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hen put pressure on the daughter。 There's a daughter； by the way。 Should be about twenty…five by now。 Never seen her myself。 Anyway； that's what happened。 They killed the Havelocks。 Then two weeks ago Batista sacked Hammerstein。 May have got to hear about one of these jobs。 I don't know。 But； anyway； Hammerstein cleared out and took his little team of three with him。 Timed things pretty well； I should say。 It looks as if Castro may get in this winter if he keeps the pressure up。〃
Bond said softly： 〃Where have they gone to？〃
〃America。 Right up in the North of Vermont。 Up against the Canadian border。 Those sort of men like being close to frontiers。 Place called Echo Lake。 It's some kind of a millionaire's ranch he's rented。 Looks pretty from the photographs。 Tucked away in the mountains with this little lake in the grounds。 He's certainly chosen himself somewhere where he won't be troubled with visitors。〃
〃How did you get on to this； sir？〃
〃I sent a report of the whole case to Edgar Hoover。 He knew of the man。 I guessed he would。 He's had a lot of trouble with this gun…running from Miami to Castro。 And he's been interested in Havana ever since the big American gangster money started following the casinos there。 He said that Hammerstein and his party had e into the States on six months visitors' visas。 He was very helpful。 Wanted to know if I'd got enough to build up a case on。 Did I want these men extradited for trial in Jamaica？ I talked it over here with the Attorney General and he said there wasn't a hope unless we could get the witnesses from Havana。 There's no chance of that。 It was only through Castro's Intelligence that we even know as much as we do。 Officially the Cubans won't raise a finger。 Next； Hoover offered to have their visas revoked and get them on the move again。 I thanked him and said no； and we left it at that。〃
M sat for a moment in silence。 His pipe had died and he relit it。 He went on： 〃I decided to have a talk with our friends the Mounties。 I got on to the missioner on the scrambler。 He's never let me down yet。 He strayed one of his frontier patrol planes over the border and took a full aerial survey of this Echo Lake place。 Said that if I wanted any other co…operation he'd provide it。 And now；〃 M slowly swivelled his chair back square with the desk； 〃I've got to decide what to do next。〃
Now Bond realised why M was troubled； why he wanted someone else to make the decision。 Because these had been friends of M。 Because a personal element was involved； M had worked on the case by himself。 And now it had e to the point when justice ought to be done and these people brought to book。 But M was thinking： is this justice； or is it revenge？ No judge would take a murder case in which he had personally known the murdered person。 M wanted someone else； Bond； to deliver judgement。 There were no doubts in Bond's mind。 He didn't know the Havelocks or care who they were。 Hammerstein had operated the law of the jungle on two defenceless old people。 Since no other law was available； the law of the jungle should be visited upon Hammerstein。 In no other way could justice be done。 If it was revenge； it was the revenge of the munity。
Bond said： 〃I wouldn't hesitate for a minute； sir。 If foreign gangsters find they can get away with this kind of thing they'll decide the English are as soft as some other people seem to think we are。 This is a case for rough justice … an eye for an eye。〃
M went on looking at Bond。 He gave no encouragement； made no ment。
Bond said： 〃These people can't be hung； sir。 But they ought to be killed。〃
M's eyes ceased to focus on Bond。 For a moment they were blank； looking inward。 Then he slowly reached for the top drawer of his desk on the left…hand side； pulled it open and extracted a thin file without the usual title across it and without the top…secret red star。 He placed the file squarely in front of him and his hand rummaged again in the open drawer。 The hand brought out a rubber stamp and a red…ink pad。 M opened the pad； tamped the rubber stamp on it and then carefully； so that it was properly aligned with the top right…hand corner of the docket； pressed it down on the grey cover。
M replaced the stamp and the ink pad in the drawer and closed the drawer。 He turned the docket round and pushed it gently across the desk to Bond。
The red sansserif letters； still damp； said： FOR YOUR EYES ONLY。
Bond said nothing。 He nodded and picked up the docket and walked out of the room。
Two days later； Bond took the Friday et to Montreal。 He did not care for it。 It flew too high and too fast and there were too many passengers。 He regretted the days of the old Stratocruiser … that fine lumbering old plane that took ten hours to cross the Atlantic。 Then one had been able to have dinner in peace； sleep for seven hours in a fortable bunk； and get up in time to wander down to the lower deck and have that ridiculous BOAC 'country house' breakfast while the dawn came up and flooded the cabin with the first bright gold of the Western hemisphere。 Now it was all too quick。 The stewards had to serve everything almost at the double； and then one had a bare two hours snooze before the hundred…mile…long descent from forty thousand feet。 Only eight hours after leaving London； Bond was driving a Hertz U…drive Plymouth saloon along the broad Route 17 from Montreal to Ottawa and trying to remember to keep on the right of the road。
The Headquarters of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are in the Department of Justice alongside Parliament Buildings in Ottawa。 Like most Canadian public buildings； the Department of Justice is a massive block of grey masonry built to look stodgily important and to withstand the long and hard winters。 Bond had been told to ask at the front desk for the missioner and to give his name as 'Mr James'。 He did so； and a young fresh…faced RCMP corporal； who looked as if he did not like being kept indoors on a warm sunny day； took him up in the lift to the third floor and handed him over to a sergeant in a large tidy office which contained two girl secretaries and a lot of heavy furniture。 The sergeant spoke on an inter and there was a ten minutes' delay during which Bond smoked and read a recruiting pamphlet which made the Mounties sound like a mixture between a dude ranch； Dick Tracy and Rose Marie。 When he was shown in through the connecting door a tall youngish man in a dark blue suit； white shirt and black tie turned away from the window and came towards him。 〃Mr James？〃 the man smiled thinly。 〃I'm Colonel； let's say … er … Johns。〃
They shook hands。 〃e along and sit down。 The missioner's very sorry not to be here to wele you himself。 He has a bad cold … you know； one of those diplomatic ones。〃 Colonel 'Johns' looked amused。 〃Thought it might be best to take the day off。 I'm just one of the help。 I've been on one or two hunting trips myself and the missioner fixed on me to handle this little holiday of yours；〃 the Colonel paused； 〃on me only。 Right？〃
Bond smiled。 The missioner was glad to help but he was going to handle this with kid gloves。 There would be no e…back on his office。 Bond thought he must be a careful and very sensible man。 He said： 〃I quite understand。 My friends in London didn't want the missioner to bother himself personally with any of this。 And I haven't seen the missioner or been anywhere near his headquarters。 That being so； can we talk English for ten minutes or so … just between the two of us？〃
Colonel Johns laughed。 〃Sure。 I was told to make that little speech and then get down to business。 You understand； mander； that you and I are about to connive at various felonies； starting with obtaining a Canadian hunting licence under false pretences and being an accessory to a breach of the frontier laws； and going on down from there to more serious things。 It wouldn't do anyone one bit of good to have any ricochets from this little lot。 Get me？〃
〃That's how my friends feel too。 When I go out of here； we'll forget each other； and if I end up in Sing…Sing that's my worry。 Well； now？〃
Colonel Johns opened a drawer in the desk and took out a bulging file and opened it。 The top document was a list。 He put his pencil on the first item and looked