if.goldfinger-第54部分

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　'Listen；　shamus。　If　you've　got　any　plaints　about　the　stage　management　you　can　tell　them　to　the　President。　He　took　personal　mand　of　this　operation　and　it's　a　honey。　There's　a　spotter　plane　overhead　now。　They'll　pick　up　the　diesel　and　we'll　have　old　Goldilocks　in　the　hoosegow　by　midday。　How　were　we　to　know　he　was　going　to　stay　aboard　the　train？'　He　broke　off　and　thumped　Bond　between　the　shoulderblades。　'Hell；　I'm　glad　to　see　you。　These　men　and　I　were　detailed　off　to　give　you　protection。　We've　been　dodging　around　looking　for　you　and　getting　shot　at　by　both　sides　for　our　pains。'　He　turned　to　the　soldiers。　'Ain't　that　right；　men？'
　They　laughed。　'Sure　is；　Cap'n。'
　Bond　looked　affectionately　at　the　Texan　with　whom　he　had　shared　so　many　adventures。　He　said　seriously；　'Bless　you；　Felix。　You've　always　been　good　at　saving　my　life。　It　was　darn　nearly　too　late　this　time。　I'm　afraid　Tilly　Masterton's　had　it。'　He　walked　off　up　the　train　with　Felix　at　his　heels。　The　little　figure　still　lay　sprawled　where　she　had　fallen。　Bond　knelt　beside　her。　The　broken…doll　angle　of　the　head　was　enough。　He　felt　for　her　pulse。　He　got　up。　He　said　softly；　'Poor　little　bitch。　She　didn't　think　much　of　men。'　He　looked　defensively　at　Leiter。　'Felix；　I　could　have　got　her　away　if　she'd　only　followed　me。'
　Leiter　didn't　understand。　He　put　his　hand　on　Bond's　arm　and　said；　'Sure　kid。　Take　it　easy。'　He　turned　to　his　men。　'Two　of　you　carry　the　girl　into　the　QM's　office　over　there。　O'Brien；　you　go　for　the　ambulance。　When　you've　done　that；　stop　over　at　the　mand　post　and　give　'em　the　facts。　Say　we've　got　mander　Bond　and　I'll　bring　him　right　over。'
　Bond　stood　and　looked　down　at　the　little　empty　tangle　of　limbs　and　clothes。　He　saw　the　bright；　proud　girl　with　the　spotted　handkerchief　round　her　hair　in　the　flying　TR3。　Now　she　had　gone。
　High　up　over　his　head　a　whirling　speck　soared　into　the　sky。　It　reached　the　top　of　its　flight　and　paused。　There　came　the　sharp　crack　of　the　maroon。　It　was　the　cease…fire。
　
　CHAPTER　TWENTY…TWO
　
　THE　LAST　TRICK
　
　IT　WAS　two　days　later。　Felix　Leiter　was　weaving　the　black　Studillac　fast　through　the　lanes　of　dawdling　traffic　on　the　Triborough　bridge。　There　was　plenty　of　time　to　catch　Bond's　plane；　the　evening　BOAC　Monarch　to　London；　but　Leiter　enjoyed　shaking　up　Bond's　low　opinion　of　American　cars。　Now　the　steel　hook　that　he　used　for　a　right　hand　banged　the　gear　lever　into　second　and　the　low　black　car　leapt　for　a　narrow　space　between　a　giant　refrigerator　truck　and　a　mooning　Oldsmobile　whose　rear　window　was　almost　obscured　by　holiday　stickers。
　Bond's　body　jerked　back　with　the　kick　of　the　300　b。h。p。　and　his　teeth　snapped　shut。　When　the　manoeuvre　was　pleted；　and　the　angry　hooting　had　vanished　behind　them；　Bond　said　mildly；　'It's　time　you　graduated　out　of　the　Kiddi…car　class　and　bought　yourself　an　express　carriage。　You　want　to　get　cracking。　This　pedalling　along　ages　one。　One　of　these　days　you'll　stop　moving　altogether　and　when　you　stop　moving　is　when　you　start　to　die。'
　Leiter　laughed。　He　said；　'See　that　green　light　ahead？　Bet　I　can　make　it　before　it　goes　red。'　The　car　leapt　forward　as　if　it　had　been　kicked。　There　was　a　brief　hiatus　in　Bond's　life；　an　impression　of　snipe…like　flight　and　of　a　steel　wall　of　cars　that　someone　parted　before　the　whiplash　of　Leiter's　triple　klaxons；　a　hundred　yards　when　the　speedometer　touched　ninety　and　they　were　across　the　lights　and　cruising　genteelly　along　in　the　centre　lane。
　Bond　said　calmly；　'You　meet　the　wrong　traffic　cop　arid　that　Pinkerton　card　of　yours　won't　be　good　enough。　It　isn't　so　much　that　you　drive　slowly；　it's　holding　back　the　cars　behind　they'll　book　you　for。　The　sort　of　car　you　need　is　a　nice　elderly　Rolls　Royce　Silver　Ghost　with　big　plate…glass　windows　so　you　can　enjoy　the　beauties　of　nature'　…　Bond　gestured　towards　a　huge　automobile　junk　heap　on　their　right。　'Maximum　fifty　and　it　can　stop　and　even　go　backwards　if　you　want　to。　Bulb　horn。　Suit　your　sedate　style。　Matter　of　fact　there　should　be　one　on　the　market　soon　…　Goldfinger's。　And　by　the　same　token；　what　the　hell's　happened　to　Goldfinger？　Haven't　they　caught　up　with　him　yet？'
　Leiter　glanced　at　his　watch　and　edged　into　the　outside　lane。　He　brought　the　car　down　to　forty。　He　said　seriously；　'Tell　you　the　truth；　we're　all　a　bit　worried。　The　papers　are　needling　us；　or　rather　Edgar　Hoover's　crowd；　like　hell。　First　they　had　a　gripe　at　the　security　clamp…down　on　you。　We　couldn't　tell　them　that　wasn't　our　fault　and　that　someone　in　London；　an　old　limey　called　M；　had　insisted　on　it。　So　they're　getting　their　own　back。　Say　we're　dragging　our　feet　and　so　forth。　And　I'm　telling　you；　James'　…　Leiter's　voice　was　glum；　apologetic　…　'we　just　haven't　a　clue。　They　caught　up　with　the　diesel。　Goldfinger　had　fixed　the　controls　at　thirty　and　had　let　it　run　on　down　the　line。　Somewhere　he　and　the　Korean　had　got　off　and　probably　this　Galore　girl　and　the　four　hoods　as　well　because　they've　vanished　too。　We　found　his　truck　con　voy；　of　course；　waiting　on　the　east…bound　highway　out　of　Elizabethville。　But　never　a　driver；　most　probably　scattered；　but　somewhere　there's　Goldfinger　and　a　pretty　tough　team　hiding　up。　They　didn't　get　to　the　Sverdlovsk　cruiser　at　Norfolk。　We　had　a　plain…clothes　guard　scattered　round　the　docks　and　they　report　that　she　sailed　to　schedule　without　any　strangers　going　aboard。　Not　a　cat's　been　near　that　warehouse　on　East　River　and　no　one's　shown　at　Idlewild　or　the　frontiers　…　Mexico　and　Canada。　For　my　money；　that　Jed　Midnight　has　somehow　got　them　out　to　Cuba。　If　they'd　taken　two　or　three　trucks　from　the　convoy　and　driven　like　hell　they　could　have　got　down　to　Florida；　somewhere　like　Daytona　Beach；　by　the　early　hours　of　D　＋　l。　And　Midnight's　darn　well　organized　down　there。　The　Coast　Guards　and　the　Air　Force　have　put　out　all　they've　got；　but　nothing's　shown　yet。　But　they　could　have　hidden　up　during　the　day　and　got　over　to　Cuba　during　the　night。　It's　got　everybody　worried　as　hell　and　it's　no　help　that　the　President's　hopping　mad。'
　Bond　had　spent　the　previous　day　in　Washington　treading　the　thickest；　richest　red　carpet。　There　had　been　speeches　at　the　Bureau　of　the　Mint；　a　big　brass　lunch　at　the　Pentagon；　an　embarrassing　quarter　of　an　hour　with　the　President；　and　the　rest　of　the　day　had　been　hard　work　with　a　team　of　stenographers　in　Edgar　Hoover's　suite　of　offices　with　a　colleague　of　Bond's　from　Station　A　sitting　in。　At　the　end　of　that；　there　had　been　a　brisk　quarter　of　an　hour's　talk　with　M　on　the　Embassy　transatlantic　scrambler。　M　had　told　him　what　had　been　happening　on　the　European　end　of　the　case。　As　Bond　had　expected；　Goldfinger's　cable　to　Universal　Export　had　been　treated　as　emergency。　The　factories　at　Reculver　and　Coppet　had　been　searched　and　extra　evidence　of　the　gold　smuggling　racket　had　been　found。　The　Indian　Government　had　been　warned　about　the　Mecca　plane　that　was　already　en　route　for　Bombay　and　that　end　of　the　operation　was　on　the　way　to　being　cleaned　up。　The　Swiss　Special　Brigade　had　quickly　found　Bond's　car　and　had　got　on　to　the　route　by　which　Bond　and　the　girl　had　been　taken　to　America；　but　there；　at　Idlewild；　the　FBI　had　lost　the　scent。　M　seemed　pleased　with　the　way　Bond　had　handled　Operation　Grand　Slam；　but　he　said　the　Bank　of　England　were　worrying　him　about　Goldfinger's　twenty　million　pounds　in　gold。　Goldfinger　had　assembled　all　this　at　the　Paragon　Safe　Deposit　Co　in
　New　York　but　had　withdrawn　it　on　D…l。　He　and　his　men　had　driven　it　away　in　a　covered　truck。　The　Bank　of　England　had　ready　an　Order　in　Council　to　impound　the　gold　when　it　was　found　and　there　would　then　be　a　case　to　prove　that　it　had　been　smuggled　out　of　England；　or　at　least　that　it　was　originally　smuggled　gold　whose　value　had　been　increased　by　various　doubtful　means。　But　this　was　now　being　handled　by　the　US　Treasury　and　the　FBI　and；　since　M　had　no　jurisdiction　in　America；　Bond　had　better　e　home　at　once　and　help　tidy　things　up。　Oh　yes　…　at　the　end　of　the　conversation　M's　voice　had　sounded　gruff　…　there　had　been　a　very　kind　request　to　the　PM　that　Bond　should　be　allowed　to　accept　the　American　Medal　of　Merit。　Of　course　M　had　had　to　explain　via　the　PM　that　the　Service　didn't　go　in　for　those　sort　of　things…particularly　from　foreign　countries；　however　friendly　the