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Zombie　or　living　corpse　of　Baron　Samedi　himself；　the　dreaded　Prince　of　Darkness；　and　he　fostered　the　story　so　that　now　it　was　accepted　through　all　the　lower　strata　of　the　negro　world。　As　a　result；　he　manded　real　fear；　strongly　substantiated　by　the　immediate　and　often　mysterious　deaths　of　anyone　who　crossed　him　or　disobeyed　his　orders。
　Bond　had　questioned　Dexter　and　Leiter　very　closely　on　the　evidence　connecting　the　giant　negro　with　SMERSH。　It　certainly　seemed　conclusive。
　In　1951；　by　the　promise　of　one　million　dollars　in　gold　and　a　safe　refuge　after　six　months'　work　for　them；　the　FBI　had　at　last　persuaded　a　known　Soviet　agent　of　the　MWD　to　turn　double。　All　went　well　for　a　month　and　the　results　exceeded　the　highest　expectations。　The　Russian　spy　held　the　appointment　of　an　economic　expert　on　the　Soviet　delegation　to　the　United　Nations。　One　Saturday；　he　had　gone　to　take　the　subway　to　Pennsylvania　Station　en　route　for　the　Soviet　week…end　rest　camp　at　Glen　Cove；　the　former　Morgan　estate　on　Long　Island。
　A　huge　negro；　positively　identified　from　photographs　as　The　Big　Man；　had　stood　beside　him　on　the　platform　as　the　train　came　in　and　was　seen　walking　towards　the　exit　even　before　the　first　coach　had　e　to　a　standstill　over　the　bloody　vestiges　of　the　Russian。　He　had　not　been　seen　to　push　the　man；　but　in　the　crowd　it　would　not　have　been　difficult。　Spectators　said　it　could　not　have　been　suicide。　The　man　screamed　horribly　as　he　fell　and　he　had　had　（melancholy　touch！）　a　bag　of　golf　clubs　over　his　shoulder。　The　Big　Man；　of　course；　had　had　an　alibi　as　solid　as　Fort　Knox。　He　had　been　held　and　questioned；　but　was　quickly　sprung　by　the　best　lawyer　in　Harlem。
　The　evidence　was　good　enough　for　Bond。　He　was　just　the　man　for　SMERSH；　with　just　the　training。　A　real；　hard　weapon　of　fear　and　death。　And　what　a　brilliant　set…up　for　dealing　with　the　smaller　fry　of　the　negro　underworld　and　for　keeping　a　coloured　information　network　well　up　to　the　mark！　…　the　fear　of　Voodoo　and　the　supernatural；　still　deeply；　primevally　ingrained　in　the　negro　subconscious！　And　what　genius　to　have；　as　a　beginning；　the　whole　transport　system　of　America　under　surveillance；　the　trains；　the　porters；　the　truck…drivers；　the　stevedores！　To　have　at　his　disposal　a　host　of　key　men　who　would　have　no　idea　that　the　questions　they　answered　had　been　asked　by　Russia。　Smalltime　professional　men　who；　if　they　thought　at　all；　would　guess　that　the　information　on　freights　and　schedules　was　being　sold　to　rival　transport　concerns。
　Not　for　the　first　time；　Bond　felt　his　spine　crawl　at　the　cold；　brilliant　efficiency　of　the　Soviet　machine；　and　at　the　fear　of　death　and　torture　which　made　it　work　and　of　which　the　supreme　engine　was　SMERSH　…　SMERSH；　the　very　whisper　of　death。
　Now；　in　his　bedroom　at　the　St。　Regis；　Bond　shook　away　his　thoughts　and　jumped　impatiently　out　of　bed。　Well；　there　was　one　of　them　at　hand；　ready　for　the　crushing。　At　Royale　he　had　only　caught　a　glimpse　of　his　man。　This　time　it　would　be　face　to　face。　Big　Man？　Then　let　it　be　a　giant；　a　homeric　slaying。
　Bond　walked　over　to　the　window　and　pulled　back　the　curtains。　His　room　faced　north；　towards　Harlem。　Bond　gazed　for　a　moment　towards　the　northern　horizon；　where　another　man　would　be　in　his　bedroom　asleep；　or　perhaps　awake　and　thinking　conceivably　of　him；　Bond；　whom　he　had　seen　with　Dexter　on　the　steps　of　the　hotel。　Bond　looked　at　the　beautiful　day　and　smiled。　And　no　man；　not　even　Mr。　Big；　would　have　liked　the　expression　on　his　face。
　Bond　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　walked　quickly　to　the　telephone。
　'St。　Regis　Hotel。　Good　morning；'　said　a　voice。
　'Room　Service；　please；'　said　Bond。
　'Room　Service？　I'd　like　to　order　breakfast。　Half　a　pint　of　orange　juice；　three　eggs；　lightly　scrambled；　with　bacon；　a　double　portion　of　cafe　Espresso　with　cream。　Toast。　Marmalade。　Got　it？'
　The　order　was　repeated　back　to　him。　Bond　walked　out　into　the　lobby　and　picked　up　the　five　pounds'　weight　of　newspapers　which　had　been　placed　quietly　inside　the　door　earlier　in　the　morning。　There　was　also　a　pile　of　parcels　on　the　hall　table　which　Bond　disregarded。
　The　afternoon　before　he　had　had　to　submit　to　a　certain　degree　of　Americanization　at　the　hands　of　the　FBI。　A　tailor　had　e　and　measured　him　for　two　single…breasted　suits　in　dark　blue　light…weight　worsted　（Bond　had　firmly　refused　anything　more　dashing）　and　a　haberdasher　had　brought　chilly　white　nylon　shirts　with　long　points　to　the　collars。　He　had　had　to　accept　half　a　dozen　unusually　patterned　foulard　ties；　dark　socks　with　fancy　clocks；　two　or　three　'display　kerchiefs'　for　his　breast　pocket；　nylon　vests　and　pants　（called　T…shirts　and　shorts）；　a　fortable　light…weight　camel…hair　overcoat　with　over…buttressed　shoulders；　a　plain　grey　snap…brim　Fedora　with　a　thin　black　ribbon　and　two　pairs　of　hand…stitched　and　very　fortable　black　Moccasin　'casuals'。
　He　also　acquired　a　'Swank'　tie…clip　in　the　shape　of　a　whip；　an　alligator…skin　billfold　from　Mark　Cross；　a　plain　Zippo　lighter；　a　plastic　'Travel…Pak'　containing　razor；　hairbrush　and　toothbrush；　a　pair　of　horn…rimmed　glasses　with　plain　lenses；　various　other　oddments　and；　finally；　a　light…weight　Hartmann　'Skymate'　suitcase　to　contain　all　these　things。
　He　was　allowed　to　retain　his　own　Beretta　。25　with　the　skeleton　grip　and　the　chamois　leather　shoulder…holster；　but　all　his　other　possessions　were　to　be　collected　at　midday　and　forwarded　down　to　Jamaica　to　await　him。
　He　was　given　a　military　haircut　and　was　told　that　he　was　a　New　Englander　from　Boston　and　that　he　was　on　holiday　from　his　job　with　the　London　office　of　the　Guaranty　Trust　pany。　He　was　reminded　to　ask　for　the　'check'　rather　the　'bill'；　to　say　'cab'　instead　of　'taxi'　and　（this　from　Leiter）　to　avoid　words　of　more　than　two　syllables。　（'You　can　get　through　any　American　conversation；'　advised　Leiter；　'with　〃Yeah〃；　〃Nope〃　and　〃Sure〃。'）　The　English　word　to　be　avoided　at　all　costs；　added　Leiter；　was　'Ectually'。　Bond　had　said　that　this　word　was　not　part　of　his　vocabulary。
　Bond　looked　grimly　at　the　pile　of　parcels　which　contained　his　new　identity；　stripped　off　his　pyjamas　for　the　last　time　（'We　mostly　sleep　in　the　raw　in　America；　Mr。　Bond'）　and　gave　himself　a　sizzling　cold　shower。　As　he　shaved　he　examined　his　face　in　the　glass。　The　thick　ma　of　black　hair　above　his　right　eyebrow　had　lost　some　of　its　tail　and　his　hair　was　trimmed　close　across　the　temples。　Nothing　could　be　done　about　the　thin　vertical　scar　down　his　right　cheek；　although　the　FBI　had　experimented　with　'Cover…Mark'；　or　about　the　coldness　and　hint　of　anger　in　his　grey…blue　eyes；　but　there　was　the　mixed　blood　of　America　in　the　black　hair　and　high　cheekbones　and　Bond　thought　he　might　get　by　…　except；　perhaps；　with　women。
　Naked；　Bond　walked　out　into　the　lobby　and　tore　open　some　of　the　packages。　Later；　in　white　shirt　and　dark　blue　trousers；　he　went　into　the　sitting…room；　pulled　a　chair　up　to　the　writing…desk　near　the　window　and　opened　The　Travellers　Tree；　by　Patrick　Leigh　Fermor。2
　This　extraordinary　book　had　been　remended　to　him　by　M。
　'It's　by　a　chap　who　knows　what　he's　talking　about；'　he　said；　'and　don't　forget　that　he　was　writing　about　what　was　happening　in　Haiti　in　1950。　This　isn't　medieval　black…magic　stuff。　It's　being　practised　every　day。'
　Bond　was　half　way　through　the　section　on　Haiti。
　
　The　next　step　＇he　read＇　is　the　invocation　of　evil　denizens　of　the　Voodoo　pantheon　…　such　as　Don　Pedro；　Kitta；　Mondongue；　Bakalou　and　Zandor　…　for　harmful　purposes；　for　the　reputed　practice　（which　is　of　Congolese　origin）　of　turning　people　into　zombies　in　order　to　use　them　as　slaves；　the　casting　of　maleficent　spells；　and　the　destruction　of　enemies。　The　effects　of　the　spell；　of　which　the　outward　form　may　be　an　image　of　the　intended　victim；　a　miniature　coffin　or　a　toad；　are　frequently　stiffened　by　the　separate　use　of　poison。　Father　Gosme　enlarged　on　the　superstitions　that　maintain　that　men　with　certain　powers　change　themselves　into　snakes；　on　the　'Loups…Garoups'　that　fly　at　night　in　the　form　of　vampire　bats　and　suck　the　blood　of　children；　on　men　who　reduce　themselves　to　infinitesimal　size　and　roll　about　the　countryside　in　calabashes。　What　sounded　far　more　sinister　were　a　number　of　mystico…criminal　secret　societies　of　wizards；　with　nightmarish　titles　…　'les　Mackanda'；　named　after　the　poison　campaign　of　the　Haitian　hero；　'les　Zobop'；　who　were　also　robbers；　the　'Mazanxa'；　the　'Caporelata'　and　the　'Vlin…bindingue'。　These；　he　said；　were　the　mysterious　groups　whose　gods　demand　…　instead　of　a　cock；　a　pigeon；　a　goat；　a　dog；　or　a　pig；　as　in　the　normal　rites　of　Voodoo　…　the　sacrifice　of　a　'cabrit　sans　cornes'。　This　hornless　goat；　of　course；　means　a　human　being。。。
　Bond　turned　over　the　pages；　occasional　passages　bining　to　form　an　extraordinary　picture　in　his　mind　of　a　dark　religion　and　its　terrible　rites。
　。。。　Slowly；　out　of　the　turmoil　and　the　smoke　and　the　shattering　noise　of　the　drums；　which；　for　a　time；　drove　everything　except　their　impact　from　the　mind；　the　details　began　to　detach　themselves。。。　Backwards　and　forwards；　very　slowly；　the　dancers　shuffled；　and　at　each　step　their　chins　shot　out　and　their　buttocks　jerked　upwards；　while　their　shoulders　shook　in　double　time。　Their　eyes　were　half　closed　and　from　their　mouths　came　again　and　again　the　same　inprehensible　words；　the　same　short　line　of　chanted　song；　repeated　after　each　iteration；　half　an　octave　lower。　At　a　change　in　the　beat　of　the　drums；　they　straightened　their　bodies；　and　flinging　their　arms　in　the　air　while　their　eyes　rolled　upwards；　spun　round　and　round。。。　At　the　edge　of　the　crowd　we　came　upon　a　little　hut；　scarcely　larger　than　a　dog　kennel：　'Le　caye　Zombi'。　The　beam　of　a　torch　revealed　a　black　cross　inside　and　some　rags　and　chains　and　shackles　and　whips：　adjuncts　used　at　the　Ghede　ceremonies；　which　Haitian　ethnologists　connect　with　the　rejuvenation　rites　of　Osiris　recorded　in　the　Book　of　the　Dead。　A　fire　was　burning；　in　which　two　sabres　and　a　large　pair　of　pincers　were　standing；　their　lower　parts　red　with　the　heat：　'le　Feu　Marixiette'；　dedicated　to　a　goddess　who　is　the　evil　obverse　of　the　bland　and　amorous　Maitresse　Erzulie　Freda　Dahomin；　the　Goddess　of　Love。
　Beyond；　with　its　base　held　fast　in　a　socket　of　stone；　stood　a　large　black　wooden　cross。　A　white　death's　head　was　painted　near　the　base；　and