johngardner.goldeneye-第13部分

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　Within　that　four　seconds；　a　further　three　clicks　would　disarm　the　thing。
　
　O　even　demonstrated　with　a　dummy　which　blew　apart　at　the　contained　explosion　from　the　device。
　
　〃The　pen　is　certainly　mightier　than　the　sword；　007。〃　It　was　the　nearest　Q　ever　got　to　a　joke；　and　Bond　looked　across　at　the　shattered　dummy；　remarking　that　the　writing　was　certainly　on　the　wall。
　
　He　looked　around　to　see　that　Q's　working　quarters　were；　as　usual；　full　of　strange　and　exotic　pieces　of　equipment。　　Eventually；　he　spotted　an　ornate　silver　tray　on　which　there　stood　a　large　plate　bearing　six　or　seven　inches　of　a　French　stick；　cut　in　two　and　filled　with　tomatoes；　onions　and　tuna。
　
　〃What's　that？〃　Bond　cocked　his　head　towards　the　tray。
　
　〃Quite　interesting　really。〃　Q　always　became　animated　when　you　asked　questions　about　his　more　plex　pieces。
　
　〃The　tray？〃　he　enquired　as　though　for　reassurance。
　
　〃The　tray；　yes。
　
　〃Ah。〃　Once　more　a　smile　for　Q。　〃That's　really　rather　good。　　Put　a　small　case　on　it；　or　an　envelope　containing　a　document；　like　the　one　you're　carrying。〃　He　plucked　the　thick　envelope　from　Bond's　hand；　dropping　it　on　the　tray。
　
　〃Now；　e　over　here。〃　He　indicated　that　Bond　should　follow　him　to　a　wall　monitor　which　showed　the　large　circle　of　the　plate　with　the　sausage　shapes　of　the　French　stick　poking　from　each　end。　　Now；　you　could　also　see　the　envelope。　　The　latter　was　not　simply　a　shape　any　more。　　It　was　possible　to　read　the　document　that　faced　downwards。
　
　〃See？〃　q　nodded。　　〃You　can　read　it　as　plain　as　the　nose　on　my　face。'　There；　quite　clearly　on　the　monitor　was　the　first　page　of　his　flight　tickets。　　Q　read　off　the　details　…　time　of　flight；　number；　number　of　Bond's　confirmed　seat。
　
　〃That's　amazing。〃　Bond　turned　back　to　the　tray　and　reached　out　for　the　French　stick。
　
　〃Don't　touch　that；　for　heaven's　sake！〃　Q　all　but　shrieked。
　
　Why；　what　is　it？〃
　〃That's　my　lunch。〃　In　all；　it　was　nearly　six　days　before　Bond　boarded　a　flight　to　St。　Petersburg。
　
　Natalya's　journey　was　a　nightmare。　　At　first　she　thought　she　had　been　lucky；　a　train　for　St。　Petersburg　arrived　at　the　little　country　halt　only　an　hour　after　she　had　got　there　and　sold　the　dog　team　and　sled　to　the　official　whose　job　it　was　to　be　present　for　every　train　that　passed　through。
　
　There　would　not　be　another　train　for　two　days；　he　told　her；　and　this　one　would　not　even　have　stopped　if　he　had　not　been　there　to　hang　out　the　lamps　and　go　through　the　usual　procedures。
　
　She　did　not　haggle　over　the　price　of　the　dogs；　selling　them　for　just　over　the　price　of　her　ticket。　　At　least　she　had　no　money　worries。
　
　Natalya　was　a　great　hoarder　of　cash；　and　as　they　were　paid　in　hard　currency　…　which　meant　dollars　…　she　knew　that　she　would　be　able　to　buy　clothes　and　almost　anything　else　she　needed　once　the　train　arrived　in　St。　Petersburg。　　A　day　later　and　she　thought　the　train　would　never　get　her　there。
　
　It　was　crowded　and　stank　of　unwashed　bodies。　　The　older　people　seemed　to　make　the　best　of　it'　but　some　of　the　young　people；　she　thought；　were　dangerous。　　They　looked　like　street　hoodlums　so　she　remained　for　the　most　part　in　the　one　big　car　which　had　the　most　elderly　people　sitting　out　the　endless　unfortable　trip。
　
　She　did　not　want　anyone　to　see　the　hard　currency；　or　even　the　official　papers　she　carried　which　not　only　showed　her　rank　as　a　puter　scientist；　but　also　the　fact　that　she　had　been　working　at　the　Severnaya　Station。　　While　still　on　her　way　by　dog　sled；　Natalya　had　e　to　the　conclusion　that　she　knew　far　too　much　for　her　own　good。
　
　She　knew　who　had　been　behind　what　had　happened　…　after　all　she　had　heard　everything　and　seen　the　results。
　
　Though　much　had　changed　in　Russia；　the　authorities　still　had　rights　to　search　a　suspected　person；　even　to　make　an　arrest　without　any　warrant。　They　still　spot　checked　hotels　and　rooming　houses。　　When　she　reached　St。　Petersburg　she　would　be　able　to　buy　clothes　and　other　personal　items。　She　would　be　able　to　eat；　but　she　had　nowhere　to　go；　and　it　was　going　to　be　dangerous。
　
　Natalya　was　more　than　certain　that　Boris　had　somehow　survived。　　If　he　had　e　through　the　holocaust　that　had　been　Severnaya　Station；　he　would　be　using　his　one　main　means　of　munication：　a　puter。　　Boris　was　not　the　most　pleasant　of　men；　but　he　did　have　a　brain　and　he　would　undoubtedly　be　watching　his　own　back。
　
　She　bought　tea　and　some　sausage　with　a　piece　of　black　bread　from　one　of　the　carts　which　travelled　up　and　down　the　train；　then；　after　eating；　she　tried　to　blot　out　all　her　worries　with　sleep；　but　she　dreamed　of　the　general　and　the　woman　colonel　she　had　glimpsed；　pursuing　her　down　endless　tunnels。
　
　Natalya　could　not　know　that　early　on　the　following　morning　her　situation　in　St。　Petersburg　was　to　bee　more　fragile。
　
　A　plenary　session　of　the　Russian　Defence　Council　was　due　to　take　place；　in　the　Winter　Palace　at　ten　in　the　morning；　and　the　members；　led　by　Defence　Minister　Viktor　Mishkin；　were　gathered　by　five　minutes　to　the　hour。
　
　Patiently　they　waited　for　the　one　missing　member。
　
　Mishkin　was　undeniably　annoyed；　pacing　the　huge　room　with　its　baroque　ceiling　and　high　windows；　then　going　to　the　table　again；　drumming　his　fingers　and　constantly　looking　at　his　watch。　　As　a　rule；　even　senior　officers　did　not　keep　the　Minister　of　Defence　waiting。
　
　He　thought　about　the　big　room　as　his　eyes　wandered　around。　　At　one　time；　he　considered；　the　last　Czar　of　all　the　Russias　had　walked　in　this　room。　His　children　had　probably　played　here。　　Mishkin　gave　an　involuntary　shudder。　　The　ghosts　of　murdered　Czar　Nicholas　and　his　family　seemed　to　be　everywhere。
　
　At　ten　minutes　past　the　hour　General　Ourumov　arrived；　looking　quite　calm　and　carrying　his　omnipresent　briefcase。
　
　Mishkin　wished　him　a　brief　and　surly　〃Good　morning；'　gesturing　him　to　take　his　usual　place　at　the　table。
　
　〃Please　deliver　your　report；　General；'　he　manded　before　Ourumov　had　even　got　to　his　seat。
　
　The　General；　in　an　act　which　was　almost　one　of　insubordination；　slowly　removed　his　greatcoat　and　opened　his　briefcase　to　draw　out　a　shiny　black　file　marked；　in　the　Cyrillic　alphabet；　SOVERSHENNOE　SEKRENTO。　　He　then　began　to　speak　rapidly　as　though　this　were　something　he　wanted　said　and　done　as　quickly　as　possible。
　
　〃As　this　Council　is　aware；　seventy…two　hours　ago；　a　secret　weapons　system　code…named　GoldenEye　was　detonated　over　the　Severnaya　Station。　As　head　of　the　Space　Division；　I　personally　undertook　the　investigation；　and　have　concluded　that　this　crime　was　mitted　by　Siberian　Separatists　seeking　to　create　further　political　unrest〃　He　paused；　looking　at　each　of　the　eight　members　of　the　Council　in　turn；　holding　their　eyes　in　his　before　he　continued。
　
　〃After　killing　all　personnel；　these　criminals　activated　the　weapon；　destroying　both　the　facility　and　any　record　of　their　identity。
　
　〃Regrettably；　the　peaceful　work；　together　with　the　much　needed　hard　currency　earnings；　of　Severnaya　has　now　been　set　back　by　several　years。　There　is　only　one　course　of　action　left　to　me。　　I　tender　my　resignation　as　of　this　moment。
　
　The　men　sitting　around　the　table　shook　their　heads；　some　of　them　brought　fists　down　hard　on　the　wood；　several　cried　〃No。　　No。〃　When　they　had　quietened；　Mishkin　turned　to　the　General　and　looked　him　up　and　down；　as　though　signifying　that；　as　far　as　he　was　concerned；　he　would　be　delighted　if　Ourumov　resigned。　　When　he　spoke；　his　voice　was　flat　and　showed　no　emotion。
　
　〃It　would　seem　that　the　Council　does　not；　after　all；　want　your　head；　Arkady　Grigorovich。　　Merely　your　loyal　assurance　that　there　are　no　other　GoldenEye　satellites。〃
　〃I　can　certainly　give　you　that　assurance；　Minister。〃
　〃Good。　　Now　what　of　the　two　missing　Severnaya　technicians？'　Ourumov　looked　flushed；　frightened　and　stunned。
　
　〃Minister　I　　…　I。〃　tripping　over　his　own　tongue。　　〃I　was　only　aware　of　one　missing。。。　er。。
　
　〃Two。〃　The　Minister　sounded　as　though　he　were　a　teacher　catching　out　some　pupil　in　a　lie。
　
　〃But；　I。
　
　Mishkin　held　up　a　hand　to　silence　the　general；　then　looked　down　at　his　papers。　　〃Our　people　have　searched　through　the　rubble。　　Bodies　have　been　identified　…　which　was　not　a　difficult　task　for　they　were　all　trapped　in　an　enclosed　area。　　Apart　from　the　military　guards；　of　course。〃
　〃Of　course；　Minister。　　But。
　
　〃Everyone　is　accounted　for　except　one　technician。
　
　Boris。。
　
　〃Grishenko；　Minister。　　I　have　his　name　here。
　
　Mishkin　glanced　up；　giving　Ourumov　a　withering　look。
　
　〃Boris　Grishenko；　and　one　other。　　A　woman；　it　appears。
　
　A　very　talented　Level　Two　puter　scientist　　Natalya　Fyodorovna　Simonova。
　
　〃Simonova？〃　Mishkin　nodded。　　〃As　I　say；　a　very　talented　young　woman。　Conversant　in　French；　Italian；　German　and　English。。。。
　
　〃Would　have　made　a　good　opera　singer。。。〃　Ourumov　sounded　angry　now。
　
　〃Also　fluent　in　four　different　puter　languages。
　
　〃Simonova？〃　Ourumov　repeated。
　
　〃That　is　what　the　body　count　shows。〃　Ourumov　took　in　a　deep　breath。　〃This　is　news　to　me；　Minister；　but　I'll　investigate　the　matter　personally　and　immediately。〃
　〃Good。〃　Mishkin's　silky　voice　became　a　shade　more　threatening。　　〃It　would；　I　think；　be　presumptuous；　General；　to　blame　this　incident　on　Siberian　Separatists　before　the　whereabouts　of　your　own　people　are　determined。　　Do　you　not　agree？〃
　〃Of　course；　Minister。　　Thank　you　for　bringing　it　to　my　attention。〃　Half…an…hour　later；　Ourumov　sat　in　his　office　in　the　Winter　Palace；　once　the　show　place　of　St。　Petersburg。　　He　spoke　urgently　on　the　telephone。　Already　he　had　alerted　security　forces；　the　police　who　controlled　the　area　around　Severnaya；　plus　the　agency　heads　in　all　major　cities。　　He　had　even　managed　to　get　a　photograph　of　Natalya　from　the　data　base　which　he　kept　for　his　personal　use。　　Now；　he　spoke　to　someone　else；　his　voice　dropping　to　a　purring　whisper。
　
　〃Her　name　is　Natalya　Simonova　the　one。　　You　know　her？〃　The　voice　at　the　other　end　of　the　line　acknowledged　that　he　knew　the　girl。
　
　〃If　we　run　her　to　earth；　I　want　you　to　keep　her　under　control。
　
　Kill　her　if　necessary。　　You　can　do　that　for　me？〃
　〃Do　it？　　It　would　be　a　pleasure；　General。〃
　〃Keep　in　touch。　　Remember　this　is　very　i