if.liveandletdie-第31节

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oast。
　Quarrel　was　a　good　panion　on　the　drive　and　a　wonderful　guide。　He　talked　about　the　trap…door　spiders　as　they　passed　through　the　famous　palm…gardens　of　Castle…ton；　he　told　abovit　a　fight　he　had　witnessed　between　a　giant　centipede　and　a　scorpion　and　he　explained　the　difference　between　the　male　and　female　paw…paw。　He　described　the　poisons　of　the　forest　and　the　healing　properties　of　tropical　herbs；　the　pressure　the　palm　kernel　develops　to　break　open　its　coconut；　the　length　of　a　humming…bird's　tongue；　and　how　crocodiles　carry　their　young　in　their　mouths　laid　lengthways　like　sardines　in　a　tin。
　He　spoke　exactly　but　without　expertise；　using　Jamaican　language　in　which　plants'strive'　or　'quail'；　moths　are　'bats'；　and　'love'　is　used　instead　of　'like'。　As　he　talked　he　would　raise　his　hand　in　greeting　to　the　people　on　the　road　and　they　would　wave　back　and　shout　his　name。
　'You　seem　to　know　a　lot　of　people；'　said　Bond　as　the　driver　of　a　bulging　bus　with　ROMANCE　in　large　letters　over　the　windshield　gave　him　a　couple　of　weling　blasts　on　his　wind…horn。
　'I　bin　watching　Surprise　for　tree　muns；　Cap'n；'　answered　Quarrel；　'　'n　I　been　travelling　this　road　twice　a　week。　Everyone　soon　know　you　in　Jamaica。　They　got　good　eyes。'
　By　half…past　ten　they　had　passed　through　Port　Maria　and　branched　off　along　the　little　parochial　road　that　runs　down　to　Shark　Bay。　Round　a　turning　they　suddenly　came　on　it　below　them　and　Bond　stopped　the　car　and　they　got　out。
　The　bay　was　crescent　shaped；　perhaps　three…quarters　of　a　mile　wide　at　its　arms。　Its　blue　surface　was　ruffled　by　a　light　breeze　blowing　from　the　north…east；　the　edge　of　the　Trade　Winds　that　are　born　five　hundred　miles　away　in　the　Gulf　of　Mexico　and　then　go　on　their　long　journey　round　the　world。
　A　mile　from　where　they　stood；　a　long　line　of　breakers　showed　the　reef　just　outside　the　bay　and　the　narrow　untroubled　waters　of　the　passage　which　was　the　only　entrance　to　the　anchorage。　In　the　centre　of　the　crescent；　the　Isle　of　Surprise　rose　a　hundred　feet　sheer　out　of　the　water；　small　waves　creaming　against　its　easterly　base；　calm　waters　in　its　lee。
　It　was　nearly　round；　and　it　looked　like　a　tall　grey　cake　topped　with　green　icing　on　a　blue　china　plate。
　They　had　stopped　about　a　hundred　feet　above　the　little　cluster　of　fishermen's　huts　behind　the　palm…fringed　beach　of　the　bay　and　they　were　level　with　the　flat　green　top　of　the　island；　half　a　mile　away。　Quarrel　pointed　out　the　thatched　roofs　of　the　wattle…and…daub　shanties　among　the　trees　in　the　centre　of　the　island。　Bond　examined　them　through　Quarrel's　binoculars。　There　was　no　sign　of　life　except　a　thin　wisp　of　smoke　blowing　away　with　the　breeze。
　Below　them；　the　water　of　the　bay　was　pale　green　on　the　white　sand。　Then　it　deepened　to　dark　blue　just　before　the　broken　brown　of　a　submerged　fringe　of　inner　reef　that　made　a　wide　semicircle　a　hundred　yards　from　the　island。　Then　it　was　dark　blue　again　with　patches　of　lighter　blue　and　aquamarine。　Quarrel　said　that　the　depth　of　the　Secatur's　anchorage　was　about　thirty　feet。
　To　their　left；　in　the　middle　of　the　western　arms　of　the　bay；　deep　among　the　trees　behind　a　tiny　white　sand　beach；　was　their　base　of　operations；　Beau　Desert。　Quarrel　described　its　layout　and　Bond　stood　for　ten　minutes　examining　the　three…hundred…yard　stretch　of　sea　between　it　and　the　Secatur's　anchorage　up　against　the　island。
　In　all；　Bond　spent　an　hour　reconnoitring　the　place；　then；　without　going　near　their　house　or　the　village；　they　turned　the　car　and　got　back　on　the　main　coast　road。
　They　drove　on　through　the　beautiful　little　banana　port　of　Oracabessa　and　Ocho　Rios　with　its　huge　new　bauxite　plant；　along　the　north　shore　to　Montego　Bay；　two　hours　away。　It　was　now　February　and　the　season　was　in　full　swing。　The　little　village　and　the　straggle　of　large　hotels　were　bathed　in　the　four　months　gold…rush　that　sees　them　through　the　whole　year。　They　stopped　at　a　rest…house　on　the　other　side　of　the　wide　bay　and　had　lunch　and　then　drove　on　through　the　heat　of　the　afternoon　to　the　western　tip　of　the　island；　two　hours　further　on。
　Here；　because　of　the　huge　coastal　swamps；　nothing　has　happened　since　Columbus　used　Manatee　Bay　as　a　casual　anchorage。　Jamaican　fishermen　have　taken　the　place　of　the　Arawak　Indians；　but　otherwise　there　is　the　impression　that　time　has　stood　still。
　Bond　thought　it　the　most　beautiful　beach　he　had　ever　seen；　five　miles　of　white　sand　sloping　easily　into　the　breakers　and；　behind；　the　palm　trees　marching　in　graceful　disarray　to　the　horizon。　Under　them；　the　grey　canoes　were　pulled　up　beside　pink　mounds　of　discarded　conch　shells；　and　among　them　smoke　rose　from　the　palm　thatch　cabins　of　the　fishermen　in　the　shade　between　the　swamp…lands　and　the　sea。
　In　a　clearing　among　the　cabins；　set　on　a　rough　lawn　of　Bahama　grass；　was　the　house　on　stilts　built　as　a　weekend　cottage　for　the　employees　of　the　West　Indian　Citrus　pany。　It　was　built　on　stilts　to　keep　the　termites　at　bay　and　it　was　closely　wired　against　mosquito　and　sand…fly。　Bond　drove　off　the　rough　track　and　parked　under　the　house。　While　Quarrel　chose　two　rooms　and　made　them　fortable　Bond　put　a　towel　round　his　waist　and　walked　through　the　palm　trees　to　the　sea；　twenty　yards　away。
　For　an　hour　he　swam　and　lazed　in　the　warm　buoyant　water；　thinking　of　Surprise　and　its　secret；　fixing　these　three　hundred　yards　in　his　mind；　wondering　about　the　shark　and　barracuda　and　the　other　hazards　of　the　sea；　that　great　library　of　books　one　cannot　read。
　Walking　back　to　the　little　wooden　bungalow；　Bond　picked　up　his　first　sandfly　bites。　Quarrel　chuckled　when　he　saw　the　flat　bumps　on　his　back　that　would　soon　start　to　itch　maddeningly。
　'Can't　do　nuthen　to　keep　them　away；　Cap'n；'　he　said。　'But　Ah　kin　stop　them　ticklin'。　You　best　take　a　shower　first　to　git　the　salt　off。　They　only　bites　hard　for　an　hour　in　the　evenin'　and　then　they　likes　salt　with　their　dinner。'
　When　Bond　came　out　of　the　shower　Quarrel　produced　an　old　medicine　bottle　and　swabbed　the　bites　with　a　brown　liquid　that　smelled　of　creosote。
　'We　get　more　skeeters　and　sandfly　in　the　Caymans　than　anywheres　else　in　the　world；'　he　said；　'but　we　gives　them　no　attention　so　long　as　we　got　this　medicine。'
　The　ten　minutes　of　tropical　twilight　brought　its　quick　melancholy　and　then　the　stars　and　the　three…quarter　moon　blazed　down　and　the　sea　died　to　a　whisper。　There　was　the　short　lull　between　the　two　great　winds　of　Jamaica；　and　then　the　palms　began　to　whisper　again。
　Quarrel　jerked　his　head　towards　the　window。
　'De　〃Undertaker's　Wind〃；'　he　mented。
　'How's　that？'　asked　Bond；　startled。
　'On…and…off　shore　breeze　de　sailors　call　it；'　said　Quarrel。
　'De　Undertaker　blow　de　bad　air　out　of　de　Island　nighttimes　from　six。　till　six。　Then　every　morning　de　〃Doctor's　Wind〃　e　and　blow　de　sweet　air　in　from　de　sea。　Leastwise　dat's　what　we　calls　dem　in　Jamaica。'
　Quarrel　looked　quizzically　at　Bond。
　'Guess　you　and　de　Undertaker's　Wind　got　much　de　same　job；　Cap'n；'　he　said　half…seriously。
　Bond　laughed　shortly。　'Glad　I　don't　have　to　keep　the　same　hours；'　he　said。
　Outside；　the　crickets　and　the　tree…frogs　started　to　zing　and　tinkle　and　the　great　hawkmoths　came　to　the　wire…netting　across　the　windows　and　clutched　it；　gazing　with　trembling　ecstasy　at　the　two　oil　lamps　that　hung　from　the　cross…beams　inside。
　Occasionally　a　pair　of　fishermen；　or　a　group　of　giggling　girls；　would　walk　by　down　the　beach　on　their　way　to　the　single　tiny　rum…shop　at　the　point　of　the　bay。　No　man　walked　alone　for　fear　of　the　duppies　under　the　trees；　or　the　rolling　calf；　the　ghastly　animal　that　es　rolling　towards　you　along　the　ground；　its　legs　in　chains　and　flames　ing　out　of　its　nostrils。
　While　Quarrel　prepared　one　of　the　succulent　meals　of　fish　and　eggs　and　vegetables　that　were　to　be　their　staple　diet；　Bond　sat　under　the　light　and　pored　over　the　books　that　Strangways　had　borrowed　from　the　Jamaica　Institute；　books　on　the　tropical　sea　and　its　denizens　by　Beebe　and　Allyn　and　others；　and　on　sub…marine　hunting　by　Gousteau　and　Hass。　When　he　set　out　to　cross　those　three　hundred　yards　of　sea；　he　was　determined　to　do　it　expertly　and　to　leave　nothing　to　chance。　He　knew　the　calibre　of　Mr。　Big　and　he　guessed　that　the　defences　of　Surprise　would　be　technically　brilliant。　He　thought　they　would　not　involve　simple　weapons　like　guns　and　high　explosives。　Mr。　Big　needed　to　work　undisturbed　by　the　police。　He　had　to　keep　out　of　reach　of　the　law。　He　guessed　that　somehow　the　forces　of　the　sea　had　been　harnessed　to　do　The　Big　Man's　work　for　him　and　it　was　on　these　that　he　concentrated；　on　murder　by　shark　and　barracuda；　perhaps　by　Manta　Ray　and　octopus。
　The　facts　set　out　by　the　naturalists　were　chilling　and　awe…inspiring；　but　the　experiences　of　Cousteau　in　the　Mediterranean　and　of　Hass　in　the　Red　Sea　and　Caribbean　were　more　encouraging。
　That　night　Bond's　dreams　were　full　of　terrifying　encounters　with　giant　squids　and　sting　rays；　hammerheads　and　the　saw…teeth　of　barracuda；　so　that　he　whimpered　and　sweated　in　his　sleep。
　On　the　next　day　he　started　his　training　under　the　critical；　appraising　eyes　of　Quarrel。　Every　morning　he　swam　a　mile　up　the　beach　before　breakfast　and　then　ran　back　along　the　firm　sand　to　the　bungalow。　At　about　nine　they　would　set　out　in　a　canoe；　the　single　triangular