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The co-driver, who seeunfire Lights gone May be some holes in the tyres Get the boys crackin'-full overhaul I'll put these two through and go get ," he gestured down the long hut

Bond said, "Getyourself Mind your uns off us They h"

The man came closer The other three closed up behind hias a s himself with an effort He said tensely, "Listen, mister Sometimes us boys is allowed to join in the fun at the end I' this'll be one of those tiet you" He broke off His eyes were alight with cruelty He looked past Bond at the girl The eyes became mouths that licked their lips He wiped his hands down the sides of his trousers The tip of his tongue showed pinkly between the purple lips He turned to the other three "What say, fellers?"

The three irl They nodded dumbly, like children in front of a Christ the their bloody revenge But for the girl he would have done it Now all he had achieved with his brave words was to get her frightened He said, "All right, all right You're four and we're two and we've got our hands tied Come on We won't hurt you Just don't push us around too ht not be pleased"

At the naed Three pairs of eyes looked whitely from Bond to the leader For a , trying to fathoe on their boss His ht better of it He said lamely, "Okay, okay We was just kiddin'" He turned to the " It was a ragged ruffly, "This way,hut

Bond took the girl's wrist and followed He was iht of Doctor No's na to res with the staff

The h wooden door at the end of the hut There was a bellpush beside it He rang twice and waited There came a click and the door opened |o reveal ten yards of carpeted rock passage with another door, smarter and cream-painted, at the end

The ht ahead, mister Knock on the door The receptionist'll take over" There was no irony in his voice and his eyes were ie He heard the door shut behind them He stopped and looked down at her He said, "Nohat?"

She smiled tremulously "It's nice to feel carpet under one's feet"

Bond squeezed her wrist He walked forward to the creampainted door and knocked

The door opened Bond went through with the girl at his heels When he stopped dead in his tracks, he didn't feel the girl bump into him He just stood and stared

XIII

MINK-LINED PRISON

It was the sort of reception rooest American corporations have on the President's floor in their New York skyscrapers It was of pleasant proportions, about twenty feet square The floor was close-carpeted in the thickest wine-red Wilton and the walls and ceiling were painted a soft dove grey Colour lithograph reproductions of Degas ballet sketches ell hung in groups on the walls and the lighting was by tall reen silk shades in a fashionable barrel design

To Bond's right was a broaddesk furniture and the most expensive type of intercom Two tall antique chairs waited for visitors On the other side of the rooazines and two more chairs On both the desk and the table were tall vases of freshly cut hibiscus The air was fresh and cool and held a slight, expensive fragrance

There were tomen in the room Behind the desk, with pen poised over a printed forirl with horn-ri of black hair cut short Her eyes and ht, helpful, inquisitive

Holding the door through which they had co for thee it, stood an older, rather matronly woman of about forty-five She also had Chinese blood Her appearance, wholesoracious Her square cut pince-nez gleamed with the hostess's desire to make them feel at home

Both wos and white suede brogues, like assistants in thesoft and colourless about their skins as if they rarely went out of doors

While Bond took in the scene, the woman at the door twittered conventional phrases of welcoht in a storm and had arrived late at a party

"You poor dears We si told you were on your way First it was teatio we heard you would only be here in ti now and help Sister Rose fill in your forht off to bed Yousoftly, she closed the door and ushered theot them seated in the chairs and rattled on "Now I'm Sister Lily and this is Sister Rose She just wants to ask you a few questions Now, let arette?" She picked up a tooled leather box She opened it and put it on the desk in front of theer "Those are American, and those are Players, and those are Turkish" She picked up an expensive desk-lighter and waited

Bond reached out his arette

Sister Lily gave a squeak of disenuinely eain and again that patients are never to be brought in like that" There was impatience and distaste in her voice "Really, that outside staff! It's ti to"

Sister Rose was just as much put out Hastily, she scrabbled in a drawer and handed a key across to Sister Lily ith , unlocked the two pairs of handcuffs and walked behind the desk and dropped thees into the wastepaper basket

"Thank you" Bond was unable to think of any way to handle the situation except to fall in as happening on the stage He reached out and took a cigarette and lit it He glanced at Honeychile Rider who sat looking dazed and nervously clutching the ar smile