if.liveandletdie-第32节

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ng　the　firm　sand　to　the　bungalow。　At　about　nine　they　would　set　out　in　a　canoe；　the　single　triangular　sail　taking　them　fast　through　the　water　up　the　coast　to　Bloody　Bay　and　Orange　Bay　where　the　sand　ends　in　cliffs　and　small　coves　and　the　reef　is　close　in　against　the　coast。
　Here　they　would　beach　the　canoe　and　Quarrel　would　take　him　out　with　spears　and　masks　and　an　old　underwater　harpoon　gun　on　breathtaking　expeditions　in　the　sort　of　waters　he　would　encounter　in　Shark　Bay。
　They　hunted　quietly；　a　few　yards　apart；　Quarrel　moving　effortlessly　in　an　element　in　which　he　was　almost　at　home。
　Soon　Bond　too　learned　not　to　fight　the　sea　but　always　to　give　and　take　with　the　currents　and　eddies　and　not　to　struggle　against　them；　to　use　judo　tactics　in　the　water。
　On　the　first　day　he　came　home　cut　and　poisoned　by　the　coral　and　with　a　dozen　sea…egg　spines　in　his　side。　Quarrel　grinned　and　treated　the　wounds　with　merthiolate　and　Milton。　Then；　as　every　evening；　he　massaged　Bond　for　half　an　hour　with　palm　oil；　talking　quietly　the　while　about　the　fish　they　had　seen　that　day；　explaining　the　habits　of　the　carnivores　and　the　ground…feeders；　the　camouflage　of　fish　and　their　machinery　for　changing　colour　through　the　blood　stream。
　He　also　had　never　known　fish　to　attack　a　man　except　in　desperation　or　because　there　was　blood　in　the　water。　He　explained　that　fish　are　rarely　hungry　in　tropical　waters　and　that　most　of　their　weapons　are　for　defence　and　not　for　attack。　The　only　exception；　he　admitted；　was　the　barracuda。　'Mean　fish；'　he　called　them；　fearless　since　they　knew　no　enemy　except　disease；　capable　of　fifty　miles　an　hour　over　short　distances；　and　with　the　worst　battery　of　teeth　of　any　fish　in　the　sea。
　One　day　they　shot　a　ten…pounder　that　had　been　hanging　round　them；　melting　into　the　grey　distances　and　then　reappearing；　silent；　motionless　in　the　upper　water；　its　angry　tiger's　eyes　glaring　at　them　so　close　that　they　could　see　its　gills　working　softly　and　the　teeth　glinting　like　a　wolf's　along　its　cruel　underslung　jaw。
　Quarrel　finally　took　the　harpoon　gun　from　Bond　and　shot　it；　badly；　through　the　streamlined　belly。　It　came　straight　for　them；　its　jaws　on　their　great　hinges　wide　open　like　a　striking　rattlesnake。　Bond　made　a　wild　lunge　at　it　with　his　spear　just　as　it　was　on　to　Quarrel。　He　missed　but　the　spear　went　between　its　jaws。　They　immediately　snapped　shut　on　the　steel　shaft；　and　as　the　fish　tore　the　spear　out　of　Bond's　hand；　Quarrel　stabbed　at　it　with　his　knife　and　it　went　mad；　dashing　through　the　water　with　its　entrails　hanging　out；　the　spear　clenched　between　its　teeth；　and　the　harpoon　dangling　from　its　body　Quarrel　could　scarcely　hold　the　line　as　the　fish　tried　to　tear　the　wide　barb　through　the　walls　of　its　stomach；　but　he　moved　with　it　towards　a　piece　of　submerged　reef　and　climbed　on　to　it　and　slowly　pulled　the　fish　in。
　When　Quarrel　had　cut　its　throat　and　they　twisted　the　spear　out　of　its　jaws　they　found　bright；　deep　scratches　in　the　steel。
　They　took　the　fish　ashore　and　Quarrel　cut　its　head　off　and　opened　the　jaws　with　a　piece　of　wood。　The　upper　jaw　rose　in　an　enormous　gape；　almost　at　right　angles　to　the　lower；　and　revealed　a　fantastic　battery　of　razor…sharp　teeth；　so　crowded　that　they　overlapped　like　shingles　on　a　roof。　Even　the　tongue　had　several　runs　of　small　pointed　recurved　teeth　and；　in　front；　there　were　two　huge　fangs　that　projected　forward　like　a　snake's。
　Although　it　only　weighed　just　over　ten　pounds；　it　was　over　four　feet　long；　a　nickel　bullet　of　muscle　and　hard　flesh。
　'We　shoot　no　more　cudas；'　said　Quarrel。　'But　for　you　I　been　in　hospital　for　a　month　and　mebbe　lost　ma　face。　It　was　foolish　of　me。　If　we　swim　towards　it；　it　gone　away。　Dey　always　do。　Dey　cowards　like　all　fish。　Doan　you　worry；　bout　those；'　he　pointed　at　the　teeth。　'You　never　see　dem　again。'
　'I　hope　not；'　said　Bond。　'I　haven't　got　a　face　to　spare。'
　By　the　end　of　the　week；　Bond　was　sunburned　and　hard。　He　had　cut　his　cigarettes　down　to　ten　a　day　and　had　not　had　a　single　drink。　He　could　swim　two　miles　without　tiring；　his　hand　was　pletely　healed　and　all　the　scales　of　big　city　life　had　fallen　from　him。
　Quarrel　was　pleased。　'You　ready　for　Surprise；　Cap'n；'　he　said；　'and　I　not　like　be　de　fish　what　tries　to　eat　you。'
　Towards　nightfall　on　the　eighth　day　they　came　back　to　the　rest…house　to　find　Strangways　waiting　for　them。
　'I've　got　some　good　news　for　you；'　he　said　：　'your　friend　Felix　Leiter's　going　to　be　all　right。　At　all　events　he's　not　going　to　die。　They've　had　to　amputate　the　remains　of　an　arm　and　a　leg。　Now　the　plastic　surgery　chaps　have　started　building　up　his　face。　They　called　me　up　from　St。　Petersburg　yesterday。　Apparently　he　insisted　on　getting　a　message　to　you。　First　thing　he　thought　of　when　he　could　think　at　all。　Says　he's　sorry　not　to　be　with　you　and　to　tell　you　not　to　get　your　feet　wet　…　or　at　any　rate；　not　as　wet　as　he　did。'
　Bond's　heart　was　full。　He　looked　out　of　the　window。　'Tell　him　to　get　well　quickly；'　he　said　abruptly。　'Tell　him　I　miss　him。'　He　looked　back　into　the　room。　'Now　what　about　the　gear？　Everything　okay？'
　'I've　got　it　all；'　said　Strangways；　'and　the　Secatur　sails　tomorrow　for　Surprise。　After　clearing　at　Port　Maria；　they　should　anchor　before　nightfall。　Mr。　Big'son　board　…　only　the　second　time　he's　been　down　here。　Oh　and　they've　got　a　woman　with　them。　Girl　called　Solitaire；　according　to　the　CIA。　Know　anything　about　her？'
　'Not　much；'　said　Bond。　'But　I'd　like　to　get　her　away　from　him。　She's　not　one　of　his　team。'
　'Sort　of　damsel　in　distress；'　said　the　romantic　Strangways。　'Good　show。　According　to　the　CIA　she's　a　corker。'
　But　Bond　had　gone　out　on　the　veranda　and　was　gazing　up　at　his　stars。　Never　before　in　his　life　had　there　been　so　much　to　play　for。　The　secret　of　the　treasure；　the　defeat　of　a　great　criminal；　the　smashing　of　a　munist　spy　ring；　and　the　destruction　of　a　tentacle　of　SMERSH；　the　cruel　machine　that　was　his　own　private　target。　And　now　Solitaire；　the　ultimate　personal　prize。
　The　stars　winked　down　their　cryptic　morse　and　he　had　no　key　to　their　cipher。
　
　CHAPTER　XVIII
　BEAU　DESERT
　
　STRANGEWAYS　went　back　alone　after　dinner　and　Bond　agreed　that　they　would　follow　at　first　light。　Strangways　left　him　a　fresh　pile　of　books　and　pamphlets　on　shark　and　barracuda　and　Bond　went　through　them　with　rapt　attention。
　They　added　little　to　the　practical　lore　he　had　picked　up　from　Quarrel。　They　were　all　by　scientists　and　much　of　the　data　on　attacks　was　from　the　beaches　of　the　Pacific　where　a　flashing　body　in　the　thick　surf　would　excite　any　inquisitive　fish。
　But　there　seemed　to　be　general　agreement　that　the　danger　to　underwater　swimmers　with　breathing　equipment　was　far　less　than　to　surface　swimmers。　They　might　be　attacked　by　almost　any　of　the　shark　family；　particularly　when　the　shark　was　stimulated　and　excited　by　blood　in　the　water；　by　the　smell　of　a　swimmer　or　by　the　sensory　vibration　set　up　by　an　injured　person　in　the　water。　But　they　could　sometimes　be　frightened　off；　he　read；　by　loud　noises　in　the　water　…　even　by　shouting　below　the　surface；　and　they　would　often　flee　if　a　swimmer　chased　them。
　The　most　successful　form　of　shark　repellent；　according　to　U。S。　Naval　Research　Laboratory　tests；　was　a　bination　of　copper　acetate　and　a　dark　nigrosine　dye；　and　cakes　of　this　mixture　were　apparently　now　attached　to　the　Mae　Wests　of　all　the　U。S。　Armed　Forces。
　Bond　called　in　Quarrel。　The　Cayman　Islander　was　scornful　until　Bond　read　out　to　him　what　the　Navy　Department　had　to　say　about　their　researches　at　the　end　of　the　war　among　packs　of　sharks　stimulated　by　what　was　described　as　'extreme　mob　behaviour　conditions'：　'。。。　Sharks　were　attracted　to　the　back　of　the　shrimp　boat　with　trash　fish；'　read　out　Bond。　'Sharks　appeared　as　a　slashing；　splashing　shoal。　We　prepared　a　tub　of　fresh　fish　and　another　tub　of　fish　mixed　with　repellent　powder。　We　got　up　to　the　shoal　of　sharks　and　the　photographer　started　his　camera。　I　shovelled　over　the　plain　fish　for　30　seconds　while　the　sharks；　with　much　splashing；　ate　them。　Then　I　started　on　the　repellent　fish　and　shovelled　for　30　seconds　repeating　the　procedure　3　times。　On　the　first　trial　the　sharks　were　quite　ferocious　in　feeding　on　plain　fish　right　at　the　stern　of　the　boat。　They　cut　fish　for　only　about　5　seconds　after　the　repellent　mixture　was　thrown　over。　A　few　came　back　when　the　plain　fish　were　put　out　immediately　following　the　repellent。　On　a　second　trial　30　minutes　later；　a　ferocious　school　fed　for　the　30　seconds　that　plain　fish　were　supplied；　but　left　as　soon　as　the　repellent　struck　the　water。　There　were　no　attacks　on　fish　while　the　repellent　was　in　the　water。　On　the　third　trial　we　could　not　get　the　sharks　nearer　than　20　yards　of　the　stern　of　the　boat。'
　'What　do　you　make　of　that？'　asked　Bond。
　'You　better　have　some　of　dat　stuff；'　said　Quarrel；　impressed　against　his　will。
　Bond　was　inclined　to　agree　with　him。　Washington　had　cabled　that　cakes　of　the　stuff　were　on　the　way。　But　they　had　not　yet　arrived　and　were　not　expected　for　another　forty…eight　hours。　If　the　repellent　did　not　arrive；　Bond　was　not　dismayed。　He　could　not　imagine　that　he　would　encounter　such　dangerous　conditions　in　his　underwater　swim　to　the　island。
　Before　he　went　to　bed；　he　finally　decided　that　nothing　would　at