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iting Admiral mented。 Her name was Clover Pennington； though she was known to many； in spite of her upbringing in the bosom of a well…connected west country family； as 'Irish Penny'。
Now this dark…haired； black…eyed beauty had the usual quota of three young Lieutenants toasting her； but。 on seeing Bond； she stepped away from the bar towards him。 'I hear you had a near…miss today； sir。' Her smile lacked the cautious deference her rank demanded when approaching a much senior officer。
'Not as close as our Spanish pilot it would seem。 Miss 。 。 。 er。 First Officer 。 。 。' Bond let it trail nff。 Recently； he had not been given the chance of spending much of his time with women； a fact which would have gladdened M's heart。
'First Officer Pennington； sir。 Clover Pennington。'
'Well。 Miss Pennington； how about joining me tor dinner？ The name's Bond； by the way； James Bond。'
'Delighted； sir。' She gave him a dazzling smile and turned towards the wardroom。 Daggers were invisibly hurled in Bond's direction from the eyes of the ihree young officers still at the bar。
Tonight was not a formal wardroom dinner； so Bond seized the chance while it was on offer。 'Not here。 First Officer Pennington。' His hand brushed her uniformed arm with Ihe three blue stripes； denoting her rank； low on the sleeve。 'I know a reasonable restaurant about a quarter of an hour's drive away； near Wedmorc。 Give you ten minutes to change。'
Another smile which spoke of a more than usually pleasant evening； 'Oh； good； sir。 I always feel better out of uniform。'
Bond thought unpardonable thoughts and followed her from the bar。
He gave her twenty minutes； knowing the ways of women when changing for an evening out。 In any case； Bond also wanted to get into civilian clothes； even though it would have to be almost another kind of uniform； Dunhill slacks and blazer plete with RN crest on the breast pocket。
Before laking up his new duties； M had advised； 'Shouldn't take that damned great Bentlcy with you。 Ш7。'
〃How am I supposed to get around； sir？' he had asked。
'Oh； take something upmarket from the car pool … they've a nice litlle BMW 520i。 in an unobtrusive dark…blue； free al （he moment。 Use that as your runabout until you set sail for distant shores。' M。 Bond would have sworn； was humming 'Drake's Drum〃 as he left the office。
So it was that the dark…blue BMW pulled up in front of the officers' Wrennery； as the women's quarters were known； twenty minutes later。 To Bond's surprise she was there； waiting outside wearing a fetching trench…coat over civilian clothes。 The coat was tightly belted； showing off the neal waist and adding a touch of sensuality。 She slid into the passenger sea！ nexl to him。 her skirt riding up to expose around four inches of thigh。 As Bond swung the car out through the Wrennery gates he noticed lhat she did not even bother to adjust the coat and skirt as she pulled on the obligatory seat…belt。
'So where're we going。 Captain Bond？' （Did he imagine the throatiness of her voice； or had it always been there？）
'Little puh I know。 Good food。 The owner's wife is French and they do a very passable boeuf Beauceronne。 almost like the real thing。 Off duty； the name's James； by the way。〃
He heard the smile hi her voice。 'You have a choice … James。 My nickname's 〃Irish Penny 〃。so most of the girls call me Penny。 I prefer my real name。 Clover。' 'Clover it is。 then。 Nice name。 Unusual。' 'My father always used to say （hat mother was frightened by a bull in a clover field when she was carrying me。 but I prefer the more romantic version。' 'Which was'。〃'
Again； the smile in her voice； 〃That I was conceived in a patch of clover…and my father a respectable clergyman at that。'
'Still a nice name；' Bond paused to negotiate a long bend。 'Only heard it once before； and 。she was married to someone very big in intelligence matters。' The reference to Mrs Allan Dulles was a calculated e…on： almost a code to attract Clover into the light in case they were both in the same business。 M had said there would be other officers around； on this deep cover assignment。 But Clover Pennington did not rise to the bait。
'Is it true about this afternoon； James？'
'Is what true？〃
'That someone tried to put a Sidewinder up your six。'
'Felt that way。 How did you e to hear about it？ The incident's supposed to be low…profile。'
'Oh； didn't you know？ I'm in charge of the girls who maintain the Harriers。' On most stone frigates； as shore stations are called by the Royal Navy； maintenance and arming was。 to a large extent； performed by Wrens。 'Bernie … Wings lhat is … passed me a curt little memo。 He writes memos rather as he speaks； words of one syllabic； especially to the Wrens。 1 always imagine he regards us as having very limited vocabularies。 We're checking on all your aircraft's electronics； just to be sure you weren't getting some odd feedback。'
'It was a missile。 Clover。 I've been at the receiving end of those bloody things before today。 I know what they sound like。'*1
'We have to check。 You know what the mander （Air） is like： always accusing us of infesting his precious Harriers with Wrenlins。' She laughed。 Throaty and infectious。 Bond thought； something he would not really mind catching himself。
'Wrenlins；' he repeated half aloud。 He had almost forgotten that old Fleet Air…Arm slang； culled and altered from the RAF's 〃gremlins〃。 Today's young people； he presumed； would take for granted that gremlins were creatures conjured from Spielberg's brain for a popular； if zany； movie。
Fifteen minutes later； they were sitting at a table in the quiet； neat restaurant ordering the pate and the boeuf Beauceronne …that delightful and simple dish of rump steak cooked with bacon； potatoes and onions。 Within an hour they were talking like old friends； and。 indeed knew people in mon； for it turned out that； while Clover's father had been what she called 'a humble man of the cloth'； his elder brother was Sir Arthur Penninglon； Sixth Baronet and master of Pennington Nab； a stately home which Bond had enjoyed； in more ways than one。 'Oh； you'll know my cousins。 Emma and Jane； then？' Clover asked； looking up sharply。
'Intimately；' Bond replied flatly； and with a pletely straight face。
Clover let it pass and they discussed everything from the Hunt Balls at Pennington Nab； to life in the Royal Navy； taking in； on the way； jazz … 〃My bro〃。 Julian； introduced me to trad jazz when he was up at Cambridge and I've been an addict ever since' … fishing in the Caribbean； a favourite tor both of them： skiing； and。 finally； the novels of Eric Ambler and Graham Greene…
'I feef I've known you for a lifetime； James；' she said as they drove slowly back towards the RNAS；
It was。 Bond thought； a somewhat trite remark； but possibly one of invitation。 He pulled the BMW into a lay…by and cut the engine。
〃The feeling's mutual。 Clover； my dear。' He reached for her in the darkness and she responded to his first rough kiss； though pulled away when he began to move in closer。
'No。 James。 No； not yet。 It might bee difficult； particularly as we're going to be shipmates。'
'What d'you mean； shipmates？' Bond nuzzled her hair。
'Invincible； of course。〃
'What about Invincibte ？〃 He gently backed off。
'Well； we're both being drafted there for Landsea '89； aren't we？'
'First I've heard of it。' Bond's voice remained steady； while a snake of worry began to curl around his stomach。 'First I've heard of Wrens going to sea as well … particularly during an exercise like Landsea '89。'
'Well； it's all over the place。 In fact I've been told officially。 Fifteen of us。 Me； and fourteen ratings … apart from the other ladies who'll be on board。'
'And what about me？' Deep within him。 Bond was more than concerned now。 If it was mon knowledge that he was being drafted to Invincible it would not take much intelligence for the unscrupulous to put two and two together； particularly if they had got hold of the information that three senior Admirals； including the C…in…C of the Russian Navy； were going to be aboard。 His mind jumped back to the near…miss that afternoon； and he wondered if somebody was already trying to take evasive action and cut him out of the baby…sitting business。
Clover continued to talk； saying that she wouldn't have said anything if she did not already know he was involved。 'Of course it's classified。' she sounded a shade defensive。 'But security's for those without need…to…know； surely。'
'And I have need…to…know？'
'Your name's on the list。 James。 Of course you have clearance。'
'And these other women。 Who are they？'
'We haven't been told。 All I know is that there are to be other women。'
'Okay； from the top； you tell me all you know。 Clover。'
Bond listened； and became more concerned。 Concerned enough to make a very secure call for a crash meeting with M during the ing weekend。
Ч shouldn't go blabbing about this to all and sundry。 Clover。' he admonished。 'Not even good to lalk to me about it。' he told her when they got back to the Wrcnnery。
'Well； kiss me goodnight； at least； James；' she pouted。
He smiled and gave her a peck on the cheek。 'Not just yet；' he said solemnly。 'Especially if we're going to be shipmates。'
Though he laughed as he drove away； the entire events of the day were more than worrying。 Bond made his crash call to M from a telephone box a mile up the road； off the Base。 The Duty Officer； using a scrambler； arranged the meeting for Sunday。
5
A Sunday in the Country
The search for the Spanish pilot； Felipe Pantano； and his missing Sea Harrier had been called off ai dusk； hut would he resumed in the morning。 Yet。 long before the S and R helicopter teams had clatlered out to look for wreckage and； possibly； a signal…emitting life raft。 Captain Pantano was sitting fortably in the captain's eabin of a small freighter； two hundred miles off the coast of his own country； Spain。
The freighter was registered in Oporto。 Portugal。 Indeed。 Oporto； the harbour city famous for thai most clubbable of wines； was where she was headed； and she sported the name Estado Novo on bows and stern。 Low in the water； the Estado Novu obviously carried a heavy cargo in her hold and a large container secured for'ard taking up the bulk of her deck space。 On the ship's manifest； （he container showed as engineering equipment destined for Gibraltar； from a well…known British firm； and would not be subject to any customs scrutiny in Oporto where they would only stop for twenty…four hours to refuel。
Sitting opposite Pantano in the cabin was not the captain but Abou Hamarik。 the strategist of BAST； who sat smiling and nodding as the swarthy little pilot told of how well the plan had gone。
Tm sure nobody noticed that I had gone off the plot；' Pantano spoke in rapid Spanish； 'and your people were waiting right on time。 It took less than five minutes。' He had taken off as number two in the quartet of Harriers； climbed to the correct height and had been careful to continue on the obligatory course。 The operation had been set up only ten days before； even though there was already a plan to filch the Harrier： in fact that was originally the reason for Pantano being sent on the course。 For weeks； through their carefully planted penetration agents within the Spanish Navy； BAST had forced Pantano onto the Harrier course with the elegant expertise of a theatrical magician making a member of the audience take the Ace of Spades from a clean deck of cards。 The unscheduled addition； to destroy Captain Bond； had only been slipped into place when another of their agents had confirmed what thai officer's role was to be during the all…important Landsea 'X9 exercise。
Just north of Shrewsbury； over a densely wooded area； Pantano had literally dropped his Harrier from the sky； using the vectored thrust of his engine and ing down vertically like an express lift。 No pilot would have faulted his skill； for the Harrier had dropped at the exact； planned point； into a small clearing of trees。 Pantano had only to make minor adjustments … moving forward and sideways … to slow down and gently bring the Harrier to rest in the clearing。 There was a Land Rover parked nearhy。 and four men waiting for him。 As Pantano had already suggested； the work of wi