'Head of S asked M if I could come here. M said yes, but he
said that you don't like working with women.'
When Bond said nothing, she went on, 'You're one of
our heroes. A Double 0 agent.'
'It's not difficult to get a Double 0 number,' Bond said. 'If
you're happy to kill people. Do you like the food?'
'It's lovely,' she said, smiling. 'I'm enjoying myself and - '
But she was stopped by the cold look in Bond's eyes.
'We're here to do a job,' he said. 'Remember that.'
Then Bond told her his plans. As she listened, Vesper
remembered her boss's warning.
'Bond's a good-looking man,' Head of Shad told her. 'But
don't fall in love with him. He's got a cold heart. Good luck,
and don't get hurt.'
Now, Bond was explaining the game of baccarat.
'Tonight Le Chiffre will be the banker,' Bond said. 'He has
twenty-four million francs, and I've got about the same.
There will be ten players, and a croupier who will collect the
cards. I'll sit opposite Le Chiffre at the table.'
He drank some more champagne.
'The banker begins with a bet of five hundred thousand
francs,' he went on. 'The person in the Number One chair
can accept the bet. If he says no, then Number Two can bet.
If Number Two doesn't want to bet, then it goes to Number
Three, and on round the table. I'll try to accept the bet until
either Le Chiffre or I have no money left. In the end, one of
us must win.
'It's a simple game. I get two cards and the banker gets
two. To win, I must have two or three cards which add up to
nine, or the nearest number to nine. If one of us doesn't win
immediately, we can take one more card. Picture cards and
tens are worth nothing. Aces are worth one. Do you
understand?'
'Yes,' said Vesper.