if.liveandletdie-第22节

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　'Yes；'　she　said　quietly。　'It's　an　ouanga；　a　Voodoo　fetish。　It's　the　invocation　to　the　Drum　Witch。　It's　used　by　the　Ashanti　tribe　in　Africa　when　they　want　to　kill　someone。　They　use　something　like　it　in　Haiti。'　She　handed　it　back　to　Bond。　'It　was　lucky　you　didn't　tell　me　about　it；'　she　said　seriously。　'I　would　still　be　having　hysterics。'
　'I　didn't　care　for　it　myself；'　said　Bond。　'I　felt　it　was　bad　news。　Lucky　we　got　off　at　Jacksonville。　Poor　Baldwin。　We　owe　him　a　lot。'
　He　finished　the　story　of　the　rest　of　their　trip。
　'Anyone　spot　you　when　you　left　the　train？'　asked　Leiter。
　'Shouldn't　think　so；'　said　Bond。　'But　we'd　better　keep　Solitaire　under　cover　until　we　can　get　her　out。　Thought　we　ought　to　fly　her　over　to　Jamaica　tomorrow。　I　can　get　her　looked　after　there　till　we　e　on。'
　'Sure；'　agreed　Leiter。　'We'll　put　her　in　a　charter　plane　at　Tampa。　Get　her　down　to　Miami　by　tomorrow　lunch…time　and　she　can　take　one　of　the　afternoon　services　…　KLM　or　Panam。　Get　her　in　by　dinner…time　tomorrow。　Too　late　to　do　anything　this　afternoon。'
　'Is　that　all　right；　Solitaire？'　Bond　asked　her。
　The　girl　was　staring　out　of　the　window。　Her　eyes　had　the　faraway　look　that　Bond　had　seen　before。
　Suddenly　she　shivered。
　Her　eyes　came　back　to　Bond。　She　put　out　a　hand　and　touched　his　sleeve。
　'Yes；'　she　said。　She　hesitated。　'Yes；　I　guess　so。'
　
　CHAPTER　XIII
　DEATH　OF　A　PELICAN
　
　SOLITAIRE　Stood　up。
　'I　must　go　and　tidy　myself；'　she　said。　'I　expect　you've　both　got　plenty　to　talk　about。'
　'Of　course；'　said　Leiter；　jumping　up。　'Crazy　of　me！　You　must　be　dead　beat。　Guess　you'd　better　take　James's　room　and　he　can　bed　down　with　me。〃
　Solitaire　followed　him　out　into　the　little　hall　and　Bond　heard　Leiter　explaining　the　arrangement　of　the　rooms。
　In　a　moment　Leiter　came　back　with　a　bottle　of　Haig　and　Haig　and　some　ice。
　'I'm　forgetting　my　manners；'　he　said。　'We　could　both　do　with　a　drink。　There's　a　small　pantry　next　the　bathroom　and　I've　stocked　it　with　all　we're　likely　to　need！'
　He　fetched　some　soda…water　and　they　both　took　a　long　drink。
　'Let's　have　the　details；'　said　Bond；　sitting　back。　'Must　have　been　the　hell　of　a　fine　job。'
　'Sure　was；'　agreed　Leiter；　'except　for　the　shortage　of　corpses。'
　He　put　his　feet　on　the　table　and　lit　a　cigarette。
　'Phantom　left　Jacksonville　around　five；'　he　began。　'Got　to　Waldo　around　six。　Just　after　leaving　Waldo　…　and　here　I'm　guessing　…　Mr。　Big's　man　es　along　to　your　car；　gets　into　the　next　partment　to　yours　and　hangs　a　towel　between　the　drawn　blind　and　the　window；　meaning　…　and　he　must　have　done　a　good　deal　of　telephoning　at　stations　on　the　way　down　…　meaning　〃the　window　to　the　right　of　this　towel　is　it〃。
　'There's　a　long　stretch　of　straight　track　between　Waldo　and　Ocala；'　continued　Leiter；　'running　through　forest　and　swamp　land。　State　highway　right　alongside　the　track。　About　twenty　minutes　outside　Waldo；　Wham！　goes　a　dynamite　emergency　signal　under　the　leading　Diesel。　Driver　es　down　to　forty。　Wham！　And　another　Wham！　Three　in　line！　Emergency！　Halt　at　once！　He　halts　the　train　wondering　what　the　hell。　Straight　track。　Last　signal　green　over　green。　Nothing　in　sight。　It's　around　quarter　after　six　and　just　getting　light。　There's　a　sedan；　clouted　heap　I　expect　＇Bond　raised　an　eyebrow。　'Stolen　car；'　explained　Leiter＇；　grey；　thought　to　have　been　a　Buick；　no　lights；　engine　running；　waiting　on　the　highway　opposite　the　centre　of　the　train。　Three　men　get　out。　Coloured。　Probably　negro。　They　walk　slowly　in　line　abreast　along　the　grass　verge　between　the　road　and　the　track。　Two　on　the　outside　carry　rippers　…　tommy…guns。　Man　in　the　centre　has　something　in　his　hand。　Twenty　yards　and　they　stop　outside　Car　245。　Men　with　the　rippers　give　a　double　squirt　at　your　window。　Open　it　up　for　the　pineapple。　Centre　man　tosses　in　the　pineapple　and　all　three　run　back　to　the　car。　Two　seconds　fuse。　As　they　reach　the　car；　BOOM！　Fricassee　of　partment　H。　Fricassee；　presumably；　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Bryce。　In　fact　fricassee　of　your　Baldwin　who　runs　out　and　crouches　in　corridor　directly　he　sees　men　approaching　his　car。　No　other　casualties　except　multiple　shock　and　hysterics　throughout　train。　Car　drives　away　very　fast　towards　limbo　where　it　still　is　and　will　probably　remain。　Silence；　mingled　with　screams；　falls。　People　run　to　and　fro。　Train　limps　gingerly　into　Ocala。　Drops　Car　245。　Is　allowed　to　proceed　three　hours　later。　Scene　II。　Leiter　sits　alone　in　cottage；　hoping　he　has　never　said　an　unkind　word　to　his　friend　James；　and　wondering　how　Mr。　Hoover　will　have　Mr。　Leiter　served　for　his　dinner　tonight。　That's　all；　folks。'
　Bond　laughed。　'What　an　organization！'　he　said。　'I'm　sure　it's　all　beautifully　covered　up　and　alibied。　What　a　man！　He　certainly　seems　to　have　the　run　of　this　country。　Just　shows　how　one　can　push　a　democracy　around；　what　with　habeas　corpus　and　human　rights　and　all　the　rest。　Glad　we　haven't　got　him　on　our　hands　in　England。　Wooden　truncheons　wouldn't　make　much　of　a　dent　in　him。　Well；'　he　concluded；'　that's　three　times　I've　managed　to　get　away　with　it。　The　pace　is　beginning　to　get　a　bit　hot。'
　'Yes；'　said　Leiter　thoughtfully。　'Before　you　arrived　over　here　you　could　have　counted　the　mistakes　Mr。　Big　has　ever　made　on　one　thumb。　Now　he's　made　three　all　in　a　row。　He　won't　like　that。　We've　got　to　put　the　heat　on　him　while　he's　still　groggy　and　then　get　out；　quick。　Tell　you　what　I've　got　in　mind。　There's　no　doubt　that　gold　gets　into　the　States　through　this　place。　We've　tracked　the　Secatur　again　and　again　and　she　just　es　straight　over　from　Jamaica　to　St。　Petersburg　and　docks　at　that　worm…and…bait　factory　…　Rubberus　or　whatever　it's　called。'
　'Ourobouros；'　said　Bond。　'The　Great　Worm　of　mythology。　Good　name　for　a　worm…and…bait　factory。'　Suddenly　a　thought　struck　him。　He　hit　the　glass　table…top　with　the　flat　of　his　hand。　'Felix！　Of　course。　Ourobouros　…　〃The　Robber〃　…　don't　you　see？　Mr。　Big's　man　down　here。　It　must　be　the　same。'
　Leiter's　face　lit　up。　'Christ　Almighty；'　he　exclaimed。
　'Of　course　it's　the　same。　That　Greek　who's　supposed　to　own　it；　the　man　in　Tarpon　Springs　that　figures　in　the　reports　that　blockhead　showed　us　in　New　York；　Binswanger。　He's　probably　just　a　figurehead。　Probably　doesn't　even　know　there's　anything　phoney　about　it。　It's　his　manager　here　we've　got　to　get　after。　〃The　Robber。〃　Of　course　that's　who　it　is。'
　Leiter　jumped　up。
　'G'mon。　Let's　get　going。　We'll　go　right　along　and　look　the　place　over。　I　was　going　to　suggest　it　anyway；　seeing　the　Secatur　always　docks　at　their　wharf。　She's　in　Cuba　now；　by　the　way；'　he　added；　'Havana。　Cleared　from　here　a　week　ago。　They　searched　her　good　and　proper　when　she　came　in　and　when　she　left。　Didn't　find　a　thing；　of　course。　Thought　she　might　have　a　false　keel。　Almost　tore　it　off。　She　had　to　go　into　dock　before　she　could　sail　again。　Nix。　Not　a　shadow　of　anything　wrong。　Let　alone　a　stack　of　gold　coins。　Anyway；　we'll　go　and　smell　around。　See　if　we　can　get　a　look　at　our　Robber　friend。　I'll　just　have　to　talk　to　Orlando　and　Washington。　Tell　'em　all　we　know。　They　must　catch　up　quick　with　The　Big　Man's　fellow　on　the　train。　Probably　too　late　by　now。　You　go　and　see　how　Solitaire's　getting　on。　Tell　her　she's　not　to　move　till　we　get　back。　Lock　her　in。　We'll　take　her　out　to　dinner　in　Tampa。　They've　got　the　best　restaurant　on　the　whole　coast；　Cuban；　〃Los　Novedades〃。　We'll　stop　at　the　airport　on　the　way　and　fix　her　flight　for　tomorrow。'
　Leiter　reached　for　the　telephone　and　asked　for　Long　Distance。　Bond　left　him　to　it。
　Ten　minutes　later　they　were　on　their　way。
　Solitaire　had　not　wanted　to　be　left。　She　had　clung　to　Bond。　'I　want　to　get　away　from　here；'　she　said；　her　eyes　frightened。　'I　have　a　feeling。。。'　She　didn't　end　the　sentence。　Bond　kissed　her。
　'It's　all　right；'　he　said。　'We'll　be　back　in　an　hour　or　so。　Nothing　can　happen　to　you　here。　Then　I　shan't　leave　you　until　you're　on　the　plane。　We　can　even　stay　the　night　in　Tampa　and　get　you　off　at　first　light。'
　'Yes；　please；'　said　Solitaire　anxiously。　I'd　rather　do　that。　I'm　frightened　here。　I　feel　in　danger。'　She　put　her　arms　round　his　neck。　'Don't　think　I'm　being　hysterical。'　She　kissed　him。　'Now　you　can　go。　I　just　wanted　to　see　you。　Gome　back　quickly。'
　Leiter　had　called　and　Bond　had　closed　the　door　on　her　and　locked　it。
　He　followed　Leiter　to　his　car　on　the　Parkway　feeling　vaguely　troubled。　He　couldn't　imagine　that　the　girl　could　e　to　any　harm　in　this　peaceful；　law…abiding　place；　or　that　The　Big　Man　could　conceivably　have　traced　her　to　The　Everglades；　which　was　only　one　of　a　hundred　similar　beach　establishments　on　Treasure　Island。　But　he　respected　the　extraordinary　power　of　her　intuitions　and　her　attack　of　nerves　made　him　uneasy。
　The　sight　of　Leiter's　car　put　these　thoughts　out　of　his　mind。
　Bond　liked　fast　cars　and　he　liked　driving　them。　Most　American　cars　bored　him。　They　lacked　personality　and　the　patina　of　individual　craftsmanship　that　European　cars　have。　They　were　just　Vehicles'；　similar　in　shape　and　in　colour；　and　even　in　the　tone　of　their　horns。　Designed　to　serve　for　a　year　and　then　be　turned　in　in　part　exchange　for　the　next　year's　model。　All　the　fun　of　driving　had　been　taken　out　of　them　with　the　abolition　of　a　gear…change；　with　hydraulic…assisted　steering　and　spongy　suspension。　All　effort　had　been　smoot