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'Oh, all right,' said Bond resignedly 'Now let's have a look at a photograph of this chap Has the Superintendent got one?'

It had been taken froure in full ed helraph carefully, noting the vulnerable spots at neck and joints A roin A wide-bladed san of any other weapon Bond said thoughtfully, 'He doesn't look as daft as he ought to Probably because of the Dracula setting Have you got one of his face? Perhaps he looks a bit madder in the raw'

The Superintendent went to the bottom of his file and extracted what looked like a blown-up copy of Doctor Gun-traraph and handed it over

Bond took it nonchalantly Then his whole body stiffened He said to hihty! Yes There was no doubt, no doubt at all! He had grown a drooping black moustache He had had the syphilitic nose repaired There was a gold-capped tooth a the upper frontals, but there could be no doubt Bond looked up He said, 'Have you got one of the woman?'

Startled by the look of controlled venoh the walnut dye, the Superintendent bowed energetically and scrabbled through his file

Yes, there she was, the bitch - the flat, ugly wardress face, the dull eyes, the scraped-back bun of hair

Bond held the pictures, not looking at the

Ernst Stavro Blofeld Ir, strong gut of fate had lassoed him to them! They of all people 1 He of all people! A taxi-ride down the coast in this re? Had the dead spy got hold of his naer would have protected him Privacy, discretion, are the heartbeat of Japanese inns But would they know that an eneed this appointment in Samara? Bond looked up from the pictures He was in cold control of hi to do with Tiger or Japan It had nothing to do with MAGIC 44 It was ancient feud He said casually, 'Tiger, could the Superintendent inquire what his detectives have s? I am particularly interested to knohether he rapheddown here'

There was a long and electric silence in the roo interest before he passed the inquiry on to the Superintendent The Superintendent picked up the receiver of an old-fashioned telephone on a double hook He spoke into it, then, a Japanese habit, blew sharply into the th He said, 'Ah, so desu ka!' many times Then he put down the receiver When he had finished talking, Tiger turned to Bond Again with the sa appraisal of Bond's face, he said, 'The man came from these parts He has a police record Fortunately, he was poorly educated and is known as nothing e of the diary he wrote down his assignment, which was only to follow me to my destination and then report to his master It seems unlikely that he was provided with funds for expensive communications But what is it, Bondo-san? Is it that you know these people?'

Jarated Even to Bond, it sounded harsh and false in the small rooe to him self To reveal the true identity of Doctor Shatterhand would be to put the whole case back into official channels The Japanese Secret Service and the CIA would swarm down to Fukuoka Blofeld and Irma Bunt would be arrested James Bond's personal prey would be snatched froe I Bond said, 'Good lord, no I But I anomist When I saw this rave I have a feeling that, whether I succeed or not, the outco to be decisive for one or the other of us It will not be a drawn game But now I have a number of further questions hich I must worry you and the Superintendent They are sht before I start'

Tiger looked relieved The raw animalism in Bond's face had been so different from the stoical, ironical face of the Bondo-san for whoolden smile and said, 'But of course, my friend And I am pleased with your worries and with the trouble you are taking to ive me if I quote you one last Japanese proverb It says, "A reasonable nuets he is a dog"'

'Good old Basho!' said Bond