if.liveandletdie-第14章

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！


　She　watched　his　eyes　on　her　and　nonchalantly　drew　her　forearms　together　in　her　lap　so　that　the　valley　between　her　breasts　deepened。
　The　message　was　unmistakable　and　an　answering　warmth　must　have　showed　on　Bond's　cold；　drawn　face；　for　suddenly　The　Big　Man　picked　up　the　small　ivory　whip　from　the　desk　beside　him　and　lashed　across　at　her；　the　thong　whistling　through　the　air　and　landing　with　a　cruel　bite　across　her　shoulders。
　Bond　winced　even　more　than　she　did。　Her　eyes　blazed　for　an　instant　and　then　went　opaque。
　'Sit　up；'　said　The　Big　Man　softly；　'you　forget　yourself。'
　She　sat　slowly　more　upright。　She　had　a　pack　of　cards　in　her　hands　and　she　started　to　shuffle　them。　Then；　out　of　bravado　perhaps；　she　sent　him　yet　another　message　…　of　plicity　and　of　more　than　plicity。
　Between　her　hands；　she　faced　the　knave　of　hearts。　Then　the　queen　of　spades。　She　held　the　two　halves　of　the　pack　in　her　lap　so　that　the　two　court　cards　looked　at　each　other。　She　brought　the　two　halves　of　the　pack　together　until　they　kissed。　Then　she　riffled　the　cards　and　shuffled　them　again。
　At　no　moment　of　this　dumb　show　did　she　look　at　Bond　and　it　was　all　over　in　an　instant。　But　Bond　felt　a　glow　of　excitement　and　a　quickening　of　the　pulse。　He　had　a　friend　in　the　enemy's　camp。
　'Are　you　ready；　Solitaire？'　asked　The　Big　Man。
　'Yes；　the　cards　are　ready；'　said　the　girl；　in　a　low；　cool　voice。
　'Mister　Bond；　look　into　the　eyes　of　this　girl　and　repeat　the　reason　for　your　presence　here　which　you　gave　me　just　now。'
　Bond　looked　into　her　eyes。　There　was　no　message。　They　were　not　focused　on　his。　They　looked　through　him。
　He　repeated　what　he　had　said。
　For　a　moment　he　felt　an　uncanny　thrill。　Could　this　girl　tell？　If　she　could　tell；　would　she　speak　for　him　or　against　him？
　For　a　moment　there　was　dead　silence　in　the　room。　Bond　tried　to　look　indifferent。　He　gazed　up　at　the　ceiling　…　then　back　at　her。
　Her　eyes　came　back　into　focus。　She　turned　away　from　him　and　looked　at　Mr。　Big。
　'He　speaks　the　truth；'　she　said　coldly。
　
　CHAPTER　VIII
　NO　SENSAYUMA
　
　MR。　BIG　reflected　for　a　moment。　He　seemed　to　decide。　He　pressed　a　switch　on　the　inter。
　'Blabbermouth？'
　'Yassuh；　Boss。'
　'You're　holding　that　American；　Leiter。'
　'Yassuh。'
　'Hurt　him　considerably。　Ride　him　down　to　Bellevue　Hospital　and　dump　him　nearby。　Got　that？'
　'Yassuh。'
　'Don't　be　seen。'
　'Nossuh。'
　Mr。　Big　centred　the　switch。
　'God　damn　your　bloody　eyes；'　said　Bond　viciously。　'The　CIA　won't　let　you　get　away　with　this！'
　'You　forget；　Mister　Bond。　They　have　no　jurisdiction　in　America。　The　American　Secret　Service　has　no　power　in　America　…　only　abroad。　And　the　FBI　are　no　friends　of　theirs。　Tee…Hee；　e　here。'
　'Yassuh；　Boss。'　Tee…Hee　came　and　stood　beside　the　desk。
　Mr。　Big　looked　across　at　Bond。
　'Which　finger　do　you　use　least；　Mister　Bond？'
　Bond　was　startled　by　the　question。　His　mind　raced。
　'On　reflection；　I　expect　you　will　say　the　little　finger　of　the　left　hand；'　continued　the　soft　voice。　'Tee…Hee；　break　the　little　finger　of　Mr。　Bond's　left　hand。'
　The　negro　showed　the　reason　for　his　nickname。
　'Hee…hee；'　he　gave　a　falsetto　giggle。　'Hee…hee。'
　He　walked　jauntily　over　to　Bond。　Bond　clutched　madly　at　the　arms　of　his　chair。　Sweat　started　to　break　out　on　his　forehead。　He　tried　to　imagine　the　pain　so　that　he　could　control　it。
　The　negro　slowly　unhinged　the　little　finger　of　Bond's　left　hand；　immovably　bound　to　the　arm　of　his　chair。
　He　held　the　tip　between　finger　and　thumb　and　very　deliberately　started　to　bend　it　back；　giggling　inanely　to　himself。
　Bond　rolled　and　heaved；　trying　to　upset　the　chair；　but　Tee…Hee　put　his　other　hand　on　the　chair…back　and　held　it　there。　The　sweat　poured　off　Bond's　face。　His　teeth　started　to　bare　in　an　involuntary　rictus。　Through　the　increasing　pain　he　could　just　see　the　girl's　eyes　wide　upon　him；　her　red　lips　slightly　parted。
　The　finger　stood　upright；　away　from　the　hand。　Started　to　bend　slowly　backwards　towards　his　wrist。　Suddenly　it　gave。　There　was　a　sharp　crack。
　'That　will　do；'　said　Mr。　Big。
　Tee…Hee　released　the　mangled　ringer　with　reluctance。
　Bond　uttered　a　soft　animal　groan　and　fainted。
　'Da　guy　ain't　got　no　sensayuma；'　mented　Tee…Hee。
　Solitaire　sat　limply　back　in　her　chair　and　closed　her　eyes。
　'Did　he　have　a　gun？'　asked　Mr。　Big。
　'Yassuh。'　Tee…Hee　took　Bond's　Beretta　out　of　his　pocket　and　slipped　it　across　the　desk。　The　Big　Man　picked　it　up　and　looked　at　it　expertly。　He　weighed　it　in　his　hand；　testing　the　feel　of　the　skeleton　grip。　Then　he　pumped　the　shells　out　on　to　the　desk；　verified　that　he　had　also　emptied　the　chamber　and　slid　it　over　towards　Bond。
　'Wake　him　up；'　he　said；　looking　at　his　watch。　It　said　three　o'clock。
　Tee…Hee　went　behind　Bond's　chair　and　dug　his　nails　into　the　lobes　of　Bond's　ears。
　Bond　groaned　and　lifted　his　head。
　His　eyes　focused　on　Mr。　Big　and　he　uttered　a　string　of　obscenities。
　'Be　thankful　you're　not　dead；'　said　Mr。　Big　without　emotion。　'Any　pain　is　preferable　to　death。　Here　is　your　gun。　I　have　the　shells。　Tee…Hee；　give　it　back　to　him。'
　Tee…Hee　took　it　off　the　desk　and　slipped　it　back　into　Bond's　holster。
　'I　will　explain　to　you　briefly；'　continued　The　Big　Man；　'why　it　is　that　you　are　not　dead；　why　you　have　been　permitted　to　enjoy　the　sensation　of　pain　instead　of　adding　to　the　pollution　of　the　Harlem　River　from　the　folds　of　what　is　jocularly　known　as　a　cement　overcoat。'
　He　paused　for　a　moment　and　then　spoke。
　'Mister　Bond；　I　suffer　from　boredom。　I　am　a　prey　to　what　the　early　Christians　called　〃accidie〃；　the　deadly　lethargy　that　envelops　those　who　are　sated；　those　who　have　no　more　desires。　I　am　absolutely　pre…eminent　in　my　chosen　profession；　trusted　by　those　who　occasionally　employ　my　talents；　feared　and　instantly　obeyed　by　those　whom　I　myself　employ。　I　have；　literally；　no　more　worlds　to　conquer　within　my　chosen　orbit。　Alas；　it　is　too　late　in　my　life　to　change　that　orbit　for　another　one；　and　since　power　is　the　goal　of　all　ambition；　it　is　unlikely　that　I　could　possibly　acquire　more　power　in　another　sphere　than　I　already　possess　in　this　one。'
　Bond　listened　with　part　of　his　mind。　With　the　other　half　he　was　already　planning。　He　sensed　the　presence　of
　Solitaire；　but　he　kept　his　eyes　off　her。　He　gazed　steadily　across　the　table　at　the　great　grey　face　with　its　unwinking　golden　eyes。
　The　soft　voice　continued。
　'Mister　Bond；　I　take　pleasure　now　only　in　artistry；　in　the　polish　and　finesse　which　I　can　bring　to　my　operations。　It　has　bee　almost　a　mania　with　me　to　impart　an　absolute　rightness；　a　high　elegance；　to　the　execution　of　my　affairs。　Each　day；　Mister　Bond；　I　try　and　set　myself　still　higher　standards　of　subtlety　and　technical　polish　so　that　each　of　my　proceedings　may　be　a　work　of　art；　bearing　my　signature　as　clearly　as　the　creations　of；　let　us　say；　Benvenuto　Cellini。　I　am　content；　for　the　time　being；　to　be　my　only　judge；　but　I　sincerely　believe；　Mister　Bond；　that　the　approach　to　perfection　which　I　am　steadily　achieving　in　my　operations　will　ultimately　win　recognition　in　the　history　of　our　times。'
　Mr。　Big　paused。　Bond　saw　that　his　great　yellow　eyes　were　wide；　as　if　he　saw　visions。　He's　a　raving　megalomaniac；　thought　Bond。　And　all　the　more　dangerous　because　of　it。　The　fault　in　most　criminal　minds　was　that　greed　was　their　only　impulse。　A　dedicated　mind　was　quite　another　matter。　This　man　was　no　gangster。　He　was　a　menace。　Bond　was　fascinated　and　slightly　awestruck。
　'I　accept　anonymity　for　two　reasons；'　continued　the　low　voice。　'Because　the　nature　of　my　operations　demands　it　and　because　I　admire　the　self…negation　of　the　anonymous　artist。　If　you　will　allow　the　conceit；　I　see　myself　sometimes　as　one　of　those　great　Egyptian　fresco　painters　who　devoted　their　lives　to　producing　masterpieces　in　the　tombs　of　kings；　knowing　that　no　living　eye　would　ever　see　them。'
　The　great　eyes　closed　for　a　moment。
　'However；　let　us　return　to　the　particular。　The　reason；　Mister　Bond；　why　I　have　not　killed　you　this　morning　is　because　it　would　give　me　no　aesthetic　pleasure　to　blow　a　hole　in　your　stomach。　With　this　engine；'　he　gestured　towards　the　gun　trained　on　Bond　through　the　desk　drawer；　'I　have　already　blown　many　holes　in　many　stomachs；　so　I　am　quite　satisfied　that　m