if.thunderball-第20部分

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　Emilio　Largo；　No。　1；　was　a　big；　conspicuously　handsome　man　of　about　forty。　He　was　a　Roman　and　he　looked　like　a　Roman；　not　from　the　Rome　of　today；　but　from　the　Rome　of　the　ancient　coins。　The　large；　long　face　was　sunburned　a　deep　mahogany　brown　and　the　light　glinted　off　the　strong　rather　hooked　nose　and　the　clean…cut　lantern　jaw　that　had　been　meticulously　shaved　before　he　had　started　out　late　that　afternoon。　In　contrast　to　the　hard；　slow…moving　brown　eyes；　the　mouth；　with　its　thick；　rather　down…curled　lips；　belong　to　a　satyr。　Ears　that；　from　dead　in　front；　looked　almost　pointed；　added　to　an　animalness　that　would　devastate　women。　The　only　weakness　in　the　fine　centurion　face　lay　in　the　overlong　sideburns　and　the　too　carefully　waved　black　hair　that　glistened　so　brightly　with　pomade　that　it　might　almost　have　been　painted　onto　the　skull。　There　was　no　fat　on　the　big…boned　frame…Largo　had　fought　for　Italy　in　the　Olympic　foils；　was　almost　an　Olympic…class　swimmer　with　the　Australian　crawl；　and　only　a　month　before　had　won　the　senior　class　in　the　Nassau　water…ski　championships…and　the　muscles　bulged　under　the　exquisitely　cut　sharkskin　jacket。　An　aid　to　his　athletic　prowess　were　his　hands。　They　were　almost　twice　the　normal　size；　even　for　a　man　of　his　stature；　and　now；　as　they　walked　across　the　chart　holding　a　ruler　and　a　pair　of　dividers；　they　looked；　extruding　from　the　white　sleeves　that　rested　on　the　white　chart；　almost　like　large　brown　furry　animals　quite　separate　from　their　owner。
　
　Largo　was　an　adventurer；　a　predator　on　the　herd。　Two　hundred　years　before　he　would　have　been　a　pirate…not　one　of　the　jolly　ones　of　the　story　books；　but　a　man　like　Blackbeard；　a　bloodstained　cutthroat　who　scythed　his　way　through　people　toward　gold。　But　Blackbeard　had　been　too　much　of　a　bully　and　a　roughneck；　and　wherever　he　went　in　the　world　he　left　behind　a　tell…tale　shambles。　Largo　was　different。　There　was　a　cool　brain　and　an　exquisite　finesse　behind　his　actions　that　had　always　saved　him　from　the　herd's　revenge…from　his　postwar　debut　as　head　of　the　black　market　in　Naples；　through　five　lucrative　years　smuggling　from　Tangier；　five　more　master…minding　the　wave　of　big　jewel　robberies　on　the　French　Riviera；　down　to　his　last　five　with　SPECTRE。　Always　he　got　away　with　it。　Always　he　had　seen　the　essential　step　ahead　that　would　have　been　hidden　from　lesser　men。　He　was　the　epitome　of　the　gentleman　crook…a　man　of　the　world；　a　great　womanizer；　a　high　liver　with　the　entrée　to　café　society　in　four　continents；　and　the　last　survivor；　conveniently　enough；　of　a　once　famous　Roman　family　whose　fortune；　so　he　said；　he　had　inherited。　He　also　benefited　from　having　no　wife；　a　spotless　police　record；　nerves　of　steel；　a　heart　of　ice；　and　the　ruthlessness　of　a　Himmler。　He　was　the　perfect　man　for　SPECTRE；　and　the　perfect　man；　rich　Nassau　playboy　and　all；　to　be　Supreme　mander　of　Plan　Omega。
　
　One　of　the　crew　knocked　on　the　hatch　and　came　in。　〃They　have　signaled。　The　chariot　and　sled　are　on　the　way。〃
　
　〃Thank　you。〃　In　the　heat　and　excitement　of　any　operation；　Largo　always　created　calm。　However　much　was　at　stake；　however　great　the　dangers　and　however　urgent　the　need　for　speed　and　quick　decisions；　he　made　a　fetish　of　calm；　of　the　pause；　of　an　almost　judo…like　inertia。　This　was　an　act　of　will　to　which　he　had　trained　himself。　He　found　it　had　an　extraordinary　effect　on　his　acplices。　It　tied　them　to　him　and　invoked　their　obedience　and　loyalty　more　than　any　other　factor　in　leadership。　That　he；　a　clever　and　cunning　man；　should　show　unconcern　at　particularly　bad；　or；　as　in　this　case；　particularly　good　news；　meant　that　he　already　knew　that　what　had　happened　would　happen。　With　Largo；　consequences　were　foreseen。　One　could　depend　on　him。　He　never　lost　balance。　So　now；　at　this　splendid　news；　Largo　deliberately　picked　up　his　dividers　again　and　made　a　trace；　an　imaginary　trace；　on　the　chart　for　the　sake　of　the　crew　member。　He　then　put　down　the　dividers　and　strolled　out　of　the　air…conditioning　into　the　warm　night。
　
　A　tiny　worm　of　underwater　light　was　creeping　out　toward　the　jolly…boat。　It　was　a　two…man　underwater　chariot　identical　with　those　used　by　the　Italians　during　the　war　and　bought；　with　improvements；　from　Ansaldo；　the　firm　that　had　originally　invented　the　one…man　submarine。　It　was　towing　an　underwater　sled；　a　sharp　prowed　tray　with　negative　buoyancy　used　for　the　recovery　and　transport　of　heavy　objects　under　the　sea。　The　worm　of　light　merged　with　the　luminescence　from　the　searchlight　and；　minutes　later；　re…emerged　on　its　way　back　to　the　ship。　It　would　have　been　natural　for　Largo　to　have　gone　down　to　the　hold　to　witness　the　arrival　of　the　two　atomic　weapons。　Typically；　he　did　nothing　of　the　sort。　In　due　course　the　little　headlight　reappeared；　going　back　over　its　previous　course。　Now　the　sled　would　be　loaded　with　the　huge　tarpaulin；　camouflaged　to　merge　in　with　just　this　piece　of　underwater　terrain；　with　its　white　sand　and　patches　of　coral　outcrop；　that　would　be　spread　so　as　to　cover　every　inch　of　the　wrecked　plane　and　pegged　all　round　with　corkscrew　iron　stanchions　that　would　not　be　shifted　by　the　heaviest　surface　storm　or　groundswell。　In　his　imagination；　Largo　saw　every　move　of　the　eight　men　who　would　now　be　working　far　below　the　surface　on　the　reality　for　which　there　had　been　so　much　training；　so　many　dummy　exercises。　He　marveled　at　the　effort；　the　incredible　ingenuity；　that　had　gone　into　Plan　Omega。　Now　all　the　months　of　preparation；　of　sweat　and　tears；　were　being　repaid。
　
　There　came　a　bright　blink　of　light　on　the　surface　of　the　water　not　far　from　the　jolly…boat…then　another　and　another。　The　men　were　surfacing。　As　they　did　so；　the　moon　caught　the　glass　of　their　masks。　They　swam　to　the　boat…Largo　verified　that　all　eight　were　there…and　clumsily　heaved　up　the　short　ladder　and　over　the　side。
　
　The　mechanic　and　Branch；　the　German　killer；　helped　them　off　with　their　gear；　the　underwater　light　was　switched　off　and　hauled　inboard　and；　instead　of　the　rattle　of　the　generator；　there　came　the　muffled　roar　of　the　twin　Johnstons。　The　boat　sped　back　to　the　yacht　and　to　the　waiting　arms　of　the　derricks。　The　couplings　were　made　firm　and　verified　and；　with　a　shrill　electric　whine；　the　boat；　plete　with　passengers；　was　swung　up　and　inboard。
　
　The　captain　came　and　stood　at　Largo's　side。　He　was　a　big；　sullen；　rawboned　man　who　had　been　cashiered　from　the　Canadian　Navy　for　drunkenness　and　insubordination。　He　had　been　a　slave　to　Largo　ever　since　Largo　had　called　him　to　the　stateroom　one　day　and　broken　a　chair　over　his　head　on　account　of　a　questioned　mand。　That　was　the　kind　of　discipline　he　understood。　Now　he　said；　〃The　hold's　clear。　Okay　to　sail？〃
　
　〃Are　both　the　teams　satisfied？〃
　
　〃They　say　so。　Not　a　hitch。〃
　
　〃First　see　they　all　get　one　full　jigger　of　whisky。　Then　tell　them　to　rest。　They　will　be　going　out　again　in　just　about　an　hour。　Ask　Kotze　to　have　a　word　with　me。　Be　ready　to　sail　in　five　minutes。〃
　
　〃Okay。〃
　
　The　eyes　of　the　physicist；　Kotze；　were　bright　under　the　moon。　Largo　noticed　that　he　was　trembling　slightly　as　if　with　fever。　He　tried　to　instill　calm　into　the　man。　He　said　cheerfully；　〃Well；　my　friend。　Are　you　pleased　with　your　toys？　The　toy　shop　has　sent　you　everything　you　want？〃
　
　Kotze's　lips　trembled。　He　was　on　the　verge　of　excited　tears。　He　said；　his　voice　high；　〃It　is　tremendous！　You　have　no　idea。　Weapons　such　as　I　had　never　dreamed　of。　And　of　a　simplicity…a　safety！　Even　a　child　could　handle　these　things　without　danger。〃
　
　〃The　cradles　were　big　enough　for　them？　You　have　room　to　do　your　work？〃
　
　〃Yes；　yes。〃　Kotze　almost　flapped　his　hands　with　enthusiasm。　〃There　are　no　problems；　none　at　all。　The　fuses　will　be　off　in　no　time。　It　will　be　a　simple　matter　to　replace　them　with　the　time　mechanism。　Maslov　is　already　at　work　correcting　the　threads。　I　am　using　lead　screws。　They　are　more　easy　to　machine。〃
　
　〃And　the　two　plugs…these　ignitors　you　were　telling　me　about？　They　are　safe？　Where　did　the　divers　find　them？〃
　
　〃They　were　in　a　leaden　box　under　the　pilot's　seat。　I　have　verified　them。　Perfectly　simple　when　the　time　es。　They　will　of　course　be　kept　apart　in　the　hiding　place。　The　rubber　bags　are　splendid。　Just　what　was　needed。　I　have　verified　that　they　seal　pletely　watertight。
　
　〃No　danger　from　radiation？〃
　
　〃Not　now。　Everything　is　in　the　leaden　cases。〃　Kotze　shrugged。　〃I　may　have　picked　up　a　little　while　I　was　working　on　the　monsters　but　I　wore　the　harness。　I　will　watch　for　signs。　I　know　what　to　do。〃
　
　〃You　are　a　brave　man；　Kotze。　I　won't　go　near　the　damned　things　until　I　have　to。　I　value　my　sex　life　too　much。　So　you　are　satisfied　with　everything？　You　have　no　problems？　Nothing　has　been　left　on　the　plane？〃
　
　Kotze　had　got　himself　under　control。　He　had　been　bursting　with　the　news；　with　his　relief　that　the　technical　problems　were　within　his　power。　Now　he　felt　empty；　tired。　He　had　voided　himself　of　the　tensions　that　had　been　with　him　for　weeks。　After　all　this　planning；　all　these　dangers；　supposing　his　knowledge　had　not　been　enough！　Supposing　the　bloody　English　had　invented　some　new　safety　device；　some　secret　control；　of　which　he　knew　nothing！　But　when　the　time　came；　when　he　unwrapped　the　protective　webbing　and　got　t