Page 186 - Brokenclaw - John Gardner

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‘And what if he doesn’t see it your way?’

‘The man has a gigantic ego, Ed. I can’t see him turning down a chance to
beat me, one on one, as your people say.’
‘A one on one with that guy could mean something pretty deadly, Jim.’
‘Don’t ever call me Jim.’ There w
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James Bond OO7 - printing disabled James Bond OO7 - printing disabledas no humour in his voice. ‘I know a guy James Bond OO7 - printing disabled
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called Geoffrey in the business, back in London. He has a damned great notice
in his office. It says ‘The name is Geoffrey, not Geoff.’ That’s the way I feel.
The name’s James, not Jim.’
‘Excuse me,’ Rushia said with exaggerated politeness. ‘Just didn’t know you

cared.’
When he had gone, Bond began to tidy up. He hauled the door back into
place, took down the shattered poster and generally made the apartment look a
little less messy.
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The telephone rang around midnight. Rushia said he had everything they
needed. He would pick him up within the hour.
‘We’ll have to charter,’ Rushia said when Bond was seated next to him in a
big green Chevy sedan. ‘I don’t see us getting on any regular flights. I left

word, by the way. Said all three of us had gotten a sniff of Brokenclaw and
couldn’t raise anyone else.’
‘Will that hold up?’
‘Maybe not for ever, but it should give us twenty-four hours.’ Then he started

in on the information Bond required.
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The area around the Chelan Mountains, high in the north of Washington State,
was what Ed called ‘Vacation Land’. ‘There’re scenic routes to walk or drive.
They ski there in the winter – there’s been no snow as yet this year, but it’s

going to be cold. We’ll need some heavy clothing, but most of the holiday stuff
goes on south of Lake Chelan. This reservation you talked about . . .’
‘Yes?’
‘It’s a semi-official thing. Washington State has a lot of regular Indian

Reservations. The one you’re after isn’t just confined to Blackfoot people
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either.’
Bond waited. Since he had seen the arrow piercing the oil painting in Chi-
Chi’s bedroom and read the message attached to it, he had heard one thing over

and over again in Brokenclaw’s voice—
‘I doubt if I could live with myself if I did not spend time among my other
people. I need to recharge my batteries like the next man. There are members

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