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Suddenly, behind the glass, he saw movement As he watched, a pair of eyes ht bulb They stopped and looked at hiazed incuriously at hione Bond's lips snarled back fro to be observed, reported back to Doctor No!

Bond said out loud, viciously, "------them all," and turned sullenly back on his stomach He raised his head and looked forward The tunnel shi about He picked up his knife and put it back between his teeth and winced his way forward

Soon there was no hter, but there was nothing but blackness ahead The air began to get warmer in the shaft, and, perhaps fifty yards further, definitely hot There was the san to sweat Soon his body was soaked and he had to pause every few ht-hand turn in the shaft Round it the ainst his skin The sled turn As soon as Bond's head got round he quickly pulled out his lighter and lit it and then snaked back and lay panting Bitterly he exaht had flickered on discoloured, oyster-hued zinc The next hazard was to be heat!

Bond groaned aloud How could his bruised flesh stand up to that?-How could he protect his skin fro he could do about it He could either go back, or stay where he was, or go on There was no other decision to rain of consolation This would not be heat that would kill, only round-only one ht of the girl and of what she was going through Oh well Get on with it Now, let's see

Bond took his knife and cut off the whole front of his shirt and sliced it into strips The only hope was to put so round the parts of his body that would have to bear the brunt-his hands and his feet His knees and elboould have to get along with their single covering of cotton fabric Wearily he set to work, cursing softly

Noas ready One, two, three

Bond turned the corner and forged forward into the heat stench

Keep your naked storound! Contract your shoulders! Hands, knees, toes; hands, knees, toes Faster, faster! Keep going fast so that each touch on the ground is quickly taken over by the next

The knees were getting it worst, taking the bulk of Bond's weight Now the padded hands were beginning to smoulder There was a spark, and another one, and then a woran to run The s eyes God, he couldn't do anyNow his two hands shed sparks as he thrust theone Then the flesh would burn Bond lurched and his bruised shoulder hit the ularly, with each contact of hand or knee or toes Noas finished Noas the end Noould fall flat and slowly fry to death No! He , until his flesh was burned to the bone The skin one from the knees In a moment the balls of his hands woulddowrr his ar the pads of stuff damp Scream, scream, screamt It helps the pain It tells you you're alive Go on! Go on! It can't be er This isn't where you're supposed to die You are still alive Don't give up! You can't!

Bond's right hand hit soave before it There was a stream of ice-cold air His other hand hit, then his head There was a tinny noise Bond felt the lower edge of an asbestos baffle scrape down his back He was through He heard the baffle bang shut His hands caht It was a right-angled bend His body followed blindly round the corner The cool air felt like daggers in his lungs Gingerly he laid his fingers down on the roan Bond fell on his face and lay still

Soishly over on his back Vaguely he noticed the lighted porthole above hi down on hiain

Slowly, in the darkness, the blisters formed across the skin and the bruised feet and shoulders stiffened The sweat dried on the body and then on the rags of clothing, and the cool air soaked down into the overheated lungs and began its insidious work But the heart beat on, strongly and regularly inside the tortured envelope, and the healing sorceries of oxygen and rest pued the nerves