johngardner.winloseordie-第3部分

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　'promise。　Yes。　an　obvious　solution。'
　'So　obvious　that　you　had　to　waste　the　lives　of　twenty　mercenaries；　not　to　mention　the　finance　of　training　and　equipping　them。　Now；　go　and　find　the　agent　we　need。　Officer；　or　enlisted　man。　Crew　or　visitor。　Ii　doesn't　matter　which。　Just　find　him。'
　M　tossed　the　transcript　back　onto　his　desk　and　looked　up　at　his　Chief　of　Staff。　Bill　Tanner；　who　appeared　to　be　studying　the　old　Admiral's　face　as　a　strategist　would　examine　the　terrain　of　battle。
　'Well。'　M　said。　It　was　a　grunt　from　the　ihroal　rather　than　a　word　clearly　spoken。　'Well；　we　know　who　these　people　are；　and　we　know　the　target；　what　we　don't　know　is　the　full　objective。　Any　ments。　Tanner？'
　'Only　the　obvious；　sir。〃
　'Meaning？'　M　was　in　an　unashamedly　bellicose　mood　today。
　'Meaning；　sir；　that　we　can　have　things　altered。　We　can　have　the　brass　hats　moved　at　the　last　moment。　Put　them　on　a　cruiser　instead　of　Birdsnesl　Two　。　。　。'
　'Oh。　for　heaven's　sake。　Tanner；　we　know　Birdsnest　Two's　HMS　Invincible；　so　say　Invincible。'　HMS　Invincible　is　one　of　the　three　remaining　aircraft…carriers　…　capital　ships　…　of　the　Royal　Navy：　in　fact　ihree　of　the　largest　gas　turbine…powered　warships　in　the　world。　All　are　designated　as　TDCs　…　'Through　Deck　Cruiser'　…　of　the　invincible　class；　and　all　had　gone　through　major　refits　of　electronics；　weapons　and　aircraft　capabilities　since　the　lessons　learned　in　the　Falklands　war。
　With　only　the　slightest　pause。　Tanner　continued；　'Put　them　in　another　ship　。。。　at　the　last　minute　？　…　。'
　'What　other　ship？　A　destroyer；　or　a　frigate？　There　are　three　of　them。　Tanner。　Three　top　brass；　plete　with　their　staff。　I'd　say　around　twelve　or　fifteen　bodies　at　the　least。　Use　your　sense；　man。　they'd　have　to　share　bunks　on　a　frigate　or　destroyer；　and　that　might　be　all　very　well　for　the　Russkies。　but　I　cannoi　see　our　American　friends；　or　Sir　Geoffrey　Gould　taking　kindly　to　that。'
　'Call　it　off；　sir？'
　　Ll　think　there　would　be　rumblings　everywhere；　including　our　wonderful　Press　and　TV　Defence　Correspondents。　They'd　be　asking　〃why？〃　before　we　even　concocted　a　story。　In　any　case。　Landsea　'89　is　essential。　All　our　bined　exercises　are　essential；　and　what　with　this　wretched　business　ofglasnosi　and　perestroika；　NATO　feels　it's　doing　ihe　decent　thing。　Letting　the　Russians　in　on　our　war　games；　eh？'
　'We're　not　supposed　to　call　them　〃war　games'　anymore；　sir　。　；　。'
　'I　know　ihat！'　M　thumped　his　desk　heavily。　'It's　the　thin　end　of　the　wedge；　though；　letting　the　mander…in…Chief　of　the　Russian　Fleet　in　on　a　bined　exercise　as　plex　as　this。'
　Bill　Tanner　sighed；　'At　least　our　people　won't　have　to　dodge　their　spy　ships　all　the　time。　You　know。　sir。　even　Churchill　thought　a　sharing　of　information　might　be　a　good　thing。'
　'Thai。　Chief　of　Staff；　was　before　the　First　World　War。　It　was　also　a　sharing　with　the　Germans。　Russians　are　different　creatures。　I've　made　no　secret　of　the　fact　that　I　don't　approve　of　it。'
　〃Quite；　sir。〃
　'I've　been　very　outspoken　with　the　Joint　Intelligence　mittee；　though　a　fat　lot　of　good　it　did　me。　All　friends　together；　now　…　so　they　say。　One　idiot　even　quoted　Kipling　at　me：　Sisters　under　their　skim　and　that　kind　of　stuff。　No。　we　have　to　do　something　positive。'
　Tanner　had　walked　to　the　window；　and　stood　looking　out　at　the　rain　beating　down　on　Regent's　Park。　'Bodyguards；　sir？　Well…briefed　bodyguards'；''
　M　made　a　grumbling　noise。　Then　…　'We　know　what　these　people're　after；　Tanner；　but　we　don't　want　to　tell　ihe　world；　if　only　because　we　don't　know　the　reason　why。　Bodyguards　would　mean　widening　the　circle　of　knowledge；　and　as　you　very　well　know　that's　the　first　rule　in　our　business…　keep　the　circle　small。'
　He　stopped　suddenly；　as　though　struck　by　a　new　thought；　then　said；　'No！'　loudly；　and　not　to　anyone　in　particular。
　The　rain　continued　to　fall　on　the　grass；　trees　and　umbrellas　below。　In　his　head　Tanner　had　started　to　try　and　recite　a　piece　of　doggerel　somebody　had　told　him。　It　was　a　mon　theme　about　security　and　rumour　dating　back　to　the　Second　World　War　and　it　always　made　him　smile　…
　'Actual　evidence　I　have　none。　But　my　aunt's　charwoman　sister's　son；　Heard　a　policeman　on　his　beat。　Say　to　a　nursemaid　in　Downing　Street。　That　he　had　a　cousin；　who　had　a　friend；　Who　knows　when　the　war　is　going　to　end。'
　It　was　not　until　he　reached　the　last　line；　that　Bill　Tanner　　realised　he　had　quoted　the　lines　aloud；
　'Thai's　it！'　M　almost　bellowed。
　'What；　sir？'
　'Nursemaid。　Chief　of　Staff。　We'll　give　them　a　nursemaid。　A　good　Naval　man。　Sound　as　a　bell。　A　man　willing　to　put　his　life　before　the　lives　of　his　charges。'　M's　hand　reached　for　the　internal　telephone　which　put　him　directly　in　touch　with　his　devoted；　though　long…suffering　private　secretary。　'Moneypenny；'　he　all　but　shouted　loud　enough　for　her　to　hear　on　the　other　side　of　the　padded　door。　〃Get　Double…O　Seven　up　here　fast。'
　Within　ten　minutes。　James　Bond　was　sitting　in　M's　holy　of　holies　with　his　old　Chief　giving　him　what　he　thought　of　as　the　'fish　eye'；　and　Bill　Tanner　looking　a　little　uneasy。
　〃It's　a　job。'　M　announced。　〃An　operation　that　calls　for　more　than　the　usual　discretion；　and　certainly　one　that'll　require　you　to　alter　your　circumstances　a　greai　deal。'
　'I've　worked　undercover　before；　sir。'　Bond　leaned　back　in　the　armchair　in　which　M　had　invited　him　to　sit。　It　was　a　chair　Bond　knew　well。　If　you　were　asked　to　sit　in　this；　the　most　fortable　chair　in　M's　office；　the　news　could　only　be　bad。
　'Undercovc。r's　one　thing；　007。　but　how　would　you　feel　about　going　back　into　the　Royal　Navy？'
　'With　respect；　sir；　I've　never　left　the　RNVR。'
　M　growled　again；　and　James　Bond　thought　he　saw　a　gleam　of　unusual　malice　in　the　old　Chief's　eyes。　'Really？'　M　raised　his　eyes　towards　the　ceiling。　'How　long　is　it　since　you　stood　a　Duty　Watch；　007？　Or　had　to　deal　with　defaulters；　live　day　and　night　wilh　（he　routine　and　discipline　within　a　capital　ship；　or　even　felt　a　quarterdeck　rise　and　fall　sixty　feel　in　a　gale？'
　'Well；　sir　。　。　。'
　〃The　job。　007。　will　require　you　to　go　back　to　active　duty。　In　turn　that'll　mean　you'll　have　to　go　on　a　course；　several　courses　in　fact；　to　bring　you　up　to　date　with　life　and　warfare　in　our　present…day　Roya'l　Navy。'
　The　thought　struck　home。　Bond's　life　in　the　Service　had；　many　times；　caused　him　to　work　at　full…streteh；　but　on　the　whole　there　were　long　periods　of　relaxation。　To　go　back　to　active　service　in　the　Royal　Navy　would　be　a　return　to　the　old　disciplines；　and　a　re…honing　of　skills　almost　forgotten。　A　series　of　pictures　flickered　through　his　head。　They　were　rather　what　he　had　always　imagined　a　dying　man　saw：　his　life　many　years　ago；　in　the　Royal　Navy　Volunteer　Reserve　on　active　service。　The　images　in　his　brain　did　not　attract　him　as　much　as　they　had　done　when　he　was　a　young　midshipman。　'Why？'　he　asked　lamely。　Ч　mean　why　should　I　go　back　to　active　service；　sir？'
　M　smiled　and　nodded。'〃Because。　007；　in　the　late　winter　of　next　year；　the　Royal　Navy；　together　with　elite　troops；　air　forces；　and　the　navies　of　all　the　NATO　powers；　including　the　United　States　Navy；　will　be　carrying　out　an　exercise：　Landsea　'89。　There　will　be　observers：　Admiral　of　the　Fleet；　Sir　Geoffrey　Could；　Admiral　Gudeon。　United　States　Navy；　and　Admiral　Sergei　Yevgennevich　Pauker；　mander…m…Chief　of　the　Soviet　Navy　…　a　post　unknown　in　any　other　navy　in　the　world。'　M　took　a　deep　breath。　'The　latter　has　been　invited　because　of　the　current　thawing　in　relationships　between　East　and　West。　Glasnost。peres…troika；　that　kind　of　thing。'
　'They　will　be　。　。　。？'　Bond　began。
　They　will　be　in　Invincible。　They　will　have　with　them；　like　Gilbert　and　Sullivan's　Sir　Joseph　Porter；　all　their　sisters　and　their　cousins　and　their　aunts。　They　will　also　be　in　danger。　Almost　certainly　attempted　abduction。　At　worst；　murder。　You　will　be　there；　in　Invincible；　to　see　it　does　not　happen。'
　〃Can　you　explain　about　the　danger；　sir？'　The　trigger　of　magnelie　interest　had　been　squeezed　deep　in　Bond's　mind。
　M　smiled　like　a　man　who　has　just　hooked　the　biggest　fish　in　the　river。　'Certainly；　James。　Bill　and　I　will　a　tale　unfold。　It　begins　with　that　little　problem　in　the　Straits　of　Hormuz　…　the　Japanese　tanker。　Son　of　Hitachi；　or　whatever　it's　called　。　。　。'
　The　Chief　of　Staff　corrected　the　tanker's　name；　and　for　his　pains　received　a　venomous　glare　from　M；　who　barked；　'You　want　to　tell　it。　Tanner？'
　'No；　sir；　you　carry　on；　sir。'
　'Good　of　you。　Tanner。　Thank　you。'　M's　mood　was　not　only　bellicose　this　morning；　but　sarcastic。　He　fixed　Bond　with　the　same；　cold　fish…eye　look。　'Ever　heard　of　BAST9'
　'Anagram　for　stab；　sir？'
　'No。　007。　1　mean　BAST。　B…A…S…T。　and　this　is　no　laughing　matter。'
　The　smile　on　Bond's　face　disappeared　quickly。　M　was　being　too　serious　and　prickly　for　jokes。　'No；　sir。　BAST　is　news　to　me。　What　is　it？'
　With　a　wave　of　his　hand　and　a　vocal　sound　meant　to　signify　deep　displeasure。　M　motioned　to　his　Chief　of　Staff　to　explain。
　'James；'　Tanner　came　over　and　leaned　against　the　desk；　'this　really　is　a　very　serious　and　alarming　business。　BAST　is　a　group；　an　organisation。　The　name　hasn't　been　circulated　as　yet；　simply　because　we　didn't　have　many　leads　or　details　at　first。　The　name's　pretty　puerile；　that's　why　nobody　took　it　very　seriously　to　begin　with。　But　BAST　appears　to　be　an　acronym　for　Brotherhood　of　Anarchy　and　Secret　Terror。〃
　'Sounds　like　a　poor　man's　SPECTRE　to　me。'　Bond's　brow　wrinkled　and　there　was　concern　in　his　eyes。
　'At　first　we　thought　it　might　be　a　splinter　group　of　the　old　SPECTRE；　but　it　appears　this　is　something　new；　and　oddly　unpleasant。'　Tanner　continued。　'You　recall　the　small　bomb　incidents　in　October　of　'87？　All　on　one　day；　all　co…ordinated？　There　were　fire　bombs　in　a　couple　of　London　stores　。　。　。'
　'The　ones　put　down　to　animal　rights　activists？'
　Tanner　nodded；　'But　the　others　were　not　so　easily　explained。　One　small　plastique　near　the　Vatican；　another　one　which　destroyed　an　American　military　transport　…　on　the　ground　at　Edwards　Airforce　Base：　no　casualties；　one　in　Madrid；　another；　a　car　bomb；　premature；　shattering　the　French　Minister　of　Defence's　car；　and　a　large　one　in　Moscow：　near　the　Kremlin　Gate　and　not　generally　reported。'
　'Yes。　I　saw　the　file。'
　'Then　you　know　the　file　said　it　was　co…ordinated；　but　nobody
　had　taken　responsibili