if.moonraker-第3部分

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eon　landed　on　one　of　the　window…sills　with　a　clatter　of　wings　and　quickly　took　off　again。
　Bond　tried　to　read　something　in　the　weatherbeaten　face　he　knew　so　well　and　which　held　so　much　of　his　loyalty。　But　the　grey　eyes　were　quiet　and　the　little　pulse　that　always　beat　high　up　on　the　right　temple　when　M。　was　tense　showed　no　sign　of　life。
　Suddenly　Bond　suspected　that　M。　was　embarrassed。　He　had　the　feeling　that　M。　didn't　know　where　to　begin。　Bond　wanted　to　help。　He　shifted　in　his　chair　and　took　his　eyes　off　M。　He　looked　down　at　his　hands　and　idly　picked　at　a　rough　nail。
　M。　lifted　his　eyes　from　his　pipe　and　cleared　his　throat。
　〃Got　anything　particular　on　at　the　moment；　James？〃　he　asked　in　a　neutral　voice。
　'James。'　That　was　unusual。　It　was　rare　for　M。　to　use　a　Christian　name　in　this　room。
　〃Only　paper…work　and　the　usual　courses；〃　said　Bond。　〃Anything　you　want　me　for；　sir？〃
　〃As　a　matter　of　fact　there　is；〃　said　M。　He　frowned　at
　Bond。　〃But　it's　really　got　nothing　to　do　with　the　Service。　Almost　a　personal　matter。　Thought　you　might　give　me　a　hand。〃
　〃Of　course；　sir；〃　said　Bond。　He　was　relieved　for　M。's　sake　that　the　ice　had　been　broken。　Probably　one　of　the　old　man's　relations　had　got　into　trouble　and　M。　didn't　want　to　ask　a　favour　of　Scotland　Yard。　Blackmail；　perhaps。　Or　drugs。　He　was　pleased　that　M。　should　have　chosen　him。　Of　course　he　would　take　care　of　it。　M。　was　such　a　desperate　stickler　about　Government　property　and　personnel。　Using　Bond　on　a　personal　matter　must　have　seemed　to。　him　like　stealing　the　Government's　money。
　〃Thought　you'd　say　so；〃　said　M。；　gruffly。　〃Won't　take　up　much　of　your　time。　An　evening　ought　to　be　enough。〃　He　paused。　〃Well　now；　you've　heard　of　this　man　Sir　Hugo　Drax？〃
　〃Of　course；　sir；〃　said　Bond；　surprised　at　the　name。　〃You　can't　open；　a　paper　without　reading　something　about　him。　Sunday　Express　is　running　his　life。　Extraordinary　story。〃
　〃I　know；〃　said　M。　shortly。　〃Just　give　me　the　facts　as　you　see　them。　I'd　like　to　know　if　your　version　tallies　with　mine。〃　Bond　gazed　out　of　the　window　for　a　moment　to　marshal　his　thoughts。　M。　didn't　like　haphazard　talk。　He　liked　a　fully　detailed　story　with　no　um…ing　and　er…ing。　No　afterthoughts　or　hedging。
　〃Well；　sir；〃　said　Bond　finally。　〃For　one　thing　the　man's　a　national　hero。　The　public　have　taken　to　him。　I　suppose　he's　in　much　the　same　class　as　Jack　Hobbs　or　Gordon　Richards。　They've　got　a　real　feeling　for　him。　They　consider　he's　one　of　them；　but　a　glorified　version。　A　sort　of　superman。　He's　not　much　to　look　at；　with　all　those　scars　from　his　war　injuries；　and　he's　a　bit　loud…mouthed　and　ostentatious。　But　they　rather　like　that。　Makes　him　a　sort　of　Lonsdale　figure；　but　more　in　their　class。　They　like　his　friends　calling　him　'Hugger'　Drax。　It　makes　him　a　bit　of　a　card　and　I　expect　it　gives　the　women　a　thrill。　And　then　when　you　think　what　he's　doing　for　the　country；　out　of　his　own　pocket　and　far　beyond　what　any　government　seems　to　be　able　to　do；　it's　really　extraordinary　that　they　don't　insist　on　making　him　Prime　Minister。〃
　Bond　saw　the　cold　eyes　getting　chillier；　but　he　was　determined　not　to　let　his　admiration　for　Drax's　achievements　be　dampened　by　the　older　man。　〃After　all；　sir；〃　he　continued　reasonably；　〃it　looks　as　if　he's　made　this　country　safe　from　war　for　years。　And　he　can't　be　much　over　forty。　I　feel　the　same　as　most　people　about　him。　And　then　there's　all　this　mystery　about　his　real　identity。　I'm　not　surprised　people　feel　rather　sorry　for　him；　although　he　is　a　multi…millionaire。　He　seems　to　be　a　lonely　sort　of　man　in　spite　of　his　gay　life。〃
　M。　smiled　drily。　〃All　that　sounds　rather　like　a　trailer　for　the　Express　story。　He's　certainly　an　extrordinary　man。　But　what's　your　version　of　the　facts？　I　don't　expect　I　know　much　more　than　you　do。　Probably　less。　Don't　read　the　papers　very　carefully；　and　there　are　no　files　on　him　except　at　the　War　Office　and　they're　not　very　illuminating。　Now　then。　What's　the　gist　of　the　Express　story？〃
　〃Sorry；　sir；〃　said　Bond。　〃But　the　facts　are　pretty　slim。　Well；〃　he　looked　out　of　the　window　again　and　concentrated；　〃in　the　German　break…through　in　the　Ardennes　in　the　winter　of　'44；　the　Germans　made　a　lot　of　use　of　guerrillas　and　saboteurs。　Gave　them　the　rather　spooky　name　of　Werewolves。　They　did　quite　a　lot　of　damage　of　one　sort　or　another。　Very　good　at　camouflage　and　stay…behind　tricks　of　all　sorts　and　some　of　them　went　on　operating　long　after　Ardennes　had　failed　and　we　had　crossed　the　Rhine。　They　were　supposed　to　carry　on　even　when　we　had　overrun　the　country。　But　they　packed　up　pretty　quickly　when　things　got　really　bad。
　〃One　of　their　best　coups　was　to　blow　up　one　of　the　rear　liaison　HQs　between　the　American　and　British　armies。　Reinforcement　Holding　Units　I　think　they're　called。　It　was　a　mixed　affair；　all　kinds　of　Allied　personnel…American　signals；　British　ambulance　drivers…a　rather　shifting　group　from　every　sort　of　unit。　The　Werewolves　somehow　managed　to　mine　the　mess…hall　and；　when　it　blew；　it　took　with　it　quite　a　lot　of　the　field　hospital　as　well。　Killed　or　wounded　over　a　hundred。　Sorting　out　all　the　bodies　was　the　hell　of　a　business。　One　of　the　English　bodies　was　Drax。　Half　his　face　was　blown　away。　Total　amnesia　that　lasted　a　year　and　at　the　end　of　that　time　they　didn't　know　who　he　was　and　nor　did　he。　There　were　about　twenty…five　other　unidentified　bodies　that　neither　we　nor　the　Americans　could　sort　out。　Either　not　enough　bits；　or　perhaps　people　in　transit；　or　there　without　authorization。　It　was　that　sort　of　a　unit。　Two　manding　officers；　of　course。　Sloppy　staff　work。　Lousy　records。　So　after　a　year　in　various　hospitals　they　took　Drax　through　the　War　Office　file　of　Missing　Men。　When　they　came　to　the　papers　of　a　no…next…of…kin　called　Hugo　Drax；　an　orphan　who　had　been　working　in　the　Liverpool　docks　before　the　war；　he　showed　signs　of　interest；　and　the　photograph　and　physical　description　seemed　to　tally　more　or　less　with　what　our　man　must　have　looked　like　before　he　was　blown　up。　From　that　time　he　began　to　mend。　He　started　to　talk　a　bit　about　simple　things　he　remembered；　and　the　doctors　got　very　proud　of　him。　The　War　Office　found　a　man　who　had　served　in　the　same　Pioneer　unit　as　this　Hugo　Drax　and　he　came　along　to　the　hospital　and　said　he　was　sure　the　man　was　Drax。　That　settled　it。　Advertising　didn't　produce　another　Hugo　Drax　and　he　was　finally　discharged　late　in　1945　in　that　name　with　back　pay　and　a　full　disability　pension。〃
　〃But　he　still　says　he　doesn't　really　know　who　he　is；〃　interrupted　M。　〃He's　a　member　of　Blades。　I've　often　played　cards　with　him　and　talked　to　him　afterwards　at　dinner。　He　says　he　sometimes　gets　a　strong　feeling　of　'having　been　there　before'。　Often　goes　to　Liverpool　to　try　and　hunt　up　his　past。　Anyway；　what　else？〃
　Bond's　eyes　were　turned　inwards；　remembering。　〃He　seems　to　have　disappeared　for　about　three　years　after　the　war；〃　he　said。　〃Then　the　City　started　to　hear　about　him　from　all　over　the　world。　The　Metal　Market　heard　about　him　first。　Seems　he'd　cornered　a　very　valuable　ore　called　Columbite。　Everybody　was　wanting　the　stuff。　It's　got　an　extraordinarily　high　melting　point。　Jet　engines　can't　be　made　without　it。　There's　very　little　of　it　in　the　world；　only　a　few　thousand　tons　are　produced　every　year；　mostly　as　a　by…product　of　the　Nigerian　tin　mines。　Drax　must　have　looked　at　the　Jet　Age　and　somehow　put　his　finger　on　its　main　scarcity。　He　must　have　got　hold　of　about　￡10；000　from　somewhere　because　the　Express　says　that　in　1946　he'd　bought　three　tons　of　Columbite；　which　cost　him　around　￡3000　a　ton。　He　got　a　￡5000　premium　on　this　lot　from　an　American　aircraft　firm　who　wanted　it　in　a　hurry。　Then　he　started　buying　futures　in　the　stuff；　six　months；　nine　months；　a　year　forward。　In　three　years　he'd　made　a　corner。　Anyone　who　wanted　Columbite　went　to　Drax　Metals　for　it。　All　this　time　he'd　been　playing　about　with　futures　in　other　small　modities…Shellac；　Sisal；　Black　Pepper…anything　where　you　could　build　up　a　big　position　on　margin。　Of　course　he　gambled　on　a　rising　modity　market　but　he　had　the　guts　to　keep　his　foot　right　down　on　the　pedal　even　when　the　pace　got　hot　as　hell。　And　whenever　he　took　a　profit　he　ploughed　the　money　back　again。　For　instance；　he　was　one　of　the　first　men　to　buy　up　used　ore…dumps　in　South　Africa。　Now　they're　being　re…mined　for　their　uranium　content。　Another　fortune　there。〃
　M's　quiet　eyes　were　fixed　on　Bond。　He　puffed　at　his　pipe；　listening。
　〃Of　course；〃　continued　Bond；　lost　in　his　story；　〃all　this　made　the　City　wonder　what　the　hell　was　going　on。　The　modity　brokers　kept　on　ing　across　the　name　of　Drax。　Whatever　they　wanted　Drax　had　got　it　and　was　holding　out　for　a　much　higher　price　than　they　were　prepared　to　pay。　He　operated　from　Tangier…free　port；　no　taxes；　no　currency　restrictions。　By　1950　he　was　a　multi…millionaire。　Then　he　came　back　to　England　and　started　spending　it。　He　simply　threw　it　about。　Best　houses；　best　cars；　best　women。　Boxes　at　the　Opera；　at　Goodwood。　Prize…winning　Jersey　herds。　Prize…winning　carnations。　Prize…winning…two…year…olds。　Two　yachts；　money　for　the　Walker　Cup　team；　￡100；000　for　the　Flood　Disaster　Fund；　Coronation　Ball　for　Nurses　at　the　Albert　Hall…there　wasn't　a　week　when　he　wasn't　hitting　the　headlines　with　some　splash　or　other。　And　all　the　time　he　went　on　getting　richer　and　the　people　simply　loved　it。　It　was　the　Arabian　Nights。　It　lit　up　their　lives。　If　a　wounded　soldier　from　Liverpool　could　get　there　in　five　years；　why　shouldn't　they　or　their　sons？　It　sounded　almost　as　easy　as　winning　a　gigantic　football　pool。
　〃And　then　came　his　astonishing　letter　to　the　Queen：　〃Your　Majesty；　may　I　have　the　temerity。。。'　and　the　typical　genius　of　the　single　banner…line　across　the　Express　next　day　：　TEMERITY　DRAX；　and　the　story　of　how　he　had　given　to　Britain　his　entire　holding　in　Columbite　to　build　a　super　atomic　rocket　with　a　range　that　would　cover　nearly　every　capital　in　Europe…the　immediate　answer　to　anyone　who　tried　to　atom…bomb　London。　￡　10；000；000　he　was　going　to　put　up　out　of　his　own　pocket；　and　he　had　the　design　of　the　thing　and　was　prepared　to　find　the　staff　to　build　it。
　〃And　then　there　were　months　of　delay　and　everyone　got　impatient。　Questions　in　the　House。　The　Opposition　nearly　forced　a　vote　of　Confidence。　And　then　the　announcement　by　the　Prime　Minister　that