if.thunderball-第2章

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tion。　Two　weeks　will　be　quite　enough　to　put　you　right。　You　won't　know　yourself　when　you　e　out。　New　man。〃
　
　Bond　looked　across　at　M；　aghast。　He　said　in　a　strangled　voice；　〃Out　of　where；　sir？〃
　
　〃Place　called　Shrublands。　Run　by　quite　a　famous　man　in　his　line…Wain；　Joshua　Wain。　Remarkable　chap。　Sixty…five。　Doesn't　look　a　day　over　forty。　He'll　take　good　care　of　you。　Very　up…to…date　equipment；　and　he's　even　got　his　own　herb　garden。　Nice　stretch　of　country。　Near　Washington　in　Sussex。　And　don't　worry　about　your　work　here。　Put　it　right　out　of　your　mind　for　a　couple　of　weeks。　I'll　tell　009　to　take　care　of　the　Section。〃
　
　Bond　couldn't　believe　his　ears。　He　said；　〃But；　sir。　I　mean；　I'm　perfectly　all　right。　Are　you　sure？　I　mean；　is　this　really　necessary？〃
　
　〃No。〃　M　smiled　frostily。　〃Not　necessary。　Essential。　If　you　want　to　stay　in　the　double…O　Section；　that　is。　I　can't　afford　to　have　an　officer　in　that　section　who　isn't　one…hundred…per…cent　fit。〃　M　lowered　his　eyes　to　the　basket　in　front　of　him　and　took　out　a　signal　file。　〃That's　all；　007。〃　He　didn't　look　up。　The　tone　of　voice　was　final。
　
　Bond　got　to　his　feet。　He　said　nothing。　He　walked　across　the　room　and　let　himself　out；　closing　the　door　with　exaggerated　softness。　Outside；　Miss　Moneypenny　looked　sweetly　up　at　him。　Bond　walked　over　to　her　desk　and　banged　his　fist　down　so　that　the　typewriter　jumped。　He　said　furiously；　〃Now　what　the　hell；　Penny？
　
　Has　the　old　man　gone　off　his　rocker？　What's　all　this　bloody　nonsense？　I'm　damned　if　I'm　going。　He's　absolutely　nuts。〃
　
　Miss　Moneypenny　smiled　happily。　〃The　manager's　been　terribly　helpful　and　kind。　He　says　he　can　give　you　the　Myrtle　room；　in　the　annex。　He　says　it's　a　lovely　room。　It　looks　right　over　the　herb　garden。　They've　got　their　own　herb　garden；　you　know。〃
　
　〃I　know　all　about　their　bloody　herb　garden。　Now　look　here；　Penny；〃　Bond　pleaded　with　her；　〃be　a　good　girl　and　tell　me　what　it's　all　about。　What's　eating　him？〃
　
　Miss　Moneypenny；　who　often　dreamed　hopelessly　about　Bond；　took　pity　on　him。　She　lowered　her　voice　conspiratorially。　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　think　it's　only　a　passing　phase。　But　it　is　rather　bad　luck　on　you　getting　caught　up　in　it　before　it's　passed。　You　know　he's　always　apt　to　get　bees　in　his　bonnet　about　the　efficiency　of　the　Service。　There　was　the　time　when　all　of　us　had　to　go　through　that　physical…exercise　course。　Then　he　had　that　head…shrinker　in；　the　psychoanalyst　man…you　missed　that。　You　were　somewhere　abroad。　All　the　Heads　of　Section　had　to　tell　him　their　dreams。　He　didn't　last　long。　Some　of　their　dreams　must　have　scared　him　off　or　something。　Well；　last　month　M　got　lumbago　and　some　friend　of　his　at　Blades；　one　of　the　fat；　drinking　ones　I　suppose〃…Miss　Moneypenny　turned　down　her　desirable　mouth…〃told　him　about　this　place　in　the　country。　This　man　swore　by　it。　Told　M　that　we　were　all　like　motor　cars　and　that　all　we　needed　from　time　to　time　was　to　go　to　a　garage　and　get　decarbonized。　He　said　he　went　there　every　year。　He　said　it　only　cost　twenty　guineas　a　week；　which　was　less　than　what　he　spent　in　Blades　in　one　day；　and　it　made　him　feel　wonderful。　Well；　you　know　M　always　likes　trying　new　things；　and　he　went　there　for　ten　days　and　came　back　absolutely　sold　on　the　place。　Yesterday　he　gave　me　a　great　talking…to　all　about　it　and　this　morning　in　the　post　I　got　a　whole　lot　of　tins　of　treacle　and　wheat　germ　and　heaven　knows　what　all。　I　don't　know　what　to　do　with　the　stuff。　I'm　afraid　my　poor　poodle'll　have　to　live　on　it。　Anyway；　that's　what's　happened　and　I　must　say　I've　never　seen　him　in　such　wonderful　form。　He's　absolutely　rejuvenated。〃
　
　〃He　looked　like　that　blasted　man　in　the　old　Kruschen　Salts　advertisements。　But　why　does　he　pick　on　me　to　go　to　this　nuthouse？〃
　
　Miss　Moneypenny　gave　a　secret　smile。　〃You　know　he　thinks　the　world　of　you…or　perhaps　you　don't。　Anyway；　as　soon　as　he　saw　your　Medical　he　told　me　to　book　you　in。〃　Miss　Moneypenny　screwed　up　her　nose。　〃But；　James；　do　you　really　drink　and　smoke　as　much　as　that？　It　can't　be　good　for　you；　you　know。〃　She　looked　up　at　him　with　motherly　eyes。
　
　Bond　controlled　himself。　He　summoned　a　desperate　effort　at　nonchalance；　at　the　throw…away　phrase。　〃It's　just　that　I'd　rather　die　of　drink　than　of　thirst。　As　for　the　cigarettes；　it's　really　only　that　I　don't　know　what　to　do　with　my　hands。〃　He　heard　the　stale；　hangover　words　fall　like　clinker　in　a　dead　grate。　Cut　out　the　schmaltz！　What　you　need　is　a　double　brandy　and　soda。
　
　Miss　Moneypenny's　warm　lips　pursed　into　a　disapproving　line。　〃About　the　hands…that's　not　what　I've　heard。〃
　
　〃Now　don't　you　start　on　me；　Penny。〃　Bond　walked　angrily　toward　the　door。　He　turned　round。　〃Any　more　ticking…off　from　you　and　when　I　get　out　of　this　place　I'll　give　you　such　a　spanking　you'll　have　to　do　your　typing　off　a　block　of　Dunlopillo。〃
　
　Miss　Moneypenny　smiled　sweetly　at　him。　〃I　don't　think　you'll　be　able　to　do　much　spanking　after　living　on　nuts　and　lemon　juice　for　two　weeks；　James。〃
　
　Bond　made　a　noise　between　a　grunt　and　a　snarl　and　stormed　out　of　the　room。
　
　2。　Shrublands
　
　James　Bond　slung　his　suitcase　into　the　back　of　the　old　chocolate…brown　Austin　taxi　and　climbed　into　the　front　seat　beside　the　foxy；　pimpled　young　man　in　the　black　leather　windcheater。　The　young　man　took　a　b　out　of　his　breast　pocket；　ran　it　carefully　through　both　sides　of　his　duck…tail　haircut；　put　the　b　back　in　his　pocket；　then　leaned　forward　and　pressed　the　self…starter。　The　play　with　the　b；　Bond　guessed；　was　to　assert　to　Bond　that　the　driver　was　really　only　taking　him　and　his　money　as　a　favor。　It　was　typical　of　the　cheap　self…assertiveness　of　young　labor　since　the　war。　This　youth；　thought　Bond；　makes　about　twenty　pounds　a　week；　despises　his　parents；　and　would　like　to　be　Tommy　Steele。　It's　not　his　fault。　He　was　born　into　the　buyers'　market　of　the　Welfare　State　and　into　the　age　of　atomic　bombs　and　space　flight。　For　him；　life　is　easy　and　meaningless。　Bond　said；　〃How　far　is　it　to　Shrublands？〃
　
　The　young　man　did　an　expert　but　unnecessary　racing　change　round　an　island　and　changed　up　again。　〃　'Bout　half　an　hour。〃　He　put　his　foot　down　on　the　accelerator　and　neatly　but　rather　dangerously　overtook　a　lorry　at　an　intersection。
　
　〃You　certainly　get　the　most　out　of　your　Bluebird。〃
　
　The　young　man　glanced　sideways　to　see　if　he　was　being　laughed　at。　He　decided　that　he　wasn't。　He　unbent　fractionally。　〃My　dad　won't　spring　me　something　better。　Says　this　old　crate　was　okay　for　him　for　twenty　years　so　it's　got　to　be　okay　for　me　for　another　twenty。　So　I'm　putting　money　by　on　my　own。　Halfway　there　already。〃
　
　Bond　decided　that　the　b　play　had　made　him　over…censorious。　He　said；　〃What　are　you　going　to　get？〃
　
　〃Volkswagen　Minibus。　Do　the　Brighton　races。〃
　
　〃That　sounds　a　good　idea。　Plenty　of　money　in　Brighton。〃
　
　〃I'll　say。〃　The　young　man　showed　a　trace　of　enthusiasm。　〃Only　time　I　ever　got　there；　a　couple　of　bookies　had　me　take　them　and　a　couple　of　tarts　to　London。　Ten　quid　and　a　fiver　tip。　Piece　of　cake。〃
　
　〃Certainly　was。　But　you　can　get　both　kinds　at　Brighton。　You　want　to　watch　out　for　being　mugged　and　rolled。　There　are　some　tough　gangs　operating　out　of　Brighton。　What's　happened　to　The　Bucket　of　Blood　these　days？〃
　
　〃Never　opened　up　again　after　that　case　they　had。　The　one　that　got　in　all　the　papers。〃　The　young　man　realized　that　he　was　talking　as　if　to　an　equal。　He　glanced　sideways　and　looked　Bond　up　and　down　with　a　new　interest。　〃You　going　into　the　Scrubs　or　just　visiting？〃
　
　〃Scrubs？〃
　
　〃Shrublands…Wormwood　Scrubs…Scrubs；〃　said　the　young　man　laconically。　〃You're　not　like　the　usual　ones　I　get　to　take　there。　Mostly　fat　women　and　old　geezers　who　tell　me　not　to　drive　so　fast　or　it'll　shake　up　their　sciatica　or　something。〃
　
　Bond　laughed。　〃I've　got　fourteen　days　without　the　option。　Doctor　thinks　it'll　do　me　good。　Got　to　take　it　easy。　What　do　they　think　of　the　place　round　here？〃
　
　The　young　man　took　the　turning　off　the　Brighton　road　and　drove　westward　under　the　Downs　through　Poynings　and　Fulking。　The　Austin　whined　stolidly　through　the　inoffensive　countryside。　〃People　think　they're　a　lot　of　crackpots。　Don't　care　for　the　place。　All　those　rich　folk　and　they　don't　spe