ian fleming.casino royale-第25部分

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er　everything。　Even　your　car's　being　repaired　for　you。　He　seemed　to　be　Vesper's　boss。　He　spent　a　lot　of　time　with　her　and　gave　her　strict　instructions　to　look　after　you。'
　Head　of　S；　thought　Bond。　They're　certainly　giving　me　the　red　carpet　treatment。
　'Now；'　said　Mathis；　'to　business。　Who　killed　Le　Chiffre？'
　'SMERSH；'　said　Bond。
　Mathis　gave　a　low　whistle。
　'My　God；'　he　said　respectfully。　'So　they　were　on　to　him。　What　did　he　look　like？'
　Bond　explained　briefly　what　had　happened　up　to　the　moment　of　Le　Chiffre's　death；　omitting　all　but　the　most　essential　details。　It　cost　him　an　effort　and　he　was　glad　when　it　was　done。　Casting　his　mind　back　to　the　scene　awoke　the　whole　nightmare　and　the　sweat　began　to　pour　off　his　forehead　and　a　deep　throb　of　pain　started　up　in　his　body。
　Mathis　realized　that　he　was　going　too　far。　Bond's　voice　was　getting　feebler　and　his　eyes　were　clouding。　Mathis　snapped　shut　his　shorthand　book　and　laid　a　hand　on　Bond's　shoulder。
　'Forgive　me；　my　friend；'　he　said。　'It　is　all　over　now　and　you　are　in　safe　hands。　All　is　well　and　the　whole　plan　has　gone　splendidly。　We　have　announced　that　Le　Chiffre　shot　his　two　acplices　and　then　mitted　suicide　because　he　could　not　face　an　inquiry　into　the　union　funds。　Strasbourg　and　the　north　are　in　an　uproar。　He　was　considered　a　great　hero　there　and　a　pillar　of　the　munist　Party　in　France。　This　story　of　brothels　and　casinos　has　absolutely　knocked　the　bottom　out　of　his　organization　and　they're　all　running　around　like　scalded　cats。　At　the　moment　the　munist　Party　is　giving　out　that　he　was　off　his　head。　But　that　hasn't　helped　much　after　Thorez's　breakdown　not　long　ago。　They're　just　making　it　look　as　if　all　their　big　shots　were　gaga。　God　knows　how　they're　going　to　unscramble　the　whole　business。'
　Mathis　saw　that　his　enthusiasm　had　had　the　desired　effect。　Bond's　eyes　were　brighter。
　'One　last　mystery；'　Mathis　said；　'and　then　I　promise　I　will　go。'　He　looked　at　his　watch。　'The　doctor　will　be　after　my　skin　in　a　moment。　Now；　what　about　the　money？　Where　is　it？　Where　did　you　hide　it？　We　too　have　been　over　your　room　with　a　toothb。　It　isn't　there。'
　Bond　grinned。
　'It　is；'　he　said；　'more　or　less。　On　the　door　of　each　room　there　is　a　small　square　of　black　plastic　with　the　number　of　the　room　on　it。　On　the　corridor　side；　of　course。　When　Leiter　left　me　that　night；　I　simply　opened　the　door　and　unscrewed　my　number　plate　and　put　the　folded　cheque　underneath　it　and　screwed　the　plate　back。　It'll　still　be　there。'　He　smiled。　'I'm　glad　there's　something　the　stupid　English　can　teach　the　clever　French。'
　Mathis　laughed　delightedly。
　'I　suppose　you　think　that's　paid　me　back　for　knowing　what　the　Muntzes　were　up　to。　Well；　I'll　call　it　quits。　Incidentally；　we've　got　them　in　the　bag。　They　were　just　some　minor　fry　hired　for　the　occasion。　We'll　see　they　get　a　few　years。'
　He　rose　hastily　as　the　doctor　stormed　into　the　room　and　took　one　look　at　Bond。
　'Out；'　he　said　to　Mathis。　'Out　and　don't　e　back。'
　Mathis　just　had　time　to　wave　cheerfully　to　Bond　and　call　some　hasty　words　of　farewell　before　he　was　hustled　through　the　door。　Bond　heard　a　torrent　of　heated　French　diminishing；　down　the　corridor。　He　lay　back　exhausted；　but　heartened　by　all　he　had　heard。　He　found　himself　thinking　of　Vesper　as　he　quickly　drifted　off　into　a　troubled　sleep。
　There　were　still　questions　to　be　answered；　but　they　could　wait。
　
　
　CHAPTER　20　…　THE　NATURE　OF　EVIL
　Bond　made　good　progress。　When　Mathis　came　to　see　him　three　days　later　he　was　propped　up　in　bed　and　his　arms　were　free。　The　lower　half　of　his　body　was　still　shrouded　in　the　oblong　tent；　but　he　looked　cheerful　and　it　was　only　occasionally　that　a　twinge　of　pain　narrowed　his　eyes。
　Mathis　looked　crestfallen。
　'Here's　your　cheque；'　he　said　to　Bond。　'I've　rather　enjoyed　walking　around　with　forty　million　francs　in　my　pocket；　but　I　suppose　you'd　better　sign　it　and　I'll　put　it　to　your　account　with　the　Crédit　Lyonnais。　There's　no　sign　of　our　friend　from　SMERSH。　Not　a　damn　trace。　He　must　have　got　to　the　villa　on　foot　or　on　a　bicycle　because　you　heard　nothing　of　his　arrival　and　the　two　gunmen　obviously　didn't。　It's　pretty　exasperating。　We've　got　precious　little　on　this　SMERSH　organization　and　neither　has　London。　Washington　said　they　had；　but　it　turned　out　to　be　the　usual　waffle　from　refugee　interrogation；　and　you　know　that's　about　as　much　good　as　interrogating　an　English　man…in…the　street　about　his　own　Secret　Service；　or　a　Frenchman　about　the　Deuxième。'
　'He　probably　came　from　Leningrad　to　Berlin　via　Warsaw；'　said　Bond。　'From　Berlin　they've　got　plenty　of　routes　open　to　the　rest　of　Europe。　He's　back　home　by　now　being　told　off　for　not　shooting　me　too。　I　fancy　they've　got　quite　a　file　on　me　in　view　of　one　or　two　of　the　jobs　M's　given　me　since　the　war。　He　obviously　thought　he　was　being　smart　enough　cutting　his　initial　in　my　hand。'
　'What's　that？'　asked　Mathis。　'The　doctor　said　the　cuts　looked　like　a　square　M　with　a　tail　to　the　top。　He　said　they　didn't　mean　anything。'
　'Well；　I　only　got　a　glimpse　before　I　passed　out；　but　I've　seen　the　cuts　several　times　while　they　were　being　dressed　and　I'm　pretty　certain　they　are　the　Russian　letter　for　SH。　It's　rather　like　an　inverted　M　with　a　tail。　That　would　make　sense；　SMERSH　is　short　for　SMYERT　SHPIONAM　…　Death　to　Spies　…　and　he　thinks　he's　labelled　me　as　a　SHPION。　It's　a　nuisance　because　M　will　probably　say　I've　got　to　go　to　hospital　again　when　I　get　back　to　London　and　have　new　skin　grafted　over　the　whole　of　the　back　of　my　hand。　It　doesn't　matter　much。　I've　decided　to　resign。'
　Mathis　looked　at　him　with　his　mouth　open。
　'Resign？'　he　asked　incredulously。　'What　the　hell　for？'
　Bond　looked　away　from　Mathis。　He　studied　his　bandaged　hands。
　'When　I　was　being　beaten　up；'　he　said；　'I　suddenly　liked　the　idea　of　being　alive。　Before　Le　Chiffre　began；　he　used　a　phrase　which　stuck　in　my　mind　。　。　。　〃playing　Red　Indians〃。　He　said　that's　what　I　had　been　doing。　Well；　I　suddenly　thought　he　might　be　right。
　'You　see；'　he　said；　still　looking　down　at　his　bandages；　'when　one's　young；　it　seems　very　easy　to　distinguish　between　right　and　wrong；　but　as　one　gets　older　it　bees　more　difficult。　At　school　it's　easy　to　pick　out　one's　own　villains　and　heroes　and　one　grows　up　wanting　to　be　a　hero　and　kill　the　villains。'
　He　looked　obstinately　at　Mathis。
　'Well；　in　the　last　few　years　I've　killed　two　villains。　The　first　was　in　New　York　…　a　Japanese　cipher　expert　cracking　our　codes　on　the　thirty…sixth　floor　of　the　RCA　building　in　the　Rockefeller　centre；　where　the　Japs　had　their　consulate。　I　took　a　room　on　the　fortieth　floor　of　the　next…door　skyscraper　and　I　could　look　across　the　street　into　his　room　and　see　him　working。　Then　I　got　a　colleague　from　our　organization　in　New　York　and　a　couple　of　Remington　thirty…thirty's　with　telescopic　sights　and　silencers。　We　smuggled　them　up　to　my　room　and　sat　for　days　waiting　for　our　chance。　He　shot　at　the　man　a　second　before　me。　His　job　was　only　to　blast　a　hole　through　the　windows　so　that　I　could　shoot　the　Jap　through　it。　They　have　tough　windows　at　the　Rockefeller　centre　to　keep　the　noise　out。　It　worked　very　well。　As　I　expected；　his　bullet　got　deflected　by　the　glass　and　went　God　knows　where。　But　I　shot　immediately　after　him；　through　the　hole　he　had　made。　I　got　the　Jap　in　the　mouth　as　he　turned　to　gape　at　the　broken　window。'
　Bond　smoked　for　a　minute。
　'It　was　a　pretty　sound　job。　Nice　and　clean　too。　Three　hundred　yards　away。　No　personal　contact。　The　next　time　in　Stockholm　wasn't　so　pretty。　I　had　to　kill　a　Norwegian　who　was　doubling　against　us　for　the　Germans。　He'd　managed　to　get　two　of　our　men　captured　…　probably　bumped　off　for　all　I　know。　For　various　reasons　it　had　to　be　an　absolutely　silent　job。　I　chose　the　bedroom　of　his　flat　and　a　knife。　And；　well；　he　just　didn't　die　very　quickly。
　'For　those　two　jobs　I　was　awarded　a　Double　O　number　in　the　Service。　Felt　pretty　clever　and　got　a　reputation　for　being　good　and　tough。　A　double　O　number　in　our　Service　means　you've　had　to　kill　a　chap　in　cold　blood　in　the　course　of　some　job。
　'Now；'　he　looked　up　again　at　Mathis；　'that's　all　very　fine。　The　hero　kills　two　villains；　but　when　the　hero　Le　Chiffre　starts　to　kill　the　villain　Bond　and　the　villain　Bond　knows　he