johngardner.rollofhonor-第12节

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　house　with　its　discreetly　elegant　decor　（〃That's　Dazzle；'　Jason　said　with　a　laugh；　〃she　has　what　the　designers　call　flair'）　made　one　aware　of　great　riches。　　In　the　large　drawing　room　there　was　a　clever　blend　of　original　Georgian　and　fortable　modern；　the　antique　pieces　plemented　by　a　quiet；　striped　wallpaper；　and　not　clashing　with　the　more　modern　pictures　or　the　deep；　fortable　armchairs　and　sofas。　　Where；　Bond　wondered；　did　the　money　for　all　this　e　from？　　Could　Gunfire　Simulations　finance　so　much？
　While　a　Filipino　houseboy　served　the　drinks　the　talk　was　almost　exclusively　about　what　a　wonderful　refurbishing　job　they　had　done　on　the　house；　and　the　local　amusing　scandal。
　〃It's　what　I　adore　about　life　in　a　village。〃Jason　gave　a　low　chuckle。　〃My　work　doesn't　allow　me　to　be　what　you　might　call　socially　active；　but　we　still　get　all　the　gossip　because　everybody　does。〃
　〃Except　the　gossip　about　ourselves；　darling；　Dazzle　said　with　a　grin。
　Bond　realised　that　her　nose　was　similar　to　Percy's　before　it　had　been　bobbed。　　Here　was　an　oddity。　　She　really　was　like　the　true　Percy。
　Did　Jay　Autem　know；　he　wondered。　　Had　he　always　known　what　the　real　Percy　looked　like？　　Had　he　seen　her　since　the　recent　transformation？
　〃Oh；　I　get　the　gossip　about　us。〃　Jason's　voice　was　deep　with　humour。　〃Cindy　and　I　are　having　a　passionate　love　affair；　while　you're　in　bed　most　of　the　time　with　Felix。。
　〃Much　good　would　it　do　me！〃　Dazzle　put　a　hand　over　her　mouth；　mockingly。　〃Where　are　they；　anyway；　dear？
　Peter　and　Cindy；　I　mean。〃
　〃Oh；　they'll　be　up　in　a　minute。　　They　decided　to　play　one　more　round　of　The　Revolution。　　We've　still　got　a　good　deal　of　preliminary　work　to　do。〃　He　turned　to　Bond。
　〃We're　in　the　puter　games　business　〃So　Freddie　mentioned。〃　At　last　he　managed　to　break　the　spell；　allowing　a　hint　of　superior　disapproval　into　his　tone。
　Jason　caught　it　at　once。　　〃Oh；　but　you're　a　puter　programmer　as　well；　aren't　you？　　Freddie　told　me。〃
　〃A　little。　　Not　games　though。　　Not　really。〃　The　tiny　stress　on　the　word　games　was　calculated　to　give　the　impression　that　using　puters　to　play　games　was　anathema　to　him。
　〃Aha。〃　Jason　wagged　a　finger。　　〃But　there　are　games　and　games；　Mr。　Bond。　I'm　talking　about　plex　intellectual　simulations；　not　the　whizz…bang…shoot…'em…up　arcade　rubbish。　　For　whom　do　you　work？〃　Bond　admitted　he　worked　for　nobody　at　the　moment。
　〃I　had　my　training　in　programming　when　I　worked　for　the　Foreign　Office。〃　He　tried　to　sound　diffident。
　〃You're　that　Mr。　Bond！〃　Dazzle　sounded　genuinely　excited。
　He　nodded。　　〃Yes；　the　notorious　Mr。　Bond。　　Also；　the　innocent　Mr。　Bond。
　〃Of　course。　　I　read　about　your　case。　　For　the　first　time　there　was　a　slightly　dubious　note　in　Jason's　voice。
　〃Were　you　really　a　spy？〃　Dazzle　tended　to　bee　almost　breathlessly　excited　by　anything　that　interested　her。
　〃I　〃　Bond　began；　then　put　on　a　show　of　floundering；　so　that　Jason　came　to　his　rescue：　〃I　don't　think　that's　the　kind　of　question　you're　meant　to　ask；　my　dear。〃　At　that　moment；　Peter　Amadeus　and　Cindy　Chalmer　came　into　the　room。
　〃Ah；　the　amazing　Doctor　Amadeus。〃　Jason　rose。
　〃And　Sinful　Cindy；'　said　Dazzle　with　a　laugh。
　〃I'd　be　flattered　if　they　called　me　Sinful　Freddie；'　said　Lady　Freddie　as　she　greeted　the　pair。
　〃Sinful　indeed！〃　Cindy　was　not　black；　as　Freddie　had　told　Bond；　but　more　of　a　creamy　coffee　shade。　　〃The　product　of　a　West　Indian　father　and　a　Jewish　mother；'　she　was　later　to　confide　in　him；　adding　that　there　were　a　thousand　racist　jokes　which　could　be　made　at　her　expense。　　Now　she　just　repeated；　〃Sinful　indeed；　chance　would　be　more　than　a　fine　thing。〃　Dressed　in　a　simple　grey　skirt；　and　white　silk　blouse；　Cindy　had　the　figure　and　legs　of　a　dancer；　and　a　face　which　reminded　Bond　of　a　very　young　Ella　Fitzgerald。
　Peter　was　around　thirty　…　a　few　years　older　than　Cindy。　　Slightly　built；　immaculately　dressed　and　prematurely　balding；　he　had　a　precise　pedantry　and　wit　that　gave　a　hint　of　his　sexual　predeliction。
　Following　Cindy's　remark；　he　helped　himself　to　a　drink；　saying；　〃You've　got　plenty　of　chances　here；　Cindy。　　There　are　some　great　big　farm　boys　in　the　village　I'd　fight　you　for。　　。
　〃That's　enough；　Peter！〃　For　the　first　time　that　night；　Jason　showed　the　steel　fist。
　After　the　introductions　（Bond　wondered　if　he　imagined　it；　but　Cindy　Chalmer　appeared　to　give　him　a　sharp；　almost　conspiratorial　look　when　they　shook　hands）；　Dazzle　suggested　they　go　in　to　dinner。　　〃Tomas　will　be　furious　if　his　cooking　is　spoiled。〃　Tomas　was　the　silent　Filipino；　who　had　learned　to　cook　at　the　feet　of　Europe's　greatest　chefs；　by　courtesy　of　Jason　St。　John…Finnes。
　The　meal　was　almost　a　banquet：　a　Lombardy　soup　of　hot　consomme'　poured　over　raw　eggs　sprinkled　with　Parmesan　and　laid　on　lightly　fried　bread；　smoked　salmon　mousse；　venison　marinated　and　roasted　with　juniper　berries；　wine；　chopped　ham　and　lemons：　and　a　souffle'　all　Grand　Marnier　…　〃Specially　for　Lady　Freddie。〃　To　begin　with；　the　conversation　mainly　concerned　the　work　Cindy　and　Peter　had　just　been　doing。
　〃How　did　it　go；　then？〃　Jason　asked　as　they　sat　down；　at　a　long　refectory　table　set　on　bare　polished　boards　in　the　dining　room。
　〃We've　found　two　more　random　problems　you　can　set　into　the　early　section。　　Raise　the　general　and　search　strengths　of　the　British　patrols；　and　you　get　some　very　interesting　results。〃　Peter　gave　a　lopsided　smile。
　〃And；　to　equalise；　there's　a　new　random　for　the　later　stages；'　Cindy　added。　　〃We've　put　in　a　random　card　that　gives　the　Colonial　Militia　more　uncaptured　cannon。　　If　you　draw　that　option　the　British　don't　know　the　strength　until　they　begin　assaulting　the　hill。〃　Freddie　and　Dazzle　were　chattering　away　about　clothes；　but　Jason　caught　Bond's　interested　eye。　He　turned　to　Peter　and　Cindy。
　〃Mr。　Bond　doesn't　approve　of　using　such　high…tech　magic　for　mere　games。　He　smiled；　the　ment　bearing　no　malice。
　〃Ah；　e　on；　Mr。　Bond！〃
　〃It's　intellectual　stimulation。
　Cindy　and　Peter　leapt　to　Holy's　defence　simultaneously。　　Peter　continued；　〃Is　chess　a　frivolous　use　of　wood　or　ivory？〃
　〃I　said　nothing　of　the　kind；　said　Bond；　laughing。　　He　knew　that　the　testing　time　was　getting　close。　　〃I　was　simply　trained　as　a　programmer　in　Cobol；　databases　and　the　use　of　graphics　…　for　government　purposes　…　…　〃Not　military　purposes；　Mr。　Bond？〃
　〃Oh；　the　military　use　them；　of　course。
　When　I　was　a　naval　officer　we　didn't　have　the　benefit　of　that　kind　of　technology。〃　He　paused。　　〃I　would　in　fact　be　intrigued　to　hear　about　your　work。　　These　games　…　are　they　really　games？〃
　〃They　are　games　in　one　sense；'　Peter　answered。　　〃I　suppose　they're　also　tutorials。　　A　lot　of　serving　military　people　order　our　products。
　〃They　teach；　yes。〃　Jason　leaned　over　towards　Bond。
　〃You　cannot　sit　down　and　play　one　of　our　games　unless　you　have　some　knowledge　of　strategy；　tactics　and　military　history。　　They　can　be　taxing；　and　they　do　require　intelligence。　　It's　a　booming　market；　James。〃　He　paused；　as　though　a　thought　had　struck　him。　　〃What's　the　most　significant　leap　forward　in　the　puter　arts　…　in　your　opinion；　of　course？〃　Bond　did　not　hesitate。　　〃Oh；　without　doubt　the　advances　being　made；　almost　by　the　month；　in　vastly　increased　storage　of　data　using　smaller　and　smaller　space。　　Jason　nodded。　　〃Yes。　　Increased　memory　in　decreased　space。
　Millions　of　accessible　facts；　stored　for　all　time　in　something　no　larger　than　a　postage　stamp。　　And；　as　you　say；　it's　advancing　by　the　month；　even　by　the　day。　　In　a　year　or　so；　the　little　home　micro　will　be　able　to　store　almost　as　much　information　as　the　large　mainframe　puters　used　by　banks　and　government　departments。
　There　is　also　the　breakthrough　that　marries　the　laser　video　disk　recording　with　puter　mands　…　movements；　actions；　scale；　response。
　At　Endor　we　have　a　very　sophisticated　set…up。　　You　may　like　to　look　around　after　dinner。
　〃Put　him　on　The　Revolution　and　see　if　a　novice　player　es　up　with　anything　new；'　suggested　Cindy。
　〃Why　not？〃　The　bright　green　eyes　glittered；　as　though　some　challenge　were　in　the　offing。
　〃You've　made　a　puter　game　out　of　what？　　The　Russian　Revolution？〃　Jason　laughed。　　〃Not　quite；　James。　　You　see；　our　games　are　vast；　in　a　way　too　large　for　the　home　puter。
　They're　all　very　detailed　and　need　a　big　memory。　　We　pride　ourselves　on　their　playability　as　well　as　their　high　level　of　intellectual　stimulation。　　In　fact；　we　don't　like　calling　them　games。
　Simulations　is　a　better　word。
　〃No；　we　haven't　yet　got　a　simulation　of　any　revolution。
　At　the　moment；　we　have　only　six　on　the　market：　Crecy；　Blenheim；　the　Battle　of　the　Pyramids　…　Napoleon's　Egyptian　expedition　Austerlitz；　Cambrai；　which　is　very　good；　because　the　oute　could　have　been　very　different；　and　Stalingrad。　　We're　also　very　well　advanced　with　one　on　the　Blitzkrieg　of　1940。　　And　we　are　preparing　an　interesting　one　on　the　American　Revolution　…　you　know；　the　final　stages　prior　to　the　War　of　Independence：　Concord；　Lexington；　Bunker's　Hill。
　September　1774　to　June　1775。〃　Freddie　and　I　are　going　to　look　at　the　conservatory；'　Dazzle　suddenly　interrupted；　rather　sharply。　　〃It's　shop　all　the　time。　　Very　boring。　　Hope　to　see　you　later；　James。
　Lovely　meeting　you。
　Jason　did　not　even　apologise；　merely　smiling　benignly　and　shrugging。　Freddie　gave　Bo