The thinking, feeling apparatus of Bond was no longer part of his body. The stinking, bleeding, black scarecrow moved its arms and legs quite automatically. The wounded squid had emptied its ink sac at him. It was covered with black slime, and blackness stained the sea for twenty yards around. He got a hold and reached up his other hand and slowly, agonizingly, pulled himself up so that he was sitting in the fence. So he must be alive Dazedly Bond let go the spear from his trailing hand and reached up and felt for the nearest strand of wire. But he could feel the wire cutting into the tendons behind his knees. His eyes were stinging and there was a horrible fish taste in his mouth. What had happened? Had he gone blind? He could see nothing. On the bridge, the watch was lighting a cigarette. Twenty yards away, Doctor No, also with his back to Bond, stood sentry over the thick rich cataract of whity-yellow dust. ![]() The neck above the open khaki shirt was naked, offered, waiting. His guess at the distances had been right. There was one hope, only oneīelow, on the jetty, to the left and to leeward of the drifting smoke of the guano dust, stood the tall, watchful figure of Doctor No.īond stepped up to the rock and inched an eye round. Now the eyes and the great triangular beak were right out of the water and the beak was reaching up for his feet. He could even feel his spine being stretched. Bond was being pulled down, inch by inch. The eyes were glaring up at him, redly, venomously, and the forest of feeding arms was at his feet and legs, tearing the cotton fabric away and flailing back. Now the head of the squid had broken the surface and the sea was being thrashed into foam by the great heaving mantle round it. Nowīond had not time to worry about them. A voice called out, startlingly close, "Okay to go?" There was a distant answer: "Okay." The crane engine accelerated. Bond crept softly forward, watching his footholds for loose stones. Round the bead, the track filtered through a maze of giant, tumbled boulders. It would be about six o'clock, the dawn of a beautiful day.īond, leaving drops of blood behind him, picked his way carefully down the track and along the bottom of the shadowed cliff. ![]() ![]() Perhaps even now they were watching the scout groups far out at sea locating the fish. Far above him the cormorants were wheeling round the guanera. Clouds tinged with golden pink were trailing away towards the horizon. There were iron ship-noises and the sound of water splashing into the sea from a bilge pump.īond looked up at the sky. He could hear the changing beat of its engine. Then Bond sat down and meticulously went over the photograph that was in his brain.įrom close by came various sounds and echoes. Bond let his whole body slip down the ladder of wire and lunged through and down with all his force.
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