ian fleming.casino royale-第2章

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ive　with　the　sawn　barrel。　Then　he　slept；　and　with　the　warmth　and　humour　of　his　eyes　extinguished；　his　features　relapsed　into　a　taciturn　mask；　ironical；　brutal；　and　cold。
　
　
　CHAPTER　2　…　DOSSIER　FOR　M
　Two　weeks　before；　this　memorandum　had　gone　from　Station　S　of　the　Secret　Service　to　M；　who　was　then　and　is　today　head　of　this　adjunct　to　the　British　Defence　Ministries：
　
　To：　M。
　From：　Head　of　S。
　Subject：　A　project　for　the　destruction　of　Monsieur　Le　Chiffre　（alias　'The　Number'；　'Herr　Nummer'；　'Herr　Ziffer'；　etc。）；　one　of　the　Opposition's　chief　agents　in　France　and　undercover　Paymaster　of　the　'Syndicat　des　Ouvriers　d'Alsace'；　the　munist…controlled　trade　union　in　the　heavy　and　transport　industries　of　Alsace；　and　as　we　know；　an　important　fifth　column　in　the　event　of　war　with　Redland。
　Documentation：　Head　of　Archives'　biography　of　Le　Chiffre　is　attached　at　Appendix　A。　Also；　Appendix　B；　a　note　on　SMERSH。
　
　We　have　been　feeling　for　some　time　that　Le　Chiffre　is　getting　into　deep　water。　In　nearly　all　respects　he　is　an　admirable　agent　of　the　USSR；　but　his　gross　physical　habits　and　predilections　are　an　Achilles　heel　of　which　we　have　been　able　to　take　advantage　from　time　to　time　and　one　of　his　mistresses　is　a　Eurasian　（No　1860）　controlled　by　Station　F；　who　has　recently　been　able　to　obtain　insight　into　his　private　affairs。
　Briefly；　it　seems　that　Le　Chiffre　is　on　the　brink　of　a　financial　crisis。　Certain　straws　in　the　wind　were　noticed　by　1860　…　some　discreet　sales　of　jewellery；　the　disposal　of　a　villa　at　Antibes；　and　a　general　tendency　to　check　the　loose　spending　which　has　always　been　a　feature　of　his　way　of　life。　Further　inquiries　were　made　with　the　help　of　our　friends　of　the　Deuxième　Bureau　（with　whom　we　have　been　working　jointly　on　this　case）　and　a　curious　story　has　e　to　light。
　In　January　1946；　Le　Chiffre　bought　control　of　a　chain　of　brothels；　known　as　the　Cordon　Jaune；　operating　in　Normandy　and　Brittany。　He　was　foolish　enough　to　employ　for　this　purpose　some　fifty　million　francs　of　the　moneys　entrusted　to　him　by　Leningrad　Section　III　for　the　financing　of　SODA；　the　trade　union　mentioned　above。
　Normally　the　Cordon　Jaune　would　have　proved　a　most　excellent　investment　and　it　is　possible　that　Le　Chiffre　was　motivated　more　by　a　desire　to　increase　his　union　funds　than　by　the　hope　of　lining　his　own　pocket　by　speculating　with　his　employers'　money。　However　that　may　be；　it　is　clear　that　he　could　have　found　many　investments　more　savoury　than　prostitution；　if　he　had　not　been　tempted　by　the　byproduct　of　unlimited　women　for　his　personal　use。
　Fate　rebuked　him　with　terrifying　swiftness。
　Barely　three　months　later；　on　13　April；　there　was　passed　in　France　Law　No。　46685　entitled　Loi　Tendant　à　la　Fermeture　des　Maisons　de　Tolérance　et　au　Renforcement　de　la　Lutte　contre　le　Proxénitisme。
　
　（When　M　came　to　this　sentence　he　grunted　and　pressed　a　switch　on　the　inter。
　'Head　of　S。？'
　'Sir。'
　'What　the　hell　does　this　word　mean？'　He　spelt　it　out。
　'Pimping；　sir。'
　'This　is　not　the　Berlitz　School　of　Languages；　Head　of　S。　If　you　want　to　show　off　your　knowledge　of　foreign　jawbreakers；　be　good　enough　to　provide　a　crib。　Better　still；　write　in　English。'
　'Sorry；　sir。'
　M　released　the　switch　and　turned　back　to　the　memorandum。）
　This　law　＇he　read＇　known　popularly　as　'La　Loi　Marthe　Richard'；　closing　all　houses　of　ill…fame　and　forbidding　the　sale　of　pornographic　books　and　films　knocked　the　bottom　out　of　his　investment　almost　overnight　and　suddenly　Le　Chiffre　was　faced　with　a　serious　deficit　in　his　union　funds。　In　desperation　he　turned　his　open　houses　into　maisons　de　passe；　where　clandestine　rendezvous　could　be　arranged　on　the　border…line　of　the　law；　and　he　continued　to　operate　one　or　two　cinémas　bleus　underground；　but　these　shifts　in　no　way　served　to　cover　his　overheads；　and　all　attempts　to　sell　his　investment；　even　at　a　heavy　loss；　failed　dismally。　Meanwhile　the　Police　des　M？urs　were　on　his　trail　and　in　a　short　while　twenty　or　more　of　his　establishments　were　closed　down。
　The　police　were；　of　course；　only　interested　in　this　man　as　a　big…time　brothel…keeper　and　it　was　not　until　we　expressed　an　interest　in　his　finances　that　the　Deuxième　Bureau　unearthed　the　parallel　dossier　which　was　running　with　their　colleagues　of　the　police　department。
　The　significance　of　the　situation　became　apparent　to　us　and　to　our　French　friends　and；　in　the　past　few　months；　a　veritable　rat…hunt　has　been　operated　by　the　police　after　the　establishments　of　the　Cordon　Jaune；　with　the　result　that　today　nothing　remains　of　Le　Chiffre's　original　investment　and　any　routine　inquiry　would　reveal　a　deficit　of　around　fifty　million　francs　in　the　trade　union　funds　of　which　he　is　the　treasurer　and　paymaster。
　It　does　not　seem　that　the　suspicions　of　Leningrad　have　been　aroused　yet　but；　unfortunately　for　Le　Chiffre；　it　is　possible　that　at　any　rate　SMERSH　is　on　the　scent。　Last　week　a　high…grade　source　of　Station　P　reported　that　a　senior　official　of　this　efficient　organ　of　Soviet　vengeance　had　left　Warsaw　for　Strasbourg　via　the　Eastern　sector　of　Berlin。　There　is　no　confirmation　of　this　report　from　the　Deuxième　Bureau；　nor　from　the　authorities　in　Strasbourg　（who　are　reliable　and　thorough）　and　there　is　also　no　news　from　Le　Chiffre's　headquarters　there；　which　we　have　well　covered　by　a　double　agent　（in　addition　to　1860）。
　If　Le　Chiffre　knew　that　SMERSH　was　on　his　tail　or　that　they　had　the　smallest　suspicion　of　him；　he　would　have　no　alternative　but　to　mit　suicide　or　attempt　to　escape；　but　his　present　plans　suggest　that　while　he　is　certainly　desperate；　he　does　not　yet　realize　that　his　life　may　be　at　stake。　It　is　these　rather　spectacular　plans　of　his　that　have　suggested　to　us　a　counter…operation　which；　though　risky　and　unconventional　we　submit　at　the　end　of　this　memorandum　with　confidence。
　In　brief；　Le　Chiffre　plans；　we　believe；　to　follow　the　example　of　most　other　desperate　till…robbers　and　make　good　the　deficit　in　his　accounts　by　gambling。　The　'Bourse'　is　too　slow。　So　are　the　various　illicit　traffics　in　drugs；　or　rare　medicines'　such　as　aureo…　and　streptomycin　and　cortisone。　No　race…tracks　could　carry　the　sort　of　stakes　he　will　have　to　play　and；　if　he　wins；　he　would　more　likely　be　killed　than　paid　off。
　In　any　case；　we　know　that　he　has　withdrawn　the　final　twenty…five　million　francs　from　the　treasury　of　his　union　and　that　he　has　taken　a　small　villa　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Royale…les…Eaux；　just　north　of　Dieppe；　for　a　week　from　a　fortnight　tomorrow。
　Now；　it　is　expected　that　the　Casino　at　Royale　will　see　the　highest　gambling　in　Europe　this　summer。　In　an　effort　to　wrest　the　big　money　from　Deauville　and　Le　Touquet；　the　Société　des　Bains　de　Mers　de　Royale　have　leased　the　baccarat　and　the　two　top　chemin…de…fer　tables　to　the　Mahomet　Ali　Syndicate；　a　group　of　émigré　Egyptian　bankers　and　business…men　with；　it　is　said；　a　call　on　certain　royal　funds；　who　have　for　years　been　trying　to　cut　in　on　the　profits　of　Zographos　and　his　Greek　associates　resulting　from　their　monopoly　of　the　highest　French　baccarat　banks。
　With　the　help　of　discreet　publicity；　a　considerable　number　of　the　biggest　operators　in　America　and　Europe　have　been　encouraged　to　book　at　Royale　this　summer　and　it　seems　possible　that　this　old…fashioned　watering…place　will　regain　some　of　its　Victorian　renown。
　Be　that　as　it　may；　it　is　here　that　Le　Chiffre　will；　we　are　confident；　endeavour　on　or　after　15　June　to　make　a　profit　at　baccarat　of　fifty　million　francs　on　a　working　capital　of　twenty…five　million。　（And；　incidentally；　save　his　life。）
　Proposed　Counter…operation
　It　would　be　greatly　in　the　interests　of　this　country　and　of　the　other　nations　of　the　North　Atlantic　Treaty　Organization　that　this　powerful　Soviet　agent　should　be　ridiculed　and　destroyed；　that　his　munist　trade　union　should　be　bankrupted　and　brought　into　disrepute；　and　that　this　potential　fifth　column；　with　a　strength　of　50；000；　capable　in　time　of　war　of　controlling　a　wide　sector　of　France's　northern　frontier；　should　lose　faith　and　cohesion。　All　this　would　result　if　Le　Chiffre　could　be　defeated　at　the　tables。　（NB。　Assassination　is　pointless。　Leningrad　would　quickly　cover　up　his　defalcations　and　make　him　into　a　martyr。）
　We　therefore　remend　that　the　finest　gambler　available　to　the　Service　should　be　given　the　necessary　funds　and　endeavour　to　out…gamble　this　man。
　The　risks　are　obvious　and　the　possible　loss　to　the　Secret　funds　is　high；　but　other　operations　on　which　large　sums　have　been　hazarded　have　had　fewer　chances　of　success；　often　for　a　smaller　objective。
　If　the　decision　is　unfavourable；　the　only　alternative　would　be　to　place　our　information　and　our　remendations　in　the　hands　of　the　Deuxième　Bureau　or　of　our　American　colleagues　of　the　Central　Intelligence　Agency　in　Washington。　Both　of　these　organizations　would　doubtless　be　delighted　to　take　over　the　scheme。
　Signed：　S。
　…
　Appendix　A。
　Name：　Le　Chiffre。
　Aliases：　Variations　on　the　words　'cypher'　or　'number'　in　different　languages；　eg　'Herr　Ziffer'。　
　Origin：　Unknown。
　First　encountered　as　a　displaced　person；　inmate　of　Dachau　DP　camp　in　the　US　Zone　of　Germany；　June　1945。　Apparently　suffering　from　amnesia　and　paralysis　of　vocal　chords　（？　both　feigned）。　Dumbness　succumbed　to　therapy；　but　subject　continued　to　claim　total　loss　of　memory　except　associations　with　Alsace…Lorraine　and　Strasbourg　whither　he　was　transferred　in　September　1945；　on　Stateless　Passport　No　304…596。　Adopted　the　name　'Le　Chiffre'　（'since　I　am　only　a　number　on　a　passport'）。　No　Christian　names。
　Age：　About　45。
　Description：　Height　5　ft　8　ins。　Weight　18　stones。　plexion　very　pale。　Clean…shaven。　Hair　red…brown；　'en　brosse'。　Eyes　very　dark　brown　with　whites　showing　all　round　iris。　Small；　rather　feminine　mouth。　False　teeth　of　expensive　quality。　Ears　small；　with　large　lobes；　indicating　some　Jewish　blood。　Hands　small；　well…tended；　hirsute。　Feet　small。　Racially；　subject　is　probably　a　mixture　of　Mediterranean　with　Prussian　or　Polish　strains。　Dresses　well　and　meticulously；　generally　in　dark　double…breasted　suits。　Smokes　incessantly　Caporals；　using　a　denicotinizing　holder。　At　frequent　intervals　inhales　from　benzedrine　inhaler。　Voice　soft　and　even。　Bilingual　in　French　and　English。　Good　German。　Traces　of　Marseilles　accent。　Smiles　infrequently。　Does　not　laugh。
　Habits：　Mostly　expensive；　but　discreet。　Large　sexual　appetites。　Flagellant。　Expert　driver　of　fast　cars。　Adept　with　small　arms　and　other　forms　of　personal　bat；　including　knives。　Carries　three　Eversharp　razor　blades；　in　hat…band；　heel　of　left　shoe　and　cigarette…case。　Knowledge　of　accountancy　and　mathematics。　Fine　gambler。　Always　acpanied　by　two　armed　guards；　well…dressed；　one　French；　one　German　（details　available）。
　ment：　A　formidable　and　dangerous　agent　of　the　USSR；　controlled　by　Leningrad　Section　III　through　Paris。
　Signed：　Archivist。
　Appendix　B。
　Subject：　SMERSH
　Sources：　Own　archives　and　scanty　material　made　available　by　Deuxième　Bureau　and　CIA　Washington。
　SMERSH　is　a　conjunction　of　two　Russian　words：　'Smyert　Shpionam'；　meaning　roughly：　'Death　to　Spies'。
　Ranks　above　MWD　（formerly　NKVD）　and　is　believed　to　e　under　the　personal　direction　of　Beria。
　Headquarters：　Leningrad　（sub…station　at　Moscow）。
　Its　tasks　is　the　elimination　of　all　forms　of　treacher