iam fleming.for your eyes only-第24章

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The　prospect；　which　had　previously　interested；　even　excited　him；　was　now　edged　with　boredom　and　futility。
　
　
　RISICO
　
　〃In　this　pizniss　is　much　risico。〃
　The　words　came　softly　through　the　thick　brown　moustache。　The　hard　black　eyes　moved　slowly　over　Bond's　face　and　down　to　Bond's　hands　which　were　carefully　shredding　a　paper　match　on　which　was　printed　Albergo　Colombo；　d'Oro。
　James　Bond　felt　the　inspection。　The　same　surreptitious　examination　had　been　going　on　since　he　had　met　the　man　two　hours　before　at　the　rendezvous　in　the　Excelsior　bar。　Bond　had　been　told　to　look　for　a　man　with　a　heavy　moustache　who　would　be　sitting　by　himself　drinking　an　Alexandra。　Bond　had　been　amused　by　this　secret　recognition　signal。　The　creamy；　feminine　drink　was　so　much　cleverer　than　the　folded　newspaper；　the　flower　in　the　buttonhole；　the　yellow　gloves　that　were　the　hoary；　slipshod　call…signs　between　agents。　It　had　also　the　great　merit　of　being　able　to　operate　alone；　without　its　owner。　And　Kristatos　had　started　off　with　a　little　test。　When　Bond　had　e　into　the　bar　and　looked　round　there　had　been　perhaps　twenty　people　in　the　room。　None　of　them　had　a　moustache。　But　on　a　corner　table　at　the　far　side　of　the　tall；　discreet　room；　flanked　by　a　saucer　of　olives　and　another　of　cashew　nuts；　stood　the　tall…stemmed　glass　of　cream　and　vodka。　Bond　went　straight　over　to　the　table；　pulled　out　a　chair　and　sat　down。
　The　waiter　came。　〃Good　evening；　sir。　Signor　Kristatos　is　at　the　telephone。〃
　Bond　nodded。　〃A　Negroni。　With　Gordon's；　please。〃
　The　waiter　walked　back　to　the　bar。　〃Negroni。　Uno。　Gordon's。〃
　〃I　am　so　sorry。〃　The　big　hairy　hand　picked　up　the　small　chair　as　if　it　had　been　as　light　as　a　matchbox　and　swept　it　under　the　heavy　hips。　〃I　had　to　have　a　word　with　Alfredo。〃
　There　had　been　no　handshake。　These　were　old　acquaintances。　In　the　same　line　of　business；　probably。　Something　like　import　and　export。　The　younger　one　looked　American。　No。　Not　with　those　clothes。　English。
　Bond　returned　the　fast　serve。　〃How's　his　little　boy？〃
　The　black　eyes　of　Signor　Kristatos　narrowed。　Yes；　they　had　said　this　man　was　a　professional。　He　spread　his　hands。　〃Much　the　same。　What　can　you　expect？〃
　〃Polio　is　a　terrible　thing。〃
　The　Negroni　came。　The　two　men　sat　back　fortably；　each　one　satisfied　that　he　had　to　do　with　a　man　in　the　same　league。　This　was　rare　in　'The　Game'。　So　many　times；　before　one　had　even　started　on　a　tandem　assignment　like　this；　one　had　lost　confidence　in　the　oute。　There　was　so　often；　at　least　in　Bond's　imagination；　a　faint　smell　of　burning　in　the　air　at　such　a　rendezvous。　He　knew　it　for　the　sign　that　the　fringe　of　his　cover　had　already　started　to　smoulder。　In　due　course　the　smouldering　fabric　would　burst　into　flames　and　he　would　be　br？lé。　Then　the　game　would　be　up　and　he　would　have　to　decide　whether　to　pull　out　or　wait　and　get　shot　at　by　someone。　But　at　this　meeting　there　had　been　no　fumbling。
　Later　that　evening；　at　the　little　restaurant　off　the　Piazza　di　Spagna　called　the　Colomba　d'Oro；　Bond　was　amused　to　find　that　he　was　still　on　probation。　Kristatos　was　still　watching　and　weighing　him；　wondering　if　he　could　be　trusted。　This　remark　about　the　risky　business　was　as　near　as　Kristatos　had　so　far　got　to　admitting　that　there　existed　any　business　between　the　two　of　them。　Bond　was　encouraged。　He　had　not　really　believed　in　Kristatos。　But　surely　all　these　precautions　could　only　mean　that　M's　intuition　had　paid　off　…　that　Kristatos　knew　something　big。
　Bond　dropped　the　last　shred　of　match　into　the　ashtray。　He　said　mildly：　〃I　was　once　taught　that　any　business　that　pays　more　than　ten　per　cent　or　is　conducted　after　nine　o'clock　at　night　is　a　dangerous　business。　The　business　which　brings　us　together　pays　up　to　one　thousand　per　cent　and　is　conducted　almost　exclusively　at　night。　On　both　counts　it　is　obviously　a　risky　business。〃　Bond　lowered　his　voice。　〃Funds　are　available。　Dollars；　Swiss　francs；　Venezuelan　bolivars　…　anything　convenient。〃
　〃That　makes　me　glad。　I　have　already　too　much　lire。〃　Signor　Kristatos　picked　up　the　folio　menu。　〃But　let　us　feed　on　something。　One　should　not　decide　important　pizniss　on　a　hollow　stomach。〃
　
　A　week　earlier　M　had　sent　for　Bond。　M　was　in　a　bad　temper。　〃Got　anything　on；　007？〃
　〃Only　paper　work；　sir。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean；　only　paper　work？〃　M　jerked　his　pipe　towards　his　loaded　in…tray。　〃Who　hasn't　got　paper　work？〃
　〃I　meant　nothing　active；　sir。〃
　〃Well；　say　so。〃　M　picked　up　a　bundle　of　dark　red　files　tied　together　with　tape　and　slid　them　so　sharply　across　the　desk　that　Bond　had　to　catch　them。　〃And　here's　some　more　paper　work。　Scotland　Yard　stuff　mostly　…　their　narcotics　people。　Wads　from　the　Home　Office　and　the　Ministry　of　Health；　and　some　nice　thick　reports　from　the　International　Opium　Control　people　in　Geneva。　Take　it　away　and　read　it。　You'll　need　today　and　most　of　tonight。　Tomorrow　you　fly　to　Rome　and　get　after　the　big　men。　Is　that　clear？〃
　Bond　said　that　it　was。　The　state　of　M's　temper　was　also　explained。　There　was　nothing　that　made　him　more　angry　than　having　to　divert　his　staff　from　their　primary　duty。　This　duty　was　espionage；　and　when　necessary　sabotage　and　subversion。　Anything　else　was　a　misuse　of　the　Service　and　of　Secret　Funds　which；　God　knows；　were　meagre　enough。
　〃Any　questions？〃　M's　jaw　stuck　out　like　the　prow　of　a　ship。　The　jaw　seemed　to　tell　Bond　to　pick　up　the　files　and　get　the　hell　out　of　the　office　and　let　M　move　on　to　something　important。
　Bond　knew　that　a　part　of　all　this　…　if　only　a　small　part　…　was　an　act。　M　had　certain　bees　in　his　bonnet。　They　were　famous　in　the　Service；　and　M　knew　they　were。　But　that　did　not　mean　that　he　would　allow　them　to　stop　buzzing。　There　were　queen　bees；　like　the　misuse　of　the　Service；　and　the　search　for　true　as　distinct　from　wishful　intelligence；　and　there　were　worker　bees。　These　included　such　idiosyncrasies　as　not　employing　men　with　beards；　or　those　who　were　pletely　bilingual；　instantly　dismissing　men　who　tried　to　bring　pressure　to　bear　on　him　through　family　relationships　with　members　of　the　Cabinet；　mistrusting　men　or　women　who　were　too　'dressy'；　and　those　who　called　him　'sir'　off…duty；　and　having　an　exaggerated　faith　in　Scotsmen。　But　M　was　ironically　conscious　of　his　obsessions；　as；　thought　Bond；　a　Churchill　or　a　Montgomery　were　about　theirs。　He　never　minded　his　bluff；　as　it　partly　was；　being　called　on　any　of　them。　Moreover；　he　would　never　have　dreamed　of　sending　Bond　out　on　an　assignment　without　proper　briefing。
　Bond　knew　all　this。　He　said　mildly：　〃Two　things；　sir。　Why　are　we　taking　this　thing　on；　and　what　lead；　if　any；　have　Station　I　got　towards　the　people　involved　in　it？〃
　M　gave　Bond　a　hard；　sour　look。　He　swivelled　his　chair　sideways　so　that　he　could　watch　the　high；　scudding　October　clouds　through　the　broad　window。　He　reached　out　for　his　pipe；　blew　through　it　sharply；　and　then；　as　if　this　action　had　let　off　the　small　head　of　steam；　replaced　it　gently　on　the　desk。　When　he　spoke；　his　voice　was　patient；　reasonable。　〃As　you　can　imagine；　007；　I　do　not　wish　the　Service　to　bee　involved　in　this　drug　business。　Earlier　this　year　I　had　to　take　you　off　other　duties　for　a　fortnight　so　that　you　could　go　to　Mexico　and　chase　off　that　Mexican　grower。　You　nearly　got　yourself　killed。　I　sent　you　as　a　favour　to　the　Special　Branch。　When　they　asked　for　you　again　to　tackle　this　Italian　gang　I　refused。　Ronnie　Vallance　went　behind　my　back　to　the　Home　Office　and　the　Ministry　of　Health。　The　Ministers　pressed　me。　I　said　that　you　were　needed　here　and　that　I　had　no　one　else　to　spare。　Then　the　two　Ministers　went　to　the　PM。〃　M　paused。　〃And　that　was　that。　I　must　say　the　PM　was　very　persuasive。　Took　the　line　that　heroin；　in　the　quantities　that　have　been　ing　in；　is　an　instrument　of　psychological　warfare　…　that　it　saps　a　country's　strength。　He　said　he　wouldn't　be　surprised　to　find　that　this　wasn't　just　a　gang　of　Italians'　out　to　make　big　money　…　that　subversion　and　not　money　was　at　the　back　of　it。〃　M　smiled　sourly。　〃I　expect　Ronnie　Vallance　thought　up　that　line　of　argument。　Apparently　his　narcotics　people　have　been　having　the　devil　of　a　time　with　the　traffic　…　trying　to　stop　it　getting　a　hold　on　the　teenagers　as　it　has　in　America。　Seems　the　dance　halls　and　the　amusement　arcades　are　ful