johngardner.rollofhonor-第28章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ry　trestle　tables　had　been　set　up；　while　the　food　was　collected　from　a　cloth…covered　table　at　the　side。　　There　were　soups；　bread；　cheese　and　several　salad　dishes。
　All　very　simple；　with　only　mineral　water　to　drink。
　The　room；　however；　was　crowded　and　Bond　recognised　most　of　the　faces　from　Erewhon。　　Only　Tigerbalm　and　Happy　appeared　out　of　their　depth；　heavy　and　sly　among　the　sunburned；　soldierly　young　men。
　〃James；　great　to　see　you。〃　Simon　stood　at　his　elbow。
　〃Wondered　where　you'd　got　to。〃　Bond　studied　the　face　carefully。
　The　openness；　so　noticeable　at　Erewhon；　had　bee　artificial。　Simon's　pretence　told　Bond　far　more　about　the　situation　than　all　the　double…talk　in　the　world。　　Whatever　the　plot　set　in　motion　by　SPECTRE　through　these　people；　it　was　already　running。　　D　minus　two；　three；　four　or　five；　he　reckoned。
　Then　he　drastically　reduced　the　odds　as　he　spotted　Tamil　Rahani；　seated　on　one　side　of　St。　John…Finnes；　with　General　Zwingli　on　the　other。
　The　three　men　sat　apart　from　everyone　else　at　a　smaller　table；　and　were　being　served　with　food　by　a　pair　of　younger　soldiers。　　Like　the　others；　they　were　dressed　in　uniform　olive　slacks　and　drab　green　pullovers；　their　heads　bent　in　deep　conversation。
　For　a　second　Bond's　mind　drifted　off　to　M's　surveillance　team　in　the　village。　　Had　they　noted　the　ings　and　goings？　　Were　they　aware　of　the　dangerous　powers　gathered　together　in　this　place？
　〃I　said；　did　you　rest　well？〃　Simon　was　repeating。
　〃Rest？　　Oh；　rest；　yes。〃　Bond　managed　a　smile。　　〃I　had　no　alternative；　Simon。　　You　saw　to　that。〃
　〃e　on；　have　some　food。〃　He　began　piling　salads　and　cheese　on　to　a　plate　until　Bond　had　to　stop　him　with　a　gesture　of　his　hand。
　They　sat　together　at　the　end　of　one　of　the　longer　tables；　Simon　seeing　to　it　that　Bond　had　his　back　to　the　three　leaders。
　〃Security；　said　Simon　with　a　grin；　in　answer　to　Bond's　last　remark。　〃You　know　all　about　security；　James。　　Perchance　to　dream；　and　a　ride　on　the　magic　carpet。　　You　go　to　sleep　in　a　hot　dusty　climate；　and　wake　up　in　a　quiet　English　village。　　Would　that　all　travel　were　so　easy。〃
　〃I　prefer　to　know　where　I've　been；　and　where　I'm　going。　　I　like　to　be　aware。〃
　〃Sure。〃　He　took　a　mouthful　of　bread　and　cheese；　chewing　on　it；　sucking　the　juices　back　into　his　throat。
　Simon；　Bond　thought；　was　every　inch　a　trained　soldier。
　His　face　was　the　face　of　millions　of　men　who　marched　from　the　Battle　of　Kadesh　to　the　urban　horrors　of　the　present　day。
　〃Hallo；　the　Professor's　ing　your　way；James。　　Looks　as　if　he's　got　orders　for　you。
　St。　John…Finnes　leant　over　them。　　〃James；'　his　voice　had　a　quiet；　confiding　tone；　as　though　trying　to　calm　a　wayward　child；　〃can　you　spare　an　hour　or　two？〃　Bond　just　checked　himself　from　making　a　famous　remark；　nodded　and　rose；　winking　at　Simon　as　he　followed　the　Master　of　Endor；　as　he　now　thought　of　him；　from　the　room。　　He　could　feel　the　eyes　of　Rahani　and　Zwingli　on　his　back　as　they　left。
　There　was　a　young　man　guarding　the　stairs　down　to　the　laboratory。
　He　did　not　even　signify　that　he　had　seen　them；　almost　ostentatiously　looking　the　other　way。
　〃I　thought　I'd　give　you　a　chance　to　lose　the　American　Revolution　to　me；'　Jay　Autem　said　as　they　began　the　descent。　　〃It's　an　easy　enough　simulation　at　this　level；　so　we　can；　perhaps；　talk　about　your　plans　as　we　fight。　　Yes？〃
　〃Whatever　you　say。〃　Bond　appeared　nonmittal；　but　ran　his　plan　for　getting　the　EPOC　frequency　through　his　mind。
　Neither　Cindy　nor　Peter　was　in　the　main　laboratory；　and　there　had　been　a　radical　rearrangement。　　The　largest　area　was　now　filled　with　collapsible　wooden　chairs；　arranged　in　rows　like　a　school　assembly　hall。　　At　the　far　end；　facing　the　chairs；　were　a　large　television　projection　screen　and　Jay　Autem　Holy's　version　of　the　Terror　Twelve　on　a　movable　table。
　Bond　noticed　two　modern　typing　chairs　and　the　big；　chunky　joystick　controllers　near　by。　　A　training　session　had　obviously　been　going　on　earlier　that　day。　　The　Balloon　Game？　　Almost　certainly。
　They　passed　through　into　the　long　room　with　its　map　of　the　Eastern　seaboard　of　eighteenth…century　America；　Boston　with　Bunker's　Hill　and　Breed's　Hill　to　the　north；　Dorchester　Heights　jutting　out　to　enclose　the　harbour；　and　the　townships　of　Lexington　and　Concord　inland。　　For　no　apparent　reason；　Bond　recalled　hearing　Americans　pronounce　Concord　with　a　shortened　second　syllable　so　that　it　sounded　like　Conquered。　　Jay　Autem　Holy　was　smiling　down　at　the　board；　with　its　movable　open　rectangle；　and　all　the　games　paraphernalia　set　at　the　players'　places。
　Bond　noticed　the　smile　and　the　look；　and　in　that　second　saw；　for　all　the　man's　brilliance；　the　chink　in　his　armour　revealed。　　His　interest　in　strategy　and　tactics　had　bee　an　obsession　…　an　obsession　with　winning。　　Holy　was　interested　only　in　winning。　　To　lose　was　the　ultimate　failure。　　Like　an　over…indulged　child；　to　win　was　necessary；　otherwise　he　could　not　live　with　himself。　　Had　he　lost　some　internal　Pentagon　battle　when　he　disappeared　all　those　years　ago？　　Bond　wondered；　steeling　himself。
　This　fanatical　Games　Master　was　now　issuing　rapid　instructions。
　Bond　prepared　to　win　the　American　Revolution；　and　so　put　Jay　Autem　Holy　at　a　psychological　disadvantage。
　The　rules　were　simple　enough。　　Each　player　took　a　turn；　which　was　divided　into　four　movements：　Orders；　Movement；　Challenge　and　Resolution。　Some　of　these　moves　could　be　made　in　secret　by　marking　the　location　of　troops；　or　material；　on　a　small　duplicated　map　of　the　playing　area；　a　pile　of　which　rested　in　front　of　each　player。
　When　we　transfer　the　whole　thing　on　to　puter　there　will　be　a　more　ingenious　method　of　making　the　unobserved　moves；'　Holy　told　him　with　all　the　pride　of　a　small　boy　showing　off　a　collection　of　toy　soldiers。
　The　playing　area　itself；　on　the　grid　of　the　large　map；　was　marked　out　in　hundreds　of　black　hexagonals。　　Each　player　had　counters　which　represented　the　number；　strength　and　type　of　unit　…　black　for　a　piece　of　cannon　with　horses　and　crew；　green　for　five　men；　blue　for　ten；　red　for　twenty；　and　so　on。　　There　were　also　counters　overprinted　with　a　horse；　denoting　mounted　troops；　and　special　counters　to　represent　arms　caches　and　the　rebel　leaders。
　In　good　weather　men　could　move　five　hexagonals　on　foot；　seven　on　horseback；　and　cannon　only　two。　　These　moves　were　restricted　by　bad　weather；　woodland　or　hills。
　Once　Orders　had　been　noted；　the　player　moved　and　then　challenged；　either　by　ing　within　two　hexes　of　an　enemy　counter　or　by　declaring　that　he　had　sight　over　five　hexes；　thereby　revealing　any　hidden　moves。
　After　the　Challenge　came　the　Resolution　in　which　various　strengths；　fatigue；　weather；　were　taken　into　consideration；　and　the　oute　of　the　Challenge　would　be　noted；　one　or　the　other　player　losing　troops；　material；　or　the　action　itself。
　As　each　turn；　at　the　beginning；　covered　a　time…scale　of　one　day　and　the　whole　episode　lasted　from　September　1774　to　June　1775　…　Bond　realised　they　could　be　at　it　for　many　hours。
　〃Once　we　get　it　on　puter；　the　whole　business　bees　faster；　of　course；'　Holy　remarked　as　they　began　their　Orders　phase　…　with　Bond　playing　the　British。　　He　remembered　what　Peter　had　told　him：　that　his　opponent　almost　expected　the　British　to　make　the　same　moves　and　mistakes　…　as　they　had　in　history。
　As　Bond　recalled　it；　the　garrison　mander　had　been　hamstrung　by　the　length　of　time　orders　took　to　reach　him　from　England。　　Had　he　acted　decisively　in　the　first　weeks　and　months；　this　opening　period　could　have　had　a　very　different　oute。　　While　Independence　would　almost　certainly　have　followed　eventually；　lives　as　well　as　face　might　have　been　saved。
　Bond　opened　by　showing　patrols　going　out　of　Boston　to　search　the　surrounding　countryside。　　He　also　made　secret　forays　in　order　to　gain　control　of　the　high　ground　at　Bunker's　and　Breed's　Hills；　together　with　the　Dorchester　Heights；　at　an　early　stage。
　He　was　surprised　to　find　how　much　faster　the　game　moved　than　he　had　expected。
　〃The　fascination　for　me；'　Holy　observed　as　Bond　took　out　two　arms　caches　and　around　twenty　revolutionaries　on　the　Lexington　road；　〃is　the　juxtaposition　of　reality　and　fiction。　　But；　in　your　former　job；　this　must　have　been　a　constant　problem。〃　Bond　secretly　took　three　more　canno