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iam fleming.for your eyes only-第13部分

小说: iam fleming.for your eyes only 字数: 每页4000字

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the two wakes would converge just at the next tree…line。
 Bond crawled and slithered steadily on; stopping only to wipe the sweat and dust off his face and; from time to time; to make sure that he was on course for the maple。 But when he was close enough for the tree…line to hide him from the house; perhaps twenty feet from the maple; he stopped and lay for a while; massaging his knees and loosening his wrists for the last lap。
 He had heard nothing to warn him; and when the soft threatening whisper came from only feet away in the thick grass on his left; his head swivelled so sharply that the vertebrae of his neck made a cracking sound。
 〃Move an inch and I'll kill you。〃 It had been a girl's voice; but a voice that fiercely meant what it said。
 Bond; his heart thumping; stared up the shaft of the steel arrow whose blue…tempered triangular tip parted the grass stalks perhaps eighteen inches from his head。
 The bow was held sideways; flat in the grass。 The knuckles of the brown fingers that held the binding of the bow below the arrow…tip were white。 Then there was the length of glinting steel and; behind the metal feathers; partly obscured by waving strands of grass; were grimly clamped lips below two fierce grey eyes against a background of sunburned skin damp with sweat。 That was all Bond could make out through the grass。 Who the hell was this? One of the guards? Bond gathered saliva back into his dry mouth and began slowly to edge his right hand; his out…of…sight hand; round and up towards his waistband and his gun。 He said softly: 〃Who the hell are you?〃
 The arrow…tip gestured  threateningly。 〃Stop that right hand or I'll put this through your shoulder。 Are you one of the guards?〃
 〃No。 Are you?〃
 〃Don't be a fool。 What are you doing here?〃 The tension in the voice had slackened; but it was still hard; suspicious。 There was a trace of accent … what was it; Scots? Welsh?
 It was time to get to level terms。 There was something particularly deadly about the blue arrow…tip。 Bond said easily: 〃Put away your bow and arrow; Robina。 Then I'll tell you。〃
 〃You swear not to go for your gun?〃
 〃All right。 But for God's sake let's get out of the middle of this field。〃 Without waiting; Bond rose on hands and knees and started to crawl again。 Now he must get the initiative and hold it。 Whoever this damned girl was; she would have to be disposed of quickly and discreetly before the shooting match began。 God; as if there wasn't enough to think of already!
 Bond reached the trunk of the tree。 He got carefully to his feet and took a quick look through the blazing leaves。 Most of the blinds had gone up。 Two slow…moving coloured maids were laying a large breakfast table on the patio。 He had been right。 The field of vision over the tops of the trees that now fell sharply to the lake was perfect。 Bond unslung his rifle and knapsack and sat down with his back against the trunk of the tree。 The girl came out of the edge of the grass and stood up under the maple。 She kept her distance。 The arrow was still held in the bow but the bow was unpulled。 They looked warily at each other。
 The girl looked like a beautiful unkempt dryad in ragged shirt and trousers。 The shirt and trousers were olive green; crumpled and splashed with mud and stains and torn in places; and she had bound her pale blonde hair with golden…rod to conceal its brightness for her crawl through the meadow。 The beauty of her face was wild and rather animal; with a wide sensuous mouth; high cheekbones and silvery grey; disdainful eyes。 There was the blood of scratches on her forearms and down one cheek; and a bruise had puffed and slightly blackened the same cheekbone。 The metal feathers of a quiver full of arrows showed above her left shoulder。 Apart from the bow; she carried nothing but a hunting knife at her belt and; at her other hip; a small brown canvas bag that presumably carried her food。 She looked like a beautiful; dangerous customer who knew wild country and forests and was not afraid of them。 She would walk alone through life and have little use for civilisation。
 Bond thought she was wonderful。 He smiled at her。 He said softly; reassuringly: 〃I suppose you're Robina Hood。 My name's James Bond。〃 He reached for his flask and unscrewed the top and held it out。 〃Sit down and have a drink of this … firewater and coffee。 And I've got some biltong。 Or do you live on dew and berries?〃
 She came a little closer and sat down a yard from him。 She sat like a Red Indian; her knees splayed wide and her ankles tucked up high under her thighs。 She reached for the flask and drank deeply with her head thrown back。 She handed it back without ment。 She did not smile。 She said 〃Thanks〃 grudgingly; and took her arrow and thrust it over her back to join the others in the quiver。 She said; watching him closely: 〃I suppose you're a poacher。 The deer…hunting season doesn't open for another three weeks。 But you won't find any deer down here。 They only e so low at night。 You ought to be higher up during the day; much higher。 If you like; I'll tell you where there are some。 Quite a big herd。 It's a bit late in the day; but you could still get to them。 They're up…wind from here and you seem to know about stalking。 You don't make much noise。〃
 〃Is that what you're doing here … hunting? Let's see your licence。〃
 Her shirt had buttoned…down breast pockets。 Without protest she took out from one of them the white paper and handed it over。
 The licence had been issued in Bennington; Vermont。 It had been issued in the name of Judy Havelock。 There was a list of types of permit。 'Non…resident hunting' and 'Non…resident bow and arrow' had been ticked。 The cost had been 18。50; payable to the Fish and Game Service; Montpelier; Vermont。 Judy Havelock had given her age as twenty…five and her place of birth as Jamaica。
 Bond thought: 'God Almighty!' He handed the paper back。 So that was the score! He said with sympathy and respect: 〃You're quite a girl; Judy。 It's a long walk from Jamaica。 And you were going to take him on with your bow and arrow。 You know what they say in China: 'Before you set out on revenge; dig two graves。' Have you done that; or did you expect to get away with it?〃
 The girl was staring at him。 〃Who are you? What are you doing here? What do you know about it?〃
 Bond reflected。 There was only one way out of this mess and that was to join forces with the girl。 What a hell of a business! He said resignedly: 〃I've told you my name。 I've been sent out from London by; er; Scotland Yard。 I know all about your troubles and I've e out here to pay off some of the score and see you're not bothered by these people。 In London we think that the man in that house might start putting pressure on you; about your property; and there's no other way of stopping him。〃
 The girl said bitterly: 〃I had a favourite pony; a Palomino。 Three weeks ago they poisoned it。 Then they shot my Alsatian。 I'd raised it from a puppy。 Then came a letter。 It said; 'Death has many hands。 One of these hands is now raised over you。' I was to put a notice in the paper; in the personal column; on a particular day。 I was just to say; 'I will obey。 Judy。' I went to the police。 All they did was to offer me protection。 It was people in Cuba; they thought。 There was nothing else they could do about it。 So I went to Cuba and stayed in the best hotel and gambled big in the casinos。〃 She gave a little smile。 〃I wasn't dressed like this。 I wore my best dresses and the family jewels。 And people made up to me。 I was nice to them。 I had to be。 And all the while I asked questions。 I pretended I was out for thrills … that I wanted to see the underworld and some real gangsters; and so on。 And in the end I found out about this man。〃 She gestured down towards the house。 〃He had left Cuba。 Batista had found out about him or something。 And he had a lot of enemies。 I was told plenty about him and in the end I met a man; a sort of high…up policeman; who told me the rest after I had;〃 she hesitated and avoided Bond's eyes; 〃after I had made up to him。〃 She paused。 She went on: 〃I left and went to America。 I had read somewhere about Pinkerton's; the detective people。 I went to them and paid to have them find this man's address。〃 She turned her hands palm upwards on her lap。 Now her eyes were defiant。 〃That's all。〃
 〃How did you get here?〃
 〃I flew up to Bennington。 Then I walked。 Four days。 Up through the Green Mountains。 I kept out of the way of people。 I'm used to this sort of thing。 Our house is in the mountains in Jamaica。 They're much more difficult than these。 And there are more people; peasants; about in them。 Here no one ever seems to walk。 They go by car。〃
 〃And what were you going to do then?〃
 〃I'm going to shoot von Hammerstein and walk back to Bennington。〃 The voice was as casual as if she had said she was going to pick a wild flower。
 From down in the valley came the sound of voices。 Bond got to his feet and took a quick look through the branches。 Three men and two girls had e on to the patio。 There was talk and laughter as they pulled out chairs and sat down at the table。 One place was left empty at the head of the table between the two girls。 Bond took out his telescopic sight and looked through it。 The 

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