Part 10 (1/2)

There was a blinding white light Jained that he was still in the Saab, rolling into the ditch

'The bloody ditch,' Bond e, Jaet you out with oxy-acetylene cutters' Bond screwed up his eyes and looked at the wo above hi'

He tried to get up, but the harness held hi his head, he sahere he was: in Murik's white-tiled torture cha table, and Mary-Jane Mashkin stood beside hi a white coat She sures of two men; a couple of the Laird's heavies, their faces sculpted out of clay, and no expression in their eyes

'Well,' Bond tried to sound bright 'I don't feel too bad If you say I'et up?'

Anton Murik's voice came soft, and close, in his ear 'I think you have so to do, Mr Bond Don't you?'

Bond closed his eyes 'It's getting so a ht drive without people shooting at hi but a off in secret, with the knowledge you have about my current project, is not the way to keep me as a friend and protector All previous contracts made with you are cancelled More to the point, I would like to know your real profession; for whom you work; what your present aim in life happens to be I may add that I knohat your i that about unless you tell us the absolute truth'

Bond's head was al soht side of his head Meht ride, the helicopter and the trap He also kneas going to happen, realising he would require all possible reserves of physical and ht Aloud, he said, 'You knoho I am Bond, James, 259057, Major, retired'

'So,' Murik purred, 'you accept work from me, and then try to blast yourself out of Murik Castle and the glen It does not add up, Major Bond If youareMajor Bond - I have people working on that, but I think we'll probably get to the truth faster than they will'

'Got windy,' Bond said, trying to sound tired and casual In fact he was fully aware now, his h he knew the stress of that drive would already have played havoc with hiue had to be just under the surface

'Windy?' Murik sneered

'Fear is not an unknown failing in ht condition now I got frightened Just thought I would slip away until it was all over'

Murik said he really thought they should have the truth

'There is so little time left' Bond saw him nod towards Mary-Jane, who stepped forward, closer to the table

I'm a trained psychiatrist,' Mary-Jane Mashkin drawled 'And I have one or two other specialities'

Like being a nuclear physicist, Bond thought Anton Murik's partner in nuclear crime 'Proper little Jill-of-all-trades,' he muttered

'Don't be frivolous, Bond She can make it very unpleasant for you' Murik leered at hie As a mercenary and retired army man, you carry very sophisticated devices with you Interesting' He again nodded towards Mary-Jane Mashkin, who rolled up Bond's sleeve He tried to ood

His ht point ofto remember the rules for what one did in a situation like this A thousand bats winged their way around his brain in confusion

Bond felt the swab being dabbed on his arm, just below the bicep: da his nostrils The panic died, Bond conquering the immediate fear of ould coht Nohat should he keep in the forefront of his consciousness? Nuclear power: Murik's own subject Bond had only an ele M hadon this mission Blot out M See the book Just the book with its drawings, diagrams and text Bond, James 259057, Major, retired If they were to use the conventional truth drugs on him, Bond had to remain alert There were desperate s, and 007 had been through the whole unpleasant course at what they called the sadist School near Camberley

'A little Mozart, I think,' Murik's voice called, away frohtly as he felt the hypodermic needle slide into his arm What would they use? In their situation ould he use? Soap - the Service name for Sodium Thiopental? No, they would risk a es turning Lazy The pages, probably a nicea baby

Bond felt his whole body slowly becoes Far away an orchestra played Violins, strings and inds, a pleasant sound with a military rhyth in the park on a su Lavender was there Holding hands Children laughing; the ducks and water fowl People Yet he felt alone, even in the croith Lavender - with Dilly - as they floated over the grass near the Mall to the sound of music

Bond heaved his mind back Bond, James What was the next bit? The band played on, and he could srance of Lavender's scent as she held his hand tightly No No Bond, James 259057 Major, retired The book Nuclear power plants derive their energy fro - or fission - of the uraniuently, like Dilly's touch on his hand Drag yourthe questions 'Ja?'

'Bond, James 259057 Major, retired' He knew that he should not have trusted her

'Oh, not that rubbish, Jaht, Jaht it Even from outside his body The echo in his own ears was odd, the speech blurred as he said, 'In a nuclear plant, stea fro inside the uraniu; and the band played on

'You're talking scribble, Ja scribble? You've got so to do with nuclear power, haven't you? Are you from the Atomic Research? The International Coency in Vienna?'

Think, Ja here Pull yourself up, you're dreaet into your own mind Be determined Beat it 'Nuclear power is a very expensive way to boil water' That hat the book said; and there was a diagraht you at Camberley

'Come on, who are you really?' asked Lavender

'My na the questions Yet he could smell Lavender's scent; but it was the American woman What was her name? Mary-Jane? That was it, Mary-Jane Mashkin Maybe Dilly was straight after all

In a drowning pall of dark smoke, Bond shouted loudly, 'Bond, James 259057 Major, retired That what you want to know, Mary-Jane? 'Cause that's the truth' He fought hard and stopped there, knowing to go on talking in this floating cloud of uncertainty, would lead hi on like a brook Brook Babble Book

Another voice cut through, loudly 'He's resisting Increase the dosage'

'You'll kill him Try rewards'

'Yes'

Bond's body seeathering speed Then soainst his ears Headphones Music poured in on him Beautiful liquid sounds that slowed up his descent, soothing hiain - 'James Bond?'

'Yes'

'What are your duties?'

'I aer 'I a music was still there in his head, and the voice snapped back, 'I want the truth, not that rubbish When you don't speak the truth, this will happen'

Bond probably screa noise, the screech and wail No No No As suddenly as it started, the horrific, bursting blaze of sound stopped It had been counterproductive, for Bond felt the nerve ends of his body again, and was quite clear for a few seconds about as happening If he gave theain The sound - high frequency white noise: waves of sound; waves on a nonuniforht pain, distress, and worse

The soft ain Murik Anton Murik, Laird of Murcaldy Bond had regained enough sense to know that

'You were sent on a mission, weren't you, Bond?'

'I came here You invited

'YouWatch it, James Air brakes; slow up; slow up