ian fleming.casino royale-第2部分

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py　out　of　the　local　post　office；　if　the　concierge　hadn't　already　steamed　the　envelope　open　or　read　the　cable　upside　down　in　Bond's　hands。
　He　took　his　key　and　said　good　night　and　turned　to　the　stairs；　shaking　his　head　at　the　liftman。　Bond　knew　what　an　obliging　danger…signal　a　lift　could　be。　He　didn't　expect　anyone　to　be　moving　on　the　first　floor；　but　he　preferred　to　be　prudent。
　Walking　quietly　up　on　the　balls　of　his　feet；　he　regretted　the　hubris　of　his　reply　to　M　via　Jamaica。　As　a　gambler　he　knew　it　was　a　mistake　to　rely　on　too　small　a　capital。　Anyway；　M　probably　wouldn't　let　him　have　any　more。　He　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　turned　off　the　stairs　into　the　corridor　and　walked　softly　to　the　door　of　his　room。
　Bond　knew　exactly　where　the　switch　was　and　it　was　with　one　flow　of　motion　that　he　stood　on　the　threshold　with　the　door　full　open；　the　light　on　and　a　gun　in　his　hand。　The　safe；　empty　room　sneered　at　him。　He　ignored　the　half…open　door　of　the　bathroom　and；　locking　himself　in；　he　turned　up　the　bed…light　and　the　mirror…light　and　threw　his　gun　on　the　settee　beside　the　window。　Then　he　bent　down　and　inspected　one　of　his　own　black　hairs　which　still　lay　undisturbed　where　he　had　left　it　before　dinner；　wedged　into　the　drawer　of　the　writing…desk。
　Next　he　examined　a　faint　trace　of　talcum　powder　on　the　inner　rim　of　the　porcelain　handle　of　the　clothes　cupboard。　It　appeared　immaculate。　He　went　into　the　bathroom；　lifted　the　cover　of　the　lavatory　cistern　and　verified　the　level　of　the　water　against　a　small　scratch　on　the　copper　ball…cock。
　Doing　all　this；　inspecting　these　minute　burglar…alarms；　did　not　make　him　feel　foolish　or　self…conscious。　He　was　a　secret　agent；　and　still　alive　thanks　to　his　exact　attention　to　the　detail　of　his　profession。　Routine　precautions　were　to　him　no　more　unreasonable　than　they　would　be　to　a　deep…sea　diver　or　a　test　pilot；　or　to　any　man　earning　danger…money。
　Satisfied　that　his　room　had　not　been　searched　while　he　was　at　the　casino；　Bond　undressed　and　took　a　cold　shower。　Then　he　lit　his　seventieth　cigarette　of　the　day　and　sat　down　at　the　writing…table　with　the　thick　wad　of　his　stake　money　and　winnings　beside　him　and　entered　some　figures　in　a　small　note…book。　Over　the　two　days'　play；　he　was　up　exactly　three　million　francs。　In　London　he　had　been　issued　with　ten　million；　and　he　had　asked　London　for　a　further　ten。　With　this　on　its　way　to　the　local　branch　of　Crédit　Lyonnais；　his　working　capital　amounted　to　twenty…three　million　francs；　or　some　twenty…three　thousand　pounds。
　For　a　few　moments　Bond　sat　motionless；　gazing　out　of　the　window　across　the　dark　sea；　then　he　shoved　the　bundle　of　banknotes　under　the　pillow　of　the　ornate　single　bed；　cleaned　his　teeth；　turned　out　the　lights　and　climbed　with　relief　between　the　harsh　French　sheets。　For　ten　minutes　he　lay　on　his　left　side　reflecting　on　the　events　of　the　day。　Then　he　turned　over　and　focused　his　mind　towards　the　tunnel　of　sleep。
　His　last　action　was　to　slip　his　right　hand　under　the　pillow　until　it　rested　under　the　butt　of　the　。38　Colt　Police　Positive　with　the　sawn　barrel。　Then　he　slept；　and　with　the　warmth　and　humour　of　his　eyes　extinguished；　his　features　relapsed　into　a　taciturn　mask；　ironical；　brutal；　and　cold。
　
　
　CHAPTER　2　…　DOSSIER　FOR　M
　Two　weeks　before；　this　memorandum　had　gone　from　Station　S　of　the　Secret　Service　to　M；　who　was　then　and　is　today　head　of　this　adjunct　to　the　British　Defence　Ministries：
　
　To：　M。
　From：　Head　of　S。
　Subject：　A　project　for　the　destruction　of　Monsieur　Le　Chiffre　（alias　'The　Number'；　'Herr　Nummer'；　'Herr　Ziffer'；　etc。）；　one　of　the　Opposition's　chief　agents　in　France　and　undercover　Paymaster　of　the　'Syndicat　des　Ouvriers　d'Alsace'；　the　munist…controlled　trade　union　in　the　heavy　and　transport　industries　of　Alsace；　and　as　we　know；　an　important　fifth　column　in　the　event　of　war　with　Redland。
　Documentation：　Head　of　Archives'　biography　of　Le　Chiffre　is　attached　at　Appendix　A。　Also；　Appendix　B；　a　note　on　SMERSH。
　
　We　have　been　feeling　for　some　time　that　Le　Chiffre　is　getting　into　deep　water。　In　nearly　all　respects　he　is　an　admirable　agent　of　the　USSR；　but　his　gross　physical　habits　and　predilections　are　an　Achilles　heel　of　which　we　have　been　able　to　take　advantage　from　time　to　time　and　one　of　his　mistresses　is　a　Eurasian　（No　1860）　controlled　by　Station　F；　who　has　recently　been　able　to　obtain　insight　into　his　private　affairs。
　Briefly；　it　seems　that　Le　Chiffre　is　on　the　brink　of　a　financial　crisis。　Certain　straws　in　the　wind　were　noticed　by　1860　…　some　discreet　sales　of　jewellery；　the　disposal　of　a　villa　at　Antibes；　and　a　general　tendency　to　check　the　loose　spending　which　has　always　been　a　feature　of　his　way　of　life。　Further　inquiries　were　made　with　the　help　of　our　friends　of　the　Deuxième　Bureau　（with　whom　we　have　been　working　jointly　on　this　case）　and　a　curious　story　has　e　to　light。
　In　January　1946；　Le　Chiffre　bought　control　of　a　chain　of　brothels；　known　as　the　Cordon　Jaune；　operating　in　Normandy　and　Brittany。　He　was　foolish　enough　to　employ　for　this　purpose　some　fifty　million　francs　of　the　moneys　entrusted　to　him　by　Leningrad　Section　III　for　the　financing　of　SODA；　the　trade　union　mentioned　above。
　Normally　the　Cordon　Jaune　would　have　proved　a　most　excellent　investment　and　it　is　possible　that　Le　Chiffre　was　motivated　more　by　a　desire　to　increase　his　union　funds　than　by　the　hope　of　lining　his　own　pocket　by　speculating　with　his　employers'　money。　However　that　may　be；　it　is　clear　that　he　could　have　found　many　investments　more　savoury　than　prostitution；　if　he　had　not　been　tempted　by　the　byproduct　of　unlimited　women　for　his　personal　use。
　Fate　rebuked　him　with　terrifying　swiftness。
　Barely　three　months　later；　on　13　April；　there　was　passed　in　France　Law　No。　46685　entitled　Loi　Tendant　à　la　Fermeture　des　Maisons　de　Tolérance　et　au　Renforcement　de　la　Lutte　contre　le　Proxénitisme。
　
　（When　M　came　to　this　sentence　he　grunted　and　pressed　a　switch　on　the　inter。
　'Head　of　S。？'
　'Sir。'
　'What　the　hell　does　this　word　mean？'　He　spelt　it　out。
　'Pimping；　sir。'
　'This　is　not　the　Berlitz　School　of　Languages；　Head　of　S。　If　you　want　to　show　off　your　knowledge　of　foreign　jawbreakers；　be　good　enough　to　provide　a　crib。　Better　still；　write　in　English。'
　'Sorry；　sir。'
　M　released　the　switch　and　turned　back　to　the　memorandum。）
　This　law　＇he　read＇　known　popularly　as　'La　Loi　Marthe　Richard'；　closing　all　houses　of　ill…fame　and　forbidding　the　sale　of　pornographic　books　and　films　knocked　the　bottom　out　of　his　investment　almost　overnight　and　suddenly　Le　Chiffre　was　faced　with　a　serious　deficit　in　his　union　funds。　In　desperation　he　turned　his　open　houses　into　maisons　de　passe；　where　clandestine　rendezvous　could　be　arranged　on　the　border…line　of　the　law；　and　he　continued　to　operate　one　or　two　cinémas　bleus　underground；　but　these　shifts　in　no　way　served　to　cover　his　overheads；　and　all　attempts　to　sell　his　investment；　even　at　a　heavy　loss；　failed　dismally。　Meanwhile　the　Police　des　M？urs　were　on　his　trail　and　in　a　short　while　twenty　or　more　of　his　establishments　were　closed　down。
　The　police　were；　of　course；　only　interested　in　this　man　as　a　big…time　brothel…keeper　and　it　was　not　until　we　expressed　an　interest　in　his　finances　that　the　Deuxième　Bureau　unearthed　the　parallel　dossier　which　was　running　with　their　colleagues　of　the　police　department。
　The　significance　of　the　situation　became　apparent　to　us　and　to　our　French　friends　and；　in　the　past　few　months；　a　veritable　rat…hunt　has　been　operated　by　the　police　after　the　establishments　of　the　Cordon　Jaune；　with　the　result　that　today　nothing　remains　of　Le　Chiffre's　original　investment　and　any　routine　inquiry　would　reveal　a　deficit　of　around　fifty　million　francs　in　the　trade　union　funds　of　which　he　is　the　treasurer　and　paymaster。
　It　does　not　seem　that　the　suspicions　of　Leningrad　have　been　aroused　yet　but；　unfortunately　for　Le　Chiffre；　it　is　possible　that　at　any　rate　SMERSH　is　on　the　scent。　Last　week　a　high…grade　source　of　Station　P　reported　that　a　senior　official　of　this　efficient　organ　of　Soviet　vengeance　had　left　Warsaw　for　Strasbourg　via　the　Eastern　sector　of　Berlin。　There　is　no　confirmation　of　this　report　from　the　Deuxième　Bureau；　nor　from　the　authorities　in　Stras