if.liveandletdie-第33章

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　Strangways；　the　chief　Secret　Service　agent　for　the　Caribbean；　was　at　the　airport　to　meet　him　and　he　was　quickly　through　the　Customs　and　Immigration　and　Finance
　Control。
　It　was　nearly　eleven　and　the　night　was　quiet　and　hot。　There　was　the　shrill　sound　of　crickets　from　the　dildo　cactus　on　both　sides　of　the　airport　road　and　Bond　gratefully　drank　in　the　sounds　and　smells　of　the　tropics　as　the　military　pick…up　cut　across　the　corner　of　Kingston　and　took　them　up　towards　the　gleaming；　moonlit　foothills　of　the　Blue　Mountains。
　They　talked　in　monosyllables　until　they　were　settled　on　the　fortable　veranda　of　Strangways's　neat　white　house　on　the　Junction　Road　below　Stony　Hill。
　Strangways　poured　a　strong　whisky…and…soda　for　both　of　them　and　then　gave　a　concise　account　of　the　whole　of　the　Jamaica　end　of　the　case。
　He　was　a　lean；　humorous　man　of　about　thirty…five；　a　former　Lieutenant…mander　in　the　Special　Branch　of　the　RNVR。　He　had　a　black　patch　over　one　eye　and　the　sort　of　aquiline　good　looks　that　are　associated　with　the　bridges　of　destroyers。　But　his　face　was　heavily　lined　under　its　tan　and　Bond　sensed　from　his　quick　gestures　and　clipped　sentences　that　he　was　nervous　and　highly　strung。　He　was　certainly　efficient　and　he　had　a　sense　of　humour；　and　he　showed　no　signs　of　jealousy　at　someone　from　headquarters　butting　in　on　his　territory。　Bond　felt　that　they　would　get　on　well　together　and　he　looked　forward　to　the　partnership。　This　was　the　story　that　Strangways　had　to　tell。　It　had　always　been　rumoured　that　there　was　treasure　on　the　Isle　of　Surprise　and　everything　that　was　known　about　Bloody　Morgan　supported　the　rumour。
　The　tiny　island　lay　in　the　exact　centre　of　Shark　Bay；　a　small　harbour　that　lies　at　the　end　of　the　Junction　Road　that　runs　across　the　thin　waist　of　Jamaica　from　Kingston　to　the　north　coast。
　The　great　buccaneer　had　made　Shark　Bay　his　headquarters。　He　liked　to　have　the　whole　width　of　the　island　between　himself　and　the　Governor　at　Port　Royal　so　that　he　could　slip　in　and　out　of　Jamaican　waters　in　plete　secrecy。　The　Governor　also　liked　the　arrangement。　The　Crown　wished　a　blind　eye　to　be　turned　on　Morgan's　piracy　until　the　Spaniards　had　been　cleared　out　of　the　Caribbean。　When　this　was　acplished；　Morgan　was　rewarded　with　a　Knighthood　and　the　Governorship　of　Jamaica。　Till　then；　his　actions　had　to　be　disavowed　to　avoid　a　European　war　with　Spain。
　So；　for　the　long　period　before　the　poacher　turned　gamekeeper；　Morgan　used　Shark　Bay　as　his　sallyport。　He　built　three　houses　on　the　neighbouring　estate；　christened　Llanrumney　after　his　birthplace　in　Wales。　These　houses　were　called　'Morgan's'；　The　Doctor's'　and　The　Lady's'。　Buckles　and　coins　are　still　turned　up　in　the　ruins　of　them。
　His　ships　always　anchored　in　Shark　Bay　and　he　careened　them　in　the　lee　of　the　Isle　of　Surprise；　a　precipitous　lump　of　coral　and　limestone　that　surges　straight　up　out　of　the　centre　of　the　bay　and　is　surmounted　by　a　jungly　plateau　of　about　an　acre。
　When；　in　1683；　he　left　Jamaica　for　the　last　time；　it　was　under　open　arrest　to　be　tried　by　his　peers　for　flouting　the　Crown。　His　treasure　was　left　behind　somewhere　in　Jamaica　and　he　died　in　penury　without　revealing　its　whereabouts。　It　must　have　been　a　vast　hoard；　the　fruits　of　countless　raids　on　Hispaniola；　of　the　capture　of　innumerable　treasure…ships　sailing　for　The　Plate；　of　the　sacking　of　Panama　and　the　looting　of　Maracaibo。　But　it　vanished　without　trace。
　It　was　always　thought　that　the　secret　lay　somewhere　on　the　Isle　of　Surprise；　but　for　two　hundred　years　the　diving　and　digging　of　treasure…hunters　yielded　nothing。　Then；　said　Strangways；　just　six　months　before；　two　things　had　happened　within　a　few　weeks。　A　young　fisherman　disappeared　from　the　village　of　Shark　Bay；　and　had　not　been　heard　of　since；　and　an　anonymous　New　York　syndicate　purchased　the　island　for　a　thousand　pounds　from　the　present　owner　of　the　Llanrumney　Estate；　which　was　now　a　rich　banana　and　cattle　property。
　A　few　weeks　after　the　sale；　the　yacht　Secatur　put　in　to　Shark　Bay　and　dropped　anchor　in　Morgan's　old　anchorage　in　the　lee　of　the　island。　It　was　manned　entirely　by　negroes。　They　went　to　work　and　cut　a　stairway　in　the　rock　face　of　the　island　and　erected　on　the　summit　a　number　of　low…lying　shacks　in　the　fashion　known　in　Jamaica　as　'wattle…and…daub'。
　They　appeared　to　be　pletely　equipped　with　provisions；　and　all　they　purchased　from　the　fishermen　of　the　bay　was　fresh　fruit　and　water。
　They　were　a　taciturn　and　orderly　lot　who　gave　no　trouble。　They　explained　to　the　Customs　which　they　had　cleared　in　the　neighbouring　Port　Maria　that　they　were　there　to　catch　tropical　fish；　especially　the　poisonous　varieties；　and　collect　rare　shells　for　Ourobouros　Inc。　in　St。　Petersburg。　When　they　had　established　themselves　they　purchased　large　quantities　of　these　from　the　Shark　Bay；　Port　Maria　and　Oracabessa　fishermen。
　For　a　week　they　carried　out　blasting　operations　on　the　island　and　it　was　given　out　that　these　were　for　the　purpose　of　excavating　a　large　fish…tank。
　The　Secatur　began　a　fortnightly　shuttle…service　with　the　Gulf　of　Mexico　and　watchers　with　binoculars　confirmed　that；　before　each　sailing；　consignments　of　portable　fish…tanks　were　taken　aboard。　Always　half　a　dozen　men　were　left　behind。　Canoes　approaching　the　island　were　warned　off　by　a　watchman；　at　the　base　of　the　steps　in　the　cliff；　who　fished　all　day　from　a　narrow　jetty　alongside　which　the　Secatur　on　her　visits　moored　with　two　anchors　out；　well　sheltered　from　the　prevailing　north…easterly　winds。
　No　one　succeeded　in　landing　on　the　island　by　daylight　and；　after　two　tragic　attempts；　nobody　tried　to　gain　access　by　night。
　The　first　attempt　was　made　by　a　local　fisherman　spurred　on　by　the　rumours　of　buried　treasure　that　no　talk　of　tropical　fish　could　suppress。　He　had　swum　out　one　dark　night　and　his　body　had　been　washed　back　over　the　reef　next　day。　Sharks　and　barracuda　had　left　nothing　but　the　trunk　and　the　remains　of　a　thigh。
　At　about　the　time　he　should　have　reached　the　island　the　whole　village　of　Shark　Bay　was　awakened　by　the　most　horrible　drumming　noise。　It　seemed　to　e　from　inside　the　island。　It　was　recognized　as　the　beating　of　Voodoo　drums。　It　started　softly　and　rose　slowly　to　a　thunderous　crescendo。　Then　it　died　down　again　and　stopped。　It　lasted　about　five　minutes。　j
　From　that　moment　the　island　was　ju…ju；　or　obeah；　as　it　is　called　hi　Jamaica；　and　even　in　daylight　canoes　kept　at　a　safe　distance。
　By　this　time　Strangways　was　interested　and　he　made　a　full　report　to　London。　Since　1950　Jamaica　had　bee　an　important　strategic　target；　thanks　to　the　development　by　Reynolds　Metal　and　the　Kaiser　Corporation　of　huge　bauxite　deposits　found　on　the　island。　So　far　as　Strangways　was　concerned；　the　activities　on　Surprise　might　easily　be　the　erection　of　a　base　for　one…man　submarines　in　the　event　of　war；　particularly　since　Shark　Bay　was　within　range　of　the　route　followed　by　the　Reynolds　ships　to　the　new　bauxite　harbour　at　Ocho　Rios；　a　few　miles　down　the　coast。
　London　followed　the　report　up　with　Washington　and　it　came　to　light　that　the　New　York　syndicate　that　had　purchased　the　island　was　wholly　owned　by　Mr。　Big。
　This　was　three　months　ago。　Strangways　was　ordered　to　penetrate　the　island　at　all　costs　and　find　out　what　was　going　on。　He　mounted　quite　an　operation。　He　rented　a　property　on　the　western　arm　of　Shark　Bay　called　Beau　Desert。　It　contained　the　ruins　of　one　of　the　famous　Jamaican　Great　Houses　of　the　early　nineteenth　century　and　also　a　modern　beach…house　directly　across　from　the　Secatur's　anchorage　up　against　Surprise。
　He　brought　down　two　very　fine　swimmers　from　the　naval　base　at　Bermuda　and　set　up　a　permanent　watch　on　the　island　through　day…　and　night…glasses。　Nothing　of　a　suspicious　nature　was　seen　and　on　a　dark　calm　night　he　sent　out　the　two　swimmers　with　instructions　to　make　an　underwater　survey　of　the　foundations　of　the　island。
　Strangways　described　his　horror　when；　an　hour　after　they　had　left　to　swim　across　the　three　hundred　yards　of　water；　the　terrible　drumming　had　started　up　somewhere　inside　the　cliffs　of　the　island。
　That　night　the　two　men　did　not　return。
　On　the　next　day　they　were　both　washed　up　at　different　parts　of　the　bay。　Or　rather；　the　remains　left　by　the　shark　and　barracu