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ve got hold of one of the most powerful men in America。 He can find out almost anything he wants to and if he doesn't get what he wants somebody gets killed。'
'Why doesn't someone kill him？' asked Bond。
'You can't kill him；' she said。 'He's already dead。 He's a Zombie。'
'Yes； I see；' said Bond slowly。 'It's quite an impressive arrangement。 Would you try？'
She looked out of the window； then back at him。
'As a last resort；' she admitted unwillingly。 'But don't forget I e from Haiti。 My brain tells me I could kill him； but。。。' She made a helpless gesture with her hands。 '。。。 my instinct tells me I couldn't。'
She smiled at him docilely。 'You must think me a hopeless fool；' she said。
Bond reflected。 'Not after reading all those books；' he admitted。 He put his hand across the table and covered hers with it。 'When the time es；' he said； smiling； 'I'll cut a cross in my bullet。 That used to work in the old days。'
She looked thoughtful。 'I believe that if anybody can do it； you can；' she said。 'You hit him hard last night in exchange for what he did to you。 She took his hand in hers and pressed it。 'Now tell me what I must do。'
'Bed；' said Bond。 He looked at his watch。 It was ten o'clock。 'Might as well get as much sleep as we can。 We'll slip off the train at Jacksonville and chance being spotted。 Find another way down to the Coast。'
They got up。 They stood facing each other in the swaying train。
Suddenly Bond reached out and took her in his right arm。 Her arms went round his neck and they kissed passionately。 He pressed her up against the swaying wall and held her there。 She took his face between her two hands and held it away； panting。 Her eyes were bright and hot。 Then she brought his lips against hers again and kissed in him long and lasciviously； as if she was the man and he the woman。
Bond cursed the broken hand that prevented him exploring her body； taking her。 He freed his right hand and put it between their bodies； feeling her hard breasts； each with its pointed stigma of desire。 He slipped it down her back until it came to the cleft at the base of her spine and he let it rest there； holding the centre of her body hard against him until they had kissed enough。
She took her arms away from around his neck and pushed him away。
'I hoped I would one day kiss a man like that；' she said。 'And when I first saw you； I knew it would be you。'
Her arms were down by her sides and her body stood there； open to him； ready for him。
'You're very beautiful；' said Bond。 'You kiss more wonderfully than any girl I have ever known。' He looked down at the bandages on his left hand。 'Curse this arm；' he said。 'I can't hold you properly or make love to you。 It hurts too much。 That's something else Mr。 Big's got to pay for。'
She laughed。
She took a handkerchief out of her bag and wiped the lipstick off his mouth。 Then she brushed the hair away from his forehead； and kissed him again； lightly and tenderly。
'It's just as well；' she said。 'There are too many other things on our minds。'
The train rocked him back against her。
He put his hand on her left breast and kissed her white throat。 Then he kissed her mouth。
He felt the pounding of his blood softening。 He took her by the hand and drew her out into the middle of the little swaying room。
He smiled。 'Perhaps you're right；' he said。 'When the time es I want to be alone with you； with all the time in the world。 Here there is at least one man who will probably disturb our night。 And we'll have to be up at four in the morning anyway。 So there simply isn't time to begin making love to you now。 You get ready for bed and I'll climb up after you and kiss you good night。'
They kissed once more； slowly； then he stepped away。
'We'll just see if we have pany next door；' he said。
He softly pulled the wedge away from under the municating door and gently turned the lock。 He took the Beretta out of its holster； thumbed back the safety…catch and gestured to her to pull open the door so that she was behind it。 He gave the signal and she wrenched it quickly open。 The empty partment yawned sarcastically at them
Bond smiled at her and shrugged his shoulders。
'Call me when you're ready；' he said and went in and closed the door。
The door to the corridor was locked。 The room was identical with theirs。 Bond went over it very carefully for vulnerable points。 There was only the air…conditioning vent in the ceiling and Bond； who was prepared to consider any possibility； dismissed the employment of gas in the system。 It would slay all the other occupants of the car。 There only remained the waste pipes in the small lavatory and while these certainly could be used to insert some death…dealing medium from the underbelly of the train； the operator would have to be a daring and skilled acrobat。 There was no ventilating grill into the corridor。
Bond shrugged his shoulders。 If anyone came； it would be through the doors。 He would just have to stay awake。
Solitaire called for him。 The room smelled of Balmain's 'Vent Vert'。 She was leaning on her elbow and looking down at him from the upper berth。
I he bedclothes were pulled up round her shoulder。 Bond guessed that she was naked。 Her black hair fell away from her head in a dark cascade。 With only the reading…lamp on behind her； her face was in shadow。 Bond climbed up the little aluminium ladder and leant towards her。 She reached towards him and suddenly the bedclothes fell away from her shoulders。 x
'Damn you；' said Bond。 'You。。。'
She put her hand over his mouth。
' 〃Allumeuse〃 is the nice word for it；' she said。 'It is fun for me to be able to tease such a strong silent man。 You burn with such an angry； flame。 It is the only game I have to play with you and I shan't be able to play it for long。 How many days until your hand is well again？'
Bond bit hard into the soft hand over his mouth。 She gave a little scream。
'Not many；' said Bond。 'And then one day when you're playing your little game you'll suddenly find yourself pinned down like a butterfly。'
She put her arms round him and they kissed； long and passionately。
Finally she sank back among the pillows。
'Hurry up and get well；' she said。 'I'm tired of my game already。' ；
Bond climbed down to the floor and pulled her curtains across the berth。
'Try and get some sleep now；' he said。 'We've got a long day tomorrow。'
She murmured something and he heard her turn over。 She switched off the light。
Bond verified that the wedges were in place under the doors。 Then he took off his coat and tie and lay down on the bottom berth。 He turned off his own light and lay thinking of Solitaire and listening to the steady gallop of the wheels beneath his head and the fortable small noises in the room； the gentle rattles and squeaks and murmurs in the coachwork that bring sleep so quickly on a train at night…time。
It was eleven o'clock and the train was on the long stretch between Columbia and Savannah； Georgia。 There were another six hours or so to Jacksonville； another six hours of darkness during which The Big Man would almost certainly have instructed his agent to make some move； while the whole train was asleep and while a man could use the corridors without interference。
The great train snaked on through the dark； pounding out the miles through the empty plains and mingy hamlets of Georgia； the 'Peach State'； the angry moan of its four…toned wind…horn soughing over the wide savannah and the long shaft of its single searchlight ripping the black calico of the night。
Bond turned on his light again and read for a while； but his thoughts were too insistent and he soon gave up and switched the light off。 Instead； he thought of Solitaire and of the future and of the more immediate prospects of Jacksonville and St。 Petersburg and of seeing Leiter again。
Much later； around one o'clock in the morning； he was dozing and on the edge of sleep； when a soft metallic noise quite close to his head brought him wide awake with his hand on his gun。
There was someone at the passage door and the lock was being softly tried。
Bond was immediately on the floor and moving silently on his bare feet。 He gently pulled the wedge away from under the door to the next partment and as gently pulled the bolt and opened the door。 He crossed the next partment and softly began to open the door to the corridor。
There was a deafening click as the bolt came back。 He tore the door open and threw himself into the corridor； only to see a flying figure already nearing the forward end of the car。
If his two hands had been free he could have shot the man； but to open the doors he had to tuck his gun into the waistband of his trousers。 Bond knew that pursuit would be hopeless。 There were too many empty partments into which the man could dodge and quietly close the door。 Bond had worked all this out beforehand。 He knew his only chance would be surprise and either a quick shot or the man's surrender。
He walked a few steps to partment H。 A tiny diamond of paper protruded into the corridor。
He went back and into their room； locking the doors behind him。 He softly turned on his reading light。 Solitaire was still asleep。 The rest of the paper； a single sheet； l