johngardner.rollofhonor-第21章

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　They　passed　through　into　the　long　room　with　its　map　of　the　Eastern　seaboard　of　eighteenth…century　America；　Boston　with　Bunker's　Hill　and　Breed's　Hill　to　the　north；　Dorchester　Heights　jutting　out　to　enclose　the　harbour；　and　the　townships　of　Lexington　and　Concord　inland。　　For　no　apparent　reason；　Bond　recalled　hearing　Americans　pronounce　Concord　with　a　shortened　second　syllable　so　that　it　sounded　like　Conquered。　　Jay　Autem　Holy　was　smiling　down　at　the　board；　with　its　movable　open　rectangle；　and　all　the　games　paraphernalia　set　at　the　players'　places。
　Bond　noticed　the　smile　and　the　look；　and　in　that　second　saw；　for　all　the　man's　brilliance；　the　chink　in　his　armour　revealed。　　His　interest　in　strategy　and　tactics　had　bee　an　obsession　…　an　obsession　with　winning。　　Holy　was　interested　only　in　winning。　　To　lose　was　the　ultimate　failure。　　Like　an　over…indulged　child；　to　win　was　necessary；　otherwise　he　could　not　live　with　himself。　　Had　he　lost　some　internal　Pentagon　battle　when　he　disappeared　all　those　years　ago？　　Bond　wondered；　steeling　himself。
　This　fanatical　Games　Master　was　now　issuing　rapid　instructions。
　Bond　prepared　to　win　the　American　Revolution；　and　so　put　Jay　Autem　Holy　at　a　psychological　disadvantage。
　The　rules　were　simple　enough。　　Each　player　took　a　turn；　which　was　divided　into　four　movements：　Orders；　Movement；　Challenge　and　Resolution。　Some　of　these　moves　could　be　made　in　secret　by　marking　the　location　of　troops；　or　material；　on　a　small　duplicated　map　of　the　playing　area；　a　pile　of　which　rested　in　front　of　each　player。
　When　we　transfer　the　whole　thing　on　to　puter　there　will　be　a　more　ingenious　method　of　making　the　unobserved　moves；'　Holy　told　him　with　all　the　pride　of　a　small　boy　showing　off　a　collection　of　toy　soldiers。
　The　playing　area　itself；　on　the　grid　of　the　large　map；　was　marked　out　in　hundreds　of　black　hexagonals。　　Each　player　had　counters　which　represented　the　number；　strength　and　type　of　unit　…　black　for　a　piece　of　cannon　with　horses　and　crew；　green　for　five　men；　blue　for　ten；　red　for　twenty；　and　so　on。　　There　were　also　counters　overprinted　with　a　horse；　denoting　mounted　troops；　and　special　counters　to　represent　arms　caches　and　the　rebel　leaders。
　In　good　weather　men　could　move　five　hexagonals　on　foot；　seven　on　horseback；　and　cannon　only　two。　　These　moves　were　restricted　by　bad　weather；　woodland　or　hills。
　Once　Orders　had　been　noted；　the　player　moved　and　then　challenged；　either　by　ing　within　two　hexes　of　an　enemy　counter　or　by　declaring　that　he　had　sight　over　five　hexes；　thereby　revealing　any　hidden　moves。
　After　the　Challenge　came　the　Resolution　in　which　various　strengths；　fatigue；　weather；　were　taken　into　consideration；　and　the　oute　of　the　Challenge　would　be　noted；　one　or　the　other　player　losing　troops；　material；　or　the　action　itself。
　As　each　turn；　at　the　beginning；　covered　a　time…scale　of　one　day　and　the　whole　episode　lasted　from　September　1774　to　June　1775　…　Bond　realised　they　could　be　at　it　for　many　hours。
　〃Once　we　get　it　on　puter；　the　whole　business　bees　faster；　of　course；'　Holy　remarked　as　they　began　their　Orders　phase　…　with　Bond　playing　the　British。　　He　remembered　what　Peter　had　told　him：　that　his　opponent　almost　expected　the　British　to　make　the　same　moves　and　mistakes　…　as　they　had　in　history。
　As　Bond　recalled　it；　the　garrison　mander　had　been　hamstrung　by　the　length　of　time　orders　took　to　reach　him　from　England。　　Had　he　acted　decisively　in　the　first　weeks　and　months；　this　opening　period　could　have　had　a　very　different　oute。　　While　Independence　would　almost　certainly　have　followed　eventually；　lives　as　well　as　face　might　have　been　saved。
　Bond　opened　by　showing　patrols　going　out　of　Boston　to　search　the　surrounding　countryside。　　He　also　made　secret　forays　in　order　to　gain　control　of　the　high　ground　at　Bunker's　and　Breed's　Hills；　together　with　the　Dorchester　Heights；　at　an　early　stage。
　He　was　surprised　to　find　how　much　faster　the　game　moved　than　he　had　expected。
　〃The　fascination　for　me；'　Holy　observed　as　Bond　took　out　two　arms　caches　and　around　twenty　revolutionaries　on　the　Lexington　road；　〃is　the　juxtaposition　of　reality　and　fiction。　　But；　in　your　former　job；　this　must　have　been　a　constant　problem。〃　Bond　secretly　took　three　more　cannon　towards　Breed's　Hill；　and　a　section　of　thirty　men　in　a　final　move　to　the　top　of　Dorchester　Heights；　while　showing　more　patrols　on　the　ground　along　the　Boston　Concord　line。　　〃Yes。〃　Be　truthful；　he　thought；　〃Yes；　I　have　lived　a　fictitious　life　within　a　reality。　　It　is　the　daily　bread　of　field　agents。〃
　〃I　trust　you　are　living　in　reality　now；　friend　Bond。　　I　say　that　because　what　is　being　planned　in　this　house　can　also　change　the　course　of　history。〃　Holy　revealed　two　strong　bodies　of　the　Colonial　Militia　along　the　road；　attacking　the　British　patrols　so　fiercely　that　Bond　lost　almost　twenty　men　and　was　forced　to　withdraw　and　regroup。　　Secretly；　though；　he　still　poured　men；　and　weapons　on　to　the　dominating　ground。
　The　Battle　of　Bunker's　Hill　…　if　it　ever　came　…　would　be　pletely　reversed；　with　the　British　forces　in　a　strong　and　dominant　position；　defending　instead　of　attacking　under　the　withering　fire　of　the　entrenched　Militia。
　〃One　hopes　that　any　change　can　only　be　for　the　good；　and　that　lives　are　not　put　at　risk；'　Bond　said　after　a　pause。
　〃Lives　are　always　at　risk。〃　The　Master　of　Endor　found　himself　losing　four　caches　of　weapons　and　ammunition　in　a　farmhouse　on　the　far　side　of　Lexington。　　He　realised　that　Bond　had　also　begun　to　move　his　forces　on　Concord。　　He　shrugged。　　〃But；　as　for　your　own　life；　I　know　there　is　no　point　in　threatening　you　with　sudden　death。　　Any　threat　to　your　person　is　of　little　importance。
　〃I　wouldn't　say　that。〃　Bond　found　himself　smiling。　　〃We　all　like　life。　The　thought　of　being　separated　from　it　is　as　good　a　lever　as　any。
　The　date　on　the　calendar　easel　showed　them　almost　at　the　end　of　December；　and　the　weather　was　against　both　sides。　　All　either　of　them　could　do　now　was　consolidate　openly；　or　by　using　the　clandestine　option。　Bond　decided　to　divide　his　forces；　encircling　the　road　between　Lexington　and　Concord；　while　his　remaining　troops　continued　to　fortify　the　hills　and　heights。　　Jay　Autem　Holy　appeared　to　be　playing　a　more　devious　game；　sniping　at　British　patrols　and；　Bond　suspected；　moving　forces　on　to　the　high　ground　already　occupied　by　the　British。　　They　played；　turn　after　turn　as　the　weather　grew　worse　and　movement　was　constantly　restricted。　Throughout　this　phase；　the　Master　of　Endor　carried　on　a　conversation　that　appeared　to　have　little　to　do　with　the　simulated　battle。
　〃Your　part　in　our　mission。　　。　　。　　he　took　out　five　of　Bond's　men　〃　。
　is　of　exceptional　importance；　and　you　will　undoubtedly　have　to　use　much　fiction　and　illusion　to　acplish　it。〃
　〃Yes。　　I've　been　giving　it　a　lot　of　thought。〃
　〃Have　you　given　thought　to　the　way　governments　mislead　their　gullible　peoples？〃
　〃How　do　you　mean？〃　Bond　now　had　sizeable　forces　on　all　three　sections　of　ground　overlooking　Boston。
　〃The　obvious；　of　course；　is　the　so…called　balance　of　power。　　The　United　States　does　not　draw　attention　to　the　fact　that　it　is　outnumbered　in　space　by　Russian　satellites　…　not　to　mention　things　like　the　fractional　orbital　bombing　system；　in　which　the　Soviets　hold　a　monopoly　of　seventeen　to　zero。
　〃The　figures　are　there　for　anybody　to　see。〃　Bond　would　soon　have　to　make　a　serious　challenge　from　the　high　ground；　as　Colonial　forces　struggled　upwards　in　increasing　numbers；　restricted　by　both　the　climb　and　the　weather。
　〃Oh　yes；　but　neither　side　makes　a　big　thing　about　figures。〃　Holy　scanned　the　board；　brow　creased。　　〃Except　when　Russia　takes　umbrage　at　the　deployment　of　Cruise　and　Pershings　in　Europe。　　Even　when　she　can　more　than　adequately　match　them。　　But　James；　what　is　the　real　conspiracy　here？　　The　British　government　ties　up　many　policemen　controlling　anti…nuclear　protesters。　　Yet　nobody　says　to　these　well…meaning　people；　〃If　it　happens；　brothers　and　sisters；　it's　not　going　to　happen　with　the　big　nuclear　bang。　　Cruise　and　Pershing　are　only　for　rattling。
　What　could　occur　would　be　ten　thousand　times　worse。
　They　do　not　stop　to　tell　the　worthy　ladies　at　Greenham　mon　or　the　marchers　in　London。〃
　〃Nobody　tells　the　protesters　in　the　United　States　either。〃　Bond　watched　as　his　opponent　edged　even　larger　numbers　of　men　towards　the　waiting　British　guns；　and　fought　a　small　skirmish　along　the　constant　battlefront　of　the　country　between　Boston　and　Concord。
　〃And　yet；　if　it　came；　James；　what　would　happen？〃
　〃Your　guess　is　as　good　as　mine。　　Certainly　not　the　big　bang　and　the　mushroom　cloud。　　More　like　the　bright　lights　and　a　very　nasty　chemical　cloud。〃
　〃Quite　。　　。　　。
　I　challenge　from　this　hex。〃　Holy's　arm　moved　out；　to　an　area　between　Concord　and　Lexington；　where　British　troops　were　now　much　thinner　on　the　ground。　　〃No；　it　will　be　neutrons　and　chemicals。　　A　lot　of　death；　but　little　destruction。　　Then　a　confrontation　in　space；　with　the　Soviets　holding　the　big　stick　up　there。〃
　〃Unless　the　United　States　and　NATO　have　done　something　to　equalise　things。　　That's　what　is　going　on；　isn't　it？〃　Why　this？　　Bond　asked　himself。　　Why　talk　to　me　about　the　balance　of　power；　and　the　place　nuclear　weapons　play　in　that　balance？
　Then　he　recalled　the　sound　advice　always　given　in　classes　on　interrogation　…　listen　to　the　words；　ignore　the　orchestration　that　makes　the　banal　words　seem　more　intelligent；　the　clever；　soaring　strings　that　take　your　mind　from　the　cheap　potency　of　simple；　emotional　ideas。
　By　now　it　was　late　January　in　the　game　and；　at　a　Challenge；　Bond　had　to　reveal　there　were　British　forces　ringing　the　far　side　of　Concord。　　Jay　Autem　Holy　started　to　cut　them　apart　with　his　Colonial　Militia；　sniping　across　the　winter　landscape。　　Bond　saw　how　addictive　this　kind　of　exercise　could　bee。　　You　could　almost　feel　the　cold　and　fatigue　which　played　havoc　with　men's　strength　and　fighting　ability。
　You　even　heard　the　crack　of　musket　fire；　and　saw　the　blood　staining　the　dirty　snow　in　some　farmer's　field。
　Dr　Jay　Autem　Holy　was　not　really　talking　about　the　lopsided　balance　of　power。　　He　was　talking　about　the　need　to　end　the　whole　system　which　controlled　that　balance。
　〃Would　the　world　not　be　a　better　and　safer　place　if　the　real　strength　were　removed？〃　he　asked；　making　another　foray　into　the　bleak　Massachusetts　winter　scene。　　〃If　the　stings　were　drawn　from　the　superpowers'　tails？〃
　〃If　it　were　possible；　yes；'　Bond　agreed。　　〃It　would　be　better；　but　I　doubt　safer。　　The　world's　always　been　a　dangerous　place。〃　One　more　turn　and　he　would　have　to　declare　his　presence　in　the　hills。
　Holy　leaned　back；　temporarily　stopping　play。　　〃We're　involved　in　halting　the　race　to　the　holocaust　…　nuclear；　neutron　or　chemical。　　To　you　is　entrusted　the　task　of　getting　that　EPOC　frequency。　　Now；　do　you　yet　have　a　way？〃　As　though　he　did　not　expect　an　answer；　he　played　through　his　turn；　concentrating　on　bringing　men　well　into　the　British　firing　zone。
　〃I　have　the　makings　of　a　plan。　　It　will　require　certain　information　in　advance　〃What　kind　of　information？〃
　〃When　you　need　the　frequency；　I　shall　have　to　know；　a　little　ahead　of　time；　exactly　who　is　the　Duty　Security　Officer；　for　the　night　in　question；　at　the　Foreign　Office。
　〃That　presents　no　problem。　　One　man　d