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！
word puzzle。 Believe me； I know。 He has to be certain； because that side of things is absolutely straight。〃 She took a little breath； turning her head slightly； like a singer swinging away from the microphone。 〃No； James； he wouldn't think of employing you but there are people he works with who just might find you a great temptation。 That's what your people are banking on。
〃Mad。 Absolute madness！ How？〃 Bond was really angry again。
〃James；' she said soothingly； standing up and taking both his hands in hers。 〃You have friends at the court of King St。 John…Finnes well； an acquaintance anyhow。
Freddie Fortune。 The naughty Lady Freddie。〃
〃Oh Lord！〃 Bond dropped Percy's hands and swung aside。 Once； some years ago； Bond had made the error of cultivating the young woman Percy had just mentioned。
In a way he had even courted her； until he discovered that Lady Freddie Fortune； darling of the gossip columnists； suffered from a somewhat slapdash political education； which had placed her slightly to the left of Fidel Castro。
〃You too will have to study； James。 That's why you're going to be here； with me。 To get an entree into Endor you must know something about the job they do at Gunfire Simulations。 How much do you really know about puters？〃 Bond gave a sheepish smile。 〃If you put it like that； the technicalities only。〃 Had he been asked； puters were the last thing he wanted to discuss just then with the strangely alluring and unsettling Persephone Proud。
WAR GAME with A
LUCIDITY born of his years in the Service； Bond outlined to Percy the way a microputer works； as they both sauntered about the room in almost a ritual dance； carefully avoiding one another。 A plex electronic tool designed to perform particular tasks when a series of mands are read into its two memories； he recited tonelessly； like a schoolboy reeling off Latin declensions to an indulgent master。 A machine which could keep records and work out financial problems one minute； process data the next； receive and transmit information over thousands of miles in a matter of seconds； which would design your new house； or allow you to play plicated games； make music； or display moving graphics。 A miracle with an ever…growing memory； but only as good as the program it is given。
〃I know the theory …just；' Bond said with a smile； 〃but I haven't a clue how it's all done by the programmer。〃
〃That； as I understand it from your wonderful old boss； is the main reason we're here；' Percy retorted。
Bond was mildly surprised to hear M spoken of as his wonderful old boss。 〃My job is to teach you programming language； with special reference to the kind of thing my dark angel of an ex…husband used to do； and probably is doing right now。 Oh； yes； he is an ex。 Dead； missing； whatever； I made sure it was legal。〃
〃Would that be difficult？〃 Bond asked with a show of feigned innocence。 〃Learning to program； I mean。〃 & War Game 〃Depends on aptitude。 It's like swimming or riding a bicycle。 Once you've got the knack it bees second nature。 Mind you； we're up against a particular kind of genius when it es to Jay Autem Holy。 I'm going to have to tell you a lot about him。 Seriously； though； it's simply like learning a new language； or how to read music。〃 Percy walked over to the closet and hauled out a pair of large customised cases heavily embellished with coded security locks。 Between them they contained a large； sophisticated microputer； several types of disk drive； and three metal boxes which； when opened； revealed disks of differing sizes and quality。 She asked Bond to move the television set so that she could plug in the micro。 The keyboard was twice the size of that on an electronic typewriter。 Percy talked as she set up the equipment。 This was the same micro； she said； as she guessed Jay Autem would be using now。
Bond had already noticed that she referred to Dr Holy simply as Jay Autem or the Holy Terror。
〃When he went missing his own micro disappeared with him … or； should I say； at the same time。 I guess he had it stashed away somewhere safe。 In those days we were just beginning to see the full development of the micropressor … you know； the chip that put a whole roomful of puter circuits on to a 5mm…square piece of silicon。
When he built his own machine we were still mainly using tapes。
Since then there've been so many developments； and things have bee much smaller； but I've tried to keep pace with the technology。
I rebuilt his Terror Six … that's what he called his machine changing his original design； doing my best to keep one jump ahead； as he would have done。〃 Bond stood peering over her shoulder as she made final adjustments。
〃This；' she waved a hand at the keyboard； 〃is my equivalent of what would now be the Terror Twelve。
Since Jay Autem went； the chips have gotten smaller； but the big leap forward has been the incredible advance in the amount of memory a little thing like this can contain。
That； and the way more realistic pictures … real video can be used in the kind of programs he's interested in。〃
〃And what kind of programs are those； Percy？〃
〃Well …〃 she selected a disk from one of the boxes； switched on a drive； inserted the disk and powered up the machine … 〃I can show you the kind of thing which used to fascinate him when he was doing work for the Pentagon。 Then we can take it a stage further。〃 The television screen had e alive； the disk drive whirred and rasped； and a series of rapid beeps emanated from the speaker。 The drive continued to sound after the staccato beeps finally stopped and the screen cleared； showing a detailed map of the border between East and West Germany … the district around Kassel： NATO country。
Unaccountably Bond suddenly felt hot and flushed。
He started to reach a hand out to Percy's shoulder； but changed to loosen his tie as she drew a heavy black joystick from one of her cases and plugged it into the keyboard； pressing the S key。 Immediately a bright rectangle appeared on the map； which Bond saw was as clear as a piece of printed cartography。
〃Okay； this may look like some weird game to you； but I promise you； it's a very advanced training aid。〃 Percy operated the joystick and the rectangle slid across the screen； moving the map as it reached the outer perimeter； so that it scrolled up and down。 The entire area covered was about eighty square mil 5 of border and below it on the screen was a blank oblong blue space。
〃I type in coordinates and we go immediately to that section on the map。〃 Percy suited action to word； and the map jumped on the screen； the rectangle staying in place。 〃Now we can look at what's going on in a smaller area。〃 She positioned the rectangle over a village about a mile from the border and pressed the trigger on the joystick。 Bond had suddenly bee aware of the perfume Percy was wearing but couldn't decide what it was。
He jerked his mind back to the matter in hand。
It was as if a zoom lens had been applied to the screen； for now he could see detail … roads； trees； houses； rocks and fields。 Among this detail Bond could pick out at least six tanks and four troop carriers； while a pair of helicopters sat hidden behind b