if.moonraker-第42部分

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42。　He　was　a　good　man　and　I　was　under　the　direct　orders　of　a　still　better　one；　Obersturmbannführer；〃　he　rolled　out　the　delicious　title　with　relish；　〃Otto　Skorzeny。　His　job　in　the　RSHA　was　terrorism　and　sabotage。　A　pleasant　interlude；　my　dear　Bond；　during　which　I　was　able　to　bring　many　an　Englishman　to　book　which；〃　Drax　beamed　coldly　at　Bond；　〃gave　me　much　pleasure。　But　then；〃　Drax's　fist　crashed　down　on　the　desk；　〃Hitler　was　betrayed　again　by　those　swinish　generals　and　the　English　and　Americans　were　allowed　to　land　in　France。〃
　〃Too　bad；〃　said　Bond　drily。
　〃Yes；　my　dear　Bond；　it　was　indeed　too　bad。〃　Drax　chose　to　ignore　the　irony。〃But　for　me　it　was　the　high…spot　of　the　whole　war。　Skorzeny　turned　all　his　saboteurs　and　terrorists　into　SS　Jagdverb？nde　for　use　behind　the　enemy　lines。　Each　Jagdverband　was　divided　into　Streifkorps　and　then　into　Kommandos；　each　carrying　the　names　of　its　manding　officer。　With　the　rank　of　Oberleutnant；〃　Drax　swelled　visibly；　〃at　the　head　of　Kommando　'Drache'　I　went　right　through　the　American　lines　with　the　famous　150　Panzer　Brigade　in　the　Ardennes　break…through　in　December　'44。　No　doubt　you　will　remember　the　effect　of　this　Brigade　in　its　American　uniforms　and　with　its　captured　American　tanks　and　vehicles。　Kolossal！　When　the　Brigade　had　to　withdraw　I　stayed　where　I　was　and　went　to　ground　in　the　Forests　of　Ardennes；　fifty　miles　behind　the　Allied　lines。　There　were　twenty　of　us；　ten　good　men　and　ten　Hitlerjugend　Werewolves。　In　their　teens；　but　good　lads　all　of　them。　And；　by　a　coincidence；　in　charge　of　them　was　a　young　man　called　Krebs　who　turned　out　to　have　certain　gifts　which　qualified　him　for　the　post　of　executioner　and　'persuader'　to　our　merry　little　band。〃　Drax　chuckled　pleasantly。
　Bond　licked　his　lips　as　he　remembered　the　crack　Krebs's　head　had　made　against　the　dressing…table。　Had　he　kicked　him　as　hard　as　he　possibly　could？　Yes；　his　memory　reassured　him；　with　every　ounce　of　strength　he　could　put　into　his　shoe。
　〃We　stayed　in　those　woods　for　six　months；〃　continued　Drax　proudly；　〃and　all　the　time　we　reported　back　to　the　Fatherland　by　radio。　The　location　vans　never　spotted　us。　Then　one　day　disaster　came。〃　Drax　shook　his　head　at　the　memory。　〃There　was　a　big　farmhouse　a　mile　away　from　our　hideout　in　the　forest。　A　lot　of　Nissen　huts　had　been　built　round　it　and　it　was　used　as　a　rear　headquarters　for　some　sort　of　liaison　group。　English　and　Americans。　A　hopeless　place。　No　discipline；　no　security；　and　full　of　hangers…on　and　shirkers　from　all　over　the　place。　We　had　kept　an　eye　on　it　for　some　time　and　one　day　I　decided　to　blow　it　up。　It　was　a　simple　plan。　In　the　evening；　two　of　my　men；　one　in　American　uniform　and　one　in　British；　were　to　drive　up　in　a　captured　scout　car　containing　two　tons　of　explosive。　There　was　a　car　park…no　sentries　of　course…near　the　mess　hall　and　they　were　to　run　the　car　in　as　close　to　the　mess　hall　as　possible；　time　the　fuse　for　the　seven　o'clock　dinner　hour；　and　then　get　away。　All　quite　easy　and　I　went　off　that　morning　on　my　own　business　and　left　the　job　to　my　second　in　mand　I　was　dressed　in　the　uniform　of　your　Signal　Corps　and　I　set　off　on　a　captured　British　motor…cycle　to　shoot　a　dispatch　rider　from　the　same　unit　who　made　a　daily　run　along　a　near…by　road。　Sure　enough　he　came　along　dead　on　time　and　I　went　after　him　out　of　a　side　road。　I　caught　up　with　him；〃　said　Drax　conversationally；　〃and　shot　him　in　the　back；　took　his　papers　and　put　him　on　top　of　his　machine　in　the　woods　and　set　fire　to　him。〃
　Drax　saw　the　fury　in　Bond's　eyes　and　held　up　his　hand。　〃Not　very　sporting？　My　dear　chap；　the　man　was　already　dead　However；　to　continue。　I　went　on　my　way　and　then　what　should　happen？　One　of　our　own　planes　ing　back　from　a　reconnaissance　came　after　me　down　the　road　with　his　cannon。　One　of　our　own　planes！　Blasted　me　right　off　the　road。　God　knows　how　long　I　lay　in　the　ditch。　Some　time　in　the　afternoon　I　came　to　for　a　bit　and　had　the　sense　to　hide　my　cap　and　jacket　and　the　dispatches。　In　the　hedge。　They're　probably　still　there。　I　must　go　and　collect　them　one　day。　Interesting　souvenirs。　Then　I　set　fire　to　the　remains　of　the　motor…cycle　and　I　must　have　fainted　again　because　the　next　thing　I　knew　I　had　been　picked　up　by　a　British　vehicle　and　we　were　driving　into　that　damned　liaison　headquarters！　'　Believe　it　or　not！　And　there　was　the　scout　car；　right　up　alongside　the　mess　hall！　It　was　too　much　for　me。　I　was　full　of　shell　splinters　and　my　leg　was　broken。　Well；　I　fainted　and　when　I　came　round　there　was　half　the　hospital　on　top　of　me　and　I　only　had　half　a　face。〃　He　put　up　his　hand　and　stroked　the　shiny　skin　on　his　left　temple　and　cheek。　〃After　that　it　was　just　a　question　of　acting　a　part。　They　had　no　idea　who　I　was。　The　car　that　had　picked　me　up　had　gone　or　been　blown　to　pieces。　I　was　just　an　Englishman　in　an　English　shirt　and　trousers　who　was　nearly　dead。〃
　Drax　paused　and　took　out　another　cigar　and　lit　it。　There　was　silence　in　the　room　save　for　the　soft　diminished　roar　of　the　blowtorch。　Its　threatening　voice　was　quieter。　Pressure　running　out；　reflected　Bond。
　He　turned　his　head　and　looked　at　Gala。　For　the　first　time　he　saw　the　ugly　bruise　behind　her　left　ear。　He　gave　her　a　smile　of　encouragement　and　she　smiled　wryly　back。
　Drax　spoke　through　the　cigar　smoke　：　〃There　is　not　much　more　to　tell；〃　he　said。　〃During　the　year　that　I　was　being　pushed　from　one　hospital　to　the　next　I　made　my　plans　down　to　the　smallest　detail。　They　consisted　quite　simply　of　revenge　on　England　for　what　she　had　done　to　me　and　to　my　country。　It　gradually　became　an　obsession；　I　admit　it。　Every　day　during　the　year　of　the　rape　and　destruction　of　my　country　my　hatred　and　scorn　for　the　English　grew　more　bitter　〃　The　veins　on　Drax's　face　started　to　swell　and　suddenly　he　pounded　on　the　desk　and　shouted　across　at　them；　looking　with　bulging　eyes　from　one　to　the　other。　〃I　loathe　and　despise　you　all。　You　swine！　Useless；　idle；　decadent　fools；　hiding　behind　your　bloody　white　cliffs　while　other　people　fight　your　battles。　Too　weak　to　defend　your　colonies；　toadying　to　America　with　your　hats　in　your　hands。　Stinking　snobs　who'll　do　anything　for　money。　Hah！〃　he　was　triumphant。　〃I　knew　that　all　I　needed　was　money　and　the　fa？ade　of　a　gentleman。　Gentleman！　Pfui　Teufel！　To　me　a　gentleman　is　just　someone　I　can　take　advantage　of。　Those　bloody　fools　in　Blades　for　instance。　Moneyed　oafs。　For　months　I　took　thousands　of　pounds　off　them；　swindled　them　right　under　their　noses　until　you　came　along　and　upset　the　apple…cart。〃
　Drax's　eyes　narrowed。　〃What　put　you　on　to　the　cigarette　case？〃　he　asked　sharply。
　Bond　shrugged　his　shoulders。　〃My　eyes；〃　he　said　indifferently。
　〃Ah　well；〃　said　Drax；　〃perhaps　I　was　a　bit　careless　that　night。　But　where　was　I？　Ah　yes；　in　hospital。　And　the　good　doctors　were　so　anxious　to　help　me　find　out　who　I　really　was　〃　He　let　out　a　roar　of　laughter。　〃It　was　easy。　So　easy　His　eyes　became　cunning。　〃From　the　identities　they　offered　me　so　helpfully　I　came　upon　the　name　of　Hugo　Drax；　What　a　coincidence！　From　Drache　to　Drax！　Tentatively　I　though　it　might　be　me。　They　were　very　proud　Yes；　they　said　of　course　it　is　you。　The　doctors　triumphantly　forced　me　into　his　shoes。　I　put　them　on　and　walked　out　of　the　hospital　in　them　and　I　walked　round　London　looking　for　someone　to　kill　and　rob。　And　one　day；　in　a　little　office　high　above　Piccadilly；　a　Jewish　moneylender。〃　（Now　Drax　was　talking　faster。　The　words　poured　excitedly　from　his　lips。　Bond　watched　a　fleck　of　foam　gather　at　one　corner　of　his　mouth　and　grow。）　〃Ha。
　It　was　easy。　Crack　on　his　bald　skull。　￡15；000　in　the　safe。　And　then　away　and　out　of　the　country；　Tangier…where　you　could　do　anything；　buy　anything；　fix　anything；　Columbite。
　Rarer　than　platinum　and　everyone　would　want　it。　The　Jet　Age。　I　knew　about　these　things。　I　had　not　forgotten　my　own　profession。　And　then　by　God　I　worked。　For　five　years　I　lived　for　money。　And　I　was　brave　as　a　lion。　I　took　terrible　risks。　And　suddenly　the　first　million　was　there。　Then　the　second。　Then　the　fifth。　Then　the　twentieth。　I　came　back　to　England。　I　spent　a　million　of　it　and　London　was　in　my　pocket。　And　then　I　went　back　to　Germany。　I　found　Krebs。　I　found　fifty　of　them。　Loyal　Germans。　Brilliant　technicians。　All　living　under　false　names　like　so　many　others