The excerpts from Ian Fleming’s novel introduce Vivienne Michel, a young French-Canadian woman traveling alone across New York State, who accepts a temporary job as a receptionist at the isolated Dreamy Pines Motor Court. During a heavy storm, she is attacked and held captive by two ruthless gangsters, Horror and Sluggsy, who intend to kill her as part of an insurance fraud scheme to burn the motel down. Her peril is halted by the dramatic arrival of James Bond, a British secret agent identified by the number 007, who is tracking the criminal organization SPECTRE and its affiliates. Bond cleverly eliminates the two hired assassins and saves Viv, establishing a brief, intensely romantic connection with her before departing abruptly the following morning. Despite the trauma of the night, Viv finds comfort in her rescue and resolves to never forget the enigmatic Commander Bond, who she believes healed the previous emotional scars from her life.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.