Nonchalantly the girl moved a few steps back. Just as nonchalantly she bent down, put the glass on the ground and picked up her bow. She reached behind her for an arrow, and fitted it casually into the bow. Then she looked up at Bond and said quietly: “Don’t get any silly ideas. And keep your distance. I’ve got what’s called wide-angled vision. I haven’t come all the way here to be knocked on the head by a flat-footed London bobby. I can’t miss with this at fifty yards, and I’ve killed birds on the wing at a hundred. I don’t want to put an arrow through your leg, but I shall if you interfere.”
Bond cursed his previous indecision. He said fiercely: “Don’t be a silly bitch. Put that damned thing down. This is man’s work. How in hell do you think you can take on four men with a bow and arrow?”
The girl’s eyes blazed obstinately. She moved her right foot back into the shooting stance. She said through compressed, angry lips: “You go to hell. And keep out of this. It was my mother and father they killed. Not yours. I’ve already been here a day and a night. I know what they do and I know how to get Hammerstein. I don’t care about the others. They’re nothing without him. Now then.” She pulled the bow half taut. The arrow pointed at Bond’s feet. “Either you do what I say or you’re going to be sorry. And don’t think I don’t mean it. This is a private thing I’ve sworn to do and nobody’s going to stop me.” She tossed her head imperiously. “Well?”
Bond gloomily measured the situation. He looked the ridiculously beautiful wild girl up and down. This was good hard English stock spiced with the hot peppers of a tropical childhood. Dangerous mixture. She had keyed herself up to a state of controlled hysteria. He was quite certain that she would think nothing of putting him out of action. And he had absolutely no defence. Her weapon was silent, his would alert the whole neighbourhood. Now the only hope would be to work with her. Give her part of the job and he would do the rest. He said quietly: “Now listen, Judy. If you insist on coming in on this thing we’d better do it together. Then perhaps we can bring it off and stay alive. This sort of thing is my profession. I was ordered to do it – by a close friend of your family, if you want to know. And I’ve got the right weapon. It’s got at least five times the range of yours. I could take a good chance of killing him now, on the patio. But the odds aren’t quite good enough. Some of them have got bathing things on. They’ll be coming down to the lake. Then I’m going to do it. You can give supporting fire.” He ended lamely: “It’ll be a great help.”
“No.” She shook her head decisively. “I’m sorry. You can give what you call supporting fire if you like. I don’t care one way or the other. You’re right about the swimming. Yesterday they were all down at the lake around eleven. It’s just as warm today and they’ll be there again. I shall get him from the edge of the trees by the lake. I found a perfect place last night. The bodyguard men bring their guns with them – sort of tommy-gun things. They don’t bathe. They sit around and keep guard. I know the moment to get von Hammerstein and I’ll be well away from the lake before they take in what’s happened. I tell you I’ve got it all planned. Now then. I can’t hang around any more. I ought to have been in my place already. I’m sorry, but unless you say yes straight away there’s no alternative.” She raised the bow a few inches.
Bond thought: ‘Damn this girl to hell.’ He said angrily: “All right then. But I can tell you that if we get out of this you’re going to get such a spanking you won’t be able to sit down for a week.” He shrugged. He said with resignation: “Go ahead. I’ll look after the others. If you get away all right, meet me here. If you don’t, I’ll come down and pick up the pieces.”