/ Literary 007 / 1982 - For Special Services /
Summary
Written by Ross Sidor on 13 Feb, 2003
1982 saw the publication of John Gardner’s second James Bond novel, and the welcoming return of Fleming’s creations with SPECTRE and Felix Leiter. It proved that after a lengthy absence James Bond was here to stay.
Looking Back: For Special Services
The Silver Beast
007 is back again, on secret loan to the U.S. government in this brand-new, ultra-Bond thriller. His partner? None other than the tough-minded and gorgeous Cedar, daughter of his old friend Felix Leiter. His enemy? The legendary SPECTRE—the Special Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion—a SPECTRE whose strength has grown in the new secret war waged in the gray corridors of political power. Bond and Cedar make a potent team, as they must, for they face an unending series of terrifying situations- from a skyjacking, to a plunging Washington, D.C., elevator, to armies of killer ants, to confrontation on a speeding monorail. Inexorably they work their way to the remote and ultra-luxurious ranch of the ambitious Texas tycoon Markus Bismaquer, where bond comes face to face—and more—with Bismaquer’s young French wife, Nena, and has experiences of a different kind with the tycoon’s sinister skull-faced partner, Walter Luxor. Political scandal and intrigue, military murder and mayhem, follow Bond, yet some final nagging questions continue to elude him until the last great revelation: who is SPECTRE’s new leader, who calls himself Blofeld? And what is the final aim of SPECTRE’s Heavenly Wolf operation? With License Renewed, John Gardner brought back James Bond, the world’s most famous spy. Now, in For Special Services, Bond is here to stay, in a super-thriller filled with the suspense, intrigue, humor, and sprawling action that has made Agent 007 a delight to millions of readers throughout the world. -Putnam dust jacket
The python was huge, at least thirty feet in length, with a fat solid body and a massive triangular head. De Luntz, tethered to the stake, began to pull and twist, trying to drag himself clear, but the python suddenly launched forward, entwining itself around the man. The creature now moved with extraordinary speed, circling de Luntz’s body like some great clinging vine. It seemed only a matter of seconds before the python’s head was in line with that of its victim—the two, interlocked, swaying as if in an obscene dance of death. De Luntz’s screams grew more agonized as the python brought its head level with his face, the fanged jaws snapping in excited anger. Reptile and prey looked into each other’s eyes for a few seconds, and the watchers could plainly see the python’s crushing grip tighten on the man’s body. Then de Luntz went limp, and the pair fell to the ground. One of the observers, safe behind the window, gasped loudly. The giant snake had unwound itself with three fast flicks of its body, and was now examining its meal. The snapping jaws first made for the securing rope, tugging it clear, then moved toward the body’s feet. “That’s quite amazing.” Blofeld stood very close to the window. “See, the snake’s pushing his shoes off.” Now the python squirmed around so that its head was exactly aligned with the body’s feet, which the reptile pushed together, before opening its jaws to an almost unbelievable width and clamping down on the corpse’s ankles. - Chapter 3, For Special Services |
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