johngardner.rollofhonor-第23部分

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　But　St。　John…Finnes　sat　at　his　desk；　the　large　puter　keyboard　in　front　of　him　and　the　V。D。U。　　giving　Out　a　glow　of　colour。
　〃James；　it's　nice　to　have　you　back。　　He　signalled　with　his　head　that　Tigerbalm　and　Happy　should　leave；　then　gestured　to　an　easy　chair。
　〃Well；'　he　went　on　brightly　when　they　were　settled。
　〃I'm　sorry　you　were　put　to　some　inconvenience。〃
　〃I　could　have　been　killed　quite　easily。〃　Bond　spoke　in　a　level；　calm　manner。
　〃Yes。　　Yes；　I'm　sorry　about　that。　　But　in　the　event　it　was　you　who　did　the　killing；　I　gather。〃
　〃Only　because　I　had　to。　　Habits　take　a　long　time　to　die。
　I　think　my　reactions　are　reasonably　fast。〃　The　narrow；　bird　like　head　moved　up　and　down　in　prehension。　　〃Yes；　the　reports　all　say　you're　rather　good。　　You　must　understand　that　we　had　to　be　sure　of　you。
　I　mean；　one　error　and　a　great　deal　of　money；　and　planning；　would　have　been　in　jeopardy。〃　Bond　said　nothing。
　〃Anyway；　you　passed　with　flying　colours。　　I'm　glad；　because　we　need　you。　You're　now　aware　of　the　connection　between　things　here　at　Endor；　and　the　training　camp；　Erewhon？〃
　〃I　understand　you　and　your　partner；　Mr。　Tamil　Rahani；　run　a　rather　strange　enterprise；　hiring　mercenaries　to　terrorist　and　revolutionary　groups；'　Bond　stated　flatly。
　〃Oh；　a　little　more　than　that。〃　His　manner　was　now　benign；　smiling　and　nodding。　　〃We　can　offer　plete　packages。　　A　group　es　to　us　with　an　idea　and　we　do　everything　else；　from　raising　the　money　to　performing　the　operation。　　For　instance；　the　job　you　have　been　recruited　for　has　been　on　the　drawing　board　some　time　now；　and　we　stand　to　gain　a　great　deal　from　it。〃　Bond　said　he　realised　that　he　had　been　vetted；　and　he　knew　there　was　a　job　for　him　within　the　organisation；　and　connected　to　an　operation；　〃But　I've　no　idea　of　the。
　〃Details？　　No；　of　course　you　haven't。　　Just　as　in　your　old　Service　people　work　on　a　need…to…know　basis；　so　we　must　be　exceptionally　careful；　particularly　with　this　current　work。　　No　one　person　is　in　possession　of　the　full　picture；　with　the　exception　of　Colonel　Rahani　and　myself；　of　course。〃　He　made　a　slight　movement　of　the　fingers　and　head；　which　was　meant　to　convey　modesty。　　It　was　a　curiously　oriental　gesture；　as　though　he　wished　Bond　to　realise　that　he　was　really　unworthy　to　be　granted　the　honour　of　knowing　such　plans。　　Bond　also　noted　that　it　was　now　Colonel　Rahani；　and　he　wondered　where　that　title　came　from。
　especially　careful　concerning　you；　I　fear；'　St。　John…Finnes　was　saying。　〃Our　principals　were　very　much　against　giving　you　a　situation　of　trust；　but　…　since　Erewhon　…　we　have　made　them　think　twice。〃
　〃This　job？　　The　one　you've　recruited　me　for。　　。　　。　　Bond　started。　〃Has　been　in　the　making　for　a　considerable　time。　　A　large　amount　of　money　was　needed；　and　our　principals　were；　shall　we　say；　short　of　funds。　This　suited　us。　　We're　packagers；　Bond。　　So　we　packaged　some　moneymaking　projects　to　finance　the　main　thrust。〃
　〃Hence　the　Kruxator　Collection　and　other　high…tech　robberies。〃　Jay　Autem　Holy；　alias　St。　John…Finnes；　remained　icy　cold。　　Only　in　his　eyes　could　Bond　detect　a　tiny　wariness。
　〃You　e　to　interesting　deductions；　my　dear　Bond。　　For　one　who　knows　nothing。
　〃Stab　in　the　dark。〃　Bond's　face　betrayed　nothing。　　〃After　all；　there　have　been　several　imaginative　robberies　lately　all　with　the　same　handwriting。　　A　case　of　putting　two　and　two　together；　and　maybe　ing　in　with　the　correct　answer。
　Holy　made　a　nonmittal　grunt。　　〃I'll　accept　that　you're　clean；　Bond。　But　still　my　orders　are　to　segregate　you。　　You　possess　knowledge　and　skill　which　we　require　you　to　use　now。
　〃Well？〃
　〃Well；　as　a　former　field　officer　of　the　Secret　Intelligence　Service；　you　must　have　a　working　knowledge　of　the　diplomatic　and　military　munications　network。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Tell　me；　then；　do　you　know　what　an　EPOC　frequency　is？〃
　〃Yes。〃　He　remained　as　bland　as　before；　though　the　turn　of　the　conversation　was　beginning　to　worry　him。
　The　last　time　Bond　had　heard　of　EPOC　frequencies　was　when　he　had　had　to　guard　against　aggressive　signal　monitoring　during　a　visit　to　europe　by　the　President　of　the　United　States。
　EPoc　for　Emergency　Presidential　Orders　mand　EPOC　frequency　was　the　cleared　radio　which　emergency　messages　could　be　sent　during　an　official　tour　outside　the　md　of　signal　is　sent　over　an　EPOC　〃S　though　giving　the　matter　some　thought。　　〃Only　vital　military　instructions。
　Sometimes　a　response　to　a　military　problem　demanding　the　President's　decision　alone。　　Sometimes　action　inaugurated　by　him。〃
　〃And　how　are　these　orders　transmitted？〃
　〃Usual　high…speed　traffic；　but　on　a　line　kept　permanently　clear；　via　one　of　the　munications　satellites。〃
　〃No；　I　mean　the　nature　of　the　transmissions。　　The　form　they　take。〃
　〃Oh。
　A　simple　group　of　digits。　　Data；　I　suppose。　　The　orders　that　can　be　given　through　the　EPOC　frequency　are　very　limited。　　It's　rarely　used　you　know。〃
　〃Quite。〃　Holy　gave　what　could　only　be　described　as　a　knowing　smile。　〃Rarely　used；　and　very　limited　…　but　with　the　most　far…reaching　consequences？〃　Bond　agreed。　　〃The　President　would　use　the　EPOC　frequency　only　on　strong　remendation　from　his　military　advisers。
　The　messages　are　usually　concerned　with　rapid　deployment　of　conventional　troops　and　weapons。。
　〃The　alteration　in　the　Readiness　State　of　nuclear　strike　capacity？〃
　〃That's　a　priority；　yes。〃
　〃And　tell　me；　would　the　instructions　be　obeyed？　　Immediately；　I　mean。　Suppose　the　President　were；　for　the　sake　of　argument；　in　Venice　and　wished　both　to　put　NATO　forces　on　the　alert　and　prepare　his　nuclear　strike　forces　for　action。
　Would　it　be　done？　　Without　consultation？〃
　〃Quite　possibly。　　The　code　for　that　kind　of　action　is；　in　effect；　a　puter　program。　　Once　it's　fed　into　the　system　it　works。　　In　the　scenario　you're　suggesting；　the　British　Prime　Minister　and　the　mander…in…Chief　NATO　would　consult　back。　　But　the　Readiness　State　would　continue。
　〃And　if　the　British　Prime　Minister　and　the　C…in…C　NATO　forces　were　known　to　be　with　the　President　at　the　moment　of　transmission？〃　It　was　very　dangerous　ground。　　Bond　frit　his　stomach　turn　over。　　Then　he　remembered　Rahani's　words　…　〃No　blackmail　。　　。　　。　　no　plots　to　kidnap　the　President；　or　hold　the　world　to　ransom　〃In　those　circumstances　the　instructions　would　go　to　all　local　manders　automatically。　　They　would　be　fed　into　the　mainframe　puters；　the　program　would　begin　to　run；　globally；　straight　away。　　No　question。〃　This　was　something　more　devious；　more　ingenious　than　some　harebrained　revolutionary　plan　to　override　the　system　and　transmit　presidential　orders　to　raise　the　level　of　tension　between　the　superpowers。　　〃But　surely　you　know　all　of　this。〃
　〃Indeed　I　do。〃　There　was　an　almost　insane　tranquillity　in　the　way　in　which　Holy　answered。　　〃Oh；　I　know　the　minutiae。　　Just　as　I　know　who　has　access　to　the　daily　ciphers　for　use　through　the　EPOC　frequency；　and　who　also　has　access　to　that　frequency。
　〃Tell　me。〃　Bond　gave　the　impression　of　not　knowing　the　small　print。
　〃e；　Mr。　Bond。　　You　know　as　well　as　I　do。
　〃I'd　rather　hear　it　from　you；　sir。〃
　〃There　are　only　eleven　ciphers　that　are　capable　of　being　sent　via　EPOC。　These　are　seldom　altered；　for；　as　you　say；　they　are　programs；　designed　to　be　automatically　set　in　motion　while　the　President　is　out　of　the　country。　　The　eleventh　is；　incidentally；　a　countermand　program　to　stop　an　order；　returning　things　to　the　status　quo。　　But　that　can　be　used　only　on　a　limited　time　scale。
　The　frequency　itself　is　altered　at　midnight　every　two　days。　Right？〃
　〃I　believe　so。
　〃The　ciphers　are　carried　by　that　omnipresent；　and　somewhat　frightening　official　known　as　the　Bag　Man。
　Correct？〃
　〃The　system　has　been　found　reliable；'　Bond　agreed。
　〃There　was　a　Bag　Man　present　in　J。F。K。　　〃s　entourage　in　Dallas。
　It's　never　been　changed。　　He's　always　around　…　in　the　United　States　as　well　as　when　the　President　travels　abroad。　　It's　the　penalty　for　having　your　head　of　state　as　C…in…C　Armed　Forces。〃
　〃The　Bag　Man　can　part　with　the　ciphers　and　EPOC　frequency　only　to　the　President；　or　the　Vice…President；　should　anything　happen；'　Holy　went　on。　〃Should　the　President　meet　with　a　fatal　accident　overseas；　the　ciphers　would　be　immediately　null　and　void；　unless　the　Vice…President　were　with　him。〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃So；　if　someone　…　anyone　…　were　in　possession　of　the　EPOC　frequency；　and　the　eleven　ciphers；　it　would　be　possible　to　relay　a　mand　which　would　automatically　begin　to　run？〃　For　the　first　time　since　they　had　started　talking；　Bond　smiled；　slowly　shaking　his　head。
　〃No。　　There　is　a　fail　safe。
　The　EPOC　frequency　is　a　beamed　satellite　signal。　　It　goes　directly　through　one　of　the　Defense　munications　Satellite　Systems；　and　they　are　very　tricky　little　beggars。
　The　program　will　run　only　if　the　satellite　confirms　that　the　signal　has　e　directly　from　the　area　where　it　knows　…　because　it　has　been　told　…　the　President　is。　　You　would　have　to　be　very　close　to　him　before　you　could　beat　the　system。
　〃Good。〃　To　Bond's　surprise；　Jay　Autem　Holy　looked　quite　happy。
　〃Would　you　be　surprised　to　learn　that　we　already　have　the　eleven　ciphers；　the　programs？〃
　〃Nothing　surprises　me　any　more。　　But　if　you're　playing　games　with　an　Emergency　Presidential　Order　you　still　have　to　get　hold　of　the　frequency　for　the　for