按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Naturally they were not recovered either。 He was working on a portable battle…training program for senior officers； and had almost perfected a puterised system for anticipating enemy movements in the field。 His work was literally invaluable。〃
〃And the General？〃
〃Rolling Joe？ A nut。 A much…decorated and brave nut。 Believed the United States had gone to the dogs … the mie dogs。
Said openly there should be a change in the political system； that the army should take control。
He figured politicians had sold out； morals had gone to pieces； people had to be made to care。〃 Bond nodded。 〃And I gather Dr Holy had a nickname … like Rolling Joe was Zwingli's nickname。〃 She laughed again。 〃They called Zwingli 〃Rolling Joe〃 because in World War Two he had this habit of airtesting his B 17 Flying Fortress by rolling it at a thousand feet。〃
〃And Dr Holy？〃 he prompted。
〃His colleagues； and some of his friends； called him 〃The Holy Terror〃。 He could be a tough boss。〃 Percy paused； before adding； 〃And a tough husband。〃
〃Late husband。〃 Bond gave her a close； unblinking look and watched her drain the last of her champagne cocktail and place the glass carefully on a side table as she slowly shook her head。
〃Oh no；' she said softly。 〃Jay Autem Holy did not die in that airplane wreck。 A few people have known that for some years。 Now there's proof。〃
〃Proof？ Where？〃 He led her towards the moment for which M had prepared him。
〃Right on your own doorstep；James。 Deep in the heart of rural England。 Oxfordshire。 And there's more to it than that。 You remember the Kruxator robbery in London？ And the ？20 million gold bullion job？〃 Bond nodded。
〃Also the ？2 billion hijack？ The British Airways 747 taking foreign currencies from the official printers in England to their respective countries？〃
〃Of course。
〃You remember what those crimes had in mon； James？〃 He waved his gunmetal cigarette case at Percy； who declined with an almost imperceptible gesture of the hand。 Bond was surprised to find the case being returned to his pocket unopened。 His forehead creased。
〃All large sums；' he said。 〃Well…planned 。 。 。 Wait a minute； didn't Scotland Yard say they could almost be puterised crimes？〃
〃That's it。 You have the answer。
〃Percy … 〃 there was an edge of puzzlement in Bond's voice … 〃what are you suggesting？〃
〃That Dr Jay Autem Holy is alive and well； and living in a small village called Nun's Cross； just north of Banbury in your lovely Oxfordshire。 Remember Banbury； James？ The place where you can ride a cock…horse to？〃 Her lips tightened a little。 〃Well； that's where he is。
Planning criminal operations； and probably terrorist ones as well； by puter simulations。〃
〃Evidence？〃
〃Well 。 。 。 〃Again a pause。 〃To say that no bodies were recovered in the airplane is not quite true。
They got out the pilot's remains。 There were no other bodies。
Intelligence； security and police agencies have been searching for Jay Autem Holy ever since。
And suddenly they found him in Oxfordshire？〃
〃Almost by chance； yes。 One of your Special Branch men was in that area on a pletely different case。 He was on to a pair of well…known London crooks。〃
〃And they led him to。 。 ？〃 Percy got up and slowly began to pace the room。
〃They led him to a small puter simulations pany called Gunfire Simulations； in the village of Nun's Cross； and there he sees a face from the files。 So he goes back and checks。 The face is Dr Jay Autem Holy's。
Only now he calls himself Professor Jason St。 JohnFinnes pronounced Sinjon Finesse： finesse； as in the game of bridge。 The name of the house is Endor。〃
〃As in Witch of？〃
〃Right。〃 Percy paused in her pacing and leaned on the back of Bond's armchair； her arm brushing his ear。
He could not at that moment bring himself to turn his head and look up into the face above his shoulder。
〃They even have chummy little weekend war games parties there and a lot of strange people turn up；' Percy continued。 She moved away and dropped on to a couch； drawing her long slender legs up under her。
〃Trouble was； none of this happened to be news to the American Service。 You see； they've been keeping an eye on that situation for some time。 Even infiltrated it； without telling anyone。
Bond smiled。 〃That would please my people no end。
There are rules about operating on other countries' soil and 〃As I understand it；' Percy interrupted in a husky； drawling voice； 〃there were what is known as frank and open discussions。〃
〃I'll bet！〃 Bond thought for a moment。 Are you telling me that Jay Autem Holy strongly prized by the Pentagon and missing； believed dead … just managed to settle in this village； Nun's Cross； without benefit of disguise or cover； except for some new identity papers？〃 Percy stretched out her legs and laid back almost full length on the couch； brushing the floor languidly with her hand。
〃Not an easy man to disguise；… she said。 〃But yes； that's exactly what he's done。 Mind you he rarely goes out； he's hardly ever seen in the village。 His so…called wife deals personally with business； and those he genuinely employs just think he's eccentric … which he is。 A great deal of ingenuity and a lot of money went into fixing up Jay Autem's hideaway。
Slowly； many of the things M had said back in London started to make sense。 As though dawn had suddenly broken； Bond said； 〃And I'm the one who's supposed to join that happy band of brothers？〃
〃You've got it in one。〃
〃And just how am I supposed to do that？ Walk in and say； Hi there； my name's James Bond； the famous renegade intelligence officer： I'm looking for a job？〃 It was Bond's turn to get up and pace the room。
〃Something like that；' Percy drawled softly。
〃Good God！〃 Bond's face tightened in anger。 〃Of all the harebrained Why would he want to employ me； anyway？〃
〃He wouldn't。〃 She gave a flicker of a smile and sat up； suddenly very alert and earnest。
〃He's got enough staff to run the Gunfire Simulations business all legal and above board。 And are they screened！ It makes the British positive vetting look like a kid's crossword puzzle。 Believe me； I know。 He has to be certain； because that side of things is absolutely straight。〃 She took a little breath； turning her head slightly； like a singer swinging away from the microphone。 〃No； James； he wouldn't think of employing you but there are people he works with who just might find you a great temptation。 That's what your people are banking on。
〃Mad。 Absolute madness！ How？〃 Bond was really angry again。
〃James；' she said soothingly； standing up and taking both his hands in hers。 〃You have friends at the court of King St。 John…Finnes well； an acquaintance anyhow。
Freddie Fortune。 The naughty Lady Freddie。〃
〃Oh Lord！〃 Bond dropped Percy's hands and swung aside。 Once； some years ago； Bond had made the error of cultivating the young woman Percy had just mentioned。
In a way he had even courted her； until he discovered that Lady Freddie Fortune； darling of the gossip columnists； suffered from a somewhat slapdash political education； which had placed her slightly to the left of Fidel Castro。
〃You too will have to study； James。 That's why you're going to be here； with me。 To get an entree into Endor you must know something about the job they do at Gunfire Simulations。 How much do you really know about puters？〃 Bond gave a sheepish smile。 〃If you put it like that； the technicalities only。〃 Had he been asked； puters were the last thing he wanted to discuss just then with the strangely alluring and unsettling Persephone Proud。
WAR GAME with A
LUCIDITY born of his years in the Service； Bond outlined to Percy the way a microputer works； as they both sauntered about the room in almost a ritual dance； carefully avoiding one another。 A plex electronic tool designed to perform particular tasks when a series of mands are read into its two memories； he recited tonelessly； like a schoolboy reeling off Latin declensions to an indulgent master。 A machine which could keep records and work out financial problems one minute； process data the next； receive and transmit information over thousands of miles in a matter of seconds； which would design your new house； or allow you to play plicated games； make music； or display moving graphics。 A miracle with an ever…growing memory； but only as good as the program it is given。
〃I know the theory …just；' Bond said with a smile； 〃but I haven't a clue how it's all done by the programmer。〃
〃That； as I understand it from your wonderful old boss； is the main reason we're here；' Percy retorted。
Bond was mildly surprised to hear M spoken of as his wonderful old boss。 〃My job is to teach you programming language； with special reference to the kind of thing my dark angel of an ex…husband used to do； and probably is doing right now。 Oh； yes； he is an ex。 Dead； missing； whatever； I made sure it was legal。〃
〃Would that be difficult？〃 Bond asked with a show of feigned innocence。 〃Learning to program； I mean。〃 & War Game 〃Depends on aptitude。 It's like swimming or riding a bicycle。 Once you've got the knack it bees second nature。 Mind you； we're up against a particular kind of genius when it es to Jay Autem Holy。 I'm going to have to tell you a lot about him。 Seriously； though； it's simply like learning a new language； or how to read music。〃 Percy walked over to the closet and hauled out a pair of large customised cases heavily embellished with coded security locks。 Between them they contained a large； sophisticated microputer； several types of disk drive； and three metal boxes which； when opened； revealed disks of differing sizes and quality。 She asked Bond to move the television set so that she could plug in the micro。 The keyboard was twice the size of that on an electronic typewriter。 Percy talked as she set up the equipment。 This was the same micro； she said； as she guessed Jay Autem would be using now。
Bond had already noticed that she referred to Dr Holy simply as Jay Autem or the Holy Terror。
〃When he went missing his own micro disappeared with him … or； should I say； at the same time。 I guess he had it stashed away somewhere safe。 In those days we were just beginning to see the full development of the micropressor … you know； the chip that put a whole roomful of puter circuits on to a 5mm…square piece of silicon。
When he built his own machine we were still mainly using tapes。
Since then there've been so many developments； and things have bee much smaller； but I've tried to keep pace with the technology。
I rebuilt his Terror Six … that's what he called his machine changing his original design； doing my best to keep one jump ahead； as he would have done。〃 Bond stood peering over her shoulder as she made final adjustments。
〃This；' she waved a hand at the keyboard； 〃is my equivalent of what would now be the Terror Twelve。
Since Jay Autem went； the chips have gotten smaller； but the big leap forward has been the incredible advance in the amount of memory a little thing like this can contain。
That； and the way more realistic pictures … real video can be used in the kind of programs he's interested in。〃
〃And what kind of programs are those； Percy？〃
〃Well …〃 she selected a disk from one of the boxes； switched on a drive； inserted the disk and powered up the machine … 〃I can show you the kind of thing which used to fascinate him when he was doing work for the Pentagon。 Then we can take it a stage further。〃 The television screen had e alive； the disk drive whirred and rasped； and a series of rapid beeps emanated from the speaker。 The drive continued to sound after the staccato beeps finally stopped and the screen cleared； showing a detailed map of the border between East and West Germany … the district around Kassel： NATO country。
Unaccountably Bond suddenly felt hot and flushed。
He started to reach a hand out to Percy's shoulder； but changed to loosen his tie as she drew a heavy black joystick from one of her cases and plugged it into the keyboard； pressing the S key。 Immediately a bright rectangle appeared on the map； which Bond saw was as clear as a piece of printed cartography。
〃Okay； this may look like some weird game to you； but I promise