Chapter 21: Blofeldquote:It was already growing dark as the helicopter flew in low over the Louisiana swampland. Nena craned forward at the controls, trying to spot the landmark she said would be there. Yes, we flew all the way from Colorado to Louisiana in the space of a chapter break! Just squeezing that mansion in at the end of the book! quote:They had stayed for only a few minutes in the compound of the NORAD base while Bond shot questions at her. What had happened? How did she manage to get there? Did she know what had become of Cedar? Nena begins taking the helicopter over to the far side of the marsh, where they can grab a marsh hopper to sail in. Bond is, of course, very happy that Nena knew to get the right antidote to the mind control drugs and get them to him. quote:‘You’ll tell me what it was all about, James, won’t you? Everything. I only heard parts of it. It seemed very complicated to me – difficult and daring. Would they really have got a lot of money for whatever they were after?’ Criton gives Nena a small bow as they pass, barely even acknowledging Bond's existence. Once past the crumbling shell of the mansion into the opulent interior, Nena begins giving Criton his orders. quote:‘Has Mr Bismaquer been here?’ Nena asked. quote:‘He’ll do it.’ Nena locked eyes with Bond. ‘We’re safe, James. We can relax. Criton’ll warn us when Markus shows up; then we’ll be ready for him.’ Modest. quote:The bathroom had bath, shower, and jacuzzi. It was, Bond decided, only half the size of the bedroom. Bond awakens from his memories of one-boob sexing to the sound of gunfire outside and Nena nowhere to be seen. He finds that while his bathrobe was left, his .45 is missing. quote:He stopped, to listen again, at the top of the staircase. He thought he heard sounds from behind a door adjacent to the big carved newel post at their stair foot. A thin sliver of light showed under the door. Nena, he thought, his heart thudding. Bismaquer had arrived and the deaf mute had given no warning. Either that, or she had tried to go it alone. Well, that was anticlimactic. Nena's got Blofeld at gunpoint and crippled already! quote:She seemed not to see – or even notice – that Bond was there. In turn, he was so shaken by the sight that he stood, rooted, mesmerised, for too long. Oh, Christ. quote:‘My God. You bitch.’ Yep. At the very end of the book, there's the bombshell getting dropped on us: Nena is Blofeld's one-breasted daughter. She had been secretly the boss of everything, and Bismaquer was the one who gave Bond the antidote because he thought he was too pretty to die. Which means that Bond has been loving Blofeld this whole time. quote:‘His daughter?’ Bond’s voice was barely audible. No, absolutely none of this was foreshadowed except for not using gendered pronouns for Blofeld. We're just getting the entire plot in one exposition dump. quote:She raised the Colt just as Bond dived towards the side of the table, and at that same moment, the dusty, frail figure of Walter Luxor came hurtling through the door, shouting: What could make this ending feel even more like everything is getting jammed in at the last minute? quote:As the creatures slid over the screaming and kicking body, Bond heard the chair crack like thin plywood. Then the screams stopped. He was conscious of other people coming into the room, of a back he recognised as his old friend Felix Leiter. Felix Leiter just wandering in and shooting the villain in the head! quote:‘Come on, James.’ It was Cedar, by his side, who guided him out of the corpse-strewn room. Yeah, you don't say. quote:Felix Leiter came into the hall. ‘Nice to see you again, James, old buddy.’ His grin still had that sense of fun and impetuosity that Bond had always warmed to, trusted and admired. ‘You do realise that my daughter’s in love with you, James.’ Another quick grin. ‘As her father, I hope you’re going to make an honest woman of her – or a dishonest one. Either one will do, just to keep her quiet.’ And just to cap off this weird, weird book. Chapter 22: To James Bond: The Gift of a Daughter quote:Cedar Leiter and James Bond stood on the balcony of his room at the Maison de Ville, New Orleans, looking out at the view. Somewhere near at hand, below them, a pianist was trying to recreate Art Tatum playing ‘Aunt Hagar’s Blues’. Cedar and James were arguing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz0kd20tq4c The Maison de Ville is a hotel situation in a historic 18th century home on Toulouse Street, in the heart of the French Quarter. Antoine Peychaud, the creator of Peychaud's Bitters, and Tennessee Williams were among the property's famous residents. quote:‘But you’ve said it would be different if I wasn’t your old friend’s daughter, James. Can’t you forget about that?’ Not exactly an argument in the positive! quote:‘But it wouldn’t seem right.’ Bond knew very well that it would seem very right if it happened. But . . . Well, at least Fleming would approve of that. quote:They stood in silence for a while, and she groped for his hand. ‘Isn’t it fantastic out there? That sky, all velvet, and the stars?’ Before they can decide where to go, Felix phones the room and tells Bond to come down to the bar. He's already gone by the time Bond arrives, but there's a package waiting for him with the bartender. quote:Sure enough, a heavy package, beautifully wrapped, waited for him, together with a neatly typed envelope. Bond tore open the envelope. Inside there was another sealed envelope, and a note. Open the package first, it read. It’s from someone really important. Then try the envelope. Felix. The Police Positive was one of two guns Bond brought along in the original Fleming novels as a larger backup to his Beretta 418, most prominently kept under his pillow in Casino Royale and handed to Viv in The Spy Who Loved Me. It was so named for its "positive lock", an internal hammer block safety that prevented accidental discharge if dropped on the hammer. It was one of the most popular revolvers of the early 20th century and a major competitor to Smith & Wesson's similar guns. Notably, it was one of the few guns Fleming himself owned and had some familiarity with. He had been presented with the same "For Special Services" revolver by General William Donovan for writing a memorandum that would become part of the charter of the OSS describing its functions. quote:Bond closed the box, tearing open the other envelope. A single card, handwritten with great care. It read: To James Bond: The Gift of a Daughter – or whatever you want her to be. Finally, agonizingly, the book ends. The pulpiest yet, chock full of crazy and jam-packed with way more plot than Gardner could handle. A villain only revealed in the last few pages and unceremoniously shot in the head by Felix Leiter suddenly wandering in without warning. Shockingly, it's still not Gardner's nuttiest or most confusing work. I'm going out of town for a week. When we return, we take a trip to Finland for a book with so many double and triple-crosses that it'll make your head spin. chitoryu12 fucked around with this message at 21:30 on Dec 14, 2020 |
|
# ? Dec 14, 2020 21:14 |
|
|
# ? Mar 29, 2024 15:20 |
|
John Gardner posted:The Gift of a Daughter – or whatever you want her to be. Ew. Ew. EW.
|
# ? Dec 14, 2020 23:22 |
|
It feels like Gardner had a bunch of index cards with ludicrous plot points for his next few Bond novels and he decided to just shuffle them all together and call it an outline. Didn't enjoy anything about this book aside from getting to witness the sheer feverish insanity. I'm glad the library didn't have this one available when I was a tiny goon. chitoryu12 posted:Shockingly, it's still not Gardner's nuttiest or most confusing work. Hard to believe, but in that case the thread title is making more and more sense... Edited to second: Gats Akimbo posted:Ew. Ripley fucked around with this message at 23:31 on Dec 14, 2020 |
# ? Dec 14, 2020 23:25 |
|
Gats Akimbo posted:Ew.
|
# ? Dec 15, 2020 00:05 |
|
So the hideously scarred-beyond-recognition brains behind the throne who had particular unexplainable hatred for our protagonist just turned out to be a nobody that was killed by accident. Huh. Not like Bind’s previous encounter with SPECTRE ended with fire, such as the kind that would cause Luxor’s injuries, or anything. So was this a red herring, a dropped plot point, or just an attempt at a memorable henchman? And what’s with the ending? Did he suddenly realize he’d hit the contracted page count?
|
# ? Dec 15, 2020 01:50 |
|
-Why- were there marines at an Air Force installation?
|
# ? Dec 15, 2020 19:18 |
|
Whatever happened with those goons from Nrw York? Weren’t they out for revenge? Why did Blofeldaughter show Bond the secret entrance? Why did they want Bond to find out the plan before brainwashing him? What was the point of the Louisiana manor? Was there any payoff to having the girl be Felix’s daughter? Some kind of parallel with the daughters of his friend and enemy? Why didn’t he just go get help right away? What’s with the overly complicated ice cream factory and monorail? Why have a deadly car race / art purchase bet if they just wanted to gas him the whole time?
|
# ? Dec 15, 2020 20:22 |
poisonpill posted:Whatever happened with those goons from Nrw York? Weren’t they out for revenge? There’s a mention in Cheyenne Mountain of an officer straining to burst out of his uniform with Mazzard and Luxor, so I think they’re meant to be accompanying the infiltration and presumably got shot.
|
|
# ? Dec 15, 2020 22:13 |
Pershing posted:-Why- were there marines at an Air Force installation? That is accurate. NORAD is not a pure Air Force command.
|
|
# ? Dec 15, 2020 22:20 |
|
Old, old news, but amusing. Here is the story of the next big spy novel that turned out the be stitched together from bits of John Gardner's Bond continuations, Robert Ludlum books and others: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/02/13/the-plagiarists-tale
|
# ? Dec 19, 2020 04:55 |
Our book opens with an acknowledgement of the kind of research that went into it quote:I would like to thank those who gave invaluable assistance in the preparation of this book. First, to my good friends Erik Carlsson and Simo Lampinen who put up with me in the Arctic Circle. To John Edwards who suggested that I go to Finland, and made it possible. To Ian Adcock, who did not lose his temper, but remained placid, when, during a cross-country ride in northern Finland – in early February 1982 – I took him, not once, but three times, into snowdrifts. Chapter 1: The Tripoli Incident quote:The Military Trade Mission Complex of the Socialist People’s Republic of Libya is situated some fifteen kilometres south-east of Tripoli. Set close to the coast, the Complex is well-hidden from prying eyes, screened on all sides by sweet-smelling eucalyptus, mature cypresses, and tall pines. From the air it might easily be taken for a prison. The kidney-shaped area is enclosed by a boundary of three separate, six-metre-high cyclone fences, each topped by a further metre of barbed and electrified wire. At night, dogs roam the runs between the fences, while regular patrols, in Cascavel armoured cars, circle outside the perimeter. The buildings within the compound are mainly functional. There is a low barracks, constructed in wood, for the security forces; two more comfortable structures act as ‘hotels’ – one for any foreign military delegation, the other to house their Libyan counterparts. The Brazilian EE-9 Cascavel is a real armored car in Libya, designed in 1970 as a replacement for Brazil's old M8 Greyhounds from WW2. Libya was the second largest purchaser of the EE-9 at 500 vehicles, armed with a low-velocity DEFA D921 90mm gun on a turret adopted from the Panhard AML-90. They've seen regular use in conflict up through modern day in the fight against ISIS. quote:Between the ‘hotels’ stands an imposing, single-storey block. Its walls are over a metre thick, their solidity disguised by the pink stucco finish and an arched, cloistered façade. Steps lead to a main door, and the interior is cut down the centre by a single corridor. Administrative offices and a radio room extend to left and right of this passage which ends, abruptly, at a pair of heavy, high doors leading to a long, narrow room, bare but for its massive conference table and chairs, together with facilities for showing films, VTR, and slides. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaoRahJu3ao At the time this book takes place, presumably 1982 or 1983, Libya had been ruled by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi for about 13 years. He was a classic strongman dictator, establishing an "Islamic socialist" state in a bloodless coup. While Gaddafi initially gained prominence for raising the wealth of the nation and improving health care, education, and housing, he also brutally suppressed political dissent to the point of forcing the friends of execution victims to participate in their murders. He was obsessed with fighting the vague demons of imperialism and Zionism, leading to numerous clashes with other African nations and attempts to build or acquire nuclear and chemical weapons. This would come to a head after Gaddafi illegally declared that Libya controlled the entire Gulf of Sidra, resulting in two of their fighters being shot down by the US Navy in August 1981 after firing on them. At this point, Libya has been in an ongoing border conflict with Chad for several years over control of the Aouzou Strip, a strip of land in northern Chad (the top of the Chad's hair in the meme) that Gaddafi is attempting to claim. Chad is already in the midst of a civil war of its own, with Libya's border war being a series of "interventions" for its own benefit. quote:Those in the capitals of the West who keep a weather eye on Middle Eastern events knew a deal had been struck. Although the likelihood of an official statement remained minimal, eventually Libya would receive more missiles, aircraft, and assorted military hardware to swell its already well-stocked arsenal. So.....not SPECTRE? quote:The ten figures assumed the classic firing posture – left legs forward, bent at the knee, with the butts of machine pistols or automatic rifles tucked hard into their hips. Ten muzzles pointed towards the delegates already in the room, and at the remainder in the corridor outside. For a couple of seconds the scene was frozen. Then, as a wave of chaos and panic broke, the firing started. At 9:00 AM the next morning, Reuters gets a phone message: quote:In the early hours of yesterday morning, three light aircraft, flying low to escape radar detection, cut their engines and glided in over the well-guarded Military Trade Mission Complex just outside Tripoli, the capital of the Socialist People’s Republic of Libya. Are you supposed to pronounce "élite" with the accent over the phone, or... quote:At the time, it struck nobody as particularly sinister that the arms used by the NSAA group were all of Russian manufacture: six Kalashnikov RPK light machine guns and four of the RPK’s little brothers – the light, and very effective, AKM assault rifle. Indeed, in a world well used to terrorism, the raid itself was one headline among many for the media, who put the NSAA down as a small group of Fascist fanatics. The RPK is part of the somewhat nebulous "automatic rifle" class of weapons. Not quite a light machine gun (it can use 75-round drums but they're heavy and can be unreliable), the RPK is a version of the AKM with a longer and heavier barrel, reinforced receiver, bipod, and unique stock designed for fire while prone. Soviet doctrine of the time was for standard riflemen to fire their AKs in semi-auto unless otherwise necessary, with the RPK providing a base of automatic fire. This doctrine has been long been debated as to whether it's a viable alternative to belt-fed light machine guns that can provide much more raw firepower. InRange has an excellent video as usual, which goes over the reasons for adopting an automatic rifle: it's much less hassle for a soldier to carry an automatic rifle with extended magazines than a proper machine gun with belts, magazine replacements are faster than loading new belts, magazines and many mechanical parts are interchangeable with the standard assault rifle (so logistics and field resupply is easier), and the manual of arms is essentially identical. quote:A little under a month after what came to be known as ‘the Tripoli Incident’, five members of the British Communist Party held a dinner to entertain three visiting Russian Party members, who were on a goodwill mission to London. It's Amis's old buddies! quote:The dinner was held in a house not far from Trafalgar Square, and coffee had just been served when the ringing of the front doorbell called the host from the table. A large amount of vodka, brought by the Russians, had been drunk by everybody present. The Makarov and Stechkin are two pistols that could not be farther in purpose, despite being the same core design. The Makarov PM was the standard Soviet service pistol from 1951 until....pretty much now? It's officially supposed to be replaced by all sorts of pistols from the MP-443 Grach in 9x19mm Parabellum to the Udav pistol in 9x21mm SPS, but a combination of cost and quality control issues have led to the venerable old Makarov remaining in service all across Eastern Europe for the foreseeable future. The reason for this is that the Makarov is a cheap, dead simple pistol. It's chambered for a unique 9x18mm Makarov round based on old German developments for a more powerful alternative to .380 ACP and uses a simple blowback operation; 9mm Makarov is generally regarded as the most powerful mass produced round that you can reliably use in a compact and functional blowback pistol without needing to switch to a locked breech. Many of the components serve multiple purposes (the magazine catch is the bottom of the mainspring, for instance) and the gun in general is highly durable and easy to maintain. The Stechkin APS is immediately identifiable as a derivative of the design, only far larger and with a detachable shoulder stock/holster like the Mauser C96.....and a selector switch. The Stechkin is a select-fire machine pistol, intended originally as a personal defense weapon for drivers, officers, artillery crews, and others who needed a compact automatic weapon when not fighting as a front line soldier. Unfortunately, pretty much every machine pistol runs into the problem of being uncontrollably inaccurate beyond point blank range. While the Spetsnaz continued using the APB variant with a lighter wire stock and suppressor, the AKS-74U carbine variant of the AK-74 ended up replacing it. quote:In the following twelve months, no fewer than thirty ‘incidents’ involving multiple assassinations ordered by the NSAA High Command became headline news. "It's like this is a pulp novel!" quote:Yet, in the shadows of that hidden, and secret, world of intelligence and security communities, people were beginning to stir uneasily as though awakening from bad dreams only to find that the dreams were reality. It began with exchanges of views, then, cautiously, of information. Finally they groped their way towards a strange, and unprecedented, alliance.
|
|
# ? Dec 21, 2020 20:25 |
|
I’m waiting for Gardner to drop the ball but this is a pretty decent hook. Im guessing they’re some kind of Soviet splinter group
|
# ? Dec 21, 2020 21:35 |
|
I guess the 80s are late enough into the Cold War that if Nazis(?) are killing Communists the response of the US and UK wouldn't be to just sit back and
|
# ? Dec 21, 2020 22:36 |
poisonpill posted:I’m waiting for Gardner to drop the ball but this is a pretty decent hook. Im guessing they’re some kind of Soviet splinter group You think too simply. Also, Gun Jesus shot the Stechkin. He immediately demonstrates how useless it actually is as a machine pistol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn6LyFxlogE On the other hand, dual wielding is theoretically possible at someone's doorstep! chitoryu12 fucked around with this message at 00:46 on Dec 22, 2020 |
|
# ? Dec 22, 2020 00:44 |
|
chitoryu12 posted:You think too simply. Blofeld III: I Can't Believe It's Not Blofeld orchestrated the entire thing for the sole, convoluted purpose of getting James Bond to one specific spot where he could fail to be killed in an overdramatic fashion, also there are racist depictions of chinese people
|
# ? Dec 22, 2020 02:01 |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw6NKf95VWA
|
|
# ? Dec 22, 2020 05:48 |
Chapter 2: A Liking for Blondesquote:Long before he joined the Service, James Bond had used a particular system of mnemonics to keep telephone numbers in his head. Now he carried the numbers of a thousand or so people filed away, available for immediate recall, in the computer of his memory. Most of the numbers came under the heading of work, so were best not committed to writing in any case. There is no way you remember all of those. quote:Paula Vacker was not work. Paula was strictly play and pleasure. That would be the Hotelli InterContinental Helsinki, now the Scandic Park Helsinki, which opened in 1972 opposite Hesperia Park. The Mannerheimintie is the main street of Helsinki, named after famed Finnish military and political leader Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim. Mannerheim led the Finnish White Guard to victory against the communist Reds in the Finnish Civil War in 1918, avoiding Finland following along in the footsteps of the Russian Revolution, and served as the commander in chief of the Finnish military during the Winter War against the Soviet Union. He was appointed president in 1944, oversaw peace negotiations....and then resigned in 1946. Quite unexpected. Prime Minister Juho Kusti Paasikivi took over as president and pushed for peaceful relations with the Soviet Union, with Mannerheim dying in 1951. Mannerheim is sort of a 20th century George Washington to Finland. He was unusual (and highly respected today) for broadly avoiding partisan politics and being respectable enough that even Churchill had trouble stomaching the need to officially declare war on Finland for being an Axis power (the two of them politely corresponded their regret at the circumstances). Mannerheim's foresight in foreign relations and personal courage fighting on the front lines earned him incredible respect, and his willfully stepping down for a peaceful transition of power instead of trying to become a strongman dictator in his final years engendered a firmer respect for democratic processes as a whole in Finland. He's arguably the man responsible for ensuring Finland's relative independence during the Cold War and modern success. quote:Bond spoke in respectful English. ‘Paula Vacker, please.’ English is widely spoken to some degree in Finland, with a 2005 survey finding that about 65% of respondents were conversational in it and current estimates are around 70%. Foreign language education has been part of every Finnish child's school curriculum since the 1970s and English is predominant, so it's common to find Finns who speak it on at least a basic level. quote:Silence. Then a click and the voice he knew well. ‘James? James, where are you?’ The accent was only lightly touched by that sing-song lilt so common to the Scandinavians. Of course. quote:‘Are you free tonight?’ It would be a dull evening if she were not available. Someone should tell Moore that. quote:They had known each other for some five years now, having first met in London. To test spies to see if they spill state secrets while drunk? Because that happens a lot! quote:Paula wore white. She had a tan needing no help from a bottle, a complexion which, if catching, would put all the make-up firms out of business, and thick blonde hair, so heavy that it seemed to fall straight back into place even in a force ten gale. If all this were not enough, she was slender, sexy, had large grey-flecked eyes, and lips shaped for one purpose. Bond’s first thoughts were wholly professional. What a flytrap she would make, he decided, knowing they had problems getting good flytraps in Finland. He stayed clear for a long time, making sure she had come unescorted. Then he moved in and introduced himself, saying that the Minister had asked him to look after her. Two years later, in Rome, Paula told him the Minister had himself tried it on quite early in the evening – before Mrs Minister arrived. Au Savarin is the next of the many closed Gardner restaurants, located at 8 Charlotte Street in Fitzrovia, London (now home to the Norma restaurant). This area has long been one of the happening night life spots in the neighborhood, and a 1961 newspaper article lists it as a small, well-known restaurant with an excellent wine list. quote:They became firm friends very quickly, discovering mutual interests – in sailing, jazz, and the works of Eric Ambler. There was also another sport which finally came to full fruition on the fourth evening. Bond, whose standards were known to be exacting, admitted she deserved the gold star with oak leaves. In turn she awarded him the oak leaf cluster. He was not sure about that either. quote:Over the following years they stayed very good friends, and – to put it mildly – kissing cousins. They met, often by accident, in places as diverse as New York and the French port of Dieppe, where he had last seen her the previous autumn. This night in Helsinki would be Bond’s first chance to see Paula on her home ground. Yes, very normal for a spy to repeatedly meet a hot girl by accident all around the world. quote:‘Dinner?’ he asked. Oh, Fleming would like this one. quote:Outside, the temperature hovered around twenty-five degrees Centigrade below. Bond stretched his muscles, then relaxed, taking his gunmetal case from the bedside table and lighting a cigarette – one of the ‘specials’ made for him, by arrangement with H. Simmons of Burlington Arcade. A good reason never to join the military! quote:Even though the old élite Double-0 section, with its attendant ‘licence to kill in the course of duty’, had now been phased out of the Service, Bond still found himself stuck with the role of 007. The gruff Chief of Service known to all as M had been most specific about it. ‘As far as I’m concerned, you will remain 007. I shall take full responsibility for you, and you will, as ever, accept orders and assignments only from me. There are moments when this country needs a trouble-shooter – a blunt instrument – and by Jove it’s going to have one.’ Yes yes, we all read this in the first book. quote:In more official terms, Bond was what the American Service speaks of as a ‘singleton’ – a roving case officer who is given free rein to carry out special tasks, such as the ingenious undercover work he had undertaken during the Falkland Islands conflict in1982. Then he had even appeared – unidentifiable – on a television newsflash, but that had passed like all things. The Falkland Islands are an archipelago about 300 miles east of the southern tip of South America, which are officially a British overseas territory. While these tiny and chilly islands with a population under 4000 today may seem insignificant, they've been the source of conflict for centuries. Their main value today is that ownership of the islands provides access to not only valuable fishing and oil reserves, but assists in claims on mineral rights in Antarctica in the event that mining is allowed in the next few decades. Argentina has disputed the British claim on the islands, and on April 2, 1982 invaded the Falklands (and the island of South Georgia) to bolster the power of the military junta during a time of economic stagnation and civil unrest. Contrary to their expectations, the British responded, and a 74-day war (which was never declared a war officially) was fought over control of the islands. The UK won the war handily, bolstering the Conservative government's control and leading to the end of seven decades of military dictatorship in Argentina due to outrage at the rather humiliating loss. quote:In order to keep Bond at a high, proficient level, M usually managed to set up at least one gruelling field exercise each year. This time it had been more cold climate work, and the orders had come quickly, leaving Bond little time to prepare for the ordeal. Are you sure that's not sinister and threatening? quote:These military and Marine personnel would have a tougher time than Bond, for their part would demand two clandestine border crossings – from Norway into Sweden, then, still secretly, over the Finnish border to meet up with Bond in Lapland. "Without falling into a sauna, Bond." quote:This week would be followed by a further four days, with Bond as leader, in which a photographic and sound-stealing run would be made along Finland’s border with the Soviet Union. After that, they would separate – the SAS and SBS men to be picked up by helicopter in a remote area, while Bond took another course. Wow, where have we heard those names before? In real life, Carlsson and Lampinen were rally drivers (Swedish and Finnish, respectively) who dominated the sport in Gardner's time. Carlsson in particular was known as "Mr. Saab" for his public relations work with the company. For all Gardner's faults in these plots, he did legitimately put effort into learning the subjects he was interested in and actually recruited the skills of these two drivers to train him in winter driving as part of his book research. quote:The Driving Course took only a few days, after which – with a word to the massive Erik Carlsson, who promised to keep his eye on the Silver Beast – Bond left the hotel near Rovaniemi in the early hours of a bitterly cold morning. Sporty snowmobiles, such as this 1981 Scorpion Sidewinder, were still relatively new in their modern form. The Ski-Doo appeared in 1957 but it wasn't until the 70s that they became big business, often with motorcycle manufacturers hastily trying to cash in on the market. quote:Silently, the scooter slid down the long slope, finally coming to a stop as the weight and momentum ran out. Though sound carried easily across the snow, he was now far enough from the hotel to start the engine safely – after taking a compass bearing, and checking his map with a shaded torch. The little motor came to life. Bond opened the throttle, engaged the gear and began his journey. It took twenty-four hours to meet up with his colleagues. Rovaniemi is the capital of Lapland, the northernmost province of Finland. It's famous for its massive tracts of unspoiled natural land, making it a huge tourist destination. It's even classified as "The Official Home of Santa Claus" by Finland. quote:During summer, this part of the Arctic Circle is not unpleasant; but in winter, when blizzards, deep-freeze conditions, and heavy snow take over, the country can be treacherous, and wretched, for the unwary. This hotel is now the Lapland Sky Hotel Ounasvaara if you want to check in. It's located in the forest just outside Rovaniemi proper and connected by a downhill run to the Ounasvaara Winter Sports Center. quote:It was only as the DC9–50 was making its approach into Helsinki’s Vantaa Airport, at around 12.30 pm, that James Bond thought of Paula Vacker. The thought grew, assisted no doubt by his new-found sense of well-being and physical sharpness. Oh yeah, all that stuff with the snowmobile was just a brief flashback! The writing here can be somewhat ambiguous. quote:By the time the aircraft touched down, Bond’s plans were changed completely. There was no set time for him to be back in London; he was owed leave anyway, even though M had instructed him to return as soon as he could get away from Finland. Nobody was really going to miss him for a couple of days. chitoryu12 fucked around with this message at 20:48 on Sep 14, 2021 |
|
# ? Dec 22, 2020 09:13 |
|
Two notes: The Hesperia hotel is notorious for sex workers working out of the hotel bar. So maybe Bond would have felt more home at the Hesperia? Paula Vacker means "Paula Beautiful" but it is Swedish and not Finnish.
|
# ? Dec 22, 2020 10:30 |
|
quote:They became firm friends very quickly, discovering mutual interests – in sailing, jazz, and the works of Eric Ambler Eric Ambler was a highly influential pre-Fleming spy novelist who is often credited with establishing some of the conventions of the genre. His books usually starred amateur protagonists caught up in espionage through bad luck (in the manner of Richard Hannay in The Thirty-Nine Steps) who then wrong-foot their enemies through not doing what a professional spy would do. He was a year younger than Fleming and had an equally good war (he was taken from the Royal Artillery to the Army's film-making unit); his first book was published in 1936, predicting the development of nuclear weapons, and his final book in 1981. He also wrote screenplays with considerable success, most notably an Oscar nomination for The Cruel Sea in 1953. Fleming himself enjoyed Ambler enough to give Bond a copy of The Mask of Dimitrios to read in From Russia, With Love. He tries to read it on the plane to Istanbul and the train back, but keeps getting distracted by other things. Presumably he persevered later.
|
# ? Dec 22, 2020 11:57 |
|
chitoryu12 posted:There is no way you remember all of those. Looks like John Gardner read some Martin Gardner! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mnemonic_major_system (Though if the scepticism's because of the number of blows to the head and neuron-destroying drinks Bond's taken over the years I agree.) chitoryu12 posted:Argentina has disputed the British claim on the islands, and on April 2, 1982 invaded the Falklands (and the island of South Georgia) to bolster the power of the military junta during a time of economic stagnation and civil unrest. Contrary to their expectations, the British responded, and a 74-day war (which was never declared a war officially) was fought over control of the islands. The UK won the war handily, bolstering the Conservative government's control and leading to the end of seven decades of military dictatorship in Argentina due to outrage at the rather humiliating loss. Was it never an official war? The Brit tabloids were blaring WAR WAR WAR nonstop. chitoryu12 posted:Are you sure that's not sinister and threatening? Certainly sounds it to me, and I bet the Finnish government would feel that way too. So this isn't Bond vs Neonazi Terrorism Gang? Pity, that sounded fun and surprisingly up-to-date.
|
# ? Dec 22, 2020 13:17 |
Gats Akimbo posted:Was it never an official war? The Brit tabloids were blaring WAR WAR WAR nonstop. It's one of the great many modern wars in which nobody legally declared war on the other country. Everyone could clearly see it for what it was, but there was nothing on the books saying it was "a war" in the legal sense. Fun fact: the US has never declared war since 1942!
|
|
# ? Dec 22, 2020 19:19 |
|
chitoryu12 posted:It's one of the great many modern wars in which nobody legally declared war on the other country. Everyone could clearly see it for what it was, but there was nothing on the books saying it was "a war" in the legal sense. Yay for technicalities!
|
# ? Dec 22, 2020 22:51 |
|
Gats Akimbo posted:Yay for technicalities! Means the US hasn't lost one since then either!
|
# ? Dec 22, 2020 23:03 |
Chapter 3: Knives for Dinnerquote:After a warm shower and shave, Bond dressed carefully. It was pleasant to get back into a well-cut grey gaberdine suit, plain blue Coles shirt, and one of his favourite Jacques Fath knitted ties. Even in the depths of winter, the hotels and good restaurants of Helsinki prefer gentlemen to wear ties. Finally, he gets a good gun! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvVm0ZPCkdQ The model Bond is carrying is most likely the one properly called the PSP, the original model by HK that was adopted by German police under the designation P7 (the P7M8, with modifications to better suit the American market, was still being rolled out at the time of writing and publication). It's distinguished by having an operating system like no other: it's single-action, but with the striker normally decocked. The massive front of the grip is a huge squeeze cocking lever that cocks the striker when holding the gun in a firm firing grip. This allows for a gun that has a light and crisp trigger pull but is totally safe when not being held ready to fire. It also uses a gas-delayed blowback system, in which some of the combustion gases of firing are tapped off below the barrel to act on a piston and slow the motion of the slide opening, creating for a surprisingly simple design. The straight barrel (not tilting like on a 1911 or the like) and single-action trigger combine to make for a very accurate pistol. It's still not all roses. Bond's gun is likely the early version without a heat shield above the trigger, and the gas-delay system means that the area above your trigger finger can get uncomfortably hot after just 2 magazines. It has a single-stack 8-round magazine, which (as you can see in the above video) means reloading is constant in the kind of pitched gunfights Bond gets into. And most importantly, it requires training. Anyone carrying a P7 seriously needs to train themselves to very firmly grip the gun when drawing; while it takes only 2 pounds of force to maintain it after cocking, it takes about 15 pounds to cock it on the draw. It's very easy for an untrained user to find themselves with an unusable gun if they simply grab it and try to shoot it. That said, this is James Bond. The guy has canonically sniped the driver of a speeding car with a .25 with the sights removed. If anyone is good enough to overcome this gun's flaws, it's him. It's not the gun that will stay with him in Gardner's run, but he never goes back to the outright bad choices of the first two books. As for the "British Warm", it's just a heavy double-breasted wool overcoat of the kind worn in both World Wars by British officers. quote:The taxi bowled steadily south, down the Mannerheimintie. Snow was neatly piled off the main pavements, and the trees bowed under its weight, some decorated – as though for Christmas – with long icicles festooning the branches. Near the National Museum, with its sharp tower fingering the sky, one tree seemed to crouch like a white cowled monk clutching a glittering dagger. He's not wrong! quote:Paula lived in an apartment building overlooking the Esplanade Park, at the south-easterly end of the Mannerheimintie. It was a part of the city Bond had never visited before, so his arrival was one of surprise and delight. The Esplanadi is a long, open park opened in 1818 on the very southern end of the Mannerheimintie, about a 5 minute drive from Bond's hotel without traffic. quote:Around the park, the buildings were mainly old, with a few modern edifices looking like new buffer states bridging gaps in living history. At least until September 1944, when Finland signed a treaty with Russia and switched sides to fight against the Nazis. quote:Bond pressed Paula’s bell, hard and long, then stood square to the small spy-hole visible in the door’s centre panel. From the inside came the rattle of a chain, then the door opened, and there she was, dressed in a long silk robe fastened loosely with a tie belt. The same Paula, inviting and as attractive as ever. It would be quite a feat for Bond to recognize specifically a Charter Arms! The Undercover is an inexpensive 5-shot revolver first produced in 1964 and still available in a more modernized form today. Quality control on Charter Arms guns can be iffy, but they're so common that the infamous serial killer David Berkowitz used a .44 Bulldog by them. quote:The runt’s gun came up to Bond’s left, and the boxer began to move. Bond went for the gun. The big Heckler & Koch seemed to move only fractionally in Bond’s hand as it clipped down, with force, on to the runt’s wrist. The revolver spun away, and there was a yelp of pain above the sharp crack of bone. It's a 9mm, not a cannon! quote:Bond stepped over the body of the runt, kicking back with his right heel. Raising the automatic, arms outstretched, Bond shouted at his advancing adversary, ‘Stop, or you’re a dead man.’ It was more of a command than a warning; for Bond’s finger was already tightening on the trigger. That is the most British way to put that. quote:Bond hardly saw him swerve. The man was better than he had estimated, and very fast. As he slewed, Bond moved to follow him with the automatic. Only then did he feel the sharp, unnatural pain in his right shoulder. This sounds like a lapinleuku, a traditional knife used by the Sámi (the "Lapps" as Gardner calls them), the indigenous people of parts of Scandinavia and Murmansk, Russia. The rights of the Sámi people and the effort to fight for them is not unlike that of Native Americans over here, and equally fraught with the government just outright ignoring their concerns in the name of progress and profit. The Sámi are also an easy point of confusion for people with very simplistic takes on racism and white supremacy in Europe, as they're often easily recognizable as "white" to them despite facing similar historic oppression. Turns out things get complicated once you get off American Twitter. quote:Grabbing upwards, Bond’s fingers closed around the grip. His shoulder now felt numb with pain. He crabbed quickly to one side, with the knife firmly in his right hand, blade upwards, thumb and forefinger to the front of the grip in the fighting hold. Always, they taught, use the thrust position, never hold a knife with the thumb on the back. Never defend with a knife; always attack. Now this is pulp action! quote:They circled one another, Bond kicking away a small stand chair, giving the pair a wider fighting arena. Carbuncle-nose began to toss his knife from hand to hand, light on his feet, moving all the time, tightening the circle. It was a well-known confusion tactic: keep your man guessing and lure him in close, then strike. Two earlobes in two books! quote:Carbuncle-nose had obviously had enough. He stumbled to one side and made for the door, breath rasping. Bond decided the man had more intelligence than he had originally thought. That might be the least Fleming phrase used so far in this thread. quote:‘No. No, we don’t want the police, Paula.’ He sank into the nearest chair. ‘Close the door, put the chain on, and take a look out of the window.’ With clothes on, or... quote:‘See anything?’ Bond’s own voice sounded far away. Bond would drop dead of blood loss out of stubbornness. quote:The two killers had arrived only a couple of minutes before he himself rang the doorbell. ‘I was running a little late,’ she made a vague gesture, indicating the silky robe. ‘Stupid. I didn’t have the chain on, and just thought it was you. Didn’t even look through the spy-hole.’ The intruders had simply forced their way in, pushing her back into the room telling her what to do. They also described, in some detail, what they would do to her if she did not carry out instructions. The writing in this book is actually pretty solid. It makes me worried about how crazy it can go. quote:‘Will they come back?’ Paula asked. ‘Am I likely to be attacked again?’ Oh well, I'm sure she's not involved in this in any way. quote:‘Is the interrogation over?’ Paula asked. Bond is from the dad school of arriving at an airport early. quote:Once more, Bond reiterated that she wouldn’t really be safe until he was out of her company. ‘If I get to the airport in the early hours you’ll be rid of me. Also, I’ll have the advantage. There are ways of positioning yourself in a place like an airport concourse so that nobody can give you nasty surprises. And I’m not using your telephone for obvious reasons.’ Competitive debate? quote:With a single movement she pulled the tie belt, and her robe fell open. ‘You said I knew what you fancy,’ she said lightly, then, ‘that is, if you feel up to it.’ Or that! quote:It was almost midnight when they ate. Paula set a table with candles and produced a truly memorable meal: ptarmigan in aspic, glowfried salmon, and a delicious chocolate mousse. Then, at four in the morning, now dressed for the fierce cold of dawn, she allowed Bond to lead the way downstairs. A true Finnish meal! Along with the ptarmigan, Bond gets salmon cooked by putting it within about a foot of the fire for a long period, traditionally by nailing it to an aromatic plank of wood (you can use a steel cage, but what fun is that?). quote:With the P7 unholstered, Bond used the shadows to creep into the street and make his way across the road, slick with ice, first to a Volvo, then an Audi. There was a man in the Volvo, asleep, his head back and mouth open, far away in whatever dreams bad surveillance men fall prey to during the night. The Audi was empty. Driving better than Gardner did, apparently! quote:Officially Vantaa Airport is not open until seven in the morning, but there are always people about. At five o’clock it had that look you associate with the sour taste of too many cigarettes, constant coffee, and the, tiredness of waiting for night trains, or planes, anywhere in the world. Finnair had a good livery for the DC-9. quote:At exactly 10.10, London time, the same aircraft flared out over the threshold of Heathrow’s runway 28 Left. The spoilers came in as they dumped lift, the whining Pratt & Whitney turbofans wailed into reverse thrust, and the aircraft’s speed was gradually killed off as the landing was completed.
|
|
# ? Dec 23, 2020 07:26 |
|
Icebreaker posted:‘That wasn’t an interrogation.’ Bond took out the familiar gunmetal case, offering her one of his Simmons specials. ‘One day, maybe, I’ll show you an interrogation. Well that's not horrifying at all!
|
# ? Dec 23, 2020 14:13 |
Chapter 4: Madeira Cakequote:‘They were definitely professionals?’ M had already asked the question three times. This dumb motherfucker was so preoccupied with sex and dinner that he flew cross-country bleeding out. quote:‘That’s wonderful, Penny,’ Bond said, dizzy from pain and fatigue. ‘You smell great. All woman.’ It's good to see that Gardner is keeping up Fleming's characterization of Bond being a moron. quote:M never used strong language, but his look now was of a man ready to give way to the temptation. ‘Tell me about the girl again. This Vacker woman.’ He leaned across the desk, loading his pipe by feel alone, the grey eyes hard – as though Bond was not to be trusted. Bond is pretty sure he got marked either during the training exercise or after he got back to Helsinki. His decision to go there was completely random, which means they must have people watching him who scrambled to catch up and probably bugged his hotel phone. They're definitely not Russian with how terrible their accents were, and Paula said their accents weren't Finnish either. Could be hired local hitmen. quote:‘But why the hiring, then?’ M sat quite still, his voice calm. What? It's not like you weren't accidentally loving Blofeld herself last year! quote:‘No, Bond. Not their style, unless they wanted the quick termination of someone they saw as a threat.’ loving up Argentina will do that to your ego. quote:At last M spoke. ‘We have an operation of some importance going on in the Arctic Circle at this moment, 007. The exercise was a warm-up – if I dare use that expression. A warm-up for you. To put it in a nutshell, you are to join that operation.’ "I've never done that before in my life!" quote:M gave a curt nod. ‘Yes’ – as though he also disapproved. ‘And not only Moscow Centre. We’re also involved with Langley and Tel Aviv.’ Yes, M knows who Mossad is. quote:‘Precisely.’ Now that the cat was out of the bag, M warmed to his subject. ‘Operation Icebreaker. The Americans named it, of course. The Soviets went along with it because they were the supplicants . . .’ Instead of just pretending nothing is wrong and executing a bunch of people? quote:‘Through secret channels, yes. When we first heard the news, the few of us in the know were dubious. Then I had an invitation to step over to Grosvenor Square.’ I'm sure you'll all get along! quote:Bond gestured, asking wordlessly if he could smoke. M went on speaking, giving a tiny motion of his hand as permission, pausing only now and again to light and relight his pipe. ‘We looked at it from all sides. Searched for the traps – and there are some, of course – examined the options if it went sour, then decided to nominate field officers. We wanted at least three each. Soviets heel-tapped on three: too many, the need to contain, and all that kind of thing. Finally we met the KGB’s negotiator, Anatoli Pavlovich Grinev . . .’ Oh yeah, this book is going to add a lot of characters. quote:‘And he explained?’ Bond was not really asking. ‘Explained why the KGB would want ourselves, the CIA and Mossad, to combine in a covert op. on Finnish territory? Surely they’re on good enough terms with SUPO to deal direct?’ SUPO was Finnish Intelligence. 80s Nazis quote:‘Which are?’ Don't be such a Proud Boy, Bond. quote:M silenced him with a hand raised. ‘. . . And, secondly, we have one of them in the bag.’ That big condo-looking building in the back there is Century House, the headquarters of MI6 from 1964 to 1994. While MI6 officially did not exist until 1994 (when it was first legally acknowledged as being a thing) and its headquarters were supposed to be highly classified, everyone knew that they existed and exactly what their address was. The building was terribly insecure: mostly made of glass, with a gas station at the base, and filled with pedestrian walkways, public parking, and lots of hiding places outside. Being situated on a main road, just about everyone figured out that the new tenants were spies after they moved in and it became a running joke. When the lease was up, they had a new headquarters built (which we'll see in the Brosnan works) and the old building was turned into an apartment complex. quote:M continued, saying they had taken the man concerned ‘after the last bit of business in London’, which referred to the slaughter six months ago, in broad daylight, of three British Civil Servants who had just left the Soviet Embassy after some trade discussions. One of the assassins had tried to shoot himself as members of the SPG closed in. He has enough face left for that? quote:‘Precious little.’ M shrugged. ‘But what he has said allows us to read between the lines. Very few people know about any of it, 007. I’m only telling you this much so that you won’t doubt we’re on the right track. We are 80 per cent certain that the NSAA is global, growing and, if not stopped at this stage, will eventually lead to an open movement, one which might become tempting to the electorates of many democracies. The Soviets have a vested interest, of course.’ If they had waited 10 years, they would have had plenty of Russian officers selling the poo poo right to them! quote:‘And why us?’ Bond was beginning to see light. Israel, famously a bastion of communism. quote:‘You believe them, sir?’ Well why the hell did he do that? quote:‘Cliff Dudley?’ M M no quote:Again a silence, broken by Bond. ‘And I’m to join the team.’
|
|
# ? Dec 25, 2020 03:34 |
|
chitoryu12 posted:Israel, famously a bastion of communism. In all fairness, I can think of a reason or two Israel might not get along with Nazis Doesn't slow Netanyahu's love for Orban and pals, mind, but still
|
# ? Dec 25, 2020 16:17 |
|
Tanya Roberts (Stacey Sutton from A View to a Kill) has passed.
|
# ? Jan 4, 2021 04:19 |
|
What a twist! https://www.tmz.com/2021/01/04/tanya-roberts-still-alive-rep-saying-shes-dead-70s-show-bond-girl/
|
# ? Jan 4, 2021 23:38 |
|
Pershing posted:What a twist! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlIIflu2cik e: and, sadly, for real this time (or so reported). Cassius Belli fucked around with this message at 18:17 on Jan 5, 2021 |
# ? Jan 4, 2021 23:58 |
A death truly appropriate for a Bond character.
|
|
# ? Jan 6, 2021 00:34 |
Chapter 5: Rendezvous at Reid'squote:In the event, Bond did not get away from London as quickly as expected. There was much to be prepared, and the doctors also insisted on a complete check-up. Then, too, Bill Tanner appeared with the trace results on Paula Vacker and her friend, Anni Tudeer. This feels familiar to recent events... quote:The thought worried Bond, but Bill Tanner’s next words disturbed him even more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-qHlz4hfak The real "Great Escape" occurred on the night of March 24, 1944. A year of planning led to the theft of thousands of camp items (including entire bunk beds) and the digging of three tunnels, Tom, Dick, and Harry, leading out from several barracks to outside the camp. Only Harry was used, as Tom was found by the Germans and the area for Dick to come out (silence) was chosen as the spot for more camp expansion. The tiny tunnel, only 2 feet square, was discovered after 76 POWs managed to make it out. Despite having uniforms modified to resemble civilian clothing, 73 of the escapees were recaptured. Adolf Hitler demanded an example be made, and so Himmler had 50 of them executed. While the Germans tried to claim that they were shot during the escape, the British knew better and had it investigated as a war crime. Combing through their meticulous bookkeeping of their war crimes and getting many confessions, many of those charged were executed or died in prison. However, several of them were never found or even fully identified. It's historically completely plausible for Aarne Tudeer to be a fictional addition to that group. quote:Later, Tudeer fought bravely during the historic, bloody march of the 2nd SS Panzer Division (‘Das Reich’) from Montauban to Normandy. It is well-known that, during those two weeks in June 1944, acts of unbridled horror were committed which defied the normal rules of war. One was the burning of 642 men, women, and children in the village of Oradour-sur-Glane. Aarne Tudeer had more than a hand in that particular episode. Not now, Bond! quote:‘Sorry, 007. Time is of the essence. The whole team’s come out of its operational zone for two reasons – first, to meet and brief you; second, to plan what they reckon’s going to be the final stage in their mission. You see, they think they know where the arms are coming from, how they’re being passed on to the NSAA, and – most important – who is directing all NSAA ops, and from where.’ How dare you not even type out her Scottish accent. quote:Bond did not feel like arguing. May appeared soon afterwards with a dish of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, which Bond ate while he looked through the pile of mail that had been waiting for him. He had scarcely finished the meal before fatigue took over and, without a struggle, he dropped into a deep refreshing sleep. Not even seven? M is slipping. quote:The extra time spent in London paid dividends. Not only was Bond given a thorough rundown on his partners for Operation Icebreaker but he also had an opportunity to talk at length with Cliff Dudley, the officer from whom he was taking over. Well, I'm sure the American will be fine. quote:Bond was no happier about his American counterpart on Icebreaker. Brad Tirpitz, known in intelligence circles as ‘Bad’ Brad, was a veteran of the old-school CIA and had survived the multitude of purges in his organisation’s headquarters at Langley, Virginia. To some, Tirpitz was a kind of swashbuckling, do-or-die, hero: a legend. There were others, however, who saw him in a different light – as the sort of field officer capable of using highly questionable methods, a man who considered that the end always justified the means. And the means could be, as one of his colleagues put it, ‘Pretty mean. He has the instinct of a hungry wolf, and the heart of a scorpion.’ Bad Brad? quote:So, Bond thought, his future lay with a Moscow Centre heavy and a Langley sharp-shooter who tended to shoot first and ask questions later. While Gardner tried to have text that set aside his Bond as a continuation of Fleming's idea, the incredibly rapid setting changes make it clear how much the films are influencing him. Fleming's transitions were much more elegant, often with rumination on air travel and death if he couldn't avoid the trip through a chapter transition. Every book I read here gives me a greater appreciation for what Ian Fleming, a man who had never published a novel in his life before Bond, could do with the written word at the top of his game. quote:Within the hour a taxi deposited him at Reid’s Hotel, and the following morning found him searching for either Mosolov, Tirpitz, or the third member of the Icebreaker group – the Mossad agent whom Dudley had described as, ‘An absolutely deadly young lady, around five-six, clear skin, the figure’s copied from the Venus de Milo, only this one’s got both arms, and the head’s different.’ Of course you couldn't, Roger Moore. quote:As far as M was concerned, the Israeli agent was an unknown quantity. The name was Rivke Ingber. The file said ‘Nothing known’. Even before the "Hot IDF women" meme, the Israeli agent is a beautiful blonde. quote:Bond smiled once more at M’s choice for the rendezvous. Reid’s remains one of the few hotels, among the package tour traps which run from Gran Canaria to Corfu, which has maintained standards – of cuisine and service – dating back to the 1930s. The hotel shop sells reminders of the old days – photographs of Sir Winston and Lady Churchill taken in the lush gardens. Lath-straight elderly men, with clipped moustaches, sit reading in the airy public rooms; young couples, dressed by YSL and Kenzo, rub shoulders with elderly titled ladies on the famous tea terrace. He was, Bond considered, in ‘the Butler Did It’ territory; undoubtedly M’s cronies came to this idyllic time warp with the regularity of a Patek Philippe wristwatch. What is now the Belmond Reid's Palace was opened in 1891, after the death of William Reid himself. It's the quintessential fancy British hotel in Portugal, where celebrities and politicians have stayed for over a hundred years when visiting Madeira. quote:As he lay there, Bond covered the pool and sunbathing area with carefully regulated sweeps of the eye. No sign of Mosolov. No sign of Tirpitz. He could recognise those two easily enough from the photographs studied in London. There had been no photograph of Rivke Ingber, and Cliff Dudley had merely smiled knowingly, telling Bond he would find out what she looked like soon enough. We already did. quote:People were now drifting towards the pool restaurant, open on two sides and protected by pink stone arches. Tables were laid, waiters hovered, a bar beckoned, and a long buffet had been set up to provide every conceivable kind of salad and cold meats, or – if the client so fancied – hot soup, quiche, lasagne or cannelloni. And now it's cringey. quote:‘Shalom, Mr Bond . . .’ The pink mouth curved into a smile which appeared open, inviting and completely genuine. Do not, Mr. Bond. quote:Now, sitting opposite Bond, she gave her smile again, running the tip of her small tongue across her upper lip. ‘Welcome aboard, James. I’ve wanted to work with you for a long time –’ a slight pause – ‘which is more than I can say about our colleagues.’ The baddest of Brads. quote:Bond took the mouthful of food, chewed and swallowed, then asked about the operation. "We've actually regressed from the 1950s creator of this series." quote:Bond smiled grimly. ‘Then they’ve never heard the most important saying about your service . . .’ The horrifying alternative of not owning the Gaza Strip. quote:‘And are you good, Rivke Ingber?’ Bond chewed another mouthful. Bond currently has decades of getting owned if he does that. quote:‘Never had that trouble myself.’ Bond’s face remained blank. Man, even getting rooms immediately next to each other and hanging out together! quote:They went off to separate changing rooms, emerging in suitable clothes: Rivke in a dark pleated skirt and white shirt; Bond in his favourite navy slacks, a Sea Island cotton shirt, and moccasins. Together, they entered the hotel and took the elevator to the fourth floor. He's so bad. quote:Tirpitz lazily lifted a hand in a kind of salutation. ‘Hi,’ he grunted, the voice harsh, as though he had spent a lot of time getting his accent from tough-guy movies. ‘Welcome to the club, Jim.’ BAD BRAD quote:Bond could detect no glimmer of welcome or pleasure in the man. Badly? quote:Bond turned back to Mosolov, who had waited patiently, almost subserviently, during the slight interruption. The Russian waited a second more before speaking: ‘Do you think this strange? The CIA, Mossad, my people, and your people all working together?’ Yes, we're quite familiar with them here. quote:Mosolov ignored him. It appeared to be the only way to deal with Brad Tirpitz’s wisecracks. ‘I am not a fanatic.’ Mosolov dropped his voice. ‘Nor am I obsessed by the NSAA. However, like your governments, I believe this organisation to be large and growing every day. It is a threat . . .’ For all their fame, existing since 1913, this is actually the first appearance of Camels in the franchise! Camels were one of many brands introduced as effectively knockoffs of Egyptian cigarettes, which had a reputation for extremely high quality. They became infamous in the 1950s for their "More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette" advertising campaign that has since aged like fine milk. The cigarettes would have been recently on Gardner's radar, as the 1980 book Still Life with Woodpecker had its cover art designed as a pastiche of a Camel pack. quote:‘A threat’, Kolya continued, ‘to the world. Not just to Soviet Russia and the Eastern bloc.’ At this time, Finland was officially neutral in the Cold War and a member of the United Nations. The Finno-Soviet Treaty of 1948 stated that Finland was obligated to resist attacks by "Germany or its allies" either against Finland or against the Soviet Union by going through Finland, and that was about it. While Finland didn't support the West (other than some secret cooperation) to avoid getting the Soviets riled up, they never joined the Warsaw Pact or switched to a communist economy. This allowed them to economically grow over the Cold War and create an extensive welfare state, while intelligence agencies from both sides turned the neutral zone into their playground. quote:Kolya continued. ‘During last winter that particular ordnance depot was raided. We were able to identify all the serial numbers of weapons used by the NSAA. They definitely came from Alakurtii.’ The RGD-5 and RG-42 are both fragmentation grenades of different eras. The former is a "modern" grenade that remains in heavy use around the world, including many copies, while the latter is a World War II emergency design to create the cheapest and simplest grenade possible. In the early 1980s, the RG-42 is out of service and only remains in stock as an emergency reserve or for foreign aid and sales. They would remain in use until at least a year ago in a few places, but their age means the TNT would be starting to degrade. quote:‘Nothing heavier than that?’ Bond made it sound casual, an off-the-cuff response. The RPG-7 is the most common reloadable rocket launcher in the world, widely copied and in distribution anywhere there's a conflict. It's a simple, relatively lightweight weapon (14 pounds before the rocket and any scope) that's very easy even for poorly trained guerrillas to use. The rockets are in two sections: a booster charge of gunpowder that launches it out of the tube, then the rocket with the warhead itself ignites 10 meters out. Contrary to how rocket launches look in movies and video games, the rocket travels at almost 1000 feet per second and it tends to hit the target only a fraction of a second after firing. The part here that is not true is that any form of nuclear or chemical warhead was developed for it, let alone one with a 50-mile radius of destruction. The RPG-7's rockets self-destruct at a maximum range of 1100 meters. Even the Davy Crockett, an utterly ridiculous nuclear recoilless gun that could fit in a jeep, had a maximum range of 2.5 miles and would cause fatal radiation poisoning out to a quarter mile. quote:‘This equipment disappeared during the winter, when we keep a small garrison at Base Blue Hare, as we call the depot. The Colonel who made the discovery used his common sense. He told nobody at Blue Hare, but reported straight back to the GRU.’ So standard Soviet corruption? quote:‘So,’ Bond interrupted, ‘you know how the stuff was stolen . . .’ Of course it's a count. quote:‘Who’s von Glöda?’ Rivke asked, not attempting to disguise her shock. ‘Nobody’s mentioned any Count von Glöda to me.’ Always good to know that everyone in a joint operation is hiding the details from each other. quote:‘Only that I would hope to lead you to von Glöda’s retreat in Finland next week when we carry out our surveillance on Blue Hare, Mr Bond. I had also hoped you would accompany me into Russia to see it all for yourself.’
|
|
# ? Jan 11, 2021 22:57 |
|
Wait, why would it all have been a trap for Bond when he's the replacement for the original British guy? Why would the USSR leak a bunch of weapons to a Neo-Nazi organization as part of a plan to trap James Bond in the USSR when all they have to do is send him a copy of Russian Playboy and he'll come running?
|
# ? Jan 12, 2021 00:14 |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmDXs_voRTA
|
|
# ? Jan 14, 2021 02:12 |
|
And why is the CIA guy named Tirpitz?
|
# ? Jan 15, 2021 13:29 |
Chapter 6: Yellow vs. Silverquote:The four members of the Icebreaker team had arranged to meet for dinner, but Bond had other ideas. M’s warnings of duplicity among the uneasy quartet had been made all too apparent at the short briefing in Kolya’s room. What could go wrong? quote:Although the dinner meeting was agreed, Kolya had been insistent that all four members of Icebreaker should be off the island, heading back into the operational area in Finland, within the next forty-eight hours. A rendezvous had even been given, and accepted by all. The details of what happens next aren't very important. Bond wants to get to Finland before the rest of them, and the flight schedule lets him skip Lisbon to go straight to Amsterdam and then take a red-eye into Helsinki. quote:In his room, Bond quickly checked his overnight bag and the customised briefcase, with its hidden compartments for the two Sykes Fairburn commando knives, and the Heckler & Koch P7 automatic, all screened so that they would not show up on airport X-ray machines or during security examinations – a device which the Armourer’s assistant in Q Branch, Ann Reilly – known to all as Q’ute – had perfected to such a degree that she was loath to give even members of her own department the technical details. Remember when they tried to have Q'ute be an actual character? quote:After some argument, mainly from Bond, the Armourer had agreed on Heckler & Koch’s P7, ‘squeeze cocking’, 9mm automatic in preference to the rather cumbersome VP70, with its long ‘double action’ pull for each shot. The weapon was lighter and more like his old beloved Walther PPK, now banned by the security services. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EmYs_tzYo4 Our favorite gun guy, Ian McCollum, did a James Bond-themed 2-gun match a year ago. Being limited to an 8-round handgun for the class division, Ian decided that a P7 was realistically the best option for Bond at the time and paired it with a "captured" East German AK-74. quote:Before taking a shower and going to bed, Bond sent a fast-rate cable to Erik Carlsson, in Rovaniemi, with instructions about his Saab; then he ordered a call for eleven-fifteen, with breakfast. Our Israeli is being referred to by Israel Abrahams, a very famous late 19th-20th century Jewish scholar. quote:‘Ah.’ M waited. "In private, in my hotel room." quote:‘I don’t know. Could be difficult. Difficult for you as well as us.’ Someone that Bond, hopefully, will not gently caress. quote:The Finnair DC9-50 that was Flight 846 from Amsterdam to Helsinki began its final approach at 9.45 that evening. Looking down on the lights, diffused by the cold and snow, Bond wondered if the other three had already reached Finland. In the short time since his last visit more snow had fallen, and the aircraft put down on an ice-cleared runway which was, in reality, a cutting through snow banks rising on either side, higher than the DC9-50 itself. The Hesperia, now the Crowne Plaza Hesperia, was mentioned earlier when Paula asked why he wasn't staying there. The site was originally home to the Töölö Library, which was torn down and replaced with the hotel opening in May 1972. Kemper's statement about it being a haven for prostitutes is likely related to it being home to the Hesperia nightclub, which featured artists like Frank Zappa and ABBA, and then a casino at the time Bond is visiting. It's in a prime spot on the Mannerheimintie overlooking Hesperia Park. quote:With these thoughts in mind, Bond took great care about the way in which he moved – giving himself time to look around as he paid off the cab; waiting, for a moment, outside the main doors of the hotel; checking the foyer the moment he stepped inside. I want to imagine he says it all as one word now. quote:The girl at the long reception desk gave an irritated frown, as though she had better things to do than check on cars delivered to the hotel on behalf of foreign guests. Amazingly, I can show you this exact jacket because one is for sale on Etsy currently! The mention of 10-round magazines for the P7 is incorrect, unless Q Branch is also making extended mags for Bond. The only P7 to have 10-round magazines is the P7M10 in .40 S&W, which was introduced in 1991 alongside the new cartridge. quote:The briefcase contained everything else he might need – apart from the clothes in his overnight bag – and any other necessary armament, tools, flares, and various pyrotechnic devices were in the car. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX_u-kJi074 The Pains-Wessex linethrower is still being manufactured. It uses a rocket to launch a coiled line at high velocity, generally to nearby ships. quote:Already Bond had opened the front of the car, in order to turn off the anti-intruder and tamper alarm switches. He now went forward again to go through the rest of the equipment: the secret compartments which contained maps, more flares and the big new Ruger Redhawk .44 Magnum revolver which was now his additional armament – a man-stopper, and, also, if handled correctly, a car-stopper. Bond is just upgrading all his poo poo! The Ruger Redhawk is an upscaled version of their Security-Six to .44 Magnum, capable of withstanding incredibly powerful loads. This is a big improvement from his Blackhawk, as it's now a double-action revolver with a swing-out cylinder for faster loading. quote:At the press of one of the innocent-looking buttons on the dashboard, a drawer slid back, revealing half a dozen egg-shaped, so-called ‘practice grenades’, which are, in reality, stun grenades used by British Special Forces. At the rear of this ‘egg box’ there lay four more lethal hand bombs – the L2A2s that are standard British Army equipment, derived from the American M26s. Bond's stun grenades are Schermuly Training Grenades. They're made of plastic with an open bottom for a paper-wrapped pyrotechnic charge to explode out of. While intended as a practice grenade, it was found that the very loud and bright explosion would disorient enemies if thrown in a room beforehand. The SAS quickly began making use of them as such until purpose-built flashbangs like the distinctive American M84 could be designed. Bond's lethal grenades, as described, are a copy of the American M26. These "lemons", rather than pineapples, use a pre-notched coil of wire as the more consistent fragmentation medium; the older Mk. II and Mills bombs use the segmented body for fragmentation, but this doesn't shatter consistently. quote:Opening the glove compartment, Bond saw that his compass was in place, together with a little note from Erik: Good luck whatever you’re doing, to which he had added, Remember what I’ve taught you about the left foot! Erik. The same hours Gardner himself spent with Carlsson during research! quote:Lastly he walked around the Saab to be certain all the tyres were correctly studded. It was a long drive to Salla – something like a thousand kilometres: easy enough in good weather, but a slog in the ice and snow of winter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzVV8UUIu48 In real life, it would be the 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme that would be the first production car with a HUD. Bond's, obviously, is far more advanced than this. quote:Before leaving for Salla, he had one personal call to make. He started the engine, reversed, then took the car up the ramp into the main street, turning down the Mannerheimintie, and heading towards Esplanade Park. Wow, Gardner is actually making a relatively grounded thriller! We'll see how long that lasts. quote:Bond quickly went through the rooms a second time. Now there were two clues – three if you counted the fact that the lights were all on when he arrived. It was pointed out to me that the Tudeers are a prominent publishing family in Finland. I wonder if Gardner meant to use their name for the Nazis, and what he meant by it? quote:Bond slipped the medal into one of the pockets of his jacket, and, as he turned away, heard a tinkling noise, as though he had kicked something metallic on the floor. He scanned the carpet and spotted the dull glow near the chrome leg of a bedside table. Another decoration? No, this was a campaign shield, again German: a dark bronze, surmounted by an eagle, the shield stamped with a rough map of the far north of Finland and Russia. At the top, one word: LAPLAND. The Wehrmacht shield for service in the far north, also engraved on the back, but dated 1943. Tudeer having a Lapplandschild is either an error or implying something. Because the campaign decoration was hastily commissioned toward the end of the war, the vast majority of issuances were between July and September 1945, after Germany's surrender. That's why it doesn't have a swastika. Tudeer had gone into hiding after the war to avoid a war crimes trial, so how would he have gotten it? quote:Bond put it in his pocket with the Knight’s Cross and headed for the main door. There were no bloodstains anywhere and he could only hope that Paula was simply away on one of her many business, or pleasure, jaunts. The Revontuli resort is about 300 kilometers or so north of Helsinki. Today it would only take about 4 hours to drive without snow, thanks to modern highways and GPS. The European Union has led to European Route E75 running from Norway to Greece, which is now the highway Bond would be taking today. quote:The others would be travelling by air, of that he was sure, but Bond wanted his own mobility, even though he knew it would have to be abandoned at Salla. If he was to cross the border with Kolya, they would have to move with great stealth through the forests, across lakes, and over the hills and valleys of the winter wasteland of the Circle. Because of Finland's very northern latitude, Lapland especially has inconsistent daylight. During the summer, from late May to late July, the sun often never dips below the horizon. In all of December until the end of January, by contrast, the sun never rises higher than to give some limited dusk. Even in the southern city of Helsinki, there can be as few as 6 hours of daylight in a 24-hour period. quote:He stopped twice, for petrol and a snack meal. By four in the afternoon – though it could well have been midnight – the Saab had taken him to within some forty kilometres of Suomussalmi. Now he was relatively close to the Russo-Finnish border, and within a few hours of the Arctic Circle. There was still a lot of driving to be done, though, and so far the weather conditions had not proved especially hostile. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=900j-O6F3h0 This was filmed across the sea in Sweden, but at a similar latitude to where Bond is driving. This should show just how nasty the blizzards here can get. quote:There were times when the Saab travelled on long flat stretches of iced road, through small communities going about their daily round – lights bright in shops, muffled figures stomping along pavements, women pulling tiny plastic sledges behind them, piled high with groceries bought at small supermarkets. Then, once out of the town or village, there seemed to be nothing but the endless landscape of snow and trees, the occasional heavy lorry, or car heading back towards the last town; or great monster log-bearing trucks, lumbering in either direction. I actually found the drat thing on a map! This part of Route 5 is now part of European Route E63. The fork is currently home to a gas station and truck stop with a cafe, Voitto Kelloniemi ky. quote:The landscape picked up in his headlights remained unchanged – snow, blank to an unseen horizon; great forests, frosted with ice, suddenly turning to brown and a matt green, as though camouflaged, in sections which had escaped the full force of blizzards, or remained unaffected by the heavy frost. Occasionally, he glimpsed a clearing with the shape of a snow-covered kota – the Lapp wigwam, made of poles and skin, very similar to that of some North American Indians – or the wreckage of a log cabin, collapsed by the weight of snow. The aforementioned truck stop has a replica kota on display outside. The actual name in the Northern Sámi language is goahti, though they have different names in the various Scandinavian languages. It's made by connecting poles into a conical shape (they don't touch at the top) and then covering it with a skin of fabric, peat moss, and/or wood or bark. As the Sámi were semi-nomadic reindeer herders, their homes needed to be easy to assemble and disassemble for transport. quote:Bond relaxed, fighting the wheel, correcting, alert to any sudden shift in control as he sent the Saab screaming on at a safe rate across the ice and packed snow. He could already smell success – arrival at the hotel without needing to use air transport. He might just get to their RV first, which would be a bonus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prFDxvjMH2k You just loving know Gardner saw a giant snow plow during his research trip and decided he had to do this scene on the spot. quote:As for the ploughs on these massive machines, they were sharp steel, V-shaped bows, some ten feet high, curving back from the cutting edge so that the snow and ice were forced to each side, then tossed away by the sheer momentum of the blade’s attack. Well, there must be a lot of snow! quote:He allowed the car to coast, then picked up the engine again, edging gently forward. If there were bad falls of snow ahead, and even off to the east, he wanted to pull over as far as possible and allow the great juggernaut complete right of passage. Yes. It's what you think it is. quote:Bond was only three seconds past the crossroads when he acted, wrenching the wheel to the right, slamming his left foot hard on to the brake, feeling the back begin to swing into the inevitable skid, then gunning the accelerator and spinning the Saab in a controlled turn. In that instant, Bond had changed direction. Gently he increased the revs, correcting the back swing which would send him into a second spin across the coating of ice below him. It's EVIL SNOWPLOWS quote:He would be lucky to make the crossroads before the plough, and, though there was no time to look, Bond knew the other snow plough had also increased speed. If he did not reach the crossroads in time, either he would hit the snowbank at the side of the road – burying the Saab’s nose deep so that the car would be at anyone’s mercy – or the two ploughs would catch him, front and rear, crushing the car between their knife-like curved blades. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOm8o-6s9hk The closest analogue in the films (that we won't see in a novelization later...) would probably be the police chase in Czechoslovakia in The Living Daylights, with Bond in an Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante armed with cutting lasers, heat-seeking missiles, and a rocket booster for a spectacular jump. It was one of many Bond cars included in a DLC pack for Forza Horizon 4 in 2018, and is reappearing in No Time to Die if it ever loving comes out. quote:Correcting the steering, and slowly increasing the revs, Bond felt the car react, like a perfectly controlled animal, the rear sliding slightly. Correct. Slide. Correct. Accelerator. Then he was on line, moving comfortably forward with the huge bulk of the two snow ploughs rising to his right and left. You see it in fiction a lot so I'm going to set the record straight: do not pull a grenade pin with your teeth. It can take up to 10 pounds of force to remove a typical grenade's pin, which is more likely to rip out your teeth than the pin. quote:For a second, he thought the touch would throw him right off track and into the heavily piled snow on either side of the secondary road into which he was heading. But the car steadied and he regained control, hearing the snow piled at the side of the road spume upwards as his mudguards hit it. There was just enough room to take the car up the smaller road between the high white mounds. Then, from behind, came the crump of the grenade. A quick glance into the mirror – for he hardly dared take his eyes from the road and the head-up display – showed a dark red flower of flame coming from directly beneath one of the high yellow ploughs. With luck, the grenade would be enough to bog down that plough for ten minutes or so, while the other pushed it, incapacitated, out of the way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGfKb5winmc quote:Behind, with good fortune, one plough would be out of action and another ready to follow up as soon as the way was clear. Ahead, yet a third yellow monster came on, snow pluming from its bows. Presumably, Bond thought, there would be a fourth lying silent, with lights dowsed, along the other road of the cross. It's fun to see the slow progression of technology over the course of these books. Something that's now commonly known by everyone is still a weird British thing in 1983. quote:The ground was hard, and the biting cold hit Bond like iced water as he rolled to the rear of the car and launched himself into the high snowdrift to the left. The snow was powdery and soft. In a second he was waist-deep and sinking. Bond kicked backwards, getting his legs into a kneeling position, still sinking until he was buried almost to the shoulders. They're trying to kill you! With snowplows! quote:One of the doors opened and a figure began to climb out. At that moment Bond lowered the Redhawk, switched it to his left hand in exchange for the stun grenade, pulled the pin and lobbed the hard green egg with all the force he could muster towards the shattered screen of the cab. Probably a healthier way of going to sleep than his old "3 drinks and a few sleeping pills" method. quote:Oblivious to the cold, Bond hauled the man down, dragging him around the front of the plough and dumping him next to his partner before returning to the cab. The snow plough’s engine was running, and Bond felt as though he was sitting a mile above the wicked hydraulics and the great blade. The array of levers was daunting, but the engine still chugged away. All that concerned Bond was getting the brute off the road, or at least past the Saab and into a position in which it would block the remaining plough at the crossroads. quote:Bond parked the car, surprised that within a few moments of turning off the engine, the screen and bonnet began to frost over. Even so it was difficult to believe the cold. In the open air Bond slipped the goggles into place, made certain his scarf covered his face, then, taking the briefcase and his overnight bag from the car, set the sensors and alarms and operated the central locking device. Wow, he's already here! Convenient! quote:They were expecting him at Reception, so checking in took only a couple of minutes. Tirpitz had returned to the bar – where, Bond noted, he drank alone – and neither of the others was in view. Bond needed sleep. The plan was to meet up at breakfast each day until the whole team arrived. Another new character! quote:Bond’s stomach turned over, then his muscles tensed. The face that stared back at him from the matt print was that of Rivke Ingber, his Mossad colleague. Anni Tudeer, Paula’s friend, daughter of the Finnish Nazi SS officer still wanted for war crimes, was Rivke Ingber. Oh. quote:With painful slowness, James Bond took a book of matches from the ashtray by the bed, struck one and set both photograph and note on fire.
|
|
# ? Jan 16, 2021 19:58 |
|
quote:There were times when the Saab travelled on long flat stretches of iced road, through small communities going about their daily round – lights bright in shops, muffled figures stomping along pavements, women pulling tiny plastic sledges behind them, piled high with groceries bought at small supermarkets. Then, once out of the town or village, there seemed to be nothing but the endless landscape of snow and trees, the occasional heavy lorry, or car heading back towards the last town; or great monster log-bearing trucks, lumbering in either direction. The inadvertent pun of "log-bearing trucks lumbering in either direction" got called out in Bill Pronzini's Son of Gun in Cheek, a survey of bad mystery and thriller fiction.
|
# ? Jan 16, 2021 23:16 |
Chapter 7: Rivkequote:For years Bond had nurtured the habit of taking cat naps and being able to control his sleep – even under stress. He had also acquired the knack of feeding problems into the computer of his mind, allowing the subconscious to work away while he slept. Usually he woke with a clear mind, sometimes with a new slant on difficulties, inevitably refreshed. Most of the time he woke up deep in enemy territory. quote:After the exceptionally long and hard drive from Helsinki, Bond felt natural fatigue, though his mind was active with a maze of conflicting puzzles. Minutes after falling asleep, Bond is woken by a knock at the door. It's Rivke Ingber, of course! quote:His mind cleared. There were several answers to the questions facing Bond when he went to sleep. One was so obvious that he had already taken it into account. If Rivke was, in fact, the daughter of Aarne Tudeer, there could easily be a link between her and the National Socialist Action Army. She must be only thirty years old, thirty-one at the most, which meant that her formative years had probably been spent in some hiding place with her father. If this was so then it was quite possible that Anni Tudeer was a neo- Fascist deep penetration agent working inside Mossad and that she may have been tipped off that the British were close to her true identity. It was also possible that she suspected Bond’s colleagues would not be averse to withholding the information from the CIA and KGB. It had been done before, and Icebreaker was already proving to be an uneasy alliance. Of course she's wearing that. quote:Bond allowed her into the room, locked the door, and stood back. Well, he thought, his gaze quickly travelling down her body, she is either an ultra-professional or a very natural blonde. ......what? quote:‘Didn’t even know you’d got to the hotel,’ he said calmly. ‘Welcome.’ So you're saying Israeli agents suck? quote:She smiled at Bond’s mocking timbre replying in kind: ‘He knows nothing of women.’ Then her face tightened, the smile disappearing from the eyes. ‘He really has been most unpleasant. Tried to force his way into my room. Very drunk. Gave the impression he wasn’t going to let up easily.’ Skipped the Krav Maga, then? quote:Bond went over to the bedside table, picked up his cigarette case and lighter, offering the open case to Rivke, who shook her head as Bond lit up, blowing a stream of smoke towards the ceiling. It's one you willingly jump into! quote:Taking another long pull on his cigarette, he made the vital decision. Rivke Ingber was alone in his room, and he knew who she really was. "It's not suspicious of me at all to describe all of these facts!" quote:‘You don’t know Paula Vacker?’ One that's so frozen it could be used to beat a man to death and then be fed to the investigators! quote:‘I’ve told you, Paula hasn’t spoken to me in years. Apart from knowing my old name, and, presumably, the fact that I’m a former SS officer’s daughter, what do you really know?’ The "Ratlines" were the system of escape routes used by fleeing Nazi war criminals to escape justice when the war ended. Argentina is the most infamous in popular culture, as President Juan Perón was a dedicated fascist and Nazi lover who ordered the creation of one of these routes to aid them, but Paraguay was one of many other countries where they fled to. Eduard Roschmann, the "Butcher of Riga", is the most notable of those who died there without ever seeing justice. quote:‘Tell me,’ Bond said. Little by little, he coaxed it out of her. It was, in fact, an old tale. Tudeer had been autocratic, drunken, brutal, and sadistic. So....he was an SS officer. quote:‘I was ten years old before we escaped – my mother and I. To me it was a kind of game: dressed up as an Indian child. We got away by canoe, and then, with the help of some Guarani, made it to Asunción. My mother was a very unhappy lady. I don’t know how it was managed, but she got passports for both of us, Swedish passports, and some kind of grant. We were flown to Stockholm, where we stayed for six months. Every day my mother would go to the Finnish Embassy, and, eventually, we were granted our Finnish passports. Mother spent the first year in Helsinki getting a divorce and compensation for her lost land – up here, in the Circle. We lived in Helsinki, and I got my first taste of schooling. That’s where I met Paula. We became very good friends. That’s about it.’ The first of many twists you won't see coming! quote:‘I went to Israel on my twentieth birthday. My mother died two years later. The last time I saw her was the day I left Helsinki. Within six months I made the first steps to conversion. Now I’m as Jewish as any Gentile-born can be. In Israel they tried everything in the book to put me off, but I stuck it out – even military service. It was that which finally clinched it.’ Her smile was one of pride this time. ‘Zamir himself sent for me, interviewed me. I couldn’t believe it when they told me who he was – Colonel Zwicka Zamir, the head of Mossad. He arranged everything, I was an Israeli citizen already. Now I went for special training, for Mossad. I had a new name . . .’ Zvi Zamir was born Zvicka Zarzevsky in 1925 in Poland. When he was 8 months old, his family moved to the British Mandate of Palestine, a joint occupied territory established by Britain and France in former Ottoman territory. This region would see numerous Jewish and Arab nationalist movements that would turn into warfare; Britain promised the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine in 1917 under the Balfour Declaration, so after the 1947-1949 Palestine War the Mandate was divided among the new nation of Israel, the Kingdom of Jordan, and briefly an Egyptian bit on the Gaza Strip. During this time, Zamir served in the Haganah, the Jewish paramilitary organization that defended Jewish settlements in Palestine from Arab attack. When the Axis threatened the area in 1941, the Palmach was created as an elite fighting force within the Haganah to aid the British in defeating Germany and the Vichy French government. When the British cut off funding and demanding the disbanding of the Palmach in 1942, they went underground. They would continue fighting as a guerrilla/terrorist force that eventually began attacking their former British allies under the orders of David Ben-Gurion to force the British to finish establishing the Jewish state and remove their immigration caps. Zvi Zamir joined the Palmach when he was 18 and was one of the founding officers of the new Israeli Defense Force. After time as the commander for the Southern Command and work as the military attaché for the IDF in London, he was appointed the new director of Mossad from 1968 to 1974. Zamir was the director of Operation Wrath of God, the effort by Mossad to find and assassinate the Palestinians involved in the 1972 terrorist attack on the Olympics in Munich that killed 11 members of the Israeli team. During the Yom Kippur War, when told that the CIA director would cut off support to Israel if not given evidence by the end of the day that Israel would win, Zamir called Vernon Walters on a secure line just to say "Kiss my rear end." He has since retired and now lives in Tel Aviv, still alive at 95. quote:‘And the revenge part, Rivke? You had atoned, but what about the revenge?’ It's arguable if Gardner manages to stick the landing in this book, but it's already much more coherent than the previous. There's legitimate ways to look at the current facts with multiple interpretations and try to puzzle out the truth before the reveal. quote:‘Then you believe me?’ You are most certainly not in the business of trust! quote:She did not pause to think. ‘Yes. For certain.’ Nobody tell him. quote:She gave a friendly pout. ‘Okay, I’m sorry. All countries have their faults.’ Rivke bit her lip, her mind drifting off-course for a few seconds. ‘Please, James. I do have an edge, privileged information if you like. I need you on my side.’ Something....Bulgarian? quote:Rivke shifted her chair closer to the end of the bed where Bond sat. ‘You mean if they’ve found themselves with an arms leak, and some other funny business that’s going to look very bad? Something they can’t contain?’ Okay, William Control. quote:‘Only a theory,’ he repeated. ‘But it’s possible. This is all out of character for the KGB. They’re usually so closed up. Now they come and ask for help. Could they be pulling us in? Having us for suckers? So that, when the truth – whatever it is – comes spewing out, we’ll be implicated. Israel, America and Britain will all take the blame. It’s devious enough for them.’ Not his fault he's like 150 now. quote:Rivke said if there was even a possibility of a KGB plot to discredit them, it would be wise to make a pact now to stick together. ‘We really do have to watch each other’s backs, even if the theory doesn’t hold.’ "Twitchy" is apparently Israeli slang for "horny." quote:It seemed an eternity before their mouths parted, and Rivke, panting, clung on to Bond, her breath warm near his ear as she murmured endearments. Slowly, he drew her from the chair on to the bed where they lay close, body to body, then mouth to mouth once more, until together, as though at some inaudible signal, their hands groped for one another. ...in bodily fluids. quote:‘Yes, and . . .’ It did. quote:The laugh had hardly died when he reached over for the telephone. ‘Time to see if we can get something out of our so-called friend Paula.’ He began to dial the apartment in Helsinki, while casting an admiring eye over Rivke as she put on the film of silk which passed as a nightdress. That was absolutely Moore's voice. quote:Rivke’s hand went out and she held the medals for a moment, then let out a tiny cry, dropping them back on to the bed as though they were red hot. Unusually willing to skip straight to drinks and sex after a murder attempt. quote:After a minute or so, Rivke drew away. ‘I have to clear my head, James. Will you come down the ski run with me?’
|
|
# ? Jan 18, 2021 19:10 |
Chapter 8: Tirpitzquote:James Bond was profoundly disturbed. All but one tiny doubt told him that Rivke Ingber was absolutely trustworthy, just who she said she was: the daughter of Aarne Tudeer; the girl who had taken to the Jewish faith, and was now – even according to London – a Mossad agent. There was a sense of shock, however, at the mystery of Paula Vacker. She had been close to Bond over the years, never giving him the least cause to think of her as anything but an intelligent, fun-loving, hard-working girl who excelled in her job. But set against Rivke, and recent events, Paula appeared suddenly to have feet of melting wax. With the life you live, shouldn't you have caught on to that years ago? quote:In the corridor, he paused, glancing at his Rolex. It was already nearly nine-thirty. Paula’s office would be open. He returned to the room to dial Helsinki – this time the office number. The same operator who had greeted him on the day of that fateful call, which seemed so long ago now, answered in Finnish. That's all Bond needs to know. He's up north. quote:His room was at the rear of the building, and from it he had a clear view of the chair lift, with the ski run, and the curve of the jump. Tiny figures, taking advantage of the short spell of daylight and the clear atmosphere, were boarding the endlessly moving lift, while high above, outlined like black speeding insects against the snow, others made the long descent, curving in speed-checking traverses, or racing straight on the fall line, with bodies crouched forward, knees bent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZyctGLq6Vg This ski resort is a few hundred miles further north, but matches Bond's environment perfectly. quote:Brad Tirpitz sat alone at a corner table near the windows, looking out on the same view Bond had just observed from higher in the building. He spotted Bond’s arrival and nonchalantly raised an arm in a combination of greeting and identification. What's important about his name being "Tirpitz"? The Tirpitz and Bismarck, sister ships, are the two most famous German naval vessels of World War II. quote:‘Hi, Bond.’ The rock-like face cracked slightly. ‘Kolya sends his apologies. Been delayed organising some snow scooters.’ He leaned closer. ‘It’s tonight apparently – or in the early hours of tomorrow, if you want to be accurate.’ In polite company, even in the 1950s, it was still generally considered rude and uncouth to smoke during a meal. Lighting up was something to be done after the meal, when proper ashtrays could be brought out and any non-smokers could find somewhere else to be. quote:‘Look, Bond.’ Tirpitz moved his chair closer. ‘I’m glad Kolya’s not here. Wanted a word with you alone.’ "Let me tell you, Tirpitz, that was a weird as hell kind of day." quote:'I know you don’t trust me,’ Tirpitz continued, ‘but you’d better think again, brother. Think again, because maybe I’m the only friend you have around here.’ The Red Army Faction, or Baader–Meinhof Group, was briefly mentioned in Gardner's first book. They were a far-left militant group formed in West Germany in 1970 (and, as discovered after the reunification, funded by the Stasi) and immediately began an infamous spree of assassinations, bombings, kidnappings, and robberies. While not the most destructive terrorist group in Europe at the time, they're certainly the most well-known. It all came to a head in 1977. First the RAF assassinated Siegfried Buback, the Attorney General of West Germany. Then they tried to kidnap Jürgen Ponto, chairman of the board of directors of Dresden Bank. Then not only did the RAF kidnap and murder German industrialist Hanns Martin Schleyer, but Lufthansa Flight 181 was hijacked at the same time by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine to secure the release of RAF prisoners. It seemed like attacks would be endless...until GSG-9 took out the Lufthansa hijackers and rescued the passengers. All of the incarcerated RAF members committed suicide immediately, though conspiracy theories suggest they were murdered. The RAF lost much of their prominence after the 1970s. They continued with assassinations and bombings into the 90s, but not at the same clip. In 1998, a letter on RAF letterhead was faxed to Reuters announcing the official dissolution of the group. quote:‘They’re idealists, of course,’ said Tirpitz, chuckling. ‘Fanatics. Men working within the USSR to subvert the Communist ideal by Fascist terrorism. They were behind the first arms theft from Blue Hare, and they got caught, up to a point . . .’ "Sometimes they send you on impossible missions just to see what happens." quote:‘Well, the boys in Dzerzhinsky Square have so far managed to keep the army man who caught them out at Blue Hare as sweet as a nut. What’s more, they’re conducting this combined clandestine operation with one of their own in the driving seat – Kolya Mosolov.’ Don't lie. You absolutely would have blundered into an obvious trap without being told. quote:Tirpitz gave a humourless smile. ‘Like you, buddy, I really have seen it all: Berlin, the Cold War, Nam, Laos, Cambodia. This is the triple cross of all time. You need me, brother . . .’ Now we just need a chapter for Kolya doing the same thing! quote:‘Yeah?’ Tirpitz prodded, and Bond realised he had been distracted by some newly arrived guests who were being treated like royalty by the waiters. I'm sure they won't matter. quote:‘What about Rivke? That’s what I wanted to ask. Are we leaving her in the cold with Kolya?’ Nobody is giving anybody the full picture! quote:Bond shrugged. M had been precise and detailed in his briefing, but stressed that there were certain matters about the mysterious Count von Glöda which could not be proved. M, being the stickler he was, refused to take mere probability as fact. The villain just walks in for dinner? quote:The couple certainly looked distinguished. Bond had seen the heavy and expensive fur coats borne away when they had arrived. Now they even sat as though they owned Lapland, looking almost like a Renaissance prince and his lady. That age range puts him exactly where a fleeing Nazi war criminal would be in the 1980s. quote:‘Star quality?’ Tirpitz whispered. Ah, gambling. quote:Bond was still covertly watching the couple when a waiter came hurrying over to the table. ‘Mr Bond?’ he asked. BAD BRAD quote:‘Just a call from Helsinki.’ He began to move, inwardly bewildered that Paula could have found him here. Almost like he knows who they are... quote:The receptionist indicated a small, half-open booth containing a telephone. Bond was there in two strides, lifting the receiver and speaking immediately. These Nazis are such loving drama queens. quote:Bond’s brow creased, a concern building quickly inside him. ‘Paula? Is that you . . . ?’ He stopped, knowing there was no point in talking into a dead instrument. Say goodbye to Anni . . . What on earth? Then it struck him. Rivke was on the ski run. Or maybe she hadn’t even reached it. Bond raced for the main doors of the hotel. Is he called "Bad Brad" because he's bad at teamwork? quote:‘I’ll explain later. Rivke’s out on the ski run, and I’ve a hunch she’s in danger.’ It crossed his mind that Rivke Ingber might not, after all, be on the slopes. Paula had said, ‘Any minute now, I should imagine,’ Whatever was planned could have already happened. The only part of the run Bond and Tirpitz can see from here is the last half-kilometer, a straight and gentle slope to the bottom. quote:Bond raised the glasses. Rivke was obviously very good, side-slipping and traversing the steep slope, coming out of it into a straight run, slowing as the snow flattened, then gathering a little speed as she breasted the rise and began to follow the fall line down the long final slope. She had just touched the run out, less than half a kilometre away from them, when the snow seemed to boil on either side of her, and a great white mist rose behind. In the centre of the blossom of fine snow, a sudden fire – red, then white – flashed upwards.
|
|
# ? Jan 19, 2021 18:10 |
|
|
# ? Mar 29, 2024 15:20 |
|
Bond stuntman Rémy Julienne dead at 90 Here he is dodging missiles in a tanker truck. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXJBdmM5WhE
|
# ? Jan 22, 2021 15:30 |