if.liveandletdie-第40节

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　'Breathe；　breathe；'　he　shouted　through　the　rushing　of　the　water。　'Lock　your　legs　against　mine。'
　She　heard　him　and　he　felt　her　knees　pressing　between　his　thighs。　She　had　a　paroxysm　of　coughing；　then　her　breath　became　more　even　against　his　ear　and　the　thumping　of　her　heart　eased　against　his　breast。　At　the　same　time　their　speed　slackened。
　'Hold　your　breath；'　shouted　Bond。　'I've　got　to　have　a　look。　Ready？'
　A　pressure　of　her　arms　answered　him。　He　felt　her　chest　heave　as　she　filled　her　lungs。
　With　the　weight　of　his　body　he　swung　her　round　so　that　his　head　was　now　quite　out　of　water。
　They　were　ploughing　along　at　about　three　knots。　He　twisted　his　head　above　the　small　bow…wave　they　were　throwing　up。
　The　Secatur　was　entering　the　passage　through　the　reef；　about　eighty　yards　away；　he　guessed。　The　paravane　was　skimming　slowly　along　almost　at　right　angles　to　her。　Another　thirty　yards　and　the　red　torpedo　would　be　crossing　the　broken　water　over　the　reef。　A　further　thirty　yards　behind；　they　were　riding　slowly　across　the　surface　of　the　bay。
　Sixty　yards　to　go　to　the　reef。
　Bond　twisted　his　body　and　Solitaire　came　up；　gasping。
　Still　they　moved　slowly　along　through　the　water。
　Five　yards；　ten；　fifteen；　twenty。
　Only　forty　yards　to　go　before　they　hit　the　coral。
　The　Secatur　would　be　just　through。　Bond　gathered　his　breath。　It　must　be　past　six　now。　What　had　happened　to　the　blasted　mine？　Bond　thought　a　quick　fervent　prayer。　God　save　us；　he　said　into　the　water。
　Suddenly　he　felt　the　rope　tighten　under　his　arms。
　'Breathe；　Solitaire；　breathe；'　he　shouted　as　they　got　under　way　and　the　water　started　to　hiss　past　them。
　Now　they　were　flying　over　the　sea　towards　the　crouching　reef。
　There　was　a　slight　check。　Bond　guessed　that　the　paravane　had　fouled　a　niggerhead　or　a　piece　of　surface　coral。　Then　their　bodies　hurtled　on　again　in　their　deadly　embrace。
　Thirty　yards　to　go；　twenty；　ten。
　Jesus　Christ；　thought　Bond。　We're　for　it。　He　braced　his　muscles　to　take　the　crashing；　searing　pain；　edged　Solitaire　further　above　him　to　protect　her　from　the　worst　of　it。
　Suddenly　the　breath　whistled　out　of　his　body　and　a　giant　fist　thumped　him　into　Solitaire　so　that　she　rose　right　out　of　the　sea　above　him　and　then　fell　back。　A　split　second　later　lightning　flashed　across　the　sky　and　there　was　the　thunder　of　an　explosion。
　They　stopped　dead　in　the　water　and　Bond　felt　the　weight　of　the　slack　rope　pulling　them　under。
　His　legs　sank　down　beneath　his　stunned　body　and　water　rushed　into　his　mouth。
　It　was　this　that　brought　him　back　to　consciousness。　His　legs　pounded　under　him　and　brought　their　mouths　to　the　surface。　The　girl　was　a　dead　weight　in　his　arms。　He　trod　water　desperately　and　looked　round　him；　holding　Solitaire's　lolling　head　on　his　shoulder　above　the　surface。
　The　first　thing　he　saw　was　the　swirling　waters　of　the　reef　not　five　yards　away。　Without　its　protection　they　would　both　have　been　crushed　by　the　shock…wave　of　the　explosion。　He　felt　the　tug　and　eddy　of　its　currents　round　his　legs。　He　backed　desperately　towards　it；　catching　gulps　of　air　when　he　could。　His　chest　was　bursting　with　the　strain　and　he　saw　the　sky　through　a　red　film。　The　rope　dragged　him　down　and　the　girl's　hair　filled　his　mouth　and　tried　to　choke　him。
　Suddenly　he　felt　the　sharp　scrape　of　the　coral　against　the　back　of　his　legs。　He　kicked　and　felt　frantically　with　his　feet　for　a　foothold；　flaying　the　skin　off　with　every　movement。
　He　hardly　felt　the　pain。
　Now　his　back　was　being　scraped　and　his　arms。　He　floundered　clumsily；　his　lungs　burning　in　his　chest。　Then　there　was　a　bed　of　needles　under　his　feet。　He　put　all　his　weight　on　it；　leaning　back　against　the　strong　eddies　that　tried　to　dislodge　him。　His　feet　held　and　there　was　rock　at　his　back。　He　leant　back　panting；　blood　streaming　up　around　him　in　the　water；　holding　the　girl's　cold；　scarcely　breathing　body　against　him。
　For　a　minute　he　rested；　blessedly；　his　eyes　shut　and　the　blood　pounding　through　his　limbs；　coughing　painfully；　waiting　for　his　senses　to　focus　again。　His　first　thought　was　for　the　blood　in　the　water　around　him。　But　he　guessed　the　big　fish　would　not　venture　into　the　reef。　Anyway　there　was　nothing　he　could　do　about　it。
　Then　he　looked　out　to　sea。
　There　was　no　sign　of　the　Secatur。
　High　up　in　the　still　sky　there　was　a　mushroom　of　smoke；　beginning　to　trail；　with　the　Doctor's　Wind；　in　towards　the　land。
　There　were　things　strewn　all　over　the　water　and　a　few　heads　bobbing　up　and　down　and　the　whole　sea　was　glinting　with　the　white　stomachs　of　fish　stunned　or　killed　by　the　explosion。　There　was　a　strong　smell　of　explosive　in　the　air。　On　the　fringe　of　the　debris；　the　red　paravane　lay　quietly；　hull　down；　anchored　by　the　cable　whose　other　end　must　lie　somewhere　on　the　bottom。　Fountains　of　bubbles　were　erupting　on　the　glassy　surface　of　the　sea。
　On　the　edge　of　the　circle　of　bobbing　heads　and　dead　fish　a　few　triangular　fins　were　cutting　fast　through　the　water。　More　appeared　as　Bond　watched。　Once　he　saw　a　great　snout　e　out　of　the　water　and　smash　down　on　something。　The　fins　threw　up　spray　as　they　flashed　among　the　tidbits。　Two　black　arms　suddenly　stuck　up　in　the　air　and　then　disappeared。　There　were　screams。　Two　or　three　pairs　of　arms　started　to　flail　the　water　towards　the　reef。　One　man　stopped　to　bang　the　water　in　front　of　him　with　the　flat　of　his　hand。　Then　his　hands　disappeared　under　the　surface。　Then　he　too　began　to　scream　and　his　body　jerked　to　and　fro　in　the　water。　Barracuda　hitting　into　him；　said　Bond's　dazed　mind。
　But　one　of　the　heads　was　getting　nearer；　making　for　the　bit　of　reef　where　Bond　stood；　the　small　waves　breaking　under　his　armpits；　the　girl's　black　hair　hanging　down　his　back。
　It　was　a　large　head　and　a　veil　of　blood　streamed　down　over　the　face　from　a　wound　in　the　great　bald　skull。
　Bond　watched　it　e　on。
　The　Big　Man　was　executing　a　blundering　breast…stroke；　making　enough　flurry　in　the　water　to　attract　any　fish　that　wasn't　already　occupied。
　Bond　wondered　whether　he　would　make　it。　Bond's　eyes　narrowed　and　his　breath　became　calmer　as　he　watched　the　cruel　sea　for　its　decision。
　The　surging　head　came　nearer。　Bond　could　see　the　teeth　showing　in　a　rictus　of　agony　and　frenzied　endeavour。　Blood　half　veiled　the　eyes　that　Bond　knew　would　be　bulging　in　their　sockets。　He　could　almost　hear　the　great　diseased　heart　thumping　under　the　grey…black　skin。　Would　it　give　out　before　the　bait　was　taken？
　The　Big　Man　came　on。　His　shoulders　were　naked；　his　clothes　stripped　off　him　by　the　explosion；　Bond　supposed；　but　the　black　silk　tie　had　remained　and　it　showed　round　the　thick　neck　and　streamed　behind　the　head　like　a　Chinaman's　pigtail。
　A　splash　of　water　cleared　some　blood　away　from　the　eyes。　They　were　wide　open；　staring　madly　towards　Bond。　They　held　no　appeal　for　help；　only　a　fixed　glare　of　physical　exertion。
　Even　as　Bond　looked　into　them；　now　only　ten　yards　away；　they　suddenly　shut　and　the^　great　face　contorted　in　a　grimace　of　pain。
　'Aarrh；'　said　the　distorted　mouth。
　Both　arms　stopped　flailing　the　water　and　the　head　went　under　and　came　up　again。　A　cloud　of　blood　welled　up　and　darkened　the　sea。　Two　six…foot　thin　brown　shadows　backed　out　of　the　cloud　and　then　dashed　back　into　it。　The　body　in　the　water　jerked　sideways。　Half　of　The　Big　Man's　left　arm　came　out　of　the　water。　It　had　no　hand；　no　wrist；　no　wrist　watch。
　But　the　great　turnip　head；　the　drawn…back　mouth　full　of　white　teeth　almost　splitting　it　in　half；　was　still　alive。　And　now　it　was　screaming；　a　long　gurgling　scream　that　only　broke　each　time　a　barracuda　hit　into　the　dangling　body。
　There　was　a　distant　shout　from　the　bay　behind　Bond。　He　paid　no　attention。　All　his　senses　were　focused　on　the　horror　in　the　water　in　front　of　him。
　A　fin　split　the　surface　a　few　yards　away　and　stopped。
　Bond　could　feel　the　shark　pointing　like　a　dog；　the　shortsighted　pink　button　eyes　trying　lo　pierce　the　cloud　of　blood　and　weigh　up　the　prey。　Then　it　shot　in　towards　the　chest　and　the　screaming　head　went　under　as　sharply　as　a　fisherman's　float。
　Some　bubbles　burst　on　the　surface。
　There　was　the　swirl　of　a　sharp　brown…spotted　tail　as　the　huge　Leopard　shark　backed　out　to　swallow　and　attack　again。
　The　head　floated　back　to　the　surface。　The　mouth　was　closed。　The　yellow　eyes　seemed　still　to　look　at　Bond。
　Then　the　shark's　snout　came　right　out　of　the　water　and　it　drove　in　towards　the　head；　the　lower　curved　jaw　open　so　that　light　glinted　on　the　teeth。　There　was　a　horrible　grunting　scrunch　and　a　great　swirl　of　water。　Then　silence。
　Bond's　dilated　eyes　went　on　staring　at　the　brown　stain　that　spread　wider　and　wider　across　the　sea。
　Then　the　girl　moaned　and　Bond　came　to　his　senses。
　There　was　another　shout　from　behind　him　and　he　turned　his　head　towards　the　bay。
　It　was　Quarrel；　his　brown　gleaming　chest　towering　above　the　slim　hull　of　a　canoe；　his　arms　flailing　at　the　paddle；　and　a　long　way　behind　him　all　the　other　canoes　of　Shark　Bay　skimming　like　water…boatmen　across　the　small　waves　that　had　started　to　ripple　the　surface。
　The　fresh　north…east　trade　winds　had　started　to　blow　and　the　sun　was　shining　down　on　the　blue　water　and　on　the　soft　green　flanks　of　Jamaica。
　The　first　tears　since　his　childhood　came　into　James　Bond's　blue…grey　ey