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cal； are the result of a basically unnatural way of life。 Ever heard of Bircher…Brenner； for instance？ Or Kneipp； Preissnitz； Rikli； Schroth； Gossman； Bilz？〃
〃No； sir。〃
〃Just so。 Well； those are the men you would be wise to study。 Those are the great naturopaths…the men whose teaching we have foolishly ignored。 Fortunately〃…M's eyes gleamed enthusiastically…〃there are a number of disciples of these men practicing in England。 Nature cure is not beyond our reach。〃
James Bond looked curiously at M。 What the hell had got into the old man？ Was all this the first sign of senile decay？ But M looked fitter than Bond had ever seen him。 The cold gray eyes were clear as crystal and the skin of the hard； lined face was luminous with health。 Even the iron…gray hair seemed to have new life。 Then what was all this lunacy？
M reached for his IN tray and placed it in front of him in a preliminary gesture of dismissal。 He said cheerfully； 〃Well； that's all； James。 Miss Moneypenny has made the reservation。 Two weeks will be quite enough to put you right。 You won't know yourself when you e out。 New man。〃
Bond looked across at M； aghast。 He said in a strangled voice； 〃Out of where； sir？〃
〃Place called Shrublands。 Run by quite a famous man in his line…Wain； Joshua Wain。 Remarkable chap。 Sixty…five。 Doesn't look a day over forty。 He'll take good care of you。 Very up…to…date equipment； and he's even got his own herb garden。 Nice stretch of country。 Near Washington in Sussex。 And don't worry about your work here。 Put it right out of your mind for a couple of weeks。 I'll tell 009 to take care of the Section。〃
Bond couldn't believe his ears。 He said； 〃But； sir。 I mean； I'm perfectly all right。 Are you sure？ I mean； is this really necessary？〃
〃No。〃 M smiled frostily。 〃Not necessary。 Essential。 If you want to stay in the double…O Section； that is。 I can't afford to have an officer in that section who isn't one…hundred…per…cent fit。〃 M lowered his eyes to the basket in front of him and took out a signal file。 〃That's all； 007。〃 He didn't look up。 The tone of voice was final。
Bond got to his feet。 He said nothing。 He walked across the room and let himself out； closing the door with exaggerated softness。 Outside； Miss Moneypenny looked sweetly up at him。 Bond walked over to her desk and banged his fist down so that the typewriter jumped。 He said furiously； 〃Now what the hell； Penny？
Has the old man gone off his rocker？ What's all this bloody nonsense？ I'm damned if I'm going。 He's absolutely nuts。〃
Miss Moneypenny smiled happily。 〃The manager's been terribly helpful and kind。 He says he can give you the Myrtle room； in the annex。 He says it's a lovely room。 It looks right over the herb garden。 They've got their own herb garden； you know。〃
〃I know all about their bloody herb garden。 Now look here； Penny；〃 Bond pleaded with her； 〃be a good girl and tell me what it's all about。 What's eating him？〃
Miss Moneypenny； who often dreamed hopelessly about Bond； took pity on him。 She lowered her voice conspiratorially。 〃As a matter of fact； I think it's only a passing phase。 But it is rather bad luck on you getting caught up in it before it's passed。 You know he's always apt to get bees in his bonnet about the efficiency of the Service。 There was the time when all of us had to go through that physical…exercise course。 Then he had that head…shrinker in； the psychoanalyst man…you missed that。 You were somewhere abroad。 All the Heads of Section had to tell him their dreams。 He didn't last long。 Some of their dreams must have scared him off or something。 Well； last month M got lumbago and some friend of his at Blades； one of the fat； drinking ones I suppose〃…Miss Moneypenny turned down her desirable mouth…〃told him about this place in the country。 This man swore by it。 Told M that we were all like motor cars and that all we needed from time to time was to go to a garage and get decarbonized。 He said he went there every year。 He said it only cost twenty guineas a week； which was less than what he spent in Blades in one day； and it made him feel wonderful。 Well； you know M always likes trying new things； and he went there for ten days and came back absolutely sold on the place。 Yesterday he gave me a great talking…to all about it and this morning in the post I got a whole lot of tins of treacle and wheat germ and heaven knows what all。 I don't know what to do with the stuff。 I'm afraid my poor poodle'll have to live on it。 Anyway； that's what's happened and I must say I've never seen him in such wonderful form。 He's absolutely rejuvenated。〃
〃He looked like that blasted man in the old Kruschen Salts advertisements。 But why does he pick on me to go to this nuthouse？〃
Miss Moneypenny gave a secret smile。 〃You know he thinks the world of you…or perhaps you don't。 Anyway； as soon as he saw your Medical he told me to book you in。〃 Miss Moneypenny screwed up her nose。 〃But； James； do you really drink and smoke as much as that？ It can't be good for you； you know。〃 She looked up at him with motherly eyes。
Bond controlled himself。 He summoned a desperate effort at nonchalance； at the throw…away phrase。 〃It's just that I'd rather die of drink than of thirst。 As for the cigarettes； it's really only that I don't know what to do with my hands。〃 He heard the stale； hangover words fall like clinker in a dead grate。 Cut out the schmaltz！ What you need is a double brandy and soda。
Miss Moneypenny's warm lips pursed into a disapproving line。 〃About the hands…that's not what I've heard。〃
〃Now don't you start on me； Penny。〃 Bond walked angrily toward the door。 He turned round。 〃Any more ticking…off from you and when I get out of this place I'll give you such a spanking you'll have to do your typing off a block of Dunlopillo。〃
Miss Moneypenny smiled sweetly at him。 〃I don't think you'll be able to do much spanking after living on nuts and lemon juice for two weeks； James。〃
Bond made a noise between a grunt and a snarl and stormed out of the room。
2。 Shrublands
James Bond slung his suitcase into the back of the old chocolate…brown Austin taxi and climbed into the front seat beside the foxy； pimpled young man in the black leather windcheater。 The young man took a b out of his breast pocket； ran it carefully through both sides of his duck…tail haircut； put the b back in his pocket； then leaned forward and pressed the self…starter。 The play with the b； Bond guessed； was to assert to Bond that the driver was really only taking him and his money as a favor。 It was typical of the cheap self…assertiveness of young labor since the war。 This youth； thought Bond； makes about twenty pounds a week； despises his parents； and would like to be Tommy Steele。 It's not his fault。 He was born into the buyers' market of the Welfare State and into the age of atomic bombs and space flight。 For him； life is easy and meaningless。 Bond said； 〃How far is it to Shrublands？〃
The young man did an expert but unnecessary racing change round an island and changed up again。 〃 'Bout half an hour。〃 He put his foot down on the accelerator and neatly but rather dangerously overtoo