johngardner.winloseordie-第11部分

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　Harry　and　Bill　invited　him　to　dinner　at　their　hotel。　Over　dinner　they　all　planned　to　spend　the　following　Sunday　together。　Then　the　conversation　turned　to　the　big　Naval　turbine　engines；　on　which　the　Petty　Officer　was　an　expert。
　
　6
The　Christmas　Horse

　The　phrase　'health　depends　on　strength'　was　picked　up　once　more　by　the　listening…posts　towards　the　end　of　November。　The　puters　lucked　on　and　the　Iranscript　was　on　M's　desk　within　twenty…four　hours。
　Again　it　was　Bassam　Baradj　and　Abou　Hamarik　who　spoke。
　'Surely　you　don't　think　this　naval　man。　Bond；　will　be　any　threat　to　an　operation　as　plex　as　ours？'　Baradj　said。
　'I　like　to　be　sure　of　my　enemies。'　Hamarik's　voice　was　almost　a　whisper。　'Bond　isn't　merely　a　simple　officer　of　the　Royal　Navy：　not　that　（here　are　any　simple　Royal　Naval　officers。　This　man　has　a　curious　and　impressive　record；　and　my　informants　tell　me　he　is　to　be　drafted　to　the　ship　as　a　special　liaison　officer。〃
　〃Head　of　a　select　bodyguard　section？'
　'Possibly。〃
　'And　you　thought　he　was　enough　of　a　threat　to　warrant　removing；　even　in　the　midst　of　something　vital　to　the　final　plan？〃
　'I　saw　it　as　a　military　opportunity。　The　chance　was　there。　It　failed。'
　There　was　a　long　pause；　then　Baradj　spoke　again。　'Well；　Abou；　I　trust　the　other　part　of　our　Operation　Lose　goes　well　and　will　not　be　promised。　Apart　from　the　general　political　aims　of　the　Brotherhood；　I　have　a　great　deal　of　hard　currency　tied　up。　I've　never　disguised　the　fact　that　there　are　financial　issues　here。　While　I　believe　ardently　in　＇he　Brotherhood；　and　see　it　as　the　only　way　a　new　and　more　just　world；　can　be　established；　I　am　also　concerned　with　creating　a　financial　buffer　for　myself；　and；　of　course；　the　Brotherhood　which　would　be　nothing　without　my　support。　Pray　the　next　segment　of　the　plan　goes　without　any　hitches。'
　'This　ing　weekend　will　see　the　pletion　of　that　phase。　We　have　our　man　neatly　sewn　up。　You　need　not　be　concerned
　about　that　part。　All　will　go　well。'
　'And　the　Bond　fellow？'
　'Maybe　it　would　be　a　good　idea　to　remove　him　from　the　scene。　He　was　formerly　a　member　of　the　British　Secret　Intelligence　Service；　at　one　time　a　skilled　assassin　until　the　British　had　no　more　stomach　for　such　things。　But　he　is　experienced；　a　good　leader；　and　a　man　to　be　reckoned　with。　He　will；　doubtless；　have　people　under　his　mand　guarding　the　trio　who　will　be　aboard　Birdsnest　Two。'
　'If　we　get　rid　of　him　before　the　event？'　Baradj　paused；　'。〃。〃we　dispose　of　him。　will　they　bring　in　someone　of　his　quality　as　a　replacement？'
　'They　will　replace　him；'　Hamarik　sounded　a　shade　diffident。　'But　not　with　u　man　of　like　calibre。　Bond　is；　shall　we　say；　unique。〃
　Once　more　there　was　one　of　those　long　pauses；　when　the　listening　devices　picked　up　stray　noises：　a　goatherd　or　shepherd　on　the　slopes　below；　people；　probably　servants　or　bodyguards；　arguing。
　'They　have　their　feast　of　Christmas　next　month；'　Baradj　sounded　suddenly　hard；　and　threatening。　'Find　out　where　this　man　is　to　spend　Christmas。　I'll　give　him　to　the　Cat。　That　will　lessen　our　chances　of　failure。'
　M；　in　his　office　overlooking　Regent's　Park；　watched　Bill　Tanner　reading　the　transcript。　Tanner　was　a　quick　reader；　but　M　was　impatient；　drumming　his　fingers　on　the　leather　skivers　inlaid　in　his　desk　top。
　'Well？'　he　asked　sharply　when　his　Chief　of　Staff　had　finished。
　'They're　too　well　informed；'　Tanner　spoke　decisively。　'It's　bee　uncontrollable。　I　think　you　should　advise　a　rethink。　Call　the　whole　thing　off。〃
　M　grunted。　'Mmm。　But；　Chief　of　Staff；　can　you　see　our　advice　being　taken？　Knowing　what's　involved；　there　are　risks　in　trying　to　have　the　thing　called　off。'
　It　was　Bill　Tanner's　turn　to　grunl　as　he　moved　to　his　favourite　place；　by　the　window；　looking　down　into　the　Park　below。　'I　understand　the　problem；　sir。　But　if　the　worst　happens　。　。　。'
　'Our　best　chance　is　to　stop　it　happening　at　all。　Keep　Bond　in　play。　You　heard　what　Baradj　said　about　Christmas。　Why　don't　we　flush　'em　out？　Make　'em　vulnerable　by　letting　them　show
　their　hand。'
　'You　mean　use　Bond　as　a　tethered　goat？'
　'More　a　stalking…horse。　Tanner。　Have　to　ask　him　first；　of　course。　Yes；　set　up　a　meeting；　and　make　sure　it's　absolutely　one　hundred　per　cent　sterile。　Got　me？'
　'I　understand；　sir。'
　'The　Cat；'　M　was　almost　musing　to　himself。　'BAST；　the　three…headed　monster　riding　on　a　viper。　The　heads　of　a　man；　a　snake　and　a　oil。　The　Cat；　Tanner。'
　'Saphii　Boudai；　yes？'
　'What's　on　file？'
　'Precious　little；　sir。　We　know　she　was　PLO　at　one　time。　There　is　a　possibility　that　she　spent　a　few　years　as　a　penetration　agent　within　Mossad。　but　they're　either　too　coy。　or　lied　loo　tightly　into　their　own　vengeance　plans　to　release　any　photographs。　Boudai。　we　know；　is　around　twenty…nine；　or　thirty　years　of　age；　we　also　know　she　is　attractive　and　an　expert　in　many　things　clandestine。　But　we　have　no　photographs　and　no　real　description　。'
　M　gave　another　grunt。　'They　have　Bond　well　assessed。　His　weak　point　has　always　been　women。　He's　going　to　have　to　be　briefed　fully。　Try　and　get　more　information　on　the　Boudai　woman；　even　if　you　have　to　lean　on　your　Mossad　contacts。　They're　a　touchy　lot。　I　know；　but　do　your　best　…　and　set　up　that　meeting　with　more　（han　usual　care。'
　Tanner　nodded　and　left　the　office　looking　grim　and　determined。
　The　Harrier　conversion　eourse　at　Yeovilton　had　bee　even　more　demanding；　bach　day　Bond　flew；　and　each　day　they　stretched　him　to　new　limits　…　not　just　on　thi；　bombing　range　but　also　in　the　role　of　fighter　pilot。
　First　in　the　simulator；　then　later　in　the　more　dangerous　environment　of　reality；　he　practised　dog…fight　techniques　…　sometimes　with　other　aircraft　flown　by　instructors；　or　hiscoursemates。
　in　one　day　he　would　go　through　the　high…speed；　stomaeh　churning　manoeuvres　like　the　High　G　Yo　Yo。　Flip　Yo　Yo；　Low　G　Yo　Yo；　and　the　old；　tried　and　true　Immelmann。　modified　for　jet　aircraft　so　thai　you　changed　direction　by　rolling　the　aero　plane；　not　at　the　top　of　a　loop；　as　in　the　classic　Immelmann　turn；　but　as　you　shot　up　in　a　vertical　climb。
　There　was　also　the　manoeuvre　unique　to　the　Harrier…　thrust　Vectored　In　Forward　Flight；　or　VIFFasil　iskrmwn；　The　Harrier　has　the　ability　to　rise　vertically；　or　move　sideways　from　its　normal　flight　path。　This　was　a　technique　thought　to　be　absolutely　revolutionary　in　air　bat；　but　the　conversion　course　pilots；　having　learned　how　to　perform　the　V1FF；　were　put　in　the　true　picture　by　a　veteran　pilot　of　the　Falklands　campaign。
　'The　Press　made　a　big　deal　oul　of　VIFFing。'　the　pilot　told　them　in　a　closed　lecture。　'But　I　don't　think　any　of　us　used　it。　I've　seen　articles　and　drawings　in　magazines　showing　Harriers　allowing　an　enemy　aircraft　to　position　himself　for　an　attack　directly　behind　their　six；　then　whizzing　upwards　and　blasting　the　attacker　as　he　overshot。'　The　pilot；　a　young　Lieutenant…mander　gave　a　rueful　smile。　〃You　just　don't　let　anyone　calmly　place　himself　at　six　o'clock；　it's　just　too　bloody　dangerous。　Also　the　VIFF　slows　you　down　…　that's　its　one　great　use。　Personally；　I'd　only　use　it　to　alter　the　position　of　my　nose　so　that　I　could　get　a　good　shot　at　my　opponent。　Forget　about　heroic　leaps　upwards；　and　letting　enemy　aircraft　overshoot　you。　If　there's　someone　on　your　six；　he'll　probably　get　you　whatever　you　do…unless　he　fires　a　missile　a　long　way　out　of　range；　These　days　aerial　bat　is　still　mainly　Battle　of　Britain　stuff　at　speed；　and　at　a　longer　separation。　Rely　on　your　radar　and　lock…on。　A　well…placed　heat…seeker　fired　from　even　the　outer　limits　of　range　will　do　the　job…　on　him。　or　vow。'
　So；　they　added　VIFFing　to　their　stockpile　of　manoeuvres；　knowing　its　limits；　just　as　they　all　began　to　feel　out　their　own　limits。　Bond　knew　he　had　not　operated　under　such　stress　for　a　long　time；　and　was　particularly　concerned　about　Clover　Penning…ton。　who；　instead　of　being　put　off　by　his　own　cold…shouldering；　appeared　to　have　bee　more　and　more　interested。　She　would　wail　for　him；　lingering　in　the　ante…room；　or　seek　him　out　at　meals；　showing　an　unusual　concern　for　his　well…being；　but　careful　not　to　overstep　the　mark。
　That　spectacular　Wren　three…ringer's　really　got　the　hots　for　you；'　the　US　Navy　pilot　remarked　one　day　at　lunch。
　'Really？〃　Bond　gave　him　a　surprised　look