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pils and gave a mesmeric quality to the hard thoughtful stare； unsoftened by a tic in the right eyelid which made the right eye wink with the heartbeat。 At some early stage in Mr Ring's career someone had cut off Mr Ring's lower lip … perhaps he had talked too much … and this had given him a permanent false smile like the grin of a Hallowe'en pumpkin。 He was about forty years old。 Bond summed him up as a merciless killer。 Bond smiled cheerfully into the hard stare of Mr Ring's left eye and looked past him at the man Goldfinger introduced as Mr Helmut Springer of the Detroit Purple Gang。
Mr Springer had the glazed eyes of someone who is either very rich or very dead。 The eyes were pale blue opaque glass marbles which briefly recognized Bond and then turned inwards again in plete absorption with self。 The rest of Mr Springer was a 'man of distinction' … casually pin…striped； Hathaway…shirted； Aqua…Velva'd。 He gave the impression of someone who found himself in the wrong pany … a first…class ticket holder in a third…class partment； a man from the stalls who has been shown by mistake to a seat in the pit。
Mr Midnight put his hand up to his mouth and said softly for Bond's benefit； 'Don't be taken in by the Duke。 My friend Helmut was the man who put the piqued shirt on the hood。 Daughter goes to Vassar； but it's protection money that pays for her hockey…sticks。' Bond nodded his thanks。
'And Mr Solo of the Unione Siciliano。'
Mr Solo had a dark heavy face； gloomy with the knowledge of much guilt and many sins。 His thick hom…rimmed spectacles helioed briefly in Bond's direction and then bent again to the business of cleaning Mr Solo's nails with a pocket knife。 He was a big； chunky man； half boxer； half head waiter； and it was quite impossible to tell what was on his mind or where his strength lay。 But there is only one head of the Mafia in America and；。if Mr Solo had the job； thought
Bond； he had got it by strength out of terror。 It would be by the exercise of both that he kept it。
'Howdy。' Mr Jack Strap of the Spangled Mob had the synthetic charm of a front man for the Las Vegas casinos； but Bond guessed he had inherited from the late lamented brothers Spang thanks to other qualities。 He was an expansive； showily dressed man of about fifty。 He was ing to the end of a cigar。 He smoked it as if he was eating it； munching hungrily。 From time to time he turned his head sideways and discreetly spat a scrap of it out on to the carpet behind him。 Behind this pulsive smoking there would be a lot of tension。 Mr Strap had quick conjuror's eyes。 He seemed to know that his eyes frightened people because now； presumably not wanting to frighten Bond； he gave them charm by crinkling them at the corners。
The door at the back of the room opened。 A woman in a black masculine…cut suit with a high coffee…coloured lace jabot stood in the doorway。 She walked slowly； unselfconsciously down the room and stood behind the empty chair。 Goldfinger had got to his feet。 She examined him carefully and then ran her eyes round the table。 She said a collective； bored 'Hi' and sat down。 Mr Strap said 'Hi Pussy；' and the others； except Mr Springer who merely bowed； made careful sounds of wele。
Goldfinger said； 'Good afternoon； Miss Galore。 We have just been through the formality of introductions。 The agenda is before you； together with the fifteen…thousand…dollar gold bar I asked you to accept to meet the expense and inconvenience of attending this meeting。'
Miss Galore reached for her parcel and opened it。 She weighed the gleaming yellow brick in her hand。 She gave Goldfinger a direct； suspicious look。 'All the way through？'
'All the way through。'
Miss Galore held his eyes。 She said 'Pardon my asking' with the curt tone of a hard woman shopper at the sales。
Bond liked the look of her。 He felt the sexual challenge all beautiful Lesbians have for men。 He was amused by the unpromising attitude that said to Goldfinger and to the room； 'All men are bastards and cheats。 Don't try any masculine hocus on me。 I don't go for it。 I'm in a separate league。' Bond thought she would be in her early thirties。 She had pale； Rupert Brooke good looks with high cheekbones and a beautiful jawline。 She had the only violet eyes Bond had ever seen。 They were the true deep violet of a pansy and they looked candidly out at the world from beneath straight black brows。 Her hair； which was as black as Tilly Masterton's； was worn in an untidy urchin cut。 The mouth was a decisive slash of deep vermilion。 Bond thought she was superb and so； he noticed； did Tilly Masterton who was gazing at Miss Galore with worshipping eyes and lips that yearned。 Bond decided that all was now clear to him about Tilly Masterton。
Goldfinger said； 'And now I must introduce myself。 My name is not Gold。 My credentials are as follows。 By various operations； most of them illegitimate； I have made a large sum of money in twenty years。 That sum now stands at sixty million dollars。' （A respectful hm…ing went round the table。） 'My operations have； for the most part； been confined to Europe； but you may be interested to know that I founded and subsequently disposed of the 〃Golden Poppy Distributors〃 who operated out of Hongkong。' （Mr Jack Strap whistled softly。） 'The 〃Happy Landings Travel Agency〃； which some of you may have employed in emergency； was organized and owned by me until I disbanded it。' （Mr Helmut Springer screwed a rimless monocle into one glazed eye so that he could examine Goldfinger more closely。） 'I mention these minor concerns to show you that； although you may not know me； I have； in the past； acted at many removes on； I believe； all your behalfs。' （'Well； whaddya know！' muttered Mr Jed Midnight with something like awe in his voice。） 'That； gentlemen and … er … madam； is how I knew of you and how I came to invite here tonight what I have learned through my own experience to be the aristocracy； if I may so describe it； of American crime。'
Bond was impressed。 Goldfinger had； in three minutes flat； got the meeting on his side。 Now everyone was looking towards Goldfinger with profound attention。 Even Miss Pussy Galore's eyes were rapt。 Bond knew nothing about the Golden Poppy Distributors or the Happy Landings Agency； but they must have run like clockwork from the expressions on their former customers' faces。 Now everyone was hanging on Goldfinger's words as if he was Einstein。
Goldfinger's face showed no emotion。 He made a throw…away gesture of his right hand。 He said flatly； 'I have mentioned two projects of mine that were successful。 They were small。 There have been many others of a higher calibre。 Not one of them has failed； and； so far as I know； my name is on the police files of no country。 I say this to show you that I thoroughly understand my … our … profession。 And now； gentlemen and madam； I propose to offer you partnership in an undertaking that will assuredly place in each of your treasuries； within one week； the sum of one billion dollars。' Mr Goldfinger held up his hand。 *We have different views in Europe and America as to what constitutes the arithmetical expression 〃a billion〃。 I use the word in the sense of one thousand million。 Do I make myself clear？'