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 I I 162 TARRANT, Sir Gerald (continued) STORY 23: “THE PUPPET MASTER”: STRIP 2638 When advised by Vinezzi of Interpol that Modesty has had a car accident and is presumed dead, he advises Willie and accompanies him to the scene. While he does not share Willie’s view that it looks like a set-up he orders his agent, Maude Tiller to join Willie in his enquiries among his contacts in the underworld. When Willie gets a lead and leaves Maude behind, she berates him into action, convinced that Willie is walking into a trap. With Vinezzi and Maude he follows Willie to Capri, to find Modesty has been subjected to a mind bending operation but has recovered sufficiently to capture the gang that did it. When he realises that Willie will cancel his assignation with Maude in order to look after Modesty he invents another urgent job for Maude to save her from disappointment. STORY 27: “THE WICKED GNOMES”: STRIP 3080 After her successful capture of the spy Pauline Brown, he gives Maude Tiller leave to spend time with Willie. Maude is kidnapped and he soon receives an ultimatum from Salamander Four, “swop Tiller for Brown or we kill Tiller” but his Minister rejects it. He is very angry when Modesty and Willie spring Brown from prison and by doing so force Salamander Four to deal with them instead of the government, but when asked, obligingly comes to the exchange point to pick up the captured and deceased Salamander Four agents. STORY 29: “TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER”: STRIP 3326 When John Carson, an old friend and the Government Advisor on Scientific Matters, calls him to report that there is a possibility that aliens may have landed on the Sentinel Islands in the remote Pacific he is sent by the Prime Minister to investigate. He invites Modesty and Willie to go with him as his experts. He is troubled when they go ashore on the island and seem to be lost, but delays making his report as Modesty requested. When she and Willie return with the truth he faces Daniel Simm and his team with their deception and advises the Prime Minister accordingly. A bit let down that it was a trick. TARRANT, Sir Gerald (continued) STORY 31: “CRY WOLF”: STRIP 3552 Faced with an apparently unbreakable code, he seeks the help of Modesty and Willie, asking them to persuade their friend Professor Ambrose Lambert to come out of his remote retirement in Lapland and crack it. They agree to listen to him in a Turkish bath, then turn him down. He devises a plot to make them help by telling them the K.G.B. are about to kidnap Lambert. The trick works and they rush off to guard their friend. It then backfires when the K.G.B. really do try to kidnap Lambert and Modesty and Willie have to rescue him for real. He points out if he had not alerted them in the first place they would not have been on the spot to foil the K.G.B. He is later furious to learn that Lambert has cracked the code, Modesty and Willie have sold it to the C.I.A. and given the money to Lambert. When he points out they had no authority to do so Willie tells him that if he doesn’t like it he can always sue them. STORY 33: “THE GREENWOOD MAID”: STRIP 3757 Spending a few days with Modesty at her country cottage. He is in the perfect position to be able to give her an alibi for Inspector Brook when Ben Turner, an ex-Network pen man is sprung from prison. STORY 36: “THE VANISHING DOLLYBIRDS”: STRIP 4032 Observes the discomfiture of Modesty and Willie when they are acting as guides for Sheik Kadhim al-Masfah’s visit to London. Admits to knowing that Major Hamilton is a white slaver but finds him to be a useful source of information about various oil Sheiks. Warns Modesty and Willie that Hamilton uses Bubbles and his gang. When Dolores Ortiz is fatally injured by the gang on Hamilton’s orders Modesty tells him that she plans to put them out of business. Despite the usefulness of Hamilton he immediately provides her with every assistance. Drawn by Romero Strip 2734 4th April, 1972 Drawn by Romero Strip 3334 11th March, 1974 Drawn by Romero Strip 3558 28th November, 1974 Drawn by Romero Strip 3759 16th September, 1975 Drawn by Romero Strip 4061 1st December, 1976 Drawn by Romero Strip 3102 11th June, 1973