if.goldfinger-第13部分

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nd　by　far　the　major　defect　is　that　it　is　the　talisman　of　fear。　Fear；　Mr　Bond；　takes　gold　out　of　circulation　and　hoards　it　against　the　evil　day。　In　a　period　of　history　when　every　tomorrow　may　be　the　evil　day；　it　is　fair　enough　to　say　that　a　fat　proportion　of　the　gold　that　is　dug　out　of　one　corner　of　the　earth　is　at　once　buried　again　in　another　corner。'
　Bond　smiled　at　Colonel　Smithers's　eloquence。　This　man　lived　gold；　thought　gold；　dreamed　gold。　Well；　it　was　an　interesting　subject。　He　might　just　as　well　wallow　in　the　stuff。　In　the　days　when　Bond　had　been　after　the　diamond　smugglers　he　had　had　first　to　educate　himself　in　the　fascination；　the　myth　of　the　stones。　He　said；　'What　else　ought　I　to　know　before　we　get　down　to　your　immediate　problem？'
　'You're　not　bored？　Well；　you　were　suggesting　that　gold　production　was　so　vast　nowadays　that　it　ought　to　take　care　of　all　these　various　consumers。　Unfortunately　that　is　not　so。　In　fact　the　gold　content　of　the　world　is　being　worked　out。　You　may　think　that　large　areas　of　the　world　have　still　to　be　explored　for　gold。　You　would　be　mistaken。　Broadly　speaking；　there　only　remains　the　land　under　the　sea　and　the　sea　itself；　which　has　a　notable　gold　content。　People　have　been　scratching　the　surface　of　the　world　for　gold　for　thousands　of　years。　There　were　the　great　gold　treasures　of　Egypt　and　Mycenae；　Montezuma　and　the　Incas。　Croesus　and　Midas　emptied　the　Middle　Eastern　territories　of　gold。　Europe　was　worked　for　it　…　the　valleys　of　the　Rhine　and　the　Po；　Malaga　and　the　plains　of　Granada。　Cyprus　was　emptied；　and　the　Balkans。　India　got　the　fever。　Ants　ing　up　from　under　the　earth　carrying　grains　of　gold　led　the　Indians　to　their　alluvial　fields。　The　Romans　worked　Wales　and　Devon　and　Cornwall。　In　the　Middle　Ages　there　were　the　finds　in　Mexico　and　Peru。　These　were　followed　by　the　opening　up　of　the　Gold　Coast；　then　called　Negro…land；　and　after　that　came　the　Americas。　The　famous　gold　rushes　of　the　Yukon　and　Eldorado；　and　the　rich　strikes　at　Eureka　sounded　off　the　first　modern　Gold　Age。　Meanwhile；　in　Australia；　Bendigo　and　Ballarat　had　e　into　production；　and　the　Russian　deposits　at　Lena　and　in　the　Urals　were　making　Russia　the　largest　gold　producer　in　the　world　in　the　middle　of　die　nineteenth　century。　Then　came　the　second　modern　Gold　Age　…　the　discoveries　on　the　Wit…watersrand。　These　were　helped　by　the　new　method　of　cyanid…ing　instead　of　separation　of　the　gold　from　the　rock　by　mercury。　Today　we　are　in　the　third　Gold　Age　with　the　opening　up　of　the　Orange　Free　State　deposits。〃　Colonel　Smithers　threw　up　his　hands。　'Now；　gold　is　pouring　out　of　the　earth。　Why；　the　whole　production　of　the　Klondike　and　the　Home…stake　and　Eldorado；　which　were　once　the　wonder　of　the　world；　would　only　add　up　to　two　or　three　years　of　today's　production　from　Africa！　Just　to　show　you；　from　1500　to　1900；　when　approximate　figures　were　kept；　the　whole　world　produced　about　eighteen　thousand　tons　of　gold。　From　1900　to　today　we　have　dug　up　forty…one　thousand　tons！　At　this　rate；　Mr　Bond；'　Colonel　Smithers　leaned　forward　earnestly；　'　…　and　please　don't　quote　me　…　but　I　wouldn't　be　surprised　if　in　fifty　years'　time　we　have　not　totally　exhausted　the　gold　content　of　the　earth！'
　Bond；　smothered　by　this　cataract　of　gold　history；　found　no　difficulty　in　looking　as　grave　as　Colonel　Smithers。　He　said；　'You　certainly　make　a　fascinating　story　of　it。　Perhaps　the　position　isn't　as　bad　as　you　think。　They're　already　mining　oil　under　the　sea。　Perhaps　they'll　find　a　way　of　mining　gold。　Now；　about　this　smuggling。'
　The　telephone　rang。　Colonel　Smithers　impatiently　snatched　up　the　receiver。　'Smithers　speaking。'　He　listened；　irritation　growing　on　his　face。　'I'm　sure　I　sent　you　a　note　about　the　summer　fixtures；　Miss　Philby。　The　next　match　is　on　Saturday　against　the　Discount　Houses。'　He　listened　again。　〃Well；　if　Mrs　Flake　won't　play　goals；　I'm　afraid　she'll　have　to　stand　down。　It's　the　only　position　on　the　field　we've　got　for　her。　Everybody　can't　play　centre　forward。　Yes；　please　do。　Say　I'll　be　greatly　obliged　if　just　this　once。　I'm　sure　she'll　be　very　good　…　right　figure　and　all　that。　Thank　you；　Miss　Philby。'
　Colonel　Smithers　took　out　a　handkerchief　and　mopped　his　forehead。　'Sorry　about　that。　Sports　and　welfare　are　being　almost　too　much　of　a　fetish　at　the　Bank。　I've　just　had　the　women's　hockey　team　thrown　into　my　lap。　As　if　I　hadn't　got　enough　to　do　with　the　annual　gymkhana　ing　on。　How　ever'　…　Colonel　Smithers　waved　these　minor　irritations　aside　…　'as　you　say；　time　to　get　on　to　the　smuggling。　Well；　to　begin　with；　and　taking　only　England　and　the　sterling　area；　it's　a　very　big　business　indeed。　We　employ　three　thousand　staff　at　the　Bank；　Mr　Bond；　and　of　those　no　less　than　one　thousand　work　in　the　exchange　control　department。　Of　those　at　least　five　hundred；　including　my　little　outfit；　are　engaged　in　controlling　the　illicit　movements　of　valuta；　the　attempts　to　smuggle　or　to　evade　the　Exchange　Control　Regulations。'
　'That's　a　lot。'　Bond　measured　it　against　the　Secret　Service　which　had　a　total　force　of　two　thousand。　'Can　you　give　me　an　example　of　smuggling？　In　gold。　I　can't　understand　these　dollar　swindles。'
　'All　right。'　Colonel　Smithers　now　talked　in　the　soft；　tired　voice　of　an　overworked　man　in　the　service　of　his　Government。　It　was　the　voice　of　the　specialist　in　a　particular　line　of　law　enforcement。　It　said　that　he　knew　most　things　connected　with　that　line　and　that　he　could　make　a　good　guess　at　all　the　rest。　Bond　knew　the　voice　well；　the　voice　of　the　first…class　Civil　Servant。　Despite　his　prosiness；　Bond　was　beginning　to　take　to　Colonel　Smithers。　'All　right。　Supposing　you　have　a　bar　of　gold　in　your　pocket　about　the　size　of　a　couple　of　packets　of　Players。　Weight　about　five　and　a　quarter　pounds。　Never　mind　for　the　moment　where　you　got　it　from　…　stole　it　or　inherited　it　or　something。　That'll　be　twenty…four　carat　…what　we　call　a　thousand　fine。　Now；　the　law　says　you　have　to　sell　that　to　the　Bank　of　England　at　the　controlled　price　of　twelve　pounds　ten　per　ounce。　That　would　make　it　worth　around　the　thousand　pounds。　But　you're　greedy。　You've　got　a　friend　going　to　India　or　perhaps　you're　on　good　terms　with　an　airline　pilot　or　a　steward　on　the　Far　East　run。　All　you　have　to　do　is　cut　your　bar　into　thin　sheets　or　plates…you'd　soon　find　someone　to　do　this　for　you　…　and　sew　the　plates　…they'd　be　smaller　than　playing　cards　…　into　a　cotton　belt；　and　pay　your　friend　a　mission　to　wear　it。　You　could　easily　afford　a　hundred　pounds　for　the　job。　Your　friend　flies　off　to　Bombay　and　goes　to　the　first　bullion　dealer　in　the　bazaar。　He　will　be　given　one　thousand　seven　hundred　pounds　for　your　five…pound　bar　and　you're　a　richer　man　than　you　might　have　been。　Mark　you；'　Colonel　Smithers　waved　his　pipe　airily；'that's　only　seventy　per　cent　profit。　Just　after　the　war　you　could　have　got　three　hundred　per　cent。　If　you'd　done　only　half　a　dozen　little　operations　like　that　every　year　you'd　be　able　to　retire　by　now。'
　'Why　the　high　price　in　India？'　Bond　didn't　really　want　to　know。　He　thought　M　might　ask　him。
　'It's　a　long　story。　Briefly；　India　is　shorter　of　gold；　particularly　for　her　jewellery　trade；　than　any　other　country。'
　'What's　the　size　of　this　traffic？'
　'Huge。　To　give　an　idea；　the　Indian　Intelligence　Bureau　and　their　Customs　captured　forty…three　thousand　ounces　in　1955。1　doubt　if　that's　one　per　cent　of　the　traffic。　Gold's　been　ing　into　India　from　all　points　of　the　pass。　Latest　dodge　is　to　fly　it　in　from　Macao　and　drop　it　by　parachute　to　a　reception　mittee　…　a　ton　at　a　time　…　like　we　used　to　drop　supplies　to　the　Resistance　during　the　war。'
　'I　see。　Is　there　anywhere　else　I　can　get　a　good　premium　for　my　gold　bar？'
　'You　could　get　a　small　premium　in　most　countries　…Switzerland；　for　instance…but　it　wouldn't　be　worth　your　while。　India's　still　the　place。'
　'All　right；'　said　Bond。　1　think　I've　got　the　picture。　Now　what's　your　particular　problem？'　He　sat　back　and　lit　a　cigarette。　He　was　greatly　looking　forward　to　hearing　about　Mr　Auric　Goldfinger。
　Colonel　Smithers's　eyes　took　on　their　hard；　foxy　look。　He　said；　'There's　a　man　who　came　over　to　England　in　1937。　He　was　a　refugee　from　Riga。　Name　of　Auric　Goldfinger。　He　was　only　twenty　when　he　arrived；　but　he　must　have　been　a　bright　lad　because　h