Blabbing secrets to beautiful femme fatale agents is frowned upon, especially when they’re not necessarily human.

Not to mention outgunned.

He had two Gulags full.

Except the Black Chamber, who would say, “You’re late—we’re going to dock your pay.”

Gran Turismo Omologato

The Geheime Sicherheit Abteilung to their mothers, although everyone else calls them the Faust Force.

What lunar expedition?

Exactly.

Pale Grace™, Pale Grace™ Skin Hydromax®, Pale Grace™ Bright Eyes®, and Pale Grace™ Number Three^® [reference footnote 13] are registered trademarks of Bathory™ Cosmetics Corporation: “It’d better be bloody worth it at this price.”

I briefly consider replying to the latter in the person of a highly placed agent of a secret British government agency, but the last time I did that Tony from Internal Security called me into his office and waxed sarcastic for almost half an hour before ordering me to give them back their bank.

Translation: “a bunch of computers.”

They tend to oversleep.

The word “Three” and the digit “3” (and non-English localizations thereof) are patented intellectual property of TLA Systems Corporation and denote the entity that, in the set of integers, is the ordinal successor of 2 and predecessor of 4. Used by kind permission.

And testosterone.

An excellent piece of casting that places Dame Judi Dench in the role, apparently inspired by real-life MI5 head Stella Rimington, who has taken to writing spy thrillers in her retirement.

Literally: “Professional and Ethical Society of Technological Capital Reinvested by Experts.”