johngardner.rollofhonor-第19节

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ke…minded　people；　I　saw　the　possibility　of　earning　some　very　profitable　returns　by　going　into　the　mercenary　business。　　Being　apolitical　myself；　owing　nothing　to　ideologies　or　beliefs；　it　was　easy。　　Plenty　of　countries　and　revolutionary　groups　need　specialists。　　A　particular　man　or　a　group　of　men　even　a　planning　group；　and　the　soldiery　to　carry　out　the　plan。〃　〃Rent…a…Terrorist；'　Bond　said；　with　a　touch　of　distaste。
　〃Who　does　not　dare；　hires　someone　else　to　dare　for　them。
　A　truly　mercenary　activity；　in　every　sense。
　〃Well　put。　　But　you'd　be　surprised；　mander　Bond。
　The　terrorist　organisations　are　not　our　only　customers。
　Bona　fide　governments　have　approached　us　too。　　Anyway；　as　a　former　intelligence　officer　you　cannot　allow　yourself　the　luxury　of　politics　or　ideals。〃
　〃I　can　allow　myself　the　luxury　of　opposing　certain　ideals。
　Of　disagreeing；　and　intensely　disliking　them；'　Bond　put　in。
　〃And；　if　our　information　is　to　be　believed；　you　have　an　intense　dislike　for　the　British　and　American　method　of　intelligence　…　yes？〃
　〃Let's　just　say　I'm　disappointed　that　an　official　organisation　can　call　me　to　question　after　so　many　years　of　loyal　service。
　〃Don't　you　ever　feel　that　revenge　could　be　sweet？〃
　〃I'd　be　a　liar　if　I　said　it　hadn't　crossed　my　mind；　but　it's　never　been　an　obsession。
　I　don't　harbour　grudges。〃
　〃We　shall　need　your　cooperation；　and　your　decision。
　Terror　for　Hire　I'll　You　understand　what　I　mean？〃　Rahani　made　the　querying；　humming　noise　again。
　Bond　nodded；　and　said　he　was　no　fool：　having　disclosed　the　existence　and　purpose　of　his　organisation；　Tamil　Rahani　was　mitted　to　making　a　decision　about　Bond。　　If　he　offered　a　job；　and　if　Bond　accepted；　there　would　be　no　problem。　　If；　however；　he　decided　Bond　was　a　risk；　or　his　motives　were　in　doubt；　there　could　be　only　one　answer。
　Rahani　heard　him　out。
　〃You　won't　mind　if　I　ask　a　few　pertinent　questions；　then？〃
　〃What　do　you　call　pertinent？〃
　〃I'd　like　to　know　the　things　you　would　not　discuss　with　the　Press。　　The　real　reason　for　your　resignation；　mander　Bond。　　An　inter…department　disagreement；　I　believe　you　said。
　Accusations；　which　were　withdrawn；　but　taken　most　seriously　by　yourself。〃
　〃If　I　don't　choose　to　tell　you？〃
　〃Then　we　have　to　conclude　that　you　are　not　trustworthy；　my　friend。　　A　conclusion　which　may　have　unpleasant　consequences。〃　Rahani　smiled。
　Bond　went　through　the　process　of　looking　as　though　he　was　giving　the　situation　some　thought。　　With　M　and　Bill　Tanner　he　had　put　together　a　story　that　would　hold　water　up　to　a　point。　　To　prove　or　disprove　it　would　mean　getting　classified　information　from　the　Judicial　Branch；　which　prised　a　number　of　experienced　barristers　retained　by　the　Service；　also　from　three　individuals　working　in　the　Registry；　and　from　someone　who　had　easy　access　to　the　documents　held　by　S　Department。
　After　a　few　moments'　silence　Bond　gave　a　short　nod。　　〃Right。　　If　you　want　the　truth　〃Good。　　Tell　us　then；　mander　Bond。〃　Rahani's　voice　and　manner　were　equally　bland。
　He　told　the　story；　just　as　they　had　concocted　it　in　M's　office。
　Over　a　period　of　some　six　months　it　had　been　discovered　that　several　highly　sensitive　files　had　been　taken　from　the　Service　HQ　and　kept　out　overnight。　　It　was　an　old　story；　and　one　that　was　technically　plausible；　even　allowing　for　the　stringent　security　spot　checks；　and　signing　in　and　out　of　files。　　However；　the　system　was　double…checked　by　an　electronic　bar　code；　appended　to　each　file；　which　was　scanned　every　time　the　file　was　taken　out　or　returned。　　The　files　went　through　a　machine　that　read　the　code　and　stored　the　information　in　the　Registry　databank；　which　was　examined　at　the　end　of　each　month。　　It　was　impossible　to　alter　the　bar　codes　on　the　files　or　to　duplicate　them。
　But　because　the　information　stored　away　on　the　big　puter　tapes　was　read　out　only　at　the　end　of　each　month；　anyone　could　return　a　dummy　file　each　night；　putting　back　the　original　the　following　night。　　By　alternating　dummy　and　original　you　could　examine　around　twenty　files　in　a　month　before　the　tampering　would　be　discovered。　　This；　Bond　maintained；　was　what　had　happened；　though　Registry　had　spent　so　much　time　cross。checking　and　looking　at　the　data　because　they　imagined　it　to　be　a　program　error　in　the　puter；　that　a　further　week　had　passed　before　a　report　went　up　to　Head　of　Service。
　In　all；　only　eight　files　had　been　at　risk。　　But；　on　the　relevant　dates；　James　Bond　had　been　one　of　those　with　access　to　the　files。　　Five　people　were　under　suspicion；　and　they　had　hauled　Bond　in　before　anybody　else。
　〃Someone　of　my　rank　and　experience　would　normally　be　given　the　courtesy　of　a　private　interview　with　the　Head　of　Service；'　he　said；　his　tone　verging　on　anger。　　〃But　no。　　It　didn't　seem　to　matter　that　the　other　four　were　junior；　relatively　inexperienced　and　without　field　records。　It　was　as　if　I　was　singled　out　because　of　my　position；　because　I　had　been　in　the　field；　because　of　my　experience。〃
　〃You　were　actually　accused？〃　It　was　Simon　who　asked。
　Bond　allowed　the　anger　to　boil　up　and　break　the　surface。　　〃Oh；　yes。　Yes；　I　was　accused。　　Before　they　even　talked　to　anyone　else　they　carted　in　a　couple　of　very　good　interrogators；　and　a　Q。C。　　You　removed　these　files　from　the　headquarters　building；　mander　Bond。　　Why？　　Did　you　copy　them？　　Who　asked　you　to　take　them？　　It　went　on　for　two　days。〃
　〃And　did　you　take　them　from　the　building；　mander？〃
　〃No；　I　did　not；'　Bond　almost　shouted。　　〃And　it　took　them　another　two　days　to　haul　in　the　other　four；　and　then　a　day　for　Head　of　Registry　to　e　back　off　leave　and　remember　that　special　permission　had　been　given　to　one　officer　to　take　the　wretched　files　over　for　study　by　a　Civil　Service　mandarin　adviser　to　the　Ministry。　　They　had　left　spaces　in　the　records；　just　to　keep　the　data　neat。
　Head　of　Registry　was　supposed　to　put　a　special　code　into　the　databank。　But　he　was　off　on　leave；　and　forgot　about　it。　　Nobody　had　a　go　at　him；　or　offered　his　head　on　a　salver。〃
　〃So　no　files　went　missing　at　all。　　You　got　an　apology；　of　course？〃
　〃Not　immediately。〃　Bond　glowered；　like　a　schoolboy。
　And　nobody　seemed　at　all　concerned　about　my　feelings。
　Head　of　Service　didn't　appear　even　to　understand　why　I　got　annoyed。〃
　〃So　you　resigned？　　Just　like　that？〃
　〃More　or　less。〃
　〃It's　a　very　good　story。　　Tamil　Rahani　looked　pleased。
　〃But　it　will　be　difficult　to　prove；　if　I　know　anything　about　government　departments。
　〃Exceptionally　difficult；'　Bond　agreed。
　〃Tell　me；　what　did　the　files　in　question　contain？〃
　〃Ah。〃　Bond　tried　to　look　as　charming　as　possible。　　〃Now　you're　really　asking　me　to　betray。〃
　〃Yes。〃　Rahani　was　quite　matter…of…fact。
　〃Mainly　updated　material　on　the　disposition　of　Eastern　Bloc　tactical　forces。　　One　concerned　agents　on　the　ground　and　their　proximity　to　the　Eastern　bases。〃　Rahani's　eyebrows　twitched。
　〃Sensitive。　　I　see。　　Well；　mander；　I　shall　make　a　few　enquiries。　　In　the　meantime；　perhaps　Simon　will　show　you　around　Erewhon；　and　we'll　continue　to　have　little　talks。〃
　〃You　mean　interrogations？〃　Rahani　shrugged。　　〃If　you　like。　　Your　future　career　depends　on　what　you　tell　us　now。　　Quite　painless；　I　assure　you。
　As　they　reached　the　door；　Bond　turned　back。　　〃May　I　ask　you　a　question；　sir？〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　〃You　bear　a　striking　resemblance　to　a　Mr。　Tamil　Rahani；　chairman　of　Rahani　Electronics。　　I　believe　you've　been　in　Monte　Carlo　recently？〃　Rahani's　laugh　had　all　the　genuine　warmth　of　an　angry　cobra。　　〃You　should　know；　mander。　　You　were　raising　a　fair　amount　of　hell　at　the　gaming　tables　on　the　Cete　d'Azur　at　the　time；　I　think。〃
　〃Touche'；　sir。〃　Bond　followed　Simon　out　into　the　sunshine。
　They　went　first　to　a　mess　hall　where　about　eighty　people　were　enjoying　a　lunch　of　chicken　cooked　with　peppers；　onions；　almonds　and　garlic。
　Everyone　wore　the　same　olive　uniform。　　Some　carried　side　arms。　There　were　men　and　women；　mainly　young；　and　from　many　different　countries。
　They　sat　in　pairs　or　teams　of　four。　　That　was　how　the　training　went；　Simon　explained。　　They　worked　with　a　partner　or　in　teams。　Sometimes　two　teams　would　be　put　together；　if　the　work　demanded　it。　Some　of　the　pairs　were　training　to　be　loners。
　〃Doing　what？〃　Bond　asked。
　〃Oh；　we　cover　the　usual　spectrum。　　Big　bang　merchants；　take　away　artists；　removal　men；　monopoly　teams。　　You　name　it；　we　do　it　electricians；　mechanics；　drivers；　all　the　necessary　humdrum　jobs　too。〃　Bond　identified　a　number　of　different　tongues　being　spoken　in　the　hall　…　German；　French；　Italian。　　There　were　also　Israelis；　Irish；　and　even　English　he　was　told。　　He　almost　immediately　identified　a　pair　of　German　terrorists　whose　names　and　details　were　on　file　with　his　Service；　M。I。5　and　at　Scotland　Yard。
　〃If　you　want　anonymity；　I　shouldn't　use　those　two　in　Europe；'　he　told　Simon　quietly。　　〃They've　both　got　star　billing　with　our　people。〃
　〃That's　good。　　Thank　you。　　We　prefer　unknowns；　and　I　had　a　feeling　about　that　couple。　　Everyone　has　had　some　field　work　behind　them　when　they　e　here；　but　we　don't　like　faces。〃　Simon　gave　a　knowing　grin。
　〃We　do　need　them　though。　　Some　have　to　be　lost；　you　know。　　It　es　in　handy　during　training。〃　Throughout　the　afternoon；　they　walked　around　the　well…equipped　training　area；　and　Bond　experienced　the　odd