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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； lay on the carpet against the passage door。 He picked it up and sat on the edge of his bed。
It was a sheet of cheap ruled notepaper。 It was covered with irregular lines of writing in rough capitals； in red ink。
Bond handled it gingerly； without much hope that it would yield any prints。 These people weren't like that。
Oh Witch ＇he read＇ do not slay me； Spare me。 His is the body。
The divine drummer declares that
When he rises with the dawn
He will sound his drums for YOU in the morning
Very early； very early； very early； very early。
Oh Witch that slays the children of men before they
are fully matured
Oh Witch that slays the children of men before they
are fully matured
The divine drummer declares that
When he rises with the dawn
He will sound his drums for YOU in the morning
Very early； very early； very early； very early。
We are addressing YOU And YOU will understand。
Bond lay down on his bed and thought。 Then he folded the paper and put it in his pocket…book。 He lay on his back and looked at nothing； waiting for daybreak。
CHAPTER XII
THE EVERGLADES
IT was around five o'clock in the morning when they slipped off the train at Jacksonville。
It was still dark and the naked platforms of the great Florida junction were sparsely lit。 The entrance to the subway was only a few yards from Car 245 and there was no sign of life on the sleeping train as they dived down the steps。 Bond had told the attendant to keep the door of their partment locked after they had gone and the blinds drawn and he thought there was quite a chance they would not be missed until the train reached St。 Petersburg。
They came out of the subway into the booking…hall。 Bond verified that the next express for St。 Petersburg would be the Silver Meteor； the sister train of the Phantom； due at about nine o'clock； and he booked two Pullman seats on it。 Then he took Solitaire's arm and they walked out of the station into the warm dark street。
There were two or three all…night diners to choose from and they pushed through the door that announced 'Good Eats' in the brightest neon。 It was the usual sleazy food…machine … two tired waitresses behind a zinc counter loaded with cigarettes and candy and paper…backs and ics。 There was a big coffee percolator and a row of butane gas…rings。 A door marked 'Restroom' concealed its dreadful secrets next to a door marked 'Private' which was probably the back entrance。 A group of overalled men at one of the dozen stained crueted tables looked up briefly as they came in and then resumed their low conversation。 Relief crews for the Diesels； Bond guessed。
There were four narrow booths on the right of the entrance and Bond and Solitaire slipped into one of them。 They looked dully at the stained menu card。
After a time； one of the waitresses sauntered over and stood leaning against the partition； running her eyes over Solitaire's clothes。
'Orange juice； coffee； scrambled eggs； twice；' said Bond briefly。
'Kay；' said the girl。 Her shoes lethargically scuffed the floor as she sauntered away。
'The scrambled eggs'll be cooked with milk；' said Bond。 'But one can't eat boiled eggs in America。 They look so disgusting without their shells； mixed up in a tea…cup the way they do them here。 God knows where they learned the trick。 From Germany； I suppose。 And bad American coffee's the worst in the world； worse even than in England。 I suppose they can't do much harm to the orange juice。 After all we are in Florida now。' He suddenly felt depressed by the thought of their four…hour wait in this unwashed； dog…eared atmosphere。
'Everybody's making easy money in America these days；' said Solitaire。 'That's always bad for the customer。 All they want is to strip a quick dollar off you and toss you out。 Wait till you get down to the coast。 At this time of the year； Florida's the biggest sucker…trap on earth。 On the East Coast they fleece the millionaires。 Where we're going they just take it off the little man。 Serves him right； of course。 He goes there to die。 He can't take it with him。'
'For heaven's sake；' said Bond； 'what sort of a place are we going to？'
'Everybody's nearly dead in St。 Petersburg；' explained Solitaire。 'It's the Great American Graveyard。 When the bank clerk or the post…office worker or the railroad conductor reaches sixty he collects his pension or his annuity and goes to St。 Petersburg to get a few years' sunshine before he dies。 It's called 〃The Sunshine City〃。 The weather's so good that the evening paper there； The Independent； is given away free any day the sun hasn't shone by edition time。 It only happens three or four times a year and it's a fine advertisement。 Everybody goes to bed around nine o'clock in the evening and during the day the old folks play shuffleboard and bridge； herds of them。 There's a couple of baseball teams down there； the 〃Kids〃 and the 〃Kubs〃； all over seventy…five！ Then they play bowls； but most of the time they sit squashed together in droves on things called 〃Sidewalk Davenports〃； rows of benches up and down the sidewalks of the main streets。 They just sit in the sun and gossip and doze。 It's a terrifying sight； all these old people with their spectacles and hearing…aids and clicking false…teeth。'
'Sounds pretty grim；' said Bond。 'Why the hell did Mr。 Big choose this place to operate from？'
'It's perfect for him；' said Solitaire seriously。 'There's practically no crime； except cheating at bridge and Canasta。 So there's a very small police force。 There's quite a big Coastguard Station but it's mainly concerned with smuggling between Tampa and Cuba； and sponge…fishing out of season at Tarpon Springs。 I don't really know what he does there except that he's got a big agent called 〃The Robber〃。 Something to do with Cuba； I expect；' she added thoughtfully。 'Probably mixed up with munism。 I believe Cuba conies under Harlem and runs red agents all through the Caribbean。
'Anyway；' she went on； 'St。 Petersburg is probably the most innocent town in America。 Everything's very 〃folksy〃 and 〃gracious〃。 It's true there's a place called 〃The Res…torium〃； a hospital for alcoholics。 But very old ones； I suppose；' she laughed； 'and I expect they're past doing anyone any harm。 You'll love it；' she smiled maliciously at Bond。 'You'll probably want to settle down there for life and be an 〃Oldster〃 too。 That's the great word down there。。。 〃oldster〃。'
'God forbid；' said Bond fervently。 'It sounds rather like Bournemouth or Torquay。 But a million times worse。 I hope we don't get into a shooting match with 〃The Robber〃 and his friends。 We'd probably hurry a few hundred oldsters off to the cemetery with heart…failure。 But isn't there anyone young in this place？'
'Oh yes；' laughed Solitaire。 'Plenty of them。 All the local inhabitants who take the money off the oldsters； for instance。 The people who own the motels and the trailer…camps。 You could make plenty of money running the bingo tournaments。 I'll be your 〃barker〃 … the girl outside who gets the suckers in。 Dear Mr。 Bond；' she reached over and pressed his hand； 'will you settle down with me and grow old gracefully in St。 Petersburg？'
Bond sat back and looked at her critically。 'I want a long time of disgraceful living with you first；' he said with a grin。 'I'm probably better at that。 But it suits me that they go to bed at nine down there。'
Her eyes smiled back at him。 She took her hand away from his as their breakfast arrived。 'Yes；' she said。 'You go to bed at nine。 Then I shall slip out by the back door and go on the tiles with the Kids and the Kubs。'
The breakfast was as bad as Bond had prophesied。
When they had paid they wandered over to the station waiting…room。
The sun had risen and the light swarmed in dusty bars into the vaulted； empty hall。 They sat together in a corner and until the Silver Meteor came in Bond plied her with questions about The Big Man and all she could tell him about his operations。
Occasionally he made a note of a date or a name but there was little she could add to what he knew。 She had an apartment to herself in the same Harlem block as Mr。 Big and she had been kept virtually a prisoner there for the past year。 She had two tough negresses as 'panions' and was never allowed out without a guard。
From time to time Mr。 Big would have her brought over to the room where Bond had seen him。 There she would be told to divine whether some man or woman； generally bound to the chair； was lying or not。 She varied her replies according to whether she sensed these people were good or evil。 She knew that her verdict might often be a death sentence but she felt indifferent to the fate of those she judged to be evil。 Very few of them were white。
Bond jotted down the dates and details of all these occasions。
Everything she told him added to the picture of a very powerful and active man； ruthless and cruel； manding a huge network of operations。
All she knew of the gold coins was that she had several times had to question men on how many they had passed and the price