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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 to the island。
Before he went to bed； he finally decided that nothing would attack him unless there was blood in the water or unless he municated fear to a fish that threatened。 As for octopus； scorpion fish and morays； he would just have to watch where he put his feet。 To his mind； the three…inch spines of the black sea…eggs were the greatest hazard to normal underwater swimming in the tropics and the pain they caused would not be enough to interfere with his plans。
They left before six in the morning and were at Beau Desert by half…past ten。
The property was a beautiful old plantation of about a thousand acres with the ruins of a fine Great House manding the bay。 It was given over to pimento and citrus inside a fringe of hardwoods and palms and had a history dating back to the time of Cromwell。 The romantic name was in the fashion of the eighteenth century； when Jamaican properties were called Bellair； Bellevue； Boscobel； Harmony； Nymphenburg or had names like Prospect； Content or Repose。
A track； out of sight of the island in the bay； led them among the trees down to the little beach…house。 After the week's picnic at Manatee Bay； the bathrooms and fortable bamboo furniture seemed very luxurious and the brightly coloured rugs were like velvet under Bond's hardened feet。
Through the slats of the jalousies Bond looked across the little garden； aflame with hibiscus； bougainvillea and roses； which ended in the tiny crescent of white sand half obscured by the trunks of the palms。 He sat on the arm of a chair and let his eyes go on； inch by inch； across the different blues and browns of sea and reef until they met the base of the island。 The upper half of it was obscured by the dipping feathers of the palm trees in the foreground； but the stretch of vertical cliff within his vision looked grey and formidable in the half…shadow cast by the hot sun。
Quarrel cooked lunch on a primus stove so that no smoke would betray them； and in the afternoon Bond slept and then went over the gear from London that had been sent across from Kingston by Strangways。 He tried on the thin black rubber frogman's suit that covered him from the skull…tight helmet with the perspex window to the long black flippers over his feet。 It fitted like a glove and Bond blessed the efficiency of M's 'Q' Branch。
They tested the twin cylinders each containing a thousand litres of free air pressed to two hundred atmospheres and Bond found the manipulation of the demand valve and the reserve mechanism simple and fool…proof。 At the depth he would be working the supply of air would last him for nearly two hours under water。
There was a new and powerful Champion harpoon gun and a mando dagger of the type devised by Wilkinsons during the war。 Finally； in a box covered with danger…labels； there was the heavy limpet mine； a flat cone of explosive on a base； studded with wide copper bosses； so powerfully magnetized that the mine would stick like a clam to any metal hull。 There were a dozen pencil…shaped metal and glass fuses set for ten minutes to eight hours and a careful memorandum of instructions that were as simple as the rest of the gear。 There was even a box of benzedrine tablets to give endurance and heightened perception during the operation and an assortment of underwater torches； including one that threw only a tiny pencil…thin beam。
Bond and Quarrel went through everything； testing joints and contacts until they were satisfied that nothing further remained to be done； then Bond went down among the trees and gazed and gazed at the waters of the bay； guessing at depths； tracing routes through the broken reef and estimating the path of the moon； which would be his only point of reckoning on the tortuous journey。
At five o'clock； Strangways arrived with news of the Secatur。
'They've cleared Port Maria；' he said。 'They'll be here in ten minutes at the outside。 Mr。 Big had a passport in the name of Gallia and the girl in the name of Latrelle； Simone Latrelle。 She was in her cabin； prostrate with what the negro captain of the Secatur described as sea…sickness。 It may have been。 Scores of empty fish…tanks on board。 More than a hundred。 Otherwise nothing suspicious and they were given a clean bill。 I wanted to go on board as one of the Customs team but I thought it best that the show should be absolutely normal。 Mr。 Big stuck to his cabin。 He was reading when they went to see his papers。 How's the gear？'
'Perfect；' said Bond。 'Guess we'll operate tomorrow night。 Hope there's a bit of a wind。 If the air…bubbles are spotted we shall be in a mess。'
Quarrel came in。 'She's ing through the reef now； Cap'n。'
They went down as close to the shore as they dared and put their glasses on her。
She was a handsome craft； black with a grey superstructure； seventy foot long and built for speed … at least twenty knots； Bond guessed。 He knew her history； built for a millionaire in 1947 and powered with twin General Motors Diesels； steel hull and all the latest wireless gadgets； including ship…to…shore telephone and Decca navigator。 She was wearing the Red Ensign at her cross…trees and the Stars and Stripes aft and she was making about three knots through the twenty…foot opening of the reef。
She turned sharply inside the reef and came down to seaward of the island。 When she was below it； she put her helm hard over and came up with the island to port。 Al the same time three negroes in white ducks came running down the cliff steps to the narrow jetty and stood by to catch lines。 There was a minimum of backing and filling before she was made fast just opposite to the watchers ashore； and the two anchors roared down among the rocks and coral scattered round the island's foundations in the sand。 She lay well secured even against a 'Norther'。 Bond estimated there would be about twenty feet of water below her keel。
As they watched； the huge figure of Mr。 Big appeared on deck。 He stepped on to the jetty and started slowly to climb the steep cliff steps。 He paused often； and Bond thought of the diseased heart pumping laboriously in the gieat grey…black body。
He was followed by two negro members of the crew hauling up a light stretc