ian fleming.casino royale-第10部分

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　She　seemed　to　Bond　to　give　a　quick　involuntary　shrug　of　the　shoulders　as　she　spoke；　but　then　she　leant　impulsively　towards　him。
　'I　have　some　news　for　you　from　Mathis。　He　was　longing　to　tell　you　himself。　It's　about　the　bomb。　It's　a　fantastic　story。'
　
　
　CHAPTER　9　…　THE　GAME　IS　BACCARAT
　Bond　looked　round；　but　there　was　no　possibility　of　being　overheard；　and　the　caviar　would　be　waiting　for　the　hot　toast　from　the　kitchens。
　'Tell　me。'　His　eyes　glittered　with　interest。
　'They　got　the　third　Bulgar；　on　the　road　to　Paris。　He　was　in　a　Citro？n　and　he　had　picked　up　two　English　hikers　as　protective　colouring。　At　the　road…block　his　French　was　so　bad　that　they　asked　for　his　papers　and　he　brought　out　a　gun　and　shot　one　of　the　motor…cycle　patrol。　But　the　other　man　got　him；　I　don't　know　how；　and　managed　to　stop　him　mitting　suicide。　Then　they　took　him　down　to　Rouen　and　extracted　the　story　…　in　the　usual　French　fashion；　I　suppose。
　'Apparently　they　were　part　of　a　pool　held　in　France　for　this　sort　of　job　…　saboteurs；　thugs；　and　so　on　…　and　Mathis's　friends　are　already　trying　to　round　up　the　rest。　They　were　to　get　two　million　francs　for　killing　you　and　the　agent　who　briefed　them　told　them　there　was　absolutely　no　chance　of　being　caught　if　they　followed　his　instructions　exactly。'
　She　took　a　sip　of　vodka。　'But　this　is　the　interesting　part。'
　'The　agent　gave　them　the　two　camera…cases　you　saw。　He　said　the　bright　colours　would　make　it　easier　for　them。　He　told　them　that　the　blue　case　contained　a　very　powerful　smoke…bomb。　The　red　case　was　the　explosive。　As　one　of　them　threw　the　red　case；　the　other　was　to　press　a　switch　on　the　blue　case　and　they　would　escape　under　cover　of　the　smoke。　In　fact；　the　smoke…bomb　was　a　pure　invention　to　make　the　Bulgars　think　they　could　get　away。　Both　cases　contained　an　identical　high…explosive　bomb。　There　was　no　difference　between　the　blue　and　the　red　cases。　The　idea　was　to　destroy　you　and　the　bomb…throwers　without　trace。　Presumably　there　were　other　plans　for　dealing　with　the　third　man。'
　'Go　on；'　said　Bond；　full　of　admiration　for　the　ingenuity　of　the　double…cross。
　'Well；　apparently　the　Bulgars　thought　this　sounded　very　fine；　but　cannily　they　decided　to　take　no　chances。　It　would　be　better；　they　thought；　to　touch　off　the　smoke…bomb　first　and；　from　inside　the　cloud　of　smoke；　hurl　the　explosive　bomb　at　you。　What　you　saw　was　the　assistant　bomb…thrower　pressing　down　the　lever　on　the　phoney　smoke…bomb　and；　of　course；　they　both　went　up　together。
　'The　third　Bulgar　was　waiting　behind　the　Splendide　to　pick　his　two　friends　up。　When　he　saw　what　had　happened；　he　assumed　they　had　bungled。　But　the　police　picked　up　some　fragments　of　the　unexploded　red　bomb　and　he　was　confronted　with　them。　When　he　saw　that　they　had　been　tricked　and　that　his　two　friends　were　meant　to　be　murdered　with　you；　he　started　to　talk。　I　expect　he's　still　talking　now。　But　there's　nothing　to　link　all　this　with　Le　Chiffre。　They　were　given　the　job　by　some　intermediary；　perhaps　one　of　Le　Chiffre's　guards；　and　Le　Chiffre's　name　means　absolutely　nothing　to　the　one　who　survived。'
　She　finished　her　story　just　as　the　waiters　arrived　with　the　caviar；　a　mound　of　hot　toast；　and　small　dishes　containing　finely　chopped　onion　and　grated　hard…boiled　egg；　the　white　in　one　dish　and　the　yoke　in　another。
　The　caviar　was　heaped　on　to　their　plates　and　they　ate　for　a　time　in　silence。
　After　a　while　Bond　said：　'It's　very　satisfactory　to　be　a　corpse　who　changes　places　with　his　murderers。　For　them　it　certainly　was　a　case　of　being　hoist　with　their　own　petard。　Mathis　must　be　very　pleased　with　the　day's　work　…　five　of　the　opposition　neutralized　in　twenty…four　hours；'　and　he　told　her　how　the　Muntzes　had　been　confounded。
　'Incidentally；'　he　asked；　'how　did　you　e　to　get　mixed　up　in　this　affair？　What　section　are　you　in？'
　'I'm　personal　assistant　to　Head　of　S。'　said　Vesper。　'As　it　was　his　plan；　he　wanted　his　section　to　have　a　hand　in　the　operation　and　he　asked　M　if　I　could　go。　It　seemed　only　to　be　a　liaison　job；　so　M　said　yes　although　he　told　my　chief　that　you　would　be　furious　at　being　given　a　woman　to　work　with。'　She　paused　and　when　Bond　said　nothing　continued：　'I　had　to　meet　Mathis　in　Paris　and　e　down　with　him。　I've　got　a　friend　who　is　a　vendeuse　with　Dior　and　somehow　she　managed　to　borrow　me　this　and　the　frock　I　was　wearing　this　morning；　otherwise　I　couldn't　possibly　have　peted　with　all　these　people。'　She　made　a　gesture　towards　the　room。
　'The　office　was　very　jealous　although　they　didn't　know　what　the　job　was。　All　they　knew　was　that　I　was　to　work　with　a　Double　O。　Of　course　you're　our　heroes。　I　was　enchanted。'
　Bond　frowned。　'It's　not　difficult　to　get　a　Double　O　number　if　you're　prepared　to　kill　people；'　he　said。　'That's　all　the　meaning　it　has。　It's　nothing　to　be　particularly　proud　of。　I've　got　the　corpses　of　a　Japanese　cipher　expert　in　New　York　and　a　Norwegian　double　agent　in　Stockholm　to　thank　for　being　a　Double　0。　Probably　quite　decent　people。　They　just　got　caught　up　in　the　gale　of　the　world　like　that　Yugoslav　that　Tito　bumped　off。　It's　a　confusing　business　but　if　it's　one's　profession；　one　does　what　one's　told。　How　do　you　like　the　grated　egg　with　your　caviar？'
　'It's　a　wonderful　bination；'　she　said。　'I'm　loving　my　dinner。　It　seems　a　shame　。　。　。'　She　stopped；　warned　by　a　cold　look　in　Bond's　eye。
　'If　it　wasn't　for　the　job；　we　wouldn't　be　here；'　he　said。
　Suddenly　he　regretted　the　intimacy　of　their　dinner　and　of　their　talk。　He　felt　he　had　said　too　much　and　that　what　was　only　a　working　relationship　had　bee　confused。
　'Let's　consider　what　has　to　be　done；'　he　said　in　a　matter…of…fact　voice。　'I'd　better　explain　what　I'm　going　to　try　and　do　and　how　you　can　help。　Which　isn't　very　much　I'm　afraid；'　he　added。
　'Now　these　are　the　basic　facts。'　He　proceeded　to　sketch　out　the　plan　and　enumerate　the　various　contingencies　which　faced　them。
　The　ma？tre　d'h？tel　supervised　the　serving　of　the　second　course　and　then　as　they　ate　the　delicious　food；　Bond　continued。
　She　listened　to　him　coldly；　but　with　attentive　obedience。　She　felt　thoroughly　deflated　by　his　harshness；　while　admitting　to　herself　that　she　should　have　paid　more　heed　to　the　warning　of　Head　of　S。
　'He's　a　dedicated　man；'　her　chief　had　said　when　he　gave　her　the　assignment。　'Don't　imagine　this　is　going　to　be　any　fun。　He　thinks　of　nothing　but　the　job　on　hand　and；　while　it's　on；　he's　absolute　hell　to　work　for。　But　he's　an　expert　and　there　aren't　many　about；　so　you　won't　be　wasting　your　time。　He's　a　good…looking　chap；　but　don't　fall　for　him。　I　don't　think　he's　got　much　heart。　Anyway；　good　luck　and　don't　get　hurt。'
　All　this　had　been　something　of　a　challenge　and　she　was　pleased　when　she　felt　she　attracted　and　interested　him；　as　she　knew　intuitively　that　she　did。　Then　at　a　hint　that　they　were　finding　pleasure　together；　a　hint　that　was　only　the　first　words　of　a　conventional　phrase；　he　had　suddenly　turned　to　ice　and　had　brutally　veered　away　as　if　warmth　were　poison　to　him。　She　felt　hurt　and　foolish。　Then　she　gave　a　mental　shrug　and　concentrated　with　all　her　attention　on　what　he　was　saying。　She　would　not　make　the　same　mistake　again。
　'。　。　。　and　the　main　hope　is　to　pray　for　a　run　of　luck　for　me；　or　against　him。'
　Bond　was　explaining　just　how　baccarat　is　played。
　'It's　much　the　same　as　any　other　gambling　game。　The　odds　against　the　banker　and　the　player　are　more　or　less　even。　Only　a　run　against　either　can　be　decisive　and　'break　the　bank'；　or　break　the　players。
　'Tonight；　Le　Chiffre；　we　know；　has　bought　the　baccarat　bank　from　the　Egyptian　syndicate　which　is　running　the　high　tables　here。　He　paid　a　million　francs　for　it　and　his　capital　has　been　reduced　to　twenty…four　million。　I　have　about　the　same。　There　will　be　ten　players；　I　expect；　and　we　sit　round　the　banker　at　a　kidney…shaped　table。
　'Generally；　this　table　is　divided　into　two　tableaux。　The　banker　plays　two　games；　one　against　each　of　the　tableaux　to　left　and　right　of　him。　In　the　game　that　banker　should　be　able　to　win　by　playing　off　one　tableaux　against　the　other　and　by　first…class　accountancy。　But　there　aren't　enough　baccarat　players　yet　at　Royale　and　Le　Chiffre　is　just　going　to　pit　his　luck　against　the　other　players　at　the　single　tableau。　It's　unusual　because　the　odds　in　favour　of　the　banker　aren't　so　good；　but　they're　a　shade　in　his　favour　and；　of　course；　he　has　control　of　the　size　of　the　stakes。
　'Well；　the　banker　sits　there　in　the　middle　with　a　croupier　to　rake　in　the　cards　and　call　the　amount　of　each　bank　and　a　chef　de　partie　to　umpire　the　game　generally。　I　shall　be　sitting　as　near　dead　opposite　Le　Chiffre　as　I　can　get。　In　front　of　him　he　has　a　shoe　containing　six　packs　of　cards；　well　shuffled。　There's　absolutely　no　chance　of　tampering　with　the　shoe。　The　cards　are　shuffled　by　the　croupier　and　cut　by　one　of　the　players　and　put　into　the　shoe　in　full　view　of　the　table。　We've　checked　on　the　staff　and　they're　all　okay。　It　would　be　useful；　but　almost　impossible；　to　mark　all　the　cards；　and　it　would　mean　the　connivance　at　least　of　the　croupier。　Anyway；　we　shall　be　watching　for　that　too。'
　Bond　drank　some　champagne　and　continued。
　'Now　what　happens　at　the　game　is　this。　The　banker　announces　an　opening　bank　of　five　hundred　thousand　francs；　of　five　hundred　pou