johngardner.rollofhonor-第41章

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ard；　taking　his　place　on　Nick's　right。　　Simon　now　hovered　between　them。
　As　soon　as　he　was　in　his　seat；　Nick　became　the　plete　professional；　showing　Bond　the　instrumentation；　and　pointing　out　the　all…important　valves　for　the　ballonets。
　〃Whenever　you're　ready；'　Rahani　called　out；　but　Nick　did　not　answer。　　He　was　busy　with　the　preflight　checks；　sliding　his　window　open　to　shout　down　to　the　man　in　mand　of　the　ground　crew。　　〃Okay；'　he　called。　　〃Tell　your　boys　to　stand　by。　　I'm　starting　up；　and　I'll　give　you　a　thumbs…up　when　they　have　to　take　strain。〃　To　Bond；　he　said　he　would　be　starting　the　port　engine　first；　and　immediately　afterwards　the　starboard　would　fire。　　〃We　fill　the　ballonets　straight　away；　and　as　they're　filling　I　shall　release　us　from　the　mooring　mast。
　The　chaps　outside；　if　they've　been　trained　correctly；　will　take　the　strain　and　dump　the　ballast　hanging　from　the　gondola。　　After　that；　I　trim　the　ship；　lift　the　nose　and；'　he　turned；　grinning；　〃we'll　see　if　they　have　the　sense　to　let　go　of　the　guy　ropes。
　Reaching　forward；　Nick　started　both　engines；　one　after　the　other；　very　fast；　and　set　the　air　valves　to　fill。　　As　Bond　watched；　Simon　leaned　forward；　felt　inside　his　jacket　and　removed　the　ASP。　　There　was　a　double　click　as　one　round　went　into　the　breech；　then　the　weapon　was　handed　back。　　〃You　kill　him；　if　the　Colonel　gives　the　order。　　If　you　try　anything　clever；　I'll　shoot　you。〃　Bond　did　not　even　acknowledge　him。　　By　now　he　was　following　everything　that　Nick　was　doing；　opening　the　throttles；　pulling　the　lever　that　moored　them　to　the　mast；　monitoring　the　pressure。
　The　airship's　nose　tilted　upwards；　and　Nick　waved　to　the　ground　crew　as　he　gave　the　engines　full　throttle。　　The　nose　slid　higher　and　there　was　a　tiny　sensation　of　buoyancy；　then；　very　slowly　they　moved　forwards　and　upwards　…　rock…steady；　no　tremor　or　vibration　as　they　climbed　away　from　the　field。　　It　was　like　riding　on　a　magic　carpet。
　
　PLOUGHSHARE　IN　HIS　TIME
　
　James　Bond　had　either　flown；　or　flown　in；　most　types　of　aircraft；　from　the　old　Tiger　Moth　biplane　to　Phantom　jets。　　Yet　never　had　he　experienced　anything　like　the　Europa。
　The　morning　was　clear　and　sunny。　　With　its　two　little　engines　humming　like　a　swarm　of　hornets；　its　single　blade　wooden　airscrews　blurring　into　twin　discs；　the　fat　silver　ship　glided　out　from　the　wide　cleft　in　the　mountains；　over　the　road　and　railway　lines；　and　climbed　above　the　lake。　It　would　have　been　an　enchanted　moment　for　anyone；　like　Bond；　who　loved　machines。　　At　a　thousand　feet；　gazing　out　at　the　spectacular　view　of　lake　and　mountains　he　even　forgot　for　a　few　seconds　the　horrifying　and　dangerous　mission　they　were　embarked　upon。
　It　was　the　stability　of　the　ship　that　amazed　him　most。
　There　was　a　plete　lack　of　any　buffeting　experienced　at　that　height　and　over　that　type　of　terrain　in　a　conventional　aircraft。　　No　wonder　those　who　travelled　on　the　great　airships　of　the　1920s　and　1930s　fell　in　love　with　them。
　The　Europa　dipped　its　nose；　almost　stood　on　it；　turning　a　full　circle。　At　fifteen　hundred　feet　they　had　a　panoramic　view　of　the　lake：　the　mountain　peaks　touched　with　snow　against　the　light　blue　sky；　Montreux　in　the　distance；　the　French　side　of　the　lake　with　the　town　of　Thonon　looking　peaceful　and　inviting。
　Then　Nick　eased　the　ship　around　so　that　they　could　see　Geneva　as　they　approached　at　a　stately　fifty　miles　per　hour。
　Bond　turned　his　head　to　look　at　the　rear　of　the　gondola。　　Rahani　and　Jay　Autem　Holy　ignored　the　view；　hunched　over　the　transmitter。
　They　had　folded　down　some　of　the　seat　backs；　so　that　Bond　had　a　good　view　of　the　radio；　seeing　that　it　was　linked　to　the　micro。
　Holy　appeared　to　be　muttering　to　himself　as　he　tuned　to　the　frequency。　Rahani　watched　him　closely；　like　a　warder；　Bond　thought。
　General　Zwingli　was　half…turned　in　his　seat；　giving　advice。　　Both　Simon　and　the　Arab　boy　stood　guard；　the　boy　never　taking　his　eyes　off　the　pilot　and　Bond。　　Simon　was　leaning　against　the　door；　almost　as　though　he　were　covering　his　masters。
　Below　them；　the　lakeside　of　Geneva　slid　into　view。　　The　airship　slowed；　tilted　forward　and　turned　gently。
　〃No　playing　around；　Nick；'　Rahani　called　in　warning。
　〃Just　do　what　you　normally　do。　　Then　take　her　straight　over　Le　Richemond。〃
　〃I'm　doing　what　I　normally　do。　　I'm　doing　it　by　the　book；'　the　pilot　said　laconically。　　〃That's　what　you　wanted　and　that　is　just　what　you're　getting。〃
　〃And　what；'　Bond　called　back；　〃are　we　really　doing；　anyway？　　What　is　this　caper　that's　going　to　change　history？〃　Holy　lifted　his　eyes　towards　the　flight　deck。
　〃We　are　about　to　put　the　stability　of　the　world's　two　most　powerful　nations　to　the　test。　　Would　you　believe　that　the　ciphers　directly　transmittable　to　the　emergency　networks　of　the　American　President　and　the　Chairman　of　the　U。S。S。R。　　include　programs　to　deactivate　their　main　nuclear　capabilities？〃
　〃I'd　believe　anything。〃　Bond　did　not　need　to　hear　any　more。　　M　was　right。　　The　intention　was　to　send　the　U。S。　Ploughshare　program；　and　its　Russian　counterpart；　into　their　respective　satellites；　and　from　there　into　irreversible　action。　　It　was　at　this　moment　that　Bond　made　up　his　mind。
　His　whole　adult　life　had　been　dedicated　to　his　country；　this　time　he　knew　it　would　be　forfeit。　　There　was　one　Glaser　slug　in　the　ASP。
　With　luck；　in　the　confined　gondola　it　would　blow　any　one　of　the　men　in　half。　　But　only　one。　　So　what　was　the　use　of　a　human　target？　Kill　one；　then　be　killed。　　That　would　serve　no　purpose。　　If　he　chose　the　right　time；　and　the　Arab　boy　could　be　distracted；　the　one　Glaser　slug；　placed　accurately；　would　blow　the　radio　and　possibly　the　micro　as　well。
　He　would　die　very　soon　after　taking　out　the　hardware；　but　for　Bond　this　was　as　nothing　pared　to　the　satisfaction　of　knowing　he　would　once　more　have　smashed　SPECTRE'S　plans。　　Maybe　they　would　try　again。
　But　there　were　always　other　men　like　himself；　and　the　Service　had　been　alerted。
　Geneva；　clean；　ordered　and　picturesque；　now　lay　to　their　right；　as　Nick　gently　turned　the　ship。　　Mont　Blanc　towered　above　them。　　The　airship　began　to　descend　to　a　thousand　feet　for　its　short　journey　along　the　lakeside。
　〃How　long？〃　It　was　the　first　time　Zwingli　had　spoken　to　the　men　at　the　controls。
　Nick　glanced　back。　　〃To　Le　Richemond？　　About　four　minutes。
　〃Are　you　locked　onto　that　frequency？〃　The　General　was　now　addressing　Holy。
　〃We're　on　the　frequency；　Joe。　　I've　put　the　disk　in。　　All　we　have　to　do　is　press　the　Enter　key；　and　we　shall　know　whether　rade　Bond　has　been　true　to　his　word。〃
　〃You're　activating　the　States　first；　then？〃
　〃Yes；　Joe。〃　Rahani　replied　this　time。　　〃Yes；　the　United　States　get　their　instructions　in　a　couple　of　minutes。〃　He　craned　forward　to　look　from　the　window。　　〃There　it　is；　ing　up　now。
　Bond　gently　slid　the　safety　catch　off　the　ASP。
　〃Ready；　Jay。　　Any　minute。〃　Rahani　did　not　raise　his　voice；　yet　the　words　carried　clearly　over　the　length　of　the　gondola。
　The　luxurious　hotel　with　its　perfectly　laid　out　gardens　was　ing　up　below　them。　　Nick　held　the　Europa　on　a　true　course　which　would　take　them　straight　over　the　palatial　building。
　〃I　said　ready；　Jay。
　〃Any　second　。　　。　　。　　Okay；'　Holy　answered。
　At　that　moment；　Bond；　gripping　the　ASP；　turned　towards　the　Arab　boy　and　shouted；　〃Your　window。　　Look　to　your　window。〃　The　Arab　turned　his　head　slightly；　and　Bond；　knowing　there　was　one　chance；　and　one　chance　only；　brought　his　hand　up　and　squeezed　the　trigger。　　In　the　whirling　engine　noise；　the　solid　clunk　of　the　pistol's　firing　mechanism　crashing　forward　obliterated　everything。
　For　a　second　he　could　not　believe　it。　　Was　it　a　misfire？
　A　dud　round？　　Then　came　Simon's　laugh；　echoed　by　a　grunt　from　the　Arab　boy。
　〃Don't　think　of　throwing　it；　James。　　I'll　cut　you　down　with　one　hand。　You　didn't　honestly　think　we'd　let　you　on　board　with　a　loaded　gun；　did　you？　　Too　much　of　a　risk。〃
　〃Damn　you；　Bond。〃　Rahani　was　half　out　of　his　seat。
　〃No　gunplay　…　not　in　here。　　Have　you　given　us　the　frequency；　or　is　that　as　false　as　your　own　loyalty？〃　The　bleep　and　whir　from　the　back　of　the　gondola　indicated　that　Holy　had　activated　the　cipher　program。
　He　gave　a　whoop　of　joy。
　〃It's　okay；　Tamil。　　Whatever　else　Bond's　tried；　he　has　given　us　t