"Don't I know you, sir?" Bond was careful to observe military courtesy. An aura of power and danger enveloped Rahani.
Rahani laughed, throwing his head back a little. "You may have seen photographs of me in the newspapers,' Commander,' he said with a smile. "We may speak about that later. At the moment I'd rather talk about you. You have been highly recommended to us."
"Really?" Rahani tapped his teeth with a pencil. The teeth were perfect - white and regular, the mustache above them neatly trimmed.
"Let me be completely frank with you, Commander.
Nobody knows whether you can be trusted or not.
Everyone - and by that I mean most of the major intelligence communities of the world - knows that you have been an active officer of the British Secret Intelligence Service for a long time. You ceased to be either a member or active a short time ago. It is said that you resigned in a fit of bitterness. He made a small questioning noise, like a hum, in the back of his throat. "It is also said that nobody ever goes private from the S.I.S the C.I.A Mossad or the K.G.B. Is that the correct term?
Going private?"
"So the spy writers tell us. Bond maintained his attitude of indifference.
"Well,' Rahani continued, "quite a few people wanted to find out the truth. A number of agencies would have liked to approach you. One very nearly did. But they got cold feet. They decided that you would probably rediscover your loyalty once put to the test, no matter how disaffected you felt." There was a pause, during which Bond remained poker-faced, until the Officer Commanding spoke again.
"You're either an exceptional actor, Commander, working under professional instructions, or you are genuine. What is undisputed is that you're a man of uncommon ability in your field. And you're out of work.
If there is truth in the rumours surrounding your resignation, then it seems a pity to allow you to remain unemployed. The purpose of bringing you here is to test the story, and possibly to offer you a job.
You would like to work? In intelligence, of course?"
"Depends." Bond's voice was flat.
"On what?" Rahani said sharply, the man of authority showing through.
"On the job." Bond's face relaxed a fraction. "Look, sir.
I don't wish to appear rude, but I was brought here against my will. Also, my previous career is nobody else's business but mine and, I suppose, the people's I used to work for. To be honest, I'm so fed up with the trade that I'm not at all sure I want to get mixed up in it again."
"Not even as an adviser? Not even with a very high salary?
With little to do, and less danger in doing it?"
"I just don't know."
"Then would you consider a proposition?"
"I'm always open to propositions." Rahani took a long breath through his nose.
"An income in excess of a quarter of a million pounds sterling a year. The occasional trip at short notice to advise in another country. One week in every two months giving a series of lectures here."
"Where's here?" For the first time, Rahani's brow puckered with displeasure. "In good time,Commander. As I've said, in good time." "Advise on what? "Lecture on what?"
"Lecture on the structure and methods of the British Secret Intelligence Service, and the Security Service.
Advise on the intelligence, and security aspects of certain operations."
"Operations carried out by whom?" Rahani spread his hands.
"That would depend. It would also alter from operation to operation.
You see, the organisation I command bears no allegiance to any one country, group of people or ideal. We are - a much-used word, but the only one - we are apolitical.
Bond waited, as though not yet prepared to commit himself.
Rahani finally gave in. "I am a soldier. I have been a mercenary in my time. I am also a highly successful businessman. We have certain things in common, I think, one of them being a liking for money. Some time ago, in cooperation with one or two like-minded people, I saw the possibility of earning some very profitable returns by going into the mercenary business. Being apolitical myself, owing nothing to ideologies or beliefs, it was easy. Plenty of countries and revolutionary groups need specialists. A particular man or a group of men even a planning group, and the soldiery to carry out the plan." "Rent-a-Terrorist,' Bond said, with a touch of distaste.
"Who does not dare, hires someone else to dare for them.
A truly mercenary activity, in every sense.
"Well put. But you'd be surprised, Commander Bond.
The terrorist organisations are not our only customers.
Bona fide governments have approached us too. Anyway, as a former intelligence officer you cannot allow yourself the luxury of politics or ideals."
"I can allow myself the luxury of opposing certain ideals.
Of disagreeing, and intensely disliking them,' Bond put in.
"And, if our information is to be believed, you have an intense dislike for the British and American method of intelligence - yes?"
"Let's just say I'm disappointed that an official organisation can call me to question after so many years of loyal service.
"Don't you ever feel that revenge could be sweet?"
"I'd be a liar if I said it hadn't crossed my mind, but it's never been an obsession.
I don't harbour grudges."
"We shall need your cooperation, and your decision.
Terror for Hire I'll You understand what I mean?" Rahani made the querying, humming noise again.
Bond nodded, and said he was no fooclass="underline" having disclosed the existence and purpose of his organisation, Tamil Rahani was committed to making a decision about Bond. If he offered a job, and if Bond accepted, there would be no problem. If, however, he decided Bond was a risk, or his motives were in doubt, there could be only one answer.
Rahani heard him out.
"You won't mind if I ask a few pertinent questions, then?"
"What do you call pertinent?"
"I'd like to know the things you would not discuss with the Press. The real reason for your resignation, Commander Bond. An inter-department disagreement, I believe you said.
Accusations, which were withdrawn, but taken most seriously by yourself."
"If I don't choose to tell you?"
"Then we have to conclude that you are not trustworthy, my friend. A conclusion which may have unpleasant consequences." Rahani smiled.
Bond went through the process of looking as though he was giving the situation some thought. With M and Bill Tanner he had put together a story that would hold water up to a point. To prove or disprove it would mean getting classified information from the Judicial Branch, which comprised a number of experienced barristers retained by the Service; also from three individuals working in the Registry, and from someone who had easy access to the documents held by S Department.
After a few moments' silence Bond gave a short nod. "Right. If you want the truth "Good. Tell us then, Commander Bond." Rahani's voice and manner were equally bland.
He told the story, just as they had concocted it in M's office.
Over a period of some six months it had been discovered that several highly sensitive files had been taken from the Service HQ and kept out overnight. It was an old story, and one that was technically plausible, even allowing for the stringent security spot checks, and signing in and out of files. However, the system was double-checked by an electronic bar code, appended to each file, which was scanned every time the file was taken out or returned. The files went through a machine that read the code and stored the information in the Registry databank, which was examined at the end of each month. It was impossible to alter the bar codes on the files or to duplicate them.
But because the information stored away on the big computer tapes was read out only at the end of each month, anyone could return a dummy file each night, putting back the original the following night. By alternating dummy and original you could examine around twenty files in a month before the tampering would be discovered. This, Bond maintained, was what had happened, though Registry had spent so much time cross.checking and looking at the data because they imagined it to be a program error in the computer, that a further week had passed before a report went up to Head of Service.