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Risico
Well, I don’t know Italian but it is easy to understand that “Risk” is what being referred here! The tale starts with “In this pizniss is much risico” (There is a large amount of risk in this business, right?). It is a mission in Italy where Bond was sent by M. He have to investigate the drug-smuggling operations there and to find out who and how sends the narcotics to England. Actually the conversation between M and James Bond before he was assigned the mission was interesting. M was not happy to land his precious resources work on such works on demand by politicians. However there are certain things he have to do and when he see there is the national interests are there in the task he accepts it.
Bond was asked to deal with Kristatos who is an FBI informer and know a lot about the inside of the drug-world in Italy. Bond found him a very cautious man. M have allotted a large sum of money (the double then the government approved) to offer him for a deal so they can actually get the stuff. Bond tried everything he can but Kristatos have his own ideas and safe playing. However when they were taking a dinner at the restaurant owned by Enrico Colombo, Kristatos finally opens up to talk. He then asks James that Colombo is the man behind all this stuff and the reason he brought James here for the dinner so he can know the man by face and behavior. The interest part of the conversation as a chair which was there on the table they both sat to take dinner, was moved as part of arranging tables for newly coming group of people and from one table to another to another, it finally reaches to the cabin of Colombo, without being noticed by either of them! Colombo opens the seating area of the chair and brings out the tape-recorder which have recorded the entire conversation between James Bond and Kristatos!
Colombo, unlock his office and came back to the table he was sitting with a girl to who Bond noticed a few times during his conversation with Kristatos. He spoke something to her urgently and then girl get angry and shouted on him. Colombo also scolded her and their mini-fight resulted into leaving the girl the restaurant in anger. James followed her and offered her to drop to the hotel and they ultimately finalize a place to meet next. It was at a beach and she gave James the clue to find her and identify her. James followed it and during the conversation at beach James noticed 3 fellows were looking to him and then realized that they were men of Colombo. James ran to get out of the trap and in turn reached in front of Colombo himself. He got hit and unconscious and he brought on a ship. When got back to senses he found that he was treated well and his host Colombo was not going to kill him.
In the conversation it is revealed to him during the conversation that Colombo was not the drug-lord he is looking for but actually… Well let us leave this mystery for you to visit being unfold when you read the book yourself. This book is a James Bond adventure of course but you see no extra-ordinary gadget mentioned here! The demolition of the island and shipment with drugs is a fantastic explanation but when you read it for the first time, you may not get the details properly. So this part could have been wrote with more care. Otherwise the fight and delightful Colombo’s expression and affection towards Bond after the fight is over, is fantastic!
Facts
A comic strip based on this short story was published from 3 April 1961 to 24 June 1961. The comic strip adapter was Henry Gammidge and illustrator was John McLusky.
Fleming borrowed the first name of Gioacchino Colombo, the Ferrari engine designer!
The Hildebrand Rarity
We will discuss this tale sometime later… keep reading ThinkerViews.
