![]() ![]() Bond reached for the top cable and frantically began to edge along the swaying fence towards the rocky headland twenty yards away. To build the wire fence the men must have come from the left, from the direction of the jetty. Left was towards the ship, but also towards Doctor No. Then don't wait Get away quick Wildly Bond looked to right and left. Nothing, nothing but the spreading stain of black. The wounded squid had emptied its ink sac at him.īut where was the squid? Would it come back? Bond searched the sea. It was covered with black slime, and blackness stained the sea for twenty yards around. He got a hold and reached up his other hand and slowly, agonizingly, pulled himself up so that he was sitting in the fence. So he must be alive Dazedly Bond let go the spear from his trailing hand and reached up and felt for the nearest strand of wire. But he could feel the wire cutting into the tendons behind his knees. His eyes were stinging and there was a horrible fish taste in his mouth. What had happened? Had he gone blind? He could see nothing. A narrow rocky track, made by the feet of the workers, led down the other side and round the bulge of the cliff. Now the eyes and the great triangular beak were right out of the water and the beak was reaching up for his feet. He could even feel his spine being stretched. Bond was being pulled down, inch by inch. The eyes were glaring up at him, redly, venomously, and the forest of feeding arms was at his feet and legs, tearing the cotton fabric away and flailing back. Now the head of the squid had broken the surface and the sea was being thrashed into foam by the great heaving mantle round it. He put it down on the ground away from his feet.īond had not time to worry about them. As a hunk of metal it might be useful, but it wouldn't light any more and it might scrape against the rock. There it would be handy but protected from bitting against anything. Satisfied, he slipped it behind him and down the waistband of his trousers up against his spine. He lifted his knife close up to his eyes and carefully examined the blade. He leant against the cool face of rock and waited for his breathing to get back to normal. There were iron ship-noises and the sound of water splashing into the sea from a bilge pump.īond flattened himself against the rock and warily inched his head round the corner.īond took one long comprehensive look and pulled back. He could hear the changing beat of its engine. Apart from aiming the canvas mouth of the conveyor, there was nothing else for anyone to do.įrom close by came various sounds and echoes. On the other side of the mountain men would be working, feeding the guano to the conveyor-belt that rumbled away through the bowels of the rock, but on this side no one was allowed and no one was necessary. There was no other sound, no other movement, no other life apart from the watch at the ship's wheel, the trusty working at the crane, and Doctor No, seeing that all went well. The morning breeze feathered the deep-water anchorage, still half in shadow beneath the towering cliffs, the' conveyor-belt thudded quietly on its rollers, the crane's engine chuffed rhythmically. ![]()
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