johngardner.winloseordie-第20章

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　'I　usually　am。'　He　was　genuinely　surprised　to　have　used　such　an　old　schoolboy　piece　of　repartee。　Beatrice　seemed　to　have　wrought　an　unexpected　change　in　him。
　'Listen　to　me。　Poor　old　Franco　and　Umberto　will　have　to　spend　this　Christmas　as　watchers。　The　Rottweilers　will　prowl　the　grounds；　and　I'm　not　going　to　let　you。　my　darling　James；　out　of　my　sight；　unless　the　bloody　BAST　people　have　another　go。'
〃Eat　your　hearts　out。　Franco　and　Umberto。'
　？Mmmm；'　she　nodded。　'I'm　going　up　to　the　big　villa　now。　Give　them　instructions。　Make　an　obligatory　'phone　call。　Then　I'll　be　back　and　the　celebrations　can　mence。'　She　gave　him　a　gentle　kiss　on　the　cheek；　and　he　fell　that　his　face　had　never　yet　been　kissed　like　this。　Beatrice　had　the　art　of　kissing　a　cheek；　as　though　it　were　his　moulh；　or　even　his　deepest　secret　being。　Kissing；　he　considered；　was　a　lost　art　in　this　crumbling；　shuck…ridden　world。　Beatrice　had　rediscovered　it。　and　now　practised　the　craft　in　a　way　ihai　had　been　hidden　for　centuries。　He　stood　on　the　rear　terrace；　listening　to　her　footsteps　on　the　stone　path；　wondering　what　had　happened　to　him。　He　had　never　been　one　for　quick；　serious　decisions　of　the　heart。　Quick；　serious　decisions　were　for　operational　service　matters；　not　for　women。　Yet　this　girl　had　certainly　worked　a　powerful　and　potent　magic。　He　felt；　after　one　day；　that　he　had　known　her　for　most　of　his　life。
It　was　untypical；　and　it　worried　him。　for；　in　this　short　space　of　time；　Beatrice　had　started　to　mand　his　heart。　Bond's　discipline　was　such　that　Ihis　rarely　happened。　Even　ihe　courting　of　his　now　dead　wife　had　taken　time。　Apart　from　that　one　instance；　he　was　one　of　life's　natural　playboy　bachelors　as　far　as　women　were　concerned：　one　who　had　so　often　lived　by　the　three　Fs　…　Find；　Fornicate　and　Forget。　It　was　the　safest　way　in　his　job。　for　basically　he　believed　Field　Officers　should　only　be　married　if　they　needed　the　cover。　It　was　a　cold　and　clinical　approach；　but　the　right　one。　Beatrice　was　turning　it　upside　down。
　He　thought　about　this　dilemma　for　some　time；　then　remembered　there　was　a　new　code　word　to　collect；　so　he　turned　back　into　the　villa　and　dialled　London。
　The　number　in　England　picked　up；　as　usual；　on　the　third　ring。　'Predator；'　said　Bond。　'Day　two。'
　'Dragontooth；'　the　voice　was　clear　from　the　distant　line。　'Repeat。　Dragontooth。'
　'Acknowledge。'　Bond　put　down　the　receiver。　So；　some　of　the　intelligentsia　who　burrowed　away　in　the　Regent's　Park　office　were　trying　to　be　clever。　In　his　extreme　youth。　Bond　had　read　much；　and　his　memory　was　almost　photographic。　He　called　back　the　lines　now；　from　Dante's　Inferno　from　The　Divine　edy。
Front　and　centre　here；　Grizzly　and　Hellkin　。　。　。　You　too；　Deaudog　。　。　。　Curlybeard；　lake　charge　of　a　squad　of　ten。　Take　Grafter　and　Dragoniooih　along　with　you。　Pigfusk；　Catciaw。　Cramper　and　Crazyred。
　They　were　some　of　the　named　demons　with　forked　claws　and　rakes　who　tended；　and　goaded；　the　damned　in　their　cauldron　of　boiling　pitch。　So。　those　at　headquarters　were　now　deeply　influenced　by　the　strange　mystic　concept　of　the　Brotherhood　of　Anarchy　and　Secret　Terrorism　…　BAST；　the　three…headed　monster　who　rode　on　a　viper。
　'Dragontooth；　James。'　He　had　not　even　heard　her　e　in　through　the　trench　windows　behind　him。　She　had　been　as　silent　as　a　cat。　'Correct。　Dragontooth；'　he　said；　thinking；　'Cat'。　Could　the　Pennington　girl　be　the　Cat　of　BAST　…　Saphii　Boudai？
'Dragontooih；'　he　said　again；　giving　Beatrice　a　sad　smile。　Behind　the　smile　his　brain　worked　at　the　equation。　Saphii　Boudai's　file　showed　her　as　a　dedicated　terrorist　from　her　teens。　The　British　authorities　had　been　close　to　her　on　two　occasions；　yet　she　remained；　like　the　other　members　of　the　BAST　hierarchy；　a　ghost；　an　insubstantial；　if　deadly；　figure　with　no　true　form　or　shape；　of　which　there　was　no　real　description。　The　Pennington　girl　had　a　history。　A　good　family。　He　even　knew　her　uncle；　Sir　Arthur　Pennington；　Master　of　Pennington　Nab　in　the　West　Country。　Her　cousins　had　both　been　close　to　him　at　one　lime　or　another。　The　background　was　impeccable。　Or　was　it？　Another　thought　struck　him。
　〃What's　wrong；　James？'　Beatrice　had　e　to　him；　wrapping　her　arms　around　his　neck　and　looking　into　his　face　with　her　hypnotic　black　eyes。　The　eyes　seemed　almost　to　weaken　him；　and　their　bottomless　darkness　drew　him　into　her　brain　so　that　all　he　could　sec　was　a　possible　future　with　her：　a　future　free　from　danger　and　responsibility　…　except　to　her。
　Bond　drew　back；　holding　Beatrice　at　arm's　length。　'I　saw　someone　in　Forio。　Someone　who　shouldn't　be　there。'
　Her　face　underwent　a　change。　Just　a　slight　twitch　of　concern；　but　enough　to　reveal　that　this　delightful　girl　had　Ihe　tough　inner　resources　required　by　people　in　their　mutual　trade。　She　drew　him　over　to　the　couch　and　started　to　question　him　…　her　queries　all　aimed　a！　the　heart　of　the　problem；　the　reason　he　was　here。　in　the　villa　on　Ischia。　It　was　plain　that；　as　well　as　everything　else；　Beairice　was　a　skilled　interrogator。
　He　told　her　everything；　in　its　chronological　sequence。　First　Officer　Pennington　at　YeXwilton；　her　lax　sense　of　security；　and　the　fact　that　she　was　to　be　in　charge　of　a　section　of　Wrens　on　draft　to　Invincible…　something　very　much　out　of　the　norm　for　the　Royal　Navy。
〃And　she　knew　of　your　drafting？'　Beatrice　asked。
　To　where？'　he　countered；　still　in　control　of　his　own　sense　of　need…to…know；　the　central　pin　of　all　security　matters。
　'Invincible；　of　course；　James；　you　don't　think　they　would　have　pui　me　in　charge　of　this　assignment　without　a　plele　briefing。　She　knew　you　were　to　be　in　Invincible　for　Landsea　'89　…　the　Pennington　girl…　I　mean？'
　He　nodded。　〃Yes；　and　she　didn't　seem　to　think　it　was　something　she　had　to　keep　quiet　about。　Clover　had　access　to　all　the　draft　orders。　It　was　like　giving　classified　information　to　a　gossip　columnist。　She　had　as　much　idea　of　security；　and　keeping　her　mouth　shut；　as　a　（own　crier。'
　'Mmmm。'　Beairice　frowned；　and　Bond　thought　she　even　looked　attractive　when　her　face　became　ге…pailerned　with　anxiety。　'Look。　James。'　she　laid　a　hand　on　his　thigh；　which　seemed　to　pass　a　current　of　signals　to　alert　his　most　basic　physical　needs。　'Look；　I　have　a　secure　radio…link　back　to　the　big　villa。
This　is　something　I　should　report　now。　before　it's　too　late。　It
won't　take　long。　Are　you　up　to　some　menial　chores；　like　doing　vegetables　for　tomorrow's　dinner？〃
　Bond　rarely　bothered　himself　with　the　preparation　of　food。　For　years　it　had　always　been　something　others　did　for　you。　But　he　simply　nodded；　and　went　into　the　liltte　kitchen　while　Beatrice　left　the　Villa　Capricciani；　hurrying；　her　face　reflecting　the　fact　that　she　considered　Clover　Pennington's　presence　on　the　island。　and　nearby；　to　be　something　of　grave　concern。
　In　the　kitchen。　Bond　began　to　prepare　the　vegetables；　smiling　wryly　and　thinking　how　M　would　love　to　see　him　now。　He　would　not　have　been　surprised　to　learn　that　M　had　given　Beatrice　Maria　da　Ricci　instructions　to　Tut　Bond　in　his　place。'　He　could　hear　the　Old　Man　telling　her　that　（M）7　was　sometimes　a　shade　too　conscious　of　his　class　for　his　own　good。　'Get　him　to　do　some　physical　jobs；　like　swabbing　the　decks　of　that　villa。〃　It　was　the　kind　of　devilment　in　which　M　would　revel。
In　England　ihat　Christmas　Eve；　M　was　down　at　Quarterdeck；　but　not　at　ease。　An　extra　secure　telephone　link　had　been　installed　so　thai　he　could　get　information　concerning　Bond　and　his　situation　within　seconds　of　it　ing　in　to　Headquarters。
　Though　M　was　naturally　a　solitary　person；　he　did　have　relatives：　a　daughter；　now　married　to　an　academic　who　worked　on　inprehensible　and　obscure　pieces　of　European　history　at　Cambridge。　They　had　provided　M　with　two　grandchildren；　a　boy　and　girl；　whom　he　adored　and　spoiled　in；　for　him；　a　most　uncharacteristic　manner。
　The　tree　was　trimmed；　Mrs　Davison　had　everything　ready；　and；　during　the　previous　week；　M　had　gone；　with　her　husband；　on　a　spend　ing…spree；　most　of　the　purchases　being　extravagant　playthings　for　the　grandchildren。　At　Christmas。　M　seemed　to　turn　in　to　the　reformed　Scrooge…in　facl；　part　oft　he　Quarterdeck　Christmas　ritual　was　a　reading　from　Dickens'　A　Christmas　Carol。　But；　this　year；　M　did　not　seem　to　have　his　heart　in　the　preparations。　He　sat　in　his　study；　unmove