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'We get more skeeters and sandfly in the Caymans than anywheres else in the world；' he said； 'but we gives them no attention so long as we got this medicine。'
The ten minutes of tropical twilight brought its quick melancholy and then the stars and the three…quarter moon blazed down and the sea died to a whisper。 There was the short lull between the two great winds of Jamaica； and then the palms began to whisper again。
Quarrel jerked his head towards the window。
'De 〃Undertaker's Wind〃；' he mented。
'How's that？' asked Bond； startled。
'On…and…off shore breeze de sailors call it；' said Quarrel。
'De Undertaker blow de bad air out of de Island nighttimes from six。 till six。 Then every morning de 〃Doctor's Wind〃 e and blow de sweet air in from de sea。 Leastwise dat's what we calls dem in Jamaica。'
Quarrel looked quizzically at Bond。
'Guess you and de Undertaker's Wind got much de same job； Cap'n；' he said half…seriously。
Bond laughed shortly。 'Glad I don't have to keep the same hours；' he said。
Outside； the crickets and the tree…frogs started to zing and tinkle and the great hawkmoths came to the wire…netting across the windows and clutched it； gazing with trembling ecstasy at the two oil lamps that hung from the cross…beams inside。
Occasionally a pair of fishermen； or a group of giggling girls； would walk by down the beach on their way to the single tiny rum…shop at the point of the bay。 No man walked alone for fear of the duppies under the trees； or the rolling calf； the ghastly animal that es rolling towards you along the ground； its legs in chains and flames ing out of its nostrils。
While Quarrel prepared one of the succulent meals of fish and eggs and vegetables that were to be their staple diet； Bond sat under the light and pored over the books that Strangways had borrowed from the Jamaica Institute； books on the tropical sea and its denizens by Beebe and Allyn and others； and on sub…marine hunting by Gousteau and Hass。 When he set out to cross those three hundred yards of sea； he was determined to do it expertly and to leave nothing to chance。 He knew the calibre of Mr。 Big and he guessed that the defences of Surprise would be technically brilliant。 He thought they would not involve simple weapons like guns and high explosives。 Mr。 Big needed to work undisturbed by the police。 He had to keep out of reach of the law。 He guessed that somehow the forces of the sea had been harnessed to do The Big Man's work for him and it was on these that he concentrated； on murder by shark and barracuda； perhaps by Manta Ray and octopus。
The facts set out by the naturalists were chilling and awe…inspiring； but the experiences of Cousteau in the Mediterranean and of Hass in the Red Sea and Caribbean were more encouraging。
That night Bond's dreams were full of terrifying encounters with giant squids and sting rays； hammerheads and the saw…teeth of barracuda； so that he whimpered and sweated in his sleep。
On the next day he started his training under the critical； appraising eyes of Quarrel。 Every morning he swam a mile up the beach before breakfast and then ran back along the firm sand to the bungalow。 At about nine they would set out in a canoe； the single triangular sail taking them fast through the water up the coast to Bloody Bay and Orange Bay where the sand ends in cliffs and small coves and the reef is close in against the coast。
Here they would beach the canoe and Quarrel would take him out with spears and masks and an old underwater harpoon gun on breathtaking expeditions in the sort of waters he would encounter in Shark Bay。
They hunted quietly； a few yards apart； Quarrel moving effortlessly in an element in which he was almost at home。
Soon Bond too learned not to fight the sea but always to give and take with the currents and eddies and not to struggle against them； to use judo tactics in the water。
On the first day he came home cut and poisoned by the coral and with a dozen sea…egg spines in his side。 Quarrel grinned and treated the wounds with merthiolate and Milton。 Then； as every evening； he massaged Bond for half an hour with palm oil； talking quietly the while about the fish they had seen that day； explaining the habits of the carnivores and the ground…feeders； the camouflage of fish and their machinery for changing colour through the blood stream。
He also had never known fish to attack a man except in desperation or because there was blood in the water。 He explained that fish are rarely hungry in tropical waters and that most of their weapons are for defence and not for attack。 The only exception； he admitted； was the barracuda。 'Mean fish；' he called them； fearless since they knew no enemy except disease； capable of fifty miles an hour over short distances； and with the worst battery of teeth of any fish in the sea。
One day they shot a ten…pounder that had been hanging round them； melting into the grey distances and then reappearing； silent； motionless in the upper water； its angry tiger's eyes glaring at them so close that they could see its gills working softly and the teeth glinting like a wolf's along its cruel underslung jaw。
Quarrel finally took the harpoon gun from Bond and shot it； badly； through the streamlined belly。 It came straight for them； its jaws on their great hinges wide open like a striking rattlesnake。 Bond made a wild lunge at it with his spear just as it was on to Quarrel。 He missed but the spear went between its jaws。 They immediately snapped shut on the steel shaft； and as the fish tore the spear out of Bond's hand； Quarrel stabbed at it with his knife and it went mad； dashing through the water with its entrails hanging out； the spear clenched between its teeth； and the harpoon dangling from its body Quarrel could scarcely hold the line as the fish tried to tear the wide barb through the walls of its stomach； but he moved with it towards a piece of submerged reef and climbed on to it and slowly pulled the fish in。
When Quarrel had cut its throat and they twisted the spear out of its jaws they found bright； deep scratches in the steel。
They took the fish ashore and Quarrel cut its head off and opened the jaws with a piece of wood。 The upper jaw rose in an enormous gape； almost at right angles to the lower； and revealed a fantastic battery of razor…sharp teeth； so crowded that they overlapped like shingles on a roof。 Even the tongue had several runs of small pointed recurved teeth and； in front； there were two huge fangs that projected forward like a snake's。
Although it only weighed just over ten pounds； it was over four feet long； a nickel bullet of muscle and hard flesh。
'We shoot no more cudas；' said Quarrel。 'But for you I been in hospital for a month and mebbe lost ma face。 It was foolish of me。 If we swim towards it； it gone away。 Dey always do。 Dey cowards like all fish。 Doan you worry； bout those；' he pointed at the teeth。 'You never see dem again。'
'I hope not；' said Bond。 'I haven't got a face to spare。'
By the end of the week； Bond was sunburned and hard。 He had cut his cigarettes down to ten a day and had not had a single drink。 He could swim two miles without tiring； his hand was pletely healed and all the scales of big city life had fallen from him。
Quarrel was pleased。 'You ready for Surprise； Cap'n；' he said； 'and I not like be de fish what tries to eat you。'
Towards nightfall on the eighth day they came back to the rest…house to find Strangways waiting for them。
'I've got some good news for you；' he said ： 'your friend Felix Leiter's going to be all right。 At all events he's not going to die。 They've had to amputate the remains of an arm and a leg。 Now the plastic surgery chaps have started building up his face。 They called me up from St。 Petersburg yesterday。 Apparently he insisted on getting a message to you。 First thing he thought of when he could think at all。 Says he's sorry not to be with you and to tell you not to get your feet wet … or at any rate； not as wet as he did。'
Bond's heart was full。 He looked out of the window。 'Tell him to get well quickly；' he said abruptly。 'Tell him I miss him。' He looked back into the room。 'Now what about the gear？ Everything okay？'
'I've got it all；' said Strangways； 'and the Secatur sails tomorrow for Surprise。 After clearing at Port Maria； they should anchor before nightfall。 Mr。 Big'son board … only the second time he's been down here。 Oh and they've got a woman with them。 Girl called Solitaire； according to the CIA。 Know anything about her？'
'Not much；' said Bond。 'But I'd like to get her away from him。 She's not one of his team。'
'Sort of damsel in distress；' said the romantic Strangways。 'Good show。 According to the CIA she's a corker。'
But Bond had gone out on the veranda and was gazing up at his stars。 Never before in his life had there been so much to play for。 The secret of the treasure； the defeat of a great criminal； the smashing of a munist spy ring； and the destruction of a tentacle of SMERSH； the cruel machine that was his own private target。 And now Solitaire； the ultimate personal prize。
The stars winked down their cryptic morse and he had no key to their cipher。
CHAPTER XVIII
BEAU DESERT
STRANGEWAYS went back alone after dinner and Bond agreed that they would follow at first light。 Strangways left him a fresh pile of books and pamphlets on shark and barracuda and Bond went through them with rapt attention。
They added little to the practical lore he had picked up from Quarrel。 They were all by scientists and much of the data on attacks was from the beaches of the Pacific where a flashing body in the thick surf would excite any inquisitive fish。
But there seemed to be general agreement that the danger to underwater swimmers with breathing equipment was far less than to surface swimmers。 They might be attacked by almost any of the shark family； particularly when the shark was stimulated and excited by blood in the water； by the smell of a swimmer or by the sensory vibration set up by an injured person in the water。 But they could sometimes be frightened off； he read； by loud noises in the water … even by shouting below the surface； and they would often flee if a swimmer chased them。
The most successful form of shark repellent； according to U。S。 Naval Research Laboratory tests； was a bination of copper acetate and a dark nigrosine dye； and cakes of this mixture were apparently now attached to the Mae Wests of all the U。S。 Armed Forces。
Bond called in Quarrel。 The Cayman Islander was scornful until Bond read out to him what the Navy Department had to say about their researches at the end of the war among packs of sharks stimulated by what was described as 'extreme mob behaviour conditions'： '。。。 Sharks were attracted to the back of the shrimp boat with trash fish；' read out Bond。 'Sharks appeared as a slashing； splashing shoal。 We prepared a tub of fresh fish and another tub of fish mixed with repellent powder。 We got up to the shoal of sharks and the photographer started his camera。 I shovelled over the plain fish for 30 seconds while the sharks； with much splashing； ate them。 Then I started on the repellent fish and shovelled for 30 seconds repeating the procedure 3 times。 On the first trial the sharks were quite ferocious in feeding on plain fish right at the stern of the boat。 They cut fish for only about 5 seconds after the repellent mixture was thrown over。 A few came back when the plain fish were put out immediately following the repellent。 On a second trial 30 minutes later； a ferocious school fed for the 30 seconds that plain fish were supplied； but left as soon as the repellent struck the water。 There were no attacks on fish while the repellent was in the water。 On the third trial we could not get the sharks nearer than 20 yards of the stern of the boat。'
'What do you make of that？' asked Bond。
'You better have some of dat stuff；' said Quarrel； impressed against his will。
Bond was inclined to agree with him。 Washington had cabled that cakes of the stuff were on the way。 But they had not yet arrived and were not expected for another forty…eight hours。 If the repellent did not arrive； Bond was not dismayed。 He could not imagine that he would encounter such dangerous conditions in his underwater swim