if.goldfinger-第31节

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ting。
　Almost　as　soon　as　Bond　had　e　to　this　conclusion；　the　black；　bowler…hatted　figure　of　Oddjob　appeared　at　the　back　door　of　the　house　and　made　some　sort　of　a　noise　at　Gold…finger。　With　a　word　to　the　foreman；　Goldfinger　went　indoors　and　left　the　workmen　to　it。
　It　was　time　for　Bond　to　get　going。　He　took　a　last　careful　look　round　to　fix　the　geography　in　his　mind　and　edged　back　among　the　trees。
　'I　am　from　Universal　Export。'
　'Oh　yes？'　Behind　the　desk　there　was　a　reproduction　of　the　Annigoni　portrait　of　the　Queen。　On　the　other　walls　were　advertisements　for　Ferguson　tractors　and　other　agricultural　machinery。　From　outside　the　wide　window　came　the　hum　of　traffic　along　the　Quai　Wilson。　A　steamer　hooted。　Bond　glanced　out　of　the　window　and　watched　it　ride　across　the　middle　distance。　It　left　an　enchanted　wake　across　the　flawless　evening　mirror　of　the　lake。　Bond　looked　back　into　the　politely　inquiring　eyes　in　the　bland；　neutral；　businessman's　face。
　'We　were　hoping　to　do　business　with　you。〃
　'What　sort　of　business？'
　'Important　business。'
　The　man's　face　broke　into　a　smile。　He　said　cheerfully；　'It's　007；　isn't　it？　Thought　I　recognized　you。　Well　now；　what　can　I　do　for　you？'　The　voice　became　cautious。　'Only　one　thing；　better　make　it　quick　and　get　along。　There's　been　the　hell　of　a　heat　on　since　the　Dumont　business。　They've　got　me　taped　…the　locals　and　Redland。　All　very　peaceful　of　course；　but　you　won't　want　them　sniffing　round　you。'
　'I　thought　it　might　be　like　that。　It's　only　routine。　Here。'　Bond　unbuttoned　his　shirt　and　took　out　the　heavy　chunk　of　gold。　'Get　that　back；　would　you？　And　transmit　this　when　you　have　a　chance。'　The　man　pulled　a　pad　towards　him　and　wrote　in　shorthand　to　Bond's　dictation。
　When　the　man　had　finished　he　put　the　pad　in　his　pocket。　'Well；　well！　Pretty　hot　stuff。　Wilco。　My　routine's　at　midnight。　This'　…　he　indicated　the　gold　…　'can　go　to　Berne　for　the　bag。　Anything　else？'
　'Ever　heard　of　the　〃Entreprises　Auric〃　at　Coppet？　Know　what　they　do？'
　'I　know　what　every　engineering　business　in　the　area　does。　Have　to。　Tried　to　sell　them　some　hand　riveters　last　year。　They　make　metal　furniture。　Pretty　good　stuff。　The　Swiss　railways　take　some　of　it；　and　the　airlines。'
　'Know　which　airlines？'
　The　man　shrugged。　'I　heard　they　did　all　the　work　for　Mecca；　the　big　charter　line　to　India。　Their　terminus　is　Geneva。　They're　quite　a　big　petitor　with　All…India。　Mecca's　privately　owned。　Matter　of　fact；　I　did　hear　that　？　Auric　&　Co。　had　some　money　in　it。　No　wonder　they've　got　the　contract　for　the　seating。'
　A　slow；　grim　smile　spread　across　Bond's　face。　He　got　up　and　held　out　his　hand。　'You　don't　know　it；　but　you've　just　done　a　whole　jigsaw　puzzle　in　under　a　minute。　Many　thanks。
　Best　of　luck　with　the　tractor　business。　Hope　we'll　meet　again　one　day。'
　Out　in　the　street；　Bond　got　quickly　into　his　car　and　drove　along　the　quai　to　the　Bergues。　So　that　was　the　picture！　For　two　days　he'd　been　trailing　a　Silver　Ghost　across　Europe。　It　was　an　armour…plated　Silver　Ghost。　He'd　watched　the　last　bit　of　plating　being　riveted　on　in　Kent；　and　the　whole　lot　being　stripped　off　at　Coppet。　Those　sheets　would　already　be　in　the　furnaces　at　Coppet；　ready　to　be　modelled　into　seventy　chairs　for　a　Mecca　Constellation。　In　a　few　days'　time　those　chairs　would　be　stripped　off　the　plane　in　India　and　replaced　with　aluminium　ones。　And　Goldfinger　would　have　made　what？　Half　a　million　pounds？　A　million？
　For　the　Silver　Ghost　wasn't　silver　at　all。　It　was　a　Golden　Ghost　…　all　the　two　tons　of　its　bodywork。　Solid；　eighteen…carat；　white　gold。
　
　CHAPTER　FOURTEEN
　
　THINGS　THAT　GO　THUMP　IN　THE　NIGHT
　
　JAMES　BOND　booked　in　at　the　Hotel　des　Bergues；　took　a　bath　and　shower　and　changed　his　clothes。　He　weighed　the　Walther　PPK　in　his　hand　and　wondered　whether　he　should　take　it　or　leave　it　behind。　He　decided　to　leave　it。　He　had　no　intention　of　being　seen　when　he　went　back　to　the　Entreprises　Auric。　If；　by　dreadful　luck；　he　was　seen；　it　would　spoil　everything　to　get　into　a　fight。　He　had　his　story；　a　poor　one；　but　at　least　one　that　would　not　break　his　cover。　He　would　have　to　rely　on　that。　But　Bond　did　choose　a　particular　pair　of　shoes　that　were　rather　heavier　than　one　could　expect　from　their　casual　build。
　At　the　desk　he　asked　if　Miss　Soames　was　in。　He　was　not　surprised　when　the　receptionist　said　they　had　no　Miss　Soames　staying　in　the　hotel。　The　only　question　was　whether　she　had　left　the　hotel　when　Bond　was　out　of　sight　or　had　registered　under　another　name。
　Bond　motored　across　the　beautiful　Pont　du　Mont　Blanc　and　along　the　brightly　lit　quai　to　the　Bavaria；　a　modest　Alsatian　brasserie　that　had　been　the　rendezvous　of　the　great　in　the　days　of　the　League　of　Nations。　He　sat　by　the　window　and　drank　Enzian　washed　down　with　pale　Lowenbrau。　He　thought　first　about　Goldfinger。　There　was　now　no　doubt　what　he　was　up　to。　He　financed　a　spy　network；　probably　SMERSH；　and　he　made　fortunes　smuggling　gold　to　India；　the　country　where　he　could　get　the　biggest　premium。　After　the　loss　of　his　Brixham　trawler；　he　had　thought　out　this　new　way。　He　first　made　it　known　that　he　had　an　armoured　car。　That　would　only　be　considered　eccentric。　Many　English　bodybuilders　exported　them。　They　used　to　go　to　Indian　rajahs；　now　they　went　to　oil　sheiks　and　South　American　presidents。　Goldfinger　had　chosen　a　Silver　Ghost　because；　with　his　modifications；　the　chassis　was　strong　enough；　the　riveting　was　already　a　feature　of　the　bodywork；　and　there　was　the　largest　possible　area　of　metal　sheeting。　Perhaps　Gold…finger　had　run　it　abroad　once　or　twice　to　get　Ferryfield　used　to　it。　Then；　on　the　next　trip；　he　took　off　the　armour　plating　in　his　works　at　Reculver。　He　substituted　eighteen…carat　white　gold。　Its　alloy　of　nickel　and　silver　would　be　strong　enough。　The　colour　of　the　metal　would　not　betray　him　if　he　got　in　a　smash　or　if　the　bodywork　were　scratched。　Then　off　to　Switzerland　and　to　the　little　factory。　The　workmen　would　have　been　as　carefully　picked　as　the　ones　at　Reculver。　They　would　take　off　the　plates　and　mould　them　into　aircraft　seats　which　would　then　be　upholstered　and　installed　in　Mecca　Airlines　…　run　presumably　by　some　stooge　of　Goldfinger's　who　got　a　cut　on　each　'gold　run'。　On　these　runs　…once；　twice；　three　times　a　year？　…　the　plane　would　accept　only　light　freight　and　a　few　passengers。　At　Bombay　or　Calcutta　the　plane　would　need　an　overhaul；　be　re…equipped。　It　would　go　to　the　Mecca　hangar　and　have　new　seats　fitted。　The　old　ones；　the　gold　ones；　would　go　to　the　bullion　brokers。　Goldfinger　would　get　his　sterling　credit　in　Nassau　or　wherever　he　chose。　He　would　have　made　his　hundred；　or　two　hundred；　per　cent　profit　and　could　start　the　cycle　all　over　again；　from　the　'We　Buy　Old　Gold'　shops　in　Britain　to　Reculver　…　Geneva　…Bombay。
　Yes；　thought　Bond；　gazing　out　across　the　glistening；　starlit　lake；　that's　how　it　would　be　…　a　top…notch　smuggling　circuit　with　a　minimum　risk　and　maximum　profit。　How　Goldfinger　must　smile　as　he　pressed　the　bulb　of　the　old　boa…constrictor　horn　and　swept　past　the　admiring　policemen　of　three　countries！　He　certainly　seemed　to　have　the　answer　…　the　philosopher's　stone；　the　finger　of　gold！　If　he　hadn't　been　such　an　unpleasant　man；　if　he　wasn't　doing　all　this　to　sustain　the　trigger　finger　of　SMERSH；　Bond　would　have　felt　admiration　for　this　monumental　trickster　whose　operations　were　so　big　that　they　worried　even　the　Bank　of　England。　As　it　was；　Bond　only　wanted　to　destroy　Goldnnger；　seize　his　gold；　get　him　behind　bars。　Goldfinger's　gold…lust　was　too　strong；　too　ruthless；　too　dangerous　to　be　allowed　the　run　of　the　world。
　It　was　eight　o'clock。　The　Enzian；　the　firewater　distilled　from　gentian　that　is　responsible　for　Switzerland's　chronic　alcoholism；　was　beginning　to　warm　Bond's　stomach　and　melt　his　tensions。　He　ordered　another　double　and　with　it　a　chouc…route　and　a　carafe　of　Fondant。
　And　what　about　the　girl；　this　pretty；　authoritarian　joker　that　had　suddenly　been　faced　in　the　deal？　What　in　hell　was　she　about？　What　about　this　golf　story？　Bond　got　up　and　went　to　the　telephone　booth　at　the　back　of　the　room。　He　got　on　to　the　Journal　de　Geneve　and　through　to　the　sports　editor。　The　man　was　helpful；　but　surprised　at　Bond's　question。　No。　The　various　championships　were　of　course　played　in　the　summer　when　the　other　national　programmes　were　finished　and　it　was　possible　to　lure　a　good　foreign　entry　to　Switzerland。　It　was　the　same　with　all　other　European　countries。　They　liked　to　bring　in　as　many　British　and　American　players　as　possible。　It　increased　the　gates。　'Pas　de　quoi；　monsieur。'
　Bond　went　back　to　his　table　and　ate　his　dinner。　So　much　for　that。　Whoever　she　was；　she　was　an　amateur。　No　professional　would　use　a　cover　that　could　be　broken　down　by　one　telephone　call。　It　had　been　in　the　back　of　Bond's　mind　…reluctantly；　because　he　liked　the　girl　and　was　excited　by　her　…　that　she　could；　she　just　could　have　been　an　agent　of　SMERSH　sent　to　keep　an　eye　on　Goldfinger；　or　Bond　or　both。　She　had　some　of　the　qualities　of　a　secret　agent；　the　independence；　the　strength　of　character；　the　ability　to　walk　alone。　But　that　idea　was　out。　She　hadn't　got　the　training。
　Bond　ordered　a　slice　of　gruyere；　pumpernickel　and　coffee。　No；　she　was　an　enigma。　Bond　only　prayed　that　she　hadn't　got　some　private　plot　in