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She looked up and found Bond's eyes fixed quizzically on her

'You're thinking I shan't understand,' he said 'And you're right up to a point But I knohat fear can do to people and I know that fear can be caused by s I've read most of the books on Voodoo and I believe that it works I don't think it would work onafraid of the dark when I was a child and I'estion or hypnotish at it The scientists and doctors rote the books don't laugh at it'

Solitaire sht,' she said 'Then all I need tell you is that they believe The Big Man is the Zoh by themselves They're animated corpses that have been made to rise from the dead and obey the commands of the person who controls them Baron Samedi is the most dreadful spirit in the whole of Voodooism He is the spirit of darkness and death So for Baron Samedi to be in control of his own Zo looks like He is huge and grey and he has great psychic power It is not difficult for a negro to believe that he is a Zombie and a very bad one at that The step to Baron Sa the Baron's fetish at his elbow You saw it in his room'

She paused She went on quickly, almost breathlessly: 'And I can tell you that it works and that there's hardly a negro who has seen him and heard the story who doesn't believe it and who doesn't regard hiht,' she added 'And you would say so too if you knew the way he deals with those who haven't obeyed him completely, the way they are tortured and killed'

'Where does Moscow coent of SMERSH?'

'I don't knohat SMERSH is,' said the girl, 'but I knoorks for Russia, at least I've heard hi Russian to people who come from time to time Occasionally he's had ht of his visitors Generally it seeh I couldn't understand what they said But don't forget I've only known him for a year and he's fantastically secretive If Moscow does use hiot hold of one of thehe wants to and if he doesn't get what he wants soets 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 iement Would you try?'

She looked out of the , then back at hily 'But don't forget I come from Haiti My brain tells esture 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 ti, '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 hie 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 hi and lasciviously, as if she was the man and he the woman

Bond cursed the broken hand that prevented hiht 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 hih

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 kneould 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 irl 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 orelse 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 frohtly and tenderly

'It's just as well,' she said 'There are too s on our ainst her

He put his hand on her left breast and kissed her white throat Then he kissed herHe took her by the hand and drew her out into therooht,' he said 'When the time comes I want to be alone with you, with all the time in the world Here there is at least one ht And we'll have to be up at four in thelove to you now You get ready for bed and I'll cliht'

They kissed once more, slowly, then he stepped away

'We'll just see if we have company next door,' he said