EXTRACTS: The Modesty Blaise Companion Expanded Edition © 2018 The Book Palace (425 PAGES in Full edition)

T H E M O D E S T Y B L A I S E C O M P A N I O N STORY No. 9 DRAWN BY JIM HOLDAWAY START DATE OF STORY 11th July 1966 (Monday) END DATE OF STORY 10th December 1966 (Saturday) In a Research Centre in the Hebrides, Carson Bell completes tests on a new ceramic process. On the same island Modesty is recovering from the bullet wound she received while fighting Magnus (see “The Vikings”). Willie Garvin is with her. Returning from a swim they come across two industrial spies, overpower them and deliver them to security guards at the Centre. Bell’s secretary reports this to her mystery boss in London. She is told to kill the two men and does so. Bell calls on Modesty. The meeting is friendly despite The Network having once stolen a formula from him. Since then he has kept his secrets in his head. When Bell returns to London, Modesty and Willie go with him. Bell sells his invention to the Ministry of Defence and dictates a single copy of the formula. The Minister’s secretary memorises it. She also works for the mystery boss, Superior Secretaries Ltd., a front for industrial espionage set up by Gabriel. To ensure he has the only copy of the formula, Gabriel has his man, Henry, murder Bell. The Ministry copy is destroyed with a bomb. The Minister calls in Sir Gerald Tarrant. After their meeting, Tarrant calls on Modesty and is followed by the secretary. Willie recognises her and follows when she goes to report to Gabriel. When Bell’s secretary tries to put pressure on Gabriel, she is found drowned. Her connection with Gabriel emerges. Modesty and Willie decide to break into Gabriel’s offices but he has anticipated this and is waiting for them. Captured and taken to the tunnel under his offices they are left in chains. The tunnel is a channel for the River Fleet and when the tide comes in they will drown. Gabriel will escape in a specially made capsule. Upstairs Henry is preparing to blow up the offices. When it starts to rain and the water rises much more quickly than anticipated, Gabriel panics. He cannot swim. In his haste to escape he drops the microfilm records of the formula. Modesty gets free of her chains but cannot release Willie. She returns upstairs and is caught by Henry but kills him. Finding an aqualung and bolt cutters she returns to the tunnel and releases Willie. Tarrant has surrounded the house and when it blows up he believes Modesty and Willie to be dead but they are safe in the tunnel and are able to get out into the Thames. The River Police rescue them and Willie complains about having to have his stomach pumped out. I I 214