if.moonraker-第29部分

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ere　was　a　small　petrol　engine　and　it　was　this　that　was　giving　trouble。　Every　now　and　then　Krebs　would　grasp　the　starting…handle　and　crank　it　hard　and　a　feeble　stutter　would　e　from　the　engine　before　he　went　back　to　his　tinkering。
　〃You　dam'　fool；〃　said　Drax　in　German；　〃hurry　up。　I've　got　to　go　and　see　those　bloody　oafs　at　the　Ministry。〃
　〃At　once；　mein　Kapit？n；〃　said　Krebs　dutifully。　He　seized　the　handle　again。　This　time　after　two　or　three　coughs　the　engine　started　up　and　began　to　purr。
　〃It　won't　make　too　much　noise？〃　asked　Drax。
　〃No；　mein　Kapit？n。　The　room　has　been　soundproofed；〃　answered　Krebs。　〃Dr　Walter　assures　me　that　nothing　will　be　heard　outside。〃
　Gala　closed　her　eyes　and　decided　that　her　only　hope　was　to　feign　unconscious　for　as　long　as　possible。　Did　they　intend　to　kill　her？　Here　in　this　room？　And　what　was　all　this　machinery？　It　looked　like　wireless；　or　perhaps　radar。　That　curved　glass　screen　above　Drax's　head　that　had　given　an　occasional　flicker　as　Drax　fiddled　with　the　knobs　below　the　dials。
　Slowly　her　mind　started　to　work　again。　Why；　for　instance；　was　Drax　suddenly　talking　perfect　German？　And　why　did　Krebs　address　him　as　Herr　Kapit？n？　And　the　figures　in　the　black　book。　Why　did　they　nearly　kill　her　because　she　had　seen　them？　What　did　they　mean？
　Ninety　degrees；　ninety　degrees。
　Lazily　her　mind　turned　the　problem　over。
　Ninety　degrees　difference。　Supposing　her　figures　had　been　right　all　the　time　for　the　target　eighty　miles　away　in　the　North　Sea。　Just　supposing　she　had　been　right。　Then　she　wouldn't　have　been　aiming　the　rocket　into　the　middle　of　France　after　all。　But　Drax's　figures。　Ninety　degrees　to　the　left　of　her　North　Sea　target？　Somewhere　in　England　presumably。　Eighty　miles　from　Dover。　Yes；　of　course。　That　was　it。　Drax's　figures。　The　firing　plan　in　the　little　black　book。　They　would　drop　the　Moonraker　just　about　in　the　middle　of　London。
　But　on　London！　On　London！！
　So　one's　heart　really　does　go　into　one's　throat。　How　extraordinary。　Such　a　monplace　and　yet　there　it　is　and　it　really　does　almost　stop　one　breathing。
　And　now；　let　me　see；　so　this　is　a　radar　homing　device。　How　ingenious。　The　same　as　there　would　be　on　the　raft　in　the　North　Sea。　This　would　bring　the　rocket　down　within　a　hundred　yards　of　Buckingham　Palace。　But　would　that　matter　with　a　warhead　full　of　instruments？
　It　was　probably　the　cruelty　of　Drax's　blow　across　her　face　that　settled　it；　but　suddenly　she　knew　that　somehow　it　would　be　a　real　warhead；　an　atomic　warhead；　and　that　Drax　was　an　enemy　of　England　and　that　tomorrow　at　noon　he　was　going　to　destroy　London。
　Gala　made　a　last　effort　to　understand。
　Through　this　ceiling；　through　this　chair；　into　the　ground；　The　thin　needle　of　the　rocket。　Dropping　fast　as　light　out　of　a　clear　sky。　The　crowds　in　the　streets。　The　Palace。　The　nursemaids　in　the　park。　The　birds　in　the　trees。　The　great　bloom　of　flame　a　mile　wide。　And　then　the　mushroom　cloud。　And　nothing　left。　Nothing。　Nothing；　Nothing。
　〃No。　Oh；　no！〃
　But　the　scream　was　only　in　her　mind　and　Gala；　her　body　a　twisted　black　potato　crisp　amongst　a　million　others；　had　already　fainted。
　
　CHAPTER　XIX
　
　MISSING　PERSON
　
　BOND　SAT　at　his　favourite　restaurant　table　in　London；　the　right…hand　corner　table　for　two　on　the　first　floor；　and　watched　the　people　and　the　traffic　in　Piccadilly　and　down　the　Haymarket。
　It　was　7。45　and　his　second　Vodka　dry　Martini　with　a　large　slice　of　lemon　peel　had　just　been　brought　to　him　by　Baker；　the　head　waiter。　He　sipped　it；　wondering　idly　why　Gala　was　late。　It　was　not　like　her。　She　was　the　sort　of　girl　who　would　telephone　if　she　had　been　kept　at　the　Yard。　Vallance；　whom　he　had　visited　at　five；　had　said　that　Gala　was　due　with　him　at　six。
　Vallance　had　been　very　anxious　to　see　her。　He　was　a　worried　man　and　when　Bond　reported　briefly　on　the　security　of　the　Moonraker；　Vallance　seemed　to　be　listening　with　only　half　his　mind。
　It　appeared　that　all　that　day　there　had　been　heavy　selling　of　sterling。　It　had　started　in　Tangier　and　quickly　spread　to　Zurich　and　New　York。　The　pound　had　been　fluctuating　wildly　in　the　money　markets　of　the　world　and　the　arbitrage　dealers　had　made　a　killing。　The　net　result　was　that　the　pound　was　a　whole　three　cents　down　on　the　day　and　the　forward　rates　were　still　weaker。　It　was　front…page　news　in　the　evening　papers　and　at　the　close　of　business　the　Treasury　had　got　on　to　Vallance　and　told　him　the　extraordinary　news　that　the　selling　wave　had　been　started　by　Drax　Metals　Ltd。　in　Tangier。　The　operation　had　begun　that　morning　and　by　close　of　business　the　firm　had　managed　to　sell　British　currency　short　to　the　tune　of　twenty　million　pounds。　This　had　been　too　much　for　the　markets；　and　the　Bank　of　England　had　had　to　step　in　and　buy　in　order　to　stop　a　still　sharper　run。　It　was　then　that　Drax　Metals　had　e　to　light　as　the　seller。
　Now　the　Treasury　wanted　to　know　what　it　was　all　about…whether　it　was　Drax　himself　selling　or　one　of　the　big　modity　interests　who　were　clients　of　his　firm。　The　first　thing　they　did　was　to　tackle　Vallance。　Vallance　could　only　think　that　in　some　way　the　Moonraker　was　to　be　a　failure　and　that　Drax　knew　it　and　wanted　to　profit　by　his　knowledge。　He　at　once　spoke　to　the　Ministry　of　Supply；　but　they　pooh…poohed　the　idea。　Tiere　was　no　reason　to　think　the　Moonraker　would　be　a　failure　and　even　if　its　practice　flight　was　not　successful　the　fact　would　be　covered　up　with　talk　of　technical　hitches　and　so　forth。　In　any　case；　whether　the　rocket　was　a　success　or　not；　there　could　be　no　possible　reaction　on　British　financial　credit。　No；　they　certainly　wouldn't　think　of　mentioning　the　matter　to　the　Prime　Minister。　Drax　Metals　was　a　big　trading　organization。　They　were　probably　acting　for　some　foreign　govern　ment。　The　Argentine。　Perhaps　even　Russia。　Someone　with　big　sterling　balances。　Anyway　it　was　nothing　to　do　with　the　Ministry；　or　with　the　Moonraker；　which　would　be　launched　punctually　at　noon　the　next　day。
　This　had　made　sense　to　Vallance；　but　he　was　still　worried。　He　didn't　like　mysteries　and　he　was　glad　to　share　his　concern　with　Bond。　Above　all　he　wanted　to　ask　Gala　if　she　had　seen　any　Tangier　cables　and　if　so　whether　Drax　had　made　any　ment　on　them。
　Bond　was　sure　Gala　would　have　mentioned　anything　of　the　sort　to　him；　and　he　said　so　to　Vallance。　They　had　talked　some　more　and　then　Bond　had　left　for　his　headquarters　where　M。　was　expecting　him。
　M。　had　been　interested　in　everything；　even　the　shaven　heads　and　moustaches　of　the　men。　He　questioned　Bond　minutely　and　when　Bond　finished　his　story　with　the　gist　of　his　last　conversation　with　Vallance　M。　sat　for　a　long　time　lost　in　thought。
　〃007；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃I　don't　like　any　part　of　this。　There's　something　going　on　down　there　but　I　can't　for　the　life　of　me　make　any　sense　out　of　it。　And　I　don't　see　where　I　can　possibly　interfere。　All　the　facts　are　known　to　the　Special　Branch　and　to　the　Ministry　and；　God　knows；　I've　got　nothing　to　add　to　them。　Even　if　I　had　a　word　with　the　PM；　which　would　be　damned　unfair　on　Vallance；　what　am　I　to　tell　him？　What　facts？　What's　it　all　about？　There's　nothing　but　the　smell　of　it　all。　And　it's　a　bad　smell。　And；〃　he　added；　〃a　very　big　one；　if　I'm　not　mistaken。
　〃No；〃　he　looked　across　at　Bond　and　his　eyes　held　an　unusual　note　of　urgency。　〃It　looks　as　if　it's　all　up　to　you。　And　that　girl。　You're　lucky　she's　a　good　one。　Anything　you　want？　Anything　I　can　do　to　help？〃
　〃No；　thank　you；　sir；〃　Bond　had　said　and　he　had　walked　out　through　the　familiar　corridors　and　down　in　the　lift　to　his　own　office　where　he　had　terrified　Loelia　Ponsonby　by　giving　her　a　kiss　as　he　said　good…night。　The　only　times　he　ever　did　that　were　at　Christmas；　on　her　birthday；　and　just　before　there　was　something　dangerous　to　be　done。
　Bond　drank　down　the　rest　of　his　Martini　and　looked　at　his　watch。　Now　it　was　eight　o'clock　and　suddenly　he　shivered。
　He　got　straight　up　from　his　table　and　walked　out　to　the　telephone。
　The　switchboard　at　the　Yard　said　that　the　Assistant　missioner　had　been　trying　to　reach　him。　He　had　had　to　go　to　a　dinner　at　the　Mansion　House。　Could　mander　Bond　please　stay　by　the　telephone？　Bond　waited　impatiently。　All　his　fears　surged　up　at　him　from　the　chunk　of　black　bakelite。　He　could；　see　the　rows　of　polite　faces。　The　uniformed　waiter　slowly　edging　his　way　round　to　Vallance。　The　quickly　pulled…back　chair。　The　unobtrusive　exit。　Those　echoing　stone　lobbies。　The　discreet　booth。
　The　telephone　screamed　at　him。　〃That　you；　Bond？　Vallance　here。　Seen　anything　of　Miss　Brand？〃
　Bond's　heart　went　cold。　〃No；〃　he　said　sharply。　〃She's　half　an　hour　late　for　dinner。　Didn't　she　turn　up　at　six？〃
　〃No；　and　I've　had　a　'trace'　sent　out　and　there's　no　sign　of　her　at　the　usual　address　she　stays　at　when　she　e　to　London。　None　of　her　friends　have　seen　her。　If　she　left　in　Drax's　car　at　two…thirty　she　should　have　been　in　London　by　half…past　four。　There's　been　no　crash　on　the　Dover　road　during　the　afternoon　and　the　AA　and　the　RAC　are　negative。〃　There　was　a　pause。　〃Now　listen。〃　There　was　urgent　appeal　in　Vallance's　voice。　〃She's　a　good　girl　that；　and　I　don't　want　anything　to　happen　to　her。　Can　you　handle　it　for　me？　I　can't　put　out　a　general　call　for　her。　The　killing　down　there　has　made　her　news　and　we'd　have　the　whole　Press　round　our　ears。　It　will　be　even　worse　after　ten　tonight。　Downing　Street　are　issuing　a　munique　about　the　practice　shoot　and　tomorrow's　papers　are　going　to　be　nothing　but　Moonraker。　The　PM's　going　to　broadcast。　Her　disappearance　would　turn　the　whole　thing　into　a　crime　story。　Tomorrow's　too　important　for　that　and　anyway　the　girl　may　have　had　a　fainting　fit　or　something。　But　I　want　her　found。　Well？　What　do　you　say？　Can　you　handle　it？　You　can　have　all　the　help　you　want。　I'll　tell　the　Duty　Officer　that　he's　to　accept　your　orders。〃
　〃Don't　worry；〃　said　Bond。　〃Of　course　I'll　look　after　it。〃　He　paused；　his　mind　racing。　〃Just　tell　me　something。　What　do　you　know　about　Drax's　movements？〃
　〃He　wasn't　expected　at　the　Ministry　until　seven；〃　said　Vallance。　〃I　left　word。。。〃　There　was　a　confused　noise　on　the　line　and　Bond　heard　Vallance　say　〃Thanks。〃　He　came　back　on　the　line。　〃Just　got　a　report　passed　on　by　the　City　police；〃　he　said。　〃The　Yard　couldn't　get　me　on　the　'phone。
　Talking　to　you。　Let's　see；〃　he　read；　〃　'Sir　Hugo　Drax　arrived