if.moonraker-第14部分

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　〃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　lack　of　success　down　to　'The　Englishman'。　He　says　Bartsch　had　been　getting　very　moody　and　reserved　lately　and　that　he　wasn't　a　bit　surprised　to　hear　of　the　shooting。〃
　〃Sounds　pretty　corroborative；〃　said　Bond。　〃Somehow　one　can　see　the　picture。　One　of　those　highly　strung　nervous　chaps　with　the　usual　German　chip　on　the　shoulder。　What　does　Val…lance　think？〃
　〃He's　not　sure；〃　said　M。　〃He's　mainly　concerned　with　protecting　his　girl　from　the　Press　and　seeing　that　her　cover　doesn't　get　blown。　All　the　papers　are　on　to　it；　of　course。　It'll　be　in　the　midday　editions。　And　they're　all　howling　for　a　picture　of　the　girl。　Vallance　is　having　one　cooked　up　and　got　down　to　her　that'll　look　more　or　less　like　any　girl；　but　just　sufficiently　like　her。　She'll　send　it　out　this　evening。　Fortunately　the　reporters　can't　get　near　the　place。　She's　refusing　to　talk　and　Vallance　is　praying　that　some　friend　or　relation　won't　blow　the　gaff。　They're　holding　the　inquest　today　and　Vallance　is　hoping　that　the　case　will　be　officially　closed　by　this　evening　and　that　the　papers　will　have　to　let　it　die　for　lack　of　material。〃
　〃What　about　this　practice　shoot？'　asked　Bond。
　〃They're　sticking　to　the　schedule；〃　said　M。　〃Noon　on　Friday。　They're　using　a　dummy　warhead　and　firing　her　vertically　with　only　three…quarter　tanks。　They're　clearing　about　a　hundred　square　miles　of　the　North　Sea　from　about　Latitude　52　up。　That's　north　of　a　line　joining　The　Hague　and　the　Wash。　Full　details　are　going　to　be　given　out　by　the　PM　on　Thursday　night。〃
　M。　stopped　talking。　He　swivelled　his　chair　round　so　that　he　could　look　out　of　the　window。　Bond　heard　a　distant　clock　chime　the　four　quarters。　One　o'clock。　Was　he　going　to　miss　his　lunch　again？　If　M。　would　stop　ferreting　about　in　the　business　of　other　Departments　he　could　have　a　quick　lunch　and　get　round　to　Bentley's。　Bond　shifted　slightly　in　his　chair。
　M。　turned　back　and　faced　him　again　across　the　desk。
　〃The　people　who　are　most　worried　about　all　this；〃　he　said；　〃are　the　Ministry　of　Supply。　Tallon　was　one　of　their　best　men。　His　reports　had　been　pletely　negative　all　along。　Then　he　suddenly　rang　up　the　Assistant　Under…Secretary　yesterday　afternoon　and　said　he　thought　something　fishy　was　going　on　at　the　site　and　he　asked　to　see　the　Minister　personally　at　ten　o'clock　this　morning。　Wouldn't　say　anything　more　on　the　telephone。　And　a　few　hours　later　he　gets　shot。　Another　funny　coincidence；　wasn't　it？〃
　〃Very　funny；〃　said　Bond。　〃But　why　don't　they　close　down　the　site　and　have　a　wholesale　inquiry？　After　all；　this　thing's　too　big　to　take　a　chance　on。〃
　〃The　cabinet　met　early　this　morning；〃　said　M。；　〃and　the　Prime　Minister　asked　the　obvious　question。　What　evidence　was　there　of　any　attempt；　or　even　of　any　intention；　to　sabotage　the　Moonraker？　The　answer　was　none。　There　were　only　fears　which　had　been　brought　to　the　surface　in　the　last　twenty…four　hours　by　Tallon's　vague　message　and　the　double　murder。　Everyone　agreed　that　unless　there　was　a　grain　of　evidence；　which　so　far　hasn't　turned　up；　both　these　incidents　could　be　put　down　to　the　terrific　nervous　tension　on　the　site。　The　way　things　are　in　the　world　at　the　moment　it　was　decided　that　the　sooner　the　Moonraker　could　give　us　an　independent　say　in　world　affairs　the　better　for　us　and；〃　M。　shrugged　his　shoulders；　〃quite　possibly　for　the　world。　And　it　was　agreed　that　for　a　thousand　reasons　why　the　Moonraker　should　be　fired　the　reasons　against　didn't　stand　up。　The　Minister　of　Supply　had　to　agree；　but　he　knows　as　well　as　you　or　I　that；　whatever　the　facts；　it　would　be　a　colossal　victory　for　the　Russians　to　sabotage　the　Moonraker　on　the　eve　of　her　practice　shoot。　If　they　did　it　well　enough　they　might　easily　get　the　whole　project　shelved。　There　are　fifty　Germans　working　on　the　thing。　Any　one　of　them　could　have　relatives　still　being　held　in　Russia　whose　lives　could　be　used　as　a　lever。〃　M。　paused。　He　looked　up　at　the　ceiling。　Then　his　eyes　came　down　and　rested　thoughtfully　on　Bond。
　〃The　Minister　asked　me　to　go　and　see　him　after　the　Cabinet。　He　said　that　the　least　he　could　do　was　replace　Tallon　at　once。　The　new　man　must　be　bilingual　in　German；　a　sabotage　expert；　and　have　had　plenty　of　experience　of　our
　Russian　friends。　MI5　have　put　up　three　candidates。　They're　all　on　cases　at　the　moment；　but　they　could　be　extricated　in　a　few　hours。　But　then　the　Minister　asked　my　opinion。　I　gave　it。　He　talked　to　the　Prime　Minister　and　a　lot　of　red　tape　got　cut　very　quickly。〃
　Bond　looked　sharply；　resentfully；　into　the　grey；　unpromising　eyes。
　〃So；〃　said　M。　flatly；　〃Sir　Hugo　Drax　has　been　notified　of　your　appointment　and　he　expects　you　down　at　his　headquarters　in　time　for　dinner　this　evening。〃
　
　CHAPTER　X　
　
　SPECIAL　BRANCH　AGENT
　
　AT　six　o'clock　that　Tuesday　evening　towards　the　end　of　May；　James　Bond　was　thrashing　the　big　Bentley　down　the　Dover　road　along　the　straight　stretch　that　runs　into　Maidstone。
　Although　he　was　driving　fast　and　with　concentration；　part　of　his　mind　was　going　back　over　his　movements　since　he　had　left　M。's　office　four　and　a　half　hours　earlier。
　After　giving　a　brief　outline　of　the　case　to　his　secretary　and　eating　a　quick　lunch　at　a　table　to　himself　in　the　canteen；　he　had　told　the　garage　for　God's　sake　to　hurry　up　with　his　car　and　deliver　it；　filled　up；　to　his　flat　not　later　than　four　o'clock。　Then　he　had　taken　a　taxi　down　to　Scotland　Yard　where　he　had　an　appointment　with　Assistant　missioner　Vallance　at　a　quarter　to　three。
　The　courtyards　and　cul…de…sacs　of　the　Yard　had　reminded　him　as　usual　of　a　prison　without　roofs。　The　overhead　strip　lighting　in　the　cold　corridor　took　the　colour　out　of　the　cheeks　of　the　police　sergeant　who　asked　his　business　and　watched　him　sign　the　apple…green　chit。　It　did　the　same　for　the　face　of　the　constable　who　led　him　up　the　short　steps　and　along　the　bleak　passage　between　the　rows　of　anonymous　doors　to　the　waiting…room。
　A　quiet；　middle…aged　woman　with　the　resigned　eyes　of　someone　who　had　seen　everything　came　in　and　said　the　Assistant　missioner　would　be　free　in　five　minutes。　Bond　had　gone　to　the　window　and　had　looked　out　into　the　grey　courtyard　below。　A　constable；　looking　naked　without　his　helmet；　had　e　out　of　a　building　and　walked　across　the　yard　munching　a　split　roll　with　something　pink　between　the　two　halves。　It　had　been　very　quiet　and　the　noise　of　the　traffic　on　Whitehall　and　on　the　Embankment　had　sounded　far　away。　Bond　had　felt　dispirited。　He　was　getting　tangled　up　with　strange　departments。　He　would　be　out　of　touch　with　his　own　people　and　his　own　Service　routines。　Already；　in　this　waiting…room；　he　felt　out　of　his　element。　Only　criminals　or　informers　came　and　waited　here；　or　influential　people　vainly　trying　to　get　out　of　a　dangerous　driving　charge　or　desperately　hoping　to　persuade　Vallance　that　their　sons　were　not　really　homosexuals。　You　could　not　be　in　the　waiting…room　of　the　Special　Branch　for　any　innocent　purpose。　You　were　either　prosecuting　or　defending。
　At　last　the　woman　came　for　him。　He　stubbed　out　his　cigarette　in　the　top　of　the　Player's　cigarette　tin　that　serves　as　an　ashtray　in　the　waiting…rooms　of　government　departments；　and　followed　her　across　the　corridor。
　After　the　gloom　of　the　waiting…room　the　unseasonable　fire　in　the　hearth　of　the　large　cheerful　room　had　seemed　like　a　trick；　like　the　cigarette　offered　you　by　the　Gestapo。
　It　had　taken　Bond　a　full　five　minutes　to　shake　off　his　depression　and　realize　that　Ronnie　Vallance　was　relieved　to　see　him；　that　he　was　not　interested　in　inter…departmental　jealousies　and　that　he　was　only　looking　to　Bond　to　protect　the　Moonraker　and　get　one　of　his　best　officers　out　of　what　might　be　a　bad　mess。
　Vallance　was　a　man　of　great　tact。　For　the　first　few　minutes　he　had　spoken　only　of　M。　And　he　had　spoken　with　inside　knowledge　and　with　sincerity。　Without　even　mentioning　the　case　he　had　gained　Bond's　friendship　and　co…operation。
　As　Bond　swung　the　Bentley　through　the　crowded　streets　of　Maidstone　he　reflected　that　Vallance's　gift　had　e　from　twenty　years　of　avoiding　the　corns　of　MI5；　of　working　in　with　the　uniformed　branch　of　the　police；　and　of　handling　ignorant　politicians　and　affronted　foreign　diplomats。
　When　Bond　had　left　him　after　a　quarter　of　an　hour's　hard　talking；　each　man　knew　that　he　had　acquired　an　ally。　Vallance　had　seized　up　Bond　and　knew　that　Gala　Brand　would　get　all　Bond's　help　and　whatever　protection　she　needed。　He　also　respected　Bond's　professional　approach　to　the　assignment　and　his　absence　of　departmental　rivalry　with　the　Special　Branch。　As　for　Bond；　he　was　full　of　admiration　for　what　he　had　learned　about　Vallance's　agent；　and　he　felt　that　he　was　no　longer　naked　and　that　he　had　Vallance　and　the　whole　of　Vallance's　department　behind　him。
　Bond　had　left　Scotland　Yard　with　the　feeling　that　he　had　achieved　Clausewitz's　first　principle。　He　had　made　his　base　secure。
　His　visit　to　the　Ministry　of　Supply　had　added　nothing　to　his　knowledge　of　the　case。　He　had　studied　Tallon's　record　and　his　reports。　The　former　was　quite　straightforward…a　lifetime　in　Army　Intelligence　and　Field　Security…and　the　latter　painted　a　picture　of　a　very　lively　and　well…managed　technical　establishment…one　or　two　cases　of　drunkenness；　one　of　petty　theft；　several　personal　vendettas　leading　to　fights　and　mild　bloodshed　but　otherwise　a　loyal　and　hardworking　team　of　men。
　Then　he　had　had　an　inadequate　half…hour　in　the　Operations　Room　of　the　Ministry　with　Professor　Train；　a　fat；　scruffy；　undistinguished…looking　man　who　had　been　runner…up　for　the　Physics　Division　of　the　Nobel　Prize　the　year　before　and　who　was　one　of　the　greatest　experts　on　guided　missiles　in　the　world。
　Professor　Train　had　walked　up　to　a　row　of　huge　wall　maps　and　had　pulled　down　the　cord　of　one　of　them。　Bond　was　faced　with　a　ten…foot　horizontal　scale　diagram　of　some　thing　that　looked　like　a　V2　with　big　fins。
　〃Now；〃　said　Professor　Train；　〃you　know　nothing　about　…　rockets　so　I'm　going　to　put　this　in　simple　terms　and　not　fill　you　up　with　a　lot　of　stuff　about　Nozzle　Expansion　Ratios；　Exhaust　Velocity；　and　the　Keplerian　Ellipse。　The　Moon…raker；　as　Drax　chooses　to　call　it；　is　a　s