johngardner.rollofhonor-第36章

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Armourer；　Head　of　Q　Section；　sat　to　Tanner's　right　with　Lady　Freddie　Fortune　next　to　him。
　Bond　did　not　have　time　to　be　surprised　at　Freddie's　presence；　for　the　sixth　member　of　the　reception　mittee　left　her　chair　almost　at　a　run。
　〃James；　darling。　　Oh；　it's　so　good　to　see　you。
　Percy　Proud；　oblivious　to　the　officialdom；　held　him　close；　as　though　she　would　never　let　go　again。
　〃mander　Bond！　　Miss　Proud！〃　M　was　genuinely　embarrassed。　　〃I；　er；　think　we　have　important　work　to　do。〃　He　detached　himself　from　Percy；　acknowledged　the　others；　and　introduced　Peter。　　〃I　think　Dr　Amadeus　will　be　able　to　contribute。〃　Bond　kept　glancing　suspiciously　at　Freddie　Fortune　…　so　often　that　M　finally　said；　〃Lady　Freddie's　been　on　the　team　for　some　years。　　Done　good　work；　infiltrating。　　Sound　woman；　007。　　Very　deep　cover。
　Forget　you've　ever　seen　her　here。〃　Bond　caught　Freddie's　steady　gaze；　returning　it　with　a　sardonic　smile　and　cocked　eyebrow。　　Then；　M　drew　the　conference　to　order。
　〃I　trust　you've　gone　into　Endor；　sir　〃　Bond　started。
　〃Yes；　007。　　Yes；　we　went　in　about　an　hour　after　you　drove　out；　but　the　birds　had　flown。　　I　don't　think　many　were　left　when　you　departed。
　The　rest　have　vanished　into　thin　air。　　Bag　and　baggage。　　We　thought　you　could　tell　us　…　〃I'm　instructed　to　return　there；　by　the　same　route　as　I　came。〃　Bond　recalled　the　deserted　feel　of　the　place　that　morning；　and　the　fact　that　he　had　seen　only　Cindy　and　the　Arab　first　thing；　and　Tigerbalm；　Holy；　Rahani　and　Zwingli　later。
　〃The　cars　were　there。〃　He　felt　it　was　a　lame　ment。
　〃Three　of　them；　still　in　the　garage。〃
　〃Two　when　our　people　arrived。〃　The　officer　Bond　recognised　but　could　not　name　was　obviously　running　liaison。
　〃How　about　my　girl？　　How　about　Cindy？〃　Percy　touched　his　sleeve；　and　Bond　could　not　meet　her　eyes。
　〃I'm　not　certain。　　She　was　a　great　deal　of　help；　last　night。　　Even　tried　to　steal　a　copy　of　their　main　program　the　simulation　of　whatever　they're　doing。〃　He　turned　to　M。　　〃It's　on　SPECTRE'S　instructions；　this　business；　sir；　did　you　know？〃
　〃Is　it；　indeed？〃　M　could　administer　the　iceberg　treatment　when　he　had　a　mind　to。　　〃That　villainous　outfit　is　on　the　warpath　again；　eh？〃
　〃You　still　haven't　told　me　about　Cindy。〃　Percy　had　her　hand　tightly　on　his　arm　now。
　〃Just　don't　know；　Percy。　　No　idea。〃　He　told　her　about　the　previous　night；　leaving　out　all　that　happened　after　he　got　back　to　her　room；　but　repeating　the　conversation　with　Holy　in　the　morning。
　〃So　we　have　no　ideas　abut　this　simulation？〃　M　sucked　at　his　pipe。
　〃If　I　could　have　a　word。〃　They　all　turned　towards　Amadeus。　　〃I've　seen　the　simulation　running。　　It　was　a　couple　of　weeks　ago。　　The　wee　small　hours。　　Couldn't　sleep。　　I　went　down　to　the　laboratory；　and　Jason　was　in　what　we　call　the　War　Room　…　Mr。　Bond　knows：　it's　at　the　far　end。
　Jason　was　engrossed。　　Just　didn't　hear　me。〃　He　passed　a　hand　across　his　forehead。　　〃That　was　before　all　those　great　oafs　…　gun…happy　boys　turned　up。　　Before　I　got　nervous　about　being　there。
　M　looked　unfortable；　spluttering　over　his　pipe。
　〃Well；　thinks　I；　have　a　look；　Pete。　　See　what　the　crooks　are　after　next。　They　refer　to　it　as　the　Balloon　〃The　Balloon　Game；　yes；'　Bond　interrupted。
　〃I've　seen　it　and　you　haven't。　　I　have　the　floor；　Mr。　Bond；　please。〃　He　looked　around　him　revelling　in　the　attention　he　was　getting。　　〃As　I　was　saying；　they　call　it　the　Balloon　Game；　but　it's　to　do　with　something　they've　named　Operation　Down　Escalator。〃　M's　brow　creased　as　he　repeated　the　words　under　his　breath。
　〃The　simulation　…　Amadeus　raised　his　voice　appears　to　be　set　in　a　mercial　airport。　　Not　large。
　I　didn't　recognise　it；　but　that's　nothing　to　go　by。　　The　scenario　begins　in　an　office　plex　just　to　the　left　of　the　main　terminal　building。　There's　a　lot　of　stuff　with　cars；　and　positioning　men。　　As　far　as　I　could　see；　the　idea　was　to　lift　one　man。
　〃Lift？〃　M　enquired。
　〃Kidnap；　sir；'　explained　Bond。
　Amadeus　shot　them　a　glance；　then　scowled；　letting　them　know　he　did　not　like　being　interrupted。　　〃They　lift　this　chap；　and　there's　a　lot　of　changing　around　in　cars　you　know；　he's　taken　to　one　point；　then　switched　to　another　car。
　Then　the　location　alters　to　a　smaller　field　an　airfield。　　It's　tiny；　with　a　mini　control　tower　and　one　main　building；　a　hangar；　and　guess　what？　　An　airship。〃
　〃Airship？〃　Bond　repeated　in　surprise。
　〃Hence　Balloon　Game。　　They　get　on　to　this　field　using　the　man　they've　lifted。　　It　does　appear　to　be　terribly　clever　…　there　are　three　cars　twelve　men；　and　the　hostage；　if　that's　what　he　is。　　Result？　　They　take　over　the　whole　shooting　match。　　There　is　a　final　scenario　and　that's　to　do　with　flying　the　airship　somewhere。　　It　got　very　technical　and　〃Chief　of　Station　almost　shouted。　　〃Go　and　check　it　out。　　We　know　the　thing's　there；　because　it's　on　the　itinerary。　　Saw　it　myself。　　They　cleared　it　with　the　President's　people；　the　Prime　Minister　and　the　Russians。
　Doing　a　sort　of　fly…past　tomorrow　morning。〃　Bill　Tanner　was　out　of　the　room　before　he　finished。
　Bond　looked　at　his　chief　the　questions　clear　on　his　face。　　〃Sir；　I　haven't　seen；　or　heard；　any　news　lately。　　They　even　immobilised　the　car　radio。　　Could　you　？〃
　〃Yes；'　M　leaned　back。　　〃At　least　we've　now　got　a　small　idea　of　what　it's　about。　　We　know　where；　and　how。　　What？
　Well；　that's　a　very　different　matter。〃
　〃Sir；'　Bond　prompted。
　〃It's　been　kept　under　wraps　for　some　time　…　a　good　few　months　in　fact〃　M　began。　　〃These　things　always　take　the　devil　of　a　time　to　organise；　and　the　participants　wanted　it　to　remain　very　low　profile。
　Tonight；　members　of　a　Summit　Conference　are　to　arrive　in　Geneva。
　In　fact；　the　first　main　session　is　this　very　night。　　They've　taken　over　the　whole　of　Le　Richemond　Hotel　for　three　days　〃Who；　sir？〃
　〃Russia；　the　United　States；　Britain；　France　and　West　Germany。　　The　President　of　the　United　States；　the　French　President；　the　Chairman　of　the　U。S。S。R　the　German　Chancellor；　and　our　Prime　Minister　…　with　all　advisers；　secretaries；　military；　the　entire　circus。　　The　discussions　will　be　on　arms　control　and　a　more　positive　and　prosperous　future。　　The　usual　pie…in…the…sky。〃
　〃The　airship？〃　Bond's　heart　was　sinking。　　The　more　he　heard；　the　less　he　liked　it。
　〃Goodyear。　　They　have　their　ship；　Europa；　in　Switzerland　at　the　moment。　When　they　heard　about　the　Summit；　Goodyear　asked　permission　to　fly　what　they　called　a　goodwill　mission；　taking　them　straight　over　Le　Richemond。　They've　got　the　Europa　tethered　just　up　the　lake　on　a　small　strip　…　a　tiny　satellite　field　you　can　approach　only　from　the　lake　itself。　Mountain　rescue　boys　and　some　private　flyers　use　it。〃
　〃But　when　did　Goodyear　arrange　this？〃　Bond　had　not　heard　a　whisper　about　any　Summit　Conference。
　M　grunted。　　〃You　know　what　it's　like；　007。　　They　arrange　their　flights　a　year　in　advance。　　The　Europa　would　have　been　there　in　any　case。　　Would　have　been　flying。
　However；　they　had　to　get　permission　once　the　Conference　was　announced。〃　Percy　had　caught　on。　　〃Dr　Amadeus；　when　did　you　first　hear　about　the　Balloon　Game？〃　About　four　months　ago；　he　told　her；　four　or　five。
　〃And　the　Summit。　　。　　。？〃
　〃It's　been　pencilled　in　for　almost　a　year；　said　M。　　〃The　information　was　available　only　through　diplomatic　channels。　　The　Press　have　been　good　boys　for　a　change。　　Not　a　whisper；　even　though　they　must　have　known。〃　Bill　Tanner　returned　with　the　news　that　he　had　been　in　contact　with　Geneva。
　〃I　talked　to　the　Goodyear　security　man　out　at　the　strip。
　No　problems；　and　we've　alerted　the　Swiss　police。　　They're　going　to　close　the　field　to　everyone　but　accredited　Goodyear　staff。　　That　means　around　thirty　to　thirty…five　people；　handlers；　publicity　and　PR；　mechanics；　two　pilots。　　Nobody's　going　to　get　in　unless　the　Goodyear　representatives　okay　the　bona　fides。　　It's　sewn　up；　sir。
　〃Right。　　Well；　007；　all　we　have　to　do　now　is　sew　up　the　remainder　of　this　unpleasant　lot。　　Any　ideas？〃　Bond　had　one　idea；　and　one　only。
　〃You　give　me　the　EPOC　frequency；　sir　…　the　real　one；　just　in　case　they　already　have　it；　because　I　wouldn't　put　anything　past　SPECTRE　and　this　crowd　who　are　doing　their　dirty　work　for　them。〃Oh　yes；　the　EPOC　frequency。　　That　was　mentioned　in　your　message。　　Made　us　think。　　Tell　me　about　that；　007。〃　Bond