if.goldfinger-第50节

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uation　is　not　favourable；　or　at　least　it　doesn't　appear　to　be。　So　I　have　nothing　to　lose　and　if　you　want　to　get　something　out　of　me　it　will　be　on　my　own　terms。'
　Goldfinger　looked　gravely　down。　'I　have　no　objection　to　your　conditions。　Out　of　respect　for　your　abilities　as　an　opponent；　you　shall　spend　your　last　journey　in　fort。　Oddjob'　…　the　voice　was　sharp。　'Ring　the　bell　for　Miss　Galore　and　undo　those　straps。　Get　into　the　seat　in　front。　There　is　no　harm　he　can　do　at　the　rear　of　the　plane　but　he　is　not　to　approach　the　cockpit　door。　If　need　be；　kill　him　at　once；　but　I　prefer　to　get　him　to　our　destination　alive。　Understand？'
　'Arrgh。'
　Five　minutes　later　Bond　had　what　he　wanted。　The　tray　in　front　of　him　was　down　and　on　it　were　his　whisky　and　cigarettes。　He　poured　himself　a　stiff　bourbon。　Goldfinger　was　seated　in　the　chair　across　the　aisle；　waiting。　Bond　picked　up　his　drink　and　sipped　it。　He　was　about　to　take　a　deeper　drink　when　he　saw　something。　He　put　the　glass　carefully　down　without　disturbing　the　little　round　paper　coaster　that　had　stuck　to　the　bottom　of　his　glass。　He　lit　a　cigarette；　picked　up　his　drink　again　and　removed　the　ice…cubes　and　put　them　back　in　the　ice　bucket。　He　drank　the　whisky　down　ahnost　to　the　end。　Now　he　could　read　the　words　through　the　bottom　of　the　glass。　He　carefully　put　the　glass　down　without　disturbing　the　coaster。　The　message　had　read；　'I'm　with　you。　XXX。　P。'
　Bond　turned　and　made　himself　fortable。　He　said；　'Now　then；　Goldfinger。　First　of　all；　what's　going　on；　how　did　you　get　this　plane；　where　are　we　heading？'
　Goldfinger　crossed　one　leg　over　the　other。　He　gazed　away　from　Bond；　up　the　aisle。　He　said　in　a　relaxed；　conversational　tone；　'I　took　three　trucks　and　drove　across　country　to　the　vicinity　of　Cape　Hatteras。　One　of　the　trucks　contained　my　personal　hoard　of　gold　bullion。　The　other　two　contained　my　drivers；　spare　personnel　and　those　gangsters。　I　required　none　of　them　except　Miss　Galore。　I　kept　a　nucleus　of　the　staff　I　would　need；　paid　off　the　others　with　huge　sums　and　dispersed　them　gradually　along　the　route。　At　the　coast　I　held　a　meeting　with　the　four　gang　leaders　in　a　deserted　place；　having　left　Miss　Galore　under　some　pretext　with　the　trucks。　I　shot　the　four　men　in　my　usual　fashion　…　one　bullet　for　each。　I　went　back　to　the　trucks　and　explained　that　the　four　men　had　chosen　money　and　independent　action。　I　was　now　left　with　six　men；　the　girl　and　the　bullion。　I　hired　a　plane　and　flew　to　Newark；　New　Jersey；　the　crates　of　gold　being　passed　off　as　lead　for　X…ray　plates。　From　there　I　proceeded　alone　to　a　certain　address　in　New　York　from　which　I　talked　with　Moscow　by　radio　and　explained　the　mishap　to　Operation　Grand　Slam。　In　the　course　of　the　talk　I　mentioned　your　name。　My　friends；　whom　I　believe　you　know；'　Goldfinger　looked　hard　at　Bond；　'pass　under　the　generic　name　of　SMERSH。　They　recognized　the　name　of　Bond　and　told　me　who　you　were。　I　at　once　understood　a　great　deal　of　what　had　previously　been　hidden　from　me。　SMERSH　said　they　would　greatly　like　to　interview　you。　I　pondered　the　matter。　In　due　course　I　conceived　the　plan　which　you　now　see　in　operation。　Posing　as　a　friend　of　yours；　I　had　no　difficulty　in　finding　out　the　flight　on　which　you　were　booked。　Three　of　my　men　were　formerly　of　the　Luftwaffe。　They　assured　me　there　would　be　no　difficulty　in　flying　this　plane。　The　rest　was　mere　detail。　By　cool　bluffing；　impersonation　and　the　use　of　a　certain　amount　of　force；　all　the　BOAC　personnel　at　Idlewild；　the　crew　of　this　plane　and　the　passengers　were　given　the　necessary　injections　from　which　they　will　now　be　recovering。　We　changed　clothes　with　the　unconscious　crew；　the　bullion　was　loaded　on　the　plane；　you　were　dealt　with　and　carried　out　on　a　stretcher　and　in　due　course　the　new　BOAC　crew；　with　their　stewardess；　boarded　the　plane　and　we　took　to　the　air。'
　Goldfinger　paused。　He　lifted　a　hand　resignedly。　'Of　course　there　were　small　hitches。　We　were　told　to　〃follow　taxiway　Alpha　to　runway　four〃；　and　it　was　only　by　following　a　KLM　plane　that　we　were　successful。　The　Idlewild　routine　was　not　easy　to　master　and　we　must　have　seemed　somewhat　clumsy　and　inexperienced；　but；　Mr　Bond；　with　assurance；　strong　nerves　and　a　gruff；　intimidating　manner　it　is　never　difficult　to　override　the　Civil　Service　mentality　of　what；　after　all；　are　minor　employees。　I　understand　from　the　wireless　operator　that　a　search　for　this　plane　is　under　way。　They　were　already　questioning　us　before　we　were　out　of　VHP　range　at　Nan…tucket。　Then　the　Distant　Early　Warning　system　queried　us　on　high　frequency。　That　did　not　disturb　me。　We　have　enough　fuel。　We　have　already　had　clearance　from　Moscow　for　East　Berlin；　Kiev　or　Murmansk。　We　shall　take　whichever　route　the　weather　dictates。　There　should　be　no　trouble。　If　there　is；　I　shall　talk　my　way　out　of　it　on　the　radio。　No　one　is　going　to　shoot　down　a　valuable　BOAC　plane。　The　mystery　and　confusion　will　protect　us　until　we　are　well　within　Soviet　territory　and　then；　of　course；　we　shall　have　disappeared　without　trace。'
　To　Bond　there　had　been　nothing　fantastic；　nothing　impossible　about　Goldfinger　since　he　had　heard　the　details　of　Operation　Grand　Slam。　The　theft　of　a　Stratocruiser；　as　Goldfinger　had　explained　it；　was　preposterous；　but　no　more　so　than　his　methods　of　smuggling　gold；　his　purchase　of　an　atomic　warhead。　When　one　examined　these　things；　while　they　had　a　touch　of　magic；　of　genius　even；　they　were　logical　exercises。　They　were　bizarre　only　in　their　magnitude。　Even　the　tiny　manoeuvre　of　cheating　Mr　Du　Pont　had　been　quite　brilliantly　contrived。　There　was　no　doubt　about　it；　Gold…finger　was　an　artist　…　a　scientist　in　crime　as　great　in　his　field　as　Cellini　or　Einstein　in　theirs。
　'And　now；　Mr　Bond　of　the　British　Secret　Service；　we　made　a　bargain。　What　have　you　to　tell　me？　Who　put　you　on　to　me？　What　did　they　suspect？　How　did　you　manage　to　interfere　with　my　plans？'　Goldfinger　sat　back；　placed　his　hands　across　his　stomach　and　looked　at　the　ceiling。
　Bond　gave　Goldfinger　a　censored　version　of　the　truth。　He　mentioned　nothing　about　SMERSH　or　the　location　of　the　postbox　and　he　said　nothing　about　the　secrets　of　the　Homer；　a　device　that　might　be　new　to　the　Russians。　He　concluded；　'So　you　see；　Goldfinger；　you　only　just　got　away。　But　for　Tilly　Masterton's　intervention　at　Geneva；　you'd　have　been　in　the　bag　by　now。　You'd　be　sitting　picking　your　teeth　in　a　Swiss　prison　waiting　to　be　sent　to　England。　You　underestimate　the　English。　They　may　be　slow；　but　they　get　there。　You　think　you'll　be　pretty　safe　in　Russia？　I　wouldn't　be　too　sure。　We've　got　people　even　out　of　there　before　now。　I'll　give　you　one　last　aphorism　for　your　book；　Goldfinger：　〃Never　go　a　bear　of　England。〃'
　
　CHAPTER　TWENTY…THREE
　
　T。L。C。　TREATMENT
　
　THE　PLANE　throbbed　on；　high　above　the　weather；　over　the　great　moonlit　landscape。　The　lights　had　been　turned　out。　Bond　sat　quietly　in　the　darkness　and　sweated　with　fear　at　what　he　was　going　to　do。
　An　hour　before；　the　girl　had　brought　him　dinner。　There　was　a　pencil　hidden　in　the　napkin。　She　had　made　some　tough　remarks　for　the　benefit　of　Oddjob　and　gone　away。　Bond　had　eaten　some　scraps　of　food　and　drunk　a　good　deal　of　bourbon　while　his　imagination　hunted　round　the　plane　wondering　what　he　could　conceivably　do　to　force　an　emergency　landing　at　Gander　or　somewhere　else　in　Nova　Scotia。　As　a　last　resort；　could　he　set　fire　to　the　plane？　He　toyed　with　the　idea；　and　with　the　possibility　of　forcing　the　entrance　hatch　open。　Both　ideas；　seemed　impracticable　and　suicidal。　To　save　him　the　trouble　of　pondering　over　them；　the　man　whom　Bond　had　seen　before　at　the　BO　AC　ticket　counter；　one　of　the　Germans；　came　through　and　stopped　by　Bond's　chair。
　He　grinned　down　at　Bond。　'BOAC　takes　good　care　of　you；　isn't　it？　Mister　Goldfinger　thinks　you　might　have　foolish　notions。　I　am　to　keep　an　eye　on　the　rear　of　the　plane。　So　just　sit　back　and　enjoy　the　ride；　isn't　it？'
　When　Bond　didn't　answer；　the　man　went　on　back　to　the　rear　section。
　Something　was　nagging　at　Bond's　mind；　something　connected　with　his　previous　thoughts。　That　business　about　forcing　the　hatch。　Now　what　was　it　that　had　happened　to　that　plane；　flying　over　Persia　back　in　'57？　Bond　sat　for　a　while　and　stared　with　wide；　unseeing　eyes　at　the　back　of　the　seat　in　front　of　him。　It　might　work！　It　just　conceivably　might！
　Bond　wrote　on　the　inside　of　the　napkin；　'I'll　do　my　best。　Fasten　your　seat　belt。　XXX。　J。'
　When　the　girl　came　to　take　his　tray　Bond　dropped　the　napkin　and　then　picked　it　up　and　handed　it　to　her。　He　held　her　hand　and　smiled　up　into　the　searching　eyes。　She　bent　to　pick　up　the　tray。　She　kissed　him　quickly　on　the　cheek。　She　straightened　herself。　She　said　toughly；　'I'll　see　you　in　my　dreams；　Handsome；'　and　went　off　to　the　galley。
　And　now　Bond's　mind　was　made　up。　He　had　worked　out　exactly　what　had　to　be　done。　The　inches　had　been　measured；　the　knife　from　his　heel　was　under　his　coat　and　he　had　twisted　the　longest　end　of　his　seat　belt　round　his　left　wrist。　All　he　needed　was　one　sign　that　Oddjob's　body　was　turned　away　from　the　window。　It　would　be　too　much　to　expect　Oddjob　to　go　to　sleep；　but　at　least　he　could　make　himself　fortable。　Bond's　eyes　never　left　the　dim　profile　he　could　see　reflected　in　the　Perspex　oblong　of　the　window　of　the　seat　in　front；　but　Oddjob　s