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

E X P A N D E D E D I T I O N T H E M O D E S T Y B L A I S E C O M P A N I STORY No. 19 DRAWN BY ROMERO START DATE OF STORY 1st June 1970 (Monday) END DATE OF STORY 17th October 1970 (Saturday) In Beirut, Modesty has met Sheik Kadhim, the ruler of Shibarahn, a small oil rich state and Willie has met The Dollyrocker Dancers, a group of young English girls abandoned by their manager and stranded. The Sheik offers to employ the girls and invites them all to Shibarahn in his private plane. Meanwhile Zuhir, the Sheik’s brother and Colonel George, the army commander are plotting to assassinate the Sheik and take over the country. They have had a bomb planted in the homecoming plane. The plane is damaged and crashes in the desert killing four of the crew, but the Sheik and his guests survive. They are miles from anywhere so and Willie and Jassim, the Sheik’s Vizier are sent to get help. They have just set off when Colonel George arrives with his soldiers. Willie and Jassim watch helplessly as the soldiers kill the Sheik’s men. George sends the Sheik to a secret location as his prisoner and takes Modesty and the Dollyrockers to Zuhir, who locks them up in the former palace harem. Willie follows in disguise and climbs into one of the palace bedrooms. He is mistaken for a Djinn by Kerima, the Sheik’s young daughter, another of Zuhir’s prisoners. Willie tells her he is a rotten Djinn who can’t remember any magic but he will do his best without it. He gets Kerima out of the palace and into Jassim’s care and returns to contact Modesty, who, with help from the girls, overpowers the guards. Willie gets them some guns and joins her but they are trapped by George’s soldiers. The harem is next to the Sheik’s car museum and while Modesty and the girls hold off the soldiers, Willie escapes in a vintage Rolls Royce, taking Kerima and Jassim with him. An old and loyal friend of the Sheik agrees to help and leads his men to the palace. They arrive just in time to beat the soldiers. George escapes and Modesty chases him in the Rolls and kills him. The Sheik has also been freed and arrives with more men. Zuhir grabs Kerima and holding a knife to her throat, demands a safe conduct out of the country. He is killed by Willie with a superb knife throw and Kerima is safe. Order is restored and the Dollyrockers dance for the Sheik. Kerima wants Willie to stay with her as her Djinn. He agrees to stay for a little while but explains that he has to return to go to a very special school for backward Djinns to improve his magic. 225