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There was no response Had the man lied? Had he killed her with the poison?

Bond thrust his hand in against her neck It arirl stirred sluggishly and ain At last a muffled voice said, 'Don't'

Bond s until Tatiana slowly turned over on her side Two doped blue eyes gazed into his and closed again 'What is it?' The voice was sleepily angry

Bond talked to her and bullied her and cursed her He shook her azed vacantly at hi down over the edge Somehow he manhandled her down on to the bottom bunk

Tatiana looked terrible–the slack le of daot to ith a wet towel and her comb

Lausanne came and, an hour later, the French frontier at Vallorbes Bond left Tatiana and went out and stood in the corridor, just in case But the customs and passport men brushed past him to the conductor's cabin, and after five inscrutable minutes, went on down the train

Bond stepped back into the coain Bond looked at Nash's watch, which was now on his orist 430 Another hour to Dijon Bond set to work

At last Tatiana's eyes opened wide Her pupils were more or less centred She said, 'Stop it now, Jaain Bond wiped the sweat off his face He took the bags, one by one, to the end of the corridor and piled the to the conductor and told hi the train at Dijon

Bond gave the conductor a final tip 'Do not derange yourself,' he said 'I have taken the luggage out so as not to disturb Madame My friend, the one with fair hair, is a doctor He has been sitting up with us all night I have put him to sleep in my bunk The man was exhausted It would be kind not to waken him until ten minutes before Paris'

'Certainement, Monsieur' The conductor had not been showered withmillionaires He handed over Bond's passport and tickets The train began to slacken speed 'Voilà que nous y soed Tatiana to her feet and out into the corridor and shut the door on the white pile of death beside the bunk

At last they were down the steps and on to the hard, wonderful, e

The sun was beginning to rise At that hour of the ers awake Only a handful in the third class, who had ridden 'hard' through the night, saw a young e with the romantic names on its side towards the drab door that said 'SORTIE'

Chapter Twenty-Eight

La Tricoteuse

The taxi drew up at the Rue Cambon entrance to the Ritz Hotel

Bond looked at Nash's watch 1145 He must be dead punctual He knew that if a Russian spy was even a few minutes early or late for a rendezvous the rendezvous was autoh the door on the left that leads into the Ritz bar

Bond ordered a double vodka martini He drank it half down He felt wonderful Suddenly the last four days, and particularly last night, ashed off the calendar Noas on his own, having his private adventure All his duties had been taken care of The girl was sleeping in a bedroonant with explosive, had been taken away by the borave;me Bureau He had spoken to his old friend René Mathis, now head of the Deuxièe at the Caive him a pass-key and to ask no questions

René had been delighted to find hiain involved with Bond in une affaire noire 'Have confidence, cher James,' he had said 'I will execute your mysteries You can tell e laundry basket will come to Room 204 at 1215 I shall accompany them dressed as the driver of their camion We are to fill the laundry basket and take it to Orly and await an RAF Canberra which will arrive at two o'clock We hand over the basket Soland Yes?'

Head of Station F had spoken to M on the scrambler He had passed over a short written report from Bond He had asked for the Canberra No, he had no idea what it was for Bond had only shown up to deliver the girl and the Spektor He had eaten a huge breakfast and had left the E he would be back after lunch

Bond looked again at the time He finished his martini He paid for it and walked out of the bar and up the steps to the concierge's lodge

The concierge looked sharply at hiot in and went up to the third floor

The lift door clanged behind hi at the nuht hand inside his coat and on to the taped butt of the Beretta It was tucked into the waistband of his trousers He could feel the metal of the silencer warm across his stomach

He knocked once with his left hand

'Co voice An old woman's voice

Bond tried the handle of the door It was unlocked He slipped the passkey into his coat-pocket He pushed the door open with one swift motion and stepped in and shut it behind him