Part 1 (2/2)

This was during the so-called Realigne, often referred to in the Service as the SNAFU Slaughter, similar to the CIA's fae numbers of faithful members of the Aht Sis had happened in Britain, with financial horns being pulled in, and what a po enforced upon the Secret and Security Services'

'Trying to draw our fangs, Ja day Then, with one of those rare srunted that Whitehall had taken on the wrong e 'As far as I'm concerned, 007, you will remain 007 I shall take full responsibility for you; and you will, as ever, accept orders and assignments only from me There are moments when this country needs a troubleshooter - a blunt instru to have one They can issue their pieces of bue its name It will now be the Special Section, andyouare it Understand, 007?'

'Of course, sir' Bond re In spite of M's brusque and often unco attitude, Bond loved him as a father To 007, Mwasthe Service, and the Service was Bond's life After all, what M suggested was exactly what the Russians had done with his old enemies SMERSH - Smyert Shpionam,Death to Spies They still existed, the dark core at the heart of the KGB, having gone through a whole ga the OKR, then the Thirteenth Department of Line F, and now, Departanisation ree; assassination; the quick disposal of eneation or as acts of war on the secret battlefield

Bond had left M's office on that occasion in an elated mood Yet, in the few years that had passed since, he had performed only four missions in which his Double-O prefix had played any part A portion of his as to kill people It was not a facet of life he enjoyed, but he did it very well in the course of duty There was certainly no pathological hankering after that kind of work It was the active life that Bond e of a new problem, a difficult decision in the field, the sense of purpose and of serving his country So under the spell of that rip Britain by the throat - political and econoy, combined with a short-term view of the world's problems

Bond's four most recent missions had been quick, cut and dried, undercover operations; and, while it would be wrong to say that Jaer, his life now seemed, at times, to lack real purpose

He still kept in the peak of condition: each -raising, ar exercises There was a 'refresher' on co establishment; the weekly se far below the Regent's Park headquarters; and the e Twice a year he disappeared for a fortnight to the SAS headquarters in Herefordshi+re

Bond had evento the changing pressures of the 1970s and early 1980s: drastically cutting back - forwith More-lands of Grosvenor Street for a new special blend of cigarettes, with a tar content slightly lower than any currently available on the arettes, each one with the distinctive three gold rings just below the filter, lay in the gun in Bond's breast pocket

For the rest, the last few years for Bond had been the grind of an executive officer to M: planning paperwork, interrogating, de-briefing, analysis, dirty tricks and bugging operations, with his fair share of Duty Officer watches to stand His only extra joys during this period had coe and the new car

He had fancied a sht place five ood e It fitted Bond's requireht within twenty-four hours of first viewing A month later the builders and decorators had moved in with very precise instructions from the nener

The car was a different h, and the inevitability that they would continue to do so, Bond had allowed the beloved old Mark II Continental Bentley to go the way of its predecessor, the 45-litre Bentley

Son car, when all the pressure was on to buy British, but Bond shrugged it off by pointing to the fact that it was a British specialist firm which carried out the particularly complex and sophisticated personalisation - such as the head-up digital instrument display, the cruise control systeic, htywhich the car had been taken over by the multinational Communication Control Systems (CCS) company, who added some of their own standard refinements - security devices that would make Q Branch's mouths water Bond reasoned that it was his car, and he, not Q Branch - which was under severe financial restraint anyway - would decide what features should be incorporated On several occasions he had seen Major Boothroyd, the Ar around the Saab; and it was now coee-whizz' technicians of the Service-taking a close look None of thes they could not fail to notice - such as the bullet-proof glass, steel-reinforced ra even after being hit by bullets There were other niceties, though, which nobody in Q Branch could detect without bringing out specialist gear

The Saab now suited Bond's purposes, and was easily convertible froas, if the fuel situation became even more critical; the consuave that extra dynamic thrust always needed in a tricky situation

Only a few people knew about the cottage, so there were no raised eyebrows or jokes about Bond having a country seat

The London Friday evening rush was almost over by the time he reached Roeha slot, in the underground garage of the headquarters building, before seven-thirty

Bond would have putfor hier with himself as the lift sped hi, where M's suite of offices was located

Miss Moneypenny, M's PA, looked up with a worried sn that soht be on the cards

'Hallo, Penny,' Bond greeted her breezily, shrugging off the slough of irritation over the lost week-end 'Not out with one of your young ht, you know'

Miss Moneypenny cocked her head towards the door of M's office as she spoke: 'And he's been wickedly waiting for you Keeping ain' She smiled 'Besides, the only man who could lure ed'

'Oh Penny, if only' Bond grinned There had been a special bantering relationshi+p between them for years, yet Bond had never fully realised how much the able and neat Moneypenny doted on hiht in,' M's voice snapped metallically from the intercom box on Miss Moneypenny's desk

Bond lifted a quizzical eyebrow andhis voice, he said, 'Did anyone ever tell you that Janet Reger started her business with you inas Bond disappeared into M's office and closed the door A red warning light blinked on above the door as it clicked shut She stared into space for a e of the ood-looking face, with rather long dark eyebrows above the wide, level blue eyes; the three-inch scar which just showed down his right cheek; the long, very straight nose, and the fine, though cruel, rey had just started to show in the dark hair, which still retained its boyish black coht eye As yet, no plumpness had appeared around the jowls, and the line of the jaas as straight and firm as ever It was the face of an attractive buccaneer, Miss Moneypenny thought, shaking herself out of a slightly i if she should have warned James Bond that M was not alone in his office

As James Bond opened the door to M's office, another door was opening, some five hundred miles to the north of London

The uised, early thata hand in greeting

The roo was a familiar place to hie military desk, co, literally, priceless antique weapons - a pair of chased silver flint-lock pistols, a uns, lavishly inlaid, a French wheel-lock with old wire stock decoration, a pair of cutlass pistols, and an Allen pepper-box with six revolving barrels The artist of disguise knew the pieces and lusted after the The whole place had that air of solidity which comes hat is known as 'old money'

The person who entered the roo host now to the uest waiting in silence until his patron had ht chair behind the desk He did not speak until he was seated

'It's good to see you again, Franco'

'Good also to see you But I enjoy working for you; this alwaysfor words 'You know, after all this time, I never kno to address you - your title, or scientific?' He esture with his hands

The otherinto a shed 'Appropriate,' Franco nodded 'Operation Meltdoith you - its creative and directive force - Warlock'

The man behind the desk laid his hands flat on the leather top 'So be it' He nodded his head in a quick, birdlike,at all Clean as your proverbial English whistle The chopper was on time; there were no tails By now you should know I always have care'

'Good' The birdlike pecking nod again 'Then I trust, my friend, that this will be your last visit here'

Franco gave a quirky little grin 'Perhaps But maybe not quite my last There is the question of payers splayed, palms upward 'I mean, of course, your last visit until after Meltdown is co up your share But first, location and the ss we have to discuss; one of the reasons you will be here for a slightly longer period this time, Franco'

'Naturally' Franco's voice took on a cold edge and the word came out in four syllables, spoken curiously like the slow, cautious footsteps of a e across a deep crevasse

'There is ed?'

'Everyone ready, yes'

'And the States?'

'Ready and waiting for the final instructions'

'The men?'

Franco leaned forward 'Thesepeople,as I've already told you, have been waiting for a long time They alere the least of ive his or her life for his separate cause To all purposes, they consider theanisations that have provided the personnel for your operation - organisations outlawed by arded as terrorists - are anxious They want assurances that they will receive their share of the iven the face had ceased to beam 'Our commitreat length, over a year ago I provide the plan, the - how do you say it these days? - the kno I also arrange the o-between, the contact s to talk about'