"You did well," said Drax briefly4, his mind elsewhere.
Suddenly he pulled into the side of the road with a scream ' of protest from the tyres.
"Donnerwetter," he said angrily, as he started to turn the car. "But we can't leave the man there. We must get him." The car was already hissing5 back down the road. "Gun," ordered Drax briefly.
They passed the lorry at the top of the hill. It was stopped and there was no sign of the driver. Probably telephoning to the company, thought Drax, slowing up as they went round the first bend. There were lights on in the two or three houses and a group of people were standing6 round one of the rolls of newsprint that lay amongst the ruins of their front gate. There were more rolls in the hedge on the right side of the road. On the left a telegraph pole leant drunkenly, snapped in the middle. Then at the next bend was the beginning of a great confusion of paper stretching away down the long hill, festooning the hedges and the road like the sweepings7 of some elephantine fancy-dress ball.
The Bentley had nearly broken through the railings that fenced off the right of the bend from a steep bank. Amidst a puzzle of twisted iron stanchions it hung, nose down, with one wheel, still attached to the broken back axle, poised8 crookedly9 over its rump like a surrealist umbrella.
Drax pulled up and he and Krebs got out and stood quietly, listening.
There was no sound except the distant rumination10 of a car travelling fast on the Ashford road and the chirrup of a sleepless11 cricket.
With their guns out they walked cautiously over to the remains12 of the Bentley, their feet crunching13 the broken glass on the road. Deep furrows14 had been cut across the grass verge15 and there was a strong smell of petrol and burnt rubber in the air. The hot metal of the car ticked and crackled softly and steam was still fountaining from the shattered radiator16.
Bond was lying face downwards17 at the bottom of the bank twenty feet away from the car. Krebs turned him over. His face was covered with blood but he was breathing. They searched him thoroughly18 and Drax pocketed the slim Beretta. Then together they hauled him across the road and wedged him into the back seat of the Mercedes, half on top of Gala.
When she realized who it was she gave a cry of horror. "Halt's Maul" snarled19 Drax. He got into the front seat and while he turned the car Krebs leant over from the front seat and busied himself with a long piece of flex20. "Make a good job of it," said Drax. "I don't want any mistakes." He had an afterthought. "And then go back to the wreck21 and get the number plates. Hurry. I will watch the road."
Krebs pulled the rug over the two inert22 bodies and jumped out of the car. Using his knife as a screwdriver23 he was soon back with the plates, and the big car started to move just as a group of the local residents appeared walking nervously24 down the hill shining their torches over the scene of devastation25.
Krebbs grinned happily to himself at the thought of the stupid English having to clean up all this mess. He settled himself back to enjoy the part of the drive he had always liked best, the spring woods full of bluebells26 and celandines on the way to Chilham.
They had made him particularly happy at night. Lit up amongst the green torches of the young trees by the great headlamps of the Mercedes, they made him think of the beautiful forests of the Ardennes and of the devoted27 little band with which he had served, and of driving along in a captured American jeep with, just like tonight, his adored leader at the wheel. Der Tag had been a long time coming, but now it was here. With young Krebs in the van. At last the cheering crowds, the medals, the women, the flowers. He gazed out at the fleeting28 hosts of bluebells and felt warm and happy.
Gala could taste Bond's blood. His face was beside hers on the leather seat and she shifted to give him more room. His breathing was heavy and irregular and she wondered how badly he was hurt. Tentatively she whispered into his ear. And then louder. He groaned29 and his breath came faster.
"James," she whispered urgently. "James."
He mumbled30 something and she pushed hard against him.
He uttered a string of obscenities and his body heaved.
He lay still again and she could almost feel him exploring his sensations.
"It's me, Gala." She felt him stiffen31.
"Christ," he said. "Hell of a mess."
"Are you all right? Is anything broken?"
She felt him tense his arms and legs. "Seems all right," he said. "Crack on the head. Am I talking sense?"
"Of course," said Gala. "Now listen."
Hurriedly she told him all she knew, beginning with the notebook.
His body was as rigid32 as a board against her, and he hardly breathed as he listened to the incredible story.
Then they were running into Canterbury and Bond put his mouth to her ear. "Going to try and chuck myself over the back," he whispered. "Get to a telephone. Only hope."
He started to heave himself up on his knees, his weight almost grinding the breath out of the girl.
There was a sharp crack and he fell back on top of her.
"Another move out of you and you're dead," said the voice of Krebs coming softly between the front seats.
Only another twenty minutes to the site! Gala gritted33 her teeth and set about bringing Bond back to consciousness again.
She had only just succeeded when the car drew up at the door of the launching-dome and Krebs, a gun in his hand, was undoing34 the bonds round their ankles.
They had a glimpse of the familiar moonlit cement and of the semi-circle of guards some distance away before they were hustled35 through the door and, when their shoes had been torn off by Krebs, out on to the iron catwalk inside the launching-dome.
There the gleaming rocket stood, beautiful, innocent, like a new toy for Cyclops.
But there was a horrible smell of chemicals in the air and to Bond the Moonraker was a giant hypodermic needle ready to be plunged36 into the heart of England. Despite a growl37 from Krebs he paused on the stairway and looked up at its glittering nose. A million deaths. A million. A million. A million.
On his hands? For God's sake! On his hands? With Krebs's gun prodding38 him, he went slowly down the steps on the heels of Gala.
As he turned through the doors of Drax's office, he pulled himself together. Suddenly his mind was clear and all the lethargy and pain had left his body. Something, anything, must be done. Somehow he would find a way. His whole body and mind became focused and sharp as a blade. His eyes were alive again and defeat sloughed39 off him like the skin of a snake.
Drax had gone ahead and was sitting at his desk. He had a Luger in his hand. It was pointing at a spot halfway40 between Bond and Gala and it was steady as a rock.
Behind him, Bond heard the double doors thud shut.
"I was one of the best shots in the Brandenburg Division," said Drax conversationally41. "Tie her to that chair, Krebs. Then the man."
Gala looked desperately42 at Bond.
"You won't shoot," said Bond. "You'd be afraid of touching43 off the fuel." He walked slowly towards the desk.
Drax smiled cheerfully and looked along the barrel at Bond's stomach. "Your memory is bad, Englishman," he said flatly. "I told you this room is cut off from the shaft44 by the double doors. Another step and you will have no stomach."
Bond looked at the confident, narrowed eyes and stopped.
"Go ahead, Krebs."
When they were both tied securely and painfully to the arms and legs of two tubular steel chairs a few feet apart beneath the glass wall-map, Krebs left the room. He came back in a moment with a mechanic's blowtorch.
He set the ugly machine on the desk, pumped air into it with a few brisk strokes of the plunger, and set a match to it. A blue flame hissed45 out a couple of inches into the room. He picked up the instrument and walked towards Gala. He stopped a few feet to one side of her.
"Now then," said Drax grimly. "Let's get this over without any fuss. The good Krebs is an artist with one of those things. We used to call him Der Zwangsmann-The Persuader. I shall never forget the way he went over the last spy we caught together. Just south of the Rhine, wasn't it, Krebs?"
Bond pricked46 up his ears.
"Yes, mein Kapitдn." Krebs chuckled47 reminiscently. "It was a pig of a Belgian."
"All right then," said Drax. "Just remember, you two. There's no fair play down here. No jolly good sports and all that. This is business." The voice cracked like a whip on the word. "You," he looked at Gala Brand, "who are you working for?"
Gala was silent.
"Anywhere you like, Krebs."
Krebs's mouth was half open. His tongue ran up and down his lower lip. He seemed to be having difficulty with his breathing as he took a step towards the girl.
The little flame roared greedily.
"Stop," said Bond coldly. "She works for Scotland, Yard. So do I." These things were pointless now. They were of no conceivable use to Drax. In any case, by tomorrow afternoon there might be no Scotland Yard.
"That's better," said Drax. "Now, does anybody know you are prisoners? Did you stop and telephone anyone?"
If I say yes, thought Bond, he will shoot us both and get rid of the bodies and the last chance of stopping the Moonraker will be gone. And if the Yard knows, why aren't they here already? No. Our chance may come. The Bentley will be found. Vallance may get worried when he doesn't hear from me.
"No," he said. "If I had, they'd be here by now."
"True," said Drax reflectively. "In that case I am no longer interested in you and I congratulate you on making the interview so harmonious48. It might have been more difficult if you had been alone. A girl is always useful on these occasions. Krebs, put that down. You may go. Tell the others what is necessary. They will be wondering. I shall entertain our guests for a while and then I shall come up to the house. See the car gets properly washed down. The back seat. And get rid of the marks on the right-hand side. Tell them to take the whole panel off if necessary. Or they can set fire to the dam' thing. We shan't be needing it any more," he laughed abruptly49. "Verstanden?"
"Yes, mein Kapitдn." Krebs reluctantly placed the softly roaring blowtorch on the desk beside Drax. "In case you need it," he said, looking hopefully at Gala and Bond. He went out through the double doors.
Drax put the Luger down on the desk in front of him. He opened a drawer and took out a cigar and lit it from a Ronson desk lighter50. Then he settled himself comfortably. There was silence in the room for several minutes while Drax puffed51 contentedly52 at his cigar. Then he seemed to make up his mind. He looked benevolently53 at Bond.
"You don't know how I have longed for an English audience," he said as if he was addressing a Press conference.
"You don't know how I have longed to tell my story. As a matter of fact, a full account of my operations is now in the hands of a very respectable firm of Edinburgh solicitors54. I beg their pardon-Writers to the Signet. Well out of danger." He beamed from one to the other. "And these good folk have instructions to open the envelope on the completion of the first successful flight of the Moonraker. But you lucky people shall have a preview of what I have written and then, when tomorrow at noon you see through those open doors," he gestured to his right, "the first wisp of steam from the turbines and know that you are to be burnt alive in about half a second, you will have the momentary55 satisfaction of knowing what it is all in aid of, as," he grinned wolfishly, "we Englishmen say."
"You can spare us the jokes," said Bond roughly. "Get on with your story, Kraut."
Drax's eyes blazed momentarily. "A Kraut. Yes, I am indeed a Reichsdeutscher"-the mouth beneath the red moustache savoured the fine word-"and even England will soon agree that ,they have been licked by just one single German. And then perhaps they'll stop calling us Krauts-BY ORDER!" The words were yelled out and the whole of Prussian militarism was in the parade-ground bellow56.
Drax glowered57 across the desk at Bond, the great splayed teeth under the red moustache tearing nervously at one fingernail after another. Then, with an effort, he crammed58 his right hand into his trouser pocket, as if to put it out of temptation, and picked up his cigar with his left. He puffed at it for a moment and then, his voice still taut59, he began.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
maniac
|
|
| n.精神癫狂的人；疯子 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
giggle
|
|
| n.痴笑，咯咯地笑；v.咯咯地笑着说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
lavatory
|
|
| n.盥洗室，厕所 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
briefly
|
|
| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
hissing
|
|
| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
sweepings
|
|
| n.笼统的( sweeping的名词复数 )；（在投票等中的）大胜；影响广泛的；包罗万象的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
poised
|
|
| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
crookedly
|
|
| adv. 弯曲地，不诚实地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
rumination
|
|
| n.反刍，沉思 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
sleepless
|
|
| adj.不睡眠的，睡不著的，不休息的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
remains
|
|
| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
crunching
|
|
| v.嘎吱嘎吱地咬嚼( crunch的现在分词 )；嘎吱作响；（快速大量地）处理信息；数字捣弄 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
furrows
|
|
| n.犁沟( furrow的名词复数 )；（脸上的）皱纹v.犁田，开沟( furrow的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
verge
|
|
| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
radiator
|
|
| n.暖气片，散热器 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
downwards
|
|
| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
thoroughly
|
|
| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
snarled
|
|
| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
flex
|
|
| n.皮线，花线；vt.弯曲或伸展 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
wreck
|
|
| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
inert
|
|
| adj.无活动能力的，惰性的；迟钝的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
screwdriver
|
|
| n.螺丝起子；伏特加橙汁鸡尾酒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
nervously
|
|
| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
devastation
|
|
| n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
bluebells
|
|
| n.圆叶风铃草( bluebell的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
devoted
|
|
| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
fleeting
|
|
| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
groaned
|
|
| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
mumbled
|
|
| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
stiffen
|
|
| v.(使)硬，(使)变挺，(使)变僵硬 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
rigid
|
|
| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
gritted
|
|
| v.以沙砾覆盖（某物），撒沙砾于( grit的过去式和过去分词 )；咬紧牙关 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
undoing
|
|
| n.毁灭的原因，祸根；破坏，毁灭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
hustled
|
|
| 催促（hustle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
plunged
|
|
| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
growl
|
|
| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
prodding
|
|
| v.刺，戳( prod的现在分词 )；刺激；促使；（用手指或尖物）戳 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
sloughed
|
|
| v.使蜕下或脱落( slough的过去式和过去分词 )；舍弃；除掉；摒弃 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
halfway
|
|
| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
conversationally
|
|
| adv.会话地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
desperately
|
|
| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
touching
|
|
| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
shaft
|
|
| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
hissed
|
|
| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
pricked
|
|
| 刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
chuckled
|
|
| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
harmonious
|
|
| adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
abruptly
|
|
| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
lighter
|
|
| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
puffed
|
|
| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
contentedly
|
|
| adv.心满意足地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
benevolently
|
|
| adv.仁慈地，行善地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
solicitors
|
|
| 初级律师( solicitor的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
momentary
|
|
| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
bellow
|
|
| v.吼叫，怒吼；大声发出，大声喝道 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
glowered
|
|
| v.怒视( glower的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
crammed
|
|
| adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
taut
|
|
| adj.拉紧的，绷紧的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |