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！
use for civilisation。
Bond thought she was wonderful。 He smiled at her。 He said softly； reassuringly： 〃I suppose you're Robina Hood。 My name's James Bond。〃 He reached for his flask and unscrewed the top and held it out。 〃Sit down and have a drink of this … firewater and coffee。 And I've got some biltong。 Or do you live on dew and berries？〃
She came a little closer and sat down a yard from him。 She sat like a Red Indian； her knees splayed wide and her ankles tucked up high under her thighs。 She reached for the flask and drank deeply with her head thrown back。 She handed it back without ment。 She did not smile。 She said 〃Thanks〃 grudgingly； and took her arrow and thrust it over her back to join the others in the quiver。 She said； watching him closely： 〃I suppose you're a poacher。 The deer…hunting season doesn't open for another three weeks。 But you won't find any deer down here。 They only e so low at night。 You ought to be higher up during the day； much higher。 If you like； I'll tell you where there are some。 Quite a big herd。 It's a bit late in the day； but you could still get to them。 They're up…wind from here and you seem to know about stalking。 You don't make much noise。〃
〃Is that what you're doing here … hunting？ Let's see your licence。〃
Her shirt had buttoned…down breast pockets。 Without protest she took out from one of them the white paper and handed it over。
The licence had been issued in Bennington； Vermont。 It had been issued in the name of Judy Havelock。 There was a list of types of permit。 'Non…resident hunting' and 'Non…resident bow and arrow' had been ticked。 The cost had been 18。50； payable to the Fish and Game Service； Montpelier； Vermont。 Judy Havelock had given her age as twenty…five and her place of birth as Jamaica。
Bond thought： 'God Almighty！' He handed the paper back。 So that was the score！ He said with sympathy and respect： 〃You're quite a girl； Judy。 It's a long walk from Jamaica。 And you were going to take him on with your bow and arrow。 You know what they say in China： 'Before you set out on revenge； dig two graves。' Have you done that； or did you expect to get away with it？〃
The girl was staring at him。 〃Who are you？ What are you doing here？ What do you know about it？〃
Bond reflected。 There was only one way out of this mess and that was to join forces with the girl。 What a hell of a business！ He said resignedly： 〃I've told you my name。 I've been sent out from London by； er； Scotland Yard。 I know all about your troubles and I've e out here to pay off some of the score and see you're not bothered by these people。 In London we think that the man in that house might start putting pressure on you； about your property； and there's no other way of stopping him。〃
The girl said bitterly： 〃I had a favourite pony； a Palomino。 Three weeks ago they poisoned it。 Then they shot my Alsatian。 I'd raised it from a puppy。 Then came a letter。 It said； 'Death has many hands。 One of these hands is now raised over you。' I was to put a notice in the paper； in the personal column； on a particular day。 I was just to say； 'I will obey。 Judy。' I went to the police。 All they did was to offer me protection。 It was people in Cuba； they thought。 There was nothing else they could do about it。 So I went to Cuba and stayed in the best hotel and gambled big in the casinos。〃 She gave a little smile。 〃I wasn't dressed like this。 I wore my best dresses and the family jewels。 And people made up to me。 I was nice to them。 I had to be。 And all the while I asked questions。 I pretended I was out for thrills … that I wanted to see the underworld and some real gangsters； and so on。 And in the end I found out about this man。〃 She gestured down towards the house。 〃He had left Cuba。 Batista had found out about him or something。 And he had a lot of enemies。 I was told plenty about him and in the end I met a man； a sort of high…up policeman； who told me the rest after I had；〃 she hesitated and avoided Bond's eyes； 〃after I had made up to him。〃 She paused。 She went on： 〃I left and went to America。 I had read somewhere about Pinkerton's； the detective people。 I went to them and paid to have them find this man's address。〃 She turned her hands palm upwards on her lap。 Now her eyes were defiant。 〃That's all。〃
〃How did you get here？〃
〃I flew up to Bennington。 Then I walked。 Four days。 Up through the Green Mountains。 I kept out of the way of people。 I'm used to this sort of thing。 Our house is in the mountains in Jamaica。 They're much more difficult than these。 And there are more people； peasants； about in them。 Here no one ever seems to walk。 They go by car。〃
〃And what were you going to do then？〃
〃I'm going to shoot von Hammerstein and walk back to Bennington。〃 The voice was as casual as if she had said she was going to pick a wild flower。
From down in the valley came the sound of voices。 Bond got to his feet and took a quick look through the branches。 Three men and two girls had e on to the patio。 There was talk and laughter as they pulled out chairs and sat down at the table。 One place was left empty at the head of the table between the two girls。 Bond took out his telescopic sight and looked through it。 The three men were very small and dark。 One of them； who smiled all the time and whose clothes looked the cleanest and smartest； would be Gonzales。 The other two were low peasant types。 They sat together at the foot of the oblong table and took no part in the talk。 The girls were swarthy brunettes。 They looked like cheap Cuban whores。 They wore bright bathing dresses and a lot of gold jewellery； and laughed and chattered like pretty monkeys。 The voices were almost clear enough to understand； but they were talking Spanish。
Bond felt the girl near him。 She stood a yard behind him。 Bond handed her the glass。 He said： 〃The neat little man is called Major Gonzales。 The two at the bottom of the table are gunmen。 I don't know who the girls are。 Von Hammerstein isn't there yet。〃 She took a quick look through the glass and handed it back without ment。 Bond wondered if she realised that she had been looking at the murderers of her father and mother。
The two girls had turned and were looking towards the door into the house。 One of them called out something that might have been a greeting。 A short； square； almost naked man came out into the sunshine。 He walked silently past the table to the edge of the flagged terrace facing the lawn and proceeded to go through a five…minute programme of physical drill。
Bond examined the man minutely。 He was about five feet four with a boxer's shoulders and hips； but a stomach that was going to fat。 A mat of black hair covered his breasts and shoulder blades； and his arms and legs were thick with it。 By contrast； there was not a hair on his face or head and his skull was a glittering whitish yellow with a deep dent at the back that might have been a wound or the scar of a trepanning。 The bone structure of the face was that of the conventional Prussian officer … square； hard and thrusting … but the eyes under the naked brows were close…set and piggish； and the large mouth had hideous lips … thick and wet and crimson。 He wore nothing but a strip of black material； hardly larger than an at