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Chapter 14: High Frequencyquote:There was a blinding white light. James Bond thought he could hear the noise and for a moment imagined that he was still in the Saab, rolling into the ditch. ....really, Bond? quote:'Very witty.' Murik sounded anything but amused. 'You killed two of my men, Mr Bond. Making off in secret, with the knowledge you have about my current project, is not the way to keep me as a friend and protector. All previous contracts made with you are cancelled. More to the point, I would like to know your real profession; for whom you work; what your present aim in life happens to be. I may add that I know what your immediate future will be: death; because I am going to bring that about unless you tell us the absolute truth.' I get that Bond didn't want to hit the pen alarm too early because he wanted to get more knowledge about Murik's operation but....why couldn't he have just stuck with the job and gone with him instead of trying to run that very night? quote:'Got windy,' Bond said, trying to sound tired and casual. In fact he was fully aware now, his mind getting sharper every minute, though he knew the stress of that drive would already have played havoc with him. The fatigue had to be just under the surface. Bond is still the worst spy. quote:Murik said he really thought they should have the truth. 'There is so little time left.' Bond saw him nod towards Mary-Jane, who stepped forward, closer to the table. Despite the common reference as a "truth serum", sodium thiopental is a barbiturate that can be used as a general anesthetic, and was previously used in the US for lethal injections. The theory is that mildly sedating a victim with a barbiturate can make them more cooperative and too confused to lie. The actual reliability of this has been questioned. quote:Bond felt his whole body slowly become independent of his mind. The book. See the pages. Far away an orchestra played. Violins, strings and woodwinds, a pleasant sound with a military rhythm to it; then a piano — all far away. loving up spectacularly. quote:Fight, James. Fight it. Even from outside his body. The echo in his own ears was odd, the speech blurred as he said, 'In a nuclear plant, steam is produced by the heat coming from the controlled chain reaction occurring inside the uranium fuel rods within the reactor core …' then he was laughing; and the band played on. I'm sure he does in his spare time. quote:'Come on, who are you really?' asked Lavender. We finally get a new form of torture: sound! quote:The soft music had returned, then the voice again. Murik. Anton Murik, Laird of Murcaldy. Bond had regained enough sense to know that. I think "inflating with evil" is a DeviantArt category. quote:When it finally stopped, Bond was still screaming, on the very edge of madness, teetering on the precipice of sanity. Or just...kill him and dump him in the ditch now? quote:Bond found it hard to understand what Murik was saying. The words were there, clear enough, but his concentration was so bad that he seemed incapable of sorting out the meaning. Each word had to be weighed and understood, then the whole put together. Bond is back in his guest room, with everything movable taken out of the room (even all the fancy bed electronics). Right as he wakes up, Caber and Hamish enter, reluctantly bringing a cold meat and salad tray with a coffee thermos. quote:'Very good of him,' Bond smiled. 'Recovered, have we, Caber?' Back at MI6, it turns out it's a lot harder to cover up a car chase and helicopters dropping flashbangs in the Scottish countryside than Murik expected: Duggan's men were still monitoring the area and witnessed everything. Franco disappeared in New York, and M immediately recognizes the fact that Bond hasn't made contact as evidence that he's been captured (again). quote:'Do you think Special Branch should go in with a warrant?' Duggan was probing. I'm pretty sure a bunch of gunfire and explosions is grounds enough to go in! quote:When Duggan had gone, M turned to his Chief-of-Staff. 'Didn't like the sound of the car being smashed up.'
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Sep 30, 2020 02:59
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I believe we've never before cut away from Bond back to M in the middle of a mission, although I'd be happy for a correction.
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Sep 30, 2020 22:51
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It's practically a comedy cut, "oh that Bond I bet he's just wasting the department budget again probably wants a new car" 
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Oct 1, 2020 09:18
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Chapter 15: Gone Awayquote:As he was sitting towards the rear of the aircraft, it was impossible for Bond even to attempt to follow a flight path. Most of the time they had been above layers of cloud; though he was fairly certain that he had caught a glimpse of Paris through a wide gap among the cumulus about an hour after takeoff. It looks like Murik and Mashkin have decided not to get rid of Bond just yet, because they handcuffed and threw him into the back a van belonging to Eric MacKenzie, the village baker! quote:Caber was the last of Bond's guards to climb in, pulling the doors behind him and locking the catch from the inside. The giant of a man gave a quick order for Bond to stay silent, and the van started up. So the journey began uncomfortably, with Bond squatting on the floor, the flour dust forming patches on his clothes. After a slow and bumpy journey for about 6 hours, the doors are thrown open and Bond is led straight into a concrete building with no opportunity to see outside past the doors. quote:Inside the concrete building they led him along a narrow passage with, he noted, a slight downward slope. Then into a windowless room where, at last, the handcuffs were removed and the freedom of a wash room was allowed; though this too had no windows, only air vents fitted high, near the ceiling. Food was brought — sandwiches and coffee — and one of the guards remained with him, still impassive, but with his jacket drawn back from time to time so the butt of a snub-nosed Smith & Wesson ·38 was visible. It looked to Bond like one of his own old favourites, the Centennial Airweight. I'm constantly awaiting a haggis joke with this accent. quote:Bond was marched up the passage, between his original guards, and through the door. The security truck had gone, and they were standing on the edge of a small airfield. It was clear now that they had come out of the basement of what must be a control tower.  The Gulfstream II was the first business jet of this size to enter production, in 1966, at a unit cost of $21 million. While the original Bond was unable to make an international flight straight from London to Istanbul without multiple layovers, this private jet has a range of over 4000 miles in good conditions and would make it there in a few hours. quote:Caber nodded them towards the jet and, as they walked the few yards — at a smart pace — Bond turned his head. The neat board on the side of the control tower read: Aldan Aerospace, Inc. Flying Club: PRIVATE.  Perpignan is a city in the very south of France, on the Mediterranean coast. The Kingdom of Majorca existed from 1231 until 1349, when it lost enough power to be incorporated into the Crown of Aragon. King Philip V of the Bourbon dynasty unified the various Spanish kingdoms under his centralized rule in the Nueva Planta decrees, with Majorca joining in 1715. The biggest fan of the city is actually Salvador Dalí, who called the city's train station "the center of the universe" because of all the ideas he got in its waiting room. He created a painting to honor such a claim, La Gare de Perpignan, and a monument to Dalí was erected in the station. quote:Roussillon? Roussillon Fashions. The blurred and sporadic conversation, overheard after the bug had been dislodged from Murik's desk, came back to Bond. It was down there at the ancient palace, dating from medieval times, when the area had been an independent kingdom, ruled over by the Kings of Majorca, that Franco was to administer death: through a high-powered air rifle on Wednesday night — tonight — the day before Operation Meltdown. The target? Bond knew with fair certainty who the target would be. The situation was altered beyond recognition. Whatever the risk, he must take the first chance, without hesitation. More than at any time during the whole business, Bond had to get free. Oh, not just killing him then. Great. That's never backfired ever. quote:Mary-Jane, following hard on Murik's heels, gave a twisted little smirk. 'Should've taken up my offer when the going was good, James.' She laughed, not unpleasantly. Bond begins thinking about how viable it would be for him to just break and sprint for the broken fence. It would take about 30 seconds, leaving him reliant on the shock of the guards at such a brazenly stupid move to get the distance he needs. Fortunately, as they're approaching the runway office, a group of European Air Service personnel and customs officials round the corner heading toward them. He takes the gamble that Murik and his henchmen won't be willing to cause a scene or shoot through civilians to stop him. quote:Later, Bond thought the appearance of the train probably made up his mind; the sound of a horn in the distance, and the sight of a long railway train snaking its way along the tracks, about a mile off. I think this is in the running for Bond's most audacious escape plan yet. quote:Using the group of uniformed men for cover, he was off, going flat out in a low crouch, weaving towards one of the jagged gaps in the fence. There were shouts from behind him, but no shots. Only the sound of pounding feet, and an argument of sorts, between Caber's men and the aircrew and customs officers. Bond dived through the gap, sliding down the small embankment on to the railway track — the train now bearing down on him, its roar shaking the gravel, the sound covering everything else. If there was going to be shooting, it would happen in the next few seconds, before the train reached them. parp quote:The horn sounded nothing like that unmistakable too-too-too-too-toot of the hunting field; but, for a second, Bond was transported, hearing the noise of hooves heavy on grass, the baying of hounds and the huntsman's horn, 'Gone away'. He had never cared much for foxhunting, and now — casting himself in the role of the fox — he liked it even less. How the hell did you go to earth in a foreign country with Murik's hounds at your heels? Bond chats with the workers in the back of the truck, and learns that today is a very special day for Perpignan! quote:'Fête,' one explained.
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Oct 1, 2020 18:16
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bond mythos: - extremely bad at spying - good at violence - enemies have a curious reluctance to just shoot him - contrived escape artist I realize it probably wouldn't make for much of a novel to have Murik or Caber just say "actually how about we just triple tap you" but honestly ....
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Oct 1, 2020 19:44
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Psion posted:- enemies have a curious reluctance to just shoot him In fairness the opposite is also true
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Oct 2, 2020 00:58
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Chapter 16: Fête and Fatequote:They dropped him off on the corner of the place de la Résistance, which was already full of people standing shoulder to shoulder, pushing along the pavements. There were plenty of police in evidence, directing traffic, closing off streets and — presumably — keeping an eye open for troublemakers. The Feast of St. John is yet another pagan holiday co-opted by Christianity, originally a midsummer solstice celebration before being turned into a celebration of the birth of St. John the Baptist; because John was supposed to be born 6 months before Jesus, the church fixed this date at June 24th and thus the eve of his birth is celebrated the previous night. While most of France no longer celebrates this regularly, Perpignan was a Catalan-speaking region ceded to France and it's viewed as a major part of Catalonian national identity. quote:A platform had been built over the bridge and was even now crowded with musicians. A master of ceremonies spoke into an uncertain microphone, telling the crowds about the next sardana they would be playing, keeping things going until the flame arrived to ignite both bonfires and excitement. The musicians burst into that music, known to anyone who has passed even briefly through either the French or Spanish Catalan lands: the steady bray of pipe, drum and brass in 6/8 time to which the sardana is danced. The groups of dancers, some in traditional costume, others in business suits or jeans and shirts, formed their circles, clasping hands held high, and launched into the light, intricate, foot movements: a dance of peace and joy; a symbol of Catalonia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhK0BIZoyac Always make sure to have a circle for the seniors! quote:On the far side of the bridge, other circles had taken up the dance in front of the towering red Castillet — the old city gateway, still intact, glowing russet in the light from the street lamps; its circular tower and battlements topped by what looked like a minaret. Of course the Scottish thugs are carrying dirks everywhere. quote:Bond took a deep breath and began to move through the crowd. It would be best to keep to the fringes, then disappear into a side street. Ah, Spanish time. quote:The band started up again and the dancers responded. Bond kept to the edge of the crowd, slowly making his way across the now sealed-off road, towards the towering Castillet. He was looking for a street he recalled from previous visits: an ancient square almost entirely covered by tables from the cafés. They should be doing a roaring trade tonight.  The Castillet is a museum in what remains of one of the city gates and fortifications, built and worked on from 1368 until 1542. It served as a military prison until 1892, then an outbuilding of the city barracks, and finally all but what you see here was demolished. quote:Bond held back, waiting until he was certain the man was looking away from him; then he dodged nimbly through the crowd, sidestepping and pushing, until he found a clear path through the archway of the Castillet itself. He had just passed the café on the far side, and was about to cross the road, when he had to leap into a shop doorway. There, walking slowly, scanning both sides of the street, head tilted, as though trying to catch his quarry's scent, was the giant Caber. Bond shrank back into the doorway, holding his breath, willing the Scot not to see him.  The Loge de Mer was built in 1540, though buildings of the same purpose existed on the site earlier and it's likely built on prior construction. It served as the consulate of maritime trade, a stock exchange, a chapel, and commercial space until the consulate was disbanded and it was turned into a theatre by the Count de Mailly in 1751. Then it was a post office after the French Revolution, restored and used for commercial space, and is now home to the city tourism office. quote:Bond walked straight into the corner Bar Tabac and asked for the toilette. The bartender, busy filling orders and being harassed by waiters, nodded to the back of the bar where Bond found the door marked with the small male symbol. It was empty, and he went into the first cabinet, locking the door behind him and starting work almost before the bolt slid home. Finally, a money belt that isn't a prepper gimmick! quote:The small toughened steel blade went through the stitching like a hot knife laid against butter, opening up the two-inch section to reveal a couple of thousand francs in various denominations. Not a fortune — just under two hundred pounds sterling, the way the market was running — but ample for Bond's needs. That would be about $1500 today. I think he'll be fine. quote:He dismantled the knife, fitted it away again, and reassembled the buckle, thrusting the money into his pocket. In the bar he bought a packet of Disque Bleu and a book of matches, for change; then sauntered out into the Place, back along the way he had already come. His target was the post office, where he knew there would be telephone booths. A fast alert to M, then on with the other business as quickly as possible.  Disque Bleu is another brand of cigarettes by Gauloises, a brand Bond actually seemed to dislike the smell of in "From A View to a Kill" when Rattray was chain smoking them in his office. quote:Music still thumped out from the other side of the Castillet. He continued to mingle with the crowd, keeping to the right of the circling sardana dancers. He crouched slightly, for Murik's man was still in place, his head and eyes roving, pausing from time to time, to take in every face in the ever-changing pattern. Bond prepared to push himself into the middle of a group heading in his direction. Then, suddenly, the music stopped. The crowd stilled in anticipation, and the amplifier system crackled into life, the voice of the French announcer coming clear and loud from the horn-like speakers, bunched in little trios on the sides of buildings and in trees. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFPwm0e_K98 This feels a lot like Gardner recounting being in the crowd for this. quote:As the opening bars died away, so another cheer went up. A group of young girls in short white skirts came running, the crowds parting at their approach. About eight of them, each with an unlit brand held aloft, flanked the girl who carried a great blazing torch. Taking up their positions, the girls waited until the torch was set to a spot in the middle of the bonfire. The tinder took hold, and flames began to shoot from the fire, rising on the mild breeze. The girls lowered their own torches, to take flame from the fire before jogging away in the direction of the Castillet entrance. It worked for Jaws in Rio! quote:Then, just as suddenly as it started, the sardana stopped, all eyes turning towards the Castillet, where the girls, with their blazing brands, occupied the spaces on the battlements, holding the torches high. A rocket sped into the air, showering the sky with clusters of brilliant fire. There followed three more muted explosions, and a great flood of light appeared to rise from the battlements on which the girls stood, their brands flickering, making a breathtaking spectacle. The effect was as though the whole of the Castillet was on fire, gouts of crimson smoke rising from the turrets, battlements, even the minaret; and from this, more rockets pierced the darkness of the night, exploding with shattering sound and shooting stars. Bond rushes to the line of phones on the sidewalk, 6 francs already fished out of his pocket, and shoves them in and dials the Transworld Exports number. He gets as far as "007 for M" when a gun is in his ribs. quote:It was the watcher who had been standing near the Castillet. Bond sighed. Bond can hear the klaxon of an emergency vehicle approaching, so he takes off to find a new place to contact M. quote:At the Place Arago he stopped for traffic, looking across the road at an elegant poster prominently displayed on the wall of the large café. It took several seconds for the poster to register: ROUSSILLON HAUTE COUTURE, GRAND SHOW OF THE NEW ROUSSILLON COLLECTION ON THE NIGHT OF THE FESTIVAL OF OLD ST JOHN. PALACE OF THE KINGS OF MAJORCA. ELEVEN P.M. There followed a list of impressive prices of admission which made even Bond wince. Eleven — eleven o'clock tonight. He gazed wildly around him. A clock over a jeweller's shop showed it was five minutes past eleven already.
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Oct 5, 2020 00:32
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quote:ROUSSILLON HAUTE COUTURE, GRAND SHOW OF THE NEW ROUSSILLON COLLECTION ON THE NIGHT OF THE FESTIVAL OF OLD ST JOHN. PALACE OF THE KINGS OF MAJORCA. ELEVEN P.M. ...but why male models?
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Oct 5, 2020 08:21
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Chapter 17: Death in Many Fashionsquote:The Palais des Rois de Majorque stands on the higher ground at the southern part of Perpignan, and is approached through narrow sloping streets. The original Palace was built on a vast knoll, in the eleventh century, and was later walled in with the citadel — which rises to a height of almost three hundred feet and is wide enough at the top to accommodate a two-lane highway. On the inside, the walls dip to what was once the moat, making the whole a near-impregnable fortress.   This is one of the less fancy palaces Bond has visited. The original was built between 1276 and 1309, and when the French acquired it in the 17th century they focused on turning it into a fortress. The Ministry of Defense still uses part of the palace as a garrison today. quote:Bond had visited the Palace several times before, and knew that the approach is made from the Street of the Archers, up flights of zig-zagging steps, which take the normal sightseer underground, to the main entrance, and then into the large cobbled courtyard. Above the entrance is the King's Gallery, while to the left are apartments closed to the casual visitor. On the right stands the great and impressive Throne Hall, while opposite the entrance runs a cloister with a gallery above it. Behind the cloister stands the lower Queen's Chapel, and above that, off the gallery, the magnificent Royal Chapel, with its series of lancet, equilateral and drop arches. There is no way Gardner didn't take a vacation here at this point. quote:On his last visit to the area — some three years before — on a skiing holiday in the nearby mountains, Bond had fallen in with a French army captain from the garrison. One night, after a particularly lively après ski session, the gallant captain had suggested drinks in his quarters, which lay within the second courtyard of the Palace. They had driven to Perpignan, and the Frenchman had shown Bond how easy it was to penetrate the barracks by entering through a narrow alley off the Rue Waldeck-Rousseau, and from there follow the transport road which climbed steeply to the top of the citadel. It was not possible to enter the rear courtyard through the main transport gates, but you could squeeze through a tiny gap in the long terrace of living quarters forming the rear side of the courtyard. It was on that night Bond also learned of the archway through the rear courtyard, which leads straight into the main Palace area. With most of the garrison down at the celebration in the town below, Bond has nobody to catch him as he squeezes through the gap between buildings and pops out into the courtyard. quote:At last Bond stood inside the dimly lit courtyard. Already his eyes were adjusted to the darkness, and he easily took in the simple layout. The large gateway was to his left, with a row of six heavy military trucks standing in line to its right. Facing the gates in single file and closed up, front to rear, were four armoured Creusot-Loire VAB, transports de troupes, as though in a readiness position. Few lights came from the barrack blocks which made up three sides of the yard. But Bond had few doubts that the transport de troupe crews would be in duty rooms near by.  The Renault VAB (produced partially by Saviem Creusot-Loire before their bankruptcy) is more modern military technology for the book, first entering service in 1976. It remains the standard French Army APC to this day and has been heavily exported to see conflict worldwide. quote:Keeping to the shadow of the walls, he moved quickly around two sides of the square, to bring himself close to the final dividing wall which backed on to the main palace. He found the archway, with its passage and, stepping into it, he was able to see up the wide tunnel, the darkness giving way to a picture of colour and activity. Well, there's one thing taken from the movies! quote:Within seconds he found the doorway and the short flight of steps leading to the gallery. It was not until he reached the elegantly arched passage that the full realisation of his mission's urgency penetrated Bond's consciousness. So far, he had pushed himself on, thinking only of speed and access. Now the lethal nature of matters hit him hard. He was there to save a life and deal with the shadowy Franco — terrorist organiser and unscrupulous killer. Bond looks over the ongoing catwalk event as Lavender Peacock finishes her twirl and steps away for the next girl. The theme for this year's show is medieval fashions, complete with a chamber ensemble using copies of Early Modern instruments to provide accompaniment. quote:The materials were silks, brocades, chiffons and cords: the designs ranging from long-waisted dresses, with wide drooping sleeves; to elaborate costumes incorporating trains and surcoats. There was also a monastic look, with heavy circular collars, wimples and cowls; and off-beat little suits, made up of tunic and tight hose, with long decorated pallia which fell to the ground from the neck, or trailed behind the wearer. The colours were dazzling, the varied cuts and shapes enchanting, as they flared, rustled and floated around the models. Bond reflected that these clothes were, like so many collections of haute couture, the stuff that dreams were made of, rather than the clothing of everyday life. This is the tower you can see in the picture of the courtyard above. quote:The door to the keep was set into the wall, to the right of the Royal Chapel door, not more than a dozen paces from where he stood. Behind that, a tight stone staircase coiled upwards to various landings in the keep; and finally to the ringing chamber itself.  Anschutz has been making sporting rifles since 1856 and is equally well-known for their very fine target air rifles. Their Fortner 1827 .22 LR rifle is the current standard for the Winter Olympics biathlon. quote:There was no time for further appraisal of the situation. Bond leapt up the remaining steps, calling out softly but sharply, 'Franco! Don't shoot!' That's....that's your plan, huh? quote:The marksman's head swivelled round as Bond heard the dull plop from the air rifle, a sound inaudible to anyone but Franco and Bond, high in the keep. In the same second, on an impulse, Bond flung himself on to the prone figure of Franco, landing with a bone-shattering crash across the marksman's shoulders. In a flash, lying spread-eagled across the terrorist's shoulders, James Bond took in the scene below, looking from Franco's viewpoint down through the rough square opening. James Bond has just saved the day by accident. quote:Underneath Bond, Franco was cursing and struggling to free himself from 007's grip on the back of his neck, 'Mierda! I hit the wrong one. You'll …' His voice evaporated in a hiss of air as he let his muscles relax, then arched his back and jerked his legs to dislodge his assailant. Bond was taken by surprise and thrown off, his shoulder thudding against the wall on the far side of the chamber. Franco was on his feet in a second, his hand dropping to his hip and coming away with a small revolver. Bond winded from the throw, levered himself from the wall and kicked wildly at the terrorist's hand, loosening his hold on the gun. It was enough to send Franco weaving and ducking down the narrow spiral stairs. Rather than blindly run down the steps and let himself get shot from below, Bond lets Franco get out of the tower before pursuing him fully. He catches sight of him going where Bond came from, past the unconscious gendarme, into the courtyard with that gap Bond used to sneak in. quote:Slowly, Bond began to crab his way along the wall, edging to the right, deciding that Franco would most likely have made for the cover of the vehicles. Eventually the man would have to run a long way, for his contract had gone awry in the most deadly manner. A gelatine capsule, Bond thought. That had been the missile, which reached a low velocity as it hit, and had some thin coating which burst on impact, leaving little or no mark but injecting something — probably untraceable — into the victim's bloodstream. It would have to be very fast-acting, for Mary-Jane had collapsed within seconds. The two continue the cat-and-mouse game around the VABs. Detecting a flank, Bond sneaks out of his hiding spot to a new one to wait for Franco. Sure enough, he sees the shadow coming around the corner. quote:Bond remained like a statue, the Browning an extension of his arms, held in a vice with both hands, and pointing directly towards the shadow that was Franco. And Bond makes it out and is home free! Until he hears a whistle and someone grabs him as the Mercedes pulls up. quote:'I suppose ye got Franco, then. But it'll do ye nae bluddy guid for yersel, Bond,' Caber whispered in his ear. 'The Laird's mor'n a mite upset — and wi' good reason. Ocht man, he's longing tae set his eyes on ye. Just longing for it. I doubt he has some grand plans for ye.'
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Oct 7, 2020 22:06
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Have I missed something? What was killing Lavender supposed to do? Or is it not explained until the villain monologue?
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Oct 8, 2020 11:51
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I was wondering the same thing. Wanting her dead is one thing, but why does she need to be shot with poison by an international terrorist during a fashion show? Also the way Caber's dialogue is written is just... oof.
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Oct 8, 2020 12:01
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Ripley posted:Also the way Caber's dialogue is written is just... oof. That's a weird way to say "Put down yon telephone."
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Oct 8, 2020 18:59
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Chapter 18: A Watched Plotquote:M sat grey-faced, listening to the tape for the sixth time. 'It's him all right.' He looked up and Bill Tanner nodded in agreement. M turned to the Duty Officer. 'And the number?' he asked. As M and company very slowly respond to Bond's call for help, we return to Bond. quote:They were in a comfortable room, fitted simply with what Bond considered to be Scandinavian furniture — stripped pine desk, table and chairs. There was only one padded and comfortable swivel chair, which was Murik's own preserve. And he appears to be trapped in IKEA hell. quote:This time they had taken no chances. In the car, Bond had been immediately handcuffed. Now he sat shackled by wrists and ankles. He knew they were inside the Aldan Aerospace offices at the airport, but there were no windows to this room, which Murik had described as 'Spartan, but suitable for our needs'. He added that they had at least one very secure room in the place, 'from which the great Houdini himself could not escape'. Killed by what now? quote:Bond asked coolly if Murik would have mourned greatly had the death been that of his intended victim. There are indeed aquatic flatworms that secret toxins from their skin (one discovered in 2006 uses tetrodotoxin, the same kind used by pufferfish and ocean sunfish), but I think your best bet toward getting such a powerful extract from them would be to dilute it with plenty of cyanide. quote:Franco had arranged with his tame scientists to prepare a delivery system for the poison: a gelatine capsule of just the right thickness, fired over a specific distance, through a specific weapon, in this case the powerful Anschütz ·22 air rifle. The passage of the projectile, both through the barrel and, at its maximum velocity during its trajectory, would strip some of the gelatine away, leaving only a very thin layer. 'In fact it overshot the calculated distance.' For the first time Murik smiled. 'Yet still worked. A tiny sting — hardly felt by the recipient — but strong enough to just break the skin and inject the poison into the wound. Enough to produce a heart attack — and death.' Of course he says so. The thug that Bond beat up at the phone booth heard him say "007 for M." Murik had to sign on to the Official Secrets Act during his work as a nuclear physicist due to the government involvement, and he's aware that M is the codename for the head of the British Secret Service. Bond clamming up isn't of much use now. quote:Murik was speaking again, and Bond had to pull his attention back to the little man's words. '… not much of a message to M, was it? I don't think we can expect too much trouble from that source.' He gave a little cough, clearing his throat. 'In any case, I am anxious to get Meltdown underway; there's no chance of stopping that chain of events now. Our late, unlamented Franco has seen to that. And my demands will go out the moment I receive information that certain nuclear power stations are in the hands of the departed Franco's fanatical, so-called terrorists.' Is "hardboiled" how Franco advertised them to you? quote:'Which could go wrong.' Bond wanted to say something about Murik's statement that they were leaving, but held his tongue. Maybe the Laird would spill everything without being pressed. Leaving for where? And how would they leave? I don't know about 1981, but today this would be basically impossible. Actually getting to work in a nuclear reactor at least in the United States takes a fuckton of security clearance and smuggling weapons or contraband is simply not going to be done. I was told of someone who got in trouble at security just for forgetting an empty cartridge case in his pocket. A random terrorist isn't going to just casually take a year to become a trusted reactor operator! quote:'Weapons can sometimes backfire.' Bond tried hard not to crease his brow with the worry now nagging at him, opening an empty pit of horror within his mind. Bond has yet to realize that he's dealing with a villain whose plot is impenetrable and defies reason itself! quote:'I?' Murik looked up with surprise. 'I do not know them at all. Only Franco, and he acted on my instructions. Franco, as I've said, was a highly intelligent man. I taught him all the necessary things. In turn he instructed the teams. I do assure you, James Bond, that we even went through each phase with plans — plans of the plants concerned. Nothing has been left to chance. You see, the initial moves in the control rooms will be elementary precautions only. First, the remote switches will be cut: this means that no master control can scram the plants in question.' Let's hope that's really easy to do! quote:Bond's muscles had gone as rigid as his tightened lips. Tension built steadily through his body. He had gone over the dozen or so possibilities which might defeat the terrorist assaults before they even had a chance to get off the ground. The facts concerning infiltration and the immediate isolation of the target reactors removed a whole range of opportunities. So yeah, it really is as easy as "Flip a few switches and everyone explodes" in this universe! quote:Bond's face was set like stone, his eyes locking with those of Anton Murik. 'And if they do that, millions of lives will be lost, large parts of the world will be rendered uninhabitable for a long time, there will be huge damage and pollution …' So why does Murik want to kill Lavender so badly? It's actually pretty obvious: that joke about her living in a gothic novel that Bond stumbled into wasn't much of a joke! quote:'Why?' Bond stabbed in the dark. 'Why? Because she is the rightful heir to your title, estate and money?' If you think Gardner is overcomplicating this plot with soap opera drama, just wait till you see the rest of his books! quote:'He came back with a wife, child, and every possible legal document,' snapped Murik. Aren't you glad the stuff about Lavender really being the heir to the castle and title was really important to this plot? It was, right? Right? quote:Just before Caber came in to lead him away, Bond asked the final question. Ah, of course. They have radios that just...can't be detected ever. quote:Caber and one of the other men arrived, took orders from the Laird and led Bond away down a series of passages. They handled him roughly, but Caber undid the shackles once they reached what he referred to as 'the secure room'. 'Yeil no be gettin' oot o' here,' Caber sneered. Bond could not fault Caber's confidence, for the place was simply a narrow cell with no windows and only a tiny ventilation grille set well back high in the wall. The door was of eight-inch steel, with no handles on the inside, and so hung that it became part of the wall when closed. It was like being pushed into a large safe — a use the room was almost certainly put to on occasions. There were two beds and one small light, which burned perpetually behind thick glass and a mesh cover, flush with the ceiling. Don't do that under captivity! quote:All modesty seemed to disappear when she realised it was Bond. 'James!' She dropped the blanket and was in his arms. 'Oh God, they caught you. I hoped that you, at least, had got away.' A foolproof way to get out of awkward conversations! quote:She began to move backwards. On the bed she looked up at him. 'Oh, James. I really thought you'd get away and bring some help. Terrible things are going on …' .....is that an answer?! quote:An hour or so later, they lay together on the bed, side by side, their faces turned towards each other. 'James,' she whispered. 'If we ever get out of this … ?' Cut to: M's office at 6:00 AM, where nothing of importance has happened and the phone number still hasn't been traced! quote:'They'll have it for you before nine o'clock,' he said wearily.
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Oct 8, 2020 21:13
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chitoryu12 posted:So why does Murik want to kill Lavender so badly? It's actually pretty obvious: that joke about her living in a gothic novel that Bond stumbled into wasn't much of a joke! Pfft, a real gothic villain would be blackmailing her into marrying him or signing over her inheritance and immuring herself in a nunnery or something.
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Oct 8, 2020 21:38
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chitoryu12 posted:Chapter 18: A Watched Plot Tracing phone calls was a MUCH more involved process before electronic switching stations became widespread in the 70s and 80s, and parts of Europe hung onto older telephone infrastructure for a long time.
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Oct 9, 2020 08:06
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Chapter 19: Ultimatumquote:They came armed, and in strength. Caber and three of the hoods; Caber carrying an automatic pistol, two of the hoods with trays. The wee shooters. quote:One of the hoods brayed with laughter from behind him: 'There's only the one way they'll be gettin' oot, eh Caber?' The Biblical quote is Judges, 5:25: He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, was the one who killed Sisera, commander of the Canaanite army under King Jabin. After losing a battle, Sisera fled on foot and was welcomed with hospitality by Jael. Sympathizing with the Israelites, Jael waited until he was asleep and used a mallet to drive a loving tent peg through his head. Butter in a Lordly Dish was also used as the title for one of Agatha Christie's half-hour radio plays performed on the BBC, and completes the Biblical allusion with an identical murder. quote:Lavender pushed her tray away. 'It's no good, James. I can't eat it. I couldn't swallow.' Death: the only thing that can get Bond to put sugar in his coffee. quote:He then got himself ready, stripping off and washing from tip to toe. Pity about not being able to shave. If they were to die, he would rather go looking his best. Negative thinking. Bond cursed himself. From now on, it was his duty to be positive and alert; aware of everything going on; ready to take advantage of the smallest chink that showed in Murik's plan or actions.  C-141, actually. These massive planes, with a 160-foot wingspan, were in service with the US military from 1965 until 2006 as fast, long-range transports. One of the last tasks the fleet performed before retirement was evacuating thousands of refugees after Hurricane Katrina. How did Murik get one? Who knows! Only 285 were made and they were exclusively used by the US Air Force and NASA! quote:Even the hangar seemed dwarfed by this magnificent brute, decked out in standard United States camouflage, but with the added blue, white, red and yellow insignia of the French Armée de 1'Air. Towards the rear of the wide fuselage the words Aldan Aerospace had been added. Below, Bond could see the outline of the huge rear ramp which could be hydraulically lowered, even in flight, for loading or dropping men and materials — tanks, vehicles of all kinds: even helicopters. Huh, a hulking Scotsman and a huge plane with brightly decorated amenities? Shag carpet? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7qpSUvNM9I quote:'I'm afraid you'll not be eating here, with the rest of us,' said Murik, looking from Bond to Lavender. 'That is one pleasure I shall, reluctantly, have to forgo. What will happen in the next hours needs great concentration and timing, so we cannot have you roaming around the aircraft. However, I shall see you do not go hungry or thirsty.' He pointed towards the sliding hatchway leading to the rear of the fuselage. 'I should be grateful if you would take care when passing through the next section. It contains the intestines of my electronic labours, and is, perhaps, the most important part of the whole project.' Bond would be absolutely hosed if he had to fight a supervillain who was actually sane and made the right decisions. quote:Bond felt Caber's arms gripping him, and at the same time he saw the two other men close in on Lavender.  Murik is certainly sparing no expense for himself here. The Colt Python released in 1955 with the goal of being the best .357 Magnum in the world. Starting in the 1970s, it was even the first mass produced revolver to be laser boresighted at the factory. I've had the fortune of encountering one in person, and the cylinder lockup is simply "It doesn't move." Unfortunately, Colt's infamous mismanagement and bankruptcy led to the Python being discontinued in 2005. A new model was introduced this past January, but it had some notorious reliability problems that revolvers don't normally have (hickok45's gun had the cylinder fail to rotate) and anyone who wants an original will be paying a couple grand for the privilege. It really is a privilege, though. quote:Seconds later, Bond's hopes of the weapon being within reach were dashed. We won't get to know what that idea is yet, as it's time for takeoff! And it's quite a loud one. quote:As the aircraft ceased bumping along the runway, tipping itself smoothly into its natural element, Murik leaned over, placing a pair of foam-padded headphones over Bond's head. 'You will hear everything; and I shall also be able to speak to you through these.' He raised his voice. 'A running commentary, like the Boat Race.' He glanced towards the time displays. British time showed two minutes before noon. 'The witching hour.' Murik's chuckle had begun to irritate Bond. 'Very soon you'll hear the terrorist squads making their reports.' Back at M's office, he's still been hard at work bouncing between phone calls and trying to trace everything. While they've identified Murik's aerospace company, the French Secret Service didn't even get their agents deployed to the airport until less than 5 minutes before the plane took off. quote:They had received further encouraging news at the Regent's Park headquarters. A Mary-Jane Mashkin, close friend of Dr Anton Murik, had died of a heart attack in the middle of a fashion show in Perpignan; while the body of a man — originally thought to be the victim of a gangland shoot-out near the fashion show — had been identified as the much-wanted terrorist known as Franco. Meanwhile, we cut to the Saint-Laurent Nuclear Power Plant near Orleans. quote:Two men tending the large turbine of Plant Two left their normal posts at just before twelve-fifty. A maintenance man, whose job was to keep the air conditioning system in good repair, excused himself from the duty room where he had been playing cards with three of his colleagues. The security man at the entrance leading down to the main control room some fifty feet below ground waited anxiously while the other three made their way along the pipe-lined, stark passages, picking up pieces of cached equipment as they went. At two minutes before one, French time, they met at the head of the emergency stairs near the elevator shaft and went down one flight to the gallery immediately outside the plant's control room, where they joined their companion, the security guard. It was one minute to one. Guess they skipped the bag check today. quote:The security man called Claude was the only one to speak: 'Hands on your heads. Stand away from all equipment. Now. Move, or you will be killed. We mean it.' "Sir, we've been told that the terrorists plan to cause a China Syndrome. This is a fictional phenomenon from a movie. We have no reason to take them seriously." quote:The six men nodded, shakily leaving their place of work. The heavy door to the control room slammed behind them and the two gunmen clamped on the interior safety locks, watching through the reinforced glass which ran the length of the gallery as the released operators slowly filed away. Bond's headphones give him the radio signals of all the reactor teams, reporting that they've successfully cleared the surprisingly limited security of the plants to take them over. quote:'All in.' Murik grabbed Bond's arm, nodding his head excitedly. "Oh God. This is his kink." quote:Almost an hour later M sat with members of the government, security services, and chiefs-of-staff who make up the secret crisis committee known as COBRA — in the Cabinet Office Briefing Room deep under Whitehall. They were listening again to a recording of that sudden, audacious and terrifying ultimatum. It was the seventh hearing for M, but the message still had its impact — an impact it had made on people all over Europe, the United States and many other parts of the world. There is exactly one publicly released image of the Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms. There's actually many rooms and offices in this complex.  quote:The only action M had taken was to call the French police back from Perpignan airport. But, by the time he had made contact, M discovered that they had been recalled anyway. They too had heard the message, on the radio in their van. A military official tries to bring up that that's from a movie and gets shushed. quote:'These men are under instructions to carry out this same operation exactly twenty-four hours after I stop speaking unless certain demands are met. Let me repeat that the men who have taken over these nuclear plants will not hesitate to follow their orders to the death. If in twenty-four hours this becomes necessary the results will be catastrophic for the whole world. It will mean an end to all life in large areas; certainly an end to the growth of food, the keeping of livestock and fish, in even larger tracts of land. It is no exaggeration to say that it could well mean the end of the world as we know it. There will be no way to stop such a disaster if my demands are not met. I can't believe Kojima had to cut this scene out of MGS V. quote:'I stress that this is no hoax. This broadcast is my ultimatum. There will be absolutely no other contact. I repeat that any attempt to communicate with those holding the plants can only result in tragedy. You have exactly twenty-two hours. Message ends.' "Yes! Can anyone please tell me if this China Syndrome is actually real? I'm seriously confused by why we've taken it so seriously!" quote:M cleared his throat. 'Yes, on behalf of my Service, Prime Minister: we think we know who is behind this ingenious and horrific act. We also think we know where this person is: in an aircraft over the Med now. With permission of the Chiefs-of-Staff, I am going to ask for this aircraft to be shadowed by the Armée de l'Air, by fighter-borne radar, of course. I know we can take no action until the terrorists have left the nuclear power plants, but it is a lead, and we might just be able to retrieve the diamonds after the event.'
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Oct 9, 2020 22:57
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Still not okay with "Dilly" whatsoever That whole scene really seems... perfunctory? like Gardner had a bullet point list where Bond Must gently caress but didn't give any kind of drat about it. Is this something he gets better at later or are we doomed to a string of movie bond girls instead of, I dunno, book Tiffany Case? Murik I can absolutely see standing in for movie Drax and the less said about how they plan to overload a bunch of reactor cores the better.
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Oct 12, 2020 02:14
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Margaret Nolan, who played the gold-painted girl in the Goldfinger credits and Bond’s massage therapist, has died.
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Oct 12, 2020 17:12
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Chapter 20: Warlockquote:Bond sat in front of the console, the facts fighting each other in his mind, as though trying to drag him into despair. He recognised the symptoms: as when, caught in the sea a man decides he can swim no farther; or feels the onset of fatigue in snow, making him lie down exhausted, to be encompassed by that strange euphoria that comes before death by freezing. And because if Bond ever had a villain who was sensible about this, there would be no book because he'd be caught and executed before 100 pages. quote:Don't let yourself go, Bond told himself. Keep alert. Do anything; try to combat the inevitable. He began by trying to feel the flight pattern being followed by the Starlifter. It appeared to him that the aircraft, having reached its cruising height, was locking into a wide, oval holding pattern, each circuit covering around fifty miles or so. That made sense: maximum altitude, with the aircraft using the minimum fuel and the Aldan Aerospace technicians in the forward compartment going about their prescribed tests with the equipment. Diamond Dogs could have got it in one. Amateurs. quote:'A rise'll be right,' Bond replied. 'You'll get a glut. Could mess up the market.' But you're going to keep trying anyway? quote:If argument would do no good, Bond had to think of some other way. Strapped into his seat, with Lavender in the same situation, he knew chances of survival were slim. He must go on searching for further chinks in the armour. Bond might play on Murik's vanity for a time, yet in the end that could not affect the outcome. To do anything concrete he had to be free and mobile. After that, there was the problem of taking out Murik, Caber and the two heavies sitting with Lavender at the other console. Maybe we didn't think through this "Get a bunch of random suicidal terrorists and just expect them to surrender" plan... quote:'And, if any of them breaks, he can only point the finger at Franco, who is missing, believed killed in action.' He paused, glancing up at the dials in front of him. 'I imagine they won't be in jail for long. There will be hostages, deaths, demands.' Murik, all you had to do was not tell him everything! quote:It was enough for Bond. He needed the defusing code word; and, having already heard each of the groups come in with their 'Number One … War; Number Four … War' and the rest, it required only common sense to work out the way in which the occupying groups could be made to stand down. At least that was a logical step in the right direction. The captain suddenly calls for assistance in the cockpit, which Caber responds to. About 10 minutes later, he rushes down and informs Murik that there's new contacts on the radar that don't match commercial traffic. quote:The men bent over viewers, through which they were probably looking at radar screens. 'What's your range?' Bond asked Murik coolly, knowing that if aircraft were shadowing the Starlifter, M had probably succeeded, late in the day, in getting the right answers to some difficult problems. Let's hope they aren't good at visual recognition! quote:Far away to the north of the Starlifter, the two Armée de l'Air Super Mirage fighters from the Fourth Fighter Wing turned in unison. Below, the pilots could see another pair of Mirages coming up fast. The leader of the pair which had been keeping station clicked on his transmitter and spoke. 'Watchdog Five,' he said.  Gardner is jumping the gun with his planes. The Dassault Mirage 4000, or "Super Mirage", was a prototype interceptor and fighter-bomber developed from the Mirage 2000. The project ended up canceled when they lost all their customers to existing planes (or in the case of Iran, a revolution overthrowing the Shah). quote:Through his headphones came a voice from the approaching aircraft. 'Watchdog Five, this is Watchdog Six on routine patrol. We take over now. Instructions you return to base and refuel. Over.' It's a long evening, with the Starlifter not expected to reach the diamonds until 9:00 or 10:00 AM local time. Bond and Lavender are only unbound to eat or go to the lavatory under armed guard. quote:On his last visit, Bond had quickly taken a large wad of tissue from the cardboard packet. This he had rolled into an elongated ball, around three inches in length, and a good three inches thick. On being released, and led back to his seat, Bond placed both hands behind his back, ready for his wrists to be strapped. At the same time he manipulated the wedge of tissue from the palm of his hand, up and between the wrists, which he held tightly together. At 5:30, Caber heads to the canteen for coffee. One of the men at the console by Lavender is resting, while the other man and Murik are both preoccupied by their work. Feigning sleep, Bond slowly slips his wrists out of the strap. quote:Then he dropped the strap and moved. His right hand came up, arrowing towards the gun inside Murik's jacket, while the left swept round, with all the force he could muster, in a vicious chop at the Laird's unsuspecting throat. The blow from the heel of his left hand was slightly inaccurate, catching the side of his victim's neck instead of the windpipe. Nevertheless it had all Bond's strength behind it, and as it landed so the fingers of his right hand grabbed at the butt of the Colt Python, which came out of the holster easily as Murik crumpled on to the deck. Bond, still strapped in, swivelled his chair around with his feet, holding the Colt up firmly in a two-handed grip. With Lavender untied and traumatized, Bond grabs the microphone. He figures he must be correct about Murik's ego in crafting his code phrases. quote:'Number One … Lock; Number Two … Lock; Number Three … Lock' right through all six of the squads — completing the word Anton Murik had used as his personal cryptonym for Meltdown — Warlock. Yeah, it was his codename the entire time. Bond has succeeded in his mission almost exclusively through accidents and lucky guesswork. quote:'Now we pray.' He looked towards Lavender, still strapped helplessly in her seat. Bond's hands went to the buckle on his belt in order to reassemble the small knife concealed in its various components — the knife he had used to strip off the section of the money belt in Perpignan. He worked calmly, though it was a frustrating business. As he glanced towards Lavender, smiling and giving her a few words of confidence, he saw the means to his quick escape were very near the girl, if only she were free. Once he's free Bond, moves on to Lavender and eventually has her out of the straps. quote:'Hadn't you better stand by with that gun?' She nodded towards the other console, where Bond had left the Python. You left your gun?! quote:As Bond came up from his crouched position, so Caber let out a great roar — a mixture of fury and grief for his master — and launched himself at Bond. For the first time, Lavender expressed her pent-up fear in a long, terrified shriek.
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Oct 12, 2020 19:37
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Just backpedalling a moment...quote:'Butter in a lordly dish,' said Bond, realising that the Biblical quote had sinister undertones — murder of some kind, he seemed to remember: an Old Testament character smiting someone with a tent peg after bringing in his butter. Is it me, or is this just a little bit highbrow for 007? I can't remember him showing any interest in religion before. quote:It concerns everyone, but it is mainly directed at the governments of Britain, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic and the United States. One of these things is not like the others...
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Oct 12, 2020 22:58
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Trin Tragula posted:One of these things is not like the others... It feels like an artifact of its time; the author seem to be trying to rope in the world's nuclear power and it was probably easier to imagine a terrorist attack in East Germany than elsewhere in the USSR. West Germany suffered a lot of terrorist attacks during its existence so why not add it too. Japan or India seem like they would have made more sense than West Germany, though.
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Oct 12, 2020 23:39
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Chapter 21: Airstrikequote:The previous day M had set up his own operations' room, next to his suite of offices on the ninth floor of the headquarters' building overlooking Regent's Park. He dozed fitfully, half dreaming of some odd childhood incident: running along a beach with water lapping at his feet. Then the familiar sound, which began in his dream as his long-dead mother ringing the bell for tea, broke into M's consciousness. It was the red telephone by the camp bed. M noted it was nearly five o'clock in the morning as he picked up the handset and answered with a throaty 'Yes?' "Despite all supposedly being suicidal radicals, they just surrendered on the spot without question!" quote:M grinned to himself. 'I wonder,' he grunted. 'I wonder if it was an engineered mistake?' So how is Bond doing? quote:Bond did not stand a chance of getting to the revolver, which was still lying on the console. Murik's chief lieutenant was enraged, and dangerous as a wounded bull elephant. His roar had changed into the bloodcurdling cry of a fighting man who could only be stopped by a fusillade of bullets, as he seemed to take off through the air and catch Bond, half-way across the cabin. Bond felt his breath go from his lungs as the weight of the brute landed on him with full force. Caber was yelling obscenities and calling on the gods for vengeance. Now he had Bond straddled on the floor, his legs across Bond's thighs and the enormous hands at his victim's throat. Bond tried to cry out for Lavender's help as the red mist clouded his brain, but Caber's pressing fingers prevented him. Only a croak emerged. Then, with the same swiftness of Caber's attack, the whole situation changed. Ah, badly. Carry on. quote:The Starlifter's engines, which until now had been only a steady hum in the background, changed their note, rising and straining in a roar, while the deck under the struggling men lurched to one side. Bond was conscious of the aircraft's attitude altering dramatically as he rolled, still locked with Caber, across the cabin floor. He caught a glimpse of Lavender, all arms and legs, being flung forward, as a great buffeting of the airframe ensued. Then the Starlifter lurched again, wallowing like a great liner plunging in a heavy sea. This action, followed by yet another sudden and violent change of attitude, as though they were making a steep downward turn, threw Caber free. Caber gets the Python, but he kens a bullet's too guid for Bond, so he just moves Bond at gunpoint to the big rear hatch of the Starlifter. quote:'Now' — Caber had managed to get close behind him, but not near enough for Bond to try a tackle — 'now ye'll slide that thing open, and hold it until ma own hand's on it.' Don't worry, you won't have to suffer this much longer. quote:The rear loading bay was cold: a bleak airborne hangar of metal, smelling of oil and that odd plastic scent of air that you get inside aircraft. The buffeting was worse here, almost below the high tail of the Starlifter. Bond had to grip hard on the spar to keep his balance, for the big aeroplane seemed to be turning alternately left and right, still going down, with occasional terrifying bucketing and noise — which Bond now clearly recognised as other aircraft passing close and buzzing them. The Reverse Fulton?! But Snake, we've never tried that! quote:There was a distinct decrease in temperature. Bond could feel air blowing around him. Looking back towards the tail end of the hold, he saw the rear sides of the fuselage moving away, long curved sections, slowly pivoting outwards, while an oblong section of the deck gently dropped away to the increased whine of the hydraulic system. The ramp was going down. Already he could see a section of sky. It'll take how many minutes? quote:Bond's mind raced. If he was to die, then Caber would have to kill him with the gun. It was not likely that he could even get within grappling distance of the man. They were a good twenty feet from each other, and the Starlifter, still with its nose down, was yawing and performing what he recognised as evasive action of the most extreme kind. Perhaps it was his imagination, but Bond thought he could hear the metal plates singing and stretching with near human cries of pain as the aircraft was flung about the sky. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to1xT93IlUI quote:'You'll have to shoot me down it,' Bond shouted. He was not going without some show of a fight. Letting go of the spar, he aimed himself at Caber just as the Starlifter dipped lower, the tail coming up at a precarious angle. Bond lurched forward, almost losing his balance, going down out of control towards Caber. In this heart-stopping moment Bond saw the smile broaden on the man's face, his gun hand coming up to point the Python straight at 007's chest. Oh poo poo, she actually did something! quote:Bond reached the door, making a grab for the man as the aircraft once more changed its attitude, the nose coming up and the engines changing pitch in a surge of power as it started to gain altitude. Bond grasped Caber, but he could not hold the heavy man, who slipped away, rolling towards the point where the deck dipped into the long-angled ramp. Lavender turned her head away, hanging on to Bond, as Caber tumbled like a stuffed effigy, trailing blood, towards the ramp, hesitating fractionally as he began to fall. He must be almost dead already, Bond thought; but the horrible gargle of blood from the dirk-slit throat turned into a bubbling scream of terror as Caber slid down the ramp — a chilling and hideous sustained note. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Rq6rNF4PR0 This is one of two scenes in this book (the second far more than the first) that would be mirrored in Timothy Dalton's first Bond film, The Living Daylights. The film has Bond and Kara Milovy suddenly end up in Afghanistan right as the movie seems to be reaching its climax and hijack a C-130 Hercules full of opium being sold to the bad guys. Bond ends up in a fight with Necros, the villain's quirky henchman, that ends with the two of them hanging from the cargo out the open door and Bond sacrificing a boot to survive because Necros won't just grab the net right next to him for some reason. quote:'I killed him.' Lavender was near to a state of shock. Yes, great way to handle her trauma! quote:The hydraulic whine began again, and the ramp started to move. Then, as Bond turned, he saw Lavender looking towards the closing gap, her eyes widening and lips parted. In the space still visible, a pair of Dassault Super Mirages could be seen hurtling in towards the Starlifter. As they watched, Bond and Lavender saw the bright flashes at the nose of each aircraft. The Mirage jets had passed, in a clap of air, with the crack and thunder of engines, before the Starlifter felt any effect from the short bursts of fire. Wait, were the jets flying faster than their own cannon shells? quote:Bond's nose twitched at the acrid smell of smoke. Pushing Lavender to one side, he slid open the hatchway to be met by a billow of smoke. Two or three of the small-calibre shells from the Mirages had passed through the roof, slamming into the main console, from which the flames flicked upwards, while smoke belched out in a deadly choking cloud. So does this mean Murik's plan would have fallen apart whether or not Bond did anything? Seeing as the crew just immediately surrendered when they came under fire. Or would he have shot them and tried to fly the plane himself until getting shot down? quote:Inside the control cabin, the air was less foul, leaving only a sting in the nostrils. Lavender went straight towards one of the oval windows and, sliding up the blind, reported that they seemed to be losing height. But what if you're Anton Murik, the greatest genius who ever lived who's prepared for every single eventuality ever, you peon? quote:In the aircraft back to London, Lavender voiced the view that she would never be convinced of her guardian's death until she had actually seen his body.
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Oct 18, 2020 19:41
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chitoryu12 posted:
At least Lavender has a reasonable reason to be mostly passive in this plot - she's been groomed to be. Many of the film Bond Girls have the attitude without such a reason.
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Oct 19, 2020 04:48
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Chapter 22: Warlock's Castlequote:'You ran it a bit too close for comfort, 007.' M sat at his desk, facing Bond. Before M can call Duggan and Ross, Bond interrupts to ask some questions. M confirms they've made a number of arrests in the village and confiscated some weapons, though the antique collection at the castle has been left untouched. None of the papers regarding Lavender's parentage have been found. The castle has been left unguarded since. quote:Bond swallowed. 'Sir, can you hold my report for about forty-eight hours? Particularly the facts about the Aldan Aerospace Flying Club — the place we took off from en route for Perpignan.' Tanner in the field! quote:'Helicopter?'  The de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk is a little two-seat trainer first used in 1946. While they were slowly phased out of their various countries after the 1950s, the Royal Air Force hung onto them until 1996. quote:M gave a heavy cough, as though clearing his throat. "That'll be a 90s thing!" quote:There was an even longer pause before M spoke. 'On one condition, Bond — providing the Chief-of-Staff agrees to this foolhardiness.' He looked towards Bill Tanner, who nodded. 'You do not go armed. In all conscience I cannot, at this stage, allow you to move into Duggan's area of operations carrying arms.' If you've seen The Living Daylights, you might find some familiarity here! quote:'Well …' Bond looked away. 'I wonder if Sir Richard's people could be persuaded to let us have the keys to the castle for a while? P.D.Q., sir. Just so that I can recover clothes left there, or some such excuse.' As promised, Bond and Tanner are unarmed except for flashlights. M was only able to get the keys for the rear entrance, as the rest of the castle's electronic locks are still active. For over half an hour, they silently hand signal their way around the castle until they reach the door. quote:Now he had to find his way down to the Laird's control room and collection of weapons; for Bond was certainly not going to face Anton Murik without some kind of defence. For a while they blundered around by torchlight, until Bond finally led the way down to the long weapon-adorned room in the cellars. Even Bill Tanner gasped as they swung the torches around the walls replete with swords, thrusting weapons, pistols, muskets and rifles.  The cranequin identifies this as a 15th or 16th century crossbow. It's slipped over the stock, hooked onto the string, and the crank turned, using a rack-and-pinion system to pull the string back. The cranequin is then removed before firing. Bond knowing how this works would be very unusual unless he took up an interest in medieval weaponry! quote:'Up to the hall,' he whispered. 'The light's not in his favour. He'll want to get hold of the stuff and be away fast. Pray God he'll take it all with him, and we can catch the bastard outside.' Bond and Tanner have to wait another 7 or 8 minutes before they hear rapid footsteps on the gravel. Murik runs out with an oilskin package of documents, only to find himself held at crossbow point by Bond. quote:The Laird of Murcaldy hardly paused, seeming to turn slightly towards Bond's voice, his right hand rising. There was a sharp crack followed by a high-pitched screaming hiss. A long spurt of fire streaked from Murik's hand, leaving a comet trail behind it, passing so close between Bond and Tanner that they felt the heat from the projectile which hit the side of the keep with the thud of a sledgehammer. A whole block of the old stone cracked and splattered away, sending great shards flying. Tanner gave a little cry, clutching his cheek, where a section of sharp stone sliced through.  Bond is shaken, thoughts of another life flashing through his mind... quote:Bond did not hesitate. Before Murik — still running — could hurl another rocket from his Gyrojet, he squeezed the trigger of the crossbow. The mechanism slammed forward, its power taking Bond by surprise. The solid noise of the mechanism drowned any hiss the bolt might have made through the air and was, in its turn, blotted out by Murik's cry as the heavy bolt speared the upper part of his chest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACuMbMWxliU The Living Daylights finishes off its plot with Bond confronting the final villain: Brad Whitaker, an American arms dealer who was working with rogue KGB officer Koskov. Whitaker is a weapons fanatic much like Murik and likewise filled his mansion with them. Rather than the fight taking place outside with grabbed weapons, however, Whitaker opens up with a Mini Uzi that he pulls from one of his many drawers of customized firearms before switching to a Colt Model 733 with a bulletproof shield. Unable to penetrate the shield or Whitaker's body armor with his .32, Bond takes him down with a bust of the Duke of Wellington. quote:Murik continued, as though he could hear nothing, and, as he reached the top of the mound, Bond and Tanner heard the noise of the helicopter engine rise as lift power was applied. The target was outlined against the now red morning sky: Murik teetering on top of the mound, ready to make a last dash down the other side to the Bell Ranger lying just out of sight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJAXpyt8-oQ Of course, that is not what a Gyrojet would do. While the Gyrojet in the best circumstances was twice as powerful as a .45 ACP, manufacturing problems led to many rockets being produced with one exhaust port slightly blocked, sending the projectiles spiraling randomly out of the barrel. Combined with the very slow reloading (you had to load one round at a time into the magazine through the top), awkward ergonomics, and the necessity for every round to be made completely perfectly without even the tiniest differences in propellant burn rate to change the point of impact, the Gyrojet was a miserable failure. quote:Tanner was beside Bond, his face streaked scarlet with blood, as they paced each other up the bank. Below, the helicopter pilot was revving his motor for takeoff. One glance towards Bond and the levelled Gyrojet pistol changed his mind. The pilot shut down the engine and slowly climbed from the cockpit, placing his hands over his head. And because the final chapter is so short, we'll throw it in here! Chapter 23: Quite a Lady quote:James Bond stood on the station platform, looking up into Lavender Peacock's bright eyes. It had been one of the best summers in a life which held memories of many long and eventful holiday months. Though he felt a tinge of sadness, Bond knew that all good things must end sometime. Now, the moment had come. Why the gently caress did he pick that name? quote:Bond had been allowed to extract these documents, and M saw to it that they were placed in the hands of the best possible solicitors in Scotland. He was optimistic that there would be a quick ruling on the matter. In a few months Lavender would gain her inheritance. Literally the only two casualties to a Gyrojet in history. quote:A few days after his return from Murcaldy, Bond had left with Lavender, by car, for the French Riviera. To begin with, things had gone according to plan. Thinking it would be a great treat, Bond had taken the girl to the best hotels; but she was unsettled, and did not like the fuss. "As one comforts a child" is probably not a turn of phrase you should use for the girl half your age that you're sexing! quote:After a few days of this, they decided on more simple pleasures — motoring into the mountains, staying in small villages far away from the crowded resorts; or at little-known seaside places, basking in the sun, lazing, eating, talking and loving. "And also remove the torture chamber." quote:Bond, due back from leave the following day, would not have tried to stop her. She was right, and he felt proud of having had some part in what looked like a glowing future. He took her out to dinner, then drove to collect her things and get her to the station. John Gardner's first crack at Bond ends with the Bond Girl leaving for good, clearing the way for the next. I have no idea what to think of this book, honestly. It started out relatively strong and realistic, but rapidly turned into something wacky. As a villain, Murik came off as interesting at first but eventually turned into a shrieking megalomaniac who still somehow had every base covered. The plot starts to sort of meander once Bond learns about Operation Meltdown. Still, it's better than the last three wrecks we read. Our next book is For Special Services, when Gardner really starts to show the kind of Bond author he is. From ice cream to brainwashing to man-eating pythons, Gardner tackles a plotline that was inevitable: the potential return of SPECTRE.
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Oct 19, 2020 21:49
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Maybe it’s the terrible books vefore coloring my impression, but I liked it. The parts that really held up were Gardner bailing the feel and fear of combat, the sense of momentum and danger that Fleming had, and the twisted unclear reasoning early on where Bond was trying to suss out the loyalties of the two women. The plot itself......well, the less said, the better.
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Oct 20, 2020 01:47
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The absurdity of that final battle - a duel between a crossbow and a gyrojet of all things - kind of ruins the entire book for me.
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Oct 20, 2020 04:00
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 Chapter 1: Three Zeroes quote:Euro Air Traffic Control Centre, at Maastricht on the Belgian–Dutch border, passed British Airways Flight 12 over to London Control, at West Drayton, just as the aircraft cleared the coast a few miles from Ostend. That's it! That's the entire first chapter! Come on, Gardner! I promise you can extend these out! Chapter 2: Ninety Seconds More time than it took to read the last one! quote:A little earlier, James Bond had been reclining, apparently relaxed and at ease, in an aisle seat on the starboard side of the Executive Class area of Flight BA 12. In case you've forgotten that the Double-O department has been disbanded, Bond has left behind his days of reviewing the latest files on technology and politics and being sent on international espionage missions to play air marshal. quote:No single terrorist organisation had claimed responsibility, but the major airlines were already suffering from a shrinkage in passengers. Panic was spreading, even though companies — and, indeed, governments — had poured soothing words into the ears of the general travelling public. The days before you could train on Microsoft Flight Simulator were dark days indeed. quote:In some cases, after safe landings, the booty had been off-loaded and taken away in small aircraft, while the original target was burned or destroyed by explosives. In every case, the slightest interference, or hesitation, had brought sudden death — to crew members, passengers, and even children. Because that will definitely not result in higher scrutiny! quote:Major United States carriers and British Airways had borne the brunt of the attacks; so, following this last harrowing incident — some six weeks before — both governments had arranged for secret protection on all possible targets. I always see books, movies, etc. using the "distinctive military bearing" as a sign of major terrorists or whatnot, and I've never once seen this occur in real life. Setting aside that real terrorists are typically distinguished by their nervousness and lack of professionalism (especially when the ones engaging in dangerous or suicidal ops have plenty of issues of their own that make them easily pushed into performing them), you would expect a truly highly trained group of professionals to be taught to avoid standing up too straight, grouping up together while remaining unusually silent (as opposed to pretending to be drunk young executives on the way back from a business trip or something), or dressing in such a way as to draw attention. Nobody notices the average, SPECTRE! quote:Then, at Bahrain, the trouble had come aboard — almost $2 billion worth of gold, currency and diamonds — and three young men and a girl embarked. They smelled of violence — the girl, dark-haired, good-looking, but hard as a rock; the three men, swarthy, fit, with the compact movements of trained soldiers. See? Even the terrorists supposed to act like regular tourists are just marching on board stone-faced in distinct pairs acting like they're about to bust out an attack plan. quote:Bond and the S.A.S. men were of course armed, Bond with a new pair of throwing knives, balanced perfectly and well-honed, developed from the Sykes-Fairbairn commando dagger. One was in his favourite position, strapped to the inside of the left forearm, the other sheathed, horizontally, across the small of his back. He also carried the highly-restricted revolver developed by an internationally reliable firm for use during in-flight emergencies.  The Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife was developed by William Ewart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes, who both served in the Shanghai Municipal Police in the interwar period. Fairbairn developed a distinctive pistol shooting and hand-to-hand combat style for the extremely close-range surprise attacks common in the line of duty, which led to him becoming a special forces instructor in World War II. The pair developed their unarmed combat system, Defendu (or Close Quarters Combat), and the two consequently developed a dagger for special forces work as well. The Fairbairn-Sykes is one of the most famous knife patterns in the world thanks to its use by glamorous units like the SAS and Commandos, with the US attempting to copy it more than once. The knife's versatility has led to it seeing continued military and civilian service to this day, obviously with modern manufacturers of varying quality. Gardner, as a member of 42 Commando in the war, would have been intimately familiar with these knives and how to use them. quote:This weapon is a small, smooth bore .38 with cartridges containing a minimal charge. The projectile is a fragmentation bullet — lethal at a few feet only, for its velocity is spent quickly, so that the bullet disintegrates in order to avoid penetration of an airframe, or the metal skin of an aircraft. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zJP89orlbc While I don't know of any smoothbore revolvers firing frangible bullets, Eastern Airlines had over two dozen hijackings in the 1970s and their security director asked Colt for a specialized revolver to arm pilots to gun down the hijackers. To avoid the aforementioned depressurization and a Goldfinger incident, Colt modified their Lawman .357 revolvers into a snubnose package with a disposable Zytel cylinder with steel chamber sleeves, each loaded with a saboted plaster bullet. Only a small handful of these guns were made before Eastern Airlines decided to just use federal Sky Marshals instead. quote:The giant 747 banked slightly, and Bond registered the slight change in pitch from the engines, signalling the start of their descent. Probably somewhere just off the Belgian coast, he judged, his eyes roaming around the cabin, watching and waiting. Definitely the 80s: we're down to cans of soft drinks instead of Martinis! quote:Automatically Bond glanced to his left, towards the other pair of neatly-dressed men. In the seconds that his mind had focused on the stewardess, the two other men had disappeared. You always have to miss! quote:The whole cabin was now full of smoke and panic. Bond shouted for passengers to remain seated. He heard similar cries from the S.A.S. men in the tourist class, and forward, in the first and so-called ‘penthouse suite’. Then there were two small explosions, recognisable as airguard revolver shots, followed by the more sinister heavy bang of a normal weapon.  One of the difficulties with a modern Kindle copy is you can't tell when something is a typo legitimately from the original book or a mistake created by optical scanning software. The gun the stewardess was carrying is properly called the Ingram M11, usually just called the MAC-11 after Military Armaments Corporation. The original MAC-10 was designed by Gordon Ingram in 1964, available in both .45 ACP and 9mm Parabellum, and championed by former OSS agent (and ongoing mercenary) Mitchell WerBell III, who had started the Sionics company to develop firearms suppressors. The pairing of a large Sionics suppressor gave the MAC-10 its success (as it now had a proper handgrip) with special forces in Vietnam, though Military Armaments Corporation would go bankrupt by 1976. The gun would still become iconic, copied by companies like Cobray in semi-automatic forms (sometimes converted to full auto, both illegally by criminals and legally by Hollywood armorers) and in the form of crude sheet metal copies by gangsters from Brazil to the Philippines. The MAC-11 is an even smaller variant, available in both .380 ACP and 9mm Parabellum. While its tiny size makes it look cool coming out of a small jacket or other hiding place, its extremely high rate of fire empties the magazine in less than 2 seconds with abysmal accuracy. It would be most useful in this hijacking if the stewardess planned on randomly shooting passengers in the back of the head while fighting back against the SAS. quote:Still holding his breath, knife at his side, Bond side-stepped the body, oblivious to the screams and coughing of terrified passengers throughout the aircraft. Above the noise came a loud, barked order from overhead ‘Orange One. Orange One’, the signal, from an S.A.S. man, that the main assault was taking place on, or near, the flight deck. Not only would Fleming not write this kind of violence, the movies at this time weren't either! quote:Crouching low, Bond clambered, cat-silent, to the body, using it as a shield to peer into the upper area of the aircraft. Bond heads downstairs and lets a flight attendant know that she can calm down and get the passengers calm, as long as she makes sure not to walk toward where all the bodies are. He gets the passengers back in their seats as he notes that the three men and woman who had boarded at Bahrain look very shaken and pale. quote:As he mounted the spiral staircase again, the quiet tones of the purser came through the interphone system, advising passengers that they would shortly be landing at London Heathrow and apologising for what he called ‘the unscheduled unpleasantness’. "Wet naps will be provided upon disembarking to remove any unseemly blood from your faces." quote:The S.A.S. officer shook his head as Bond emerged into the penthouse suite. The hijacker who had been the target for Bond’s second knife was now laid out over two spare seats, his body covered with plastic sheeting. ‘No way,’ the S.A.S. officer said. ‘Lasted only a few minutes.’ This is the flimsiest evidence you've ever had, Bond! quote:He closed his eyes briefly. The long flight and the sudden, bloody action at the end must have scrambled his brains. The founder, Ernst Stavro Blofeld was dead beyond a doubt, SPECTRE as an organised unit had expired with Blofeld. But who could tell? The original organisation spanned the world and, at one time, had its fingers into practically every major crime syndicate, as well as most of the police forces, security and secret intelligence services, in the so-called civilised world. He brings this up to M, who immediately asks how much he drank on this flight. quote:The 747’s engines cut off. The bell-like signal told the passengers to disembark. chitoryu12 fucked around with this message at 07:34 on Oct 20, 2020 |
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Oct 20, 2020 07:31
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Rainbow Six opened similarly; I wonder if it was deliberate homage by Clancy?
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Oct 20, 2020 07:42
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chitoryu12 posted:John Gardner's first crack at Bond ends with the Bond Girl leaving for good, clearing the way for the next. I have no idea what to think of this book, honestly. It started out relatively strong and realistic, but rapidly turned into something wacky. As a villain, Murik came off as interesting at first but eventually turned into a shrieking megalomaniac who still somehow had every base covered. The plot starts to sort of meander once Bond learns about Operation Meltdown. Still, it's better than the last three wrecks we read. It really is Bond on a backassward Gothic romance novel frame. Look at the last bit, with the villain fleeing with the documents that prove the innocent, fragile heroine is the true heiress rather than, you know, chucking them in the fire 20 years ago. It's weird as hell.
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Oct 20, 2020 21:04
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Midjack posted:Rainbow Six opened similarly; I wonder if it was deliberate homage by Clancy? Like Oliver Stone says: Inside every fat Tom Clancy novel is a thin James Bond waiting to get out.
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Oct 21, 2020 00:05
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Again, I like the description of the airplane fight here. The guy “not spinning or being thrown” by the bullet, just suddenly falling forward, is too real for anyone but a combat vet to write. It’s good, the fight is cinematic but not flashy and tense and realistic. SPECTRE being back? Bond realizing it because of a single muttered word? EHHHH, they can’t all be winners.
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Oct 21, 2020 01:18
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poisonpill posted:Again, I like the description of the airplane fight here. The guy “not spinning or being thrown” by the bullet, just suddenly falling forward, is too real for anyone but a combat vet to write. It’s good, the fight is cinematic but not flashy and tense and realistic. I read some retrospective reviews of Gardner's books and this seems to be a problem with his writing. He can come up with great concepts and he clearly has real world knowledge to back up things like tech and combat talk, but he just loses himself in questionable and complex plotlines and Bond having absurd luck.
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Oct 21, 2020 04:16
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Chapter 3: The House on the Bayouquote:It stood, decaying and corrupt, on the only firm piece of ground in the midst of swamp land. The bayou channelled around it, then split up to join its brothers and disappear in steamy green marshes. ....you don't need to italicize "bayou", man. It's not a foreign word. We use it all the time. quote:The nearest town was six miles away, and the few people who lived near the edge of that great watery marsh, on the lower reaches of the Mississippi River, kept away from the soggy bank across from the house.  The Cajuns of Louisiana are the descendants of the Acadians, French Canadian settlers who were expelled after British victory in the French and Indian War. While many Acadians were deported to Britain and France and other colonies of both countries, a significant number migrated down to Spanish Louisiana. The Acadians eventually became the largest ethnic group in the colony, a funny coincidence since lower Louisiana had already been long settled by the French; the famous Louisiana Creole populace is made up of the the descendants of French and Spanish colonists, African slaves, and Native Americans in any mixture. "Acadian" would eventually be distorted through language changes to "Cajun", and a vibrant Cajun culture would develop. Many Cajuns speak Louisiana French or Louisiana Creole as their primary language to this day, and aspects of Cajun culture such as their traditional music (commonly heard at Mardi Gras celebrations with an accordion and fiddle) and famous cuisine (including items like boudin sausage, gumbo, and crawfish boils) remain a recognizable part of Louisiana and especially New Orleans to this day. quote:There was a woman at the house also. People caught sight of her from time to time, and it was certain she wrote out the order that Criton carried to Askon Delville’s store. She was, of course, some kind of witch, otherwise she would not be able to live in such a haunted place. Of course. In all seriousness, this isn't a Live and Let Die kind of "Weird swamp people and their superstitions pish-poshed by strong white men" thing. Louisiana Voodoo is a major part of the state's culture for centuries, to the point where (despite attempts to use belief in it to push racist fear mongering of blacks) Christian citizens through at least the 19th century would often have few qualms about getting themselves voodoo cures for what ailed them. Many Creoles of color today even associate Christian saints with voodoo spirits as the same being. Despite the glamour produced by "voodoo queens" like Marie Laveau, an isolated Cajun swamp community where you need a boat to get around believing in some form of magic would not be unexpected. quote:People took special care to stay away when the gatherings happened. They always knew when there was going to be one. Askon told them. He knew because of Criton’s shopping list. The day of a gathering, Criton usually made two trips because there was so much extra stuff needed at the house. Then, around dusk, you really kept clear. There would be noises, automobiles, extra marsh hoppers and the house, they said, got all lit up. Sometimes there was music; and one day, about a year ago, young Freddie Nolan — who wasn’t scared of anything — took his own marsh hopper out, about two miles upstream, planning to sneak up and take some pictures. Well that's a hell of a thing to drop in the middle of a passage! quote:They dined magnificently. Later, after the liqueurs and coffee, the whole party went into the conference room at the back of the house.  Franz Kline. Riveting. Definitely worth the $40.4 million it went on sale for. God, painting is such a scam. quote:A polished oak table occupied most of the centre of the room. It was set for eleven people, complete with blotters, drinks, pens, paper, ashtrays and agenda. Blofeld took the place at the head of the table, while the others filed to their seats, all marked with name cards. They did not sit until the Leader had taken the chair. And how many pages did it take Fleming to get to Blofeld's meeting from the time he opened up on the meeting place in Thunderball? quote:The gentleman from Cairo rose to his feet. He was a tall, dark man, with immensely handsome features and a honeyed voice that had charmed many a young woman in its time. ‘I am pleased to announce,’ he said, ‘that, even without the hoped-for proceeds from Flight BA 12, our bank accounts in Switzerland, London, and New York contain, respectively, 400 million dollars; fifty million pounds sterling; and 150 billion dollars. The total, according to our calculations, will suffice for our present purposes, and, if operations succeed according to budget — as our Leader predicts — we can expect to double the amount within one year. As agreed, all profits, over and above our initial investment, will be shared equally.’ He gave his most charming smile, and the assembled company sat back, relaxed. We even get our requisite "Blofeld seems to be threatening someone then kills someone else" kill! quote:‘Yes, we have found him.’ Blofeld beamed, the hands coming together in a clap which sounded like a pistol shot. ‘Having found him, I believe he should now join his friends.’ The drapes over the large windows slid back silently. As they did so, the room lights dimmed. Outside the window, the immediate environment appeared bright as day. ‘An infra-red device,’ Blofeld explained, ‘so that the guardians of this house will not be frightened by light. Ah, here comes your Mr de Luntz now.’ This was probably a lot of work to build! quote:‘What’s he done?’ one of the Americans asked. It was Mascro, the white-haired avuncular man from Los Angeles. Interestingly, there's technically a clue to Blofeld's identity among the later characters in this chapter. It's one you have to look very carefully to see. quote:Standing behind the french windows, the executive committee of SPECTRE watched with fascination and horror. The infra-red gave them a clear, daylight picture. They could also hear the unfortunate victim start to scream as he spotted the reptile squirming in from the tall reeds, near the marshy water’s edge. "The poor dear can only stomach Adidas." quote:Now, the python squirmed around so that its head was exactly aligned with the body’s feet, which the reptile pushed together, before opening its jaws to an almost unbelievable width and clamping down on the corpse’s ankles. While man-eating pythons are a common monster in fiction, it is something that's been known to happen. While incredibly rare, reticulated pythons have been known to kill humans by wrapping around them and squeezing until they suffocate to death before swallowing them whole. In fact, choosing a human as prey is often a death sentence; most pythons are physically unable to handle swallowing whole such a massive body, rendering them nearly unable to move or even killing them from the strain. quote:The German, Treiben — who had known de Luntz well in life — was the most affected. ‘You said,’ he began, his voice quavering, ‘you said, de Luntz spoke before. . . before. . .’ "I understand that literally none of you would have heard of him, since SPECTRE was destroyed in the 1950s and I just kept operating by myself, but nevertheless!" quote:The faces around the table hardened; all turned towards Blofeld. A very long, slow, and overly elaborate plot? quote:Blofeld paused, looking around the table to make certain all concentration was on the subject in hand.
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Oct 21, 2020 08:17
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At last Caber's gone, surely there'll be no godawful phonetic dialogue in this book...quote:Chapter 3: The House on the Bayou  Also the villainous board meeting being all "gently caress James Bond in particular" makes this feel like a children's cartoon series.
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Oct 21, 2020 09:16
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chitoryu12 posted:A very long, slow, and overly elaborate plot? That stands a good chance of killing us?
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Oct 21, 2020 10:05
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Blofeld mentioned his predecessor so this is a new leader for the new SPECTRE?
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Oct 21, 2020 16:58
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Midjack posted:Blofeld mentioned his predecessor so this is a new leader for the new SPECTRE? Presumably Irma Blunt, who escaped after the escapade with the giant genetically modified wombats
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Oct 21, 2020 19:13
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Ichabod Sexbeast posted:Presumably Irma Blunt, who escaped after the escapade with the giant genetically modified wombats You are probably correct, there is a distinct lack of pronouns referring to Blofeld.
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Oct 21, 2020 19:55
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Chapter 4: Pillow Thoughtsquote:James Bond glanced affectionately at Ann Reilly’s face, quiet and beautiful in sleep, on the pillow next to him. The sleek and shining straw-coloured hair was tousled around her oval face. For a fleeting second, she reminded Bond of Tracy — his wife of less than a few hours before Ernst Stavro Blofeld so viciously gunned her down, on the autobahn from Munich to Kufstein, as they were beginning their honeymoon. Oh yeah, remember when Bond had actual trauma around her death and an entire book was based on that? quote:Ann Reilly — a member of Bond’s own Service, assistant to the Armourer and second-in-command of Q Branch — was known by all and sundry within the big headquarters building overlooking Regent’s Park as Q’ute. An apt nickname for the elegant, tall, very efficient and liberated young lady. M and the Armourer are canonically extremely stupid. quote:Bond had objected. After all, he had usually been allowed to choose his own hand gun, and was more than put out when his trusted Walther PPK had been withdrawn from service in 1974. On his last mission he had been severely criticised for using an old, yet highly efficient Browning. In his own stubborn way, 007 had fought for his personal rights — an action applauded by Q’ute, a champion of feminism which, by definition, meant she also championed certain male causes. .......what? quote:But if M’s word was law, then the Armourer would see the ruling was carried out, and Bond had, in due course, been issued with the VP70. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ6yy1g1jyk There's reasons the VP70 was not a success. The VP70 was a gun that could have been revolutionary in many ways: the first mass produced handgun with a polymer frame (beating the Glock by 12 years), a massive 18-round magazine, and a shoulder stock/holster that would add a 3-round burst functionality to let you use the pistol as a makeshift submachine gun if necessary. Unfortunately, the trigger is atrocious and compared to a staple gun. Even in semi-auto with the stock fitted to give it the best possible chance, accuracy is inferior to a regular pistol or a submachine gun or carbine. In 3-round burst, it basically sprays the bullets all over the place. The military rejected it as it was simply worse in practice than their existing handguns and submachine guns despite the low cost and high magazine capacity. Heckler & Koch tried to make up for it by selling a civilian version with no provision for a stock, producing 23,600 before production ended in 1989. Despite the age of the FN M1903 that Bond used in the previous book, in a lot of ways the VP70 is a downgrade simply because it would be impossible even for a marksman of Bond's caliber to overcome the heavy trigger for accurate shooting. It's also larger and has a wider grip, and despite Bond's handwave it would be an awkward gun to keep concealed in his normal outfits. quote:There was no doubt that it was also a man-stopper of considerable power, and — in recent days — between lengthy sessions with his old friend Bill Tanner, M’s Chief-of-Staff, concerning the hijack and identity of the terrorists, Bond had spent a lot of time getting to know his new pistol. "Ann, why the bloody hell did M issue me this pistol? I can't hit a drat thing!" quote:Almost from the moment he had first found himself working with Q’ute, Bond had developed a respect for her immense professionalism. She certainly knew her job, from weaponry to the complex mysteries of electronics. But she could also hold her own as the most feminine of women. Are you going to give her dialogue, then? quote:When they finished on the range that night, Ann Reilly made it clear that, if Bond was free, she was available until the following morning. The Campana, at 31 Marylebone High Street, is another closed Italian restaurant. It temporarily changed to Strada Cucina Italiana and closed some time after 2014. The space is currently home to 31 Below, a cafe with a basement cocktail lounge. quote:The draining of their bodies left the agile Q’ute exhausted. She fell asleep almost immediately after their last, long and tender kiss. Bond, however, stayed wide awake, his alert state of mind brought about by the mounting anxiety of the past few days, and by what he had discovered with Bill Tanner. Ah, I see. She's a prop now. Carry on. quote:The BA 12 terrorists had all been traced back to a German underworld figure who also dabbled in political and economic espionage, one Kurt Walter Treiben. Even the stewardess, it was now proved, had pulled strings to be assigned to that particular flight, and though she had been with British Airways for almost three years, her background also linked her to Treiben. So the new Blofeld came into power and just immediately called up all the old Blofeld's buddies to get the gang back together? quote:Bond quietly lit one of his special low-tar cigarettes, originally made for him by Morelands of Grosvenor Street and now produced — after much discussion and bending of rules — by H. Simmons of Burlington Arcade: the earliest known cigarette manufacturers in London. This firm even agreed to retain the distinctive three gold rings — together with their own silhouette trademark — on each of the specially produced cigarettes, and Bond felt not a little honoured that he was the only customer who could coax personalised cigarettes from Simmons. H. Simmons wouldn't last much longer, as in the 80s the brand would get bought out by Dunhill. quote:Blowing smoke at the ceiling, conscious of Q’ute in deep and satisfied sleep beside him, Bond thought of the other women who had played such a decisive role in his Service career: Vesper Lynd, who, in death, had seemed moulded like a stone effigy; Gala Brand, now Mrs Vivian, with three kids and a nice house in Richmond (they exchanged Christmas cards but he had never seen her again after the Drax business); Honey Rider; Tiffany Case; Domino Vitale; Solitaire; Pussy Galore; the exquisite Kissy Suzuki; his latest conquest, Lavender Peacock, now managing her Scottish estate with great success. In spite of the warmth and genuine affection which flowed, even in sleep, from Ann Reilly, Bond’s mind ran riot. Again and again his thoughts turned to Tracy di Vicenzo — Tracy Bond. Why are you spending so much time reminding us of much better girls? Wait, the motherfucker forgot Vivienne Michel! quote:There had been a time when Bond’s memory had been lost for a considerable period; but experts had brought him back from the darkness of unknowing, and the final moments of Ernst Stavro Blofeld now lived clearly and vividly in his mind — Blofeld in his grotesque Japanese Castle of Death, with the poisoned garden: the last battle, when Bond was ill-equipped to deal with the big man wielding his deadly samurai sword. Yet he had done it, with the greatest lust for another man’s blood he had ever experienced. Even now, when he thought long of Blofeld, Bond felt an ache in his thumbs: he had choked the man to death with his bare hands. And it only took two books for Gardner to do it! quote:Bond stubbed out the cigarette, turned on his side and tried to sleep. When, at last, blessed darkness swallowed his consciousness, James Bond still did not rest. He dreamed; and his dreams were of his beloved lost Tracy. And there you go! The only lines she gets! quote:Reaching for the telephone Bond caustically reminded her that she had personally paged him, on matters of business, three times in the past week. ‘No time’s the right time,’ he said, smiling wearily as he dialled the headquarters’ number. Just write dialogue! quote:Grumbling, mainly because he would get no proper breakfast, Bond shaved and dressed, while Ann Reilly made coffee. The flirting, of course, being taken from the films. Moneypenny was barely a character in Fleming's books since Bond had his own secretary. Gardner may be writing sequels to Fleming's Bond, but he's clearly not immune to pop culture. quote:‘Maybe good for you, James. But I’ve been up half the night.’  Rather than the classic knitted silk tie of Fleming's days, Bond is wearing a Royal Navy repp tie. Starting in the 19th century, British schools would require their boys to wear ties with diagonal stripes in varying colors and patterns to represent the particular school. School clubs (like rowing and cricket teams) would start creating their own ties as a sign of membership, and eventually the practice would reach the military with regimental ties. Brooks Brothers brought the design to the United States in the 1920s and it became a major part of the Ivy League fashion sense (also reversing the direction of the stripes to go down from the wearer's right to left), but Americans view the ties much more casually than the British do and lack the longstanding cultural traditions tied to them; wearing a tie you haven't earned around the wrong crowd is taken more seriously on the eastern side of the Atlantic. In Live and Let Die, Bond distinctively wore the Royal Navy tie upon his arrival in New York City. It's a nice implementation of his background into the costume design that would go unnoticed by most viewers. I guess Gardner thought the same. quote:M looked tired. It was the first thing Bond noticed. The second was the girl — short, well-proportioned, athletic, but with an undoubtedly feminine smile and dark hair cut into a mass of tight curls. chitoryu12 fucked around with this message at 22:30 on Oct 21, 2020 |
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Oct 21, 2020 22:28
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quote:"Please, for the love of God James, don't gently caress her"
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Oct 22, 2020 11:50
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