if.thunderball-第17章

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hat　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　to　work　with　his　jeweler's　tools；　then　triumph　and　gratitude　had　flooded　into　him。　No；　now　there　were　no　problems。　Everything　was　all　right。　Now　there　was　only　routine。　Kotze　said　dully；　〃No。　There　are　no　problems。　Everything　is　there。　I　will　go　and　get　the　job　finished。〃
　
　Largo　watched　the　thin　figure　shamble　off　along　the　deck。　Scientists　were　queer　fish。　They　saw　nothing　but　science。　Kotze　couldn't　visualize　the　risks　that　still　had　to　be　run。　For　him　the　turning　of　a　few　screws　was　the　end　of　the　job。　For　the　rest　of　the　time　he　would　be　a　useless　supercargo。　It　would　be　easier　to　get　rid　of　him。　But　that　couldn't　be　done　yet。　He　would　have　to　be　kept　on　just　in　case　the　weapons　had　to　be　used。　But　he　was　a　depressing　little　man　and　a　near　hysteric。　Largo　didn't　like　such　people　near　him。　They　lowered　his　spirits。　They　smelled　of　bad　luck。　Kotze　would　have　to　be　found　some　job　in　the　engine　room　where　he　would　be　kept　busy　and；　above　all；　out　of　sight。
　
　Largo　went　into　the　cockpit　bridge。　The　captain　was　sitting　at　the　wheel；　a　light　aluminum　affair　consisting　only　of　the　bottom　half　of　a　circle。　Largo　said；　〃Okay。　Let's　go。〃　The　captain　reached　out　his　hand　to　the　bank　of　buttons　at　his　side　and　pressed　the　one　that　said　Start　Both　。〃　There　came　a　low；　hollow　rumble　from　amidships。
　
　A　light　blinked　on　the　panel　to　show　that　both　engines　were　firing　properly。　The　captain　pulled　the　electromagnetic　gear　shift　to　〃　Slow　Ahead　Both　〃　and　the　yacht　began　to　move。　The　captain　made　it　〃　Full　Ahead　Both　〃　and　the　yacht　trembled　and　settled　a　little　in　the　stern。　The　captain　watched　the　revolution　counter；　his　hand　on　a　squat　lever　at　his　side。　At　twenty　knots　the　counter　showed　5000。　The　captain　inched　back　the　lever　that　depressed　the　great　steel　scoop　below　the　hull。　The　revolutions　remained　the　same；　but　the　finger　of　the　speedometer　crawled　on　round　the　dial　until　it　said　forty　knots。　Now　the　yacht　was　half　flying；　half　planing　across　the　glittering　sheet　of　still　water；　the　hull　supported　four　feet　above　the　surface　on　the　broad；　slightly　uptilted　metal　skid　and　with　only　a　few　feet　of　the　stern　and　the　two　big　screws　submerged。　It　was　a　glorious　sensation　and　Largo；　as　he　always　did；　thrilled　to　it。
　
　The　motor　yacht；　Disco　Volante　；　was　a　hydrofoil　craft；　built　for　Largo　with　SPECTRE　funds　by　the　Italian　constructors　Leopoldo　Rodrigues　of　Messina；　the　only　firm　in　the　world　to　have　successfully　adapted　the　Shertel…Sachsenberg　system　to　mercial　use。　With　a　hull　of　aluminum　and　magnesium　alloy；　two　Daimler…Benz　four…stroke　Diesels　supercharged　by　twin　Brown…Boveri　turbo　superchargers；　the　Disco　Volante　could　move　her　hundred　tons　at　around　fifty　knots；　with　a　cruising　range　at　that　speed　of　around　four　hundred　miles。　She　had　cost　￡200；000；　but　she　had　been　the　only　craft　in　the　world　with　the　speed；　cargo…；　and　passenger…space；　and　with　the　essential　shallow　draft　for　the　job　required　of　her　in　Bahamian　waters。
　
　The　constructors　claim　of　this　type　of　craft　that　it　has　a　particular　refinement　that　SPECTRE　had　appreciated。　Having　high　stability　and　a　shallow　draft；　Aliscafos　；　as　they　are　called　in　Italy；　do　not　determine　magnetic　field　variation；　nor　do　they　cause　pressure　waves…both　desirable　characteristics；　in　case　the　Disco　Volante　might　wish；　some　time　in　her　career；　to　escape　detection。
　
　Six　months　before；　the　Disco　had　been　shipped　out　to　the　Florida　Keys　by　the　South　Atlantic　route。　She　had　been　a　sensation　in　Florida　waters　and　among　the　Bahamas；　and　had　vastly　helped　to　make　Largo　the　most　popular　〃millionaire〃　in　a　corner　of　the　world　that　crawls　with　millionaires　who　〃have　everything。〃　And　the　fast　and　mysterious　voyages　he　made　in　the　Disco　；　with　all　those　underwater　swimmers　and　occasionally　with　a　two　seater　Lying…engined　folding…wing　amphibian　mounted　on　the　roof　of　the　streamlined　superstructure　had　aroused　just　the　right　amount　of　excited　ment。　Slowly；　Largo　had　let　the　secret　leak　out…through　his　own　indiscretions　at　dinners　and　cocktail　parties；　through　carefully　primed　members　of　the　crew　in　the　Bay　Street　bars。　This　was　a　treasure　hunt；　an　important　one。　There　was　a　pirates'　map；　a　sunken　galleon　thickly　overgrown　with　coral。　The　wreck　had　been　located。　Largo　was　only　waiting　for　the　end　of　the　winter　tourist　season　and　for　the　calms　of　early　summer　and　then　his　shareholders　would　be　ing　out　from　Europe　and　work　would　begin　in　earnest。　And　two　days　before；　the　shareholders；　nineteen　of　them；　had　duly　e　trickling　in　to　Nassau　by　different　routes…from　Bermuda；　from　New　York；　from　Miami。　Rather　dull…looking　people　to　be　sure；　just　the　sort　of　hard…headed；　hard…working　businessmen　who　would　be　amused　by　a　gamble　like　this；　a　pleasant　sunshine　gamble　with　a　couple　of　weeks'　holiday　in　Nassau　to　make　up　for　it　if　the　doubloons　were　after　all　not　in　the　wreck。　And　that　evening；　with　all　the　visitors　on　board；　the　engines　of　the　Disco　had　begun　to　murmur；　just　when　they　should　have；　the　harbor　folk　agreed；　just　when　it　was　getting　dark；　and　the　beautiful　dark　blue　and　white　yacht　had　slid　out　of　harbor。　Once　in　the　open　sea；　the　engines　had　started　up　their　deep　booming　that　had　gradually　diminished　to　the　southeast；　toward；　the　listeners　agreed；　an　entirely　appropriate　hunting　ground。
　
　The　southerly　course　was　considered　appropriate　because　it　is　among　the　Southern　Bahamas　that　the　great　local　treasure　troves　are　expected　to　be　found。　It　was　through　the　southerly　passages　through　these　islands…the　Crooked　Island；　the　Mayaguana　and　the　Caicos　passages…that　the　Spanish　treasure　ships　would　try　to　dodge　the　pirates　and　the　French　and　British　fleets　as　they　made　for　home。　Here；　it　is　believed；　lie　the　remains　of　the　Porto　Pedro　；　sunk　in　1668；　with　a　million　pounds　of　bullion　on　board。　The　Santa　Cruz　；　lost　in　1694；　carried　twice　as　much；　and　the　El　Capitan　and　San　Pedro；　Both　sunk　in　1719；　carried　a　million；　and　half　a　million；　pounds　of　treasure　respectively。
　
　Every　year；　treasure　hunts　for　these　and　other　ships　are　carried　out　among　the　Southern　Bahamas。　No　one　can　guess　how　much；　if　anything；　has　been　recovered；　but　everyone　in　Nassau　knows　of　the　72…lb。　silver　bar　recovered　by　two　Nassau　businessmen　off　Gorda　Cay　in　1950；　and　since　presented　to　the　Nassau　Development　Board；　in　whose　offices　it　is　permanently　on　view。　So　all　Bahamians　know　that　treasure　is　there　for　the　finding；　and　when　the　harbor　folk　of　Nassau　heard　the　deep　boom　of　the　Disco's　engines　dying　away　to　the　south；　they　nodded　wisely。
　
　But　once　the　Disco　was　well　away　and　the　moon　had　not　yet　risen；　with　all　lights　doused；　she　swung　away　in　a　wide　circle　toward　the　west　and　toward　the　rendezvous　point　she　was　now　leaving。　Now　she　was　a　hundred　miles；　two　hours；　away　from　Nassau。　But　it　would　be　almost　dawn　when；　after　one　more　vital　call；　Nassau　would　again　hear　the　boom　of　her　engines　ing　in　from　the　false　southern　trail。
　
　Largo　got　up　and　bent　over　the　chart　table。　They　had　covered　the　course　many　times　and　in　all　weathers。　It　was　really　no　problem。　But　Phases　I　and　II　had　gone　so　well　that