johngardner.rollofhonor-第1部分

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litan　Police　do　not　encounter　hijackers　attempting　a　quick　getaway　during　the　rush　hour。
　Neither　do　they　expect　trouble　with　a　cargo　that　is　sewn　up　tight。
　Only　a　privileged　few　knew　exactly　when　the　Kruxator　Collection　would　arrive　in　the　country。　　That　it　was　due　to　e　to　Britain　was　mon　knowledge；　and　you　had　only　to　read　a　newspaper　to　discover　that　March　15th　was　the　day　on　which　the　fabled　group　of　paintings　and　jewellery　were　to　go　on　display　…　for　two　weeks　…　at　the　Victoria　and　Albert　Museum。
　The　Kruxator　Collection　is　called　after　its　founder；　the　late　Niko　Kruxator；　whose　fabulous　wealth　arose　from　sources　unknown；　for　he　had　arrived　penniless　in　the　United　States　at　about　the　time　of　the　Wall　Street　Crash　in　October　1929。　　By　the　time　he　died　in　1977；　most　people　thought　of　him　as　the　Greek　shipping　magnate；　but　he　still　held　his　interest　in　Kruxator　Restaurants；　and　the　great　international　chain　of　Krux…Lux　Hotels。
　He　was　also　sole　owner　of　the　Kruxator　Collection；　which　he　left　to　the　country　of　his　adoption　…　all　300　paintings　and　700　fantastic　objects　of　art；　including　three　icons　dating　back　to　the　fifteenth　century；　smuggled　out　of　Russia　at　the　time　of　the　Revolution；　and　no　less　than　sixteen　pieces　once　owned　by　the　Borgias：　a　collection　beyond　price；　though　insured　for　billions　of　dollars。
　The　two…week　London　showing　of　the　Kruxator　Collection　would　be　the　last　in　its　tour　of　European　capitals　before　the　whole　consignment　was　returned　to　New　York。　　Niko　had　been　shrewd　enough　to　leave　an　endowment　for　a　gallery　in　which　these　priceless　objects　could　be　displayed。　　He　wanted　to　be　remembered；　and　had　taken　steps　to　make　certain　that　his　name　would　be　linked　with　those　of　Van　Gogh；　Breughel；　El　Greco；　Matisse；　Picasso　and　others。　　Not　that　he　was　knowledgeable　about　art；　but　he　could　sense　a　fair　bargain　which　would　appreciate　in　value；　and　had　acquired　the　collection　as　an　investment。
　A　private　security　firm　looked　after　the　precious　paintings；　drawings　and　gems　on　a　permanent　basis；　though　host　countries　were　expected　to　provide　extra　cover。　　Nobody　was　in　any　doubt　that　the　two　armoured　vans　that　carried　the　exhibits　were　at　constant　risk。
　When　the　collection　was　on　display；　an　elaborate　system　of　electronics　protected　every　item。
　The　cargo　came　into　Heathrow　on　an　unannounced　747　at　six　minutes　past　four　in　the　afternoon。　　The　Boeing　was　directed　to　an　unloading　bay　far　away　from　the　passenger　terminals　…　near　the　old　Hunting　Clan　hangars；　which　still　display　the　name　of　that　pany　in　large　white　letters。
　The　armoured　vans　were　waiting。　　They　had　arrived　by　the　sea　route　after　depositing　the　collection　the　previous　evening　at　the　Charles　De　Gaulle　airport　in　Paris。　　Two　unmarked　police　cars；　each　containing　four　armed　plainclothes　officers；　were　now　in　attendance。
　The　loaders　were　trusted　employees　of　the　Kruxator　Agency　who　knew　their　task　so　well　that　the　entire　cargo　was　off　the　aircraft　and　packed　into　the　vans　in　less　than　an　hour。　　The　unremarkable　convoy；　led　by　one　of　the　police　cars；　the　other　taking　up　the　rear；　set　off　to　make　a　circuit　of　the　perimeter　before　joining　the　normal　flow　of　traffic　through　the　underpass　and　out　on　to　the　M4　motorway。　　It　was　just　after　five…fifteen　and　the　light　was　beginning　to　go；　with　traffic　starting　to　build　up　both　in　and　out　of　the　capital。　Even　so；　within　half　an　hour　the　procession　would　arrive　at　the　end　of　the　motorway　where　the　road　narrows　to　two　lanes；　taking　vehicles　on　to　what　is　dubiously　known　as　the　Hammersmith　Flyover；　and　then　into　the　Cromwell　Road。
　Later　reports　from　the　police　cars　…　which　were　in　touch　by　radio　with　the　armoured　vans　…　showed　a　certain　amount　of　confusion　during　the　early　part　of　the　journey。　　An　eye…catching　black　girl；　driving　a　violet　coloured　sports　car；　managed　to　e　between　the　leading　car　and　the　first　van　just　as　the　convoy　climbed　the　ramp　on　to　the　Flyover；　while　an　equally　striking　white　girl；　in　a　violet　dress；　driving　a　black　sports　car；　cut　in　between　the　second　van　and　the　police　car　in　the　rear。
　At　first　nothing　alarming　was　reported　over　the　radios；　though　the　police　vehicles　and　the　armoured　vans　were　being　separated　even　further　by　the　manoeuvres　of　the　two　girls　who　had　tucked　the　violet　Lancia　and　the　black　Ferrari　neatly　into　the　convoy。　　The　trailing　police　car　made　two　efforts　to　overtake　and　get　back　into　position　but　was　thwarted　by　the　Ferrari。　　Each　time　it　either　swung　out　to　prevent　the　police　car　from　getting　in；　or　pulled　over　to　allow　other　vehicles　to　overtake。
　The　Lancia　was　carving　up　the　front　part　of　the　convoy　in　a　similar　way。　By　the　time　they　reached　the　Cromwell　Road　not　only　had　the　gap　widened　between　the　police　cars　and　the　armoured　vans；　but　the　two　vans　had　also　been　parted。
　The　route　had　been　chosen　to　ensure　maximum　security。　　The　convoy　was　to　swing　left　off　the　Cromwell　Road　and　proceed　into　Kensington　High　Street；　then　turn　right　before　Knightsbridge；　reaching　Exhibition　Road　via　the　one…way　system　so　as　to　gain　access　to　the　rear　of　the　Victoria　and　Albert　Museum；　well　away　from　the　exposed　main　entrance。
　One　police　car　had　reached　the　Royal　Garden　Hotel；　on　the　High　Street　side　of　Kensington　Gardens；　and　the　other　was　only　just　entering　the　far　end　of　the　High　Street；　when　radio　munications　ceased。
　The　car　in　front　broke　all　security　regulations；　activating　its　Klaxon　and　U…turning　across　a　blocked　mass　of　traffic　to　make　its　way　back　along　Kensington　High　Street。　　The　rear　car；　also　in　some　panic；　began　to　move　aggressively。　　A　chaos　of　honking；　hooting　vehicles　was　suddenly　smothered　in　a　thick　pall　of　choking；　violet　coloured　smoke。
　Later；　the　drivers　and　shotgun　riders　of　the　two　vans　gave　identical　accounts　of　what　happened：　〃The　coloured　smoke　was　just　there。　　No　warning；　no　bombs；　nothing；　just　dense；　purple　smoke　out　of　nowhere。
　Then　everything　in　the　cab　went　live；　as　though　we'd　developed　some　terrible　electrical　fault。　　When　that　happens　you　turn　off　the　engine；　but　the　shocks　kept　ing；　and　we　knew　we　could　be　electrocuted。
　Getting　out　was　a　gut　reaction　。
　No　one　remembered　anything　after　escaping　from　the　vans；　and　all　four　men　were　later　discovered；　still　in　safety　helmets　and　flak　jackets；　neatly　laid　out　on　the　pavement。　　They　were　treated　for　respiratory　problems；　as　were　many　others　who　had　been　in　the　vicinity；　for　the　smoke　had　an　unpleasant　effect　on　the　lungs。
　The　two　vans　simply　disappeared；　as　though　a　hole　had　opened　up　in　the　road；　engulfed　them；　and　then　closed　over　again。
　The　police　officer　in　charge　of　the　investigation　appeared　on　News　at　Ten　that　evening　saying　that　the　robbery　had　been　planned　to　the　second。　It　must　have　been　rehearsed　again　and　again。　　In　fact；　as　he　confided　to　his　colleagues　beforehand；　so　precise　was　the　timing　that　you　might　well　suppose　it　to　have　been　a　puterised　theft。　　The　only　clues　were　the　two　sports　cars　and　the　descriptions　of　their　drivers。
　The　Central　Registry；　however；　soon　revealed　that　the　sports　cars'　number　plates　…　noted　accurately　by　police　officers　…　had　never　been　issued　to　any　vehicle。
　The　Kruxator　robbery　was　daring；　exact；　brilliant　and　very　costly。
　The　lack　of　progress　made　by　the　police　investigating　it　remained　in　the　headlines　for　the　best　part　of　a　month。　　Even　the　sly　ments　suggesting　a　breach　of　security；　and　the　sudden　resignation　of　a　senior　member　of　the　Secret　Intelligence　Service　…　by　name；　mander　James　Bond　…　were　relegated　to　a　corner　of　page　two　and　soon　lost　altogether　to　the　public　eye。
　
　OUTER　DARKNESS
　
　IN　THE　BEGINNING；　Standing　Orders　were　quite　clear。
　Paragraph　12（c）　instructed　that；　Any　officer　classified　as　being　on　active　duty　who　is　subject　to　any　alteration　in　private　financial　status　will　inform　Head　of　A　Section　giving　full　details　and　providing　any　documentation　that　is　thought　either　necessary　or　desirable　by　him。
　Section　A　is；　of　course；　Accounts；　but　confidential　information　such　as　James　Bond's　Australian　legacy　automatically　went　personally　to　M；　Records；　and　the　Chief…of…Staff　as　well。
　In　the　ordinary　mercial　world；　Bond　would　have　received　numerous　warm　expressions　of　congratulation　on　his　unexpected　windfall。
　Not　so　in　the　Service。　　Those　who　work　for　Records　are　tight…lipped　by　tradition　as　well　as　training。　　Neither　M　nor　Bill　Tanner　would　think　of　bringing　the　matter　up；　for　both　were　of　the　old　school　which　rightly　considered　details　of　private　money　to　be　of　a　personal　nature。
　The　fact　that　they　both　knew　would　never　stop　them　pretending　they　did　not。　　It　was；　then；　almost　a　shock　when　M　himself　mentioned　it。
　The　months　immediately　prior　to　Bond　receiving　the　news　of　his　legacy　had　been　dull　with　routine。　　He　always　found　the　paperwork　part　of　his　job　debilitating　and　boring；　but　that　summer　…　now　eighteen　months　ago　was　particularly　irksome；　especially　as　he　had　taken　all　his　leave　early；　a　mistake　which　condemned　him　to　day　after　day　of　files；　memos；　directives　and　other　people's　reports。　　As　so　often　happened　in　Bond's　world　there　was　absolutely　nothing　…　not　even　a　simple　confidential　courier　job　…　to　alleviate　the　drudgery　of　those　hot　months。
　Then；　early　in