if.goldfinger-第15章

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…brown　lorry　with　no　owner's　name　had　e　into　the　courtyard　through　the　triple　steel　gates。　Square　cardboard　boxes　were　being　unloaded　from　it　and　put　on　to　a　short　conveyor　belt　that　disappeared　into　the　bowels　of　the　Bank。
　Colonel　Smithers　came　over。　'Fivers；'　he　mented。　'Just　e　up　from　our　printing　works　at　Loughton。'
　The　lift　came　and　they　got　in。　Bond　said；　'I'm　not　very　impressed　by　the　new　ones。　They　look　like　any　other　country's　money。　The　old　ones　were　the　most　beautiful　money　in　the　world。'
　They　walked　across　the　entrance　hall；　now　dimly　lit　and　deserted。　Colonel　Smithers　said；　'As　a　matter　of　fact　I　agree　with　you。　Trouble　was　that　those　Reichsbank　forgeries　during　the　war　were　a　darn　sight　too　good。　When　the　Russians　captured　Berlin；　among　the　loot　they　got　hold　of　the　plates。　We　asked　the　Narodni　Bank　for　them；　but　they　refused　to　give　them　up。　We　and　the　Treasury　decided　it　was　just　too　dangerous。　At　any　moment；　if　Moscow　had　been　inclined；　they　could　have　started　a　major　raid　on　our　currency。　We　had　to　withdraw　the　old　fivers。　The　new　ones　aren't　much　to　look　at；　but　at　least　they'd　be　hell　to　forge。'
　The　night　guard　let　them　out　on　to　the　steps。　Thread…needle　Street　was　almost　deserted。　The　long　City　night　was　beginning。　Bond　said　goodbye　to　Colonel　Smithers　and　walked　along　to　the　Tube。　He　had　never　thought　very　much　about　the　Bank　of　England；　but　now　that　he　had　been　inside　the　place　he　decided　that　the　Old　Lady　of　Threadneedle　Street　might　be　old　but　she　still　had　some　teeth　left　in　her　head。
　Bond　had　been　told　to　report　back　to　M　at　six。　He　did　so。　M's　face　was　no　longer　pink　and　shining。　The　long　day　had　knocked　it　about；　stressed　it；　shrunken　it。　When　Bond　went　in　and　took　the　chair　across　the　desk；　he　noticed　the　conscious　effort　M　made　to　clear　his　mind；　cope　with　the　new　problem　the　day　was　to　fling　at　him。　M　straightened　himself　in　his　chair　and　reached　for　his　pipe。　'Well？'
　Bond　knew　the　false　belligerence　of　that　particular　bark。　He　told　the　gist　of　the　story　in　less　than　five　minutes。
　When　he　had　finished；　M　said　thoughtfully；　'Suppose　we've　got　to　take　it　on。　Don't　understand　a　thing　about　the　pound　and　bank　rate　and　all　that　but　everyone　seems　to　be　taking　it　damned　seriously。　Personally　I　should　have　thought　the　strength　of　the　pound　depended　on　how　hard　we　all　worked　rather　than　how　much　gold　we'd　got。　Germans　didn't　have　much　gold　after　the　war。　Look　where　they've　got　in　ten　years。　However；　that's　probably　too　easy　an　answer　for　the　politicians　…　or　more　likely　too　difficult。　Got　any　ideas　how　to　tackle　this　chap　Goldfinger？　Any　way　of　getting　closer　to　him；　offering　to　do　some　dirty　work　for　him　or　something　like　that？'
　Bond　said　thoughtfully；　'I　wouldn't　get　anywhere　sucking　up　to　him；　asking　him　for　a　job　or　something　of　that　sort；　sir。　I　should　say　he's　the　sort　of　man　who　only　respects　people　who　are　tougher　or　smarter　than　he　is。　I've　given　him　one　beating　and　the　only　message　I　got　from　him　was　that　he'd　like　me　to　play　golf　with　him。　Perhaps　I'd　better　do　just　that。'
　'Fine　way　for　one　of　my　top　men　to　spend　his　time。'　The　sarcasm　in　Ad's　voice　was　weary；　resigned。　'All　right。　Go　ahead。　But　if　what　you　say　is　right；　you'd　better　see　that　you　beat　him。　What's　your　cover　story？'
　Bond　shrugged。　'I　hadn't　thought；　sir。　Perhaps　I'd　better　be　thinking　of　leaving　Universal　Export。　No　future　in　it。　Having　a　holiday　while　I　look　round。　Thinking　of　emigrating　to　Canada。　Fed　up　here。　Something　like　that。　But　perhaps　I'd　better　play　it　the　way　the　cards　fall。　I　wouldn't　think　he's　an　easy　man　to　fool。'
　'All　right。　Report　progress。　And　don't　think　I'm　not　interested　in　this　case。'　M's　voice　had　changed。　So　had　his　expression。　His　eyes　had　bee　urgent；　manding。　'Now　I'll　give　you　one　piece　of　information　the　Bank　didn't　give　you。　It　just　happens　that　I　also　know　what　Mr　Goldfinger's　gold　bars　look　Like。　As　a　matter　of　fact　I　was　handling　one　today　…　scratched　Z　and　all。　It　had　e　in　with　that　haul　we　made　last　week　when　the　Redland　Resident　Director's　office　〃caught　fire〃　in　Tangier。　You'll　have　seen　the　signals。　Well；　that's　the　twentieth　of　these　particular　gold　bars　that　have　e　our　way　since　die　war。'
　Bond　interrupted；　'But　that　Tangier　bar　was　out　of　the　SMERSH　safe。'
　'Exactly。　I've　checked。　All　the　other　nineteen　bars　with　the　scratched　Z　have　been　taken　from　SMERSH　operatives。'　M　paused。　He　said　mildly；　'D'you　know；　007；　I　wouldn't　be　at　all　surprised　if　Goldfinger　doesn't　turn　out　to　be　the　foreign　banker；　the　treasurer　so　to　speak；　of　SMERSH。'
　　
　James　Bond　flung　the　DBIII　through　the　last　mile　of　straight　and　did　a　racing　change　down　into　third　and　then　into　second　for　the　short　hill　before　the　inevitable　traffic　crawl　through　Rochester。　Leashed　in　by　the　velvet　claw　of　the　front　discs；　the　engine　muttered　its　protest　with　a　mild　back…popple　from　the　twin　exhausts。　Bond　went　up　into　third　again；　beat　the　lights　at　the　bottom　of　the　hill　and　slid　resignedly　up　to　the　back　of　the　queue　that　would　crawl　on　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour　…　if　he　was　lucky　…　through　the　sprawl　of　Rochester　and　Chatham。
　Bond　settled　back　into　second　and　let　the　car　idle。　He　reached　for　the　wide　gunmetal　case　of　Morland　cigarettes　on　the　neighbouring　bucket　seat；　fumbled　for　one　and　lit　it　from　the　dashboard。
　He　had　chosen　the　A2　in　preference　to　the　A20　to　Sandwich　because　he　wanted　to　take　a　quick　look　at　Goldfinger…land　…　Reculver　and　those　melancholy　forsaken　reaches　of　the　Thames　which　Goldfinger　had　chosen　for　his　parish。　He　would　then　cross　the　Isle　of　Thanet　to　Ramsgate　and　leave　his　bag　at　the　Channel　Packet；　have　an　early　lunch　and　be　off　to　Sandwich。
　The　car　was　from　the　pool。　Bond　had　been　offered　the　Aston　Martin　or　a　Jaguar　3。4。　He　had　taken　the　DBIII。　Either　of　the　cars　would　have　suited　his　cover　…　a　well…to…do；　rather　adventurous　young　man　with　a　taste　for　the　good；　the　fast　things　of　life。　But　the　DB　III　had　the　advantage　of　an　up…to…date　triptyque；　an　inconspicuous　colour　…　battleship　grey　…and　certain　extras　which　might　or　might　not　e　in　handy。　These　included　switches　to　alter　the　type　and　colour　of　Bond's　front　and　rear　lights　if　he　was　following　or　being　followed　at　night；　reinforced　steel　bumpers；　fore　and　aft；　in　case　he　needed　to　ram；　a　long…barrelled　Colt　。45　in　a　trick　partment　under　the　driver's　seat；　a　radio　pick…up　tuned　to　receive　an　apparatus　called　the　Homer；　and　plenty　of　concealed　space　that　would　fox　most　Customs　men。
　Bond　saw　a　chance　and　picked　up　fifty　yards；　sliding　into　a　ten…yard　gap　left　by　a　family　saloon　of　slow　reactions。　The　man　at　the　wheel；　who　wore　that　infallible　badge　of　the　bad　driver；　a　hat　clamped　firmly　on　the　exact　centre　of　his　head；　hooted　angrily。　Bond　reached　out　of　the　window　and　raised　an　enigmatically　clenched　fist。　The　hooting　stopped。
　And　now　what　about　this　theory　of　M's？　It　made　sense。　The　Russians　were　notoriously　inpetent　payers　of　their　men。　Their　centres　were　always　running　out　of　funds　…　their　men　plaining　to　Moscow　that　they　couldn't　afford　a　square　meal。　Perhaps　SMERSH　couldn't　get　the　valuta　out　of　the　Ministry　of　Home　Security。　Or　perhaps　the　Ministry　of　Home　Security　couldn't　get　the　money　out　of　the　Ministry　of　Finance。　But　it　had　always　been　the　same　…　endless　money　troubles　that　resulted　in　missed　chances；　broken　promises　and　waste　of　dangerous　radio　time。　It　would　make　sense　to　have　a　clever　financial　brain　somewhere　outside　Russia　who　could　not　only　transmit　funds　to　the　centres　but　also；　in　this　case；　make　profits　large　enough　to　run　the　SMERSH　centres　abroad　without　any　financial　assistance　from　Moscow。　Not　only　that。　On　the　side；　Goldfinger　was　appreciably　damaging　the　currency　base　of　an　enemy　country。　If　all　this　was　correct；　it　was　typical　of　SMERSH　…　a　brilliant　scheme；　faultlessly　operated　by　an　outstanding　man。　And　that；　reflected　Bond　as　he　roared　up　the　hill　into　Chatham；　putting　half　a　dozen　cars　behind　him；　would　partly　explain　Goldfinger's　greed　for　more　and　still　more　money。　Devotion　to　the　cause；　to　SMERSH；　and　perhaps　the　dangled　prize　of　an　Order　of　Lenin；　would　be　the　spur　to　pick　up　even　ten　or　twenty　thousand　dollars　when　the　odds　were　right　or　could　be　favourably　adjuste