if.goldfinger-第49部分

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o　him；　probably　richly　deserved　to　be　hit　anyway　…　but　now　some　59；998　other　people　were　going　to　get　hit　unless　he；　and　only　he；　could　do　something　about　it。
　When　the　meeting　of　paramount　hoods　had　broken　up　to　go　about　their　various　duties；　Goldfinger　had　dismissed　the　girl　and　kept　Bond　in　the　room。　He　told　Bond　to　take　notes　and　then　for　more　than　two　hours　went　over　the　operation　down　to　the　smallest　detail。　When　they　came　to　the　doping　of　the　two　reservoirs　（Bond　had　to　work　out　an　exact　timetable　to　ensure　that　the　people　of　Fort　Knox　would　all　be　'under〃　in　good　time）　Bond　had　asked　for　details　of　the　drug　and　its　speed　of　action。
　'You　won't　have　to　worry　about　that。'
　'Why　not？　Everything　depends　on　it。'
　'Mr　Bond。'　Goldfinger's　eyes　had　a　faraway；　withdrawn　look。　'I　will　tell　you　the　truth　because　you　will　have　no　opportunity　of　passing　it　on。　From　now；　Oddjob　will　not　be　more　than　a　yard　from　your　side　and　his　orders　will　be　strict　and　exact。　So　I　can　tell　you　that　the　entire　population　of　Fort
　Knox　will　be　dead　or　incapacitated　by　midnight　on　D…l。　The　substance　that　will　be　inserted　in　the　water　supply；　outside　the　filter　plant；　will　be　a　highly　concentrated　form　of　GB。'
　'You're　mad！　You　don't　really　mean　you're　going　to　kill　sixty　thousand　people！'
　'Why　not？　American　motorists　do　it　every　two　years。'
　Bond　stared　into　Goldfinger's　face　in　fascinated　horror。　It　couldn't　be　true！　He　couldn't　mean　it！　He　said　tensely；　What's　this　GB？'
　'GB　is　the　most　powerful　of　the　Trilone　group　of　nerve　poisons。　It　was　perfected　by　the　Wehrmacht　in　1943；　but　never　used　for　fear　of　reprisals。　In　fact；　it　is　a　more　effective　instrument　of　destruction　than　the　hydrogen　bomb。　Its　disadvantage　lies　in　the　difficulty　of　applying　it　to　the　populace。　The　Russians　captured　the　entire　German　stocks　at　Dyhern…furth　on　the　Polish　frontier。　Friends　of　mine　were　able　to　supply　me　with　the　necessary　quantities。　Introduction　through　the　water　supply　is　an　ideal　method　of　applying　it　to　a　densely　populated　area。'
　Bond　said；　'Goldfinger；　you're　a　lousy；…bastard。'
　'Don't　be　childish。　We　have　work　to　do。'
　Later；　when　they　had　got　to　the　problem　of　transporting　the　tons　of　gold　out　of　the　town；　Bond　had　had　one　last　try。　He　said；　'Goldfinger；　you're　not　going　to　get　this　stuff　away。　Nobody's　going　to　get　their　hundred　tons　of　gold　out　of。　the　place　…　let　alone　five　hundred。　You'll　find　yourself　tearing　down　the　Dixie　Highway　in　a　truck　with　a　few　gold　bars　loaded　with　gamma　rays　and　the　American　Army　on　your　tail。　And　you'll　have　killed　sixty　thousand　people　for　that？　The　thing's　farcical。　Even　if　you　do　get　a　ton　or　two　away；　where　the　hell　do　you　think　you're　going　to　hide　it？'
　'Mr　Bond。'　Goldfinger's　patience　was　infinite。　'It　just　happens　that　a　Soviet　cruiser　of　the　Sverdlovsk　class　will　be　visiting　Norfolk；　Virginia；　on　a　goodwill　cruise　at　that　time。　It　sails　from　Norfolk　on　D＋1。　Initially　by　train　and　then　by　transport　convoy；　my　gold　will　arrive　on　board　the　cruiser　by　midnight　on　D…Day。　I　shall　sail　in　the　cruiser　for　Kronstadt。　Everything　has　been　carefully　planned；　every　possible　hitch　has　been　foreseen。　I　have　lived　with　this　operation　for　five　years。　Now　the　time　has　e　for　the　performance。　I　have　tidied　up　my　activities　in　England　and　Europe。　Such　small　debris　as　remains　of　my　former　life　can　go　to　the　scavengers　who　will　shortly　be　sniffing　on　my　trail。　I　shall　be　gone。　I　shall　have　emigrated　and；　Mr　Bond；　I　shall　have　taken　the　golden　heart　of　America　with　me。　Naturally'　…　Goldfinger　was　indulgent　…'this　unique　performance　will　not　be　immaculate。　There　has　not　been　enough　time　for　rehearsals。　I　need　these　clumsy　gangsters　with　their　guns　and　their　men；　but　I　could　not　bring　them　into　the　plan　until　the　last　moment。　They　will　make　mistakes。　Conceivably　they　will　have　much　trouble　getting　their　own　loot　away。　Some　will　be　caught；　others　killed。　I　couldn't　care　less。　These　men　are　amateurs　who　were　needed；　so　to　speak；　for　the　crowd　scenes。　They　are　extras；　Mr　Bond；　brought　in　off　the　streets。　What　happens　to　them　after　the　play　is　of　no　interest　to　me　whatsoever。　And　now；　on　with　the　work。　I　shall　need　seven　copies　of　all　this　by　nightfall。　Where　were　we。。。？'
　So　in　fact；　reflected　Bond　feverishly；　this　was　not　only　a　Goldfinger　operation　with　SMERSH　in　the　background。　SMERSH　had　even　got　the　High　Praesidium　to　play。　This　was　Russia　versus　America　with　Goldfinger　as　the　spearhead！　Was　it　an　act　of　war　to　steal　something　from　another　country？　But　who　would　know　that　Russia　had　the　gold？　No　one；　if　the　plan　went　off　as　Goldfinger　intended。　None　of　the　gangsters　had　an　inkling。　To　them　Goldfinger　was　just　another　of　them；　another　gangster；　slightly　larger　than　life…size。　And　Goldfinger's　staff；　his　drivers　for　the　golden　convoy　to　the　coast？　Bond　himself；　and　Tilly　Masterton？　Some　would　be　killed；　including　him　and　the　girl。　Some；　the　Koreans　for　instance；　would　no　doubt　sail　in　the　cruiser。　Not　a　trace　would　be　left；　not　a　witness。　It　was　modern　piracy　with　all　the　old…time　trimmings。　Goldfinger　was　sacking　Fort　Knox　as　Bloody　Morgan　had　saked　Panama。　There　。was　no　difference　except　that　the　weapons　and　the　techniques　had　been　brought　up　to　date。
　And　there　was　only　one　man　in　the　whole　world　who　could　stop　it。　But　how？
　The　next　day　was　an　unending　blizzard　of　paper…work。　Every　half…hour　a　note　would　e　in　from　Goldfinger's　operations　room　asking　for　schedules　of　this；　copies　of　that；　estimates；　timetables；　lists　of　stores。　Another　typewriter　was　brought　in；　maps；　reference　books　…　anything　that　Bond　re　quisitioned。　But　not　once　did　Oddjob　relax　the　extreme　care　with　which　he　opened　the　door　to　Bond's　knock；　not　once　did　his　watchful　eyes　wander　from　Bond's　eyes；　hands；　feet　when　he　came　into　the　room　to　bring　meals　or　notes　or　supplies。　There　was　no　question　of　Bond　and　the　girl　being　part　of　the　team。　They　were　dangerous　slaves　and　nothing　else。
　Tilly　Masterton　was　equally　reserved。　She　worked　like　a　machine　…　quick；　willing；　accurate；　but　unmunicative。　She　responded　with　cool　politeness　to　Bond's　early　attempts　to　make　friends；　share　his　thoughts　with　her。　By　the　evening；　he　had　learnt　nothing　about　her　except　that　she　had　been　a　successful　amateur　ice…skater　in　between　secretarial　work　for　Unilevers。　Then　she　had　started　getting　star　parts　in　ice…shows。　Her　hobby　had　been　indoor　pistol　and　rifle　shooting　and　she　had　belonged　to　two　marksman　clubs。　She　had　few　friends。　She　had　never　been　in　love　or　engaged。　She　lived　by　herself　in　two　rooms　in　Earls　Court。　She　was　twenty…four。　Yes；　she　realized　that　they　were　in　a　bad　fix。　But　something　would　turn　up。　This　Fort　Knox　business　was　nonsense。　It　would　certainly　go　wrong。　She　thought　Miss　Pussy　Galore　was　'divine'。　She　somehow　seemed　to　count　on　her　to　get　her　out　of　this　mess。　Women；　with　a　sniff；　were　rather　good　at　things　that　needed　finesse。　Instinct　told　them　what　to　do。　Bond　was　not　to　worry　about　her。　She　would　be　all　right。
　Bond　came　to　the　conclusion　that　Tilly　Masterton　was　one　of　those　girls　whose　hormones　had　got　mixed　up。　He　knew　the　type　well　and　thought　they　and　their　male　counterparts　were　a　direct　consequence　of　giving　votes　to　women　and　'sex　equality'。　As　a　result　of　fifty　years　of　emancipation；　feminine　qualities　were　dying　out　or　being　transferred　to　the　males。　Pansies　of　both　sexes　were　everywhere；　not　yet　pletely　homosexual；　but　confused；　not　knowing　what　they　were。　The　result　was　a　herd　of　unhappy　sexual　misfits　…　barren　and　full　of　frustrations；　the　women　wanting　to　dominate　and　the　men　to　be　nannied。　He　was　sorry　for　them；　but　he　had　no　time　for　them。　Bond　smiled　sourly　to　himself　as　he　remembered　his　fantasies　about　this　girl　as　they　sped　along　the　valley　of　the　Loire。　Entre　Deux　Seins　indeed！
　At　the　end　of　the　day；　there　was　a　final　note　from　Gold…finger：
　Five　principals　and　myself　will　leave　La　Guardia　Airport　tomorrow　at　11　am　in　chartered　plane　flown　by　my　pilots　for　aerial　survey　of　Grand　Slam。　You　will　acpany。　Masterton　will　remain。　G。
　Bond　sat　on　the　edge　of　his　bed　and　looked　at　the　wall。　Then　he　got　up　and　went　to　the　typewriter。　He　worked　for　an　hour；　typing；　single…spaced；　on　both　sides　of　the　sheet；　exact　d