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uation is not favourable； or at least it doesn't appear to be。 So I have nothing to lose and if you want to get something out of me it will be on my own terms。'
Goldfinger looked gravely down。 'I have no objection to your conditions。 Out of respect for your abilities as an opponent； you shall spend your last journey in fort。 Oddjob' … the voice was sharp。 'Ring the bell for Miss Galore and undo those straps。 Get into the seat in front。 There is no harm he can do at the rear of the plane but he is not to approach the cockpit door。 If need be； kill him at once； but I prefer to get him to our destination alive。 Understand？'
'Arrgh。'
Five minutes later Bond had what he wanted。 The tray in front of him was down and on it were his whisky and cigarettes。 He poured himself a stiff bourbon。 Goldfinger was seated in the chair across the aisle； waiting。 Bond picked up his drink and sipped it。 He was about to take a deeper drink when he saw something。 He put the glass carefully down without disturbing the little round paper coaster that had stuck to the bottom of his glass。 He lit a cigarette； picked up his drink again and removed the ice…cubes and put them back in the ice bucket。 He drank the whisky down ahnost to the end。 Now he could read the words through the bottom of the glass。 He carefully put the glass down without disturbing the coaster。 The message had read； 'I'm with you。 XXX。 P。'
Bond turned and made himself fortable。 He said； 'Now then； Goldfinger。 First of all； what's going on； how did you get this plane； where are we heading？'
Goldfinger crossed one leg over the other。 He gazed away from Bond； up the aisle。 He said in a relaxed； conversational tone； 'I took three trucks and drove across country to the vicinity of Cape Hatteras。 One of the trucks contained my personal hoard of gold bullion。 The other two contained my drivers； spare personnel and those gangsters。 I required none of them except Miss Galore。 I kept a nucleus of the staff I would need； paid off the others with huge sums and dispersed them gradually along the route。 At the coast I held a meeting with the four gang leaders in a deserted place； having left Miss Galore under some pretext with the trucks。 I shot the four men in my usual fashion … one bullet for each。 I went back to the trucks and explained that the four men had chosen money and independent action。 I was now left with six men； the girl and the bullion。 I hired a plane and flew to Newark； New Jersey； the crates of gold being passed off as lead for X…ray plates。 From there I proceeded alone to a certain address in New York from which I talked with Moscow by radio and explained the mishap to Operation Grand Slam。 In the course of the talk I mentioned your name。 My friends； whom I believe you know；' Goldfinger looked hard at Bond； 'pass under the generic name of SMERSH。 They recognized the name of Bond and told me who you were。 I at once understood a great deal of what had previously been hidden from me。 SMERSH said they would greatly like to interview you。 I pondered the matter。 In due course I conceived the plan which you now see in operation。 Posing as a friend of yours； I had no difficulty in finding out the flight on which you were booked。 Three of my men were formerly of the Luftwaffe。 They assured me there would be no difficulty in flying this plane。 The rest was mere detail。 By cool bluffing； impersonation and the use of a certain amount of force； all the BOAC personnel at Idlewild； the crew of this plane and the passengers were given the necessary injections from which they will now be recovering。 We changed clothes with the unconscious crew； the bullion was loaded on the plane； you were dealt with and carried out on a stretcher and in due course the new BOAC crew； with their stewardess； boarded the plane and we took to the air。'
Goldfinger paused。 He lifted a hand resignedly。 'Of course there were small hitches。 We were told to 〃follow taxiway Alpha to runway four〃； and it was only by following a KLM plane that we were successful。 The Idlewild routine was not easy to master and we must have seemed somewhat clumsy and inexperienced； but； Mr Bond； with assurance； strong nerves and a gruff； intimidating manner it is never difficult to override the Civil Service mentality of what； after all； are minor employees。 I understand from the wireless operator that a search for this plane is under way。 They were already questioning us before we were out of VHP range at Nan…tucket。 Then the Distant Early Warning system queried us on high frequency。 That did not disturb me。 We have enough fuel。 We have already had clearance from Moscow for East Berlin； Kiev or Murmansk。 We shall take whichever route the weather dictates。 There should be no trouble。 If there is； I shall talk my way out of it on the radio。 No one is going to shoot down a valuable BOAC plane。 The mystery and confusion will protect us until we are well within Soviet territory and then； of course； we shall have disappeared without trace。'
To Bond there had been nothing fantastic； nothing impossible about Goldfinger since he had heard the details of Operation Grand Slam。 The theft of a Stratocruiser； as Goldfinger had explained it； was preposterous； but no more so than his methods of smuggling gold； his purchase of an atomic warhead。 When one examined these things； while they had a touch of magic； of genius even； they were logical exercises。 They were bizarre only in their magnitude。 Even the tiny manoeuvre of cheating Mr Du Pont had been quite brilliantly contrived。 There was no doubt about it； Gold…finger was an artist … a scientist in crime as great in his field as Cellini or Einstein in theirs。
'And now； Mr Bond of the British Secret Service； we made a bargain。 What have you to tell me？ Who put you on to me？ What did they suspect？ How did you manage to interfere with my plans？' Goldfinger sat back； placed his hands across his stomach and looked at the ceiling。
Bond gave Goldfinger a censored version of the truth。 He mentioned nothing about SMERSH or the location of the postbox and he said nothing about the secrets of the Homer； a device that might be new to the Russians。 He concluded； 'So you see； Goldfinger； you only just got away。 But for Tilly Masterton's intervention at Geneva； you'd have been in the bag by now。 You'd be sitting picking your teeth in a Swiss prison waiting to be sent to England。 You underestimate the English。 They may be slow； but they get there。 You think you'll be pretty safe in Russia？ I wouldn't be too sure。 We've got people even out of there before now。 I'll give you one last aphorism for your book； Goldfinger： 〃Never go a bear of England。〃'
CHAPTER TWENTY…THREE
T。L。C。 TREATMENT
THE PLANE throbbed on； high above the weather； over the great moonlit landscape。 The lights had been turned out。 Bond sat quietly in the darkness and sweated with fear at what he was going to do。
An hour before； the girl had brought him dinner。 There was a pencil hidden in the napkin。 She had made some tough remarks for the benefit of Oddjob and gone away。 Bond had eaten some scraps of food and drunk a good deal of bourbon while his imagination hunted round the plane wondering what he could conceivably do to force an emergency landing at Gander or somewhere else in Nova Scotia。 As a last resort； could he set fire to the plane？ He toyed with the idea； and with the possibility of forcing the entrance hatch open。 Both ideas； seemed impracticable and suicidal。 To save him the trouble of pondering over them； the man whom Bond had seen before at the BO AC ticket counter； one of the Germans； came through and stopped by Bond's chair。
He grinned down at Bond。 'BOAC takes good care of you； isn't it？ Mister Goldfinger thinks you might have foolish notions。 I am to keep an eye on the rear of the plane。 So just sit back and enjoy the ride； isn't it？'
When Bond didn't answer； the man went on back to the rear section。
Something was nagging at Bond's mind； something connected with his previous thoughts。 That business about forcing the hatch。 Now what was it that had happened to that plane； flying over Persia back in '57？ Bond sat for a while and stared with wide； unseeing eyes at the back of the seat in front of him。 It might work！ It just conceivably might！
Bond wrote on the inside of the napkin； 'I'll do my best。 Fasten your seat belt。 XXX。 J。'
When the girl came to take his tray Bond dropped the napkin and then picked it up and handed it to her。 He held her hand and smiled up into the searching eyes。 She bent to pick up the tray。 She kissed him quickly on the cheek。 She straightened herself。 She said toughly； 'I'll see you in my dreams； Handsome；' and went off to the galley。
And now Bond's mind was made up。 He had worked out exactly what had to be done。 The inches had been measured； the knife from his heel was under his coat and he had twisted the longest end of his seat belt round his left wrist。 All he needed was one sign that Oddjob's body was turned away from the window。 It would be too much to expect Oddjob to go to sleep； but at least he could make himself fortable。 Bond's eyes never left the dim profile he could see reflected in the Perspex oblong of the window of the seat in front； but Oddjob s