johngardner.rollofhonor-第5节

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　Naturally　they　were　not　recovered　either。　　He　was　working　on　a　portable　battle…training　program　for　senior　officers；　and　had　almost　perfected　a　puterised　system　for　anticipating　enemy　movements　in　the　field。　　His　work　was　literally　invaluable。〃
　〃And　the　General？〃
　〃Rolling　Joe？　　A　nut。　　A　much…decorated　and　brave　nut。　Believed　the　United　States　had　gone　to　the　dogs　…　the　mie　dogs。
　Said　openly　there　should　be　a　change　in　the　political　system；　that　the　army　should　take　control。
　He　figured　politicians　had　sold　out；　morals　had　gone　to　pieces；　people　had　to　be　made　to　care。〃　Bond　nodded。　　〃And　I　gather　Dr　Holy　had　a　nickname　…　like　Rolling　Joe　was　Zwingli's　nickname。〃　She　laughed　again。　〃They　called　Zwingli　〃Rolling　Joe〃　because　in　World　War　Two　he　had　this　habit　of　airtesting　his　B　17　Flying　Fortress　by　rolling　it　at　a　thousand　feet。〃
　〃And　Dr　Holy？〃　he　prompted。
　〃His　colleagues；　and　some　of　his　friends；　called　him　〃The　Holy　Terror〃。　He　could　be　a　tough　boss。〃　Percy　paused；　before　adding；　〃And　a　tough　husband。〃
　〃Late　husband。〃　Bond　gave　her　a　close；　unblinking　look　and　watched　her　drain　the　last　of　her　champagne　cocktail　and　place　the　glass　carefully　on　a　side　table　as　she　slowly　shook　her　head。
　〃Oh　no；'　she　said　softly。　　〃Jay　Autem　Holy　did　not　die　in　that　airplane　wreck。　　A　few　people　have　known　that　for　some　years。　　Now　there's　proof。〃
　〃Proof？　　Where？〃　He　led　her　towards　the　moment　for　which　M　had　prepared　him。
　〃Right　on　your　own　doorstep；James。　　Deep　in　the　heart　of　rural　England。　Oxfordshire。　　And　there's　more　to　it　than　that。　　You　remember　the　Kruxator　robbery　in　London？　　And　the　？20　million　gold　bullion　job？〃　Bond　nodded。
　〃Also　the　？2　billion　hijack？　　The　British　Airways　747　taking　foreign　currencies　from　the　official　printers　in　England　to　their　respective　countries？〃
　〃Of　course。
　〃You　remember　what　those　crimes　had　in　mon；　James？〃　He　waved　his　gunmetal　cigarette　case　at　Percy；　who　declined　with　an　almost　imperceptible　gesture　of　the　hand。　　Bond　was　surprised　to　find　the　case　being　returned　to　his　pocket　unopened。　　His　forehead　creased。
　〃All　large　sums；'　he　said。　　〃Well…planned　。　　。　　。　　Wait　a　minute；　didn't　Scotland　Yard　say　they　could　almost　be　puterised　crimes？〃
　〃That's　it。　You　have　the　answer。
　〃Percy　…　〃　there　was　an　edge　of　puzzlement　in　Bond's　voice　…　〃what　are　you　suggesting？〃
　〃That　Dr　Jay　Autem　Holy　is　alive　and　well；　and　living　in　a　small　village　called　Nun's　Cross；　just　north　of　Banbury　in　your　lovely　Oxfordshire。　Remember　Banbury；　James？　　The　place　where　you　can　ride　a　cock…horse　to？〃　Her　lips　tightened　a　little。　　〃Well；　that's　where　he　is。
　Planning　criminal　operations；　and　probably　terrorist　ones　as　well；　by　puter　simulations。〃
　〃Evidence？〃
　〃Well　。　　。　　。　　〃Again　a　pause。　　〃To　say　that　no　bodies　were　recovered　in　the　airplane　is　not　quite　true。
　They　got　out　the　pilot's　remains。　　There　were　no　other　bodies。
　Intelligence；　security　and　police　agencies　have　been　searching　for　Jay　Autem　Holy　ever　since。
　And　suddenly　they　found　him　in　Oxfordshire？〃
　〃Almost　by　chance；　yes。　　One　of　your　Special　Branch　men　was　in　that　area　on　a　pletely　different　case。　　He　was　on　to　a　pair　of　well…known　London　crooks。〃
　〃And　they　led　him　to。　　。　　？〃　Percy　got　up　and　slowly　began　to　pace　the　room。
　〃They　led　him　to　a　small　puter　simulations　pany　called　Gunfire　Simulations；　in　the　village　of　Nun's　Cross；　and　there　he　sees　a　face　from　the　files。　　So　he　goes　back　and　checks。　　The　face　is　Dr　Jay　Autem　Holy's。
　Only　now　he　calls　himself　Professor　Jason　St。　JohnFinnes　pronounced　Sinjon　Finesse：　finesse；　as　in　the　game　of　bridge。　　The　name　of　the　house　is　Endor。〃
　〃As　in　Witch　of？〃
　〃Right。〃　Percy　paused　in　her　pacing　and　leaned　on　the　back　of　Bond's　armchair；　her　arm　brushing　his　ear。
　He　could　not　at　that　moment　bring　himself　to　turn　his　head　and　look　up　into　the　face　above　his　shoulder。
　〃They　even　have　chummy　little　weekend　war　games　parties　there　and　a　lot　of　strange　people　turn　up；'　Percy　continued。　　She　moved　away　and　dropped　on　to　a　couch；　drawing　her　long　slender　legs　up　under　her。
　〃Trouble　was；　none　of　this　happened　to　be　news　to　the　American　Service。　You　see；　they've　been　keeping　an　eye　on　that　situation　for　some　time。　Even　infiltrated　it；　without　telling　anyone。
　Bond　smiled。　　〃That　would　please　my　people　no　end。
　There　are　rules　about　operating　on　other　countries'　soil　and　〃As　I　understand　it；'　Percy　interrupted　in　a　husky；　drawling　voice；　〃there　were　what　is　known　as　frank　and　open　discussions。〃
　〃I'll　bet！〃　Bond　thought　for　a　moment。　　Are　you　telling　me　that　Jay　Autem　Holy　strongly　prized　by　the　Pentagon　and　missing；　believed　dead　…　just　managed　to　settle　in　this　village；　Nun's　Cross；　without　benefit　of　disguise　or　cover；　except　for　some　new　identity　papers？〃　Percy　stretched　out　her　legs　and　laid　back　almost　full　length　on　the　couch；　brushing　the　floor　languidly　with　her　hand。
　〃Not　an　easy　man　to　disguise；…　she　said。　　〃But　yes；　that's　exactly　what　he's　done。　　Mind　you　he　rarely　goes　out；　he's　hardly　ever　seen　in　the　village。　　His　so…called　wife　deals　personally　with　business；　and　those　he　genuinely　employs　just　think　he's　eccentric　…　which　he　is。　　A　great　deal　of　ingenuity　and　a　lot　of　money　went　into　fixing　up　Jay　Autem's　hideaway。
　Slowly；　many　of　the　things　M　had　said　back　in　London　started　to　make　sense。　　As　though　dawn　had　suddenly　broken；　Bond　said；　〃And　I'm　the　one　who's　supposed　to　join　that　happy　band　of　brothers？〃
　〃You've　got　it　in　one。〃
　〃And　just　how　am　I　supposed　to　do　that？　　Walk　in　and　say；　Hi　there；　my　name's　James　Bond；　the　famous　renegade　intelligence　officer：　I'm　looking　for　a　job？〃　It　was　Bond's　turn　to　get　up　and　pace　the　room。
　〃Something　like　that；'　Percy　drawled　softly。
　〃Good　God！〃　Bond's　face　tightened　in　anger。　　〃Of　all　the　harebrained　Why　would　he　want　to　employ　me；　anyway？〃
　〃He　wouldn't。〃　She　gave　a　flicker　of　a　smile　and　sat　up；　suddenly　very　alert　and　earnest。
　〃He's　got　enough　staff　to　run　the　Gunfire　Simulations　business　all　legal　and　above　board。　　And　are　they　screened！　　It　makes　the　British　positive　vetting　look　like　a　kid's　crossword　puzzle。　　Believe　me；　I　know。　　He　has　to　be　certain；　because　that　side　of　things　is　absolutely　straight。〃　She　took　a　little　breath；　turning　her　head　slightly；　like　a　singer　swinging　away　from　the　microphone。　　〃No；　James；　he　wouldn't　think　of　employing　you　but　there　are　people　he　works　with　who　just　might　find　you　a　great　temptation。　　That's　what　your　people　are　banking　on。
　〃Mad。　　Absolute　madness！　　How？〃　Bond　was　really　angry　again。
　〃James；'　she　said　soothingly；　standing　up　and　taking　both　his　hands　in　hers。　　〃You　have　friends　at　the　court　of　King　St。　John…Finnes　well；　an　acquaintance　anyhow。
　Freddie　Fortune。　　The　naughty　Lady　Freddie。〃
　〃Oh　Lord！〃　Bond　dropped　Percy's　hands　and　swung　aside。　　Once；　some　years　ago；　Bond　had　made　the　error　of　cultivating　the　young　woman　Percy　had　just　mentioned。
　In　a　way　he　had　even　courted　her；　until　he　discovered　that　Lady　Freddie　Fortune；　darling　of　the　gossip　columnists；　suffered　from　a　somewhat　slapdash　political　education；　which　had　placed　her　slightly　to　the　left　of　Fidel　Castro。
　〃You　too　will　have　to　study；　James。　　That's　why　you're　going　to　be　here；　with　me。　　To　get　an　entree　into　Endor　you　must　know　something　about　the　job　they　do　at　Gunfire　Simulations。　　How　much　do　you　really　know　about　puters？〃　Bond　gave　a　sheepish　smile。　　〃If　you　put　it　like　that；　the　technicalities　only。〃　Had　he　been　asked；　puters　were　the　last　thing　he　wanted　to　discuss　just　then　with　the　strangely　alluring　and　unsettling　Persephone　Proud。
　
　WAR　GAME　with　A
　
　LUCIDITY　born　of　his　years　in　the　Service；　Bond　outlined　to　Percy　the　way　a　microputer　works；　as　they　both　sauntered　about　the　room　in　almost　a　ritual　dance；　carefully　avoiding　one　another。　　A　plex　electronic　tool　designed　to　perform　particular　tasks　when　a　series　of　mands　are　read　into　its　two　memories；　he　recited　tonelessly；　like　a　schoolboy　reeling　off　Latin　declensions　to　an　indulgent　master。　　A　machine　which　could　keep　records　and　work　out　financial　problems　one　minute；　process　data　the　next；　receive　and　transmit　information　over　thousands　of　miles　in　a　matter　of　seconds；　which　would　design　your　new　house；　or　allow　you　to　play　plicated　games；　make　music；　or　display　moving　graphics。　　A　miracle　with　an　ever…growing　memory；　but　only　as　good　as　the　program　it　is　given。
　〃I　know　the　theory　…just；'　Bond　said　with　a　smile；　〃but　I　haven't　a　clue　how　it's　all　done　by　the　programmer。〃
　〃That；　as　I　understand　it　from　your　wonderful　old　boss；　is　the　main　reason　we're　here；'　Percy　retorted。
　Bond　was　mildly　surprised　to　hear　M　spoken　of　as　his　wonderful　old　boss。　〃My　job　is　to　teach　you　programming　language；　with　special　reference　to　the　kind　of　thing　my　dark　angel　of　an　ex…husband　used　to　do；　and　probably　is　doing　right　now。　　Oh；　yes；　he　is　an　ex。　　Dead；　missing；　whatever；　I　made　sure　it　was　legal。〃
　〃Would　that　be　difficult？〃　Bond　asked　with　a　show　of　feigned　innocence。　〃Learning　to　program；　I　mean。〃　&　War　Game　〃Depends　on　aptitude。　　It's　like　swimming　or　riding　a　bicycle。　　Once　you've　got　the　knack　it　bees　second　nature。　　Mind　you；　we're　up　against　a　particular　kind　of　gen