The Bull at the Cross lay almost on the crossroads at the centre of the old village； which contained a hodgepodge of mainly Georgian buildings； with a sprinkle of slightly older terraced houses that were now the village shops； leaning in on one another as though mutually dependent。 Small rows of what must at one time have been labourers' cottages now housed people who muted into Banbury or Oxford； to labour in different fields。
Almost opposite the coach yard entrance stood the church。 To the south； the main street meandered out into open country； scattered with copses and studded with larger houses； as though the more prosperous local gentry had landscaped the southern vista with their properties。
Gateways and rhododendron…flanked drives gave glimpses of large； sedate Victorian mansions or glowing Hornton stone Georgian buildings。
The third driveway past the church was walled； with heavy； high modern gates set into the original eighteenth…century stone。 A small brass plate engraved with the words GUNFiRE SiMULATiONS LTD was sunk into the pillar to the right of the gates。 In newer stone； carved and neatly blended with the original； was the one word； ENDOR。
The drive； which turned abruptly； disappearing behind thick low trees and bushes； seemed to be neatly kept； and a strip of grey slate was only just visible some two hundred yards in the distance。 Bond calculated the size of the grounds to be about a square mile。 The high wall continued to his left； the boundary being a narrow dirt track neatly sign posted THE SHRUBS。
After half a mile or so he turned back along the village street and on towards the northern extremity； where the cluster of old houses bordered a scrubby； wooded hill。
Here sharp speculators had been at work； and a modern housing estate encroached almost on the woodland itself。
It was gone twelve when Bond ambled slowly back to the inn。 A dark blue Jaguar stood not far from the Bentley but no one except the staff appeared to be about。
In the private bar he found only the harman and one other guest。
〃James； darling； what a surprise to find you here； out in the sticks！〃 Freddie Fortune； neat in an emerald shirt and tight jeans sat in a window seat。
〃The surprise is mutual； Freddie。 Drinking？〃
〃Vodka and tonic； darling。〃 He got the drinks from a friendly harman； and carried them over to Freddie； saying loudly； 〃What brings you here； then？〃
〃Oh； I adore this place。 I often e down to mune with nature … and friends。 Not your sort of place though； James。〃 Then quietly； 〃So glad you could make it。〃 Bond said he was glad too。 〃On a bit of a downer。
Sorry about the other night； Freddie。 Must've bored the pants off you。。
〃Oh no； darling； I wouldn't say that；〃〃 she murmured。
〃It was frightfully touching； actually。 I felt terribly sorry for you； poor lamb。〃
〃Made an ass of myself。 Forget what I said； eh？〃 Bond felt unutterably foolish； putting on the style of Freddie's London friends。
〃Forgotten already； darling。〃 She took a quick sip of her vodka and tonic。 〃So you wanted to get out of the hurly…burly； yah？〃
〃Yah。〃 Bond almost mimicked her affected accent。
〃Or did you e because I asked you？〃 He gave a non…mittal 〃Mmmm。〃
〃Or； perhaps； the possibility of work？〃
〃Little of all three； Freddie。〃
〃Three's a crowd。〃 She snuggled up beside him。 For a second； Bond felt； strangely； that Percy was there。 They lunched together from a menu that would not have put the Connaught to shame； then walked for five miles or so across the fields and through the woodland； getting back around three…thirty。
〃Just in time for a nice quiet siesta。〃 Freddie gave him the e…to…bed look； and Bond； invigorated by the walk； was in no mood to disappoint。
First； though； he made an excuse to go over to the Bentley； where he retrieved the ASP 9mm and two spare clips of ammunition； keeping them well hidden when he joined Freddie in the fort of her room。
She was lying on the bed； wearing precious little。
Smiling sweetly； she said； 〃e and bore the pants off me； darling。〃
〃Dinner？〃 Bond asked later； as they sat over tea in the residents' lounge。 The hotel had filled up； and three Spanish waiters scurried about with silver teapots； small plates of sandwiches and fancy cakes。 Like Brown's on Sunday afternoon； but without the polish； Bond thought。
〃Oh lord； darling。〃 Freddie put on her 〃devastated' face。 〃I have a dinner date。〃 Then she smiled。 〃So have you； if we play our cards right。 You see； I've got some old friends who live here。〃 She suddenly became confidential。
〃Now listen； James； they could be a godsend。 You were serious about going into puters？ Programming and all that sort of thing？ Micros？〃
〃Absolutely。〃
〃Super。 Old Jason'll be thrilled。〃
〃Jason？〃
〃My friend … well friends； really。 Jason and Dazzle St。 John…Finnes。〃
〃Dazzle？〃 Freddie gave an impatient back…flip of her hand … 〃Oh； her name's Davide or something。 Everyone calls her Dazzle。
Super people。
Iinto puters in a really big way。 They're incredibly clever and invent frightfully plicated war games。
M had already briefed him about the other members of Jay Autem Holy's entourage： the 〃wife'； Dazzle； a young expert called Peter Amadeus （〃Austrian； I think；' Freddie now added）； and the even younger Cambridge graduate； Cindy Chalmer。
〃She's an absolute hoot。〃 Freddie became expansive。
〃The locals call her Sinful Cindy； and she's jolly popular； particularly with the men。 Black； you know。〃 No； Bond said； he did not know。 But he would like to find out。 How did Sinful Cindy get on with Peter Amadeus？
〃Oh； darling； no woman has anything to fear … or hope for … from the Amadeus boy； if you see what I mean。
Look； I'll give Jason a bell。〃 Freddie； like many of her kind； affected the London vernacular； particularly when out of town。 〃Just to make certain they don't mind me having you in tow。〃 She disappeared for about five minutes； though Bond already knew what the answer would be。 Freddie； he had to admit； was a nice little actress。
The Bull 〃We've got a result； James；' she said when she came back。
〃They'd absolutely adore to have you to dinner。〃 Just as he knew they would； and she knew they would。
In spite of her affected accent； rather silly manner； and undeniable sexual availability； Freddie Fortune was a loyal friend； naive in her judgments； but； once mitted； to cause or person； she became unshakeable。 Almost certainly； in this instance； Freddie was being used； Bond thought。 She probably did not even begin to understand the risks or dangers which could face him； and possibly herself。
Gently he questioned her in an attempt to discover how long 〃Old Jason and Dazzle' had been such close friends。 She hedged a little； but it finally transpired that she had known them for exactly two months。
They went in the Bentley。
〃I adore the smell of leather in a car。 So positively sexual。〃 Freddie curled up in the large armchair…sized front passenger seat。
Bond was careful to ask for directions。
〃The gates will probably be closed； but turn in and wait。 Jason〃 a maniac about security。 He has lots of incredible electronic devices。〃
〃I'll bet；' Bond said under his breath； but obeyed instructions； turning left where she told him and pushing the Mulsanne's snout to within an inch of the great high metal barriers。
He would have put money on their being made of steel； worked to give the impression of ornamental wrought iron。 There were three great locks and the gate…hangings were shielded behind massive Atone pillars。
There had to be some kind of closed…circuit television system； for the car sat waiting only a matter of seconds before the locks clicked audibly and the gates swung back。
As Bond had already divined； Endor was a large house with about twenty rooms： classical Georgian in golden Cotswold stone； with a pillared porch and symmetrically placed sash windows。 The crunch of gravel under the Bentley's wheels was a sound that brought back many memories to him … the older cars he had once owned； and； oddly； school days when he read the books of Dornford Yates； with their adventurers riding forth to do battle in Bentleys or Rolls…Royce cars； u