cheerfully； 〃Well； that's fixed。 Message from M。 that he's tremendously relieved you're all right and he'll be free in about half an hour。 Car should be here in ten minutes or so。 And the Chief of Staff says he hopes you'll be free for lunch afterwards。〃
James Bond smiled for the first time。 It was a thin smile which didn't light up his eyes。 He said； 〃That's very kind of nun。 Would you tell him I'm afraid I shan't be free。〃
2
Attentat！
The Chief of Staff stood in front of M。's desk and said firmly； 〃I really wouldn't do it； sir。 I can see him； or someone else can。 I don't like the smell of it at all。 I think 007's round the bend。 There's no doubt it's him all right。 The prints have just been confirmed by Chief of Security。 And the pictures are all right…and the recording of his voice。 But there are too many things that don't add up。 This forged passport we found in his room at the Ritz； for instance。 All right。 So he wanted to e back into the country quietly。 But it's too good a job。 Typical K。G。B。 sample。 And the last entry is West Germany； day before yesterday。 Why didn't he report to Station B or W？ Both those Heads of Station are friends of his； particularly 016 in Berlin。 And why didn't he go and have a look at his flat？ He's got some sort of a housekeeper there； Scotswoman called May； who's always sworn he was still alive and has kept the place going on her savings。 The Ritz is sort of stage Bond。 And these new clothes。 Why did he have to bother？ Doesn't matter what he was wearing when he came in through Dover。 Normal thing； if he was in rags； would have been to give me a ring…he had my home number… and get me to fix him up。 Have a few drinks and run over his story and then report here。 Instead of that we've got this typical penetration approach and Security worried as hell。〃
The Chief of Staff paused。 He knew he wasn't getting through。 As soon as he had begun； M。 had swivelled his chair sideways and had remained； occasionally sucking at an unlighted pipe； gazing moodily out through the window at the jagged skyline of London。 Obstinately； the Chief of Staff concluded； 〃Do you think you could leave this one to me； sir？ I can get hold of Sir James Molony in no time and have 007 put into The Park for observation and treatment。 It'll all be done very gently。 V。I。P。 handling and so on。 I can say you've been called to the Cabinet or something。 Security says 007's looking a bit thin。 Build him up。 Convalescence and all that。 That can be the excuse。 If he cuts up rough； we can always give him some dope。 He's a good friend of mine。 He won't hold it against us。 He obviously needs to be got back in the groove…if we can do it； that is。〃
M。 slowly swivelled his chair round。 He looked up at the tired； worried face that showed the strain of being the equivalent of Number Two in the Secret Service for ten years and more。 M。 smiled。 〃Thank you； Chief of Staff。 But I'm afraid it's not as easy as all that。 I sent 007 out on his last job to shake him out of his domestic worries。 You remember how it all came about。 Well； we had no idea that what seemed a fairly peaceful mission was going to end up in a pitched battle with Blofeld。 Or that 007 was going to vanish off the face of the earth for a year。 Now we've got to know what happened during that year。 And 007's quite right。 I sent him out on that mission； and he's got every right to report back to me personally。 I know 007。 He's a stubborn fellow。 If he says he won't tell anyone else； he won't。 Of course I want to hear what happened to him。 You'll listen in。 Have a couple of good men at hand。 If he turns rough； e and get him。 As for his gun〃…M。 gestured vaguely at the ceiling…〃I can look after that。 Have you tested the damned thing？〃
〃Yes； sir。 It works all right。 But。 。 。 。〃
M。 held up a hand。 〃Sorry； Chief of Staff。 It's an order。〃 A light winked on the inter。 〃That'll be him。 Send him straight in； would you？〃
〃Very good； sir。〃 The Chief of Staff went out and closed the door。
James Bond was standing smiling vaguely down at Miss Moneypenny。 She looked distraught。 When James Bond shifted his gaze and said 〃Hullo； Bill〃 he still wore the same distant smile。 He didn't hold out his hand。 Bill Tanner said； with a heartiness that rang with a terrible falsity in his ears； 〃Hullo； James。 Long time no see。〃 At the same time； out of the corner of his eyes； he saw Miss Money…penny give a quick； emphatic shake of the head。 He looked her straight in the eyes。 〃M。 would like to see 007 straight away。〃
Miss Moneypenny lied desperately： 〃You know M。's got a Chiefs of Staff meeting at the Cabinet Office in five minutes？〃
〃Yes。 He says you must somehow get him out of it。〃 The Chief of Staff turned to James Bond。 〃Okay； James。 Go ahead。 Sorry you can't manage lunch。 e and have a gossip after M。's finished with you。〃
Bond said； 〃That'll be fine。〃 He squared his shoulders and walked through the door over which the red light was already burning。
Miss Moneypenny buried her face in her hands。 〃Oh； Bill！〃 she said desperately。 〃There's something wrong with him。 I'm frightened。〃
Bill Tanner said； 〃Take it easy； Penny。 I'm going to do what I can。〃 He walked quickly into his office and shut the door。 He went over to his desk and pressed a switch。 M。's voice came into the room： 〃Hullo； James。 Wonderful to have you back。 Take a seat and tell me all about it。〃
Bill Tanner picked up the office telephone and asked for Head of Security。
James Bond took his usual place across the desk from M。 A storm of memories whirled through his consciousness like badly cut film on a projector that had gone crazy。 Bond closed his mind to the storm。 He must concentrate on what he had to say； and do； and on nothing else。
〃I'm afraid there's a lot I still can't remember； sir。 I got a bang on the head〃…he touched his right temple… 〃somewhere along the line on that job you sent me to do in Japan。 Then there's a blank until I got picked up by the police on the waterfront at Vladivostok。 No idea how I got there。 They roughed me up a bit and in the process I must have got another bang on the head because suddenly I remembered who I was and that I wasn't a Japanese fisherman which was what I thought I was。 So then of course the police passed me on to the local branch of the K。G。B。…it's a big grey building on the Morskaya Ulitsa facing the harbour near the railway station； by the way…and when they belinographed my prints to Moscow there was a lot of excitement and they flew me there from the military airfield just north of the town at Vtoraya Rechka and spent weeks interrogating me…or trying to； rather； because I couldn't remember anything except when they prompted me with something they knew themselves and then I could give them a few hazy details to add to their knowledge。 Very frustrating for them。〃
〃Very；〃 mented M。 A small frown had gathered between his eyes。 〃And you told them everything you could？ Wasn't that rather； er； generous of you？〃
〃They were very nice to me in every way； sir。 It seemed the least I could do。 There was this Institute place in Leningrad。 They gave me V。I。P。 treatment。 Top brain specialists and everything。 They didn't seem to hold it against me that I'd been working against them for most of my life。 And other people came and talked to me very reasonably about the political situation and so forth。 The need for East and West to work together for world peace。 They made clear a lot of things that hadn't occurred to me before。 They quite convinced me。〃 Bond looked obstinately across the table into the clear blue sailor's eyes that now held a red spark of anger。 〃I don't suppose you understand what I mean； sir。 You've been making war against someone or other all your life。 You're doing so at this moment。 And for most of my adult life you've used me as a tool。 Fortunately that's all over now。〃
M。 said fiercely； 〃It certainly is。 I suppose among other things you've forgotten is reading reports of our P。O。W。s in the Korean war who were brainwashed by the Chinese。 If the Russians are so keen on peace； what do they need the K。G。B。 for？ At the last estimate； that was about one hundred thousand men and women 'making war'…as you call it…against us and other countries。 T