if.moonraker-第13部分

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down　the　steep　hill　into　the　sea？
　All　the　signs　pointed　to　paranoia。　Delusions　of　grandeur　and；　behind　that；　of　persecution。　The　contempt　in　his　face。　The　bullying　voice。　The　expression　of　secret　triumph　with　which　he　had　met　defeat　after　a　moment　of　bitter　collapse。　。　The　triumph　of　the　maniac　who　knows　that　whatever　the　facts　may　say　he　is　right。　Whoever　may　try　to　thwart　him　he　can　overe。　For　him　there　is　no　defeat　because　of　his　secret　power。　He　knows　how　to　make　gold。　He　can　fly　like　a　bird。　He　is　almighty…the　man　in　the　padded　cell　who　is　God。　Yes；　thought　Bond；　gazing　blindly　out　over　Regent's　Park。　That　is　the　solution。　Sir　Hugo　Drax　is　a　raving　paranoiac。　That　is　the　power　which　has　driven　him　on；　by　devious　routes；　to　make　his　millions。　That　is　the　mainspring　of　the　gift　to　England　of　this　giant　rocket　that　will　annihilate　our　enemies。　Thanks　to　the　all…powerful　Drax。
　But　who　can　tell　how　near　to　breaking…point　this　man　is？　Who　has　penetrated　behind　that　bluster；　behind　all　that　red　hair　on　his　face；　who　has　read　the　signs　as　more　than　the　effect　of　his　humble　origins　or　of　sensitivity　about　his　war　wounds？
　Apparently　no　one。　Then　was　he；　Bond；　right　in　his　analysis？　What　was　it　based　on？　Was　this　glimpse　through　a　shuttered　window　into　a　man's　soul　sufficient　evidence？　Perhaps　others　had　caught　such　a　glimpse。　Perhaps　there　had　been　other　moments　of　supreme　tension　in　Singapore；　Hong　Kong；　Nigeria；　Tangier；　when　some　merchant　sitting　across　a　table　from　Drax　had　noticed　the　sweat　and　the　bitten　nails　and　the　red　blaze　of　the　eyes　in　the　face　from　which　all　the　blood　had　suddenly　been　drained。
　If　one　had　time；　thought　Bond；　one　ought　to　seek　those　people　out；　if　they　existed；　and　really　find　out　about　this　man；　perhaps　get　him　in　the　killing…bottle　before　it　was　too　late。
　Too　late？　Bond　smiled　to　himself。　What　was　he　being　so　dramatic　about？　What　had　this　man　done　to　him？　Made　him　a　present　of　￡15；000。　Bond　shrugged。　It　was　none　of　his　business　anyway。　But　that　last　remark　of　his；　'Spend　it　quickly；　mander　Bond。'　What　had　he　meant　by　that？　It　must　be　those　words；　Bond　reflected；　that　had　stayed　in　the　back　of　his　mind　and　made　him　ponder　so　carefully　over　the　problem　of　Drax。
　Bond　turned　brusquely　away　from　the　window。　To　hell　with　it；　he　thought。　I'm　getting　obsessed　myself。　Now　then。　Fifteen　thousand　pounds。　A　miraculous　windfall。　All　right　then；　he　would　spend　it　quickly。　He　sat　down　at　his　desk　and　picked　up　a　pencil。　He　thought　for　a　moment　and　then　wrote　carefully　on　a　memorandum　pad　headed　'Top　Secret'：
　（1）　Rolls…Bentley　Convertible；　say　￡5000。
　（2）　Three　diamond　clips　at　￡250　each；　￡750。
　He　paused。　That　still　left　nearly　￡10；000。　Some　clothes；　paint　the　flat；　a　set　of　the　new　Henry　Cotton　irons；　a　few　dozen　of　the　Taittinger　champagne。　But　those　could　wait。　He　would　go　that　afternoon　and　buy　the　clips　and　talk　to　Bentleys。　Put　all　the　rest　into　gold　shares。　Make　a　fortune。　Retire。
　In　angry　protest　the　red　telephone　splintered　the　silence　〃Can　you　e　up？　M。　wants　you。〃　It　was　the　Chief　of　Staff；　speaking　urgently。
　〃ing；〃　said　Bond；　suddenly　alert。　〃Any　clue？〃
　〃Search　me；〃　said　the　Chief　of　Staff。　〃Hasn't　touched　his　signals　yet。　Been　over　at　the　Yard　and　the　Ministry　of　Supply　all　the　morning。〃
　He　rang　off。
　
　CHAPTER　IX
　
　TAKE　IT　FROM　HERE
　
　A　FEW　minutes　later　Bond　was　walking　through　the　familiar　door　and　the　green　light　had　gone　on　over　the　entrance。　M。　looked　sharply　at　him。　〃You　look　pretty　dreadful；　007；〃　he　said。　〃Sit　down。〃
　It's　business；　thought　Bond；　his　pulse　quickening。　No　Christian　names　today。　He　sat　down。　M。　was　studying　some　pencilled　notes　on　a　scratch…pad。　He　looked　up。　His　eyes　were　no　longer　interested　in　Bond。
　〃Trouble　down　at　Drax's　plant　last　night；〃　he　said。　〃Double　killing。　Police　tried　to　get　hold　of　Drax。　Didn't　think　of　Blades　apparently。　Caught　up　with　him　when　he　got　back　to　the　Ritz　about　half…past　one　this　morning。　Two　men　from　the　Moonraker　got　shot　in　a　public　house　near　the　plant。　Both　dead。　Drax　told　the　police　he　couldn't　care　less　and　then　hung　up。　Typical　of　the　man。　He's　down　there　now。　Taking　the　thing　a　bit　more　seriously；　I　gather。〃
　〃Curious　coincidence；〃　said　Bond　thoughtfully。　〃But　where　do　we　e　in；　sir？　Isn't　it　a　police　job？〃
　〃Partly；〃　said　M。；　〃but　it　happens　that　we're　responsible　for　a　lot　of　the　key　personnel　down　there。　Germans；〃　he　added。　〃I'd　better　explain。〃　He　looked　down　at　his　pad。　〃It's　an　RAF　establishment　and　the　cover…plan　is　that　it's　part　of　the　big　radar　network　along　the　East　Coast。　The　RAF　are　responsible　for　guarding　the　perimeter　and　the　Ministry　of　Supply　only　has　authority　at　the　centre　where　the　work　is　going　on。　It's　on　the　edge　of　the　cliffs　between　Dover　and　Deal。　The　whole　area　covers　about　a　thousand　acres；　but　the　site　itself　is　about　two　hundred。　On　the　site　there　are　only　Drax　and　fifty…two　others　left。　All　the　construction　team　have　gone。〃
　Pack　of　cards　and　a　joker；　reflected　Bond。　〃Fifty　of　these　are　Germans；〃　continued　M。　〃More　or　less　all　the　guided　missile　experts　the　Russians　didn't　get。　Drax　paid　for　them　to　e　over　here　and　work　on　the　Moonraker。　Nobody　was　very　happy　with　the　arrangement　but　there　was　no　alternative。　The　Ministry　of　Supply　couldn't　spare　any　of　their　experts　from　Woomera。　Drax　had　to　find　his　men　where　he　could。　To　strengthen　the　RAF　security　people；　the　Ministry　of　Supply　appointed　their　own　security　officer　to　live　on　the　site。　Man　called　Major　Tallon。〃
　M。　paused　and　looked　up　at　the　ceiling。
　〃He　was　one　of　the　two　who　got　killed　last　night。　Shot　by　one　of　the　Germans；　who　then　shot　himself。〃
　M。　lowered　his　eyes　and　looked　at　Bond。　Bond　said　nothing；　waiting　for　the　rest　of　the　story。
　〃It　happened　in　a　public　house　near　the　site。　Plenty　of　witnesses。　Apparently　it's　an　inn　on　the　edge　of　the　site　that　is　in　bounds　to　the　men。　Must　have　somewhere　to　go　to；　I　suppose。〃　M。　paused。　He　kept　his　eyes　on　Bond。　〃Now　you　asked　where　we　e　in　on　all　this。　We　e　in　because　we　cleared　this　particular　German；　and　all　the　others；　before　they　were　allowed　to　e　over　here。　We've　got　the　dossiers　of　all　of　them。　So　when　this　happened　the　first　thing　RAF　Security　and　Scotland　Yard　wanted　was　the　dossier　of　the　dead　man。　They　got　on　to　the　Duty　Officer　last　night　and　he　dug　the　papers　out　of　Records　and　sent　them　over　to　the　Yard。　Routine　job。　He　noted　it　in　the　log。　When　I　got　here　this　morning　and　saw　the　entry　in　the　log　I　suddenly　got　interested。〃　M。　spoke　quietly。　〃After　spending　the　evening　with　Drax；　it　was；　as　you　remarked；　a　curious　coincidence。〃
　〃Very　curious；　sir；〃　said　Bond；　still　waiting。
　〃And　there's　one　more　thing；〃　concluded　M。　〃And　this　is　the　real　reason　why　I've　let　myself　get　involved　instead　of　keeping　clear　of　the　whole　business。　This　has　got　to　take　priority　over　everything。〃　M。's　voice　was　very　quiet。　〃They're　going　to　fire　the　Moonraker　on　Friday。　Less　than　four　days'　time。　Practice　shoot。〃
　M。　paused　and　reached　for　his　pipe　and　busied　himself　lighting　it。
　Bond　said　nothing。　He　still　couldn't　see　what　all　this　had　to　do　with　the　Secret　Service　whose　jurisdiction　runs　only　outside　the　United　Kingdom。　It　seemed　a　job　for　the　Special　Branch　of　Scotland　Yard；　or　conceivably　for　MI5。　He　waited。　He　looked　at　his　watch。　It　was　noon。
　M。　got　his　pipe　going　and　continued。
　〃But　quite　apart　from　that；〃　said　M。；　〃I　got　interested　because　last　night　I　got　interested　in　Drax。〃
　〃So　did　I；　sir；〃　said　Bond。
　〃So　when　I　read　the　log；〃　said　M。；　ignoring　Bond's　ment；　〃I　telephoned　Vallance　at　the　Yard　and　asked　him　what　it　was　all　about。　He　was　rather　worried　and　asked　me　to　e　over。　I　said　I　didn't　want　to　tread　on　Five's　corns　but　he　said　he　had　already　spoken　to　them。　They　maintained　it　was　a　matter　between　my　department　and　the　police　since　it　was　we　who　had　cleared　the　German　who　did　the　killing。　So　I　went　along。〃
　M。　paused　and　looked　down　at　his　notes。
　〃The　place　is　on　the　coast　about　three　miles　north　of　Dover；〃　he　said。　〃There's　this　inn　nearby　on　the　main　coast　road；　the　'World　without　Want'；　and　the　men　from　the　site　go　there　in　the　evening。　Last　night；　about　seven…thirty；　the　Security　man　from　the　Ministry；　this　man　Tallon；　went　along　there　and　was　having　a　whisky　and　soda　and　chatting　away　with　some　of　the　Germans　when　the　murderer；　if　you　like　to　call　him　that；　came　in　and　walked　straight　up　to　Tallon。　He　pulled　out　a　Luger…no　serial　numbers　by　the　way…out　of　his　shirt　and　said；〃　M。　looked　up；　'〃I　love　Gala　Brand。　You　shall　not　have　her。'　Then　he　shot　Tallon　through　the　heart　and　put　the　smoking　gun　in　his　own　mouth　and　pulled　the　trigger。〃
　〃What　a　ghastly　business；〃　said　Bond。　He　could　see　every　detail　of　the　shambles　in　the　crowded　taproom　of　a　typical　English　public　house。　〃Who's　the　girl？〃
　〃That's　another　plication；〃　said　M。　〃She's　an　agent　of　the　Special　Branch。　Bilingual　in　German。　One　of　Val…lance's　best　girls。　She　and　Tallon　were　the　only　two　non…Germans　Drax　had　with　him　on　the　site。　Vallance　is　a　suspicious　chap。　Has　to　be。　This　Moonraker　plan　is　obviously　the　most　important　thing　happening　in　England。　Without　telling　anyone　and　acting　more　or　less　on　instinct；　he　planted　this　Brand　girl　on　Drax　and　somehow　fixed　for　her　to　be　taken　on　as　his　private　secretary。　Been　on　the　site　since　the　beginning。　She's　had　absolutely　nothing　to　report。　Says　that　Drax　is　an　excellent　chief；　except　for　his　manners；　and　drives　his　men　like　hell。　Apparently　he　started　by　making　passes　at　her；　even　after　she'd　spun　the　usual　yarn　about　being　engaged；　but　after　she'd　shown　she　could　defend　herself；　which　of　course　she　can；　he　gave　up　and　she　says　they're　perfectly　good　friends。　Naturally　she　knew　Tallon；　but　he　was　old　enough　to　be　her　father；　besides　being　happily　married　with　four　children；　and　she　told　Vallance's　man　who　got　a　word　with　her　this　morning　that　he's　taken　her　to　the　cinema　in　a　paternal　sort　of　way　twice　in　eighteen　months。　As　for　the　killer；　man　called　Egon　Bartsch；　he　was　an　electronics　expert　whom　she　barely　knew　by　sight。〃
　〃What　do　his　friends　say　about　all　this？〃　asked　Bond。
　〃The　man　who　shared　his　room　with　him　backs　up　Bartsch。　Says　he　was　madly　in　love　with　the　Brand　woman　and　put　his　whole