ian fleming.casino royale-第14部分

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　The　croupier　slipped　some　counters　through　the　slot　in　the　table　which　receives　the　cagnotte　and　announced　quietly：
　'Un　banco　d'un　million。'
　'Suivi；'　murmured　the　Greek；　meaning　that　he　exercised　his　right　to　follow　up　his　lost　bet。
　Bond　lit　a　cigarette　and　settled　himself　in　his　chair。　The　long　game　was　launched　and　the　sequence　of　these　gestures　and　the　reiteration　of　this　subdued　litany　would　continue　until　the　end　came　and　the　players　dispersed。　Then　the　enigmatic　cards　would　be　burnt　or　defaced；　a　shroud　would　be　draped　over　the　table　and　the　grass…green　baize　battlefield　would　soak　up　the　blood　of　its　victims　and　refresh　itself。
　The　Greek；　after　taking　a　third　card；　could　achieve　no　better　than　a　four　to　the　bank's　seven。
　'Un　banco　de　deux　millions；'　said　the　croupier。
　The　players　on　Bond's　left　remained　silent。
　'Banco；'　said　Bond。
　
　
　CHAPTER　11　…　MOMENT　OF　TRUTH
　Le　Chiffre　looked　incuriously　at　him；　the　whites　of　his　eyes；　which　showed　all　round　the　irises；　lending　something　impassive　and　doll…like　to　his　gaze。
　He　slowly　removed　one　thick　hand　from　the　table　and　slipped　it　into　the　pocket　of　his　dinner…jacket。　The　hand　came　out　holding　a　small　metal　cylinder　with　a　cap　which　Le　Chiffre　unscrewed。　He　inserted　the　nozzle　of　the　cylinder；　with　an　obscene　deliberation；　twice　into　each　black　nostril　in　turn；　and　luxuriously　inhaled　the　benzedrine　vapour。
　Unhurriedly　he　pocketed　the　inhaler；　then　his　hand　came　quickly　back　above　the　level　of　the　table　and　gave　the　shoe　its　usual　hard；　sharp　slap。
　During　this　offensive　pantomime　Bond　had　coldly　held　the　banker's　gaze；　taking　in　the　wide　expanse　of　white　face　surmounted　by　the　short　abrupt　cliff　of　reddish…brown　hair；　the　unsmiling　wet　red　mouth　and　the　impressive　width　of　the　shoulders；　loosely　draped　in　a　massively　cut　dinner…jacket。
　But　for　the　high…lights　on　the　satin　of　the　shawl…cut　lapels；　he　might　have　been　faced　by　the　thick　bust　of　a　black…fleeced　Minotaur　rising　out　of　a　green　grass　field。
　Bond　slipped　a　packet　of　notes　on　to　the　table　without　counting　them。　If　he　lost　the　croupier　would　extract　what　was　necessary　to　cover　the　bet；　but　the　easy　gesture　conveyed　that　Bond　didn't　expect　to　lose　and　that；　this　was　only　a　token　display　from　the　deep　funds　at　Bond's　disposal。
　The　other　players　sensed　a　tension　between　the　two　gamblers　and　there　was　silence　as　Le　Chiffre　fingered　the　four　cards　out　of　the　shoe。
　The　croupier　slipped　Bond's　two　cards　across　to　him　with　the　tip　of　his　spatula。　Bond；　still　with　his　eyes　holding　Le　Chiffre's；　reached　his　right　hand　out　a　few　inches；　glanced　down　very　swiftly；　then　as　he　looked　up　again　impassively　at　Le　Chiffre；　with　a　disdainful　gesture　he　tossed　the　cards　face　upwards　on　the　table。
　They　were　a　four　and　a　five　…　an　unbeatable　nine。
　There　was　a　little　gasp　of　envy　from　the　table　and　the　players　to　the　left　of　Bond　exchanged　rueful　glances　at　their　failure　to　accept　the　two　million　franc　bet。
　With　a　hint　of　a　shrug；　Le　Chiffre　slowly　faced　his　own　two　cards　and　flicked　them　away　with　his　fingernail。　They　were　two　valueless　knaves。
　'Le　baccarat；'　intoned　the　croupier　as　he　spaded　the　thick　chips　over　the　table　to　Bond。
　Bond　slipped　them　into　his　right…hand　pocket　with　the　unused　packet　of　notes。　His　face　showed　no　emotion；　but　he　was　pleased　with　the　success　of　his　first　coup　and　with　the　oute　of　the　silent　clash　of　wills　across　the　table。
　The　woman　on　his　left；　the　American　Mrs　Du　Pont；　turned　to　him　with　a　wry　smile。
　'I　shouldn't　have　let　it　e　to　you；'　she　said。　'Directly　the　cards　were　dealt　I　kicked　myself。'
　'It's　only　the　beginning　of　the　game；'　said　Bond。　'You　may　be　right　the　next　time　you　pass　it。'
　Mr　Du　Pont　leant　forward　from　the　other　side　of　his　wife：　'If　one　could　be　right　every　hand；　none　of　us　would　be　here；'　he　said　philosophically。
　'I　would　be；'　his　wife　laughed。　'You　don't　think　I　do　this　for　pleasure。'
　As　the　game　went　on；　Bond　looked　over　the　spectators　leaning　on　the　high　brass　rail　round　the　table。　He　soon　saw　Le　Chiffre's　two　gunmen。　They　stood　behind　and　to　either　side　of　the　banker。　They　looked　respectable　enough；　but　not　sufficiently　a　part　of　the　game　to　be　unobtrusive。
　The　one　more　or　less　behind　Le　Chiffre's　right　arm　was　tall　and　funereal　in　his　dinner…jacket。　His　face　was　wooden　and　grey；　but　his　eyes　flickered　and　gleamed　like　a　conjurer's。　His　whole　long　body　was　restless　and　his　hands　shifted　often　on　the　brass　rail。　Bond　guessed　that　he　would　kill　without　interest　or　concern　for　what　he　killed　and　that　he　would　prefer　strangling。　He　had　something　of　Lennie　in　Of　Mice　and　Men；　but　his　inhumanity　would　not　e　from　infantilism　but　from　drugs。　Marihuana；　decided　Bond。
　The　other　man　looked　like　a　Corsican　shopkeeper。　He　was　short　and　very　dark　with　a　flat　head　covered　with　thickly　greased　hair。　He　seemed　to　be　a　cripple。　A　chunky　malacca　cane　with　a　rubber　tip　hung　on　the　rail　beside　him。　He　must　have　had　permission　to　bring　the　cane　into　the　Casino　with　him；　reflected　Bond；　who　knew　that　neither　sticks　nor　any　other　objects　were　allowed　in　the　rooms　as　a　precaution　against　acts　of　violence。　He　looked　sleek　and　well　fed。　His　mouth　hung　vacantly　half…open　and　revealed　very　bad　teeth。　He　wore　a　heavy　black　moustache　and　the　backs　of　his　hands　on　the　rail　were　matted　with　black　hair。　Bond　guessed　that　hair　covered　most　of　his　squat　body。　Naked；　Bond　supposed；　he　would　be　an　obscene　object。
　The　game　continued　uneventfully；　but　with　a　slight　bias　against　the　bank。
　The　third　coup　is　the　'sound　barrier'　at　chemin…de…fer　and　baccarat。　Your　luck　can　defeat　the　first　and　second　tests；　but　when　the　third　deal　es　along　it　most　often　spells　disaster。　Again　and　again　at　this　point　you　find　yourself　being　bounced　back　to　earth。　It　was　like　that　now。　Neither　the　bank　nor　any　of　the　players　seemed　to　be　able　to　get　hot。　But　there　was　a　steady　and　inexorable　seepage　against　the　bank；　amounting　after　about　two　hours'　play　to　ten　million　francs。　Bond　had　no　idea　what　profits　Le　Chiffre　had　made　over　the　past　two　days。　He　estimated　them　at　five　million　and　guessed　that　now　the　banker's　capital　could　not　be　more　than　twenty　million。
　In　fact；　Le　Chiffre　had　lost　heavily　all　that　afternoon。　At　this　moment　he　only　had　ten　million　left。
　Bond；　on　the　other　hand；　by　one　o'clock　in　the　morning；　had　won　four　million；　bringing　his　resources　up　to　twenty…eight　million。
　Bond　was　cautiously　pleased。　Le　Chiffre　showed　no　trace　of　emotion。　He　continued　to　play　like　an　automaton；　never　speaking　except　when　he　gave　instructions　in　a　low　aside　to　the　croupier　at　the　opening　of　each　new　bank。
　Outside　the　pool　of　silence　round　the　high　table；　there　was　the　constant　hum　of　the　other　tables；　chemin…de…fer；　roulette　and　trente…et…quarante；　interspersed　with　the　clear　calls　of　the　croupiers　and　occasional　bursts　of　laughter　or　gasps　of　excitement　from　different　corners　of　the　huge　salle。
　In　the　background　there　thudded　always　the　hidden　metronome　of　the　Casino；　ticking　up　its　little　treasure　of　one…per…cents　with　each　spin　of　a　wheel　and　each　turn　of　a　card　…　a　pulsing　fat…cat　with　a　zero　for　a　heart。
　It　was　at　ten　minutes　past　one　by　Bond's　watch　when；　at　the　high　table；　the　whole　pattern　of　play　suddenly　altered。
　The　Greek　at　Number　1　was　still　having　a　bad　time。　He　had　lost　the　first　coup　of　half　a　million　francs　and　the　second。　He　passed　the　third　time；　leaving　a　bank　of　two　millions。　Carmel　Delane　at　Number　2　refused　it。　So　did　Lady　Danvers　at　Number　3。
　The　Du　Ponts　looked　at　each　other。
　'Banco；'　said　Mrs　Du　Pont；　and　promptly　lost　to　the　banker's　natural　eight。
　'Un　banco　de　quatre　millions；'　said　the　croupier。
　'Banco；'　said　Bond；　pushing　out　a　wad　of　notes。
　Again　he　fixed　Le　Chiffre　with　his　eye。　Again　he　gave　only　a　cursory　look　at　his　two　cards。
　'No；'　he　said。　He　held　a　marginal　five。　The　position　was　dangerous。
　Le　Chiffre　turned　up　a　knave　and　a　four。　He　gave　the　shoe　another　slap。　He　drew　a　three。
　'Sept　à　la　banque；'　said　the　croupier；　'et　cinq；'　he　added　as　he　tipped　Bond's　losing　cards　face　upwards。　He　raked　over　Bond's　money；　extracted　four　million　francs　and　returned　the　remainder　to　Bond。
　'Un