Page 10 (1/2)

CAT O&039;NINE TAILS

Mildly distracted, Genevieve pressed the button for her landing and looked through her purse for her keys Though not of a sun-shunning bloodline, she&039;d run late throughout the day and e, bankers were not about to alter their opening hours for the benefit of the nocturnal

She was living off investh to cover her expenses She was supposed to be getting familiar with Charles&039;s estate on the assumption that she&039;d soon be its trustee She&039;d made him swear not to leave it all to her A particularly distasteful species of va hapless mortals to the point where they bequeathed you all their worldly goods, waiting for the inevitable, then cashing in and looking around for the next prospect She didn&039;t want the world to reard as her dupe

The lift ascended with its usual clanks and rattles She found her keys Soht her attention

Spilled blood Spent energy A hint of cordite

Daain Couldn&039;t she leave Charles alone for an afternoon?

Just before her floor, the lift shrieked to a stop Then, chains hauling, it rose again, by inches Metal and soling dress A broken whiteHanise

A panic hand took her heart

Was Charles hurt? Worse?

She wasn&039;t ready Despite his gentle drifting away, she wasn&039;t ready to lose his had to be settled first If this was love, it was horrible

A crushed body writhed in front of the cage doors, jahtly parted outer doors and the pull-across screen of the lift itself It was pinned at the neck between the edge of the doorway and the top of the lift, head stuck out into the shaft

The screa in the dress fell, spewing clockwork

Bond coughed up blood His once-immaculate dinner jacket was sliced to ribbons across his sides

Flattop stood over the British spy, harrowing hands reaching down

She&039;d put a stop to this

Tearing the cage door open, she stepped onto the landing and fixed Flattop with her eyes The creature was brutish, but had a brain He could be willed to stand down The automaton would have been different Genevieve ered He snarled,metal

The aparte This was going to be expensive

She was coldly furious &039;Commander Bond, explain this&039;

Bond couldn&039;t stop coughing Holes in his throat healed

&039;I&039;d best take that initiative,&039; said an unfamiliar voice

She hadn&039;t sensed any presence, so it must be someone old, with powers

&039;I am Brastov&039;

She&039;d heard of hi his head a distinctive shape In his hands was a large white cat which shone in a shaft of hThe cat&039;s slit eyes were scarlet The man wore a Chinese-style mauve cotton jacket and muzhik pantaloons

&039;I wish only an interview, for the moment,&039; said Brastov

Genevieve realised she had made a too-easy assumption about this creature She wondered if Bond had beenthis Brastov, the Cat Man He was supposed to be a Soviet spymaster

&039;You are Genevieve Dieudonne, an elder,&039; said the Cat Man &039;An innocent party, perhaps, but involved I shall have to ask you to accompany Mr Bond&039;

She extruded claws

&039;If you put up no fight, we shall leave Charles Beauregard as he is and not put hi with you&039;

She drew in her nails

&039;He is overexcited, but unhurt You have the word of Brastov that no harm was intended to him He has a reputation in our profession One would not wish to show disrespect&039;

Brastov&039;s voice was snake-like, hypnotic Thick fingers kneaded the fur of the cat&039;s throat

&039;That old man saw off three of your best,&039; Bond spat

&039;Indeed he did,&039; Brastov purred, suavely unruffled &039;Lessons have been learned A car waits downstairs You will come with us&039;

Genevieve stiffened

&039;You ard, Made But only for a ratefully

Flattop blocked the smashed doorway

&039;If you would recover Oly &039;It would be a sha device She can be rebuilt&039;

Flattop grunted and got out of the way He reached into the lift shaft and wrestled free the object he found there The automaton&039;s eyes blinked

Genevieve stepped into the flat The hallas littered et clay

Charles was in his study, propped in his chair, breathing heavily He see bruise

She smoothed the crumpled carpet - she knew it sometimes trapped his wheelchair - and checked Charles&039;s pulse His eyes opened fractionally, telling her he ake

&039;You are satisfied as to his health?&039; asked Brastov He was in the flat now, eyes on thee,&039; she protested

&039;My associate will be punished He doesn&039;t like fire&039;

Charles sister across the room Genevieve adjusted the blanket over his knees and felt under it for his hands Her fingers closed on soun Charles pressed it on her She manipulated it out from under the blanket and into her armpit, hidden under her shawl

Charles patted her hand She kissed his forehead

&039;Very touching,&039; Brastov co Mr Bond has had a trying evening&039;

By the time they were out of the apart

Genevieve and Bond were blindfolded and hustled into a Daimler They were driven a short way and assisted out of the vehicle and through an iron gate which scraped on gravel

&039;You&039;ll have beentiny sounds and scents, to fix the journey,&039; said Brastov &039;I too have played that gaenes Club isn&039;t up on our addresses, I should be very surprised&039;

The blindfolds were rearden, with nondescript ruins Thedown into the earth He led the way inside Genevieve and Bond followed Flattop brought up the rear

The passage was narrow and low They were taken through catacoainst the rock roof Alcoves in the walls contained hunched-over corpses, preserved bags of bones Some faces were twisted in death, as if they had been walled up alive

&039;"For the love of God, Montresor,"&039; Genevieve quoted

&039;Yes indeed,&039; said Brastov, amused &039;Do you know Mr Poe? He is in Ro about in the corner De Laurentiis has hi on the script for one of those Cinecitta epics, Gli Argonauti&039;