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'You understand our talk here?'

'Enough of it'

'So!' There was a pause Then Marius said, 'Alas, since Waterloo, one can never underestilish'

Bond said, seriously, 'The sa' This was getting too gallant Bond said,

'Now tell ood?'

'It is passable,' said Marius 'But this is a dish that is dead, gone There is no more true bouillabaisse, because there is no more fish in the Mediterranean For the bouillabaisse, you must have the rascasse, the tender flesh of the scorpion fish Today they just use hunks of arlic, they are always the same But you could eat pieces of a woood Go to any of the little places down by the harbour Eat the plat du jour and drink the vin du Cassis that they give you It will fill your stomach as well as it fills the fishermen's The toilette will be filthy What does that matter? You are a man You can walk up the Canebiere and do it at the Noailles for nothing after lunch'

They were noeaving expertly through the traffic down the famous Canebiere and Marius needed all his breath to insult the other drivers Bond could s in the cafes He reh of all French towns He reflected that it was rather fun, this ti on the side of the devil

At the bottom of the Canebiere, where it crosses the Rue de Roht and then left into the Rue St Ferreol, only a long stone's throw frohts from the harbour's entrance briefly winked at them and then the taxi drew up at a hideous, but very new apartround floor, which announced in furious neon 'Appareils Electriques Draco' The well-lit interior of the store contained what you would expect - television sets, radios, gramophones, electric irons, fans, and so forth Marius very quickly carried Bond's suitcase across the pave doors beside the vitrine The close-carpeted hallas more luxurious than Bond had expected A e beside the lift and wordlessly took the suitcase Marius turned to Bond, gave hi hand shake, said curtly, 'A la prochaine,' and hurried out The porter stood beside the open door of the lift Bond noticed the bulge under his right arainst thetoo, a real stopper The ave Bond a bored look, as much as to say, 'Clever? Eh?' and pressed the top button The porter's twin, or very nearly his twin - dark, chunky, brown-eyed, fit - aiting at the top floor He took Bond's suitcase and led the way down a corridor, close-carpeted and all brackets in good taste He opened a door It was an extre off Bond i picturecurtained, would have a superb view of the harbour The man put down his suitcase and said, 'Monsieur Draco est iht it time to make some show of independence He said firmly, 'Un moment, je vous en prie,' and went into the bathroom and cleaned hilish of soaps, Pears Transparent, and that there was a bottle of Mr Trumper's 'Eucris' beside the veryhis English guest feel at home!

Bond took his time, then went out and followed theand closed it behind Bond Marc-Ange, his creased walnut face split by his great golden-toothed s tired of desks!), trotted across the broad room, threw his arms round Bond's neck and kissed hiave a reassuring pat to Marc-Ange's broad back Marc-Ange stood away and laughed 'All right! I swear never to do it again It is once and for ever Yes? But it had to coive me? Good Then come and take a drink' - he waved at a loaded sideboard - 'and sit down and tell me what I can do for you I swear not to talk about Teresa until you have finished with your business But tell ht between you? You have not changed your e And everything is arranged We will be married within the week At the Consulate in Munich I have teeks' leave I thought we ht spend the honeymoon in Kitzbühel I love that place So does she You will coe exploded 'You will have a ti me away from Kitzbuhel Now then' -he waved at the sideboard -'take your drink while I co happy and be clever instead My two bestI wanted to have you for a moment to myself'

Bond poured himself a stiff Jack Daniel's sourmash bourbon on the rocks and added soht-hand of the three chairs that had been arranged in a see Because there are sos I ranted leave to tell them to you, but they must remain, as you put it, behind the Herkos Odonton - behind the hedge of your teeth Is that all right?'

Marc-Ange lifted his right hand and crossed his heart, slowly, deliberately, with his forefinger His face was now deadly serious, almost cruelly implacable He leaned forward and rested his forearms on the desk 'Continue'