if.moonraker-第23部分
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Agility would be needed on the gantries； and pactness for manoeuvring through the access doors and around the tiny partments in the rocket。 Their hands looked relaxed and spotlessly clean； and their feet in the felt slippers were； motionless with concentration。 He never once caught any of them glancing in his direction and； as for penetrating their minds or weighing up their loyalties； he admitted to himself that the task of unmasking the thoughts of fifty of these robot…like Germans in three days was quite hopeless。 Then he remembered。 It was fifty no longer。 Only forty…nine。 One of these robots had blown his top （apt expression； reflected Bond）。 And what had e out of Bartsch's secret thoughts？ Lust for a woman and a Heil Hitler。 Would he be far wrong； wondered Bond； if he guessed that； forgetting the Moonraker； those were also the dominant thoughts inside forty…nine other heads？
〃Doctor Walter！ That is an order。〃 Drax's voice of controlled anger broke in on Bond's thoughts as he stood fingering the sharp leading edge of the tail of one of the Columbite fins。 〃Back to work。 We have wasted enough time。〃
The men scattered smartly about their duties and Drax came up to where Bond was standing； leaving Walter hanging about indecisively beneath the exhaust vent of the rocket。 Drax's face was thunderous。 〃Damn fool。 Always seeing trouble；〃 he muttered。 And then abruptly； as if he wanted to clear his deputy out of his mind； 〃e along to my office。 Show you the flight plan。 Then we'll go off to bed。〃
Bond followed him across the floor。 Drax turned a small handle flush with the steel wall and a narrow door opened with a soft hiss。 Three feet inside there was another steel door and Bond noticed that they were both edged with rubber。 Air…lock。 Before closing the outer door Drax paused on the threshold and pointed along the circular wall to a number of similar inconspicuous flat knobs in the wall。 〃Workshops；〃 he said。 〃Electricians； generators； fuelling control； washrooms； stores。〃 He pointed to the adjoining door。 〃My secretary's room。〃 He closed the outer door before he opened the second and walked into his office and shut the inner door behind Bond。
It was a severe room painted pale grey； containing a broad desk and several chairs of tubular metal and dark blue canvas。 The floor was carpeted in grey。 There were two green filing cabinets and a large metal radio set。 A half…open door showed part of a tiled bathroom。 The desk faced a wide blank wall which seemed to be made of opaque glass。 Drax walked up to the walls and snapped down two switches on its extreme right。 The whole wall lit up and Bond was faced with two maps each about six feet square traced on the back of the glass。
The left…hand map showed the eastern quarter of England from Portsmouth to Hull and the adjoining waters from Latitude 50 to 55。 From the red dot near Dover which was the site of the Moonraker； arcs showing the range in； ten…mile intervals had been drawn up the map。 At a point eighty miles from the site； between the Friesian Islands and Hull； there was a red diamond in the middle of the ocean。
Drax waved towards the dense mathematical tables and columns of pass readings which filled the right…hand side of the map。 〃Wind velocities； atmospheric pressure； ready…reckoner for the gyro settings；〃 he said。 〃All worked out using the rocket's velocity and range as constants。 We get the weather every day from the Air Ministry and readings from the upper atmosphere every time the RAF jet can get up there。 When he's at maximum altitude he releases helium balloons that can get up still further。 The earth's atmosphere reaches about fifty miles up。 After twenty there's hardly any density to affect the Moonraker。 It'll coast up almost in a vacuum。 Getting through the first twenty miles is the problem。 The gravity pull's another worry。 Walter can explain all those things if you're interested。 There'll be continuous weather reports during the last few hours on Friday。 And we'll set the gryos just before the take…off。 For the time being； Miss Brand gets together the data every morning and keeps a table of gyro settings in case they're wanted。〃
Drax pointed at the second of the two maps。 This was a diagram of the rocket's flight ellipse from firing point to target。 There were more columns of figures。 〃Speed of the。 earth and its effect on the rocket's trajectory；〃 explained Drax。 〃The earth will be turning to the east while the rocket's in flight。 That factor has to be married in with the figures on the other map。 plicated business。 Fortunately you don't have to understand it。 Leave it to Miss Brand。 Now then；〃 he switched off the lights and the wall went blank； 〃any particular questions about your job？ Don't think there'll be much for you to do。 You can see that the place is already riddled with security。 The Ministry's insisted on it from the beginning。〃
〃Everything looks all right；〃 said Bond。 He examined Drax's face。 The good eye was looking at him sharply。 Bond paused。 〃Do you think there was anything between your secretary and Major Tallon？〃 he asked。 It was an obvious question and he might just as well ask it now。
〃Could have been；〃 said Drax easily。 〃Attractive girl。 They were thrown together a lot down here。 At any rate she seems to have got under Bartsch's skin。〃
〃I hear Bartsch saluted and shouted 'Heil Hitler' before he put the gun in his mouth；〃 said Bond。
〃So they tell me；〃 said Drax evenly。 〃What of it？〃
〃Why do all the men wear moustaches？〃 asked Bond； ignoring Drax's question。 Again he had the impression that his question had nettled the other man。
Drax gave one of his short barking laughs。 〃My idea；〃 he said。 〃They're difficult to recognize in those white overalls and with their heads shaved。 So I told them all to grow moustaches。 The thing's bee quite a fetish。 Like in the RAF during the war。 See anything wrong with it？〃
〃Of course not；〃 said Bond。 〃Rather startling at first。 I would have thought that large numbers on their suits with a different colour for each shift would have been more effective。〃
〃Well；〃 said Drax； turning away towards the door as if to end the conversation； 〃I decided on moustaches。〃
CHAPTER XIII
DEAD RECKONING
ON WEDNESDAY morning Bond woke early in the dead man's bed。
He had slept little。 Drax had said nothing on their way back to the house and had bidden him a curt good…night at the foot of the stairs。 Bond had walked along the carpeted corridor to where light shone from an open door and had found his things neatly laid out in a fortable bedroom。
The room was furnished in the same expensive taste as the ground floor and there were biscuits and a bottle of Vichy （not a Vichy bottle of tap…water； Bond established） beside the Heal bed。
There were no signs of the previous occupant except a leather case containing binoculars on the dressing…table and a metal filing cabinet which was locked。 Bond knew about filing cabinets。 He tilted it against the wall； reached underneath； and found the bottom end of the bar…lock which protrudes downwards when the top section has been locked。 Upwards pressure released the drawers one by one and he softly lowered the edge of the cabinet back on to the floor with the unkind reflection that Major Tallon would not have survived very long in the Secret Service。
The top drawer contained scale maps of the site and its ponent buildings and Admiralty Chart No。 1895 of the Straits of Dover。 Bond laid each sheet on the bed and examined them minutely。 There were traces of cigarette ash in the folds of the Admiralty chart。
Bond fetched his tool…box…a square leather case that stood beside the dressing…table。 He examined the numbers on the wheels of the bination lock and； satisfied that they had not been disturbed； turned them to the code number。 The box was closely fitted with instruments。 Bond selected a fingerprint powder…spray and a large magnifying glass。 He puffed the fine greyish powder foot by foot over the whole expanse of the chart。 A forest of fingerprints showed。
By going over these with the magnifying glass he established that they belonged to two people。 He isolated two of the best sets； took a Leica with a flashbulb attachment out o
