Dear colleagues,

I was recently required to attend a special oversight committee where the subject under discussion was the ongoing ‘licence to kill’ enjoyed by MI6’s Double O section. Given that we here at Q Branch serve as chief armourers to the Double Os, my presence was considered expedient. It seems that some are querying the right of our field agents to prosecute their orders with extreme prejudice. Never mind that our foes may be out to destroy the world or that the Double Os themselves are often sent in to face almost certain death in pursuit of their objectives. 

The fact is that assassination has long been a vital component of any self-respecting intelligence agency’s toolkit. Indeed, Section 7 of the 1994 Intelligence Services Act explicitly offers protection to field agents involved in actions that might otherwise be considered criminal: bribery, kidnap, torture and murder. And, in 007’s case, blowing things up wholesale. It goes without saying that MI6 employ this licence with great care. The Double Os are surgical operatives, and each kill is properly vetted and authorised.

Nor are we alone in our philosophy. The Americans have long believed in the negotiating power of the gun. During Fidel Castro’s long reign numerous attempts were made by the CIA to bring a full stop to the Cuban leader’s activities. The many colourful assassination methods have gained notoriety in the intelligence community – some of you may recall the Channel 4 documentary 638 Ways to Kill Castro– from exploding cigars to poisonous fountain pens to hired mobsters. My personal favourite: an attempt to destroy Castro’s image by arranging for his shoes to be dusted with thallium salts, the hope being that this would lead to his beard falling out. Not exactly murder, but perhaps even more grievously wounding.      

Finally, congratulations to WILL D. for correctly ascertaining the answer to the puzzle in my previous memo, and for being fortunate enough to be picked at random from all the correct entries. The answer, of course, was HAL 9000 (or just HAL), the name of the computer from 2001: A Space Odyssey, the film that inspired David Bowie’s Space Oddity. Below you will find this edition’s puzzle. Good luck!  

Sincerely,

Major Boothroyd

Head of Q Branch

P.S. Here is this edition’s puzzle. One ‘winner’ shall be picked at random from all correct entries and will be mentioned in my following memo. MI6 Archives shall rustle up a book to send to you* Pot luck, I’m afraid! Fill in this form to enter . . . This month’s puzzle is as follows: 

What is the name of the deadly handgun that Bond was given (by Major Boothroyd!) in the novel Dr. No?

*UK entrants only, alas!

NOTE FROM VASEEM KHAN

This ‘memorandum’ is one of a series of 12 that we will be publishing, celebrating the launch of Quantum of Menace, the first mystery featuring Major Boothroyd, Head of Q Branch (aka Q) from the James Bond universe. Pre-orders are very important to a new series, so we would be immensely grateful if you considered pre-ordering the novel. Buy from bookshops big and small and online.  Click here for some options.

To keep updated on the progress of Quantum of Menace, and to receive competitions and giveaways with prizes from the Bond-verse,  simply register for my newsletter here . 

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