if.thunderball-第39节

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it　all　go　and　watched　it　tumbling　slowly　down　toward　the　sand。　He　rinsed　his　mouth　out　with　the　sweetness　of　pure　salt　water　and　swam　to　within　reach　of　Letter's　outstretched　hand。
　
　18。　How　to　Eat　a　Girl
　
　As　they　approached　Nassau　on　their　way　back；　Bond　asked　Leiter　to　take　a　look　at　the　Disco　lying　off　Palmyra。　She　was　there　all　right；　just　where　she　had　been　the　day　before。　The　only　difference；　which　had　little　meaning；　was　that　she　had　only　her　bow　anchor　out。　There　was　no　movement　on　board。　Bond　was　thinking　that　she　looked　beautiful　and　quite　harmless　lying　there　reflecting　her　elegant　lines　in　the　mirror　of　the　sea；　when　Leiter　said　excitedly；　〃Say；　James；　take　a　look　at　the　beach　place。　The　boathouse　alongside　the　creek。　See　those　double　tracks　leading　up　out　of　the　water？　Up　to　the　door　of　the　boathouse。　They　look　odd　to　me。　They're　deep。　What　could　have　made　them？〃
　
　Bond　focused　his　glasses。　The　tracks　ran　parallel。　Something；　something　heavy；　had　been　hauled　between　the　boathouse　and　the　sea。　But　it　couldn't　be；　surely　it　couldn't！　He　said　tensely；　〃Let's　get　away　quick；　Felix。〃　Then　as　they　zoomed　off　overland：　〃I'm　damned　if　I　can　think　of　anything　that　could　have　made　those。　And　dammit；　if　it　was　what　it　might　have　been；　they'd　have　swept　off　those　tracks　pretty　quick。〃
　
　Leiter　said　laconically；　〃People　make　mistakes。　We'll　have　to　give　that　place　the　going…over。　Ought　to　have　done　it　before。　Nice…looking　dump。　I　think　I'll　take　Mr。　Largo　up　on　his　invitation　and　get　out　there　on　behalf　of　my　esteemed　client；　Mr。　Rockefeller　Bond。〃
　
　It　was　one　o'clock　by　the　time　they　got　back　to　Windsor　Field。　For　half　an　hour　the　control　tower　had　been　searching　for　them　on　the　radio。　Now　they　had　to　face　the　mandant　of　the　field　and；　providentially　as　it　happened；　the　Governor's　A。D。C。；　who　gave　the　Governor's　blanket　authorization　for　the　string　of　their　misdemeanors　and　then　handed　Bond　a　thick　envelope　which　contained　signals　for　both　of　them。
　
　The　contents　began　with　the　expected　rockets　for　breaking　munication　and　demands　for　further　news　（〃That　they'll　get！〃　mented　Leiter　as　they　raced　toward　Nassau　in　the　fortable　back　of　the　Governor's　Humber　Snipe　saloon。）　E。T。A。　for　the　Manta　was　five　o'clock　that　evening。　Inquiries　through　Interpol　and　the
　
　Italian　police　confirmed　that　Giuseppe　Petacchi　was　in　fact　the　brother　of　Dominetta　Vitali；　whose　personal　history　as　given　to　Bond　stood　up　in　all　other　respects。　The　same　sources　confirmed　that　Emilio　Largo　was　a　big…time　adventurer　and　suspected　crook　though　technically　his　dossier　was　clean。　The　source　of　his　wealth　was　unknown　but　did　not　stem　from　funds　held　in　Italy。　The　Disco　had　been　paid　for　in　Swiss　francs。　The　constructors　confirmed　the　existence　of　the　underwater　partment。　It　contained　an　electric　hoist　and　provision　for　launching　small　underwater　craft　and　releasing　skin　divers。　In　Largo's　specifications；　this　modification　to　the　hull　had　been　given　as　a　requirement　for　underwater　research。　Further　inquiry　into　the　〃shareholders〃　had　yielded　no　further　facts…with　the　significant　exception　that　most　of　their　backgrounds　and　professions　dated　back　no　further　than　six　years。　This　suggested　the　possibility　that　their　identities　might　be　of　recent　fabrication　and；　at　any　rate　in　theory；　this　would　equate　with　possible　membership　of　SPECTRE；　if　such　a　body　did　in　fact　exist。　Kotze　had　left　Switzerland　for　an　unknown　destination　four　weeks　previously。　Latest　photographs　of　the　man　were　on　the　midday　Pan　American　plane。　Nevertheless　the　Thunderball　war　room　had　to　accept　the　solidity　of　Largo's　cover　unless　further　evidence　came　to　hand；　and　the　present　intention　was　to　continue　the　world…wide　search　while　allotting　priority　to　the　Bahamas　area。　In　view　of　this　priority；　and　the　extremely　urgent　time　factor；　Brigadier　Fairchild；　C。B。；　D。S。O。；　British　Military　Attache　in　Washington；　with　Rear　Admiral　Carlson；　U。S。N。　Ret。；　until　recently　Secretary　to　the　U。S。　Chiefs　of　Staff　mittee；　would　be　arriving　at　1900　E。S。T。　by　the　President's　Boeing　707　〃Columbine〃　to　take　joint　mand　of　further　operations。　The　full　cooperation　of　Messrs。　Bond　and　Leiter　was　requested　and；　until　the　arrival　of　above…named　officers；　full　reports　every　hour　on　the　hour　were　to　be　radioed　to　London；　copy　to　Washington；　under　joint　signature。
　
　Leiter　and　Bond　looked　at　each　other　in　silence。　Finally　Leiter　said；　〃James；　I　propose　we　disregard　the　last　bit　and　take　formal　note　of　remainder。　We've　already　missed　four　hours　and　I　don't　propose　we　spend　the　rest　of　the　day　sweating　it　out　in　our　radio　room。　There's　just　too　much　to　do。　Tell　you　what。　I'll　do　the　stint　of　telling　them　the　latest　and　then　I'll　say　we're　going　off　the　air　in　view　of　the　new　emergency。　I　then　propose　to　go　and　look　over　Palmyra　on　your　behalf；　sticking　to　our　cover　story。　And　I　propose　to　have　a　damned　good　look　at　the　boathouse　and　see　what　those　tracks　mean。　Right？　Then；　at　five；　we'll　rendezvous　with　the　Manta　and　prepare　to　intercept　the　Disco　if　and　when　she　sails。　As　for　the　Big　Brass　in　the　President's　Special；　well　they　can　just　play　pinochle　in　Government　House　until　tomorrow　morning。　Tonight's　the　night　and　we　just　can't　waste　it　on　the　‘After　you　Alphonse'　routine。　Okay？〃　Bond　reflected。　They　were　ing　into　the　outskirts　of　Nassau；　through　the　shanty…town　slums　tucked　away　behind　the　millionaire　fa？ade　along　the　waterfront。　He　had　disobeyed　many　orders　in　his　life；　but　this　was　to　disobey　the　Prime　Minister　of　England　and　the　President　of　the　United　States…a　mighty　left　and　right。　But　things　were　moving　a　damned　sight　too　fast。　M　had　given　him　this　territory　and；　right　or　wrong；　M　would　back　him　up；　as　he　always　backed　up　his　staff；　even　if　it　meant　M's　own　head　on　a　charger。　Bond　said；　〃I　agree；　Felix。　With　the　Manta　we　can　manage　this　on　our　own。　The　vital　thing　is　to　find　out　when　those　bombs　go　on　board　the　Disco。　I've　got　an　idea　for　that。　May　work；　may　not。　It　means　giving　the　Vitali　girl　a　rough　time；　but　I'll　try　and　handle　that　side。　Drop　me　at　the　hotel　and　I'll　get　cracking。　Meet　you　here　again　around　four…thirty。　I'll　call　up　Harling　and　see　if　he's　got　anything　new　on　the　Disco　and　ask　him　to　pass　the　word　upstairs　to　you　if　anything's　cooking。　You've　got　all　that　straight　about　the　plane？　Okay。　I'll　hang　on　to　Petacchi's　identification　disk　for　the　time　being。　Be　seeing　you。〃
　
　Bond　almost　ran　through　the　lobby　of　the　hotel。　When　he　picked　up　his　key　at　the　reception　desk　they　gave　him　a　telephone　message。　He　read　it　going　up　in　the　lift。　It　was　from　Domino：　〃Please　telephone　quickly。〃
　
　In　his　room；　Bond　first　ordered　a　club　sandwich　and　a　double　bourbon　on　the　rocks　and　then　called　the　Police　missioner。　The　Disco　had　moved　to　the　oiling　wharf　at　first　light　and　had　filled　her　tanks。　Then　she　had　moved　back　to　her　anchorage　off　Palmyra。　Half　an　hour　ago；　at　one…thirty　precisely；　the　seaplane　had　been　lowered　over　the　side　and；　with　Largo　and　one　other　on　board；　had　taken　off　eastward。　When　the　missioner　had　heard　this　on　the　walkie…talkie　from　his　watchers　he　had　got　on　to　the　control　tower　at　Windsor　Field　and　had　asked　for　the　plane　to　be　radar…tracked。　But　she　had　flown　low；　at　about　three　hundred　feet；　and　they　had　lost　her　among　the　islands　about　fifty　miles　to　the　southeast。　Nothing　else　had　e　up　except　that　the　harbor　authorities　had　been　alerted　to　expect　an　American　submarine；　the　Manta　；　the　nuclear…powered　one；　at　around　five　in　the　evening。　That　was　all。　What　did　Bond　know？　Bond　said　carefully　that　it　was　too　early　to　tell。　It　looked　as　if　the　operation　was　hotting　up。　Could　the　watchers　be　asked　to　rush　the　news　back　as　soon　as　the　seaplane　was　sighted　ing　back　to　the　Disco　？　This　was　vital。　Would　the　missioner　please　pass　on　his　news　to　Felix　Leiter；　who　was　on　his　way　to　the　radio　room　at　that　moment？　And　could　Bond　be　lent　a　car…anything…to　drive　himself？　Yes；　a　Land　Rover　would　be　fine。　Anything　with　four　wheels。
　
　Then　Bond　got　on　to　Domino　out　at　Palmyra。　She　sounded　eager　for　his　voice。　〃Where　have　you　been　all　morning；　James？〃　It　was　the　first　time　she　had　used　his　Christian　name。　〃I　want　you　to　e　swimming　this　afternoon。　I　have　been　told　to　pack　and　e　on　board　this　evening。　Emilio　says　they　are　going　after　the　treasure　tonight。　Isn't　it　nice　of　him　to　take　me？　But　it's　a　dead　secret；　so　don't　tell　anyone；　will　you。　But　he　is　vague　about　when　we　will　be　back。　He　said　something　about　Miami。　I　thought〃…she　hesitated…　〃I　thought　you　might　have　gone　back　to　New　York　by　the　time　we　get　back。　I　have　seen　so　little　of　you。　You　left　so　suddenly　last　night。　What　was　it？〃
　
　〃I　suddenly　got　a　headache。　Touch　of　the　sun；　I　suppose。　It　had　been　quite　a　day。　I　didn't　want　to　go。　And　I'd　love　to　e　for　a　swim。　Where？〃
　
　She　gave　him　careful　directions。　It　was　a　beach　a　mile　farther　along　the　coast　from　Palmyra。　There　was　a　side　road　and　a　thatched　hut。　He　couldn't　miss　it。　The　beach　was　sort　of　better　than　Palmyra's。　The　skin…diving　was　more　fun。　And　of　course　there　weren't　so　many　people。　It　belonged　to　some　Swedish　millionaire　who　had　gone　away。　When　could　he　get　there？　Half　an　hour　would　be　all　right。　They　would　have　more　time。　On　the　re