if.moonraker-第2部分

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e　o　number；　sat　at　his　fortable　desk　doing　paper…work　and　flirting　with　their　secretary。
　He　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　resolutely　opened　the　top　folder。　Inside　there　was　a　detailed　map　of　southern　Poland　and　north…eastern　Germany。　Its　feature　was　a　straggling　red　line　connecting　Warsaw　and　Berlin。　There　was　also　a　long　typewritten　memorandum　headed　Mainline：　A　well…established　Escape　Route　from　East　to　West。
　Bond　took　out　his；　black　gunmetal　cigarette…box　and　his　black…oxidized　Ronson　lighter　and　put　them　on　the　desk　beside　him。　He　lit　a　cigarette；　one　of　the　Macedonian　blend　with　the　three　gold　rings　round　the　butt　that　Morlands　of　Grosvenor　Street　made　for　him；　then　he　settled　himself　forward　in　the　padded　swivel　chair　and　began　to　read。
　It　was　the　beginning　of　a　typical　routine　day　for　Bond。　It　was　only　two　or　three　times　a　year　that　an　assignment　came　along　requiring　his　particular　abilities。　For　the　rest　of　the　year　he　had　the　duties　of　an　easy…going　senior　civil　servant…elastic　office　hours　from　around　ten　to　six；　lunch；　generally　in　the　canteen；　evenings　spent　playing　cards　in　the　pany　of　a　few　close　friends；　or　at　Crockford's；　or　making　love；　with　rather　cold　passion；　to　one　of　three　similarly　disposed　married　women；　week…ends　playing　golf　for　high　stakes　at　one　of　the　clubs　near　London。
　He　took　no　holidays；　but　was　generally　given　a　fortnight's　leave　at　the　end　of　each　assignment…in　addition　to　any　sick…leave　that　might　be　necessary。　He　earned　￡1500　a　year；　the　salary　of　a　Principal　Officer　in　the　Civil　Service；　and　he　had　a　thousand　a　year　free　of　tax　of　his　own。　When　he　was　on　a　job　he　could　spend　as　much　as　he　liked；　so　for　the　other　months　of　the　year　he　could　live　very　well　on　his　￡2000　a　year　net。
　He　had　a　small　but　fortable　flat　off　the　Kings　Road；　an　elderly　Scottish　housekeeper…a　treasure　called　May…and　a　1930　4　1/2…litre　Bentley　coupé；　supercharged；　which　he　kept　expertly　tuned　so　that　he　could　do　a　hundred　when　he　wanted　to。
　On　these　things　he　spent　all　his　money　and　it　was　his　ambition　to　have　as　little　as　possible　in　his　banking　account　when　he　was　killed；　as；　when　he　was　depressed；　he　knew　he　would　be；　before　the　statutory　age　of　forty…five。
　Eight　years　to　go　before　he　was　automatically　taken　off　the　00　list　and　given　a　staff　job　at　Headquarters。　At　least　eight　tough　assignments。　Probably　sixteen。　Perhaps　twenty…four。　Too　many。
　There　were　five　cigarette…ends　in　the　big　glass　ashtray　by　the　time　Bond　had　finished　memorizing　the　details　of　'Mainline'。　He　picked　up　a　red　pencil　and　ran　his　eye　down　the　distribution　list　on　the　cover。　The　list　started　with　'M。'；　then　'CoS。'；　then　a　dozen　or　so　letters　and　numbers　and　then；　at　the　end　'oo'。　Against　this　he　put　a　neat　tick；　signed　it　with　the　figure　7；　and　tossed　the　file　into　his　OUT　tray。
　It　was　twelve　o'clock。　Bond　took　the　next　folder　off　the　pile　and　opened　it。　It　was　from　the　Radio　Intelligence　Division　of　NATO；　'For　Information　Only'　and　it　was　headed　'Radio　Signatures'。
　Bond　pulled　the　rest　of　the　pile　towards　him　and　glanced　at　the　first　page　of　each。　These　were　their　titles：
　The　Inspectoscope…a　machine　for　the　detection　of　contraband。
　Philopon…A　Japanese　murder…drug。
　Possible　points　of　concealment　on　trains。　No。　II。　Germany。
　The　methods　of　Smersh。　No。　6。　Kidnapping。
　Route　five　to　Pekin。
　Vladivostock。　A　photographic　Reconnaissance　by　U。S。　Thunderjet。
　Bond　was　not　surprised　by　the　curious　mixture　he　was　supposed　to　digest。　The　OO　Section　of　the　Secret　Service　was　not　concerned　with　the　current　operations　of　other　sections　and　stations；　only　with　background　information　which　might　be　useful　or　instructive　to　the　only　three　men　in　the　Service　whose　duties　included　assassination…who　might　be　ordered　to　kill。　There　was　no　urgency　about　these　files。　No　action　was　required　by　him　or　his　two　colleagues　except　that　each　of　them　jotted　down　the　numbers　of　dockets　which　he　considered　the　other　two　should　also　read　when　they　were　next　attached　to　Headquarters。　When　the　OO　Section　had　finished　with　this　lot　they　would　go　down　to　their　final　destination　in　'Records'。
　Bond　turned　back　to　the　NATO　paper。
　'The　almost　inevitable　manner'；　he　read；　'in　which　individuality　is　revealed　by　minute　patterns　of　behaviour；　is　demonstrated　by　the　indelible　characteristics　of　the　〃fist〃　of　each　radio　operator。　This　〃fist〃；　or　manner　of　tapping　out　messages；　is　distinctive　and　recognizable　by　those　who　are　practised　in　receiving　messages。　It　can　also　be　measured　by　very　sensitive　mechanisms。　To　illustrate；　in　1943　the　United　States　Radio　Intelligence　Bureau　made　use　of　this　fact　in　tracing　an　enemy　station　in　Chile　operated　by　〃Pedro〃；　a　young　German。　When　the　Chilean　police　closed　in　on　the　station；　〃Pedro〃　escaped。　A　year　later；　expert　listeners　spotted　a　new　illegal　transmitter　and　were　able　to　recognize　〃Pedro〃　as　the　operator。　In　order　to　disguise　his　〃fist〃　he　was　transmitting　left…handed；　but　the　disguise　was　not　effective　and　he　was　captured。
　'NATO　Radio　Research　has　recently　been　experimenting　with　a　form　of　〃scrambler〃　which　can　be　attached　to　the　wrist　of　operators　with　the　object　of　interfering　minutely　with　the　nerve　centres　which　control　the　muscles　of　the　hand。　However。。。'
　There　were　three　telephones　on　Bond's　desk。　A　black　one　for　outside　calls；　a　green　office　telephone；　and　a　red　one　which　went　only　to　M。　and　his　Chief　of　Staff。　It　was　the　familiar　burr　of　the　red　one　that　broke　the　silence　of　the　room。
　It　was　M's　Chief　of　Staff。
　〃Can　you　e　up？〃　asked　the　pleasant　voice。
　〃M。？〃　asked　Bond。
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Any　clue？〃
　〃Simply　said　if　you　were　about　he'd　like　to　see　you。〃
　〃Right；〃　said　Bond；　and　put　down　the　receiver。
　He　collected　his　coat；　told　his　secretary　he　would　be　with　M。　and　not　to　wait　for　him；　left　his　office　and　walked　along　the　corridor　to　the　lift。
　While　he　waited　for　it；　he　thought　of　those　other　times；　when；　in　the　middle　of　an　empty　day；　the　red　telephone　had　suddenly　broken　the　silence　and　taken　him　out　of　one　world　and　set　him　down　in　another。　He　shrugged　his　shoulders…Monday！　He　might　have　expected　trouble。
　The　lift　came。　〃Ninth；〃　said　Bond；　and　stepped　in。
　
　CHAPTER　II
　
　THE　COLUMBITE　KING
　
　THE　NINTH　was　the　top　floor　of　the　building。　Most　of　it　was　occupied　by　munications；　the　hand…picked　inter…services　team　of　operators　whose　only　interest　was　the　world　of　microwaves；　sunspots；　and　the　'heaviside　layer'。　Above　them；　on　the　flat　roof；　were　the　three　squat　masts　of　one　of　the　most　powerful　transmitters　in　England；　explained　on　the　bold　bronze　list　of　occupants　in　the　entrance　hall　of　the　building　by　the　words　'Radio　Tests　Ltd。'　The　other　tenants　were　declared　to　be　'Universal　Export　Co。'；　'Delaney　Bros。　（1940）　Ltd。'；　'The　Omnium　Corporation'；　and　'Enquiries　（Miss　E。　Twining；　OBE）'。
　Miss　Twining　was　a　real　person。　Forty　years　earlier　she　had　been　a　Loelia　Ponsonby。　Now；　in　retirement；　she　sat　in　a　small　office　on　the　ground　floor　and　spent　her　days　tearing　up　circulars；　paying　the　rates　and　taxes　of　her　ghostly　tenants；　and　politely　brushing　off　salesmen　and　people　who　wanted　to　export　something…or　have　their　radios　mended。
　It　was　always　very　quiet　on　the　ninth　floor。　As　Bond　turned　to　the　left　outside　the　lift　and　walked　along　the　softly　carpeted　corridor　to　the　green　baize　door　that　led　to　the　offices　of　M。　and　his　personal　staff；　the　only　sound　he　heard　was　a　thin　high…pitched　whine　that　was　so　faint　that　you　almost　had　to　listen　for　it。
　Without　knocking　he　pushed　through　the　green　door　and　walked　into　the　last　room　but　one　along　the　passage。
　Miss　Moneypenny；　M。's　private　secretary；　looked　up　from　her　typewriter　and　smiled　at　him。　They　liked　each　other　and　she　knew　that　Bond　admired　her　looks。　She　was　wearing　the　same　model　shirt　as　his　own　secretary；　but　with　blue　stripes。　〃New　uniform；　Penny？〃　said　Bond。　She　laughed。　〃Loelia　and　I　share　the　same　little　woman；〃　she　said。　〃We　tossed　and　I　got　blue。〃
　A　snort　came　through　the　open　door　of　the　adjoining　room。　The　Chief　of　Staff；　a　man　of　about　Bond's　age；　came　out；　a　sardonic　grin　on　his　pale；　overworked　face。
　〃Break　it　up；〃　he　said；　〃M。's　waiting。　Lunch　afterwards？〃
　〃Fine；〃　said　Bond。　He　turned　to　the　door　beside　Miss　Moneypenny；　walked　through　and　shut　it　after　him。　Above　it；　a　green　light　went　on。　Miss　Moneypenny　raised　her　eyebrows　at　the　Chief　of　Staff。　He　shook　his　head。
　〃I　don't　think　it's　business；　Penny；〃　he　said。　〃Just　sent　for　him　out　of　the　blue。〃　He　went　back　into　his　own　room　and　got　on　with　the　day's　work。
　When　Bond　came　through　the　door；　M。　was　sitting　at　his　broad　desk；　lighting　a　pipe。　He　made　a　vague　gesture　with　the　lighted　match　towards　the　chair　on　the　other　side　of　the　desk　and　Bond　walked　over　and　sat　down。　M。　glanced　at　him　sharply　through　the　smoke　and　then　threw　the　box　of　matches　on　to　the　empty　expanse　of　red　leather　in　front　of　him。
　〃Have　a　good　leave？〃　he　asked　abruptly。　〃Yes；　thank　you；　sir；〃　said　Bond。
　〃Still　sunburned；　I　see。〃　M。　looked　his　disapproval。　He　didn't　really　begrudge　Bond　a　holiday　which　had　been　partly　convalescence。　The　hint　of　criticism　came　from　the　Puritan　and　the　Jesuit　who　live　in　all　leaders　of　men。
　〃Yes；　sir；〃　said　Bond　nonmittally。　〃It's　very　hot　near　the　equator。〃
　〃Quite；〃　said　M。　〃Well…deserved　rest。〃　He　screwed　up　his　eyes　without　humour。　〃Hope　the　colour　won't　last　too　long。　Always　suspicious　of　sunburned　men　in　England。　Either　they've　not　got　a　job　of　work　to　do　or　they　put　it　on　with　a　sun…lamp。〃　He　dismissed　the　subject　with　a　short　sideways　jerk　of　his　pipe。
　He　put　the　pipe　back　in　his　mouth　and　pulled　at　it　absent…mindedly。　It　had　gone　out。　He　reached　for　the　matches　and　wasted　some　time　getting　it　going　again。
　〃Looks　as　if　we'll　get　that　gold　after　all；〃　he　said　finally。　〃There's　been　some　talk　of　the　Hague　Court；　but　Ashenheim's　a　fine　lawyer。〃*　（*　This　refers　to　Bond's　previous　assignment；　described　in　Live　and　Let　Die；　by　the　same　author。）
　〃Good；〃　said　Bond。
　There　was　silence　for　a　moment。　M。　gazed　into　the　bowl　of　his　pipe。　Through　the　open　windows　came　the　distant　roar　of　London's　traffic。　A　pigeon　landed　on　one　of　the　window…sills　with　a　clatter　of　wings　and　quickly　took　off　again。
　Bond　tr