if.moonraker-第12部分

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　Drax　got　slowly　to　his　feet。　He　stood　away　from　his　chair　and　ran　a　hand　through　his　wet　red　hair。　The　colour　came　slowly　back　into　his　face　and　with　it　an　expression　of　cunning。　He　glanced　down　at　Bond　and　there　was　in　his　good　eye　a　contemptuous　triumph　which　Bond　found　curiously　disturbing。
　He　turned　to　the　table。　〃Good　night；　gentlemen；〃　he　said；　looking　at　each　of　them　with　the　same　oddly　scornful　expression。　〃I　owe　about　￡15；000。　I　will　accept　Meyer's　addition。〃
　He　leant　forward　and　picked　up　his　cigarette…case　and　lighter。
　Then　he　looked　again　at　Bond　and　spoke　very　quietly；　the　red　moustache　lifting　slowly　from　the　splayed　upper　teeth。　〃I　should　spend　the　money　quickly；　mander　Bond；〃　he　said。
　Then　he　turned　away　from　the　table　and　walked　swiftly　out　of　the　room。
　
　PART　TWO：　TUESDAY；　WEDNESDAY
　
　CHAPTER　VIII
　
　THE　RED　TELEPHONE
　
　ALTHOUGH　HE　had　not　got　to　bed　until　two；　Bond　walked　into　his　headquarters　punctually　at　ten　the　next　morning。　He　was　feeling　dreadful。　As　well　as　acidity　and　liver　as　a　result　of　drinking　nearly　two　whole　bottles　of　champagne；　he　had　a　touch　of　the　melancholy　and　spiritual　deflation　that　were　partly　the　after…effects　of　the　benzedrine　and　partly　reaction　to　the　drama　of　the　night　before。
　When　he　went　up　in　the　lift　towards　another　routine　day；　the　bitter　taste　of　the　midnight　hours　was　still　with　him。
　After　Meyer　had　scuttled　thankfully　off　to　bed；　Bond　had　taken　the　two　packs　of　cards　out　of　the　pockets　of　his　coat　and　had　put　them　on　the　table　in　front　of　Basildon　and　M。　One　was　the　blue　pack　that　Drax　had　cut　to　him　and　that　he　had　pocketed；　substituting　instead；　under　cover　of　his　handkerchief；　the　stacked　blue　pack　in　his　right…hand　pocket。　The　other　was　the　stacked　red　pack　in　his　left…hand　pocket　which　had　not　been　needed。
　He　fanned　the　red　pack　out　on　the　table　and　showed　M。　and　Basildon　that　it　would　have　produced　the　same　freak　grand　slam　that　had　defeated　Drax。
　〃It's　a　famous　Culbertson　hand；〃　he　explained。　〃He　used　it　to　spoof　his　own　quick…trick　conventions。　I　had　to　doctor　a　red　and　a　blue　pack。　Couldn't　know　which　colour　I　would　be　dealing　with。〃
　〃Well；　it　certainly　went　with　a　bang；〃　said　Basildon　gratefully。　〃I　expect　he'll　put　two　and　two　together　and　either　stay　away　or　play　straight　in　future。　Expensive　evening　for　him。　Don't　let's　have　any　arguments　about　your　winnings；〃　he　added。　〃You've　done　everyone…and　particularly　Drax…a　good　turn　tonight。　Things　might　have　gone　wrong。　Then　it　would　have　been　your　fingers　that　would　have　got　burned。　Cheque　will　reach　you　on　Saturday。〃
　They　had　said　good…night　and　Bond；　in　a　mood　of　anticlimax；　had　gone　off　to　bed。　He　had　taken　a　mild　sleeping　pill　to　try　and　clear　his　mind　of　the　bizarre　events　of　the　evening　and　prepare　himself　for　the　morning　and　the　office。　Before　he　slept　he　reflected；　as　he　had　often　reflected　in　other　moments　of　triumph　at　the　card　table；　that　the　gain　to　the　winner　is；　in　some　odd　way；　always　less　than　the　loss　to　the　loser。
　When　he　closed　the　door　behind　him　Loelia　Ponsonby　looked　curiously　at　the　dark　shadows　under　his　eyes。　He　noticed　the　glance；　as　she　had　intended。
　He　grinned。　〃Partly　work　and　partly　play；〃　he　explained。　〃In　strictly　masculine　pany；〃　he　added。　〃And　thanks　very　much　for　the　benzedrine。　It　really　was　badly　needed。　Hope　I　didn't　interfere　with　your　evening？〃
　〃Of　course　not；〃　she　said；　thinking　of　the　dinner　and　the　library　book　she　had　abandoned　when　Bond　telephoned。　She　looked　down　at　her　shorthand　pad。　〃The　Chief　of　Staff　telephoned　half　an　hour　ago。　He　said　that　M。　would　be　wanting　you　today。　He　couldn't　say　when。　I　told　him　that　you've　got　Unarmed　bat　at　three　and　he　said　to　cancel　it。　That's　all；　except　the　dockets　left　over　from　yesterday。〃
　〃Thank　heavens；〃　said　Bond。　〃I　couldn't　have　stood　being　thrown　about　by　that　dam'　mando　chap　today。　Any　news　of　008？〃
　〃Yes；〃　she　said。　〃They　say　he's　all　right。　He's　been　moved　to　the　military　hospital　at　Wahnerheide。　Apparently　it's　only　shock。〃
　Bond　knew　what　'shock'　might　mean　in　his　profession。　〃Good；〃　he　said　without　conviction。　He　smiled　at　her　and　went　into　his　office　and　closed　the　door。
　He　walked　decisively　round　his　desk　to　the　chair；　sat　down；　and　pulled　the　top　file　towards　him。　Monday　was　gone。　This　was　Tuesday。　A　new　day。　Closing　his　mind　to　his　headache　and　to　thoughts　about　the　night；　he　lit　a　cigarette　and　opened　the　brown　folder　with　the　Top　Secret　red　star　on　it。　It　was　a　memorandum　from　the　Office　of　the　Chief　Preventive　Officer　of　the　United　States　Customs　Branch　and　it　was　headed　The　Inspectoscope。
　He　focused　his　eyes。
　'The　Inspectoscope；'　he　read；　'is　an　instrument　using　fluoroscopic　principles　for　the　detection　of　contraband。　It　is　manufactured　by　the　Sicular　Inspectoscope　pany　of　San　Francisco　and　is　widely　used　in　American　prisons　for　the　secret　detection　of　metal　objects　concealed　in　the　clothing　or　on　the　person　of　criminals　and　prison　visitors。　It　is　also　used　in　the　detection　of　IDE　（Illicit　Diamond　Buying）　and　diamond　smuggling　in　the　diamond　fields　of　Africa　and　Brazil。　The　instrument　costs　seven　thousand　dollars；　is　approximately　eight　feet　long　by　seven　feet　high　and　weighs　nearly　three　tons。　It　requires　two　trained　operators。　Experiments　have　been　made　with　this　instrument　in　the　customs　hall　of　the　International　Airport　at　Idlewild　with　the　following　results。。。'
　Bond　skipped　two　pages　containing　details　of　a　number　of　petty　smuggling　cases　and　studied　the　'Summary　of　Conclusions'　from　which　he　deduced；　with　some　irritation；　that　he　would　have　to　think　of　some　place　other　than　his　armpit　for　carrying　his　。25　Beretta　the　next　time　he　travelled　abroad。　He　made　a　mental　note　to　discuss　the　problem　with　the　Technical　Devices　Section。
　He　ticked　and　initialled　the　distribution　slip　and　automatically　reached　for　the　next　folder　entitled　Philopon。　A　Japanese　murder…drug。
　'Philopon'；　his　mind　was　trying　to　wander　and　he　dragged　it　sharply　back　to　the　typewritten　pages。
　'Philopon　is　the　chief　factor　in　the　increase　in　crime　in　Japan。　According　to　the　Welfare　Ministry　there　are　now　1；500；000　addicts　in　the　country；　of　whom　one　million　are　under　the　age　of　20；　and　the　Tokyo　Metropolitan　Police　attribute　70　per　cent　of　juvenile　crime　to　the　influences　of　the　drug。
　'Addiction；　as　in　the　case　of　marijuana　in　the　United　States；　begins　with　one　〃shot〃。　The　effect　is　〃stimulating〃　and　the　drug　is　habit…forming。　It　is　also　cheap…about　ten　yen　（sixpence）　a　shot…and　the　addict　rapidly　increases　his　shots　to　the　neighbourhood　of　one　hundred　a　day。　In　these　quantities　the　addiction　bees　expensive　and　the　victim　automatically　turns　to　crime　to　pay　for　the　drug。　That　the　crime　often　includes　physical　assault　and　murder　is　due　to　a　peculiar　property　of　the　drug。　It　induces　an　acute　persecution　plex　in　the　addict　who　bees　prey　to　the　illusion　that　people　want　to　kill　him　and　that　he　is　always　being　followed　with　harmful　intent。　He　will　turn　with　his　feet　and　fists；　or　with　a　razor；　on　a　stranger　in　the　streets　who　he　thinks　has　scrutinized　him　offensively。　Less　advanced　addicts　tend　to　avoid　an　old　friend　who　has　reached　the　one　hundred　shots　a　day　dosage；　and　this　of　course　merely　increases　his　feeling　of　persecution。
　'In　this　way　murder　bees　an　act　of　self…defence；　virtuous　and　justified；　and　it　will　readily　be　seen　what　a　dangerous　weapon　it　can　bee　in　the　handling　and　direction　of　organized　crime　by　a　〃master…mind〃。
　Thilopon　has　been　traced　as　the　motive　power　behind　the　notorious　Bar　Mecca　murder　case　and　as　a　result　of　that　unpleasant　affair　the　police　rounded　up　more　than　5000　purveyors　of　the　drug　in　a　matter　of　weeks。
　'As　usual　Korean　nationals　are　being　blamed。。。〃
　Suddenly　Bond　rebelled。　What　the　hell　was　he　doing　reading　all　this　stuff？　When　would　he　conceivably　require　to　know　about　a　Japanese　murder…drug　called　Philopon？
　Inattentively　he　skimmed　through　the　remaining　pages；　ticked　himself　off　the　distribution　slip；　and　threw　the　docket　into　his　out…tray。
　His　headache　was　still　sitting　over　his　right　eye　as　if　it　had　been　nailed　there。　He　opened　one　of　the　drawers　of　his　desk　and　took　out　a　bottle　of　Phensic。　He　considered　asking　his　secretary　for　a　glass　of　water；　but　he　disliked　being　cossetted。　With　distaste　he　crunched　two　tablets　between　his　teeth　and　swallowed　down　the　harsh　powder。
　Then　he　lit　a　cigarette　and　got　up　and　stood　by　the　window。　He　looked　across　the　green　panorama　far　below　him　and；　without　seeing　it；　let　his　eyes　wander　aimlessly　along　the　jagged　horizon　of　London　while　his　mind　focused　on　the　strange　events　of　the　night　before。
　And　the　more　he　thought　about　it；　the　stranger　it　all　seemed。
　Why　should　Drax；　a　millionaire；　a　public　hero；　a　man　with　a　unique　position　in　the　country；　why　should　this　remarkable　man　cheat　at　cards？　What　could　he　achieve　by　it？　What　could　he　prove　to　himself？　Did　he　think　that　he　was　so　much　a　law　unto　himself；　so　far　above　the　mon　herd　and　their　puny　canons　of　behaviour　that　he　could　spit　in　the　face　of　public　opinion？
　Bond's　mind　paused。　Spit　in　their　faces。　That　just　about　described　his　manner　at　Blades。　The　bination　of　superiority　and　scorn。　As　if　he　was　dealing　with　human　muck　so　far　beneath　contempt　that　there　was　no　need　to　put　up　even　a　pretence　of　decent　behaviour　in　its　pany。
　Presumably　Drax　enjoyed　gambling。　Perhaps　it　eased　the　tensions　in　him；　the　tensions　that　showed　in　his　harsh　voice；　his　nail…biting；　the　constant　sweating。　But　he　mustn't　lose。　It　would　be　contemptible　to　lose　to　these　inferior　people。　So；　at　whatever　risk；　he　must　cheat　his　way　to　victory。　As　for　the　possibility　of　detection；　presumably　he　thought　that　he　could　bluster　his　way　out　of　any　corner。　If　he　thought　about　it　at　all。　And　people　with　obsessions；　reflected　Bond；　were　blind　to　danger。　They　even　courted　it　in　a　perverse　way。　Kleptomaniacs　would　try　to　steal　more　and　more　difficult　objects。　Sex　maniacs　would　parade　their　importunities　as　if　they　were　longing　to　be　arrested。　Pyromaniacs　often　made　no　attempt　to　avoid　being　linked　with　their　fire…raising。
　But　what　obsession　was　it　that　was　consuming　this　man？　What　was　the　origin　of　the　pulsive　urge　that　was　driving　him　down　the　steep