johngardner.rollofhonor-第7部分

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　finger。
　〃That's　a　no…no；　James。　　But　I'm　a　good　teacher；　and　if　you　prove　to　be　a　diligent　pupil；　I　have　ways　of　rewarding　you　that　you　never　dreamed　of　when　you　were　at　school。　　Eight…thirty　sharp。　　Okay？〃
　〃You　guarantee　results；　Proud　Percy？〃
　〃I　guarantee　to　teach　you；　Bond　James；'　she　said　with　a　wicked　grin；　〃and　about　puter　programming　as　well。〃　Promptly　at　eight…thirty　the　next　morning；　Bond　knocked　on　her　door；　one　arm　hidden　behind　his　back。
　When　she　opened　up；　he　thrust　out　his　hand　to　give　her　a　large　rosy　apple。
　〃For　the　teacher；'　he　said　with　a　broad　smile。
　It　was　the　only　joke　of　the　day；　for　Percy　Proud　proved　to　be　a　hard　and　dedicated　taskmaster。
　
　
　THE　Training　TOOK　a　little　less　than　a　month　and　was　a　tribute　to　Persephone　Proud's　teaching　skill。　　Her　pupil's　capabilities　were　taxed　to　the　limit。　　The　task　had　been　equivalent　to　learning　a　new　language　and　several　plicated　dialects　as　well。　　Indeed；　Bond　could　not　remember　a　time　when　he　had　been　forced　to　call　so　heavily　on　his　mental　reserves；　to　focus　his　mind；　like　a　burning　glass；　on　the　subject　at　hand。
　They　quickly　established　a　routine；　which　seldom　varied。　　For　the　first　few　days　they　started　at　eight…thirty　each　morning；　but；　as　the　late　nights　began　to　take　their　toll；　this　was　modified　to　ten　o'clock。
　They　would　work　until　one　o'clock；　take　lunch　in　a　nearby　bar；　walking　there　and　back；　they　work　again　until　five。
　Each　evening　at　seven　they　would　go　down　to　Le　Bar；　the　Hotel　de　Paris's　famous　meeting　place；　where；　it　is　said；　the　wrists　and　necks　of　the　ladies　put　the　Cartier　showcases　to　shame。
　If　they　intended　to　stay　in　Monaco　for　the　evening　they　would　dine　at　the　hotel；　but　they　could　be　seen　at　L'Oasis　in　La　Napoule　when　the　Cannes　Casino　took　their　fancy；　sampling　the　latest　tempting　dish　invented　by　the　master　chef；　Louis　Outhier。　　Sometimes　they　would　eat　a　more　austere　meal　at　the　Negresco　in　Nice；　or　even　in　La　Reserve　at　Beaulieu；　or　…　on　occasion　…　at　the　modest　Le　Gallon　in　the　Menton　port　of　Garavan。
　The　meal　was　always　a　prelude　to　a　night　at　the　tables。
　Don't　go　invisible；　M　had　instructed。　　You　are　bait；　and　it　would　be　a　mistake　to　forget　it。　　If　they　are　trawling　there；　let　them　catch　you。
　So　the　Bentley　Mulsanne　Turbo　slid　its　silent　way　along　the　coast　roads　each　evening；　and　the　tanned；　assured　Englishman　with　his　willowy　elegant　American　panion；　became　familiar　figures　in　the　gambling　landscape　of　the　Cete　d'Azur。
　Bond　played　only　the　wheel；　and　then　conservatively　though　he　tended　to　double　up　on　bets；　plunging　heavily　on　some　evenings；　ing　away　thousands　to　the　good　on　others。　　Mainly　he　worked　to　a　system；　using　big　money　on　the　Pair；　Impair；　Manque　and　Passe　which　paid　evens；　only　occasionally　changing　to　a　Carr6　…　covering　four　numbers　at　odds　of　just　over　eight　to　one。　　Within　the　first　week；　he　was　the　equivalent　of　a　few　thousand　pounds　sterling　to　the　good　and　knew　the　various　casinos　were　watching　with　interest。　　No　casino；　even　with　the　reputation　of　those　along　that　once　glittering　coast；　is　happy　about　a　regular　who　plays　systematically　and　wins。
　Most　nights；　Percy　and　Bond　were　back　at　the　hotel　between　three　and　three…thirty　in　the　morning。　　Sometimes　it　was　earlier　…　even　one　o'clock　…　giving　them　a　chance　to　do　another　hour's　work　before　getting　a　good　sleep　before　starting　all　over　again。
　From　time　to　time；　during　those　weeks；　they　would　not　return　until　dawn。　Driving　the　coast　roads　with　the　windows　open　to　breathe　the　morning　air；　they　feasted　their　eyes　on　the　greenery　of　palm　and　plane　trees；　the　cacti　and　climbing　flowers　around　the　summer　homes　of　the　wealthy；　their　swimming　pools　fed　by　spouting　marble　dolphins。　　On　those　occasions　they　would　get　back　to　the　hotel　in　time　to　smell　the　first　coffee　of　the　day　…　one　of　the　most　satisfying　aromas　in　the　world；　Bond　thought。
　The　hotel　staff　considered　it　all　very　romantic；　the　attractive　American　lady　and　the　wealthy　Englishman；　so　lucky　at　the　tables；　and　in　love。　Nobody　would　have　dreamed　of　disturbing　the　love…birds。
　The　truth　concerning　their　enclosed　life　in　Percy's　room　was　far　removed　from　the　fantasies　of　chambermaids　and　porters；　at　least　for　the　first　couple　of　weeks。
　Percy　began　by　teaching　Bond　how　to　flowchart　a　program　…　to　draw　out；　in　a　kind　of　graph；　exactly　what　he　wanted　the　program　to　do。
　This　he　mastered　in　a　matter　of　forty…eight　hours；　after　which　the　serious　business　of　learning　the　puter　language；　Basic；　began。
　There　were　extra　lessons　on　the　use　of　graphics　and　sound。
　Towards　the　end　of　the　second　week；　Bond　started　to　learn　various　dialects　of　Basic；　gradually　grasping　the　essentials　of　further；　more　plex　languages　like　Machine　Code；　the　high…level　Pascal；　and　Forth。
　Even　in　their　spare　time；　they　spoke　of　little　else　but　the　job　in　hand；　though　usually　with　special　reference　to　Jay　Autem　Holy；　and　it　did　not　take　long　for　Bond　to　glean　that　Holy　used　his　own　hybrid　program　language；　which　Percy　referred　to　as　Holy　Code。
　〃It's　one　of　Jay　Autem's　main　strengths　as　far　as　protecting　his　programs　is　concerned；'　Percy　told　him　over　dinner。　　〃He's　still　using　the　same　system；　and　the　games　being　produced　by　Gunfire　Simulations　are　quite　inaccessible　to　other　programmers。　　He　always　said　that　if　security　were　necessary　…　and　by　God　he　believed　in　it　the　simplest　protection　is　the　best。　　He　has　an　almost　perfect　little　routine　at　the　start　of　all　his　games　programs　that's　quite　unreadable　by　anyone　who　wants　to　copy　or　get　into　the　disk。　　It's　exactly　the　same　code　he　used　to　put　on　to　his　Pentagon　work。　　Anyone　trying　to　copy　or　list　turns　the　disk　into　rubbish。〃　Bond　insisted　on　talking　about　Dr　Holy　whenever　he　was　given　the　opportunity；　to　seek　out　as　much　as　he　could　about　the　man's　strengths　and　weaknesses　before　meeting　him。　　There　could　certainly　be　no　better　instructor　than　Percy　in　this　area。
　〃He　looks　like　a　great　angry　hawk。　　Well；　you've　seen　the　photographs。〃　They　were　dining　in　the　hotel。　　〃Outward　appearances　are　not　to　be　trusted；　though。　　If　I　hadn't　been　on　a　specific　job；　I　could　so　easily　have　fallen　for　him。　　In　fact；　in　some　ways　I　did。　　There　were　often　times　when　I　hoped　he'd　prove　to　be　straight。〃　She　looked　pensive；　and　for　a　moment　it　was　as　though　she　did　not　see　Bond；　or　the　magnificent　dining　hall　dating　back　to　the　Third　Empire　and　undoubtedly　the　best　restaurant　in　the　principality。
　〃He　has　amazing　powers　of　concentration。　　That　knack　of　being　able　to　close　off　the　rest　of　the　world　and　allow　his　own　work　to　bee　the　only　reality。　　You　know　how　dangerous　that　can　be。〃　Bond　reflected　on　his　own　past　encounters　with　the　kind　of　madness　that　turned　men　into　devils。
　It　was　after　this　particular　dinner；　towards　the　end　of　the　second　week；　that　something　happened　to　change　the　even　tenor　of　Bond's　emotions　for　some　time　to　e。
　〃So；　are　we　playing　the　Salles　Privees　tonight；　or　shall　we　jaunt？〃　Percy　asked。
　Bond　decided　on　a　trip　along　the　coast　to　the　small　casino　in　Menton；　and　they　left　soon　afterwards。
　The　gaming　itself　did　not　make　it　a　night　to　remember；　though　Bond　left　with　a　few　thousand　francs　bulging　in　his　wallet。　　As　they　pulled　away　from　the　casino　to　take　the　road　through　Roquebrune…CapMartin　and　so　back　to　Monaco；　he　caught　the　lights　of　a　car　drawing　away　directly　behind　him。　　He　knew　there　had　been　a　car　there；　but　he　had　seen　nobody　getting　into　it。　　Immediately　he　told　Percy　to　tighten　her　seatbelt。
　〃Trouble？〃　she　asked；　but　betrayed　no　sign　of　nervousness。
　〃I'm　going　to　find　out；　he　said　as　he　accelerated；　letting　the　big　car　glide　steadily　into　the　nineties；　holding　well　into　the　side　of　the　narrow　road；　praying　the　police　were　not　around；　then　thinking　perhaps　it　would　be　better　if　they　were。
　The　lights　of　the　car　behind　remained　visible　in　the　driving　mirror。　When　Bond　was　forced　to　slow　…　for　that　road　twists　and　turns　before　reaching　the　long　stretch　of　two…lane　highway　…　it　came　even　closer。　　It　was　hard　to　tell　if　anything　was　wrong。　　Plenty　of　traffic　used　this　route；　though　it　was　late　and　the　season　had　yet　to　get　under　way。
　The　car　tailing　them　was　a　white　Citron；　its　distinctive　rounded　bonnet　clearly　visible　behind　the　lowered　headlights。　　It　stuck　like　a　limpet；　a　discreet　distance　behind。　　Bond　wondered　whether　it　was　just　some　young　Frenchman　or　Italian　wanting　to　race　or　show　off　to　a　girlfriend。　Yet　the　prickling　sensation　around　the　back　of　his　neck　told　him　this　was　a　more　sinister　challenge。
　They　came　off　the　two…lane　stretch　like　a　rocket；　with　Bond　stabbing　at　the　big　footbrake　in　order　to　drop　speed　quickly。　　From　there　the　road　into　Monaco　was　not　only　narrow　but　closed　in　on　both　sides　by　rockface　or　houses　leaving　little　room　for　manoeuvre。　　He　took　the　next　bend　at　about　sixty　miles　per　hour。　　Percy　made　a　little　audible　intake　of　breath。　　As　he　heard　her；　Bond　saw　the　obstruction。
　Another　car　pulled　over　to　the　right；　but　was　still　in　the　Bentley's　road　space；　its　hazard　lights　winking　like　a　dragon's　eyes。
　To　the　left　and　hardly　moving；　blocking　most　of　the　remaining　space；　was　an　old　and　decrepit　lorry；　wheezing　as　though　about　to　suffer　a　plete　collaps