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It was tinedly, Bond turned to Fraulein Bunt 'Fraulein Bunt Please explain to ?'

The yellow eyes gleamed with acade question It had not occurred to azed into the middle distance 'A piz, that is only a local name in this department of Switzerland for a peak An alp, that one would think would be s - a hill, perhaps, or an upland pasture, as compared with a mountain But that is not so These' - she waved her hand - 'are all alps and yet they are great mountains It is the same in Austria, certainly in the Tyrol But in Germany, in Bavaria for instance, which is s No Sair Hilary' - the box-like smile itched on and off - ' I cannot help you But why do you ask?'

'Inof words is vital Now, before we met for cocktails, it amused me to look up your surname, Bunt, in my books of reference What I found, Fraulein, was ay”, “happy” In England, the name has almost certainly been corrupted into Bounty, perhaps even into Bronte, because the grandfather of the faed his name from the less aristocratic na' (Bond knew that it wasn't, that this was all hocus-pocus, but he thought it would do no harm to stretch his heraldic muscles) 'Can you reland? There is the Dukedom of Bronte, you see, which Nelson assu to establish a connexion'

The penny dropped! A duchess! Irma Bunt, hooked, went off into a dreary chronicle of her forebears, including proudly, distant relationship with a Graf von Bunt Bond listened politely, prodding her back to the iave the name of her father and h to find out in due course exactly who Irht Sable Basilisk had been! There is a snob in all of us and only through snobbery could Bond have discovered who the parents of this woman were

Bond finally calmed down the woman's momentary fever, and the head waiter, who had been politely hovering, presented giantfrom caviar down to Double Mokka au whisky irlandais There were also many 'spécialités Gloria' - Poulet Gloria, Homard Gloria, Tournedos Gloria, and so on Bond, despite his forswearing of specialties, decided to give the chicken a chance He said so and was surprised by the enthusiasht you are, Sir Hilary! I adore chicken too I absolutely dote on it Can I have that too, please, Miss Bunt?'

There was such surprising fervour in her voice that Bond watched Irleaave her approval? It was es There was enthusiasain when Violet stipulated plenty of potatoes with her tournedos 'I si 'Don't you?'

'They're fine,' agreed Bond 'When you're taking plenty of exercise, that is'

'Oh, they're just darling,' enthused Violet 'Aren't they, Miss Bunt?'

'Very good indeed, ood for you too And Fritz, I will just have the ave the caricature of a siure These young things take plenty of exercise, while I must stay in my office and do the paper-work, isn't it?'

At the next table Bond heard the girl with the Scottish burr, her voice full of saliva, ask that her Aberdeen Angus steak should be cooked very rare indeed 'Guid and bluidy,' she e of beautiful ogresses? Or was this a day off froorous diet? He felt coo on digging He turned to Ruby 'You see what I mean about surnalish title Nohat's yours, for instance? I'll see what I can make of it'

Fraulein Bunt broke in sharply 'No surnames here, Sair Hilary It is a rule of the house We use only first nairls It is part of the Count's treate, a transference of identity, to help the cure You understand?'

'No, I'm afraid that's way out of my depth,' said Bond cheerfully

'No doubt the Count will explain some of these matters to you tomorrow He has special theories One day the world will be startled when he reveals his methods'

'I'm sure,' said Bond politely 'Well now' - he searched for a subject that would leave hisHow are you getting on? Don't do ityour classes'

It was an adequate ball which went bouncing on between Ruby and Violet, and Bond kept it in play while their food came and proved delicious Poulet Gloria was spatchcocked, with a irls fell silent over their dishes, consureed There was a similar pause in the chatter at the other tables Bond ave hiood look at the waiters There were twelve of theht It was not difficult to suuely Balkan faces, Turks, Bulgars, or Yugoslavs, and three obvious Slavs There would probably be three Frenchmen in the kitchen Was this the old pattern of SPECTRE? The well-tried coster and secret-service organizations in Europe? Were the three Slavs ex-Sh, had that quiet smell of the pro The nized others as the reception steward and the irls calling theuides during the day Well, it was a nice little set-up if Bond was right

Bond excused hirounds of work He went to his room and laid out his books and papers on the desk and on the extra table that had been provided He bent over them studiously while his hts of the girls down the corridor and the click of the doors shutting He undressed, turned the therhty-five to sixty, switched off the light, and lay on his back for a while staring up into the darkness Then he gave an authentic sigh of exhaustion for the microphones, if any, and turned over on his side and went to sleep

Later,that seemed to come from somewhere under the floor, but very, very far away He identified it as athat went on and on But he could not make out any words and he finally put it down to the central-heating pipes, turned over, and went to sleep again

11

Death for Breakfast

JAMES BOND awoke to a scream It was a terrible, masculine screa note and then rapidly diminished as if the ht, from somewhere near the cable station perhaps Even in Bond's rooh Outside it

Bond ju what scene of panic, of running ht was one of the guides, walking slowly, stolidly up the beaten snow-path from the cable station to the club The spacious wooden veranda that stretched from the wall of the club out over the slope of the mountain was empty, but tables had been laid for breakfast and the upholstered chaises-longue for the sunbathers had already been drawn up in theirdown out of a crystal sky Bond looked at his watch It was eight o'clock Work began early in this place! People died early For that had undoubtedly been the death-screa the bell