if.moonraker-第22部分
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
cket ten feet lower down。 Its operator crawled out along its arm and opened another small access door and disappeared inside。
〃Probably checking the fuel…feed from the after tanks；〃 said Drax。 〃Gravity feed。 Ticky bit of design。 What do you think of her？〃 He looked with pleasure at Bond's rapt expression。
〃One of the most beautiful things I've ever seen；〃 said Bond。 It was easy to talk。 There was hardly a sound in the great steel shaft and the voices of the men clustered below under the tail of the rocket were no more than a murmur。
Drax pointed upwards。 〃Warhead；〃 he explained。 〃Experimental one now。 Full of instruments。 Telemeters and so forth。 Then the gyros just opposite us here。 Then mostly fuel tanks all the way down until you get to the turbines near the tail。 Driven by superheated steam； made by deposing hydrogen peroxide。 The fuel； fluorine and hydrogen〃 （he glanced sharply at Bond。 〃That's top…secret by the way〃） 〃falls down the feed tubes and gets ignited as soon as it's forced into the motor。 Sort of controlled explosion which shoots the rocket into the air。 That steel floor under the rocket slides away。 There's a big exhaust pit underneath。 es out at the base of the cliff。 You'll see it tomorrow。 Looks like a huge cave。 When we ran a static test the other day the chalk melted and ran out into the sea like water。 Hope we don't burn down the famous white cliffs when we e to the real thing。 Like to e and have a look at the works？〃
Bond followed silently as Drax led the way down the steep iron ladder that curved down the side of the steel wall。 He felt a glow of admiration and almost of reverence for this man and his majestic achievement。 How could he ever have been put off by Drax's childish behaviour at the card…table？ Even the greatest men have their weaknesses。 Drax must have an outlet for the tension of the fantastic responsibility he was carrying。 It was clear from the conversation at dinner that he couldn't shed much on to the shoulders of his highly…strung deputy。 From him alone had to spring the vitality and confidence to buoy up his whole team。 Even in such a small thing as winning at cards it must be important to him to be constantly reassuring himself； constantly searching out omens of good fortune and success； even to the point of creating these omens for himself。 Who； Bond asked himself； wouldn't sweat and bite his nails when so much had been dared； when so much was at stake？
As they filed down the long curve of the stairway； their figures grotesquely reflected back at them by the mirror of the rocket's chromium skin； Bond almost felt the man…in the…street's affection for the man whom； only a few hours previously； he had been dissecting without pity； almost with loathing。
When they reached the steel…plated floor of the shaft； Drax paused and looked up。 Bond followed his eyes。 Seen from that angle it seemed as if they were gazing up a thin straight shaft of light into the blazing heaven of the arcs； a shaft of light that was not pure white but a shot mother…of…pearl satin。 There were shimmers of red in it picked up from the crimson canisters of a giant foam fire…extinguisher that stood near them； a man in an asbestos suit beside it aiming its nozzle at the base of the rocket。 There was a streak of violet whose origin was a violet bulb on the board of an instrument panel in the wall； which controlled the steel cover over the exhaust pit。 And there was a whisper of emerald green from the shaded light over a plain deal table at which a man sat and wrote down figures as they were called to him from the group gathered directly beneath the Moonraker's tail。
Gazing up this pastel column； so incredibly slim and graceful； it seemed unthinkable that anything so delicate could withstand the pressures which it had been designed to meet on Friday…the howling stream of the most powerful controlled explosion that had ever been attempted； the impact of the sound barrier； the unknown pressures of the atmosphere at 15；000 miles an hour； the terrible shock as it plunged back from a thousand miles up and hit the atmospheric envelope of the earth。
Drax seemed to read his thoughts。 He turned to Bond。 〃It will be like mitting murder；〃 he said。 Then surprisingly； he burst into a braying laugh。 〃Walter；〃 he called to the group of men。 〃e here。〃 Walter detached himself and came over。 〃Walter； I was saying to our friend the mander that when we fire the Moonraker it will be like mitting murder。〃
Bond was not surprised to see a look of puzzled incredulity e over the Doctor's face。
Drax said irritably； 〃Child murder。 Murder of our child；〃 he gestured at the rocket。 〃Wake up。 Wake up。 What's the matter with you？〃
Walter's face cleared。 Frostily he beamed his appreciation of the simile。 〃Murder。 Yes； that is good。 Ha！ ha！ And now；
Sir Hugo。 The graphite slats in the exhaust vent。 The Ministry is quite happy about their melting…point？ They do not feel that。。。〃 Still talking； Walter led Drax under the tail of the rocket。 Bond followed。
The faces of the ten men were turned towards them as they came up。 Drax introduced him with a wave of the hand。 〃mander Bond； our new security officer；〃 he said briefly。
The group eyed Bond in silence。 There was no move to greet him and the ten pairs of eyes were incurious。
〃Now then； what's all this fuss about the graphite？。。。〃 The group closed round Drax and Walter。 Bond was left standing alone。
He was not surprised by the coolness of his reception。 He would have regarded the intrusion of an amateur into the secrets of his own department with much the same indifference mixed with resentment。 And he sympathized with these hand…picked technicians who had lived for months among the highest realms of astronautics； and were now on the threshold of the final arbitration。 And yet； he reminded himself； the innocent among them must know that Bond had his own duty to perform； his own vital part in this project。 Supposing one pair of those unmunicative eyes concealed a man within a man； an enemy； perhaps at this very moment exulting in his knowledge that the graphite which Walter seemed to mistrust was indeed under…strength。 It was true that they had the look of a well…knit team； almost of a brotherhood； as they stood round Drax and Walter； hanging on their words； their eyes intent on the mouths of the two men。 But was part of one brain moving within the privacy of some secret orbit； ticking off its hidden calculus like the stealthy mechanism of an infernal machine？
Bond moved casually up and down the triangle made by the three points of the fins as they rested in their rubber…lined cavities in the steel floor； interesting himself in whatever met his eyes； but every now and then focusing the group of men from a new angle。
With the exception of Drax they all wore the same tight nylon overalls fastened with plastic zips。 There was nowhere a hint of metal and none wore spectacles。 As in the case of Walter and Krebs their heads were close…shaved； presumably； Bond would have thought； to prevent a loose hair falling into the mechanism。 And yet； and this struck Bond as a most bizarre characteristic of the team； each man sported a luxuriant moustache to whose culture it was clear that a great deal of attention had been devoted。 They were in all shapes and tints： fair or mousy or dark； handlebar； walrus； Kaiser； Hitler…each face bore its own hairy badge amongst which the rank； reddish growth of Drax's facial hair blazed like the official stamp of their paramount chief。
Why； wondered Bond； should every man on the site wear a moustache？ He had never liked the things； but bined with these shaven heads； there was something positively obscene about this crop of hairy tufts。 It would have been just bearable if they had all been cut to the same pattern； but this range of individual fashions； this riot of personalized growth； had something particularly horrible about it against the background of naked round heads。
There was nothing else to notice； the men were of average height and they were all on the slim side…tailored； Bond supposed； more or less to the requirements of their work。 Agility would be needed on the gantries； and pactness for manoeuvring through the access doors and
