johngardner.rollofhonor-第38章

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　To　change　history。
　A　mile　or　so　back　down　the　road；　the　observer　in　the　trail　car　had　noted　that　their　target　seemed　to　pull　off　the　motorway　for　a　few　minutes。　〃We're　closing　on　him。
　Can't　make　it　out。　　You　want　me　to　call　in？〃
　〃Give　it　a　couple　of　minutes。〃　The　driver　shifted　in　his　seat。
　〃Ah。　　No。〃　The　observer　stared　at　the　moving　blip　which　was　Bond's　homer。　　〃No；　it's　okay。　　Looks　as　though　they　were　right。　　He's　still　heading　west。　　Lay　you　odds　on　them　picking　him　up　between　Oxford　and　Banbury。〃　But　the　Bentley　had；　in　fact；just　passed　them；　going　in　the　opposite　direction；　hurling　itself　back　towards　Heathrow　and　a　waiting　executive　jet。
　
　THE　MAGIC　CARPET
　
　THE　EXECUTIVE　JET　had　Goodyear　symbols　all　over　it　a　smart　livery；　with　the　words　Good　Year　flanking　the　winged　sandal。　　It　also　had　a　British　registration。
　Bond　resisted　the　temptation　to　make　a　run　for　it；　try　to　attract　attention；　or　cause　a　motion。　　The　realisation　that　he　was　outnumbered；　outgunned　and　at　an　extreme　disadvantage　held　him　back。
　Whoever　had　laid　out　the　ground　plan　of　this　operation；　Holy；　Rahani；　or　the　inner　council　of　SPECTRE　itself；　had　done　so　with　admirable　attention　to　detail。　　For　all　he　knew；　the　whole　gang　on　board　could　have　a　genuine　affiliation　to　Goodyear。　　In　any　case；　he　did　not　even　know　whether　the　ASP　was　loaded。　　So　far　there　was　at　least　a　small　amount　of　trust　between　him　and　the　main　protagonists。
　Exploit　that　trust　to　the　full；　he　told　himself；　and　just　go　along　for　the　ride。
　After　takeoff　an　attractive　girl　served　drinks　and　coffee。　　Bond　took　the　coffee；　not　wishing　to　dull　any　of　his　senses。　　He　then　excused　himself　and　went　to　the　pocketsized　lavatory　at　the　rear　of　the　aircraft。
　The　ever…watchful　Simon　sat　near　the　door；　eyeing　him　with　wary　amusement。　　But　there　was　no　attempt　at　restraint。
　Inside　he　took　out　the　ASP　and　slipped　the　magazine　from　the　butt。
　It　was；　as　he　had　thought；　empty。
　Whatever　else　happened；　ammunition　or　another　weapon　was　a　priority。
　Back　in　his　seat；　Bond　took　stock。　　The　takeover　of　the　Goodyear　base；　together　with　the　airship　Europa；　had　already　taken　place　hours　before　Bill　Tanner　had　checked。　　True；　the　Swiss　police　were　now　alerted；　but　they　would　only　make　SPECTRE'　S　task　easier　by　keeping　out　any　unwanted　meddlers。　　The　only　possibility　of　the　Service　suspecting　anything　amiss　would　be　the　discovery　that　the　surveillance　cars　had　lost　him　…　but　heaven　knew　when　they　would　find　out。　　These　people　had　taken　no　chances。　　By　stripping　him；　they　had　effectively　cut　off　any　possible　pursuit。　　The　surveillance　teams　could　be　led　a　pretty　dance；　all　over　the　country；　following　the　constant　bleeps　of　the　homers　ing　from　a　pile　of　clothes　in　a　lorry　or　car。
　Not　for　the　first　time　in　his　career；　Bond　was　truly　alone；　with　no　way　of　warning　anyone　in　authority。　　On　the　face　of　it；　there　was　very　little　he　could　do　to　stop　the　airship's　scheduled　flight　over　Geneva；　or　prevent　use　of　the　Russian　and　American　ciphers。　　Even　the　high　security　classification　of　these　ciphers　would　work　against　them。
　If　M　was　correct　and　the　SPECTRE　plan　turned　on　the　operation　of　the　American　Ploughshare　cipher　or　its　Russian　equivalent；　there　would　be　no　worldwide　alert　while　Russian　and　American　leaders　were　locked　in　their　Summit　talks。　　The　damage　would　already　have　been　done　before　they　knew　there　was　a　crisis。
　Sitting　next　to　Jay　Autem　Holy；　he　reflected　on　the　ingenuity　of　the　plan；　which　would　denude　the　two　superpowers　of　their　one　true　weapon　in　the　power　balance。　　It　was；　of　course；　what　many　people　had　dreamed　of；　protested　for；　talked　and　argued　about　for　years。　　M　had　stressed　this　at　the　meeting　in　the　house　off　Northumberland　Avenue。
　He　was　convinced　that　a　〃phased　run…down　of　both　sides'　nuclear　armouries　was　a　reasonable　solution。　　For　the　two　superpowers　to　be　stripped　overnight　of　their　major　weapons　would　destroy　the　tenuous　stability　that　had　prevailed　since　the　Second　World　War。　　Operation　Down　Escalator　was；　Bond　thought；　an　appropriate　name；　borrowing　from　that　clumsy　term；　dc…escalation；　bandied　about　by　politicians　and　protesters　alike。
　He　dozed；　not　asleep；　but　conserving　his　energies　for　the　time　when　ingenuity　and　strength　might　be　needed。
　Yet　in　that　state；　pictures　of　the　aftermath　of　Down　Escalator；　as　described　by　his　chief；　churned　over　and　over　in　his　mind。　　There　would　be　a　worldwide　economic　crisis；　with　a　market　crash　of　enormous　proportions；　all　confidence　lost　in　the　two　superpowers。　　M　had　said　that　any　economist　or　social　historian　could　map　out　the　events　which　would　follow　the　undercutting　of　financial　stability。　　The　United　States　and　the　Soviet　Union　would　be　at　the　mercy　of　any　other　nation；　however　small；　which　possessed　its　own　nuclear　capability。　　As　he　took　in　the　pictures　M　had　drawn；　Bond　became　even　more　determined　to　prevent　Operation　Down　Escalator；　no　matter　what　the　cost　to　himself。
　〃Anarchy　will　rule；'　M　had　said。　　〃The　world　will　divide　into　uncertain　alliances　and　the　man　in　the　street；　no　matter　what　his　birthright；　nationality；　or　politics；　will　be　forced　to　accept　a　way　of　life　which　will　drop　him　into　a　dark　and　bitter　well　of　misery。　Freedom；　even　the　promise　freedom　which　exists　now；　will　be　erased　from　our　existence；'　M　had　declaimed　in　a　rare　burst　of　almost　Churchillian　oratory。
　〃Seatbelt；　James。〃　He　opened　his　eyes。　　Jay　Autem　Holy　was　shaking　his　shoulder。　　〃We're　ing　in　to　land。〃　Bond　smiled　back；　sheepishly；　as　though　he　had　really　been　deeply　asleep。
　〃Landing？　　Where？〃　Perhaps　in　Geneva；　at　the　airport；　he　could　get　away；　raise　the　alarm。
　〃Berne；　Switzerland。　　You　remember　we're　flying　into　Switzerland？〃　Of　course。　　They　wouldn't　do　anything　like　trying　to　go　into　Geneva；　which　would　be　bristling　with　security。
　Berne！　　Bond　smiled　inwardly。　　These　people　had　the　whole　business　tied　up。　　Berne；　cars；　a　swift　drive　over　to　the　Lake　of　Geneva　and　the　Goodyear　airstrip。　　All　formalities　would　be　already　dealt　with　under　the　auspices　of　the　huge　international　pany　they　appeared　to　represent。
　He　glanced　at　his　watch。　　It　was　already　four　in　the　morning。　　As　the　aircraft　banked　on　its　final　approach　he　saw　out　of　the　cabin　window　that　the　sky　was　beginning　to　brighten；　a　dark　grey　colour　wash　streaked　with　light。
　No；　he　had　to　go　all　the　way。　　Try　to　spike　the　plan　from　the　inside　as　it　got　under　way。
　〃Nice　place；　Berne；'　he　observed　casually；　and　Holy　nodded。
　〃We　go　on　by　car。　　It'll　take　us　an　hour　…　an　hour　and　a　half。
　There'll　be　plenty　of　time。　　Our　job　does　not　start　until　eleven。〃　They　came　in　with　engines　throttled　back；　then　there　was　a　final　short　burst　of　power　to　lift　them　over　the　threshold；　and　hardly　a　bump　as　the　wheels　touched　down；　before　the　final　fiery　roar　of　reverse　thrust。
　As　he　had　suspected；　the　transfer　was　swift　and　acplished　with　the　bined　efficiency　of　Swiss　bureaucracy　and　SPECTRE'S　cunning。
　The　aircraft　was　parked　well　away　from　the　main　terminal。　　Two　Audi　Quattros　and　a　police　car　were　drawn　up　alongside。
　From　the　window；　Bond　saw　the　transaction　take　place　…　the　small　pile　of　passports　handed　over；　inspected　and　returned；　with　a　salute。
　There　would　be　no　customs　inspection；　he　thought。　　The　Goodyear　jet　must　have　been　running　in　and　out　of　Berne　and　Geneva　for　a　month　or　so　now。　They　would　have　the　formalities　cut　down　to　the　fine　art　of　mutual　trust。
　Then　General　Zwingli　eased　his　bulk　down　the　aisle　first；　giving　Bond　a　friendly　nod　as　he　passed。　　They　left　the　aircraft　in　single　file；　with　Bond　hemmed　in　neatly　by　the　Arab　boy　and　Simon。　　Nobody　threatened　him；　but　it　was　implicit　in　their　looks　that　any　false　move　would　be　countered。　　The　police　car；　with　its　immigration　officers　on　board；　was　already　slowly　disappearing　back　towards　the　terminal。
　The　Audis　had　Goodyear　V。I。P。　　stickers　on　the　windscreens　and　rear　windows。　　Bond　recognised　both　drivers；　in　their　grey　uniforms；　as　men　he　had　seen　in　Erewhon。
　Within　minutes；　he　was　sitting　next　to　Holy　in　the　rear　of　the　second　car　as　they　swept　away　from　the　airport　in　the　half　light　of　dawn。　　The　houses　on　Berne's　outskirts　still　slept；　while　others　a