigration。　He　went　to　the　souvenir　shop　and　bought　a　copy　of　the　New　York　Times　。　In　its　usual　discreet　headlines　it　was　still　leading　with　the　loss　of　the　Vindicator。　Perhaps　it　knew　also　about　the　loss　of　the　atom　bombs；　because　Arthur　Krock；　on　the　editorial　page；　had　a　heavyweight　column　about　the　security　aspects　of　the　NATO　alliance。　Bond　was　halfway　through　this　when　a　quiet　voice　in　his　ear　said；　〃007？　Meet　No。　000。〃
　
　Bond　swung　round。　It　was！　It　was　Felix　Leiter！
　
　Leiter；　his　C。I。A。　panion　on　some　of　the　most　thrilling　cases　in　Bond's　career；　grinned　and　thrust　the　steel　hook　that　was　his　right　hand　under　Bond's　arm。　〃Take　it　easy；　friend。　Dick　Tracy　will　tell　all　when　we　get　out　of　here。　Bags　are　out　front。　Let's　go。〃
　
　Bond　said；　〃Well　God　damn　it！　You　old　so…and…so！　Did　you　know　it　was　going　to　be　me？〃
　
　〃Sure。　C。I。A。　knows　all。〃
　
　At　the　entrance　Leiter　had　his　luggage；　which　was　considerable；　put　aboard　Bond's　taxi；　and　told　the　driver　to　take　it　to　the　Royal　Bahamian。　A　man　standing　beside　an　undistinguished…looking　black　Ford　Consul　sedan　left　the　car　and　came　up。　〃Mr。　Larkin？　I'm　from　the　Hertz　pany。　This　is　the　car　you　ordered。　We　hope　she's　what　you　want。　You　did　specify　something　conventional。〃
　
　Leiter　glanced　casually　at　the　car。　〃Looks　all　right。　I　just　want　a　car　that'll　go。　None　of　those　ritzy　jobs　with　only　room　for　a　small　blonde　with　a　sponge　bag。　I'm　here　to　do　property　work…　not　jazz　it　up。
　
　〃May　I　see　your　New　York　license；　sir？　Right。　Then　if　you'll　just　sign　here　。　。　。　and　I'll　make　a　note　of　the　number　of　your　Diner's　Club　card。　When　you　go；　leave　the　car　anywhere　you　like　and　just　notify　us。　We'll　collect　it。　Have　a　good　holiday；　sir。〃
　
　They　got　into　the　car。　Bond　took　the　wheel。　Leiter　said　that　he'd　have　to　practice　a　bit　on　what　he　called　〃this　Limey　southpaw　routine〃　of　driving　on　the　left；　and　anyway　he'd　be　interested　to　see　if　Bond　had　improved　his　cornering　since　their　last　drive　together。
　
　When　they　were　out　of　the　airport　Bond　said；　〃Now　go　ahead　and　tell。　Last　time　we　met　you　were　with　Pinkertons。　What's　the　score？〃
　
　〃Drafted。　Just　damned　well　drafted。　Hell；　anyone　would　think　there　was　a　war　on。　You　see；　James；　once　you've　worked　for　C。I。A。；　you're　automatically　put　on　the　reserve　of　officers　when　you　leave。　Unless　you've　been　cashiered　for　not　eating　the　code　book　under　fire　or　something。　And　apparently　my　old　Chief；　Alien　Dulles　that　is；　just　didn't　have　the　men　to　go　round　when　the　President　sounded　the　fire　alarm。　So　I　and　twenty　or　so　other　guys　were　just　pulled　in…d