johngardner.rollofhonor-第26部分

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ntrenched　Militia。
　〃One　hopes　that　any　change　can　only　be　for　the　good；　and　that　lives　are　not　put　at　risk；'　Bond　said　after　a　pause。
　〃Lives　are　always　at　risk。〃　The　Master　of　Endor　found　himself　losing　four　caches　of　weapons　and　ammunition　in　a　farmhouse　on　the　far　side　of　Lexington。　　He　realised　that　Bond　had　also　begun　to　move　his　forces　on　Concord。　　He　shrugged。　　〃But；　as　for　your　own　life；　I　know　there　is　no　point　in　threatening　you　with　sudden　death。　　Any　threat　to　your　person　is　of　little　importance。
　〃I　wouldn't　say　that。〃　Bond　found　himself　smiling。　　〃We　all　like　life。　The　thought　of　being　separated　from　it　is　as　good　a　lever　as　any。
　The　date　on　the　calendar　easel　showed　them　almost　at　the　end　of　December；　and　the　weather　was　against　both　sides。　　All　either　of　them　could　do　now　was　consolidate　openly；　or　by　using　the　clandestine　option。　Bond　decided　to　divide　his　forces；　encircling　the　road　between　Lexington　and　Concord；　while　his　remaining　troops　continued　to　fortify　the　hills　and　heights。　　Jay　Autem　Holy　appeared　to　be　playing　a　more　devious　game；　sniping　at　British　patrols　and；　Bond　suspected；　moving　forces　on　to　the　high　ground　already　occupied　by　the　British。　　They　played；　turn　after　turn　as　the　weather　grew　worse　and　movement　was　constantly　restricted。　Throughout　this　phase；　the　Master　of　Endor　carried　on　a　conversation　that　appeared　to　have　little　to　do　with　the　simulated　battle。
　〃Your　part　in　our　mission。　　。　　。　　he　took　out　five　of　Bond's　men　〃　。
　is　of　exceptional　importance；　and　you　will　undoubtedly　have　to　use　much　fiction　and　illusion　to　acplish　it。〃
　〃Yes。　　I've　been　giving　it　a　lot　of　thought。〃
　〃Have　you　given　thought　to　the　way　governments　mislead　their　gullible　peoples？〃
　〃How　do　you　mean？〃　Bond　now　had　sizeable　forces　on　all　three　sections　of　ground　overlooking　Boston。
　〃The　obvious；　of　course；　is　the　so…called　balance　of　power。　　The　United　States　does　not　draw　attention　to　the　fact　that　it　is　outnumbered　in　space　by　Russian　satellites　…　not　to　mention　things　like　the　fractional　orbital　bombing　system；　in　which　the　Soviets　hold　a　monopoly　of　seventeen　to　zero。
　〃The　figures　are　there　for　anybody　to　see。〃　Bond　would　soon　have　to　make　a　serious　challenge　from　the　high　ground；　as　Colonial　forces　struggled　upwards　in　increasing　numbers；　restricted　by　both　the　climb　and　the　weather。
　〃Oh　yes；　but　neither　side　makes　a　big　thing　about　figures。〃　Holy　scanned　the　board；　brow　creased。　　〃Except　when　Russia　takes　umbrage　at　the　deployment　of　Cruise　and　Pershings　in　Europe。　　Even　when　she　can　more　than　adequately　match　them。　　But　James；　what　is　the　real　conspiracy　here？　　The　British　government　ties　up　many　policemen　controlling　anti…nuclear　protesters。　　Yet　nobody　says　to　these　well…meaning　people；　〃If　it　happens；　brothers　and　sisters；　it's　not　going　to　happen　with　the　big　nuclear　bang。　　Cruise　and　Pershing　are　only　for　rattling。
　What　could　occur　would　be　ten　thousand　times　worse。
　They　do　not　stop　to　tell　the　worthy　ladies　at　Greenham　mon　or　the　marchers　in　London。〃
　〃Nobody　tells　the　protesters　in　the　United　States　either。〃　Bond　watched　as　his　opponent　edged　even　larger　numbers　of　men　towards　the　waiting　British　guns；　and　fought　a　small　skirmish　along　the　constant　battlefront　of　the　country　between　Boston　and　Concord。
　〃And　yet；　if　it　came；　James；　what　would　happen？〃
　〃Your　guess　is　as　good　as　mine。　　Certainly　not　the　big　bang　and　the　mushroom　cloud。　　More　like　the　bright　lights　and　a　very　nasty　chemical　cloud。〃
　〃Quite　。　　。　　。
　I　challenge　from　this　hex。〃　Holy's　arm　moved　out；　to　an　area　between　Concord　and　Lexington；　where　British　troops　were　now　much　thinner　on　the　ground。　　〃No；　it　will　be　neutrons　and　chemicals。　　A　lot　of　death；　but　little　destruction。　　Then　a　confrontation　in　space；　with　the　Soviets　holding　the　big　stick　up　there。〃
　〃Unless　the　United　States　and　NATO　have　done　something　to　equalise　things。　　That's　what　is　going　on；　isn't　it？〃　Why　this？　　Bond　asked　himself。　　Why　talk　to　me　about　the　balance　of　power；　and　the　place　nuclear　weapons　play　in　that　balance？
　Then　he　recalled　the　sound　advice　always　given　in　classes　on　interrogation　…　listen　to　the　words；　ignore　the　orchestration　that　makes　the　banal　words　seem　more　intelligent；　the　clever；　soaring　strings　that　take　your　mind　from　the　cheap　potency　of　simple；　emotional　ideas。
　By　now　it　was　late　January　in　the　game　and；　at　a　Challenge；　Bond　had　to　reveal　there　were　British　forces　ringing　the　far　side　of　Concord。　　Jay　Autem　Holy　started　to　cut　them　apart　with　his　Colonial　Militia；　sniping　across　the　winter　landscape。　　Bond　saw　how　addictive　this　kind　of　exercise　could　bee。　　You　could　almost　feel　the　cold　and　fatigue　which　played　havoc　with　men's　strength　and　fighting　ability。
　You　even　heard　the　crack　of　musket　fire；　and　saw　the　blood　staining　the　dirty　snow　in　some　farmer's　field。
　Dr　Jay　Autem　Holy　was　not　really　talking　about　the　lopsided　balance　of　power。　　He　was　talking　about　the　need　to　end　the　whole　system　which　controlled　that　balance。
　〃Would　the　world　not　be　a　better　and　safer　place　if　the　real　strength　were　removed？〃　he　asked；　making　another　foray　into　the　bleak　Massachusetts　winter　scene。　　〃If　the　stings　were　drawn　from　the　superpowers'　tails？〃
　〃If　it　were　possible；　yes；'　Bond　agreed。　　〃It　would　be　better；　but　I　doubt　safer。　　The　world's　always　been　a　dangerous　place。〃　One　more　turn　and　he　would　have　to　declare　his　presence　in　the　hills。
　Holy　leaned　back；　temporarily　stopping　play。　　〃We're　involved　in　halting　the　race　to　the　holocaust　…　nuclear；　neutron　or　chemical。　　To　you　is　entrusted　the　task　of　getting　that　EPOC　frequency。　　Now；　do　you　yet　have　a　way？〃　As　though　he　did　not　expect　an　answer；　he　played　through　his　turn；　concentrating　on　bringing　men　well　into　the　British　firing　zone。
　〃I　have　the　makings　of　a　plan。　　It　will　require　certain　information　in　advance　〃What　kind　of　information？〃
　〃When　you　need　the　frequency；　I　shall　have　to　know；　a　little　ahead　of　time；　exactly　who　is　the　Duty　Security　Officer；　for　the　night　in　question；　at　the　Foreign　Office。
　〃That　presents　no　problem。　　One　man　does　the　job　for　a　whole　week；　yes？〃
　〃As　a　rule。〃
　〃And　he　is　a　senior　officer？〃　Bond　spread　the　fingers　of　his　right　hand；　making　a　rocking　movement。　　〃Let's　say　middle　management。
　〃But　you　are　likely　to　know　him？〃
　〃That's　why　I　have　to　get　a　name。　　If　you　can't　provide　it；　I　shall　have　to　telephone　〃We　can。
　〃Then；　if　I　know　him；　I　shall　still　have　to　make　a　call。
　If　he　is　unknown　to　me　…　an　unlikely　possibility　…　I'll　have　to　think　again。〃
　〃If　you　know　him？〃
　〃I　have　a　way　of　getting　in。　　I　should　need　an　hour　at　the　most　in　his　pany。〃　Bond　prayed　it　would　work。
　He　had　to　have　some　munication　with　the　outside　world。
　〃I　challenge　you　here。〃　Bond's　finger　hovered　around　the　upper　reaches　of　Breed's　Hill。
　〃But。　　。　　。　　〃　his　opponent　began；　then　realised　the　trap　which　Bond　had　sprung。
　A　few　minutes　later；　as　he　faced　slaughter　on　the　slopes　of　Bunker's　Hill；　having　lost　the　majority　of　his　men　and　arms　on　Dorchester　Heights　and　Breed's　Hill；Jay　Autem　angrily　told　Bond　that　he　would　have　plenty　of　warning。
　〃You'll　know　who　the　officer　is；　that　I　promise　you。〃　He　watched　as　Bond　revealed　two　more　cannon　to　counterattacking　militia　on　the　far　side　of　the　hill。　　〃This　is　the　wrong　way　round；'　he　said；　barely　controlling　his　rage。
　〃And　Bunker's　Hill　shouldn't　happen　until　June。　　It's　hardly　February！〃
　〃And　this　is　the　fiction；'　Bond　said。　　〃The　reality's　history　…　even　though　a　great　deal　of　history　happens　to　be　fiction　too。〃　He　was　quite　pleased　with　his　showing　on　this　simulation；　and　allowed　imagination　to　run　riot。　　The　weather　for　this　series　of　turns　was　heavy　rain；　with　a　cold　blustery　wind　running　up　from　the　sea。　　The　wind　raged　as　men　and　guns　were　locked　on　the　barren　hill；　their　cries　lost　in　the　cold；　while　the　rebels　still　in　Boston　were　at　the　mercy　of　British　guns　from　Dorchester　and　Breed's　Hill。
　Then；　suddenly；　the　storm　broke。　　Jay　Autem　Holy's　chest　seemed　to　swell；　and　his　cheeks　turned　from　red　to　crimson。
　〃You　。　　。　　。　　You　。　　。　　。　　You　。　　。　　。〃　The　voice　rose　to　a　scream。
　〃You've　beaten　me！　　ME！〃　One　huge　hand　swept　the　papers　from　his　playing　area；　then　came　down　in　a　fist。
　〃How　dare　you？　　How　dare　you　even　It　was　an　awesome　rage　as　he　spluttered；　stamping　his　feet；　kicking　the　table。　　Awesome；　and　yet　funny；　as　a　child's　tantrums　are　amusing　yet　distressing。　　He　went　on　spluttering；　blustering；　out　of　control　to　the　extent　that　Bond　thought　he　would　be　physically　attacked。　　The　man　was；　as　he　had　already　thought；　quite　unhinged；　with　a　dangerous；　deep…seated　madness。
　Then；　as　suddenly　as　the　rage　had　begun；　it　stopped。
　There　was　no　dusk；　no　twilight；　for　sanity　appeared　to　return；　and　he　stood；　looking　for　a　brief　moment　like　a　chastened　child。
　〃The　Militia　could　rally　yet。〃　The　voice　was　small；　throaty。　　〃But　we've　played　too　long。　　I　have　other　things　to　do。　　Better　things。
　He　stood；　as　though　winning　or　losing　a　game　were　now　of　little　consequence　to　him。　　When　he　spoke　again；　the　tone　was　pletely　normal；　as　if　nothing　unusual　had　taken　place；　quiet　and　conversational；　making　it　all　the　more　bizarre。
　〃