if.moonraker-第33部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　As　he　turned　through　the　doors　of　Drax's　office；　he　pulled　himself　together。　Suddenly　his　mind　was　clear　and　all　the　lethargy　and　pain　had　left　his　body。　Something；　anything；　must　be　done。　Somehow　he　would　find　a　way。　His　whole　body　and　mind　became　focused　and　sharp　as　a　blade。　His　eyes　were　alive　again　and　defeat　sloughed　off　him　like　the　skin　of　a　snake。
　Drax　had　gone　ahead　and　was　sitting　at　his　desk。　He　had　a　Luger　in　his　hand。　It　was　pointing　at　a　spot　halfway　between　Bond　and　Gala　and　it　was　steady　as　a　rock。
　Behind　him；　Bond　heard　the　double　doors　thud　shut。
　〃I　was　one　of　the　best　shots　in　the　Brandenburg　Division；〃　said　Drax　conversationally。　〃Tie　her　to　that　chair；　Krebs。　Then　the　man。〃
　Gala　looked　desperately　at　Bond。
　〃You　won't　shoot；〃　said　Bond。　〃You'd　be　afraid　of　touching　off　the　fuel。〃　He　walked　slowly　towards　the　desk。
　Drax　smiled　cheerfully　and　looked　along　the　barrel　at　Bond's　stomach。　〃Your　memory　is　bad；　Englishman；〃　he　said　flatly。　〃I　told　you　this　room　is　cut　off　from　the　shaft　by　the　double　doors。　Another　step　and　you　will　have　no　stomach。〃
　Bond　looked　at　the　confident；　narrowed　eyes　and　stopped。
　〃Go　ahead；　Krebs。〃
　When　they　were　both　tied　securely　and　painfully　to　the　arms　and　legs　of　two　tubular　steel　chairs　a　few　feet　apart　beneath　the　glass　wall…map；　Krebs　left　the　room。　He　came　back　in　a　moment　with　a　mechanic's　blowtorch。
　He　set　the　ugly　machine　on　the　desk；　pumped　air　into　it　with　a　few　brisk　strokes　of　the　plunger；　and　set　a　match　to　it。　A　blue　flame　hissed　out　a　couple　of　inches　into　the　room。　He　picked　up　the　instrument　and　walked　towards　Gala。　He　stopped　a　few　feet　to　one　side　of　her。
　〃Now　then；〃　said　Drax　grimly。　〃Let's　get　this　over　without　any　fuss。　The　good　Krebs　is　an　artist　with　one　of　those　things。　We　used　to　call　him　Der　Zwangsmann…The　Persuader。　I　shall　never　forget　the　way　he　went　over　the　last　spy　we　caught　together。　Just　south　of　the　Rhine；　wasn't　it；　Krebs？〃
　Bond　pricked　up　his　ears。
　〃Yes；　mein　Kapit？n。〃　Krebs　chuckled　reminiscently。　〃It　was　a　pig　of　a　Belgian。〃
　〃All　right　then；〃　said　Drax。　〃Just　remember；　you　two。　There's　no　fair　play　down　here。　No　jolly　good　sports　and　all　that。　This　is　business。〃　The　voice　cracked　like　a　whip　on　the　word。　〃You；〃　he　looked　at　Gala　Brand；　〃who　are　you　working　for？〃
　Gala　was　silent。
　〃Anywhere　you　like；　Krebs。〃
　Krebs's　mouth　was　half　open。　His　tongue　ran　up　and　down　his　lower　lip。　He　seemed　to　be　having　difficulty　with　his　breathing　as　he　took　a　step　towards　the　girl。
　The　little　flame　roared　greedily。
　〃Stop；〃　said　Bond　coldly。　〃She　works　for　Scotland；　Yard。　So　do　I。〃　These　things　were　pointless　now。　They　were　of　no　conceivable　use　to　Drax。　In　any　case；　by　tomorrow　afternoon　there　might　be　no　Scotland　Yard。
　〃That's　better；〃　said　Drax。　〃Now；　does　anybody　know　you　are　prisoners？　Did　you　stop　and　telephone　anyone？〃
　If　I　say　yes；　thought　Bond；　he　will　shoot　us　both　and　get　rid　of　the　bodies　and　the　last　chance　of　stopping　the　Moonraker　will　be　gone。　And　if　the　Yard　knows；　why　aren't　they　here　already？　No。　Our　chance　may　e。　The　Bentley　will　be　found。　Vallance　may　get　worried　when　he　doesn't　hear　from　me。
　〃No；〃　he　said。　〃If　I　had；　they'd　be　here　by　now。〃
　〃True；〃　said　Drax　reflectively。　〃In　that　case　I　am　no　longer　interested　in　you　and　I　congratulate　you　on　making　the　interview　so　harmonious。　It　might　have　been　more　difficult　if　you　had　been　alone。　A　girl　is　always　useful　on　these　occasions。　Krebs；　put　that　down。　You　may　go。　Tell　the　others　what　is　necessary。　They　will　be　wondering。　I　shall　entertain　our　guests　for　a　while　and　then　I　shall　e　up　to　the　house。　See　the　car　gets　properly　washed　down。　The　back　seat。　And　get　rid　of　the　marks　on　the　right…hand　side。　Tell　them　to　take　the　whole　panel　off　if　necessary。　Or　they　can　set　fire　to　the　dam'　thing。　We　shan't　be　needing　it　any　more；〃　he　laughed　abruptly。　〃Verstanden？〃
　〃Yes；　mein　Kapit？n。〃　Krebs　reluctantly　placed　the　softly　roaring　blowtorch　on　the　desk　beside　Drax。　〃In　case　you　need　it；〃　he　said；　looking　hopefully　at　Gala　and　Bond。　He　went　out　through　the　double　doors。
　Drax　put　the　Luger　down　on　the　desk　in　front　of　him。　He　opened　a　drawer　and　took　out　a　cigar　and　lit　it　from　a　Ronson　desk　lighter。　Then　he　settled　himself　fortably。　There　was　silence　in　the　room　for　several　minutes　while　Drax　puffed　contentedly　at　his　cigar。　Then　he　seemed　to　make　up　his　mind。　He　looked　benevolently　at　Bond。
　〃You　don't　know　how　I　have　longed　for　an　English　audience；〃　he　said　as　if　he　was　addressing　a　Press　conference。
　〃You　don't　know　how　I　have　longed　to　tell　my　story。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　a　full　account　of　my　operations　is　now　in　the　hands　of　a　very　respectable　firm　of　Edinburgh　solicitors。　I　beg　their　pardon…Writers　to　the　Signet。　Well　out　of　danger。〃　He　beamed　from　one　to　the　other。　〃And　these　good　folk　have　instructions　to　open　the　envelope　on　the　pletion　of　the　first　successful　flight　of　the　Moonraker。　But　you　lucky　people　shall　have　a　preview　of　what　I　have　written　and　then；　when　tomorrow　at　noon　you　see　through　those　open　doors；〃　he　gestured　to　his　right；　〃the　first　wisp　of　steam　from　the　turbines　and　know　that　you　are　to　be　burnt　alive　in　about　half　a　second；　you　will　have　the　momentary　satisfaction　of　knowing　what　it　is　all　in　aid　of；　as；〃　he　grinned　wolfishly；　〃we　Englishmen　say。〃
　〃You　can　spare　us　the　jokes；〃　said　Bond　roughly。　〃Get　on　with　your　story；　Kraut。〃
　Drax's　eyes　blazed　momentarily。　〃A　Kraut。　Yes；　I　am　indeed　a　Reichsdeutscher〃…the　mouth　beneath　the　red　moustache　savoured　the　fine　word…〃and　even　England　will　soon　agree　that　；they　have　been　licked　by　just　one　single　German。　And　then　perhaps　they'll　stop　calling　us　Krauts…BY　ORDER！〃　The　words　were　yelled　out　and　the　whole　of　Prussian　militarism　was　in　the　parade…ground　bellow。
　Drax　glowered　across　the　desk　at　Bond；　the　great　splayed　teeth　under　the　red　moustache　tearing　nervously　at　one　fingernail　after　another。　Then；　with　an　effort；　he　crammed　his　right　hand　into　his　trouser　pocket；　as　if　to　put　it　out　of　temptation；　and　picked　up　his　cigar　with　his　left。　He　puffed　at　it　for　a　moment　and　then；　his　voice　still　taut；　he　began。
　
　CHAPTER　XXII
　
　PANDORA'S　BOX
　
　My　REAL　name；〃　said　Drax；　addressing　himself　to　Bond；　is　Graf　Hugo　von　der　Drache。　My　mother　was　English　and　because　of　her　I　was　educated　in　England　until　I　was　twelve。　Then　I　could　stand　this　filthy　country　no　longer　and　I　pleted　my　education　in　Berlin　and　Leipzig。〃
　Bond　could　imagine　that　the　hulking　body　with　the　ogre's　teeth　had　not　been　very　wele　at　an　English　private　school。　And　being　a　foreign　count　with　a　mouthful　of　names　would　not　have　helped　much。
　〃When　I　was　twenty；〃　Drax's　eyes　glowed　reminiscently；　〃I　went　to　work　in　the　family　business。　It　was　a　subsidiary　of　the　great　steel　bine　Rheinmetall　Borsig。　Never　heard　of　it；　I　suppose。　Well；　if　you'd　been　hit　by　an　88　mm。　shell　during　the　war　it　would　probably　have　been　one　of　theirs。　Our　subsidiary　were　experts　in　special　steel's　and　I　learned　all　about　them　and　a　lot　about　the　aircraft　industry。　Our　most　exacting　customers。　That's　when　I　first　heard　about　Columbite。　Worth　diamonds　in　those　days。　Then　I　joined　the　party　and　almost　immediately　we　were　at　war。　A　wonderful　time。　I　was　twenty…eight　and　a　lieutenant　in　the　140th　Panzer　Regiment。　And　we　ran　through　the　British　Army　in　France　like　a　knife　through　butter。　Intoxicating。〃
　For　a　moment　Drax　puffed　luxuriously　at　his　cigar　and　Bond　guessed　that　he　was　seeing　the　burning　villages　of　Belgium　in　the　smoke。
　〃Those　were　great　days；　my　dear　Bond。〃　Drax　reached　out　a　long　arm　and　tapped　the　ash　of　his　cigar　off　on　to　the　floor。　〃But　then　I　was　picked　out　for　the　Brandenburg　Division　and　I　had　to　leave　the　girls　and　the　champagne　and　go　back　to　Germany　and　start　training　for　the　big　water…jump　to　England。　My　English　was　needed　in　the　Division；　We　were　all　going　to　be　in　English　uniforms。　It　would　have　been　fun；　but　the　damned　generals　said　it　couldn't　be　done　and　I　was　transferred　to　the　Foreign　Intelligence　Service　of　the　SS。　The　RSHA　it　was　called；　and　SS　Obergruppenführer　Kaltenbrunner　had　just　taken　over　the　mand　after　Heydrich　was　assassinated　in　'42。　He　was　a　good　man　and　I　was　under　the　direct　orders　of　a　still　better　one；　Obersturmbannführer；〃　he　rolled　out　the　delicious　title　with　relish；　〃Otto　Skorzeny。　His　job　in　the　RSHA　was　terrorism　and　sabotage。　A　pleasant　interlude；　my　dear　Bond；　during　which　I　was　able　to　bring　many　an　Englishman　to　book　which；〃　Drax　beamed　coldly　at　Bond；　〃gave　me　much　pleasure。　But　then；〃　Drax's　fist　crashed　down　on　the　desk；　〃Hitler　was　betrayed　again　by　those　swinish　generals　and　the　English　and　Americans　were　allowed　to　land　in　France。〃
　〃Too　bad；〃　said　Bond　drily。
　〃Yes；　my　dear　Bond；　it　was　indeed　too　bad。〃　Drax　chose　to　ignore　the　irony。〃But　for　me　it　was　the　high…spot　of　the　whole　war。　Skorzeny　turned　all　his　saboteurs　and　terrorists　into　SS　Jagdverb？nde　for　use　behind　the　enemy　lines。　Each　Jagdverband　was　divided　into　Streifkorps　and　then　into　Kommandos；　each　carrying　the　names　of　its　manding　officer。　With　the　rank　of　Oberleutnant；〃　Drax　swelled　visibly；　〃at　the　head　of　Kommando　'Drache'　I　went　right　through　the　American　lines　with　the　famous　150　Panzer　Brigade　in　the　Ardennes　break…through　in　December　'44。　No　doubt　you　will　remember　the　effect　of　this　Brigade　in　its　American　uniforms　and　with　its　captured　American　tanks　and　vehicles。　Kolossal！　When　the　Brigade　had　to　withdraw　I　stayed　where　I　was　and　went　to　ground　in　the　Forests　of　Ardennes；　fifty　miles　behind　the　Allied　lines。　There　were　twenty　of　us；　ten　good　men　and　ten　Hitlerjugend　Werewolves。　In　their　teens；　but　good　lads　all　of　them。　And；　by　a　coincidence；　in　charge　of　them　was　a　young　man　called　Krebs　who　turned　out　to　have　certain　gifts　which　qualified　him　for　the　post　of　executioner　and　'persuader'　to　our　merry　little　band。〃　Drax　chuckled　pleasantly。
　Bond　licked　his　lips　as　he　remembered　the　crack　Krebs's　head　had　made　against　the　dressing…table。　Had　he　kicked　him　as　hard　as　he　possibly　could？　Yes；　his　memory　reassured　him；　with　every　ounce　of　strength　he　could　put　into　his　shoe。
　〃We　stayed　in　those　woods　for　six　months；〃　continued　Drax　proudly；　〃and　all　the　time　we　reported　b