if.liveandletdie-第25章

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thing　in　sight。　It's　around　quarter　after　six　and　just　getting　light。　There's　a　sedan；　clouted　heap　I　expect　＇Bond　raised　an　eyebrow。　'Stolen　car；'　explained　Leiter＇；　grey；　thought　to　have　been　a　Buick；　no　lights；　engine　running；　waiting　on　the　highway　opposite　the　centre　of　the　train。　Three　men　get　out。　Coloured。　Probably　negro。　They　walk　slowly　in　line　abreast　along　the　grass　verge　between　the　road　and　the　track。　Two　on　the　outside　carry　rippers　…　tommy…guns。　Man　in　the　centre　has　something　in　his　hand。　Twenty　yards　and　they　stop　outside　Car　245。　Men　with　the　rippers　give　a　double　squirt　at　your　window。　Open　it　up　for　the　pineapple。　Centre　man　tosses　in　the　pineapple　and　all　three　run　back　to　the　car。　Two　seconds　fuse。　As　they　reach　the　car；　BOOM！　Fricassee　of　partment　H。　Fricassee；　presumably；　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Bryce。　In　fact　fricassee　of　your　Baldwin　who　runs　out　and　crouches　in　corridor　directly　he　sees　men　approaching　his　car。　No　other　casualties　except　multiple　shock　and　hysterics　throughout　train。　Car　drives　away　very　fast　towards　limbo　where　it　still　is　and　will　probably　remain。　Silence；　mingled　with　screams；　falls。　People　run　to　and　fro。　Train　limps　gingerly　into　Ocala。　Drops　Car　245。　Is　allowed　to　proceed　three　hours　later。　Scene　II。　Leiter　sits　alone　in　cottage；　hoping　he　has　never　said　an　unkind　word　to　his　friend　James；　and　wondering　how　Mr。　Hoover　will　have　Mr。　Leiter　served　for　his　dinner　tonight。　That's　all；　folks。'
　Bond　laughed。　'What　an　organization！'　he　said。　'I'm　sure　it's　all　beautifully　covered　up　and　alibied。　What　a　man！　He　certainly　seems　to　have　the　run　of　this　country。　Just　shows　how　one　can　push　a　democracy　around；　what　with　habeas　corpus　and　human　rights　and　all　the　rest。　Glad　we　haven't　got　him　on　our　hands　in　England。　Wooden　truncheons　wouldn't　make　much　of　a　dent　in　him。　Well；'　he　concluded；'　that's　three　times　I've　managed　to　get　away　with　it。　The　pace　is　beginning　to　get　a　bit　hot。'
　'Yes；'　said　Leiter　thoughtfully。　'Before　you　arrived　over　here　you　could　have　counted　the　mistakes　Mr。　Big　has　ever　made　on　one　thumb。　Now　he's　made　three　all　in　a　row。　He　won't　like　that。　We've　got　to　put　the　heat　on　him　while　he's　still　groggy　and　then　get　out；　quick。　Tell　you　what　I've　got　in　mind。　There's　no　doubt　that　gold　gets　into　the　States　through　this　place。　We've　tracked　the　Secatur　again　and　again　and　she　just　es　straight　over　from　Jamaica　to　St。　Petersburg　and　docks　at　that　worm…and…bait　factory　…　Rubberus　or　whatever　it's　called。'
　'Ourobouros；'　said　Bond。　'The　Great　Worm　of　mythology。　Good　name　for　a　worm…and…bait　factory。'　Suddenly　a　thought　struck　him。　He　hit　the　glass　table…top　with　the　flat　of　his　hand。　'Felix！　Of　course。　Ourobouros　…　〃The　Robber〃　…　don't　you　see？　Mr。　Big's　man　down　here。　It　must　be　the　same。'
　Leiter's　face　lit　up。　'Christ　Almighty；'　he　exclaimed。
　'Of　course　it's　the　same。　That　Greek　who's　supposed　to　own　it；　the　man　in　Tarpon　Springs　that　figures　in　the　reports　that　blockhead　showed　us　in　New　York；　Binswanger。　He's　probably　just　a　figurehead。　Probably　doesn't　even　know　there's　anything　phoney　about　it。　It's　his　manager　here　we've　got　to　get　after。　〃The　Robber。〃　Of　course　that's　who　it　is。'
　Leiter　jumped　up。
　'G'mon。　Let's　get　going。　We'll　go　right　along　and　look　the　place　over。　I　was　going　to　suggest　it　anyway；　seeing　the　Secatur　always　docks　at　their　wharf。　She's　in　Cuba　now；　by　the　way；'　he　added；　'Havana。　Cleared　from　here　a　week　ago。　They　searched　her　good　and　proper　when　she　came　in　and　when　she　left。　Didn't　find　a　thing；　of　course。　Thought　she　might　have　a　false　keel。　Almost　tore　it　off。　She　had　to　go　into　dock　before　she　could　sail　again。　Nix。　Not　a　shadow　of　anything　wrong。　Let　alone　a　stack　of　gold　coins。　Anyway；　we'll　go　and　smell　around。　See　if　we　can　get　a　look　at　our　Robber　friend。　I'll　just　have　to　talk　to　Orlando　and　Washington。　Tell　'em　all　we　know。　They　must　catch　up　quick　with　The　Big　Man's　fellow　on　the　train。　Probably　too　late　by　now。　You　go　and　see　how　Solitaire's　getting　on。　Tell　her　she's　not　to　move　till　we　get　back。　Lock　her　in。　We'll　take　her　out　to　dinner　in　Tampa。　They've　got　the　best　restaurant　on　the　whole　coast；　Cuban；　〃Los　Novedades〃。　We'll　stop　at　the　airport　on　the　way　and　fix　her　flight　for　tomorrow。'
　Leiter　reached　for　the　telephone　and　asked　for　Long　Distance。　Bond　left　him　to　it。
　Ten　minutes　later　they　were　on　their　way。
　Solitaire　had　not　wanted　to　be　left。　She　had　clung　to　Bond。　'I　want　to　get　away　from　here；'　she　said；　her　eyes　frightened。　'I　have　a　feeling。。。'　She　didn't　end　the　sentence。　Bond　kissed　her。
　'It's　all　right；'　he　said。　'We'll　be　back　in　an　hour　or　so。　Nothing　can　happen　to　you　here。　Then　I　shan't　leave　you　until　you're　on　the　plane。　We　can　even　stay　the　night　in　Tampa　and　get　you　off　at　first　light。'
　'Yes；　please；'　said　Solitaire　anxiously。　I'd　rather　do　that。　I'm　frightened　here。　I　feel　in　danger。'　She　put　her　arms　round　his　neck。　'Don't　think　I'm　being　hysterical。'　She　kissed　him。　'Now　you　can　go。　I　just　wanted　to　see　you。　Gome　back　quickly。'
　Leiter　had　called　and　Bond　had　closed　the　door　on　her　and　locked　it。
　He　followed　Leiter　to　his　car　on　the　Parkway　feeling　vaguely　troubled。　He　couldn't　imagine　that　the　girl　could　e　to　any　harm　in　this　peaceful；　law…abiding　place；　or　that　The　Big　Man　could　conceivably　have　traced　her　to　The　Everglades；　which　was　only　one　of　a　hundred　similar　beach　establishments　on　Treasure　Island。　But　he　respected　the　extraordinary　power　of　her　intuitions　and　her　attack　of　nerves　made　him　uneasy。
　The　sight　of　Leiter's　car　put　these　thoughts　out　of　his　mind。
　Bond　liked　fast　cars　and　he　liked　driving　them。　Most　American　cars　bored　him。　They　lacked　personality　and　the　patina　of　individual　craftsmanship　that　European　cars　have。　They　were　just　Vehicles'；　similar　in　shape　and　in　colour；　and　even　in　the　tone　of　their　horns。　Designed　to　serve　for　a　year　and　then　be　turned　in　in　part　exchange　for　the　next　year's　model。　All　the　fun　of　driving　had　been　taken　out　of　them　with　the　abolition　of　a　gear…change；　with　hydraulic…assisted　steering　and　spongy　suspension。　All　effort　had　been　smoothed　away　and　all　of　that　close　contact　with　the　machine　and　the　road　that　extracts　skill　and　nerve　from　the　European　driver。　To　Bond；　American　cars　were　just　beetle…shaped　Dodgems　in　which　you　motored　along　with　one　hand　on　the　wheel；　the　ladio　full　on；　and　the　power…operated　windows　closed　to　keep　out　the　draughts。
　But　Leiter　had　got　hold　of　an　old　Cord；　one　of　the　few　American　cars　with　a　personality；　and　it　cheered　Bond　to　climb　into　the　low…hung　saloon；　to　hear　the　solid　bite　of　the　gears　and　the　masculine　tone　of　the　wide　exhaust。　Fifteen　years　old；　he　reflected；　yet　still　one　of　the　most　modern…looking　cars　in　the　world。
　They　swung　on　to　the　causeway　and　across　the　wide　expanse　of　unrippled　water　that　separates　the　twenty　miles　of　narrow　island　from　the　broad　peninsula　sprawling　with　St。　Petersburg　and　its　suburbs。
　Already　as　they　idled　up　Central　Avenue　on　their　way　across　the　town　to　the　Yacht　Basin　and　the　main　harbour　and　the　big　hotels；　Bond　caught　a　whiff　of　the　atmosphere　that　makes　the　town　the　'Old　Folks　Home'　of　America。　Everyone　on　the　sidewalks　had　white　hair；　white　or　blue；　and　the　famous　Sidewalk　Davenports　that　Solitaire　had　described　were　thick　with　oldsters　sitting　in　rows　like　the　starlings　in　Trafalgar　Square。
　Bond　noted　the　small　grudging　mouths　of　the　women；　the　sun　gleaming　on　their　pince…nez；　the　stringy；　collapsed　chests　and　arms　of　the　men　displayed　to　the　sunshine　in　Truman　shirts。　The　fluffy；　sparse　balls　of　hair　on　the　women　showing　the　pink　scalp。　The　bony　bald　heads　of　the　men。　And；　everywhere；　a　prattling　camaraderie；　a　swapping　of　news　and　gossip；　a　making　of　folksy　dates　for　the　shuffle　board　and　the　bridge…table；　a　handing　round　of　letters　from　children　and　grandchildren；　a　tut…tutting　about　prices　in　the　shops　and　the　motels。
　You　didn't　have　to　be　amongst　them　to　hear　it　all。　It　was　all　in　the　nodding　and　twittering　of　the　balls　of　blue　fluff；　the　back…slapping　and　hawk…an…spitting　of　the　little　old　baldheads。
　'It　makes　you　want　to　climb　right　into　the　tomb　and　pull　the　lid　down；'　said　Leiter　at　Bond's　exclamations　of　horror。　'You　wait　t