if.liveandletdie-第3节

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　'Had　a　good　rest？'
　'Yes　thank　you；　Sir。'
　'Ever　seen　one　of　these？'　M　abruptly　fished　something　out　of　his　waistcoat　pocket。　He　tossed　it　half　way　across　the　desk　towards　Bond。　It　fell　with　a　faint　clang　on　the　red　leather　and　lay；　gleaming　richly；　an　inch…wide；　hammered　gold　coin。
　Bond　picked　it　up；　turned　it　over；　weighed　it　in　his　hand。
　'No；　Sir。　Worth　about　five　pounds；　perhaps。'
　'Fifteen　to　a　collector。　It's　a　Rose　Noble　of　Edward　IV。'
　M　fished　again　in　his　waistcoat　pocket　and　tossed　more　magnificent　gold　coins　on　to　the　table　in　front　of　Bond。　As　he　did　so；　he　glanced　at　each　one　and　identified　it。
　'Double　Excellente；　Spanish；　Ferdinand　and　Isabella；　1510　；　Ecu　au　Soleil；　French；　Charles　IX；　1574；　Double　Ecu　d'or；　French；　Henry　IV；　1600；　Double　Ducat；　Spanish；　Philip　II；　1560；　Ryder；　Dutch；　Charles　d'Egmond；　1538；　Quadruple；　Genoa；　1617；　Double　louis；　a　la　mcche　courte；　French；　Louis　XIV；　1644。　Worth　a　lot　of　money　melted　down。　Much　more　to　collectors；　ten　to　twenty　pounds　each。　Notice　anything　mon　to　them　all？'
　Bond　reflected。　'No；　Sir。'
　'All　minted　before　1650。　Bloody　Morgan；　the　pirate；　was　Governor　and　mander…in…Chief　of　Jamaica　from　1675　to　1688。　The　English　coin　is　the　joker　in　the　pack。　Probably　shipped　out　to　pay　the　Jamaica　garrison。　But　for　that　and　the　dates；　these　could　have　e　from　any　other　treasure…trove　put　together　by　the　great　pirates　…　L'Ollonais；　Pierre　le　Grand；　Sharp；　Sawkins；　Blackbeard。　As　it　is；　and　both　Spinks　and　the　British　Museum　agree；　this　is　almost　certainly　part　of　Bloody　Morgan's　treasure。'
　M　paused　to　fill　his　pipe　and　light　it。　He　didn't　invite　Bond　to　smoke　and　Bond　would　not　have　thought　of　doing　so　uninvited。
　'And　the　hell　of　a　treasure　it　must　be。　So　far　nearly　a　thousand　of　these　and　similar　coins　have　turned　up　in　the　United　States　in　the　last　few　months。　And　if　the　Special　Branch　of　the　Treasury；　and　the　FBI；　have　traced　a　thousand；　how　many　more　have　been　melted　down　or　disappeared　into　private　collections？　And　they　keep　on　ing　in；　turning　up　in　banks；　bullion　merchants；　curio　shops；　but　mostly　pawnbrokers　of　course。　The　FBI　are　in　a　proper　fix。　If　they　put　these　on　the　police　notices　of　stolen　property　they　know　the　source　will　dry　up。　They'd　be　melted　down　into　gold　bars　and　channelled　straight　into　the　black　bullion　market。　Have　to　sacrifice　the　rarity　value　of　the　coins；　but　the　gold　would　go　straight　underground。　As　it　is；　someone's　using　the　negroes　…　porters；　sleeping…car　attendants；　truck…drivers　…　and　getting　the　money　well　spread　over　the　States。　Quite　innocent　people。　Here's　a　typical　case。'　M　opened　a　brown　folder　bearing　the　Top　Secret　red　star　and　selected　a　single　sheet　of　paper。　Through　the　reverse　side；　as　M　held　it　up；　Bond　could　see　the　engraved　heading　：　'Department　of　Justice。　Federal　Bureau　of　Investigations。'　M　read　from　it：
　'Zachary　Smith；　35；　Negro；　Member　of　the　Sleeping　Car　Porters　Brotherhood；　address　gob　West　126th　Street；　New　York　City。'　（M　looked　up　：　'Harlem；'　he　said。）　'Subject　was　identified　by　Arthur　Fein　of　Fein　Jewels　Inc。；　870　Lenox　Avenue；　as　having　offered　for　sale　on　November　21st　last　four　gold　coins　of　the　sixteenth　and　seventeenth　century　（details　attached）。　Fein　offered　a　hundred　dollars　which　was　accepted。　Interrogated　later；　Smith　said　they　had　been　sold　to　him　in　Seventh　Heaven　Bar…B…Q　（a　well…known　Harlem　bar）　for　twenty　dollars　each　by　a　negro　he　had　never　seen　before　or　since。　Vendor　had　said　they　were　worth　fifty　dollars　each　at　Tiffany's；　but　that　he；　the　vendor；　wanted　ready　cash　and　Tiffany's　was　too　far　anyway。　Smith　bought　one　for　twenty　dollars　and　on　finding　that　a　neighbouring　pawnbroker　would　offer　him　twenty…five　dollars　for　it；　returned　to　the　bar　and　purchased　the　remaining　three　for　sixty　dollars。　The　next　morning　he　took　them　to　Fein's。　Subject　has　no　criminal　record。'
　M　returned　the　paper　to　the　brown　folder。
　'That's　typical；'　he　said。　'Several　times　they've　caught　up　with　the　next　link；　the　middle　man　who　bought　them　a　bit　cheaper　and　they　find　that　he　bought　a　handful；　in　one　case　a　hundred　of　them；　from　some　man　who　presumably　got　them　cheaper　still。　All　these　larger　transactions　have　taken　place　in　Harlem　or　Florida。　Always　the　next　man　in　the　link　was　an　unknown　negro；　in　all　cases　a　white…collar　man；　prosperous；　educated；　who　said　he　guessed　they　were　treasure…trove；　Blackbeard's　treasure。
　'This　Blackbeard　story　would　stand　up　to　most　investigations；'　continued　M；　'because　there　is　reason　to　believe　that　part　of　his　hoard　was　dug　up　around　Christmas　Day；　1928；　at　a　place　called　Plum　Point。　It's　a　narrow　neck　of　land　in　Beaufort　County；　North　Carolina；　where　a　stream　called　Bath　Creek　flows　into　the　Pamlico　River。　Don't　think　I'm　an　expert；'　he　smiled；　'you　can　read　all　about　this　in　the　dossier。　So；　in　theory；　it　would　be　quite　reasonable　for　those　lucky　treasure…hunters　to　have　hidden　the　loot　until　everyone　had　forgotten　the　story　and　then　thrown　it　fast　on　the　market。　Or　else　they　could　have　sold　it　en　bloc　at　the　time；　or　later；　and　the　purchaser　has　just　decided　to　cash　in。　Anyway　it's　a　good　enough　cover　except　on　two　counts。'
　M　paused　and　relit　his　pipe。
　'Firstly；　Blackbeard　operated　from　about　1690　to　1710　and　it's　improbable　that　none　of　his　coin　should　have　been　minted　later　than　1650。　Also；　as　I　said　before；　it's　very　unlikely　that　his　treasure　would　contain　Edward　IV　Rose　Nobles；　since　there's　no　record　of　an　English　treasure…ship　being　captured　on　its　way　to　Jamaica。　The　Brethren　of　the　Coast　wouldn't　take　them　on。　Too　heavily　escorted。　There　were　much　easier　pickings　if　you　were　sailing　in　those　days　〃on　the　plundering　account〃　as　they　called　it。
　'Secondly；'　and　M　looked　at　the　ceiling　and　then　back　at　Bond；　'I　know　where　the　treasure　is。　At　least　I'm　pretty　sure　I　do。　And　it's　not　in　America。　It's　in　Jamaica；　and　it　is　Bloody　Morgan's；　and　I　guess　it's　one　of　the　most　valuable　treasure…troves　in　history。'
　'Good　Lord；'　said　Bond。　'How。。。　where　do　we　e　into　it？〃
　M　held　up　his　hand。　'You'll　find　all　the　details　in　here；'　he　let　his　hand　e　down　on　the　brown　folder。　'Briefly；　Station　C　has　been　interested　in　a　Diesel　yacht；　the　Secatur；　which　has　been　running　from　a　small　island　on　the　North　Coast　of　Jamaica　through　the　Florida　Keys　into　the　Gulf　of　Mexico；　to　a　place　called　St。　Petersburg。　Sort　of　pleasure　resort；　near　Tampa。　West　Coast　of　Florida。　With　the　help　of　the　FBI　we've　traced　the　ownership　of　this　boat　and　of　the　island　to　a　man　called　Mr。　Big；　a　negro　gangster。　Lives　in　Harlem。　Ever　heard　of　him？'
　'No；'　said　Bond。
　'And　curiously　enough；'　M's　voice　was　softer　and　quieter；　'a　twenty…dollar　bill　which　one　of　these　casual　negroes　had　paid　for　a　gold　coin　and　whose　number　he　had　noted　for　't't…　Peaka　Peow；　the　Numbers　game；　was　paid　out　by　one　of　Mr。　Big's　lieutenants。　And　it　was　paid；'　M　pointed　the　stem　of　his　pipe　at　Bond；　'for　information　received；　to　an　FBI　double…agent　who　is　a　member　of　the　munist　Party。'
　Bond　whistled　softly。
　'In　short；'　continued　M；　'we　suspect　that　this　Jamaican　treasure　is　being　used　to　finance　the　Soviet　espionage　system；　or　an　important　part　of　it；　in　America。　And　our　suspicion　bees　a　certainty　when　I　tell　you　who　this　Mr。　Big　is。'
　Bond　waited；　his　eyes　fixed　on　M's。
　'Mr。　Big；'　said　M；　weighing　his　words；　'is　probably　the　most　powerful　negro　criminal　in　the　world。　He　is；'　and　he　enumerated　carefully；'　the　head　of　the　Black　Widow　Voodoo　cult　and　believed　by　that　cult　to　be　the　Baron　Samedi　himself。　（You'll　find　all　about　that　here；'　he　tapped　the　folder；　'and　it'll　frighten　the　daylights　out　of　you。）　He　is　also　a　Soviet　agent。　And　finally　he　is；　and　this　will　particularly　interest　you；　Bond；　a　known　member　of　SMERSH。'
　'Yes；'　said　Bond　slowly；　'I　see　now。'
　'Quite　a　case；'　said　M；　looking　keenly　at　him。　'And　quite　a　man；　this　Mr。　Big。'
　'I　don't　think　I've　ever　heard　of　a　great　negro　criminal　before；'　said　Bond；　'Chinamen；　of　course；　the　men　behind　the　opium　trade。　There've　been　some　big…time　Japs；　mostly　in　pearls　and　drugs。　Plenty　of　negroes　mixed　up　in　diamonds　and　gold　in　Africa；　but　always　in　a　small　way。　They　don't　seem　to　take　to　big　business。　Pretty　law…abiding　chaps　I　should　have　thought　except　when　they've　drunk　too　much。'
　'Our　man's　a　bit　of　an　exception；'　said　M。　'He's　not　pure　negro。　Born　in　Haiti。　Good　dose　of　French　blood。　Trained　in　Moscow；　too；　as　you'll　see　from　the　file。　And　the　negro　races　are　just　beginning　to　throw　up　geniuses　in　all　the　professions　…　scientists；　doctors；　writers。　It's　about　time　they　turned　out　a　great　criminal。　After　all；　there　are　250；000；000　of　them　in　the　world。　Nearly　a　third　of　the　white　population。　They've　got　plenty　of　brains　and　ability　and　guts。　And　now　Moscow's　taught　one　of　them　the　technique。'
　'I'd　like　to　meet　him；'　said　Bond。　Then　he　added；　mildly；　'I'd　like　to　meet　any　member　of　SMERSH。'
　'All　right　then；　Bond。　Take　it　away。'　M　handed　him　the　thick　brown　folder。　'Talk　it　over　with　Plender　and　Damon。　Be　ready　to　start　in　a　week。　It's　a　joint　CIA　and　FBI　job。　For　God's　sake　don't　step　on　the　FBI's　toes。　Covered　with　corns。　Good　luck。'
　Bond　had　gone　straight　down　to　mander　Damon；　Head　of　Station　A；　an　alert　Canadian　who　contro