Chapter 17 - The Undertaker's Wind; Chapter 18 - Beau Desert Summary

Bond and Quarrel spend the week at a remote beach house swimming in the ocean and training. Bond rests and gains strength for his coming mission; he does not drink any alcohol and cuts down on the number of cigarettes he smokes in a day. He also reads books on the tropics, particularly about the fish. He wants to learn as much as he can about what he might find on his dive to Mr. Big's island. Bond guesses that Mr. Big somehow harnesses the power of the sea to protect the island. He cannot risk using traditional weapons and being caught by the authorities.

As Bond swims in the water he gets cut by coral and stung by fish but keeps working. Quarrel teaches him as...