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〃While you get our munications going； I'm going to check with the oiling wharf。 Then we'll call up this Domino girl and try and get ourselves asked for a drink and have a quick look at Largo's shore base…this Palmyra。 Then we go to the Casino and look over the whole of Largo's group。 And then〃…Bond looked stubbornly at Leiter …〃I'm going to borrow a good man from the Police mission to give me a hand； put on an aqualung； and go out and have a sniff round the Disco with your other Geiger machine。〃
Leiter said laconically； 〃Destry Rides Again！ Well； I'll go along with that； James。 Just for old times' sake。 But don't go and stub your toe on a sea urchin or anything。 I see there are free cha…cha lessons in the ballroom of the Royal Bahamian tomorrow。 We've got to keep fit for those。 I guess there'll be nothing else in this trip for my memory book。〃
Back in the hotel； a dispatch rider from Government House was waiting for Bond。 He saluted smartly； handed over an O。H。M。S。 envelope； and got Bond's signed receipt in exchange。 It was a cable from the Colonial Office 〃Personal to the Governor。〃 The text was prefixed PROBOND。 The cable read： 〃YOUR 1107 RECORDS HAVE NOTHING REPEAT NOTHING ON THESE NAMES STOP INFORMATIVELY ALL STATIONS REPORT NEGATIVELY ON OPERATION THUNDERBALL STOP WHAT HAVE you QUERY。〃 The message was signed 〃PRISM；〃 which meant that M had approved it。
Bond handed the cable to Leiter。
Leiter read it。 He said； 〃See what I mean？ We're on a bum steer。 This is a thumb…twiddler。 See you later in the Pineapple Bar for a dry martini that's half a jumbo olive。 I'll go send a postcard to Washington and asked them to send down a couple of WAVES。 We're going to have time on our hands。〃
14。 Sour Martinis
As it turned out； the first half of Bond's program for the evening went by the board。 On the telephone Domino Vitali said that it would not be convenient for them to see the house that evening。 Her guardian and some of his friends were ing ashore。 Yet it was indeed possible that they might meet at the Casino that evening。 She would be dining on board and the Disco would then sail round and anchor off the Casino。 But how would she be able to recognize him in the Casino？ She had a very poor memory for faces。 Would he perhaps wear a flower in his buttonhole or something？
Bond had laughed。 He said that would be all right。 He would remember her by her beautiful blue eyes。 They were unforgettable。 And the blue rinse that matched them。 He had put the receiver down halfway through the amused； sexy chuckle。 He suddenly wanted to see her again very much。
But the movement of the ship altered his plans for the better。 It would be much easier to reconnoitre her in the harbor。 It would be a shorter swim and he would be able to go into the water under cover of the harbor police wharf。 Equally； with her anchorage empty； it would be all the easier to survey the area where she had been lying。 But if Largo moved the yacht about so nonchalantly was it likely the bombs； if there were any； would be hidden at the anchorage？ If they were； surely the Disco would stand watch over them。 Bond decided to put a decision aside until he had more and more expert information about the ship's hull。
He sat in his room and wrote his negative report to M。 He read it through。 It would be a depressing signal to get。 Should he say anything about the wisp of a lead he was working on？ No。 Not until he had something solid。 Wishful intelligence； the desire to please or reassure the recipient； was the most dangerous modity in the whole realm of secret information。 Bond could imagine the reaction in Whitehall where the Thunderball war room would be ready； anxious to grasp at straws。 M's careful 〃I think we may conceivably have got a lead in the Bahamas。 Absolutely nothing definite； but this particular man doesn't often go wrong on these things。 Yes； certainly I'll check back and see if we can get a follow…up。〃 And the buzz would get around： 〃M's on to something。 Agent of his thinks he's got a lead。 The Bahamas。 Yes； I think we'd better tell the P。M。〃 Bond shuddered。 The MOST IMMEDIATES would pour in to him： 〃Elucidate your 1806。〃 〃Flash fullest details。〃 〃Premier wants detailed grounds for your 1806。〃 There would be no end to the flood。 Leiter would get the same from C。I。A。 The whole place would be in an uproar。 Then； in answer to Bond's tatty little fragments of gossip and speculation； there would e the blistering： 〃Surprised you should take this flimsy evidence seriously。〃 〃Futurely confine your signals to facts；〃 and； the final degradation； 〃View speculative nature your 1806 and subsequents ma future signals must repeat must be joint and countersigned by CIA representative。〃
Bond wiped his forehead。 He unlocked the case containing his cipher machine； transposed his text； checked it again； and went off to Police Headquarters； where Leiter was sitting at his keyboard； the sweat of concentration pouring down his neck。 Ten minutes later Leiter took off his earphones and handed over to Bond。 He mopped his face with an already drenched handkerchief。 〃First it's sunspots； and I had to swap over to the emergency wavelength。 There I found they'd put a baboon on the other end…you know； one of the ones that can write the whole of Shakespeare if you leave him at it long enough。〃 He angrily waved several pages of cipher groups。 〃Now I've got to unscramble all this。 Probably from Accounts about how much extra ine tax this sunshine trip will cost me。〃 He sat down at a table and began cranking away at his machine。
Bond put his short message over quickly。 He could see it being punched out on the tapes in one of those busy rooms on the eighth floor； going to the supervisor； being marked 〃Personal for M； copy to OO Section and Records；〃 then another girl hurrying off down the passage with the flimsy yellow forms on a clip file。 He queried whether there was anything for him and signed off。 He left Leiter and went down to the missioner's room。
Harling was sitting at his desk with his coat off； dictating to a police sergeant。 He dismissed him； pushed a box of cigarettes over his desk to Bond； and lit one himself。 He smiled quizzically。 〃Any progress？〃
Bond told him that the Trace on the Largo group had been negative and that they had called on Largo and gone over the Disco with a Geiger counter。 This also had been negative。 Bond still wasn't satisfied。 He told the missioner what he wanted to know about the fuel capacity of the Disco and the exact location of the fuel tanks。 The missioner nodded amiably and picked up the telephone。 He asked for a Sergeant Molony of the Harbor Police。 He cradled the receiver and explained； 〃We check all fueling。 This is a narrow harbor crammed with small craft； deep…sea fishing boats； and so on。 Quite a fire hazard if something went wrong。 We like to know what everyone is carrying and whereabouts in the ship。 Just in case there's some fire…fighting to be done or we want a particular ship to get out of range in a hurry。〃 He went back to the telephone。 〃Sergeant Molony？〃 He repeated Bond's questions； listened； said thank…you； and put the receiver down。 〃She carries a maximum of