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chairs and tables at which a smattering of people were eating with the intense concentration of the Japanese. They were
expected and their table had been prepared. Bond said, 'Now then, Tiger, I'm not going to commit honourable suicide without
at least five bottles of sake inside me.' The flasks were brought, all five of them, to the accompaniment of much tittering by the
waitresses. Bond downed the lot, tumbler by tumbler, and expressed himself satisfied. 'Now you can bring on this blasted
blow-fish,' he said belligerently, 'and if it kills me it will be doing a good turn to our friend the doctor in his castle.'
A very beautiful white porcelain dish as big as a bicycle wheel was brought forward with much ceremony. On it were
arranged, in the pattern of a huge flower, petal upon petal of a very thinly sliced and rather transparent white fish. Bond
followed Tiger's example and set to with his chopsticks. He was proud of the fact that he had reached Black Belt standard with
these instruments the ability to eat an underdone fried egg with them.
The fish tasted of nothing, not even of fish. But it was very pleasant on the palate and Bond was effusive in his compliments
because Tiger, smacking his lips over each morsel, obviously expected it of him. There followed various side-dishes
containing other parts of the fish, and more sake, but this time containing raw fugu fins.
Bond sat back and lit a cigarette. He said, 'Well, Tiger. This is nearly the end of my education. Tomorrow you say I am to
leave the nest. How many marks out of a hundred?'
Tiger looked at him quizzically. 'You have done well, Bondo-san. Apart from your inclination to make Western jokes about
Eastern customs. Fortunately I am a man of infinite patience, and I must admit that your company has given me much pleasure
and a certain amount of amusement. I will award you seventy-five marks out of a possible hundred.'
As they rose to go, a man brushed past Bond to get to the exit. He was a stocky man with a white masko over his mouth and
he wore an ugly leather hat. The man on the train!
Well, welll thought Bond. If he shows up on the last lap to Fukuoka, I'll get him. If not I'll reluctantly put it down to 'Funny
Coincidence Department'. But it looks like nought out of a hundred to Tiger for powers of observation.
Part Two
& than to arrive'
12
APPOINTMENT IN SAMARA
AT six in the morning, a car from the Prefect of Police in Fukuoka came for them. There were two police corporals in the
front seat. They went off northwards on the coast road at a good pace. After a while, Bond said, 'Tiger, we're being followed. I
don't care what you say. The man who stole my wallet was in the fugu restaurant last night, and he's now a mile behind on a
motor-cycle - or I'll eat my hat. Be a good chap and tell the driver to dodge up a side-road and then go after him and get him.
I've got a sharp nose for these things and I ask you to do what I say.'
Tiger grunted. He looked back and then issued rapid instructions to the driver. The driver said, 'Hai!' briskly, and the
corporal at his side unbuttoned the holster of his M-14 automatic. Tiger flexed his powerful fingers.
They came to a track on the left which went into the scrub. The driver did a good racing change and pulled in out of sight of
31
the road. He cut his engine. They listened. The roar of a motor-cycle approached and receded. The driver reversed sharply
on to the road and tore off in pursuit. Tiger issued more sharp instructions. He said to Bond, 'I have told him to try warning the
man with his siren and if he doesn't stop to ride him into the ditch.'
'Well, I'm glad you're giving him a chance,' said Bond, beginning to have qualms. 'I may be wrong and he may only be a
Fuller brush man in a hurry.'
They were doing eighty along the winding road. They soon came up with the man's dust and then there was the machine
itself. The man was hunched over the handlebars, going like hell.
The driver said something. Tiger translated, 'He says it's a 500 c.c. Honda. On that, he could easily get away from us.
But even Japanese crooks are men of discipline. He will prefer to obey the siren.'
The siren wailed and then screamed. The white mask gleamed as the man glanced over his shoulder. He braked slowly to a
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