johngardner.rollofhonor-第14部分

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　〃How　did　it　go；　then？〃　Jason　asked　as　they　sat　down；　at　a　long　refectory　table　set　on　bare　polished　boards　in　the　dining　room。
　〃We've　found　two　more　random　problems　you　can　set　into　the　early　section。　　Raise　the　general　and　search　strengths　of　the　British　patrols；　and　you　get　some　very　interesting　results。〃　Peter　gave　a　lopsided　smile。
　〃And；　to　equalise；　there's　a　new　random　for　the　later　stages；'　Cindy　added。　　〃We've　put　in　a　random　card　that　gives　the　Colonial　Militia　more　uncaptured　cannon。　　If　you　draw　that　option　the　British　don't　know　the　strength　until　they　begin　assaulting　the　hill。〃　Freddie　and　Dazzle　were　chattering　away　about　clothes；　but　Jason　caught　Bond's　interested　eye。　He　turned　to　Peter　and　Cindy。
　〃Mr。　Bond　doesn't　approve　of　using　such　high…tech　magic　for　mere　games。　He　smiled；　the　ment　bearing　no　malice。
　〃Ah；　e　on；　Mr。　Bond！〃
　〃It's　intellectual　stimulation。
　Cindy　and　Peter　leapt　to　Holy's　defence　simultaneously。　　Peter　continued；　〃Is　chess　a　frivolous　use　of　wood　or　ivory？〃
　〃I　said　nothing　of　the　kind；　said　Bond；　laughing。　　He　knew　that　the　testing　time　was　getting　close。　　〃I　was　simply　trained　as　a　programmer　in　Cobol；　databases　and　the　use　of　graphics　…　for　government　purposes　…　…　〃Not　military　purposes；　Mr。　Bond？〃
　〃Oh；　the　military　use　them；　of　course。
　When　I　was　a　naval　officer　we　didn't　have　the　benefit　of　that　kind　of　technology。〃　He　paused。　　〃I　would　in　fact　be　intrigued　to　hear　about　your　work。　　These　games　…　are　they　really　games？〃
　〃They　are　games　in　one　sense；'　Peter　answered。　　〃I　suppose　they're　also　tutorials。　　A　lot　of　serving　military　people　order　our　products。
　〃They　teach；　yes。〃　Jason　leaned　over　towards　Bond。
　〃You　cannot　sit　down　and　play　one　of　our　games　unless　you　have　some　knowledge　of　strategy；　tactics　and　military　history。　　They　can　be　taxing；　and　they　do　require　intelligence。　　It's　a　booming　market；　James。〃　He　paused；　as　though　a　thought　had　struck　him。　　〃What's　the　most　significant　leap　forward　in　the　puter　arts　…　in　your　opinion；　of　course？〃　Bond　did　not　hesitate。　　〃Oh；　without　doubt　the　advances　being　made；　almost　by　the　month；　in　vastly　increased　storage　of　data　using　smaller　and　smaller　space。　　Jason　nodded。　　〃Yes。　　Increased　memory　in　decreased　space。
　Millions　of　accessible　facts；　stored　for　all　time　in　something　no　larger　than　a　postage　stamp。　　And；　as　you　say；　it's　advancing　by　the　month；　even　by　the　day。　　In　a　year　or　so；　the　little　home　micro　will　be　able　to　store　almost　as　much　information　as　the　large　mainframe　puters　used　by　banks　and　government　departments。
　There　is　also　the　breakthrough　that　marries　the　laser　video　disk　recording　with　puter　mands　…　movements；　actions；　scale；　response。
　At　Endor　we　have　a　very　sophisticated　set…up。　　You　may　like　to　look　around　after　dinner。
　〃Put　him　on　The　Revolution　and　see　if　a　novice　player　es　up　with　anything　new；'　suggested　Cindy。
　〃Why　not？〃　The　bright　green　eyes　glittered；　as　though　some　challenge　were　in　the　offing。
　〃You've　made　a　puter　game　out　of　what？　　The　Russian　Revolution？〃　Jason　laughed。　　〃Not　quite；　James。　　You　see；　our　games　are　vast；　in　a　way　too　large　for　the　home　puter。
　They're　all　very　detailed　and　need　a　big　memory。　　We　pride　ourselves　on　their　playability　as　well　as　their　high　level　of　intellectual　stimulation。　　In　fact；　we　don't　like　calling　them　games。
　Simulations　is　a　better　word。
　〃No；　we　haven't　yet　got　a　simulation　of　any　revolution。
　At　the　moment；　we　have　only　six　on　the　market：　Crecy；　Blenheim；　the　Battle　of　the　Pyramids　…　Napoleon's　Egyptian　expedition　Austerlitz；　Cambrai；　which　is　very　good；　because　the　oute　could　have　been　very　different；　and　Stalingrad。　　We're　also　very　well　advanced　with　one　on　the　Blitzkrieg　of　1940。　　And　we　are　preparing　an　interesting　one　on　the　American　Revolution　…　you　know；　the　final　stages　prior　to　the　War　of　Independence：　Concord；　Lexington；　Bunker's　Hill。
　September　1774　to　June　1775。〃　Freddie　and　I　are　going　to　look　at　the　conservatory；'　Dazzle　suddenly　interrupted；　rather　sharply。　　〃It's　shop　all　the　time。　　Very　boring。　　Hope　to　see　you　later；　James。
　Lovely　meeting　you。
　Jason　did　not　even　apologise；　merely　smiling　benignly　and　shrugging。　Freddie　gave　Bond　a　broad　wink　as　the　two　ladies　left　the　room。　　As　he　turned　back　to　the　table；　he　caught　Cindy　looking　at　him　again；　in　the　same　almost　conspiratorial　way；　tinged　this　time　with　jealousy。
　Or　did　he　imagine　it？
　Jason　had　hardly　paused。　　〃Naturally；　you're　conversant　with　flowcharting　a　puter　program；James？〃　Bond　nodded；　recalling　the　hours　spent　in　Monaco　drawing　the　plex　charts　which　showed　exactly　what　you　wanted　the　puter　to　do。　　Once　more；　with　the　memory　came　that　odd　sense　of　Percy's　presence。　　He　dragged　himself　back；　for　Jason　was　still　speaking。
　〃Before　we　prepare　a　detailed　flowchart；　we　have　to　find　out　what　we　want　to　chart。　　So　we　begin　to　plan　the　simulation　by　playing　it　on　a　large　table。　　This　acts　as　our　graphics　guide；　and　we　have　counters　for　units；　troops；　ships；　cannon；　plus　cards　for　the　random　possibilities：　weather　cards；　epidemics；　unexpected　gains　or　losses；　hazards　of　war。〃　Peter　took　over。　　〃From　this　we　learn　the　scope　of　the　program　task。　So；　when　we've　played　the　campaign。
　〃About　a　million　times；'　Cindy　added。　　〃It　seems　like　a　million；　anyway。
　Peter　nodded　〃。　　。　　。　　We're　ready　to　begin　flowcharting　the　various　sections。　　You　have　to　be　dedicated　in　this　job。〃
　〃e　down　to　the　laboratory。〃　Jason's　voice　became　manding。　　〃We'll　show　James　the　board　we're　working　on　now。　　Who　knows；　he　may　get　interested　and　return　to　battle　it　out　with　me。　　If　you　do；'　he　said；　looking　intently　at　Bond；　〃make　sure　you　have　plenty　of　time。　　Campaigns　cannot　be　fought　in　five　minutes。〃　Behind　these　seemingly　pleasant　words　there　was　a　hint　of　obsession　that　Bond　found　disturbing。
　As　they　left　the　room；　he　was　conscious　of　Cindy　brushing　against　him。　He　felt　her　hand　touch　his　right　hip　lightly；　just　where　the　ASP　9mm　was　holstered。　　Had　that　been　accidental；　or　was　she　carrying　out　a　subtle　search？　　Whatever　the　answer；　Cindy　Chalmer；　at　least；　knew　that　he　was　armed。
　They　went　through　the　main　hall；　where　Jason　produced　a　bunch　of　keys　attached　to　a　thin　gold　chain；　unlocking　a　door　which；　he　said；　had　once　been　the　way　down　to　the　cellars。
　〃We've　made　a　few　changes；　naturally。〃
　〃Naturally；'　responded　Bond；　unprepared　for　the　nature　of　the　alterations。　　Below　the　house　there　were　three　large；　well…equipped；　puter　rooms；　with　models　of　all　the　best…known　micros　sitting　in　front　of　their　visual　display　units。　　In　a　fourth　room；　Jason's　office；　Bond's　heart　leapt　as　he　spotted　a　machine　that　looked　almost　exactly　like　the　Terror　Twelve　now　safe　outside　in　the　Bentley's　boot。
　From　his　office　Jason　led　the　way　into　a　long　chamber；　lit　from　above　by　at　least　thirty　spotlights。　　The　walls　were　covered　with　charts　and　maps　and　in　the　centre　was　a　large　table。　　Almost　entirely　covering　the　table　and　overlaid　with　a　thick　plastic　grid　was　a　detailed　map　of　the　eastern　seaboard　of　America；　centred　on　Boston　as　it　was　in　the　1　770s。　　The　main　municating　roads　and　natural　features　were　clearly　marked　in　colour。　　In　the　centre　of　the　grid　stood　a　rectangular　framework　made　of　black　plastic；　the　size　and　shape　of　a　large　television　screen；　while　two　small　easels　had　been　placed　at　the　far　end。　　Two　trays；　on　opposite　sides　of　the　table；　contained　packs　of　white　three…by…five　cards。　　There　was　a　chair　in　front　of　each　tray　and　a　desk　top　to　each　player's　right；　well…stocked　with　paper；　maps　and　printed　forms。
　Peter　and　Cindy　began　to　explain　the　nature　of　the　game；　and　how　it　was　used　to　build　up　all　the　details　of　the　simulation　before　anything　was　mitted　to　a　puter　program。　　The　black　plastic　frame　moved　both　vertically　and　horizontally　across　the　map。
　〃That　is　the　area　a　player　will　eventually　see　on　his　screen；　when　we　have　built　the　game；'　said　Jason。　　His　manner　had　bee　less　warm；　as　though　the　professional　had　suddenly　ousted　the　friendly　side　of　his　nature。　　He　explained　how　they　could　slot　close…ups　of　the　terrain　into　the　rectangle。　　〃When　we've　got　the　game　on　puter；　you'll　be　able　to　scroll　around　this　whole　map；　but