johngardner.winloseordie-第32章

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　'Never。　He　was　very　new　to　me。　Never　even　met　him　before　this　assignment。　But　he　was　sharp。'　The　way　he　said　it。　Israel　sounded　as　though　he　meant　Ed　Morgan　was　too　sharp。
'And　he　came　to　a　sharp　end。　I　fear。〃
　Israel　shook　his　head。　There　was　just　a　mite　of　sadness；　or　shock。　'It's　tough。'　Then　he　looked　down　at　the　Admiral；　'Who　takes　charge；　sir？'
　Gudeon　cleared　his　throat。　〃Well。　Well；　you're　senior　aren't　you？'
'It's　why　I　asked；　sir。'
　'Okay；　you　take　over　until　we　clear　it　all　with　Dancer's　people。'　His　eyes　flicked　up　to　Bond；　as　though　he　had　said　something　wrong。
　'It's　okay；　Admiral　Gudeon。　I　am　in　overall　charge　of　security。　I　know　who　Dancer　is；　and　I　know　he's　not　one　of　Santa's　reindeer。　Now。　I　just　want　to　check　times　wilh　Mr　Israel。'　He　looked　up　at　the　big　man。　'You　were　minding　the　Admiral　tonight。'
'Yep。〃
'With　him　all　the　time？'
　'Had　dinner　with　him；　sir。　Yes。　Then　we　both　changed　and　I　acpanied　him　to　the　bridge。'
'What　time　was　that？'
'23。40；　around　twenty　minutes　before　the　war　started。'
'And　you've　been　with　him　all　the　time；　since　then？'
'Up　there　until　we　were　asked　ro　get　down　here。'
　'Is　there　anything　we　should　do　about　getting　details　back　to　Washington？　You　have　special　procedures？'
'Yes。　I'll　deal　with　all　that。'
〃Okay。'　Bond　pretended　to　be　lost　in　thought　for　a　couple　of　seconds。　'Not　slraight　away；　though；　if　you　don't　mind。　I　want　you　to　wait　outside　with　the　marine　guard。　I　need　a　little　time　with　the　Admiral。　Then　we'll　get　the　whole　of　this　done　officially。
〃Excuse　me。〃　This　last　to　Gudeon　as　Bond　went　to　the　cabin　door　and　spoke　to　the　marine　guard；　telling　him　that　Mr　Israel　would　wait　outside；　and　go　nowhere　else　until　the　Admiral　came　out。
　'Ed　Morgan？'　Bond　phrased　it　as　a　question；　back　again　behind　his　desk。　Gudeon　looked　worried；　and　he　did　not　seem　to　be　ihe　kind　of　man　who　got　worried　easily。
'What　about　him？'
　　LI　need　some　answers；　т。　I'm　entitled　to　answers；　particularly　as　I'm　going　to　be　handling　all　this　security　for　Stewards'　Meeting。　I'm　not　altogether　happy　about　dealing　with　personal　bodyguards　on　an　international　scale。　Now；　Ed　Morgan　wasn't　a　Secret　Service　bodyguard　in　the　true　sense　of　the　word；　was　he？'
'How　in　hell　do　you　know　that？'
？It's　my　job　to　know　it；　sir。'
'Nobody　was　supposed　to　have　wind　of　it。'
　'I've　been　in　the　business　some　time。　You　like　to　tell　me　about　him？'
　Gudeon　sighed。　LGuess　so。'　He　now　looked　truly　older　and　greyer。　If　it　were　not　for　the　uniform　he　could　have　been　just　right　for　some　guy　sitting　in　a　rocker　on　the　stoop　of　a　house　in　a　Norman　Rockwell　illustration。
　'Ed　was　my　nominee。　We'd　worked　together　before；　and　I　figured　him　as　the　best　man　for　the　job。　He　was　a　mander；　by　the　way。　Navy　Intelligence　…　which　included　some　held　work。'
　'Okay。　Do　you　know　how　he　was　handling　munieations　with　Washington？'
'Yes。　I　do。〃'
'Was　it　directly　through　our　munications　staff　on　board？'
　A　lengthy　pause。　〃No。　I　have　a　closed　channel　micro　transmitter　in　my　cabin。　When　Ed　wanted　to　transmit　he　was　to　get　onto　me；　and　I'd　give　him　the　okay。'
'How　does　it　work？'
　〃How　docs　any　of　this　stuff　work？　All　damned　magic　to　me。　There's　a　place　for　a　small　tape　in　the　thing。　1　gather　he　simply　inserted　a　tape　with　his　message　en　clair；　locked　on　to　the　FLATS　we　used；　and　the　message　was　squirted　in　cipher　to　another　ship。　They　would　pass　it　on　to　Washington。　That's　the　basics　anyhow。'
　'FLATS　is　generic　for　US　Navy　satellite　munications；　right；　sir？'
Gudeon　gave　a　tiny　nod；　like　someone　bad　pricked　him　on
the　hack　of　the　neck。
'Did　he　use　il　when　you　came　aboard？'
　'No；'　a　little　tight…lipped。　'Look。　Captain　Bond；　I'm　trying　to　co…operate；　hut　I　have　quite　a　problem　on　my　hands。　Morgan　wanted　to　use　our　munications　link　around　dawn。　I　said　I'd　be　down　ю　unlock　it　and　put　the　keys　in。　He　didn't　confide　in　me；　but　he　was　concerned　about　something；　something　on　board。　Wanted　i（　checked　out　by　Washington　before　he　would　okay　Dancer　ing　in　for　Stewards'　Meeting。　Now　I'm　in　the　cold。　1　have　to　make　the　decision。　And　I　have　to　make　it　without　knowing　what　Morgan　wanted。'
　'I　really　shouldn't　worry　too　much　about　。　；　。'　The　telephone　buzzed　and　Bond　excused　himself　to　take　the　call。　It　was　Surgeon　mander　Grant。　'The　place　is　cleaned　up。　sir；　and　I　took　the　liberty　of　having　some　photographs　done　…　you　know　the　kind　of　thing：　body　ш　situ；　face；　wound；　all　that　stuff。　Seen　il　on　the　moving　pictures。　Can't　be　accurate　about　time　of　death；　but　I'd　say　it　was　within　an　hour　of　my　seeing　the　body。'
　'Mmm…huu。　It　wasn't　long　before　。〃saw　il。　Just　keep　everything　on　ice。　I'll　see　you　later。'　He　cradled　the　telephone　and　turned　back　to　Gudeon。　'Don'1　bother　yourself　too　much；　sir。　I'd　okay　Dancer　ing　in　on　schedule。'
'Easy　as　that？'
　'Just　as　easy。　I　think　I　know　what　he　wanted　checked　out。　I　think　it　was　why　he　got　chopped。'
'If　you　know；　then　it's　your　duty　to　share　it　with　me。'
'I　said　1　think　I　know；　sir；　and　that's　a　long　way　from　knowing。'
'And　you　won't　even　。　。　。？'
　'Sorry。　Admiral　Gudeon；　but。　no。　I　carry　this　ball　on　this　one。　I　think　I　know；　and　I'll　take　steps　to　make　certain　and　even　secure　matters　before　Dancer　gets　here。　Anything　strange；　and　I'll　have　Stewards〃　Meeting　waved　off。　In　the　meantime；　I'd　suggest　that　you　go　back　to　the　bridge　and　take　Mr　Israel　with　you。　Also；　I'd　be　grateful　if　you　don't　talk　to　anyone　else　about　this。　And　I　do　mean　anyone；　sir。'
'If　you　say　so。　Bond。'　Gudeon　did　not　look　happy；　but　007　wanted　to　leave　it　there。　There　was　a　lot　for　him　to　do　before　he　could　do　something　definite　about　the　operation　they　called　Stewards'　Meeting。　First；　he　had　to　do　his　Sherlock　Holmes　imitation；　and　see　everybody　concerned；　then　it　was　essential　for　him　to　get　his　own　people　to　check　on　the　names　Edgar　Morgan　had　listed　on　the　tape　…　even　the　Royal　Navy　people。　He　sat　back；　making　quick　decisions　on　whom　he　would　speak　to　next。　It　was　three　o'clock　in　the　morning。　Nobody　was　going　to　be　happy；　but　he　considered　it　best　for　him　to　stick　with　people　he　knew　were　awake。　He　called　the　bridge　and　asked　ю　see　Admiral　of　the　Fleet　Sir　Geoffrey　Gould　and　his　Flag　Lieutenant；　Mr　Brinkley。　They　were　with　him　in　five　minutes；　and　he　broke　the　news；　followed　by　the　standard　questions　…had　Brinkley　been　with　the　Admiral　since　dinner？　Had　they　parted　pany　at　any　time？　The　answers　were　yes；　and　no；　respectively。
　Gould　was　shaken。　〃You　do　not　get　murdered　on　one　of　HM's　ships；'　he　said；　echoing　Gudeon。
　'It　seems　that　we　are　the　exception　that　proves　the　rule。'　Bond　said　briskly。
〃Could　we　be　of　any　help；　James？'　Ted　Brinkley　asked。
　'Possibly；　but　not　yet。　I　gather　all　the　Russians　are　English　speakers。'
　'Yes。'　Brinkley　had　got　to　thut　information　very　quickly。　'First　thing　Moggy　and　I　did。　Try　out　their　English。　Bit　funny；　though。'
'How　funny？'
　The　leader　of　their　pack　…　Stura；　Yevgeny　Stura。　Fellow　with　the　scar　and　（he　vodka　nose。'
'What　about　him'…''
'He　tried　to　play　silly　buggers。　Pretended　he　had　no　English。'
'But　he　has？'
　'He's　been　up　with　Admiral　Pauker　on　the　bridge　all　night。　Speaks　English　like　a　native。　Slight　American　accent；　but　he　speaks　and　understands。　Just　wouldn't　let　on　to　us　when　we　were　with　them。　The　Attache　with　all　the　honeypot　trappings；　aimed　at　you；　did　the　translating。　Rum。'
　'Not　really。〃　Bond　cocked　an　eyebrow。　'KGB　games。　They　often　try　that　kind　of　thing　on。　It's　almost　a　standard　drill。'
　He　asked　them　to　get　back　on　the　bridge；　talk　to　nobody　and　ask　the　Captain　if　he　would　request；　most　respectfully；　if　Admiral　Pauker　and　Yevgeny；　he　with　the　vodka　nose；　would　e　down　to　see　him。
They　arrived　a　few　minutes　later；　and　Bond　went　through　the　same　routine。　Oddly；　Yevgeny　Stura　wcni　through　the　charade　of　being　a　non…English　speaker　with　the　connivance　of　Pauker　until　Bond　reminded　them　forcibly　that　ihey　were　on　British　territory　and　he；　for　one。　would　see　to　it　that　the　most　important　part　of　Landsea　'89；　namely　Stewards'　Meeting；　would　be　called　off　if　they　were　not　honest　with　him。
　Admiral　Pauker　became　belligerent；　shouting　at　Bond；　telling　him　that　he　was　the　highest…ranking　officer　on　board　…　〃I　am　the　entire　head　of　the　Sovie