Die Another Day Page #3

Join us. Miranda, make the arrangements.

Once I`ve smoothed

things over with the club.

What would I do without you?

Can I expect the pleasure of you

in Iceland?

You`ll never have that pleasure, Mr Bond.

Excuse me, Commander Bond.

Someone left this for you.

Place needed redecorating anyway.

I heard of this place.

Never thought I`d find myself here.

Some things are best kept underground.

An abandoned station

for abandoned agents.

- Your calling card.

- So what have you got on Graves?

You burn me.

- And now you want my help.

- What did you expect, an apology?

Oh, I know you`ll do

whatever it takes to get the job done.

- Just like you.

- The difference is I won`t compromise.

Well, I don`t have the luxury

of seeing things as black and white.

- While you were gone the world changed.

- Not for me.

You`re suspicious of Graves,

or I wouldn`t be here right now.

- So, what do you have?

- Nothing beyond the official biography.

Orphan working in an Argentinian

diamond mine learns engineering.

Makes a huge find in Iceland

and gives half of it to charity.

From nothing to everything

in no time at all.

- And his demonstration this weekend?

- Probably just another publicity stunt.

Now, tell me what you know

about this Cuban clinic.

Gene therapy. New identities

courtesy of DNA transplants.

So-called ``beauty parlour``.

We`d heard rumours of such a place.

I didn`t think it really existed.

It doesn`t any more.

Zao got away.

But he left these behind.

All from Gustav Graves`s mine.

I think it`s a front for laundering

African conflict diamonds.

We need to tread carefully.

Graves is politically connected.

- Lucky I`m on the outside, then.

- It seems you`ve become useful again.

Then maybe it`s time

you let me get on with my job.

Forgive my mentioning it, 007,

but a perfect marksman isn`t really

supposed to shoot his own boss.

Check the replay.

You`ll find he`s dead

and she`s only got a flesh wound.

There`s always an excuse,

isn`t there, Double-O Zero?

Give me the old firing range any day,

Quartermaster.

Yes, but it`s called the future,

so get used to it.

So, this is where they keep

the old relics then, eh?

I`ll have you know this is where our most

cutting-edge technology is developed.

- Point taken.

- Must you touch everything?

Does this still work?

- Now, look...

- So where is this cutting-edge stuff?

I`m trying to get to it.

Weapon, please.

One pane unbreakable glass,

one standard-issue ring finger.

Twist so, et voil.

Ultra high-frequency,

single-digit, sonic agitator unit.

You`re cleverer than you look.

Better than looking cleverer than you are.

Follow me, please.

- Now, a new watch. Your 20th, I believe.

- How time flies.

Yes, well, 007, why don`t you establish

a record by actually returning this one?

Your new transportation.

You`ve been down here too long.

- The ultimate in British engineering.

- You must be joking.

As I learnt from my predecessor, Bond,

I never joke about my work.

Aston Martin call it the Vanquish.

We call it the Vanish.

- Oh, very good.

- Adaptive camouflage.

Tiny cameras on all sides

project the image they see

onto a light-emitting polymer skin

on the opposite side.

To the casual eye,

it`s as good as invisible.

Plus the usual refinements:

ejector seat, torpedoes,

target-seeking shotguns

to shoot down mobile objects.

Acquaint yourself with the manual. Should

be able to shoot through it in two hours.

Just took a few seconds, Q.

Wish I could make you vanish.

Come in.

Before you leave

on your mission for Iceland,

tell me what you know of James Bond.

He`s a double-O.

And a wild one, as I discovered today.

He`ll light fuses on any explosive situation

and be a danger to himself and others.

Kill first, ask questions later.

He`s a blunt instrument whose primary

method is to provoke and confront.

A man nobody can get close to.

A womaniser.

Well, you`re going to be seeing

a lot more of him in Iceland.

With great respect,

a man like him could blow my cover.

Miss Frost, you volunteered for this, but

in three months you`ve turned up nothing.

Graves seems to be clean.

Well, Bond thinks differently, so I`m going

to let him do what you so ably described -

mix things up a little with Mr Graves.

And with you there,

things won`t be able to get out of hand.

In your three years in Cryptology, you`ve

kept business and pleasure separate.

You haven`t fraternised

with any of your fellow agents,

despite several advances.

I think it would be foolish to get involved

with someone within the community.

Especially James Bond.

I`m Mr Kil.

Well, there`s a name to die for.

That`s a new personal best, boss.

Thruster two cut out again.

Get it fixed, will you?

Glad you could make it, Mr Bond.

How did you like my run?

You looked on the edge of losing control.

It`s only by being on the edge that we

know who we really are. Under the skin.

Take your Donald Campbell -

- Campbell died on his return run.

- Yeah, but he died chasing a dream.

- Isn`t that the way to go?

- I`d rather not go at all.

- You don`t chase dreams, you live them.

- One of the virtues of never sleeping.

I have to live my dreams. Besides,

plenty of time to sleep when you`re dead.

Mr Bond.

- Ah, Miss Frost.

- I`ll show you your room.

A palace of ice.

You must feel right at home.

This place was built

for tonight`s demonstration.

The human element necessitates

a precise balance of heat and cold.

Built on a lake?

I hope Graves got things right.

- What`s that property I noticed next door?

- The diamond mine.

And Gustav`s quarters.

Thank you.

This is you.

Wonderful.

Would you like to show me more?

Vodka martini.

Plenty of ice, if you can spare it.

Mojito?

James.

Here for the penguins this time,

or for the view again?

Now I`m only interested

in endangered species.

- Oh, well, does that include me?

- Depends on what you`re up to this time.

So I left you in an explosive situation.

You`re a big boy who can handle himself.

- No wonder your relationships don`t last.

- I`m a girl who hates to get tied down.

You look terrible.

You aren`t looking too good yourself.

You are still feeling the side effects?

The insomnia is permanent for me.

An hour on the Dream Machine

keeps me sane.

- What happened to you?

- Bond.

He knows nothing. I`ve been this close

to him and he still didn`t know who I was.

- You saw my father after your exchange?

- Yes.

General Moon still mourns your death.

My death.

Mr Bond.

- And Miss...?

- Swift. Space and Technology magazine.

Really? I take it Mr Bond`s been

explaining his big-bang theory.

Oh, yeah, I think I got the thrust of it.

I see.

Well, the demonstration`s about to begin

in five minutes. So shall we?

Shall we?

Not Jinx any more?

Oh, I`ll always be a jinx to you.

As you know, I try to give the planet

something in return for what it`s given me.

Those little shards of heaven

known as diamonds.

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