if.thunderball-第40章

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　knocked　him　sideways。　It　also　knocked　sense　into　him；　and　he　began　to　move　fast　through　the　water；　at　the　same　time　planing　downward　toward　the　bottom。　More　buffets　hit　him　in　quick　succession；　but　the　grenades　were　bracketing　the　blood　patch　near　the　ship's　hull　and　the　shock　waves　of　the　explosions　became　less。
　
　The　bottom　showed　up…the　friendly　waving　fur；　the　great　black　toadstools　of　the　dead　sponges　and　the　darting　shoals　of　small　fish　fleeing　with　Bond　from　the　explosions。　Now　Bond　swam　with　all　his　strength。　At　any　moment　a　boat　would　be　got　over　the　side　and　another　diver　would　go　down。　With　any　luck　he　would　find　no　traces　of　Bond's　visit　and　conclude　that　the　underwater　sentry　had　been　killed　by　shark　or　barracuda。　It　would　be　interesting　to　see　what　Largo　would　report　to　the　harbor　police。　Difficult　to　explain　the　necessity　for　an　armed　underwater　sentry　for　a　pleasure　yacht　in　a　peaceful　harbor！
　
　Bond　trudged　on　across　the　shifting　seagrass。　His　head　ached　furiously。　Gingerly　he　put　up　a　hand　and　felt　the　two　great　bruises。　The　skin　felt　intact。　But　for　the　cushion　of　water；　the　two　blows　with　the　butt　of　the　gun　would　have　knocked　him　out。　As　it　was；　he　still　felt　half　stunned　and　when　he　came　to　the　end　of　the　seagrass　and　to　the　soft　white　moon　landscape　with　its　occasional　little　volcano　puffs　from　the　sea　worms　he　felt　as　if　he　was　on　the　edge　of　delirium。　Wild　motion　at　the　edge　of　his　field　of　vision　shocked　him　out　of　the　semi…trance。　A　giant　fish；　the　barracuda；　was　passing　him。　It　seemed　to　have　gone　mad。　It　was　snaking　wildly　along；　biting　at　its　tail；　its　long　body　curling　and　snapping　back　in　a　jackknife　motion；　its　mouth　opening　wide　and　shutting　again　in　spasms。　Bond　watched　it　hurtle　away　into　the　gray　mist。　He　felt　somehow　sorry　to　see　the　wonderful　king　of　the　sea　reduced　to　this　hideous　jiggling　automaton。　There　was　something　obscene　about　it；　like　the　blind　weaving　of　a　punchy　boxer　before　he　finally　crashes　to　the　canvas。　One　of　the　explosions　must　have　crushed　a　nerve　center；　wrecked　some　delicate　balance　mechanism　in　the　fish's　brain。　It　wouldn't　last　long。　A　greater　predator　than　itself；　a　shark；　would　note　the　signs；　the　loss　of　symmetry　that　is　suicide　in　the　sea。　He　would　follow　for　a　while　until　the　spasms　slackened。　Then　the　shark　would　make　a　short　jabbing　run。　The　barracuda　would　react　sluggishly　and　that　would　be　the　end…in　three　great　grunting　bites；　the　head　first　and　then　the　still　jerking　body。　And　the　shark　would　cruise　quietly　on；　its　sickle　mouth　trailing　morsels　for　the　black　and　yellow　pilot　fish　below　his　jaws　and　perhaps　for　the　remora　or　two；　the　parasites　that　travel　with　the　great　host；　that　pick　the　shark's　teeth　when　it　is　sleeping　and　the　jaws　are　relaxed。
　
　And　now　there　were　the　gray…slimed　motor　tires；　the　bottles；　the　cans；　and　the　scaffolding　of　the　wharf。　Bond　slid　over　the　shelving　sand　and　knelt　in　the　shallows；　his　head　down；　not　capable　of　carrying　the　heavy　aqualung　up　the　beach；　an　exhausted　animal　ready　to　drop。
　
　17。　The　Red…Eye　Catab
　
　Bond；　putting　on　his　clothes；　dodged　the　ments　of　Constable　Santos。　It　seemed　there　had　been　sort　of　underwater　explosions；　with　eruptions　on　the　surface；　on　the　starboard　side　of　the　yacht。　Several　men　had　appeared　on　deck　and　there　had　been　some　kind　of　motion。　A　boat　had　been　lowered　on　the　port　side；　out　of　sight　of　the　shore。　Bond　said　he　knew　nothing　of　these　things。　He　had　cracked　his　head　against　the　side　of　the　ship。　Silly　thing　to　do。　He　had　seen　what　he　had　wanted　to　see　and　had　then　swum　back。　Entirely　successful。　The　Constable　had　been　a　great　help。　Thank　you　very　much　and　good　night。　Bond　would　be　seeing　the　missioner　in　the　morning。
　
　Bond　walked　with　careful　steadiness　up　the　side　street　to　where　he　had　parked　Leiter's　Ford。　He　got　to　the　hotel　and　telephoned　Leiter's　room　and　together　they　drove　to　police　headquarters。　Bond　described　what　had　happened　and　what　he　had　discovered。　Now　he　didn't　care　what　the　consequences　might　be。　He　was　going　to　make　a　report。　It　was　eight　a。m。　in　London　and　there　were　under　forty　hours　to　go　to　zero　hour。　All　these　straws　added　up　to　half　a　haystack。　His　suspicions　were　boiling　like　a　pressure　cooker。　He　couldn't　sit　on　the　lid　any　longer。
　
　Leiter　said　decisively；　〃You　do　just　that。　And　I'll　file　a　copy　to　C。I。A　and　endorse　it。　What's　more；　I'm　going　to　call　up　the　Manta　and　tell　her　to　get　the　hell　over　here。〃
　
　〃You　are？〃　Bond　was　amazed　at　this　change　of　tune。　〃What's　got　into　you　all　of　a　sudden？〃
　
　〃Well；　I　was　sculling　around　the　Casino　taking　a　good　look　at　anyone　I　thought　might　be　a　shareholder　or　a　treasure　hunter。　They　were　mostly　in　groups；　standing　around　trying　to　put　up　the　front　of　having　a　good　time…sunshine　holiday　and　all　that。　They　weren't　succeeding。　Largo　was　doing　all　the　work；　being　gay　and　boyish。　The　others　looked　like　private　dicks　or　the　rest　of　the　Torrio　gang　just　after　the　St。　Valentine　Day　massacre。　Never　seen　such　a　bunch　of　thugs　in　my　life…dressed　up　in　tuxedos　and　smoking　cigars　and　drinking　champagne　and　all　that…just　a　glass　or　two　to　show　the　Christmas　spirit。　Orders；　I　suppose。　But　all　of　them　with　that　smell　one　gets　to　know　in　the　Service；　or　in　Pinkertons　for　the　matter　of　that。　You　know；　careful；　cold…fish；　thinking…of…something…else　kinda　look　the　pros　have。　Well；　none　of　the　faces　meant　anything　to　me　until　I　came　across　a　little　guy　with　a　furrowed　brow　and　a　big　egghead　with　pebble　glasses　who　looked　like　a　Mormon　who's　got　into　a　whorehouse　by　mistake。　He　was　peering　about　nervously　and　every　time　one　of　these　other　guys　spoke　to　him　he　blushed　and　said　what　a　wonderful　place　it　was　and　he　was　having　a　swell　time。　I　got　close　enough　to　hear　him　say　the　same　thing　to　two　different　guys。　Rest　of　the　time　he　just　mooned　around；　sort　of　helpless　and　almost　sucking　a　corner　of　his　handkerchief；　if　you　get　me。　Well　that　face　meant　something　to　me。　I　knew　I'd　seen　it　before　somewhere。　You　know　how　it　is。　So　after　puzzling　for　a　bit　I　went　to　the　reception　and　told　one　of　the　guys　behind　the　desk　in　a　cheery　fashion　that　I　thought　I'd　located　an　old　classmate　who'd　migrated　to　Europe；　but　I　couldn't　for　the　life　of　me　remember　his　name。　Very　embarrassing　as　he　seemed　to　recognize　me。　Would　the　guy　help？　So　he　came　along　and　I　pointed　this　feller　out　and　he　went　back　to　his　desk　and　went　through　the　membership　cards　and　came　up　with　the　one　I　wanted。　Seemed　he　was　a　man　called　Traut；　Emil　Traut。　Swiss　passport。　One　of　Mr。　Largo's　group　from　the　yacht。〃　Leiter　paused。　〃Well；　I　guess　it　was　the　Swiss　passport　that　did　it。〃　He　turned　to　Bond。　〃Remember　a　fellow　called　Kotze；　East　German　physicist？　Came　over　to　the　West　about　five　years　ago　and　sang　all　he　knew　to　the　Joint　Scientific　Intelligence　boys？　Then　he　disappeared；　thanks　to　a　fat　payment　for　the　info；　and　went　to　ground　in　Switzerland。　Well；　James。　Take　my　word　for　it。　That's　the　same　guy。　The　file　went　through　my　hands　when　I　was　still　with　C。I。A。　doing　desk　work　in　Washington。　All　came　back　to　me。　It　was　one　hell　of　a　scoop　at　the　time。　Only　saw　his　mug　on　the　file；　but　there's　absolutely　no　doubt　about　it。　That　man's　Kotze。　And　now　what　the　hell　is　a　top　physicist　doing　on　board　the　Disco　？　Fits；　doesn't　it？〃
　
　They　had　e　to　police　headquarters。　Lights　burned　only　on　the　ground　floor。　Bond　waited　until　they　had　reported　to　the　duty　sergeant　and　had　gone　up　to　their　room　before　he　answered。　He　stood　in　the　middle　of　the　room　and　looked　at　Leiter。　He　said；　〃That's　the　clincher；　Felix。　So　now　what　do　we　do？〃
　
　〃With　what　you　got　this　evening；　I'd　pull　the　whole　lot　in　on　suspicion。　No　question　at　all。〃
　
　〃Suspicion　of　what？　Largo　would　reach　for　his　lawyer　and　they'd　be　out　in　five　minutes。　Democratic　processes　of　the　law　and　so　forth。　And　what　single　fact　have　we　got　that　Largo　couldn't　dodge？　All　right；　so　Traut　is　Kotze。　We're　hunting　for　treasure；　gentlemen；　we　need　an　expert　mineralogist。　This　man　offered　his　services。　Said　his　name　was　Traut。　No　doubt　he's　still　worried　about　the　Russians　getting　after　him。　Next　question？　Yes；　we've　got　an　underwater　partment　on　the　Disco　。　We're　going　to　hunt　treasure　through　it。