if.moonraker-第23部分

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ere　was　no　pocketbook　and　no　papers。　The　only　objects　of　interest　were　a　bunch　of　skeleton　keys；　a　spring　knife　with　a　well…sharpened　stiletto　blade；　and　an　obscene　little　truss…shaped　black　leather　cosh。　Bond　pocketed　these　and　then　went　to　his　bedside　table　and　fetched　the　untouched　bottle　of　Vichy　water。
　It　took　five　minutes　to　revive　Krebs　and　get　him　into　a　sitting　position　with　his　back　to　the　dressing…table　and　another　five　for　him　to　be　capable　of　speaking。　Gradually　the　colour　came　back　to　his　face　and　the　craftiness　to　his　eyes。
　〃I　answer　no　questions　except　to　Sir　Hugo；〃　he　said　as　Bond　started　the　interrogation。　〃You　have　no　right　to　question　me。　I　was　doing　my　duty。〃　His　voice　was　surly　and　assured。
　Bond　took　the　empty　Vichy　bottle　by　the　neck。　〃Think　again；〃　he　said。　〃Or　I'll　beat　the　daylight　out　of　you　until　this　breaks　and　then　use　the　neck　for　some　plastic　surgery。　Who　told　you　to　go　over　my　room？〃
　〃Leck　mich　am　Arsch。〃　Krebs　spat　the　obscene　insult　at　him。
　Bond　bent　down　and　cracked　him　sharply　across　the　shins。
　Krebs's　body　cringed；　but；　as　Bond　raised　his　arm　again；　he　suddenly　shot　up　from　the　floor　and　dived　under　the　descending　bottle。　The　blow　caught　him　hard　on　the　shoulder；　but　it　didn't　check　his　momentum　and　he　was　out　of　the　door　and　halfway　down　the　corridor　before　Bond　started　in　pursuit。
　Bond　stopped　outside　the　door　and　watched　the　flying　figure　swerve　down　the　stairs　and　out　of　sight。　Then；　as　he　heard　the　scurrying　squeak　of　the　rubber…soled　shoes　as　they　fled　down　the　stairs　and　across　the　hall；　he　laughed　abruptly　to　himself　and　went　back　into　his　room　and　locked　the　door。　Short　of　beating　the　man's　brains　out　it　hadn't　looked　as　if　he　would　get　much　out　of　Krebs。　He　had　given　him　something　to　think　about。　Crafty　little　brute。　His　injuries　couldn't　have　been　so　bad　after　all。　Well；　it　would　be　up　to　Drax　to　punish　him。　Unless；　of　course；　Krebs　had　been　carrying　out　Drax's　orders。
　Bond　cleaned　up　the　mess　in　his　room　and　sat　down　on　his　bed　and　gazed　at　the　opposite　wall　with　unseeing　eyes。　It　had　not　been　only　instinct　that　had　made　him　tell　Drax　he　was　going　to　the　firing　point　instead　of　to　the　house。　It　had　seriously　crossed　his　mind　that　the　snooping　of　Krebs　was　on　Drax's　orders；　and　that　Drax　ran　his　own　security　system。　And　yet　how　did　that　tally　with　the　deaths　of　Tallon　and　Bartsch？　Or　had　the　double　killing　been　a　coincidence　unrelated　to　the　marks　on　the　chart　and　the　fingerprints　of　Krebs？
　As　if　summoned　by　his　thoughts；　there　came　a　knock　on　the　door　and　the　butler　came　in。　He　was　followed　by　a　police　sergeant　in　road　patrol　uniform　who　saluted　and　handed　Bond　a　telegram。　Bond　took　it　over　to　the　window。　It　was　signed　Baxter；　which　meant　Vallance；　and　it　read　：
　FIRSTLY　CALL　WAS　FROM　HOUSE　SECONDLY　FOG　REQUIRED　OPERATION　OF　FOGHORN　SO　SHIP　HEARD　MA　OBSERVED　NOTHING　THIRDLY　YOUR　PASS　RECKONING　TOO　NEAR　SHORE　THUS　OUT　OF　SIGHT　OF　SAINT　MARGARETS　OR　DEAL　COASTGUARD　ENDS。
　〃Thank　you；〃　said　Bond。　〃No　answer。〃
　When　the　door　was　closed　Bond　put　his　lighter　to　the　telegram　and　dropped　it　in　the　fireplace；　scuffing　the　charred　remains　into　powder　with　the　sole　of　his　shoe。
　Nothing　much　there　except　that　Tallon's　call　to　the　Ministry　might　indeed　have　been　heard　by　someone　in　the　house；　which　might　have　resulted　in　the　search　of　his　room；　which　might　have　resulted　in　his　death。　But　what　about　Bartsch？　If　all　this　was　part　of　something　much　bigger　how　could　it　be　linked　up　with　an　attempt　to　sabotage　the　rocket？　Wasn't　it　much　simpler　to　conclude　that　Krebs　was　a　natural　snooper；　or　more　likely　that　he　was　operating　for　Drax；　who　seemed　to　be　meticulously　security…conscious　and　who　might　want　to　be　sure　of　the　loyalty　of　his　secretary；　of　Tallon；　and　certainly；　after　their　encounter　at　Blades；　of　Bond？　Wasn't　it　just　acting　like　the　chief　（and　Bond　had　known　many　of　them　who　would　fit　the　picture）　of　some　super…secret　project　during　the　war　who　had　reinforced　official　security　with　his　own　private　spy　system？
　If　that　theory　was　correct　there　only　remained　the　double　killing。　Now　that　Bond　had　caught　the　magic　and　the　tension　of　the　Moonraker　the　facts　of　the　hysterical　shooting　seemed　more　reasonable。　As　for　the　mark　on　the　chart；　that　might　have　been　made　any　day　in　the　past　year；　the　night…glasses　were　just　night…glasses　and　the　moustaches　on　the　men　were　just　a　lot　of　moustaches。
　Bond　sat　on　in　the　silent　room；　shifting　the　pieces　in　the　jigsaw　so　that　two　entirely　different　pictures　alternated　in　his　mind。　In　one　the　sun　shone　and　all　was　clear　and　innocent　as　the　day。　The　other　was　a　dark　confusion　of　guilty　motives；　obscure　suspicions；　and　nightmare　queries。
　When　the　gong　sounded　for　lunch　he　still　did　not　know　which　picture　to　choose。　To　shelve　a　decision　he　cleared　his　mind　of　everything　but　the　prospect　of　his　afternoon　alone　with　Gala　Brand。
　
　CHAPTER　XVI
　
　A　GOLDEN　DAY
　
　IT　WAS　a　wonderful　afternoon　of　blue　and　green　and　gold。　When　they　left　the　concrete　apron　through　the　guard…gate　near　the　empty　firing…point；　now　connected　by　a　thick　cable　with　the　launching　site；　they　stopped　for　a　moment　on　the　edge　of　the　great　chalk　cliff　and　stood　gazing　over　the　whole　corner　of　England　where　Caesar　had　first　landed　two　thousand　years　before。
　To　their　left　the　carpet　of　green　turf；　bright　with　small　wildflowers；　sloped　gradually　down　to　the　long　pebble　beaches　of　Walmer　and　Deal；　which　curved　off　towards　Sandwich　and　the　Bay。　Beyond；　the　cliffs　of　Margate；　showing　white　through　the　distant　haze　that　hid　the　North　Foreland；　guarded　the　grey　scar　of　Manston　aerodrome　above　which　American　Thunderjets　wrote　their　white　scribbles〃　in　the　sky。　Then　came　the　Isle　of　Thanet　and；　out　of　sight；　the　mouth　of　the　Thames。
　It　was　low　tide　and　the　Goodwins　were　golden　and　tender　in　the　sparkling　blue　of　the　Straits　with　only　the　smattering　of　masts　and　spars　that　stretched　along　their　length　to　tell　the　true　story。　The　white　lettering　on　the　South　Goodwins　Lightship　was　easy　to　read　and　even　the　name　of　her　sister　ship　to　the　north　showed　white　against　the　red　of　her　hull。　Between　the　sands　of　the　coast；　along　the　twelve…fathom　channel　of　the　Inner　Leads；　there　were　half　a　dozen　ships　beating　up　through　the　Downs；　the　thud　of　their　engines　ing　clearly　off　the　quiet　sea；　and　between　the　evil　sands　and　the　sharp　outline　of　the　French　coast　there　were　ships　of　all　registries　going　about　their　business…liners；　merchantmen；　ungainly　Dutch　schuyts；　and　even　a　slim　corvette　hastening　down　south；　perhaps　to　Portsmouth。　As　far　as　the　eye　could　reach　the　Eastern　Approaches　of　England　were　dotted　with　traffic　plying　towards　near　or　distant　horizons；　towards　a　home　port；　or　towards　the　other　side　of　the　world。　It　was　a　panorama　full　of　colour　and　excitement　and　romance　and　the　two　people　on　the　edge　of　the　cliff　were　silent　as　they　stood　for　a　time　and　watched　it　all。
　The　peace　was　broken　by　two　blasts　on　the　siren　from　the　house　and　they　turned　to　gaze　back　at　the　ugly　concrete　world　that　had　been　cleaned　out　of　their　minds。　As　they　watched；　a　red　flag　was　broken　out　above　the　dome　of　the　launching　site　and　two　RAF　crash…wagons　with　red　crosses　on　their　sides　rolled　out　of　the　trees　to　the　edge　of　the　blast…wall　and　pulled　up。
　〃Fuelling's　going　to　begin；〃　said　Bond。　〃Let's　get　on　with　our　walk。　There'll　be　nothing　to　see　and　if　there　happened　to　be　something　we　probably　wouldn't　survive　it　at　this　range。〃
　She　smiled　at　him。　〃Yes；〃　she　said。　〃And　I'm　sick　of　the　sight　of　all　this　concrete。〃
　They　walked　on　down　the　gentle　slope　and　were　soon　out　of　sight　of　the　firing　point　and　the　high　wire　fence。
　The　ice　of　Gala's　reserve　melted　quickly　in　the　sunshine。
　The　exotic　gaiety　of　her　clothes；　a　black　and　white　striped　cotton　shirt　tucked　into　a　wide　hand…stitched　black　leather　belt　above　a　medium　length　skirt　in　shocking　pink；　seemed　to　have　infected　her；　and　it　was　impossible　for　Bond　to　recognize　the　chill　woman　of　the　night　before　in　the　girl　who　now　walked　beside　him　and　laughed　happily　at　his　ignorance　of　the　names　of　the　wildflowers；　the　samphire；　Viper's　bug…loss；　and　fumitory　round　their　feet。
　Triumphantly　she　found　a　bee　orchis　and　picked　it。
　〃You　wouldn't　do　that　if　you　knew　that　flowers　scream　when　they　are　picked；〃　said　Bond。
　Gala　looked　at　him。　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　she　asked；　suspecting　a　joke。
　〃Didn't　you　know？〃　He　smiled　at　her　reaction。　〃There's　an　Indian　called　Professor　Bhose；　who's　written　a　treatise　on　the　nervous　system　of　flowers。　He　measured　their　reaction　to　pain。　He　even　recorded　the　scream　of　a　rose　being　picked。　It　must　be　one　of　the　most　heartrending　sounds　in　the　world。　I　heard　something　like　it　as　you　picked　that　flower。〃
　〃I　don't　believe　it；〃　she　said；　looking　suspiciously　at　the　torn　root。　〃Anyway；〃　she　said　maliciously；　〃I　wouldn't　have　thought　you　were　a　person　to　get　sentimental。　Don't　people　in　your　section　of　the　Service　make　a　business　of　killing？　And　not　just　flowers　either。　People。〃
　〃Flowers　can't　shoot　back；〃　said　Bond。
　She　looked　at　the　orchis。　〃Now　you've　made　me　feel　like　a　murderer。　It's　very　unkind　of　you。　But；〃　she　admitted　reluctantly；　〃I　shall　have　to　find　out　about　this　Indian　and　if　you're　right　I　shall　never　pick　a　flower　again　as　long　as　I　live。　What　am　I　to　going　to　do　with　this　one？　You　make　me　feel　it's　bleeding　all　over　my　hands。〃
　〃Give　it　to　me；〃　said　Bond。　〃According　to　you；　my　hands　are　dripping　with　blood　already。　A　little　more　won't　hurt。〃
　She　handed　it　to　him　and　their　hands　touched。　〃You　can　stick　it　in　the　muzzle　of　your　revolver；〃　she　said　to　cover　the　flash　of　contact。
　Bond　laughed。　〃So　the　eyes　aren't　only　for　decoration；〃　he　said。　〃Anyway　it's　an　automatic　and　I　left　it　in　my　room。〃　He　drew　the　stalk　of　the　flower　through　one　of　the　button　holes　in　his　blue　cotton　shirt。　〃I　thought　a　shoulder…holster　would　look　a　bit　conspicuous　without　a　coat　to　cover　it。　And　I　don't　think　anyone　will　be　going　over　my　room　this　afternoon。〃
　By　tacit　agreement　they　edged　away　from　the　moment　of　warmth。　Bond　told　her　of　his　discovery　of　Krebs　and　of　the　scene　in　his　bedroom。
　〃Serves　him　right；〃　she　said。　〃I've　never　trusted　him。　But　what　did　Sir　Hugo　say？〃
　〃I　had