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A few feet away stood a black sedan, its engine running It faced the open double doors of the garage Bright arc-lights lit up the shining bodywork of several other cars There was a big negro at the wheel of the sedan and another stood near hiainst the rear door No one else was in view

At sight of Bond the negroes' arette dropped from the mouth of the uns

Instinctively, Bond shot first at thehe would be quickest on the draw

The heavy gun roared hollowly in the garage

The negro clutched his stoered two steps towards Bond, and collapsed on his face, his gun clattering on to the concrete

Theon to hi hand was still inside his coat

Bond shot straight into the screaainst the side

Bond ran round the car and opened the door The negro sprawled horribly out Bond threw his revolver on to the driving-seat and yanked the body out on to the ground He tried to avoid the blood He got into the seat and blessed the running engine and the steering-wheel gear-lever He slammed the door, rested his injured hand on the left of the wheel and crashed the lever forward

The hand-brake was still on He had to lean under the wheel to release it with his right hand

It was a dangerous pause As the heavy car surged forward out of the wide doors there was the booun and a bullet haht-handed and there was another shot that h Across the street asplintered

The flash cauessed that the first negro had soun

There were no other shots and no sound cas behind hi in the driving- out across the dark empty street

Bond had no idea where he was or where he was heading It was a wide featureless street and he kept going He found hi on the left-hand side and quickly swerved over to the right His hand hurt terribly but the thuer helped to steady the wheel He tried to remember to keep his left side away from the blood on the door andThe endless street was populated only by the little ghosts of steaave access to the piped heat systely bonnet of the car -ain behind hi white wraiths

He kept the big car at fifty He cahts and juhted avenue There was traffic and he paused until the lights went green He turned left and was rewarded by a succession of green lights, each one sweeping him on and further away frons He was on Park Avenue and 116th Street He slowed again at the next street It was 115th He was heading doay fro He turned off at Goth Street It was deserted He switched off the engine and left the car opposite a fire hydrant He took the gun off the seat, shoved it down the waistband of his trousers and walked back to Park Avenue A fewcab and then suddenly he alking up the steps of the St Regis

'Message for you, Mr Bond,' said the night porter Bond kept his left side away froht hand It was from Felix Leiter, timed at four am

'Call me at once,' it said

Bond walked to the elevator and was carried up to his floor He let hih into the sitting-room

So both of them were alive Bond fell into a chair beside the telephone

'God Alratitude 'What a break'

CHAPTER IX

TRUE OR FALSE?

BOND looked at the telephone, then he got up and walked over to the sideboard He put a handful of wilted icecubes into a tall glass, poured in three inches of Haig and Haig and swilled the lass to cool and dilute it Then he drank down half the glass in one long s He put the glass down and eased himself out of his coat His left hand was so swollen that he could only just get it through the sleeve His little finger was still crooked back and the pain was vicious as it scraped against the cloth The ringer was nearly black He pulled down his tie and undid the top of his shirt Then he picked up his glass, took another deep s, and walked back to the telephone

Leiter answered at once

'Thank God,' said Leiter with real feeling 'What's the daer,' said Bond 'How about you?'

'Blackjack Knocked out Nothing serious They started off by considering all sorts of ingenious things Wanted to couple e Start on the ears and then proceed elsewhere When no instructions ca the finer points of Jazz with Blabberot on to Duke Ellington and agreed that we liked our band-leaders to be percussion reed the piano or the druether better than any other solo instrument -- Jelly-roll Morton, for instance Apropos the Duke, I told him the crack about the clarinet - "an ill ind that nobody blows good" That h fit to bust Suddenly ere friends The other ot sour and Blabbero off duty, he'd look afterdown'

'I was there,' said Bond 'It didn't sound so hot'

'Blabber to himself Suddenly he used the blackjack, hard, and I went out Next thing I kneere outside Bellevue Hospital About half after three Blabberetic, said it was the least he could have done I believe hi to report that he'd left me half dead Of course I promised to leak back soot soency ward and caone about you, but after a while the telephone started ringing Police and FBI See Man has complained that so, shot three of his men - two chauffeurs and a waiter, if you please - stole one of his cars and got away, leaving his overcoat and hat in the cloakroo for action Of course I warned off the dicks and the FBI, but they're et out of town at once It'll s but it'll be splashed all over the afternoon blatts and Radio and TV'll have it Apart fro will be after you like a nest of hornets Anyway, I've got solad to hear your voice!'

Bond gave a detailed account of all that had happened He forgot nothing When he had finished, Leiter gave a lohistle

'Boy,' he said with ad Man's machine But were you lucky That Solitaire dame certainly seems to have saved your bacon D'you think we can use her?'