johngardner.winloseordie-第22节

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a　foreign　country。　Now。　he　figured　out　what　he　could　recall　of　the　number　of　ways　he　could　fake　a　death。　Die。　yet　not　die；　at　home　or　abroad。　Privately　or　in　full；　plain　sight。　They　added　up　to　around　a　score；　though　he　was　in　two　minds　whether　he　now　knew　the　twenty…first　way　of　doing　it。　Or　was　it　still　wishful　thinking？
　The　dinner　was　excellent；　and　Bond　watched　his　intake　of　alcohol；　though　others　did　not。　Julian　Farsee　was　well　away；　while　one　or　two　of　the　other　staff　became　rowdy。　One　couple　of　heavy；　battered　men　even　had　a　row　which　almost　led　to　a　full…scale　fight　until　Toby　Lellenberg　stepped　in；　his　slow　drawl　taking　on　a　whiplash　quality。
　'Just　like　Christmas　at　home。'　Bond　said；　unsmiling；　to　Clover。　'You　staying　here　long；　by　the　way？'
'I　leave　on　thirty…first　to　get　the　Wren　draft　ready。'
'Back　to　RNAS　Yeovilton？'
　She　nodded。　'1　thought　this　was　a　no…shop　evening。'　Then；　quite　suddenly；　'Can't　we　make　it　up。　sir？　Sort　of　start　again　。　。　。　James？　Please。'
　'Maybe；　when　it's　all　over。　Not　yet　though。　Not　until　you…know…what's　out　of　the　way。〃
　She　nodded　and　looked　miserable；　though　not　as　miserable　as　some　of　the　faces　Bond　saw　at　breakfast　the　next　morning。　The　party；　they　told　him。　had　gone　on　quite　late。
　Braying　Julian　came　over　during　breakfast　and　said　it　would　be　nice　if　he　could　be　in　Suite　Number　Three　at　ten…thirty。　'The　debrief。〃　he　explained。
　So。　at　ten…thirty　on　the　dot　Bond　met　the　two　American　officers　…　Mac　and　Waller　…　and　the　man　from　his　own　Service；　Draycott；　who　was　not　quite　what　he　expected。　
　The　debrief　was　exceptionally　thorough。　Much　more　so　than　he　had　anticipated。　Waller　was　elderly；　but　had　the　knack　of　slipping　off　into　tributary　questions　which　suddenly　ended　up　being　very　searching。　Mac；　who　was；　as　Toby　had　suggested；　'huill　like　a　fire…plug〃；　had　one　of　those　faces　that　remained　permanently　impassive。　Though　he　did　smile　a　great　deal；　the　face　and　eyes　remained　blank；　and　rather　tough：　impossible　to　read。　Mac　was　inclined　to　chip　in　with　subsidiary　questions　which　turned　out　to　add　a　lot　to　Bond's　testimony。　Draycott　was　also　deceptive；　in　the　mould　of　the　legendary　Scardon：　a　man　who　looked　very　ordinary；　as　though　he　would　be　happier　in　the　English　countryside。　He　smoked　a　pipe；　used　to　great　effect　…to　add　in　pauses　when　he　fiddled　with　it；　or　to　break　questions　in　two　halves　when　he　smoked。
　They　took　Bond　back　to　the　beginning；　telling　him　the　stalking…horse　theory　of　the　operation；　just　so　that　he　would　know　they　were　pretty　well…briefed　themselves。　On　the　fifth　day；　the　trio　walked　off　with　practically　every　second　Bond　had　spent　in　Ischia　accounted　for：　naughties　and　all。
　When　the　debrief　was　plete　all　three　of　his　Interrogators　seemed　to　vanish。　At　least　Bond　did　not　set　eyes　on　them　again。
　On　December　31st；　Clover　came　to　his　quarters　to　announce　that　she　was　leaving。　He　did　not　keep　her　long；　though　she　obviously　wanted　to　linger。　'See　you　on　board；　then；'　was　his　final；　sharp　word；　and　he　thought　Clover's　eyes　were　moist。　She　was　either　very　much　for　real；　or　had　bee　one　hell　of　an　actor。
　Two　days　later　it　was　Bond's　turn。　Toby　showed　him　M's　latest　signal　and　he　repeated　the　contents　so　that　Northanger's　CO　was　satisfied　he　was　word　perfect。
　They　took　him　in　the　elderly　helicopter　to　Rome　where　he　went　to　the　Alitalia　desk　and　they　provided　him　with　tickets　and　a　baggage　claim　check。
　The　flight　from　Rome　to　Stockholm　was　uneventful。　He　had　one　hour's　wait　for　the　military　transport　that　ferried　him　to　the　West　German　naval　base　at　Bremmerhaven　where　he　stayed　for　one　night。
On　the　morning　of　January　3rd；　James　Bond；　in　uniform；　stepped　aboard　a　Sea　King　helicopter　which　took　him　out　to　Invincible　and　her　gaggle　of　escorts　which　lay　twenty　miles　offshore。　By　the　following　night　they　were　one　hundred　miles　into　the　North　Sea；　cruising　slowly　and　waiting　for　the　orders　to　be　opened　which　would　start　Operation　Landsea。
They　were　loading　staff　at　Northanger　into　innocent…looking　buses　within　four　hours　of　Bond's　departure。　Julian　Farsee。　dressed　in　olive　drab　trousers　and　a　military　sweater　plete　with　reinforced　shoulder　and　elbow　pads；　walked　into　the　CO's　office；　not　even　knocking。　The　CO　was　shredding　documents　and　hardly　turned　to　look　at　his　Second…in…mand　as　he　came　and　sat　on　the　desk。
　？Well？　You　think　they　bought　it？'　asked　Ali　Al　Adwan。　Farsee's　true　name。　In　the　hierarchy　of　BAST；　Adwan　was　the　'Snake'　to　Bassam　Baradj's　'Viper'。
　？Of　course。　All　the　ining　signals　were　dealt　with。　Nobody　queried　a　thing。'
Adwan　scowled。　'Except　me。　I　query　your　judgment。'
　Baradj　smiled　and　fed　more　paper　into　the　shredder。　'Yes？　I　thought　you　were　unhappy；　though　you　played　your　part　to　perfection。　Whal　really　worried　you。　Ali？'
　'You　know　what　worried　me。　Bond　should　have　been　killed。　Here；　on　the　spot；　while　we　had　him。　What　was　the　point　of　bringing　him　here　at　all。　if　not　to　kill　him？'
　'Already　we　have　made　two　botched　attempts　on　Bond's　life。　The　first　was　one　of　those　things　that　just　went　wrong　…　the　wrong　kind　of　missile；　the　fact　that　Bond　is　obviously　a　good　pilot。'　He　shrugged；　a　wide；　unhappy　gesture。　〃Then；　Ali。　we　tried　again；　and　that　was　disaster。　We　went　for　Bond　and　killed　。　。　。〃This　time　his　lips　clamped　together　as　though　he　had　bee　upset　at　the　thought。　Then；　throwing　it　off；　he　spoke　again。'。〃　made　the　decision。　Ali。　No　more　assassination　attempts　until　we　get　nearer　to　our　true　targets。　There　will　be　plenty　of　chances　then。　His　sudden　death；　after　the　wretched　Ischia　business；　might　even　have　jeopardised　the　entire　operation。　They　could　even　have　called　it　off。〃
〃Then　why　bring　people　like　him　here　at　all？'
Baradj　smiled；　patiently　'It　was　necessary。　After　Ischia　they　would　have　moved　him　here　anyway。　They　would　have　wanted　him　close　and　confined。　We　want　him　confident；　so　that　the　blow　will　fall　very　unexpectedly。　This　has　been　excellent　psy　choiogy。　We　have　had　a　chance　to　know　him　and　be　close。　Don't　you　think　that　you　know　the　man　better？'
　'I　know　he's　dangerous；　but　yes。　Yes；　I　think　I　know　him　now。　But　hitve　we　really　deceived　everyone？'
　'All　who　had　to　be　deceived　were　deceived。　Nobody　from　any　other　base；　or　from　London　showed　any　sign　that　they　were　concerned。　The　other　regular　staff　will　wake　from　their　enforced　sleep　in　the　morning；　and　I　don't　suppose　they　will　question　the　strange　loss　of　time　they　will　all　have　suffered。　They　will　eventually　realise　that　in　some　strange　way　they　all　missed　Christmas　and　the　week　after；　but　the　hypnotics　Hamarik　supplied　should　keep　the　true　facts　at　bay　for　a　week；　maybe　even　ten　days。　By　then；　my　dear　friend；　we　will　have　（he　superpowers；　the　United　States　of　America　and　Russia；　together　with　the　United　Kingdom；　on　their　knees　begging　for　mercy。'
　Adwan；　whose　leathery　dark　plexion　seemed　now　more　apparent；　smiled　and　nodded：　his　attitude　changing。　'Yes；　you　are　right。　In　the　end　of　it　all　we　will　have　a　great　deal　to　thank　you　for；　Bassam。'
'What　is　money　pared　to　this？'
'Ah；　but　you　proved　to　be　a　fine　actor　also。'
　Bassam　Baradj　chuckled；　〃You　were　very　convincing　yourself。'
A　smile　crossed　Adwan's　face。　'Oh。　ya。　Ya。　Right；'　he　said。
　
　10
　
　Monarchs　of　the　Sea
　
James　Bond　felt　the　slight　tremor　under　his　feet；　and　with　it　the　old　frisson　returned。　There　was　nothing　in　the　world　like　being　at　sea　in　a　capital　ship：　the　ordered　routine；　the　feeling　of　men　working　as　a　quiet；　well…trained　team；　the　regularity　of　events；　even　in　a　crisis。　To　Bond；　all　this　returned　in　a　warm　shower　of　nostalgia。　No；　it　was　better；　because　of　the　very　special　feeling　of　serving　in　this　ship。
　HMS　Invincible　was　a　relatively　recent　addition　to　the　Royal　Navy's　history。　In　some　ways　she　had　already　bee　a　legend：　certainly　the　first　kind　of　ship　of　her　type　…　19；500　tons　of　platform　from　which　to　launch　practically　any　type　of　operation；　including　the　nuclear　option　with　the　Green　Parrot　variable…yield　weapons；　capable　of　being　carried　by　the　Sea　Harriers；　to　the　Ikt　versions；　which　could　be　dropped　by　Sea　Kings　as　anti…submarine　bombs。　Invincible　could　also　carry　a　mando　for　armed　assault；　and；　at　this　moment。　42　mando；　Royal　Marines；　was　on　board。
　The　ship's　air　group　consisted　of　ten　Sea　Harriers；　eleven　anti…submarine　warfare　（ASW）　Sea　Kings；　two　anti…clcctronic…warfare　（AEW）　Sea　Kings　and　one　Lynx　helicopter；　configured　for　Exocet…type　decoy　duties。　Invincible　was　a　very　full　ship；　though　officially；　and　technically；　it　was　not　even　classed　as　an　aircraft…carrier。　Invincible　was　a　Through　Deck　Cruiser　（TDC）。
Back　in　1966。　the　then　British　government　had　cancelled　a　new　building　programme　which　would　give　the　Royal　Navy　a　number　of　conventional　carriers　for　fixed…wing　aircraft。　In　the　following　year　a　new　programme　went　into　action。　What　they　required　were　light　mand　cruisers　with　facilities　for　a　number　of　helicopters。　The　whole　political　subject；　mainly　involving　costing　and　pulling　back　on　defence　expenditure；　was　sensitive；　but　the　success　of　the　V。〃STOL　Harrier　aircraft　changed　things　in　a　dramatic　manner。
　Plans　were　again　changed；　though　the　politicians　still　clung　to　the　name　TDC　as　opposed　to　aircraft…carrier。　Three　such　ships　were　miss