johngardner.rollofhonor-第6部分

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　〃Trouble　was；　none　of　this　happened　to　be　news　to　the　American　Service。　You　see；　they've　been　keeping　an　eye　on　that　situation　for　some　time。　Even　infiltrated　it；　without　telling　anyone。
　Bond　smiled。　　〃That　would　please　my　people　no　end。
　There　are　rules　about　operating　on　other　countries'　soil　and　〃As　I　understand　it；'　Percy　interrupted　in　a　husky；　drawling　voice；　〃there　were　what　is　known　as　frank　and　open　discussions。〃
　〃I'll　bet！〃　Bond　thought　for　a　moment。　　Are　you　telling　me　that　Jay　Autem　Holy　strongly　prized　by　the　Pentagon　and　missing；　believed　dead　…　just　managed　to　settle　in　this　village；　Nun's　Cross；　without　benefit　of　disguise　or　cover；　except　for　some　new　identity　papers？〃　Percy　stretched　out　her　legs　and　laid　back　almost　full　length　on　the　couch；　brushing　the　floor　languidly　with　her　hand。
　〃Not　an　easy　man　to　disguise；…　she　said。　　〃But　yes；　that's　exactly　what　he's　done。　　Mind　you　he　rarely　goes　out；　he's　hardly　ever　seen　in　the　village。　　His　so…called　wife　deals　personally　with　business；　and　those　he　genuinely　employs　just　think　he's　eccentric　…　which　he　is。　　A　great　deal　of　ingenuity　and　a　lot　of　money　went　into　fixing　up　Jay　Autem's　hideaway。
　Slowly；　many　of　the　things　M　had　said　back　in　London　started　to　make　sense。　　As　though　dawn　had　suddenly　broken；　Bond　said；　〃And　I'm　the　one　who's　supposed　to　join　that　happy　band　of　brothers？〃
　〃You've　got　it　in　one。〃
　〃And　just　how　am　I　supposed　to　do　that？　　Walk　in　and　say；　Hi　there；　my　name's　James　Bond；　the　famous　renegade　intelligence　officer：　I'm　looking　for　a　job？〃　It　was　Bond's　turn　to　get　up　and　pace　the　room。
　〃Something　like　that；'　Percy　drawled　softly。
　〃Good　God！〃　Bond's　face　tightened　in　anger。　　〃Of　all　the　harebrained　Why　would　he　want　to　employ　me；　anyway？〃
　〃He　wouldn't。〃　She　gave　a　flicker　of　a　smile　and　sat　up；　suddenly　very　alert　and　earnest。
　〃He's　got　enough　staff　to　run　the　Gunfire　Simulations　business　all　legal　and　above　board。　　And　are　they　screened！　　It　makes　the　British　positive　vetting　look　like　a　kid's　crossword　puzzle。　　Believe　me；　I　know。　　He　has　to　be　certain；　because　that　side　of　things　is　absolutely　straight。〃　She　took　a　little　breath；　turning　her　head　slightly；　like　a　singer　swinging　away　from　the　microphone。　　〃No；　James；　he　wouldn't　think　of　employing　you　but　there　are　people　he　works　with　who　just　might　find　you　a　great　temptation。　　That's　what　your　people　are　banking　on。
　〃Mad。　　Absolute　madness！　　How？〃　Bond　was　really　angry　again。
　〃James；'　she　said　soothingly；　standing　up　and　taking　both　his　hands　in　hers。　　〃You　have　friends　at　the　court　of　King　St。　John…Finnes　well；　an　acquaintance　anyhow。
　Freddie　Fortune。　　The　naughty　Lady　Freddie。〃
　〃Oh　Lord！〃　Bond　dropped　Percy's　hands　and　swung　aside。　　Once；　some　years　ago；　Bond　had　made　the　error　of　cultivating　the　young　woman　Percy　had　just　mentioned。
　In　a　way　he　had　even　courted　her；　until　he　discovered　that　Lady　Freddie　Fortune；　darling　of　the　gossip　columnists；　suffered　from　a　somewhat　slapdash　political　education；　which　had　placed　her　slightly　to　the　left　of　Fidel　Castro。
　〃You　too　will　have　to　study；　James。　　That's　why　you're　going　to　be　here；　with　me。　　To　get　an　entree　into　Endor　you　must　know　something　about　the　job　they　do　at　Gunfire　Simulations。　　How　much　do　you　really　know　about　puters？〃　Bond　gave　a　sheepish　smile。　　〃If　you　put　it　like　that；　the　technicalities　only。〃　Had　he　been　asked；　puters　were　the　last　thing　he　wanted　to　discuss　just　then　with　the　strangely　alluring　and　unsettling　Persephone　Proud。
　
　WAR　GAME　with　A
　
　LUCIDITY　born　of　his　years　in　the　Service；　Bond　outlined　to　Percy　the　way　a　microputer　works；　as　they　both　sauntered　about　the　room　in　almost　a　ritual　dance；　carefully　avoiding　one　another。　　A　plex　electronic　tool　designed　to　perform　particular　tasks　when　a　series　of　mands　are　read　into　its　two　memories；　he　recited　tonelessly；　like　a　schoolboy　reeling　off　Latin　declensions　to　an　indulgent　master。　　A　machine　which　could　keep　records　and　work　out　financial　problems　one　minute；　process　data　the　next；　receive　and　transmit　information　over　thousands　of　miles　in　a　matter　of　seconds；　which　would　design　your　new　house；　or　allow　you　to　play　plicated　games；　make　music；　or　display　moving　graphics。　　A　miracle　with　an　ever…growing　memory；　but　only　as　good　as　the　program　it　is　given。
　〃I　know　the　theory　…just；'　Bond　said　with　a　smile；　〃but　I　haven't　a　clue　how　it's　all　done　by　the　programmer。〃
　〃That；　as　I　understand　it　from　your　wonderful　old　boss；　is　the　main　reason　we're　here；'　Percy　retorted。
　Bond　was　mildly　surprised　to　hear　M　spoken　of　as　his　wonderful　old　boss。　〃My　job　is　to　teach　you　programming　language；　with　special　reference　to　the　kind　of　thing　my　dark　angel　of　an　ex…husband　used　to　do；　and　probably　is　doing　right　now。　　Oh；　yes；　he　is　an　ex。　　Dead；　missing；　whatever；　I　made　sure　it　was　legal。〃
　〃Would　that　be　difficult？〃　Bond　asked　with　a　show　of　feigned　innocence。　〃Learning　to　program；　I　mean。〃　&　War　Game　〃Depends　on　aptitude。　　It's　like　swimming　or　riding　a　bicycle。　　Once　you've　got　the　knack　it　bees　second　nature。　　Mind　you；　we're　up　against　a　particular　kind　of　genius　when　it　es　to　Jay　Autem　Holy。　　I'm　going　to　have　to　tell　you　a　lot　about　him。　　Seriously；　though；　it's　simply　like　learning　a　new　language；　or　how　to　read　music。〃　Percy　walked　over　to　the　closet　and　hauled　out　a　pair　of　large　customised　cases　heavily　embellished　with　coded　security　locks。　　Between　them　they　contained　a　large；　sophisticated　microputer；　several　types　of　disk　drive；　and　three　metal　boxes　which；　when　opened；　revealed　disks　of　differing　sizes　and　quality。　　She　asked　Bond　to　move　the　television　set　so　that　she　could　plug　in　the　micro。　The　keyboard　was　twice　the　size　of　that　on　an　electronic　typewriter。　　Percy　talked　as　she　set　up　the　equipment。　　This　was　the　same　micro；　she　said；　as　she　guessed　Jay　Autem　would　be　using　now。
　Bond　had　already　noticed　that　she　referred　to　Dr　Holy　simply　as　Jay　Autem　or　the　Holy　Terror。
　〃When　he　went　missing　his　own　micro　disappeared　with　him　…　or；　should　I　say；　at　the　same　time。　　I　guess　he　had　it　stashed　away　somewhere　safe。　In　those　days　we　were　just　beginning　to　see　the　full　development　of　the　micropressor　…　you　know；　the　chip　that　put　a　whole　roomful　of　puter　circuits　on　to　a　5mm…square　piece　of　silicon。
　When　he　built　his　own　machine　we　were　still　mainly　using　tapes。
　Since　then　there've　been　so　many　developments；　and　things　have　bee　much　smaller；　but　I've　tried　to　keep　pace　with　the　technology。
　I　rebuilt　his　Terror　Six　…　that's　what　he　called　his　machine　changing　his　original　design；　doing　my　best　to　keep　one　jump　ahead；　as　he　would　have　done。〃　Bond　stood　peering　over　her　shoulder　as　she　made　final　adjustments。
　〃This；'　she　waved　a　hand　at　the　keyboard；　〃is　my　equivalent　of　what　would　now　be　the　Terror　Twelve。
　Since　Jay　Autem　went；　the　chips　have　gotten　smaller；　but　the　big　leap　forward　has　been　the　incredible　advance　in　the　amount　of　memory　a　little　thing　like　this　can　contain。
　That；　and　the　way　more　realistic　pictures　…　real　video　can　be　used　in　the　kind　of　programs　he's　interested　in。〃
　〃And　what　kind　of　programs　are　those；　Percy？〃
　〃Well　…〃　she　selected　a　disk　from　one　of　the　boxes；　switched　on　a　drive；　inserted　the　disk　and　powered　up　the　machine　…　〃I　can　show　you　the　kind　of　thing　which　used　to　fascinate　him　when　he　was　doing　work　for　the　Pentagon。　　Then　we　can　take　it　a　stage　further。〃　The　television　screen　had　e　alive；　the　disk　drive　whirred　and　rasped；　and　a　series　of　rapid　beeps　emanated　from　the　speaker。　　The　drive　continued　to　sound　after　the　staccato　beeps　finally　stopped　and　the　screen　cleared；　showing　a　detailed　map　of　the　border　between　East　and　West　Germany　…　the　district　around　Kassel：　NATO　country。
　Unaccountably　Bond　suddenly　felt　hot　and　flushed。
　He　started　to　reach　a　hand　out　to　Percy's　shoulder；　but　changed　to　loosen　his　tie　as　she　drew　a　heavy　black　joystick　from　one　of　her　cases　and　plugged　it　into　the　keyboard；　pressing　the　S　key。　　Immediately　a　bright　rectangle　appeared　on　the　map；　which　Bond　saw　was　as　clear　as　a　piece　of　printed　cartography。
　〃Okay；　this　may　look　like　some　weird　game　to　you；　but　I　promise　you；　it's　a　very　advanced　training