The Game
Le Chiffre and Bond looked at each other coolly. Then Bond put a packet of French francs on the table.
The other players watched. They could feel the coldness between the two gamblers. No one spoke as Le Chiffre took the four cards.
The croupier pushed Bond's two cards towards him. Bond looked at the cards quickly. Then he looked at Le Chiffre. After a moment, Bond turned his cards over.
They were a four and a five a nine.
There was a little cry of surprise from the other players. Then Le Chiffre carelessly turned over his two cards. They were two picture cards worth nothing.
The game went on. Bond looked at the people who were standing around the table. He soon saw Le Chiffre's two gunmen. They were standing behind the banker. The man by Le Chiffre's right arm was tall, with a grey face. The other man was short and dark. He had a flat head and a thick moustache. There was a wooden walking stick next to him.
It was one o'clock in the morning and Bond had won four million francs. He now had twenty-eight million francs. Le Chiffre continued to play calmly.
The Greek at Number One was having a bad time. He lost a bet of half a million francs, and then another. He passed on the third bet.
' A bank of two million,' said the croupier.
Players two and three passed
'Banco,' said Monsieur Sixte-and lost the bet.
'A bank of four million francs," said the croupier.
'Banco," said Bond. The croupier pushed two new cards towards him. Bond looked at them quickly. He had a dangerous total of five, but he did not take another card.