Page 180 - Brokenclaw - John Gardner

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here at 09.00 hours on Monday to make the final decision. I shall be staying

aboard, but that need not apply to the rest of you.’
The words were hardly out of his mouth before Chi-Chi whispered in
Bond’s ear, ‘Please, James, please, you stay with me, yes?’
He gave
James Bond OO7 - printing disabledher a long look which needed no further explanation. ‘Certainly. James Bond OO7 - printing disabled
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I’m honoured, Chi-Chi.’
‘Hey, James.’ Big Ed Rushia was behind him. ‘You’re welcome to come
stay with me and my little child bride; she’s the damnedest cook. Makes an
incredible gazpacho, if you like cold soup. She also produces apple pies just

like Ma used to make.’
‘Unhappily, my ma never made apple pies.’ Bond tilted an eyebrow. ‘I’d
love to stay, Ed, but I’m afraid I’ve had a previous invitation which not even
the demon Brokenclaw could make me give up.’
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‘Ah!’ Rushia said, looking at Bond and then at Chi-Chi. ‘Ah!’ again. ‘Bless
you, my children. May your days be long and your nights longer. I’ll give you
my number, though, just in case the novelty wears off.’ He slipped his card into
Bond’s hand, and with a cheery wave, left the cabin.

Tanner approached them, saying they would have to delay any departure as
Franks wanted to go through one or two points with both of them. It was well
after five before they were taken back to the mainland.
Chi-Chi lived high in an apartment building on Union Street. ‘It’s not all

fixed up yet,’ she warned him, but, when they arrived, Bond was impressed by
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what he saw. It was not large – a living room, bedroom and kitchen, but it had
a huge picture window looking out towards the Golden Gate Bridge and the
furnishings were new, modern and very comfortable. There were a couple of

extremely good reproductions on the walls of the living room, together with an
attractive, framed museum poster advertising a da Vinci exhibition and an
excellent original oil by Eyvind Earle in the bedroom.
Within half-an-hour he felt comfortable and relaxed, as though he had lived

in this apartment for some time. There was no clutter and the kitchen was what
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his old housekeeper, May, would have called ‘prick neat’.
‘Relax, James. I’ll get us some dinner. Unless you want to go out and live it
up.’

‘I don’t really think you’re in any condition to go out and live it up, and I
feel as though I’ve just gone four rounds with Mike Tyson. In fact, I really think
you ought to go to bed while I get you something light on a tray.’

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