if.liveandletdie-第20节

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　He　went　back　and　into　their　room；　locking　the　doors　behind　him。　He　softly　turned　on　his　reading　light。　Solitaire　was　still　asleep。　The　rest　of　the　paper；　a　single　sheet；　lay　on　the　carpet　against　the　passage　door。　He　picked　it　up　and　sat　on　the　edge　of　his　bed。
　It　was　a　sheet　of　cheap　ruled　notepaper。　It　was　covered　with　irregular　lines　of　writing　in　rough　capitals；　in　red　ink。
　Bond　handled　it　gingerly；　without　much　hope　that　it　would　yield　any　prints。　These　people　weren't　like　that。
　Oh　Witch　＇he　read＇　do　not　slay　me；　Spare　me。　His　is　the　body。
　The　divine　drummer　declares　that
　When　he　rises　with　the　dawn
　He　will　sound　his　drums　for　YOU　in　the　morning
　Very　early；　very　early；　very　early；　very　early。
　Oh　Witch　that　slays　the　children　of　men　before　they
　are　fully　matured　
　Oh　Witch　that　slays　the　children　of　men　before　they
　are　fully　matured　
　The　divine　drummer　declares　that　
　When　he　rises　with　the　dawn　
　He　will　sound　his　drums　for　YOU　in　the　morning
　Very　early；　very　early；　very　early；　very　early。
　　　We　are　addressing　YOU　And　YOU　will　understand。
　
　Bond　lay　down　on　his　bed　and　thought。　Then　he　folded　the　paper　and　put　it　in　his　pocket…book。　He　lay　on　his　back　and　looked　at　nothing；　waiting　for　daybreak。
　
　CHAPTER　XII
　THE　EVERGLADES
　
　IT　was　around　five　o'clock　in　the　morning　when　they　slipped　off　the　train　at　Jacksonville。
　It　was　still　dark　and　the　naked　platforms　of　the　great　Florida　junction　were　sparsely　lit。　The　entrance　to　the　subway　was　only　a　few　yards　from　Car　245　and　there　was　no　sign　of　life　on　the　sleeping　train　as　they　dived　down　the　steps。　Bond　had　told　the　attendant　to　keep　the　door　of　their　partment　locked　after　they　had　gone　and　the　blinds　drawn　and　he　thought　there　was　quite　a　chance　they　would　not　be　missed　until　the　train　reached　St。　Petersburg。
　They　came　out　of　the　subway　into　the　booking…hall。　Bond　verified　that　the　next　express　for　St。　Petersburg　would　be　the　Silver　Meteor；　the　sister　train　of　the　Phantom；　due　at　about　nine　o'clock；　and　he　booked　two　Pullman　seats　on　it。　Then　he　took　Solitaire's　arm　and　they　walked　out　of　the　station　into　the　warm　dark　street。
　There　were　two　or　three　all…night　diners　to　choose　from　and　they　pushed　through　the　door　that　announced　'Good　Eats'　in　the　brightest　neon。　It　was　the　usual　sleazy　food…machine　…　two　tired　waitresses　behind　a　zinc　counter　loaded　with　cigarettes　and　candy　and　paper…backs　and　ics。　There　was　a　big　coffee　percolator　and　a　row　of　butane　gas…rings。　A　door　marked　'Restroom'　concealed　its　dreadful　secrets　next　to　a　door　marked　'Private'　which　was　probably　the　back　entrance。　A　group　of　overalled　men　at　one　of　the　dozen　stained　crueted　tables　looked　up　briefly　as　they　came　in　and　then　resumed　their　low　conversation。　Relief　crews　for　the　Diesels；　Bond　guessed。
　There　were　four　narrow　booths　on　the　right　of　the　entrance　and　Bond　and　Solitaire　slipped　into　one　of　them。　They　looked　dully　at　the　stained　menu　card。
　After　a　time；　one　of　the　waitresses　sauntered　over　and　stood　leaning　against　the　partition；　running　her　eyes　over　Solitaire's　clothes。
　'Orange　juice；　coffee；　scrambled　eggs；　twice；'　said　Bond　briefly。
　'Kay；'　said　the　girl。　Her　shoes　lethargically　scuffed　the　floor　as　she　sauntered　away。
　'The　scrambled　eggs'll　be　cooked　with　milk；'　said　Bond。　'But　one　can't　eat　boiled　eggs　in　America。　They　look　so　disgusting　without　their　shells；　mixed　up　in　a　tea…cup　the　way　they　do　them　here。　God　knows　where　they　learned　the　trick。　From　Germany；　I　suppose。　And　bad　American　coffee's　the　worst　in　the　world；　worse　even　than　in　England。　I　suppose　they　can't　do　much　harm　to　the　orange　juice。　After　all　we　are　in　Florida　now。'　He　suddenly　felt　depressed　by　the　thought　of　their　four…hour　wait　in　this　unwashed；　dog…eared　atmosphere。
　'Everybody's　making　easy　money　in　America　these　days；'　said　Solitaire。　'That's　always　bad　for　the　customer。　All　they　want　is　to　strip　a　quick　dollar　off　you　and　toss　you　out。　Wait　till　you　get　down　to　the　coast。　At　this　time　of　the　year；　Florida's　the　biggest　sucker…trap　on　earth。　On　the　East　Coast　they　fleece　the　millionaires。　Where　we're　going　they　just　take　it　off　the　little　man。　Serves　him　right；　of　course。　He　goes　there　to　die。　He　can't　take　it　with　him。'
　'For　heaven's　sake；'　said　Bond；　'what　sort　of　a　place　are　we　going　to？'
　'Everybody's　nearly　dead　in　St。　Petersburg；'　explained　Solitaire。　'It's　the　Great　American　Graveyard。　When　the　bank　clerk　or　the　post…office　worker　or　the　railroad　conductor　reaches　sixty　he　collects　his　pension　or　his　annuity　and　goes　to　St。　Petersburg　to　get　a　few　years'　sunshine　before　he　dies。　It's　called　〃The　Sunshine　City〃。　The　weather's　so　good　that　the　evening　paper　there；　The　Independent；　is　given　away　free　any　day　the　sun　hasn't　shone　by　edition　time。　It　only　happens　three　or　four　times　a　year　and　it's　a　fine　advertisement。　Everybody　goes　to　bed　around　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening　and　during　the　day　the　old　folks　play　shuffleboard　and　bridge；　herds　of　them。　There's　a　couple　of　baseball　teams　down　there；　the　〃Kids〃　and　the　〃Kubs〃；　all　over　seventy…five！　Then　they　play　bowls；　but　most　of　the　time　they　sit　squashed　together　in　droves　on　things　called　〃Sidewalk　Davenports〃；　rows　of　benches　up　and　down　the　sidewalks　of　the　main　streets。　They　just　sit　in　the　sun　and　gossip　and　doze。　It's　a　terrifying　sight；　all　these　old　people　with　their　spectacles　and　hearing…aids　and　clicking　false…teeth。'
　'Sounds　pretty　grim；'　said　Bond。　'Why　the　hell　did　Mr。　Big　choose　this　place　to　operate　from？'
　'It's　perfect　for　him；'　said　Solitaire　seriously。　'There's　practically　no　crime；　except　cheating　at　bridge　and　Canasta。　So　there's　a　very　small　police　force。　There's　quite　a　big　Coastguard　Station　but　it's　mainly　concerned　with　smuggling　between　Tampa　and　Cuba；　and　sponge…fishing　out　of　season　at　Tarpon　Springs。　I　don't　really　know　what　he　does　there　except　that　he's　got　a　big　agent　called　〃The　Robber〃。　Something　to　do　with　Cuba；　I　expect；'　she　added　thoughtfully。　'Probably　mixed　up　with　munism。　I　believe　Cuba　conies　under　Harlem　and　runs　red　agents　all　through　the　Caribbean。
　'Anyway；'　she　went　on；　'St。　Petersburg　is　probably　the　most　innocent　town　in　America。　Everything's　very　〃folksy〃　and　〃gracious〃。　It's　true　there's　a　place　called　〃The　Res…torium〃；　a　hospital　for　alcoholics。　But　very　old　ones；　I　suppose；'　she　laughed；　'and　I　expect　they're　past　doing　anyone　any　harm。　You'll　love　it；'　she　smiled　maliciously　at　Bond。　'You'll　probably　want　to　settle　down　there　for　life　and　be　an　〃Oldster〃　too。　That's　the　great　word　down　there。。。　〃oldster〃。'
　'God　forbid；'　said　Bond　fervently。　'It　sounds　rather　like　Bournemouth　or　Torquay。　But　a　million　times　worse。　I　hope　we　don't　get　into　a　shooting　match　with　〃The　Robber〃　and　his　friends。　We'd　probably　hurry　a　few　hundred　oldsters　off　to　the　cemetery　with　heart…failure。　But　isn't　there　anyone　young　in　this　place？'
　'Oh　yes；'　laughed　Solitaire。　'Plenty　of　them。　All　the　local　inhabitants　who　take　the　money　off　the　oldsters；　for　instance。　The　people　who　own　the　motels　and　the　trailer…camps。　You　could　make　plenty　of　money　running　the　bingo　tournaments。　I'll　be　your　〃barker〃　…　the　girl　outside　who　gets　the　suckers　in。　Dear　Mr。　Bond；'　she　reached　over　and　pressed　his　hand；　'will　you　settle　down　with　me　and　grow　old　gracefully　in　St。　Petersburg？'
　Bond　sat　back　and　looked　at　her　critically。　'I　want　a　long　time　of　disgraceful　living　with　you　first；'　he　said　with　a　grin。　'I'm　probably　better　at　that。　But　it　suits　me　that　they　go　to　bed　at　nine　down　there。'
　Her　eyes　smiled　back　at　him。　She　took　her　hand　away　from　his　as　their　breakfast　arrived。　'Yes；'　she　said。　'You　go　to　bed　at　nine。　Then　I　shall　slip　out　by　the　back　door　and　go　on　the　tiles　with　the　Kids　and　the　Kubs。'
　The　breakfast　was　as　bad　as　Bond　had　prophesied。
　When　they　had　paid　they　wandered　over　to　the　station　waiting…room。
　The　sun　had　risen　and　the　light　swarmed　in　dusty　bars　into　the　vaulted；　empty　hall。　They　sat　together　in　a　corner　and　until　the　Silver　Meteor　came　in　Bond　plied　her　with　questions　about　The　Big　Man　and　all　she　could　tell　him　about　his　operations。
　Occasionally　he　made　a　note　of　a　date　or　a　name　but　there　was　little　she　could　add　to　what　he　knew。　She　had　an　apartment　to　herself　in　the　same　Harlem　block　as　Mr。　Big　and　she　had　been　kept　virtually　a　prisoner　there　for　the　past　year。　She　had　two　tough　negresses　as　'panions'　and　was　never　allowed　out　without　a　guard。
　From　time　to　time　Mr。　Big　would　have　her　brought　over　to　the　room　where　Bond　had　seen　him。　There　she　would　be　told　to　divine　whether　some　man　or　woman；　generally　bound　to　the　chair；　was　lying　or　not。　She　varied　her　replies　according　to　whether　she　sensed　these　people　were　good　or　evil。　She　knew　that　her　verdict　might　often　be　a　death　sentence　but　she　felt　indifferent　to　the　fate　of　those　she　judged　to　be　evil。　Very　few　of　them　were　white。
　Bond　jotted　down　the　dates　and　details　of　all　these　occasions。
　Everything　she　told　him　added　to　the　picture　of　a　very　powerful　and　active　man；　ruthless　and　cruel；　manding　a　huge　network　of　operations。
　All　she　knew　of　the　gold　coins　was　that　she　had　several　times　had　to　question　men　on　how　many　they　had　passed　and　the　price