if.thunderball-第45节

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one。〃　Largo　looked　down　the　table　into　the　shadowed；　ruby　faces。　〃And　now　we　will　quickly　run　through　the　final　details。〃　He　glanced　down　at　his　watch。　〃It　is　midnight。　There　will　be　two　hours'　moonlight　starting　at　three　a。m。　The　first　light　of　dawn　will　be　shortly　after　five　a。m。　We　thus　have　two　hours　for　the　operation。　Our　course　will　bring　us　in　towards　West　End　from　the　south。　This　is　a　normal　entry　to　the　islands；　and　even　if　our　further　progress　toward　the　target　area　is　noted　by　the　missile…station　radar　it　will　only　be　assumed　that　we　are　a　yacht　that　has　strayed　slightly　off　course。　We　shall　anchor　at　exactly　three　a。m。　and　the　swimming　party　will　leave　for　the　half…mile　swim　to　the　laying　point。　The　fifteen　of　you　who　will　be　taking　part　in　this　swim　will；　as　arranged；　swim　in　arrow　formation；　the　Chariot　and　the　sled　with　the　missile　in　the　center。　Formation　must　be　strictly　kept　to　avoid　straying。　The　blue　torch　on　my　back　should　be　an　adequate　beacon；　but　if　any　man　gets　lost；　he　returns　to　the　ship。　Is　that　understood？　The　first　duty　of　the　escort　will　be　to　watch　for　shark　and　barracuda。　I　will　again　remind　you　that　the　range　of　your　guns　is　not　much　more　than　twenty　feet　and　that　fish　must　be　hit　in　or　behind　the　head。　Any　man　who　is　about　to　fire　must　warn　his　neighbor；　who　will　then　stand　by　to　give　additional　fire　if　required。　However；　one　hit　should　be　sufficient　to　kill　if　the　curare　is；　as　we　have　been　informed；　not　affected　by　the　passage　through　sea　water。　Above　all〃…Largo　put　his　hands　decisively　down　on　the　table　before　him…　〃do　not　forget　to　remove　the　small　protective　sheath　from　the　barb　before　firing。〃　Largo　raised　his　hands。　〃You　will　forgive　me　for　repeating　these　points。　We　have　had　many　exercises　in　similar　conditions　and　I　have　confidence　that　all　will　be　well。　But　the　underwater　terrain　will　be　unfamiliar　and　the　effect　of　the　dexedrine　pills…　they　will　be　issued　to　the　swimming　party　after　this　meeting…will　be　to　sensitize　the　nervous　system　as　well　as　provide　the　extra　stamina　and　encouragement。　So　we　must　all　be　prepared　for　the　unexpected　and　know　how　to　handle　it。　Are　there　any　further　questions？〃
　
　During　the　planning　stages；　months　before　in　Paris；　Blofeld　had　warned　Largo　that　if　trouble　was　caused　by　any　members　of　his　team　it　was　to　be　expected　from　the　two　Russians；　the　ex…members　of　SMERSH；　No。　10　and　No。　11。　〃Conspiracy；〃　Blofeld　had　said；　〃is　their　life　blood。　Hand　in　hand　with　conspiracy　walks　suspicion。　These　two　men　will　always　be　wondering　if　they　are　not　the　object　of　some　subsidiary　plot…to　give　them　the　most　dangerous　work；　to　make　them　fall…guys　for　the　police；　to　kill　them　and　steal　their　share　of　the　profits。　They　will　be　inclined　to　inform　against　their　colleagues　and　always　to　have　reservations　about　the　plans　that　are　agreed　upon。　For　them；　the　obvious　plan；　the　right　way　to　do　a　thing；　will　have　been　chosen　for　some　ulterior　reason　which　is　being　kept　hidden　from　them。　They　will　need　constant　reassurance　that　nothing　is　being　kept　hidden　from　them；　but；　once　they　have　accepted　their　orders；　they　will　carry　them　out　meticulously　and　without　regard　for　their　personal　safety。　Such　men；　apart　from　their　special　talents；　are　worth　having。　But　you　will　please　remember　what　I　have　said　and；　should　there　be　trouble；　should　they　try　and　sow　mistrust　within　the　team；　you　must　act　quickly　and　with　utter　ruthlessness。　The　maggots　of　mistrust　and　disloyalty　must　not　be　allowed　to　get　a　hold　in　your　team。　They　are　the　enemies　within　that　can　destroy　even　the　most　meticulous　planning。〃
　
　Now　No。　10；　a　once…famous　SMERSH　terrorist　called　Strelik；　began　talking。　He　was　sitting　two　places　away　from　Largo；　on　his　left。　He　did　not　address　Largo；　but　the　meeting。　He　said；　〃rades；　I　am　thinking　of　the　interesting　matters　recounted　by　No。　1；　and　I　am　telling　myself　that　everything　has　been　excellently　arranged。　I　am　also　thinking　that　this　operation　will　be　a　very　fine　one　and　that　it　will　certainly　not　be　necessary　to　explode　the　second　weapon　on　Target　No。　2。　I　have　some　documentations　on　these　islands　and　I　am　learning　from　the　Yachtsman's　〃　（No。　10　had　trouble　with　the　word）　〃　Guide　to　the　Bahamas　that　there　is　a　big　new　hotel　within　a　few　miles　of　our　target　site；　also　a　scattered　township。　I　am　therefore　estimating　that　the　explosion　of　Weapon　No。　1　will　destroy　perhaps　two　thousand　persons。　Two　thousand　persons　is　not　very　many　in　my　country　and　their　death；　pared　with　the　devastation　of　this　important　missile　station；　would　not；　in　the　Soviet　Union；　be　considered　of　great　importance。　I　am　thinking　that　it　will　be　otherwise　in　the　West　and　that　the　destruction　of　these　people　and　the　rescuing　of　the　survivors　will　be　considered　a　grave　matter　that　will　act　decisively　towards　immediate　agreement　with　our　terms　and　the　saving　of　Target　No。　2　from　destruction。　This　being　so；　rades〃…the　dull；　flat　voice　gained　a　trace　of　animation…〃I　am　saying　to　myself　that　within　as　little　as　twenty…four　hours　our　labors　will　have　been　pleted　and　the　great　prize　will　be　within　our　grasp。　Now　rades〃…the　red　and　black　shadows　turned　the　taut　little　smile　into　a　dark　grimace…〃with　so　much　money　so　near　at　hand；　a　most　unworthy　thought　has　e　into　my　mind。〃　（Largo　put　his　hand　in　his　coat　pocket　and　put　up　the　safe　on　the　little　Colt　。25。）　〃And　I　would　not　be　performing　my　duty　to　my　Russian　rade；　No。　11；　nor　to　the　other　members　of　our　team；　if　I　did　not　share　this　thought　with　you；　at　the　same　time　requesting　forbearance　for　what　may　be　unfounded　suspicions。〃　The　meeting　was　very　quiet；　ominously　so。　These　men　had　all　been　secret　agents　or　conspirators。　They　recognized　the　smell　of　insurrection；　the　shadow　of　approaching　disloyalty。　What　did　No。　10　know？　What　was　he　going　to　divulge？　Each　man　got　ready　to　decide　very　quickly　which　way　to　jump　when　the　cat　was　let　out　of　the　bag。　Largo　slipped　the　gun　out　of　his　pocket　and　held　it　along　his　thigh。　〃There　will　e　a　moment；〃　continued　No。　10；　watching　the　faces　of　the　men　opposite　for　a　quick　gauge　of　their　reactions；　〃very　shortly；　when　fifteen　of　us；　leaving　five　members　and　six　sub…agents　on　board　this　ship；　will　be　out　there〃…he　waved　a　hand　at　the　cabin　wall…〃in　the　darkness；　at　least　half　an　hour's　swim　from　this　ship。　At　that　moment；　rades〃…the　voice　became　sly…〃what　a　thing　it　would　be　if　those　remaining　on　board　were　to　sail　the　ship　away　and　leave　us　in　the　water。〃　There　was　a　shifting　and　muttering　round　the　table。　No。　10　held　up　a　hand。　〃Ridiculous　I　am　thinking；　and　so　no　doubt　are　you；　rades。　But　we　are　men　of　a　feather。　We　recognize　the　unworthy　urges　that　can　e　upon　even　the　best　of　friends　and　rades　when　fortunes　are　at　stake。　And　rades；　with　fifteen　of　us　gone；　how　much　more　of　a　fortune　would　there　be　for　those　remaining；　with　their　story　for　No。　2　of　a　great　fight　with　sharks　in　which　we　all　succumbed？〃
　
　Largo　said　softly；　〃And　what　is　it　you　propose；　No。　10？〃
　
　For　the　first　time；　No。　10　looked　to　his　right。　He　could　not　see　the　expression　in　Largo's　eye。　He　spoke　at　the　great　red　and　black　mass　of　his　face。　The　tone　of　his　voice　was　obstinate。　He　said；　〃I　am　proposing　that　one　member　of　each　national　group　should　stay　on　board　to　safeguard　the　interests　of　the　other　members　of　his　national　group。　That　would　reduce　the　swimming　party　to　ten。　In　this　way　those　who　are　undertaking　this　dangerous　work　would　go　about　it　with　more　enthusiasm　knowing　that　no　such　happening　as　I　have　mentioned　could　e　about。〃
　
　Largo's　voice　was　polite；　unemotional。　He　said；　〃I　have　one　very　short　and　simple　answer　to　your　suggestion；　No。　10。〃　The　light　glittered　redly　on　the　metal　thumb　that　protruded　from　the　big　hand。　The　three　bullets　pumped　so　quickly　into　the　face　of　the　Russian　that　the　three　explosions；　the　three　bright　flashes；　were　almost　one。　No。　10　put　up　two　feeble　hands；　palms　forward；　as　if　to　catch　any　further　bullets；　gave　a　jerk　forward　with　his　stomach　at　the　edge　of　the　table；　and　then　crashed　heavily　backward；　in　a　splinter　of　chair　wood；　onto　the　floor。
　
　Largo　put　the　muzzle　of　the　gun　up　to　his　nose　and　delicately　sniffed　at　it；　moving　it　to　and　fro　under　the　nostrils　as　if　it　was　some　delicious　phial　of　perfume。　In　the　silence；　he　looked　slowly　down　one　rank　of　faces　and　up　the　other。　Finally　he　said　softly；　〃The　meeting　is　now　at　an　end。　Will　all　members　please　return　to　their　cabins　and　look　for　a　last　time　to　their　equipment。　Food　will　be　ready　from　now　on　in　the　galley。　One　drink　of　alcohol　will　also　be　available　for　those　who　want　it。　I　will　detail　two　crew　members　to　look　after　the　late　No。　10。　Thank　you。〃
　
　When　Largo　was　alone　he　got　to　his　feet；　stretched；　and　gave　a　great　cavernous　yawn。　Then　he　turned　to　the　sideboard；　opened　a　drawer　and　took　out　a　box　of　Corona　cigars。　He　chose　one　and；　with　a　gesture　of　distaste；　lit　it。　He　then　took　the　closed　red　rubber　container　that　held　the　ice　cubes　and　walked　out　of　the　door　and　along　to　the　cabin　of　Domino　Vitali。
　
　He　closed　the　door　and　locked　it。　Here　also；　a　red　riding　light　hung　from　the　ceiling。　Under　it；　on　the　double　bunk；　the　girl　lay　offered　like　a　starfish；　her　ankles　and　wrists　strapped　to　the　four　corners　of　the　ironwork　below　the　matt