if.thunderball-第3部分
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ook her out in their Bentleys and gave her a roll in a deserted quarry up on the Downs。 That's been her pitch for years。 Trouble was they paid her five； ten quid and she soon got too good for the likes of us。 Priced her out of our market； so to speak。 Inflation； sort of。 And a month ago she chucked up her job at The Honey Bee； and you know what？〃 The young man's voice was loud with indignation。 〃She bought herself a beat…up Austin Metropolitan for a couple of hundred quid and went mobile。 Just like the London tarts in Curzon Street they talk about in the papers。 Now she's off to Brighton； Lewes…anywhere she can find the sports； and in between whiles she goes to work in the quarry with these old goats from the Scrubs！ Would you believe it！〃 The young man gave an angry blast on his klaxon at an inoffensive couple on a tandem bicycle。
Bond said seriously； 〃That's too bad。 I wouldn't have thought these people would be interested in that sort of thing on nut cutlets and dandelion wine or whatever they get to eat at this place。〃
The young man snorted。 〃That's all you know。 I mean〃…he felt he had been too emphatic…〃that's what we all thought。 One of my pals； he's the son of the local doctor； talked the thing over with his dad… in a roundabout way； sort of。 And his dad said no。 He said that this sort of diet and no drink and plenty of rest； what with the massage and the hot and cold sitz baths and what have you； he said that all clears the blood stream and tones up the system； if you get my meaning。 Wakes the old goats up…makes 'em want to start cutting the mustard again； if you know the song by that Rosemary Clooney。〃
Bond laughed。 He said； 〃Well； well。 Perhaps there's something to the place after all。〃
A sign on the right of the road said： 〃 Shrublands。 Gateway to Health。 First right。 Silence please。 〃 The road ran through a wide belt of firs and evergreens in a fold of the Downs。 A high wall appeared and then an imposing； mock…battlemented entrance with a Victorian lodge from which a thin wisp of smoke rose straight up among the quiet trees。 The young man turned in and followed a gravel sweep between thick laurel bushes。 An elderly couple cringed off the drive at a blare from his klaxon and then on the right there were broad stretches of lawn and neatly flowered borders and a sprinkling of slowly moving figures； alone and in pairs； and behind them a redbrick Victorian monstrosity from which a long glass sun parlor extended to the edge of the grass。
The young man pulled up beneath a heavy portico with a crenelated roof。 Beside a varnished； iron…studded arched door stood a tall glazed urn above which a notice said： 〃 No smoking inside。 Cigarettes here please。 〃 Bond got down from the taxi and pulled his suitcase out of the back。 He gave the young man a ten…shilling tip。 The young man accepted it as no less than his due。 He said； 〃Thanks。 You ever want to break out； you can call me up。 Polly's not the only one。 And there's a tea shop on the Brighton road has buttered muffins。 So long。〃 He banged the gears into bottom and ground off back the way he had e。 Bond picked up his suitcase and walked resignedly up the steps and through the heavy door。
Inside it was very warm and quiet。 At the reception desk in the big oak…paneled hall a severely pretty girl in starched white weled him briskly。 When he had signed the register she led him through a series of somberly furnished public rooms and down a neutral…smelling white corridor to the back of the building。 Here there was a municating door with the annex； a long； low； cheaply built structure with rooms on both sides of a central passage。 The doors bore the names of flowers and shrubs。 She showed him into Myrtle； told him that 〃the Chief〃 would see him in an hour's time； at six o'clock； and left him。 It was a room…shaped room with furniture…shaped furniture and dainty curtains。 The bed was provided with an electric blanket。 There was a vase containing three marigolds beside the bed and a book called Nature Cure Explained by Alan Moyle； M。N。B。A。 Bond opened it and ascertained that the initials stood for 〃Member： British Naturopathic Association。〃 He turned off the central heating and opened the windows wide。 The herb garden； row upon row of small nameless plants round a central sundial； smiled up at him。 Bond unpacked his things and sat down in the single armchair and read about eliminating the waste products from his body。 He learned a great deal about foods he had never heard of； such as Potassium Broth； Nut Mince； and the mysteriously named Unmalted Slippery Elm。 He had got as far as the chapter on massage and was reflecting on the injunction that this art should be divided into Effleurage； Stroking； Friction； Kneading； Petrissage； Tapotement； and Vibration； when the telephone rang。 A girl's voice said that Mr。 Wain would be glad to see him in Consulting Room A in five minutes。
Mr。 Joshua Wain had a firm； dry handshake and a resonant； encouraging voice。 He had a lot of bushy gray hair above an unlined brow； soft； clear brown eyes； and a sincere and Christian smile。 He appeared to be genuinely pleased to see Bond and to be interested in him。 He wore a very clean smocklike coat with short sleeves from which strong hairy arms hung relaxed。 Below were rather incongruous pin…stripe trousers。 He wore sandals over socks of conservative gray and when he moved across the consulting room his stride was a springy lope。
Mr。 Wain asked Bond to remove all his clothes except his shorts。 When he saw the many scars he said politely； 〃Dear me； you do seem to have been in the wars； Mr。 Bond。〃
Bond said indifferently； 〃Near miss。 During the war。〃
〃Really！ War between peoples is a terrible thing。 Now； just breathe in deeply； please。〃 Mr。 Wain listened at Bond's back and chest； took his blood pressure； weighed him and recorded his height； and then； after asking him to lie face down on a surgical couch； handled his joints and vertebrae with soft； probing fingers。
While Bond replaced his clothes； Mr。 Wain wrote busily at his desk。 Then he sat back。 〃Well； Mr。 Bond； nothing much to worry about here； I think。 Blood pressure a little high； slight osteopathic lesions in the upper vertebrae…they'll probably be causing your tension headaches； by the way…and some right sacroiliac strain with the right ilium slightly displaced backwards。 Due to a bad fall some time； no doubt。〃 Mr。 Wain raised his eyebrows for confirmation。
Bond said； 〃Perhaps。〃 Inwardly he reflected that the 〃bad fall〃 had probably been when he had had to jump from the Arlberg Express after Heinkel and his friends had caught up with him around the time of the Hungarian uprising in 1956。
〃Well； now。〃 Mr。 Wain drew a printed form toward him and thoughtfully ticked off items on a list。 〃Strict dieting for one week to eliminate the toxins in the blood stream。 Massage to tone you up； irrigation； hot and cold sitz baths； osteopathic treatment； and a short course of traction to get rid of the lesions。 That should put you right。 And plete rest； of course。 Just take it easy； Mr。 Bond。 You're a civil servant； I understand。 Do you good to get away from all that worrying paper work for a while。〃 Mr。 Wain got up and handed the printed form to Bond。 〃Treatment rooms in half an hour； Mr。 Bond。 No harm in starting right away。〃
〃Thank you。〃 Bond took the form and glanced at it。 〃What's traction； by the way？〃
〃A mechanical device for stretching the spine。 Very beneficial。〃 Mr。 Wain smiled indulgently。 〃Don't be worried by what some of the other patients tell you about it。 They call it ‘The Rack。' You know what wags some people are。〃
〃Yes。〃
Bond walked out and along the white…painted corridor。 People were sitting about； reading or talking in soft tones in the public rooms。 They were all elderly； middle…class people； mostly women； many of whom wore unattractive quilted dressing gowns。 The warm； close air and the frumpish women gave Bond claustrophobia。 He walked through the hall to the main door and let himself out into the wonderful fresh air。
Bond walked thoughtfully down the trim narrow drive and smelled the musty smell of the laurels and the laburnums。 Could he stand it？ Was there any way out of this hell…hole short of resigning from the Service？ Deep in thought； he almost collided with a girl in white who came hurrying round a sharp bend in the thickly hedged drive。 At the same instant as she swerved out of his path and flashed him an amused smile； a mauve Bentley； taking the corner too fast； was on top of her。 At one moment she was almost under its wheels； at the next； Bond； with one swift step； had gathered her up by the waist and； executing a passable Veronica； with a sharp swivel of his hips had picked her body literally off the hood of the car。 He put the girl down as the Bentley dry…skidded to a stop in the gravel。 His right hand held the memory of one beautiful breast。 The girl said； 〃Oh！〃 and looked up into his eyes with an expression of flurried astonishment。 Then she took in what had happened and said breathlessly； 〃Oh； thank you。〃 She turned toward the car。
A man had climbed unhurriedly down from the driving seat。 He said calmly； 〃I am so s
