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Literary Tag


Brokenclaw - Small Title NovelLocationsEquipmentCharacters


Brokenclaw, first published in 1990, was the tenth novel by John Gardner featuring Ian Fleming's secret agent, James Bond. Carrying the Glidrose Publications copyright, it was first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder & Stoughton and in the United States by Putnam. The book title is sometimes presented as two words but is correctly one word since it is a character name.

Plot summary[]

Prologue[]

After expressing frustration over a lack of action after his year-long mission with the Royal Navy (as detailed in Win, Lose or Die - the events of Licence to Kill being ignored at present), Bond threatens to resign. Instead, M orders Bond to take a vacation.

Victoria, British Columbia[]

Bond travels to Victoria, British Columbia in Canada. Outside his hotel, he encounters Lee Fu-Chu, a man of striking appearance, and becomes intrigued by him.

Bond follows Lee to the Royal British Columbia Museum, where Lee is gives a lecture on his background. Bond learns that he is half-Blackfoot, half-Chinese and that he is also known as "Brokenclaw", due to his deformed hand. Later, reading Lee's lips, Bond learns that Lee is apparently linked to some kind of crime.

San Francisco[]

When Bond returns to his hotel, he gets a order to go to San Francisco and wait for instructions for his next mission. Bond comes to realize that M had planned Bond's vacation to pre-emptively locate him for his next mission, and to prevent Bond's resignation after being placed on the Navy's reserve list.

In San Francisco, Bond goes on a walk while waiting for new instructions. While on a walk, he realizes he is being trailed by someone. He shakes off the shadow and follows the man, who is soon ambushed and beaten to death without Bond being able to save him. Bond is then apprehended by FBI agents Nolan and Wood. The two FBI agents question Bond and reveal that the man who was murdered was a FBI agent. He is freed by orders M, with Nolan and Wood, despite their reluctance, relent and comply.

USS Nimitz briefing[]

Bond is then taken to the American aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, where M introduces Bond to Ed Rushia of US Navy Secret Service and explains his new mission to him. Bond is ordered to investigate Brokenclaw, who is believed to work for the Chinese intelligence outfit CELD (Central External Liaison Department), and whom they suspect for having kidnapped several scientists involved in a a new submarine tracking system called LORDS, and its countermeasure system or the "antidote" known as LORDS DAY. Bond immediately remembers Lee's words a few days earlier.

Rushia then introduces Bond to Wanda Man Song Hing, a lieutenant of the US Navy who has already infiltrated Brokenclaw's organization by exploiting the gambling debts that her father owes to Lee. In fact, Wanda has been prostituting herself for many days, dedicating herself to satisfying the sexual desires of Brokenclaw. Because so, she has discovered that CELD has sent two of its agents to the United States to collect LORDS and LORDS DAY from Lee, and pay him in exchange.

The two agents have been intercepted at the airport and Bond's mission is to take the place of one of them, and the other will be replaced by young female CIA agent of Chinese heritage named Sue Chi-Ho alias "Chi-Chi". They will be indirectly assisted by Ed Rushia.

Infiltration and Brokenclaw's plan[]

The two intercept Myra Bradshaw in New York, a translator friend of a Chinese official who allegedly participated in Lee's operations, and discover a lot of information.

Bond and Chi-Chi then go to Kennedy Airport to leave for San Francisco but are kidnapped and put on Lee Fu-Chu's private plane. Bond and Chi-Chi are brought to Lee's hideout in Big Sur, California. There, they meet Lee and his trusty bodyguard, Frozen Stalk Pu.

The next morning, Lee Fu-Chu has Wanda's father murdered after discovering that her daughter was spying on him. Bond is shocked but masks his emotions so as not to betray his cover. Regardless, Bond and Chi-Chi learn more about Brokenclaw's organization and learn of its participants. Later, they come a room filled with computers and human operators that's used for "Operation Jericho", Lee's plan to destabilize the economy of the Western world by crashing the value of the dollar by tapping into the New York Stock Exchange.

Bond then manages to convince Brokenclaw that Hung Chow H'ang, the CELD officer who arranged for the two agents of whom Bond is posing as one of, has arranged payment through a bank in San Francisco and that Bond must go there to certify the authenticity of Brokenclaw's LORDS and LORDS DAY documents.

Bank, capture and raid[]

Accompanied by Lee's men, Bond goes to the Bank. The bank is actually a facade created so that Bond can contact his superiors. M orders Bond not to return to Brokenclaw and chooses to sneak out of the bank. He is spotted by Frozen Stalk Pu and Bond tries to escape him. However, his escape is foiled by Agents Nolan and Wood, who turn out to be traitors working for Brokenclaw. Bond is then taken back to Brokenclaw.

When he arrives, Brokenclaw tells him that he is already aware of Chi-Chi's true identity, and that Hung Chow H'ang, one of CELD's "leaders", is there too. Lee seeks to find out what Bond's superiors know about him, and when Bond refuses to talk, he has 007's genitals smeared with animal fat before tying him up in an enclosure, where there is a pack of hungry wolves.

The wolves, however, seem very tired and start falling asleep. It turns out Ed Rushia had managed to track down Bond and had fed the wolves some meat treated with chloral. Subsequently, the Special Forces commando raid Brokenclaw's hideout. They secure the hideout, but Brokenclaw and Hung Chow H'ang have managed to escape.

Finale at Chelan Mountains[]

A few days later, Bond and Chi-Chi spend time convalescing together. After Bond leaves to buy wine, Chi-Chi is kidnapped by Lee.

Bond realizes that she has been taken to Brokenclaw's tribe near the Chelan Mountains in Washington state. Ed Rushia goes to arrest Hung Chow H'ang and Agents Nolan and Wood while 007 enters the camp.

Bond finds Brokenclaw and offers to put an end to it in a man-to-man fight in any way he chooses. Brokenclaw chooses to do this according to part of a Mandan tradition: the o-kee-pa.

The two men will be pierced by glass in both legs and on each side of the shoulder blades; in the upper holes will be inserted pins to support the levitating men and, in the lower holes, buffalo skulls will be attached to the pins. Both participants must hold this for twenty minutes. A finger will be cut off if they faint. Then, the two men would have to go around the camp on foot, always with the buffalo skulls "attached" to their legs, to each reach a circle where there is an arc. The two men would then have to kill each other.

Bond agrees, and the o-kee-pa begins. Brokenclaw had already “won” this event twelve years ago. After enduring intense pain for several minutes, the two men finally arrive in the circles where their bows are located. Lee shoots first but misses, with Bond then shooting at Brokenclaw and hitting his throat, killing him. Ed Rushia appears and shoots a man who was about to kill 007. Bond passes out and is taken to hospital.

Characters[]

  • James Bond
  • M
  • Sue Chi-Ho alias "Chi-Chi"
  • Ed Rushia
  • "Brokenclaw" Lee Fu-Chu
  • Hung Chow H’ang
  • Agent Nolan and Agent Wood
  • Frozen Stalk Pu
  • Bone Bender Ding

Gallery[]

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