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！
uietly the while about the fish they had seen that day； explaining the habits of the carnivores and the ground…feeders； the camouflage of fish and their machinery for changing colour through the blood stream。
He also had never known fish to attack a man except in desperation or because there was blood in the water。 He explained that fish are rarely hungry in tropical waters and that most of their weapons are for defence and not for attack。 The only exception； he admitted； was the barracuda。 'Mean fish；' he called them； fearless since they knew no enemy except disease； capable of fifty miles an hour over short distances； and with the worst battery of teeth of any fish in the sea。
One day they shot a ten…pounder that had been hanging round them； melting into the grey distances and then reappearing； silent； motionless in the upper water； its angry tiger's eyes glaring at them so close that they could see its gills working softly and the teeth glinting like a wolf's along its cruel underslung jaw。
Quarrel finally took the harpoon gun from Bond and shot it； badly； through the streamlined belly。 It came straight for them； its jaws on their great hinges wide open like a striking rattlesnake。 Bond made a wild lunge at it with his spear just as it was on to Quarrel。 He missed but the spear went between its jaws。 They immediately snapped shut on the steel shaft； and as the fish tore the spear out of Bond's hand； Quarrel stabbed at it with his knife and it went mad； dashing through the water with its entrails hanging out； the spear clenched between its teeth； and the harpoon dangling from its body Quarrel could scarcely hold the line as the fish tried to tear the wide barb through the walls of its stomach； but he moved with it towards a piece of submerged reef and climbed on to it and slowly pulled the fish in。
When Quarrel had cut its throat and they twisted the spear out of its jaws they found bright； deep scratches in the steel。
They took the fish ashore and Quarrel cut its head off and opened the jaws with a piece of wood。 The upper jaw rose in an enormous gape； almost at right angles to the lower； and revealed a fantastic battery of razor…sharp teeth； so crowded that they overlapped like shingles on a roof。 Even the tongue had several runs of small pointed recurved teeth and； in front； there were two huge fangs that projected forward like a snake's。
Although it only weighed just over ten pounds； it was over four feet long； a nickel bullet of muscle and hard flesh。
'We shoot no more cudas；' said Quarrel。 'But for you I been in hospital for a month and mebbe lost ma face。 It was foolish of me。 If we swim towards it； it gone away。 Dey always do。 Dey cowards like all fish。 Doan you worry； bout those；' he pointed at the teeth。 'You never see dem again。'
'I hope not；' said Bond。 'I haven't got a face to spare。'
By the end of the week； Bond was sunburned and hard。 He had cut his cigarettes down to ten a day and had not had a single drink。 He could swim two miles without tiring； his hand was pletely healed and all the scales of big city life had fallen from him。
Quarrel was pleased。 'You ready for Surprise； Cap'n；' he said； 'and I not like be de fish what tries to eat you。'
Towards nightfall on the eighth day they came back to the rest…house to find Strangways waiting for them。
'I've got some good news for you；' he said ： 'your friend Felix Leiter's going to be all right。 At all events he's not going to die。 They've had to amputate the remains of an arm and a leg。 Now the plastic surgery chaps have started building up his face。 They called me up from St。 Petersburg yesterday。 Apparently he insisted on getting a message to you。 First thing he thought of when he could think at all。 Says he's sorry not to be with you and to tell you not to get your feet wet … or at any rate； not as wet as he did。'
Bond's heart was full。 He looked out of the window。 'Tell him to get well quickly；' he said abruptly。 'Tell him I miss him。' He looked back into the room。 'Now what about the gear？ Everything okay？'
'I've got it all；' said Strangways； 'and the Secatur sails tomorrow for Surprise。 After clearing at Port Maria； they should anchor before nightfall。 Mr。 Big'son board … only the second time he's been down here。 Oh and they've got a woman with them。 Girl called Solitaire； according to the CIA。 Know anything about her？'
'Not much；' said Bond。 'But I'd like to get her away from him。 She's not one of his team。'
'Sort of damsel in distress；' said the romantic Strangways。 'Good show。 According to the CIA she's a corker。'
But Bond had gone out on the veranda and was gazing up at his stars。 Never before in his life had there been so much to play for。 The secret of the treasure； the defeat of a great criminal； the smashing of a munist spy ring； and the destruction of a tentacle of SMERSH； the cruel machine that was his own private target。 And now Solitaire； the ultimate personal prize。
The stars winked down their cryptic morse and he had no key to their cipher。
CHAPTER XVIII
BEAU DESERT
STRANGEWAYS went back alone after dinner and Bond agreed that they would follow at first light。 Strangways left him a fresh pile of books and pamphlets on shark and barracuda and Bond went through them with rapt attention。
They added little to the practical lore he had picked up from Quarrel。 They were all by scientists and much of the data on attacks was from the beaches of the Pacific where a flashing body in the thick surf would excite any inquisitive fish。
But there seemed to be general agreement that the danger to underwater swimmers with breathing equipment was far less than to surface swimmers。 They might be attacked by almost any of the shark family； particularly when the shark was stimulated and excited by blood in the water； by the smell of a swimmer or by the sensory vibration set up by an injured person in the water。 But they could sometimes be frightened off； he read； by loud noises in the water … even by shouting below the surface； and they would often flee if a swimmer chased them。
The most successful form of shark repellent； according to U。S。 Naval Research Laboratory tests； was a bination of copper acetate and a dark nigrosine dye； and cakes of this mixture were apparently now attached to the Mae Wests of all the U。S。 Armed Forces。
Bond called in Quarrel。 The Cayman Islander was scornful until Bond read out to him what the Navy Department had to say about their researches at the end of the war among packs of sharks stimulated by what was described as 'extreme mob behaviour conditions'： '。。。 Sharks were attracted to the back of the shrimp boat with trash fish；' read out Bond。 'Sharks appeared as a slashing； splashing shoal。 We prepared a tub of fresh fish and another tub of fish mixed with repellent powder。 We got up to the shoal of sharks and the photographer started his camera。 I shovelled over the plain fish for 30 seconds while the sharks； with much splashing； ate them。 Then I started on the repellent fish and shovelled for 30 seconds repeating the procedure 3 times。 On the first trial the sharks were quite ferocious in feeding on plain fish right at the stern of the boat。 They cut fi