Bond smiled his agreement。
〃So be it； Grimley；〃 said M。 〃The Dom Perignon。 Bring it straight away； would you？〃
A waitress appeared and put racks of fresh toast on the table and a silver dish of Jersey butter。 As she bent over the table her black skirt brushed Bond's arm and he looked up into two pert； sparkling eyes under a soft fringe of hair。 The eyes held his for a fraction of a second and then she whisked away。 Bond's eyes followed the white bow at her waist and the starched collar and cuffs of her uniform as she went down the long room。 His eyes narrowed。 He recalled a pre…war establishment in Paris where the girls were dressed with the same exciting severity。 Until they turned round and showed their backs。
He smiled to himself。 The Marthe Richards law had changed all that。
M。 turned from studying their neighbours behind him。 〃Why were you so cryptic about drinking champagne？〃
〃Well； if you don't mind； sir；〃 Bond explained； 〃I've got to get a bit tight tonight。 I'll have to seem very drunk when the time es。 It's not an easy thing to act unless you do it with a good deal of conviction。 I hope you won't get worried if I seem to get frayed at the edges later on。〃
M。 shrugged his shoulders。 〃You've got a head like a rock； James；〃 he said。 〃Drink as much as you like if it's going to help。 Ah； here's the vodka。〃
When M。 poured him three fingers from the frosted carafe Bond took a pinch of black pepper and dropped it on the surface of the vodka。 The pepper slowly settled to the bottom of the glass leaving a few grains on the surface which Bond dabbed up with the tip of a finger。 Then he tossed the cold liquor well to the back of his throat and put his glass； with the dregs of the pepper at the bottom； back on the table。
M。 gave him a glance of rather ironical inquiry。
〃It's a trick the Russians taught me that time you attached me to the Embassy in Moscow；〃 apologized Bond。 〃There's often quite a lot of fusel oil on the surface of this stuff…at least there used to be when it was badly distilled。 Poisonous。 In Russia； where you get a lot of bath…tub liquor； it's an understood thing to sprinkle a little pepper in your glass。 It takes the fusel oil to the bottom。 I got to like the taste and now it's a habit。 But I shouldn't have insulted the club Wolf…schmidt；〃 he added with a grin。
M。 grunted。 〃So long as you don't put pepper in Basildon's favourite champagne；〃 he said drily。
A harsh bray of laughter came from a table at the far end of the room。 M。 looked over his shoulder and then turned back to his caviar。
〃What do you think of this man Drax？〃 he said through a mouthful of buttered toast。
Bond helped himself to another slice of smoked salmon from the silver dish beside him。 It had the delicate glutinous texture only achieved by Highland curers…very different from the dessicated products of Scandinavia。 He rolled a wafer…thin slice of brown bread…and…butter into a cylinder and contemplated it thoughtfully。
〃One can't like his manner much。 At first I was rather surprised that you tolerate him here。〃 He glanced at M。； who shrugged his shoulders。 〃But that's none of my business and anyway clubs would be very dull without a sprinkling of eccentrics。 And in any case he's a national hero and a millionaire and obviously an adequate card…player。 Even when he isn't helping himself to the odds；〃 he added。 〃But I can see he's the sort of man I always imagined。 Full…blooded； ruthless； shrewd。 Plenty of guts。 I'm not surprised he's managed to get where he is。 What I don't understand is why he should be quite happy to throw it all away。 This cheating of； his。 It's really beyond belief。 What's he trying to prove with it？ That he can beat everyone at everything？ He seems to put so much passion into his cards…as if it wasn't a game at all； but some sort of trial of strength。 You've only got to look at his fingernails。 Bitten to the quick。 And he sweats too much。 There's a lot of tension there somewhere。 It es out in those ghastly jokes of his。 They're harsh。 There's no light touch about them。 He seemed to want to squash Basildon like a fly。 Hope I shall be able to keep my temper。 That manner of his is pretty riling。 He even treats his partner as if he was muck。 He hasn't quite got under my skin； but I shan't at all mind sticking a very sharp pin in him tonight。〃 He smiled at M。 〃If it es off； that is。〃
〃I know what you mean；〃 said M。 〃But you may be being a bit hard on the man。 After all； it's a big step from the Liverpool docks； or wherever he came from； to where he is now。 And he's one of those people who was born with naturally hairy heels。 Nothing to do with snobbery。 I expect his mates in Liverpool found him just as loud…mouthed as Blades does。 As for his cheating； there's probably a crooked streak in him somewhere。 I dare say he took plenty of short cuts on his way up。 Somebody said that to bee very rich you have to be helped by a bination of remarkable circumstances and an unbroken run of luck。 It certainly isn't only the qualities of people that make them rich。 At least that's my experience。 At the beginning； getting together the first ten thousand； or the first hundred thousand； things have got to go damn right。
And in that modity business after the war； with all the regulations and restrictions； I expect it was often a case of being able to drop a thousand pounds in the right pocket。 Officials。 The ones who understand nothing but addition； division…and silence。 The useful ones。〃
M。 paused while the next course came。 With it arrived the champagne in a silver ice…bucket； and the small wicker…basket containing M。's half…bottle of claret。
The wine…steward waited until they had delivered a favourable judgment on the wines and then moved away。 As he did so a page came up to their table。 〃mander Bond？〃 he asked。
Bond took the envelope that was handed to him and slit it open。 He took out a thin paper packet and carefully opened it under the level of the table。 It contained a white powder。 He took a silver fruit knife off the table and dipped the tip of the blade into the packet so that about half its contents were transferred to the knife。 He reached for his glass of champagne and tipped the powder into it。
〃Now what？〃 said M。 with a trace of impatience。
There was no hint of apology in Bond's face。 It wasn't M。 who was going to have to do the work that evening。 Bond knew what he was doing。 Whenever he had a job of work to do he would take infinite pains beforehand and leave as little as possible to chance。 Then if something went wrong it was the unforeseeable。 For' that he accepted no responsibility。
〃Benzedrine；〃 he said。 〃I rang up my secretary before dinner and asked her to wangle some out of the surgery at Headquarters。 It's what I shall need if I'm going to keep my wits about me tonight。 It's apt to make one a bit overconfident； but that'll be a help too。〃 He stirred the champagne with a scrap of toast so that the white powder whirled among the bubbles。 Then he drank the mixture down with one long swallow。 〃It doesn't taste；〃 said Bond； 〃and the champagne is quite excellent。〃
M。 smiled at him indulgently。 〃It's your funeral；〃 he said。…〃Now we'd better get on with our dinner。 How were the cutlets？〃
〃Superb；〃 said Bond。 〃I could cut them with a fork。 The best English cooking is the best in the world…particularly at this time of the year。 By the way； what stakes will we be playing for this evening？ I don't mind very much。 We ought to end up the winners。 But I'd like to know how much it will cost Drax。〃
〃Drax likes to play for what he calls 'One and One'；〃 said M。； helping himself from the strawberries that had just been put on the table。 〃Modest sounding stake； if you don't know what it stands for。 In fact it's one tenner a hundred and one hundred pounds on the rubber。〃
〃Oh；〃 said Bond respectfully。 〃I see。〃
〃But he's perfectly happy to play for Two and Two or even Three and Three。 Mounts up at those figures。 The average rubber of bridge at Blades is about ten points。 That's ￡200 at One and One。 And the bridge here makes for big rubbers。 There are no conventions so there's plenty of gambling and bluffing。 Sometimes it's more like poker。 They're a mixed lot of players。 Some of them are the best in England； but others are terribly wild。 Don't seem to mind how much they lose。 General Bealey； just behind us。〃 M。 made a gesture with his head； 〃doesn't know the reds from the blacks。 Nearly always a few hundred down at the end of the week。 Doesn't seem to care。 Bad heart。 No dependants。 Stacks of money from jute。 But Duff Sutherland； the scruffy…looking chap next to the chairman； is an absolute killer。 Makes a regular ten thousand a year out of the club。 Nice chap。 Wonderful card manners。 Used to play chess for England。〃
M。 was interrupted by the arrival of his marrow bone。 It was placed upright in a spotless lace napkin on the silver plate。 An ornate silver marrow…scoop was laid beside it。
After the asparagus； Bond had little appetite for the thin slivers of pineapple。 He tipped the last of the ice…cold champagne into his glass。 He felt wonderful。 The effects of the benzedrine and champagne had more than offset the splendour of the food。 For the first time he took his mind