if.liveandletdie-第39章

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　nothing　attacked　him　as　he　scrambled　and　slithered　through　the　reef。
　The　hundred　yards　of　coral　took　him　a　quarter　of　an　hour。　When　he　got　through　and　rested　on　a　round　lump　of　brain…coral　under　the　shelter　of　a　last　niggerhead；　he　was　glad　that　nothing　but　a　hundred　yards　of　grey…white　water　lay　in　front　of　him。　He　still　felt　perfectly　fresh　and　the　elation　and　clarity　of　mind　produced　by　the　benzedrine　were　still　with　him；　but　the　gauntlet　of　hazards　through　the　reef　had　been　a　constant　fret；　with　the　risk　of　tearing　his　rubber　skin　always　on　his　mind。　Now　the　forest　of　razor…blade　coral　was　behind；　to　be　exchanged　for　shark　and　barracuda　or　perhaps　a　sudden　stick　of　dynamite　dropped　into　the　centre　of　the　little　flower　of　his　bubbles　on　the　surface。
　It　was　while　he　was　measuring　the　dangers　ahead　that　the　octopus　got　him。　Round　both　ankles。
　He　had　been　sitting　with　his　feet　on　the　sand　and　suddenly　they　were　manacled　to　the　base　of　the　round　toadstool　of　coral　on　which　he　was　resting。　Even　as　he　realized　what　had　happened　a　tentacle　began　to　snake　up　his　leg　and　another　one；　purple　in　the　dim　light；　wandered　down　his　webbed　left　foot。
　He　gave　a　start　of　fear　and　disgust　and　at　once　he　was　on　his　feet；　shuffling　and　straining　to　get　away。　But　there　was　no　inch　of　yield　and　his　movements　only　gave　the　octopus　an　opportunity　to　pull　his　heels　tighter　under　the　overhang　of　the　round　rock。　The　strength　of　the　brute　was　prodigious　and　Bond　could　feel　his　balance　going　fast。　In　a　moment　he　would　be　pulled　down　flat　on　his　face　and　then；　hampered　by　the　mine　on　his　chest　and　the　cylinders　on　his　back；　it　might　be　almost　impossible　to　get　at　the　beast。
　Bond　snatched　his　dagger　out　of　his　belt　and　jabbed　down　between　his　legs。　But　the　overhang　of　the　rock　impeded　him　and　he　was　terrified　of　cutting　his　rubber　skin。　Suddenly　he　was　toppled　over；　lying　on　the　sand。　At　once　his　feet　began　to　be　drawn　into　a　wide　lateral　cleft　under　the　rock。　He　scrabbled　at　the　sand　and　tried　to　curl　round　to　get　within　range　with　the　dagger。　But　the　thick　hump　of　the　mine　protruding　from　his　chest　prevented　him。　On　the　edge　of　panic；　he　remembered　the　harpoon　gun。　Before；　he　had　dismissed　it　as　being　a　hopeless　weapon　at　that　short　range；　but　now　it　was　the　only　chance。　It　lay　on　the　sand　where　he　had　left　it。　He　reached　for　it　and　put　up　the　safety…catch。　The　mine　prevented　him　from　aiming。　He　slid　the　barrel　along　his　legs　and　probed　each　of　his　feet　with　the　tip　of　the　harpoon　to　find　the　gap　between　them。　At　once　a　tentacle　seized　the　steel　tip　and　began　tugging。　The　gun　slipped　between　his　manacled　feet　and　he　pulled　the　trigger　blindly。
　Immediately　a　great　cloud　of　viscous；　stringy　ink　rolled　out　of　the　cleft　towards　his　face。　But　one　leg　was　free　and　then　the　other　and　he　whipped　them　round　and　under　him　and　seized　the　haft　of　the　three…foot　harpoon　where　it　disappeared　under　the　rock。　He　pulled　and　strained　until；　with　a　rending　of　flesh；　it　came　away　from　the　black　fog　that　hung　over　the　hole。　Panting；　he　got　up　and　stood　away　from　the　rock；　the　sweat　pouring　down　his　face　under　the　mask。　Above　him；　the　tell…tale　stream　of　silver　bubbles　rose　straight　to　the　surface　and　he　cursed　the　wounded　'pus…feller'　in　its　lair。
　But　there　was　no　time　to　worry　further　with　it　and　he　re…loaded　his　gun　and　struck　out　with　the　moon　over　his　right　shoulder。
　Now　he　made　good　going　through　the　misty　grey　water　and　he　concentrated　only　on　keeping　his　face　a　few　inches　above　the　sand　and　his　head　well　down　to　streamline　his　body。　Once；　out　of　the　corner　of　his　eye；　he　saw　a　stingray　as　big　as　a　ping…pong　table　shuffle　out　of　his　path；　the　tip　of　its　great　speckled　wings　beating　like　a　bird's；　its　long　horned　tail　streaming　out　behind　it。　But　he　paid　it　no　attention；　remembering　that　Quarrel　had　said　that　rays　never　attack　except　in　self…defence。　He　reflected　that　it　had　probably　e　in　over　the　outer　reef　to　lay　its　eggs；　or　'Mermaids'　Purses'　as　the　fishermen　call　them；　because　they　are　shaped　like　a　pillow　with　a　stiff　black　string　at　each　corner；　on　the　sheltered　sandy　bottom。
　Many　shadows　of　big　fish　lazed　across　the　moonlit　sand；　some　as　long　as　himself。　When　one　followed　beside　him　for　at　least　a　minute　he　looked　up　to　see　the　white　belly　of　a　shark　ten　feet　above　him　like　a　glaucous　tapering　airship。　Its　blunt　nose　was　buried　inquisitively　in　his　stream　of　air…bubbles。　The　wide　sickle　slit　of　its　mouth　looked　like　a　puckered　scar。　It　leant　sideways　and　glanced　down　at　him　out　of　one　hard　pink　naked　eye；　then　it　wobbled　its　great　scythe…shaped　tail　and　moved　slowly　into　the　wall　of　grey　mist。
　He　frightened　a　family　of　squids；　ranging　from　about　six　pounds　down　to　an　infant　of　six　ounces；　frail　and　luminous　in　the　half…light；　hanging　almost　vertical　in　a　diminishing　chorus…line。　They　righted　themselves　and　shot　off　with　streamlined　jet　propulsion。
　Bond　rested　for　a　moment　about　half　way　and　then　went　on。　Now　there　were　barracuda　about；　big　ones　of　up　to　twenty　pounds。　They　looked　just　as　deadly　as　he　had　remembered　them。　They　glided　above　him　like　silver　submarines；　looking　down　out　of　then：　angry　tigers'　eyes。　They　were　curious　about　him　and　about　his　bubbles　and　they　followed　him；　around　and　above　him；　like　a　pack　of　silent　wolves。　By　the　time　Bond　met　the　first　bit　of　coral　that　meant　he　was　ing　up　with　the　island　there　must　have　been　twenty　of　them　moving　quietly；　watchfully　in　and　out　of　the　opaque　wall　that　enclosed　him。
　Bond's　skin　cringed　under　the　black　rubber　but　he　could　do　nothing　about　them　and　he　concentrated　on　his　objective。
　Suddenly　there　was　a　long　metallic　shape　hanging　in　the　water　above　him。　Behind　it　there　was　a　jumble　of　broken　rock　leading　steeply　upwards。
　It　was　the　keel　of　the　Secatur　and　Bond's　heart　thumped　in　his　chest。
　He　looked　at　the　Rolex　watch　on　his　wrist。　It　was　three　minutes　past　eleven　o'clock。　He　selected　the　seven…hour　fuse　from　the　handful　he　extracted　from　a　zipped　side…pocket　and　inserted　it　in　the　fuse　pocket　of　the　mine　and　pushed　it　home。　The　rest　of　the　fuses　he　buried　in　the　sand　so　that　if　he　was　captured　the　mine　would　not　be　betrayed。
　As　he　swam　up；　carrying　the　mine　between　his　hands；　bottom　upwards；　he　was　aware　of　a　motion　in　the　water　behind　him。　A　barracuda　flashed　by；　its　jaws　half　open；　almost　hitting　him；　its　eyes　fixed　on　something　at　his　back。　But　Bond　was　intent　only　on　the　centre　of　the　ship's　keel　and　on　a　point　about　three　feet　above　it。
　The　mine　almost　dragged　him　the　last　few　feet；　its　huge　magnets　straining　for　the　metallic　kiss　with　the　hull。
　Bond　had　to　pull　hard　against　it　to　prevent　the　clang　of　contact。　Then　it　was　silently　in　place　and　with　its　weight　removed　Bond　had　to　swim　strongly　to　counter　his　new　buoyancy　and　get　down　again　and　away　from　the　surface。
　It　was　as　he　turned　to　swim　towards　the　twin　propellers　on　his　way　to　the　shelter　of　the　rocks　that　he　suddenly　saw　the　terrible　things　that　had　been　going　on　behind　him。
　The　great　pack　of　barracudas　seemed　to　have　gone　mad。　They　were　whirling　and　snapping　in　the　water　like　hysterical　dogs。　Three　sharks　that　had　joined　them　were　charging　through　the　water　with　a　clumsier　frenzy。　The　water　was　boiling　with　the　dreadful　fish　and　Bond　was　slammed　in　the　face　and　buffeted　again　and　again　within　a　few　yards。　At　any　moment　he　knew　his　rubber　skin　would　be　torn　with　the　flesh　below　it　and　then　the　pack　would　be　on　him。
　'Extreme　mob　behaviour　conditions。'　The　Navy　Department's　phrase　flashed　into　his　mind。　This　was　just　when　he　might　have　saved　himself　with　the　shark…repellent　stuff。　Without　it　he　might　only　have　a　few　more　minutes　to　live。
　In　desperation　he　threshed　through　the　water　along　the　ship's　keel；　the　safety…catch　up　on　the　harpoon　gun　that　was　now　only　a　toy　in　the　face　of　this　drove　of　maddened　cannibal　fish。
　He　reached　the　two　big　copper　screws　and　clung　to　one　of　them；　panting；　his　lips　drawn　back　from　his　teeth　in　a　snarl　of　fear；　his　eyes　distended　as　he　faced　the　frenzy　of　the　boiling　sea　around　him。
　He　at　once　saw　that　the　mouths　of　the　hurtling；　darting　fish　were　half　open　and　that　they　were　plunging　in　and　out　of　a　brownish　cloud；　spreading　downwards　from　the