if.goldfinger-第39部分

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　Slowly　Mr　Springer　rose　to　his　feet。　He　gave　the　controlled　yawn　of　an　opera　goer。　He　followed　the　yawn　with　a　small　belch。　He　took　out　a　fine　linen　handkerchief　and　patted　his　lips。　His　glazed　eyes　moved　round　the　table　and　finally　rested　on　Goldfinger。　Slowly　his　head　moved　from　side　to　side　as　if　he　was　trying　to　exercise　fibrositis　in　his　neck　muscles。　He　said　gravely；　like　a　bank　manager　refusing　a　loan；　'Mr　Gold；　I　fear　your　proposal　would　not　find　favour　with　my　colleagues　in　Detroit。'　He　gave　a　little　bow　which　included　everyone。　'It　only　remains　for　me　to　thank　you　for　a　most　interesting　occasion。　Good　afternoon；　gentlemen　and　madam。'　In　the　chilly　silence；　Mr　Springer　tucked　his　handkerchief　carefully　into　the　left…hand　cuff　of　his　immaculate　pin…stripe；　turned　and　walked　softly　to　the　door　and　let　himself　out。
　The　door　closed　with　a　sharp　click。　Bond　noticed　Gold　finger's　hand　slip　casually　below　the　table。　He　guessed　that　Oddjob　was　getting　his　signal。　Signal　for　what？
　Mr　Midnight　said　nastily；　'Glad　he's　out。　He's　strictly　a　four…ulcer　man。　Now　then'　…　he　got　up　briskly　and　turned　to　Bond　…　'how　about　a　little　drink？'
　They　all　rose　and　gathered　round　the　buffet。　Bond　found　himself　between　Miss　Pussy　Galore　and　Tilly　Masterton。　He　offered　them　champagne。　Miss　Galore　looked　at　him　coldly　and　said；　'Move　over；　Handsome。　Us　girls　want　to　talk　secrets。　Don't　we；　yummy？'　Miss　Masterton　blushed　and　then　turned　very　pale。　She　whispered　adoringly；　'Oh　yes　please；　Miss　Galore。'
　Bond　smiled　sourly　at　Tilly　Masterton　and　moved　down　the　room。
　Jed　Midnight　had　witnessed　the　snub。　He　got　close　to　Bond　and　said　earnestly；　'Mister；　if　that's　your　doll；　you　better　watch　her。　Pussy　gets　the　girls　she　wants。　She　consumes　them　in　bunches　…　like　grapes；　if　you　follow　me。'　Mr　Midnight　sighed　wearily。　'Cheesus　how　they　bore　me；　the　lizzies！　You'll　see；　she'll　soon　have　that　frail　parting　her　hair　three　ways　in　front　of　the　mirror。'
　Bond　said　cheerfully；　'I'll　watch　out。　There's　nothing　much　I　can　do。　She's　an　independent　sort　of　a　girl。'
　'That　so？'　said　Mr　Midnight　with　a　spark　of　interest。　'Well　mebbe　I　can　help　to　break　it　up。'　He　straightened　his　tie。　'I　could　go　for　that　Masterton。　She's　sure　got　natural　resources。　See　you　around。〃　He　grinned　at　Bond　and　moved　off　down　the　room。
　Bond　was　having　a　quiet　square　meal　off　caviar　and　champagne　and　thinking　how　well　Goldfinger　had　handled　the　meeting　when　the　door　at　the　end　of　the　room　opened　and　one　of　the　Koreans　hurried　in　and　went　up　to　Goldfinger。　Goldfinger　bent　his　head　to　the　whispered　words。　His　face　became　grave。　He　rapped　a　fork　on　his　glass　of　Saratoga　Vichy。
　'Gentlemen　and　madam。'　He　looked　sadly　round　the　group。　'I　have　received　bad　news。　Our　friend　Mr　Helmut　Springer　has　met　with　an　accident。　He　fell　down　the　stairs。　Death　was　instantaneous。'
　'Ho；　ho！'　Mr　Ring's　laugh　was　not　a　laugh。　It　was　a　hole　in　the　face。　'And　what　does　that　Slappy　Hapgood；　his　torpedo；　have　to　say　about　it？'
　Goldfinger　said　gravely；　'Alas；　Mr　Hapgood　also　fell　down　the　stairs　and　has　succumbed　to　his　injuries。'
　Mr　Solo　looked　at　Goldfinger　with　new　respect。　He　said　softly；　'Mister；　you　better　get　those　stairs　fixed　before　me　and　my　friend　Giulio　e。to　use　them。'
　Goldfinger　said　seriously；　'The　fault　has　been　located。　Repairs　will　be　put　in　hand　at　once。'　His　face　grew　thoughtful。　'I　fear　these　accidents　may　be　misconstrued　in　Detroit。'
　Jed　Midnight　said　cheerfully；　'Don't　give　it　a　thought；　mister。　They　love　funerals　up　there。　And　it'll　take　a　load　off　their　minds。　Old　Hell　wouldn't　have　lasted　much　longer。　They　been　stoking　the　fires　under　him　these　twelve　months。'　He　appealed　to　Mr　Strap　who　stood　next　to　him。　'Am　I　right；　Jacko？'
　'Sure；　Jed；'　said　Mr　Strap　sagely。　'You　got　the　score。　Mr　Helmut　M。　Springer　had　to　be　hit。'
　　
　'Hit'　…　mobese　for　murder。　When　Bond　at　last　got　to　bed　that　night；　he　couldn't　wipe　the　word　out　of　his　mind。　Oddjob　had　got　the　signal；　a　double　ring；…and　Springer　and　his　guard　had　got　hit。　There　had　been　nothing　Bond　could　have　done　about　it　…　even　if　he　had　wanted　to；　and　Mr　Helmut　Springer　meant　nothing　to　him；　probably　richly　deserved　to　be　hit　anyway　…　but　now　some　59；998　other　people　were　going　to　get　hit　unless　he；　and　only　he；　could　do　something　about　it。
　When　the　meeting　of　paramount　hoods　had　broken　up　to　go　about　their　various　duties；　Goldfinger　had　dismissed　the　girl　and　kept　Bond　in　the　room。　He　told　Bond　to　take　notes　and　then　for　more　than　two　hours　went　over　the　operation　down　to　the　smallest　detail。　When　they　came　to　the　doping　of　the　two　reservoirs　（Bond　had　to　work　out　an　exact　timetable　to　ensure　that　the　people　of　Fort　Knox　would　all　be　'under〃　in　good　time）　Bond　had　asked　for　details　of　the　drug　and　its　speed　of　action。
　'You　won't　have　to　worry　about　that。'
　'Why　not？　Everything　depends　on　it。'
　'Mr　Bond。'　Goldfinger's　eyes　had　a　faraway；　withdrawn　look。　'I　will　tell　you　the　truth　because　you　will　have　no　opportunity　of　passing　it　on。　From　now；　Oddjob　will　not　be　more　than　a　yard　from　your　side　and　his　orders　will　be　strict　and　exact。　So　I　can　tell　you　that　the　entire　population　of　Fort
　Knox　will　be　dead　or　incapacitated　by　midnight　on　D…l。　The　substance　that　will　be　inserted　in　the　water　supply；　outside　the　filter　plant；　will　be　a　highly　concentrated　form　of　GB。'
　'You're　mad！　You　don't　really　mean　you're　going　to　kill　sixty　thousand　people！'
　'Why　not？　American　motorists　do　it　every　two　years。'
　Bond　stared　into　Goldfinger's　face　in　fascinated　horror。　It　couldn't　be　true！　He　couldn't　mean　it！　He　said　tensely；　What's　this　GB？'
　'GB　is　the　most　powerful　of　the　Trilone　group　of　nerve　poisons。　It　was　perfected　by　the　Wehrmacht　in　1943；　but　never　used　for　fear　of　reprisals。　In　fact；　it　is　a　more　effective　instrument　of　destruction　than　the　hydrogen　bomb。　Its　disadvantage　lies　in　the　difficulty　of　applying　it　to　the　populace。　The　Russians　captured　the　entire　German　stocks　at　Dyhern…furth　on　the　Polish　frontier。　Friends　of　mine　were　able　to　supply　me　with　the　necessary　quantities。　Introduction　through　the　water　supply　is　an　ideal　method　of　applying　it　to　a　densely　populated　area。'
　Bond　said；　'Goldfinger；　you're　a　lousy；…bastard。'
　'Don't　be　childish。　We　have　work　to　do。'
　Later；　when　they　had　got　to　the　problem　of　transporting　the　tons　of　gold　out　of　the　town；　Bond　had　had　one　last　try。　He　said；　'Goldfinger；　you're　not　going　to　get　this　stuff　away。　Nobody's　going　to　get　their　hundred　tons　of　gold　out　of。　the　place　…　let　alone　five　hundred。　You'll　find　yourself　tearing　down　the　Dixie　Highway　in　a　truck　with　a　few　gold　bars　loaded　with　gamma　rays　and　the　American　Army　on　your　tail。　And　you'll　have　killed　sixty　thousand　people　for　that？　The　thing's　farcical。　Even　if　you　do　get　a　ton　or　two　away；　where　the　hell　do　you　think　you're　going　to　hide　it？'
　'Mr　Bond。'　Goldfinger's　patience　was　infinite。　'It　just　happens　that　a　Soviet　cruiser　of　the　Sverdlovsk　class　will　be　visiting　Norfolk；　Virginia；　on　a　goodwill　cruise　at　that　time。　It　sails　from　Norfolk　on　D＋1。　Initially　by　train　and　then　by　transport　convoy；　my　gold　will　arrive　on　board　the　cruiser　by　midnight　on　D…Day。　I　shall　sail　in　the　cruiser　for　Kronstadt。　Everything　has　been　carefully　planned；　every　possible　hitch　has　been　foreseen。　I　have　lived　with　this　operation　for　five　years。　Now　the　time　has　e　for　the　performance。　I　have　tidied　up　my　activities　in　England　and　Europe。　Such　small　debris　as　remains　of　my　former　life　can　go　to　the　scavengers　who　will　shortly　be　sniffing　on　my　trail。　I　shall　be　gone。　I　shall　have　emigrated　and；　Mr　Bond；　I　shall　have　taken　the　golden　heart　of　America　with　me。　Naturally'　…　Goldfinger　was　indulgent　…'this　unique　performance　will　not　be　immaculate。　There　has　not　been　enough　time　for　rehearsals。　I　need　these　clumsy　gangsters　with　their　guns　and　their　men；　but　I　could　not　bring　them　into　the　plan　until　the　last　moment。　They　will　make　mistakes。　Conceivably　they　will　have　much　trouble　getting　their　own　loot　away。　Some　will　be　caught；　others　killed。　I　couldn't　care　less。　These　men　are　amateurs　who　were　needed；　so　to　speak；　for　the　crowd　scenes。　They　are　extras；　Mr　Bond；　brought　in　off　the　streets。　What　happens　to　them　after　the　play　is　of　no　interest　to　me　whatsoever。　And　now；　on　with　the　work。　I　shall　need　seven　copies　of　all　this　by　nightfall。　Where　were　we。。。？'
　So　in　fact；　reflected　Bond　feverishly；　this　was　not　only　a　Goldfinger　operation　with　SMERSH　in　the　background。　SMERSH　had　even　got　the　High　Praesidium　to　play。　This　was　Russia　versus　America　with　Goldfinger　as　the　spearhead！　Was　it　an　act　of　war　to　steal　something　from　another　country？　But　who　would　know　that　Russia　had　the　gold？　No　one；　if　the　plan　went　off　as　Goldfinger　intended。　None　of　the　gangsters　had　an　inkling。　To　them　Goldfinger　was　just　another　of　them；　another　gangster；　slightly　larger　than　life…size。　And　Goldfinger's　staff；　his　drivers　for　the　golden　convoy　to　the　coast？　Bond　himself；　and　Tilly　Masterton？　Some　would　be　killed；　including　him　and　the　girl。　Some；　the　Koreans　for　instance；　would　no　doubt　sail　in　the　cruiser。　Not　a　trace　would　be　left；　not　a　witness。　It　was　modern　piracy　with　all　the　old…time　trimmings。　Goldfinger　was　sacking　Fort　Knox　as　Bloody　Morgan　had　saked　Panama。　There　。was　no　difference　except　that　the　weapons　and　the　techniques　had　been　brought　up　to　date。
　And　there　was　only　one　man　in　the　whole　world　who　could　stop　it。　But　how？
　The　next　day　was　an　unending　blizzard　of　paper…work。　Every　half…hour　a　note　would　e　in　from　Goldfinger's　operations　room　asking　for　schedules　of　this；　copies　of　that；　estimates；　timetables；　lists　of　stores。　Another　typewriter　was　brought　in；　maps；　reference　books　…　anything　that　Bond　re　quisitioned。　But　not　once　did　Oddjob　relax　the　extreme　care　with　which　he　opened　the　door　to　Bond's　knock；　not　once　did　his　watchful　eyes　wander　from　Bond's　eyes；　hands；　feet　when　he　came　into　the　room　to　bring　meals　or　notes　or　supplies。　There　was　no　question　of　Bond　and　the　girl　being　part　of　the　team。　They　were　dangerous　slaves　and　nothing　else。
　Tilly　Masterton　was　equally　reserved。　She　worked　like　a　machine　…　quick；　willing；　accurate；　but　unmunicative。　She　responded　with　cool　politeness　to　Bond's　early　a