if.liveandletdie-第4章

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ted　in　a　Diesel　yacht；　the　Secatur；　which　has　been　running　from　a　small　island　on　the　North　Coast　of　Jamaica　through　the　Florida　Keys　into　the　Gulf　of　Mexico；　to　a　place　called　St。　Petersburg。　Sort　of　pleasure　resort；　near　Tampa。　West　Coast　of　Florida。　With　the　help　of　the　FBI　we've　traced　the　ownership　of　this　boat　and　of　the　island　to　a　man　called　Mr。　Big；　a　negro　gangster。　Lives　in　Harlem。　Ever　heard　of　him？'
　'No；'　said　Bond。
　'And　curiously　enough；'　M's　voice　was　softer　and　quieter；　'a　twenty…dollar　bill　which　one　of　these　casual　negroes　had　paid　for　a　gold　coin　and　whose　number　he　had　noted　for　't't…　Peaka　Peow；　the　Numbers　game；　was　paid　out　by　one　of　Mr。　Big's　lieutenants。　And　it　was　paid；'　M　pointed　the　stem　of　his　pipe　at　Bond；　'for　information　received；　to　an　FBI　double…agent　who　is　a　member　of　the　munist　Party。'
　Bond　whistled　softly。
　'In　short；'　continued　M；　'we　suspect　that　this　Jamaican　treasure　is　being　used　to　finance　the　Soviet　espionage　system；　or　an　important　part　of　it；　in　America。　And　our　suspicion　bees　a　certainty　when　I　tell　you　who　this　Mr。　Big　is。'
　Bond　waited；　his　eyes　fixed　on　M's。
　'Mr。　Big；'　said　M；　weighing　his　words；　'is　probably　the　most　powerful　negro　criminal　in　the　world。　He　is；'　and　he　enumerated　carefully；'　the　head　of　the　Black　Widow　Voodoo　cult　and　believed　by　that　cult　to　be　the　Baron　Samedi　himself。　（You'll　find　all　about　that　here；'　he　tapped　the　folder；　'and　it'll　frighten　the　daylights　out　of　you。）　He　is　also　a　Soviet　agent。　And　finally　he　is；　and　this　will　particularly　interest　you；　Bond；　a　known　member　of　SMERSH。'
　'Yes；'　said　Bond　slowly；　'I　see　now。'
　'Quite　a　case；'　said　M；　looking　keenly　at　him。　'And　quite　a　man；　this　Mr。　Big。'
　'I　don't　think　I've　ever　heard　of　a　great　negro　criminal　before；'　said　Bond；　'Chinamen；　of　course；　the　men　behind　the　opium　trade。　There've　been　some　big…time　Japs；　mostly　in　pearls　and　drugs。　Plenty　of　negroes　mixed　up　in　diamonds　and　gold　in　Africa；　but　always　in　a　small　way。　They　don't　seem　to　take　to　big　business。　Pretty　law…abiding　chaps　I　should　have　thought　except　when　they've　drunk　too　much。'
　'Our　man's　a　bit　of　an　exception；'　said　M。　'He's　not　pure　negro。　Born　in　Haiti。　Good　dose　of　French　blood。　Trained　in　Moscow；　too；　as　you'll　see　from　the　file。　And　the　negro　races　are　just　beginning　to　throw　up　geniuses　in　all　the　professions　…　scientists；　doctors；　writers。　It's　about　time　they　turned　out　a　great　criminal。　After　all；　there　are　250；000；000　of　them　in　the　world。　Nearly　a　third　of　the　white　population。　They've　got　plenty　of　brains　and　ability　and　guts。　And　now　Moscow's　taught　one　of　them　the　technique。'
　'I'd　like　to　meet　him；'　said　Bond。　Then　he　added；　mildly；　'I'd　like　to　meet　any　member　of　SMERSH。'
　'All　right　then；　Bond。　Take　it　away。'　M　handed　him　the　thick　brown　folder。　'Talk　it　over　with　Plender　and　Damon。　Be　ready　to　start　in　a　week。　It's　a　joint　CIA　and　FBI　job。　For　God's　sake　don't　step　on　the　FBI's　toes。　Covered　with　corns。　Good　luck。'
　Bond　had　gone　straight　down　to　mander　Damon；　Head　of　Station　A；　an　alert　Canadian　who　controlled　the　link　with　the　Central　Intelligence　Agency；　America's　Secret　Service。
　Damon　looked　up　from　his　desk。　'I　see　you've　bought　it；'　he　said；　looking　at　the　folder。　'Thought　you　would。　Sit　down；'　he　waved　to　an　armchair　beside　the　electric　fire。　'When　you've　waded　through　it　all；　I'll　fill　in　the　gaps。'
　
　CHAPTER　III
　A　VISITING…CARD
　
　AND　now　it　was　ten　days　later　and　the　talk　with　Dexter　and　Leiter　had　not　added　much；　reflected　Bond　as　he　awoke　slowly　and　luxuriously　in　his　bedroom　at　the　St。　Regis　the　morning　after　his　arrival　in　New　York。
　Dexter　had　had　plenty　of　detail　on　Mr。　Big；　but　nothing　that　threw　any　new　light　on　the　case。　Mr。　Big　was　forty…five　years　old；　born　in　Haiti；　half　negro　and　half　French。　Because　of　the　initial　letters　of　his　fanciful　name；　Buonaparte　Ignace　Gallia；　and　because　of　his　huge　height　and　bulk；　he　came　to　be　called；　even　as　a　youth；　'Big　Boy'　or　just　'Big'。　Later　this　became　'The　Big　Man'　or　'Mr。　Big'；　and　his　real　names　lingered　only　on　a　parish　register　in　Haiti　and　on　his　dossier　with　the　FBI。　He　had　no　known　vices　except　women；　whom　he　consumed　in　quantities。　He　didn't　drink　or　smoke　。and　his　only　Achilles　heel　appeared　to　be　a　chronic　heart　disease　which　had；　in　recent　years；　imparted　a　greyish　tinge　to　his　skin。
　The　Big　Boy　had　been　initiated　into　Voodoo　as　a　child；　earned　his　living　as　a　truck…driver　in　Port　au　Prince；　then　emigrated　to　America　and　worked　successfully　for　a　hi…jacking　team　in　the　Legs　Diamond　gang。　With　the　end　of　Prohibition　he　had　moved　to　Harlem　and　bought　half…shares　in　a　small　nightclub　and　a　string　of　coloured　call…girls。　His　partner　was　found　in　a　barrel　of　cement　in　the　Harlem　River　in　1938　and　Mr。　Big　automatically　became　sole　proprietor　of　the　business。　He　was　called　up　in　1943　and；　because　of　his　excellent　French；　came　to　the　notice　of　the　Office　of　Strategic　Services；　the　wartime　secret　service　of　America；　who　trained　him　with　great　thoroughness　and　put　him　into　Marseilles　as　an　agent　against　the　Petain　collaborationists。　He　merged　easily　with　African　negro　dock…hands；　and　worked　well；　providing　good　and　accurate　naval　intelligence。　He　operated　closely　with　a　Soviet　spy　who　was　doing　a　similar　job　for　the　Russians。　At　the　end　of　the　war　he　was　demobilized　in　France　（and　decorated　by　the　Americans　and　the　French）　and　then　he　disappeared　for　five　years；　probably　to　Moscow。　He　returned　to　Harlem　in　1950　and　soon　came　to　the　notice　of　the　FBI　as　a　suspected　Soviet　agent。　But　he　never　incriminated　himself　or　fell　into　any　of　the　traps　laid　by　the　FBI。　He　bought　up　three　nightclubs　and　a　prosperous　chain　of　Harlem　brothels。　He　seemed　to　have　unlimited　funds　and　paid　all　his　lieutenants　a　flat　rate　of　twenty　thousand　dollars　a　year。　Accordingly；　and　as　a　result　of　weeding　by　murder；　he　was　expertly　and　diligently　served。　He　was　known　to　have　originated　an　underground　Voodoo　temple　in　Harlem　and　to　have　established　a　link　between　it　and　the　main　cult　in　Haiti。　The　rumour　had　started　that　he　was　the　Zombie　or　living　corpse　of　Baron　Samedi　himself；　the　dreaded　Prince　of　Darkness；　and　he　fostered　the　story　so　that　now　it　was　accepted　through　all　the　lower　strata　of　the　negro　world。　As　a　result；　he　manded　real　fear；　strongly　substantiated　by　the　immediate　and　often　mysterious　deaths　of　anyone　who　crossed　him　or　disobeyed　his　orders。
　Bond　had　questioned　Dexter　and　Leiter　very　closely　on　the　evidence　connecting　the　giant　negro　with　SMERSH。　It　certainly　seemed　conclusive。
　In　1951；　by　the　promise　of　one　million　dollars　in　gold　and　a　safe　refuge　after　six　months'　work　for　them；　the　FBI　had　at　last　persuaded　a　known　Soviet　agent　of　the　MWD　to　turn　double。　All　went　well　for　a　month　and　the　results　exceeded　the　highest　expectations。　The　Russian　spy　held　the　appointment　of　an　economic　expert　on　the　Soviet　delegation　to　the　United　Nations。　One　Saturday；　he　had　gone　to　take　the　subway　to　Pennsylvania　Station　en　route　for　the　Soviet　week…end　rest　camp　at　Glen　Cove；　the　former　Morgan　estate　on　Long　Island。
　A　huge　negro；　positively　identified　from　photographs　as　The　Big　Man；　had　stood　beside　him　on　the　platform　as　the　train　came　in　and　was　seen　walking　towards　the　exit　even　before　the　first　coach　had　e　to　a　standstill　over　the　bloody　vestiges　of　the　Russian。　He　had　not　been　seen　to　push　the　man；　but　in　the　crowd　it　would　not　have　been　difficult。　Spectators　said　it　could　not　have　been　suicide。　The　man　screamed　horribly　as　he　fell　and　he　had　had　（melancholy　touch！）　a　bag　of　golf　clubs　over　his　shoulder。　The　Big　Man；　of　course；　had　had　an　alibi　as　solid　as　Fort　Knox。　He　had　been　held　and　questioned；　but　was　quickly　sprung　by　the　best　lawyer　in　Harlem。
　The　evidence　was　good　enough　for　Bond。　He　was　just　the　man　for　SMERSH；　with　just　the　training。　A　real；　hard　weapon　of　fear　and　death。　And　what　a　brilliant　set…up　for　dealing　with　the　smaller　fry　of　the　negro　underworld　and　for　keeping　a　coloured　information　network　well　up　to　the　mark！　…　the　fear　of　Voodoo　and　the　supernatural；　still　deeply；　primevally　ingrained　in　the　negro　subconscious！　And　what　genius　to　have；　as　a　beginning；　the　whole　transport　system　of　America