johngardner.winloseordie-第4部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　'Actual　evidence　I　have　none。　But　my　aunt's　charwoman　sister's　son；　Heard　a　policeman　on　his　beat。　Say　to　a　nursemaid　in　Downing　Street。　That　he　had　a　cousin；　who　had　a　friend；　Who　knows　when　the　war　is　going　to　end。'
　It　was　not　until　he　reached　the　last　line；　that　Bill　Tanner　　realised　he　had　quoted　the　lines　aloud；
　'Thai's　it！'　M　almost　bellowed。
　'What；　sir？'
　'Nursemaid。　Chief　of　Staff。　We'll　give　them　a　nursemaid。　A　good　Naval　man。　Sound　as　a　bell。　A　man　willing　to　put　his　life　before　the　lives　of　his　charges。'　M's　hand　reached　for　the　internal　telephone　which　put　him　directly　in　touch　with　his　devoted；　though　long…suffering　private　secretary。　'Moneypenny；'　he　all　but　shouted　loud　enough　for　her　to　hear　on　the　other　side　of　the　padded　door。　〃Get　Double…O　Seven　up　here　fast。'
　Within　ten　minutes。　James　Bond　was　sitting　in　M's　holy　of　holies　with　his　old　Chief　giving　him　what　he　thought　of　as　the　'fish　eye'；　and　Bill　Tanner　looking　a　little　uneasy。
　〃It's　a　job。'　M　announced。　〃An　operation　that　calls　for　more　than　the　usual　discretion；　and　certainly　one　that'll　require　you　to　alter　your　circumstances　a　greai　deal。'
　'I've　worked　undercover　before；　sir。'　Bond　leaned　back　in　the　armchair　in　which　M　had　invited　him　to　sit。　It　was　a　chair　Bond　knew　well。　If　you　were　asked　to　sit　in　this；　the　most　fortable　chair　in　M's　office；　the　news　could　only　be　bad。
　'Undercovc。r's　one　thing；　007。　but　how　would　you　feel　about　going　back　into　the　Royal　Navy？'
　'With　respect；　sir；　I've　never　left　the　RNVR。'
　M　growled　again；　and　James　Bond　thought　he　saw　a　gleam　of　unusual　malice　in　the　old　Chief's　eyes。　'Really？'　M　raised　his　eyes　towards　the　ceiling。　'How　long　is　it　since　you　stood　a　Duty　Watch；　007？　Or　had　to　deal　with　defaulters；　live　day　and　night　wilh　（he　routine　and　discipline　within　a　capital　ship；　or　even　felt　a　quarterdeck　rise　and　fall　sixty　feel　in　a　gale？'
　'Well；　sir　。　。　。'
　〃The　job。　007。　will　require　you　to　go　back　to　active　duty。　In　turn　that'll　mean　you'll　have　to　go　on　a　course；　several　courses　in　fact；　to　bring　you　up　to　date　with　life　and　warfare　in　our　present…day　Roya'l　Navy。'
　The　thought　struck　home。　Bond's　life　in　the　Service　had；　many　times；　caused　him　to　work　at　full…streteh；　but　on　the　whole　there　were　long　periods　of　relaxation。　To　go　back　to　active　service　in　the　Royal　Navy　would　be　a　return　to　the　old　disciplines；　and　a　re…honing　of　skills　almost　forgotten。　A　series　of　pictures　flickered　through　his　head。　They　were　rather　what　he　had　always　imagined　a　dying　man　saw：　his　life　many　years　ago；　in　the　Royal　Navy　Volunteer　Reserve　on　active　service。　The　images　in　his　brain　did　not　attract　him　as　much　as　they　had　done　when　he　was　a　young　midshipman。　'Why？'　he　asked　lamely。　Ч　mean　why　should　I　go　back　to　active　service；　sir？'
　M　smiled　and　nodded。'〃Because。　007；　in　the　late　winter　of　next　year；　the　Royal　Navy；　together　with　elite　troops；　air　forces；　and　the　navies　of　all　the　NATO　powers；　including　the　United　States　Navy；　will　be　carrying　out　an　exercise：　Landsea　'89。　There　will　be　observers：　Admiral　of　the　Fleet；　Sir　Geoffrey　Could；　Admiral　Gudeon。　United　States　Navy；　and　Admiral　Sergei　Yevgennevich　Pauker；　mander…m…Chief　of　the　Soviet　Navy　…　a　post　unknown　in　any　other　navy　in　the　world。'　M　took　a　deep　breath。　'The　latter　has　been　invited　because　of　the　current　thawing　in　relationships　between　East　and　West。　Glasnost。peres…troika；　that　kind　of　thing。'
　'They　will　be　。　。　。？'　Bond　began。
　They　will　be　in　Invincible。　They　will　have　with　them；　like　Gilbert　and　Sullivan's　Sir　Joseph　Porter；　all　their　sisters　and　their　cousins　and　their　aunts。　They　will　also　be　in　danger。　Almost　certainly　attempted　abduction。　At　worst；　murder。　You　will　be　there；　in　Invincible；　to　see　it　does　not　happen。'
　〃Can　you　explain　about　the　danger；　sir？'　The　trigger　of　magnelie　interest　had　been　squeezed　deep　in　Bond's　mind。
　M　smiled　like　a　man　who　has　just　hooked　the　biggest　fish　in　the　river。　'Certainly；　James。　Bill　and　I　will　a　tale　unfold。　It　begins　with　that　little　problem　in　the　Straits　of　Hormuz　…　the　Japanese　tanker。　Son　of　Hitachi；　or　whatever　it's　called　。　。　。'
　The　Chief　of　Staff　corrected　the　tanker's　name；　and　for　his　pains　received　a　venomous　glare　from　M；　who　barked；　'You　want　to　tell　it。　Tanner？'
　'No；　sir；　you　carry　on；　sir。'
　'Good　of　you。　Tanner。　Thank　you。'　M's　mood　was　not　only　bellicose　this　morning；　but　sarcastic。　He　fixed　Bond　with　the　same；　cold　fish…eye　look。　'Ever　heard　of　BAST9'
　'Anagram　for　stab；　sir？'
　'No。　007。　1　mean　BAST。　B…A…S…T。　and　this　is　no　laughing　matter。'
　The　smile　on　Bond's　face　disappeared　quickly。　M　was　being　too　serious　and　prickly　for　jokes。　'No；　sir。　BAST　is　news　to　me。　What　is　it？'
　With　a　wave　of　his　hand　and　a　vocal　sound　meant　to　signify　deep　displeasure。　M　motioned　to　his　Chief　of　Staff　to　explain。
　'James；'　Tanner　came　over　and　leaned　against　the　desk；　'this　really　is　a　very　serious　and　alarming　business。　BAST　is　a　group；　an　organisation。　The　name　hasn't　been　circulated　as　yet；　simply　because　we　didn't　have　many　leads　or　details　at　first。　The　name's　pretty　puerile；　that's　why　nobody　took　it　very　seriously　to　begin　with。　But　BAST　appears　to　be　an　acronym　for　Brotherhood　of　Anarchy　and　Secret　Terror。〃
　'Sounds　like　a　poor　man's　SPECTRE　to　me。'　Bond's　brow　wrinkled　and　there　was　concern　in　his　eyes。
　'At　first　we　thought　it　might　be　a　splinter　group　of　the　old　SPECTRE；　but　it　appears　this　is　something　new；　and　oddly　unpleasant。'　Tanner　continued。　'You　recall　the　small　bomb　incidents　in　October　of　'87？　All　on　one　day；　all　co…ordinated？　There　were　fire　bombs　in　a　couple　of　London　stores　。　。　。'
　'The　ones　put　down　to　animal　rights　activists？'
　Tanner　nodded；　'But　the　others　were　not　so　easily　explained。　One　small　plastique　near　the　Vatican；　another　one　which　destroyed　an　American　military　transport　…　on　the　ground　at　Edwards　Airforce　Base：　no　casualties；　one　in　Madrid；　another；　a　car　bomb；　premature；　shattering　the　French　Minister　of　Defence's　car；　and　a　large　one　in　Moscow：　near　the　Kremlin　Gate　and　not　generally　reported。'
　'Yes。　I　saw　the　file。'
　'Then　you　know　the　file　said　it　was　co…ordinated；　but　nobody
　had　taken　responsibility。'
　Bond　nodded。
　The　file　was　lying　by　omission；'　Tanner　sounded　grave　now。　'There　was　a　long　letter；　circulated　to　all　the　countries　concerned。　In　brief　it　said　the　incidents　had　been　co…ordinated　by　the　Brotherhood　of　Anarchy　and　Secret　Terror；　to　be　referred　to　as　BAST。　Everyone　did　some　back…tracking；　because　these　kinds　of　groups　do　have　a　tendency　to　choose　high…l'alutin　names。　The　damage　from　ihose　first　incidents　was　small　and　there　were　no　deaths；　but　those　who　advise　on　international　terrorism　told　us　to　take　them　damned　seriously；　if　only　because　BAST　is　a　demonic　name。　BAST；　it　seems；　is　a　word　that　es　from　Ancient　Egypt：　sometimes　known　as　Aini　or　Aym。　BAST　is　said　to　appear　as　a　three…headed　demon　…　head　of　a　snake；　head　of　a　cat；　head　of　a　man　…　mounted　on　a　viper。　The　demon　BAST　is　connected　with　incendiarism；　and　we　now　have　little　doubt　that　the　Brotherhood　chose　the　name　because　of　its　demonic　connotations。'
　'Demons？'　Bond　raised　his　eyes　towards　the　ceiling。
　'Yes。　demons。〃　M；　who　was　far　from　being　a　superstitious　man；　appeared　to　be　taking　the　entire　thing　very　seriously。　'A　lot　of　research　has　been　done　on　this。　Now；　we　know　that　there　are　indeed　three　leaders…　like　the　snake；　man　and　cat…and　a　prime　leader　upon　which　they　all　ride　and　exist。　The　viper；　if　you　like；　es　by　the　name　of　Biissam　Baradj。　a　former　ranking　member　of　the　PLO；　a　former　friend　of　Arafat's；　and　a　wealthy　man　in　his　own　right。　Baradj　is　certainly　paymaster　and　mastermind。〃
　Tanner　nodded　and　said　that　other　intelligence　had　pinpointed　three　associates　of　Baradj；　all　one…time　members　of　Middle…Eastern　paramilitary　political　groups。　'Abou　Hamarik；　Ali　Al　Adwan；　and　a　young　woman；　Saphii　Boudai　…　the　man。　the　snake　and　the　cat。　Apparently　those　are　their　key　names：　street　names。　They're　all　experienced　in　the　arts　of　lerrorism。　they're　also　disenchanted　with　all　the　old　causes。
　They've　embraced　the　idea　of　anarchy　with　one　thought　only。　They　believe　that　Napoleon's　definition　of　anarchy　is　the　one　and