johngardner.winloseordie-第24章

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the　tune　of　'There　was　a　lady　sweet　and　kind。'　He　managed　to　tjuell　the　urge。　The　whole　set…up　in　this　place　was　so　interesting；　and　unlikely；　that　it　helped　to　soothe　any　pain　that　might　still　be　raging　in　his　emotions。
　'There　you　go。　Both　versions。　Cipher　and　the　en　Hair　I　punched　out　on　my　own　little　gizmo　in　that　safe。'
　He　took　the　two　proffered　sheets　and　saw　the　double…check　failsafe　on　the　original　cipher。　It　was；　undoubtedly；　straight　from　M。　The　failsafe　was　unfakeable。　The　text　read　…
FROM　CSSUK　TO　ОС　NORTHANGER　BASE　MESSAGE　CONTINUES　TIIANK　YOU　FOR　ASSISTANCE　REFERENCE　OUR　PREDATOR　STOP　WOULD　APPRECIATE　A　DEBRIEF　COPY　ME　ONLY　STOP　THIS　OFFICER　MUST　BE　KEPT　IN　DOWNLOAD　UNTIL　JANUARY　TWO　STOP　WILL　SIGNAL　HOW　HE　IS　TO　PROCEED　AND　JOIN　HIS　SHIP　ON　JANUARY　THREE　STOP。　CSS　FINIS。
　'Happy　about　that；　James？'　The　smooth　little　IBM〃　was　smiling。
'You　obviously　have　the　facilities　for　a　debrief。'
　〃I　don't　get　the　best　men　in　the　business；　but　we　do　have　a　representative　team　here。　yes。　One　of　your　own　guys：　fella　called　Draycott；　know　him？'
'Heard　of　but　not　known。〃
　'Well；　out　to　grass；　tike　the　two　guys　we　got　from　Langley。　One　of　them's　called　Mac　…　built　like　a　fire…plug　…　and　the　other　one's　just　known　as　Waller。　Walter　knows　where　all　the　bodies're　buried　and　won't　tell　a　soul。　Guess　that's　why　they've　sent　him　here。　When　you　get　a　posting　to　Northanger　don't　expect　to　see　any　further　active　duty。　Backwater。　But　you'll　get　a　good　debrief。〃
'Fine；　as　long　as　Julian's　not　involved。'
　'Ha！〃　Toby　put　a　brown　hand　on　the　corner　of　his　desk；　raised　his　head　and　barked　out　a　one…note　iaugh　of　derision。　'Julian　Tomato。　Ha！'　He　pronounced　it　'Tom…ay…toe'　like　any　other　red…blooded　American；　so　the　play　on　words　did　not　really　work。　'That　Julian。　Y'know　he　couldn't　pour　piss　outa　a　boot；　even　if　th'instructions　was　written　on　the　heel。　You　fancy　some　chow；　James'。'　We're　havin〃　a　full　old…fashioned　Christmas　dinner　tonight。　Turkey　V　all　the　trimmin's。　plum　pudding；　the　entire　works。'
　'Sounds　fun。'　He　looked　at　his　watch。　'But　first　I　should　make　a　call。'
'Yeah？'　Was　the　suspicion　imagined？
'Change　of　contact　code　for　the　day。　It's　past　time。'
　'Of　course　it　is。　Sure；　use　the　'phone　here。'　He　pointed　to　one　of　five　different　coloured　telephones　on　his　desk。　'You　want　me　I〃　leave？'
'Oh；　I　don't　think　that's　necessary。'　Bond　was　already　dialling。
　This　time　London　picked　up　on　the　fourth　ring。　'Predator。'　said　Bond。　'Day　three。'
　'Catclaw；'　the　voice　said　from　the　distant　line。　'Repeat。　Cat…claw。'
　'Acknowledge。'　Bond　was　about　to　put　down　the　receiver　when　the　distant　voice　asked。　'Is　everything　smooth？'
'They　tell　me　it　is。'
'Acknowledge；'　and　the　line　went　dead。　So　they　were　still　being　clever。　But　this　time　the　code　was　very　much　tied　to　the　situation。　Dante's　lines　once　more　went　through　his　head　…
Front　and　centre　here。　Grizzly　and　Hellkin　。　。　。　You　too。　Deaddog。　。　。　Curly　heard；　lake　charge　of　a　squad　of　ten。　Take　Grafler　and　Dragontooth　along　with　you。　Pigfusk。　Catclaw；　Cramper　and　Crazyred。
　'You　want　an　okay　from　me？'　Toby　was　adjusting　his　tie　in　a　wall…mirror　overprinted　with　the　cover　of　Time　magazine；　so　that　you　got　on　thai　coveted　cover　every　time　you　looked。
'Be　mighty　civil　of　you；　Toby。〃
Lellenberg　gave　him　a　tittle　leer；　'You　bein'　funny；　son？'
'Yep。〃
'Good。'　he　grinned。　'My　money　today's　on　Catclaw。〃
　'And　you'd　be　right。'　Bond　laughed；　and　they　lefl　the　office　together；
　The　party　was　held　in　a　large　room　which　was　obviously　used　as　the　officers'　canteen　in　the　senior　ranks'　hut。　They　had　it　decorated　with　the　kind　of　stuff　you　picked　up　for　a　smalli　fortune　at　stores　in　the　US　with　names　like　Christmas　To　Bo　or　Xmas　is　Us。　It　all　looked　lovely　and　unreal。　Magnificent　angels　held　unknown　wind　instruments　to　their　lips　as　they　shimmered　on　trees　dripping　snow；　piles　of　gifts　were　heaped　under　the　largest。　and　most　magical　tree　which　had　'Victorian'　trimmings　hanging　from　it；　and　electric　lights　that　looked　like　real　candles　with　moving　flames；
　Clover　Pennington　was　the　only　woman　present　and；　when　she　saw　Bond；　she　detached　herself　from　a　handful　of　young　officers　and　came　over　to　him。　She　wore　a　tight　little　black　number　that　had　probably　e　from　Marks　and　Spencer　but　looked　quite　good　among　the　suits。
　'Forgive　me；　sir。'　she　said；　kissing　him；　a　little　hard　and　on　the　lips；　'It's　allowed。'　She　pointed　above　him　at　the　dangling　mistletoe。
　'You're　going　to　do　sterling　service　tonight；　First　Officer　Pennington。'　Bond　smiled　but　did　not　unbend。
'Catclaw；'　she　said　quietly。
'Correct。　Catctaw。〃
　'They've　put　me　next　to　you　at　dinner；　sir。　Hope　you　don't　mind。'
'As　long　as　we　don't　talk　shop。'
　She　nodded；　bit　her　lip。　and。　together　they　moved　into　the　crowd。
　During　the　meal；　he　did　not　do　much　talking。　In　his　time。　James　Bond　had　learned　around　four　hundred　ways　of　killing：　four　hundred　and　three　if　you　counted　gun；　knife　and　strangling　rope。　He　was　also　an　fait　with　the　art　of　paper…tripping　…supplying　oneself　with　necessary　documents　to　survive　in　a　foreign　country。　Now。　he　figured　out　what　he　could　recall　of　the　number　of　ways　he　could　fake　a　death。　Die。　yet　not　die；　at　home　or　abroad。　Privately　or　in　full；　plain　sight。　They　added　up　to　around　a　score；　though　he　was　in　two　minds　whether　he　now　knew　the　twenty…first　way　of　doing　it。　Or　was　it　still　wishful　thinking？
　The　dinner　was　excellent；　and　Bond　watched　his　intake　of　alcohol；　though　others　did　not。　Julian　Farsee　was　well　away；　while　one　or　two　of　the　other　staff　became　rowdy。　One　couple　of　heavy；　battered　men　even　had　a　row　which　almost　led　to　a　full…scale　fight　until　Toby　Lellenberg　stepped　in；　his　slow　drawl　taking　on　a　whiplash　quality。
　'Just　like　Christmas　at　home。'　Bond　said；　unsmiling；　to　Clover。　'You　staying　here　long；　by　the　way？'
'I　leave　on　thirty…first　to　get　the　Wren　draft　ready。'
'Back　to　RNAS　Yeovilton？'
　She　nodded。　'1　thought　this　was　a　no…shop　evening。'　Then；　quite　suddenly；　'Can't　we　make　it　up。　sir？　Sort　of　start　again　。　。　。　James？　Please。'
　'Maybe；　when　it's　all　over。　Not　yet　though。　Not　until　you…know…what's　out　of　the　way。〃
　She　nodded　and　looked　miserable；　though　not　as　miserable　as　some　of　the　faces　Bond　saw　at　breakfast　the　next　morning。　The　party；　they　told　him。　had　gone　on　quite　late。
　Braying　Julian　came　over　during　breakfast　and　said　it　would　be　nice　if　he　could　be　in　Suite　Number　Three　at　ten…thirty。　'The　debrief。〃　he　explained。
　So。　at　ten…thirty　on　the　dot　Bond　met　the　two　American　officers　…　Mac　and　Waller　…　and　the　man　from　his　own　Service；　Draycott；　who　was　not　quite　what　he　expected。　
　The　debrief　was　exceptionally　thorough。　Much　more　so　than　he　had　anticipated。　Waller　was　elderly；　but　had　the　knack　of　slipping　off　into　tributary　questions　which　suddenly　ended　up　being　very　searching。　Mac；　who　was；　as　Toby　had　suggested；　'huill　like　a　fire…plug〃；　had　one　of　those　faces　that　remained　permanently　impassive。　Though　he　did　smile　a　great　deal；　the　face　and　eyes　remained　blank；　and　rather　tough：　impossible　to　read。　Mac　was　inclined　to　chip　in　with　subsidiary　questions　which　turned　out　to　add　a　lot　to　Bond's　testimony。　Draycott　was　also　deceptive；　in　the　mould　of　the　legendary　Scardon：　a　man　who　looked　very　ordinary；　as　though　he　would　be　happier　in　the　English　countryside。　He　smoked　a　pipe；　used　to　great　effect　…to　add　in　pauses　when　he　fiddled　with　it；　or　to　break　questions　in　two　halves　when　he　smoked。
　They　took　Bond　back　to　the　beginning；　telling　him　the　stalking…horse　theory　of　the　operation；　just　so　that　he　would　know　they　were　pretty　well…briefed　themselves。　On　the　fifth　day；　the　trio　walked　off　with　practically　every　second　Bond　had　spent　in　Ischia　accounted　for：　naughties　and　all。
　When　the　debrief　was　plete　all　three　of　his　Interrogators　seemed　to　vanish。　At　least　Bond　did　not　set　eyes　on　them　again。
　On　December　31st；　Clover　came　to　his　quarters　to　announce　that　she　was　leaving。　He　did　not　keep　her　long；　though　she　obviously　wanted　to　linger。　'See　you　on　board；　then；'　was　his　final；　sharp　word；　and　he　thought　Clover's　eyes　were　moist。　She　was　either　very　much　for　real；　or　had　bee　one　hell　of　an　actor。
　Two　days　later　it　was　Bond's　turn