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The seventh ''Literature/JamesBond'' novel by John Gardner, published in 1988.

It comes to light that [[{{Cult}} a cult]] called the Society of the Meek Ones is actually a cover for Vladimir Scorpius, an infamous gun-runner who is yet to be apprehended for his crimes. Bond is sent after him, and the chase soon develops desperate tones as Scorpius' Meek Ones start committing [[SuicideAttack suicide attacks]] on important political targets.

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!!This novel contains examples of:

* AlliterativeName: Harriett Horner, but she's quick to point out that her second name (Irene) [[SubvertedTrope breaks]] the alliteration.
* AntagonistTitle
* ArmsDealer: Supplying arms is Scorpius' specialty, usually for terrorist organizations. Lack of any clear evidence pointing at him keeps him in business.
* BigBad: Vladimir Scorpius, currently operating under the alias of Father Valentine.
* BigNo: [[spoiler:Scorpius' last words as he's killed by snakes]].
* BookcasePassage: The door to Scorpius' dining room is hidden behind a bookcase, which can be opened by pulling a copy of ''Literature/WarAndPeace''.
* ContinuityNod: As Bond is questioned about his relationship with Emma Dupré, the events of ''Literature/NobodyLivesForEver'' are referred to as a "thing with Rahani" and later Bond brings up his "little legacy" from ''Literature/RoleOfHonour''.
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler:Bond, enraged from Harriett's death, forces Scorpius to walk into the marshlands behind his estate, and watches as the cottonmouths swarm and kill him]].
* DeathGlare: Once Wolkovsky finally admits that he knew Horner's presence in England, M is described giving him a cold stare likes of which tend to send people to [[TheGulag Siberian gulags]].
* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:The book ends with Harriet Horner dying and Bond shooting his ally's innocent, albeit brainwashed daughter out of necessity]].
* TheDragon: Scorpius' [[TheMole mole]] within the Operation Harvester, [[spoiler:Detective Superintendent Bailey]].
* EvilPlan: Disrupt the British General Election with suicide bombings, culminating with a final attack [[spoiler:at the White House, targets being the Prime Minister of Great Britain and the President of United States]].
* TheLastTitle: The final chapter bears the name "The Last Enemy".
* TheMole: [[spoiler:Bond suspects that the SAS member Pearlman to be working for Scorpius, and sure enough, he appears in a safehouse to capture him. However, Pearlman tells Bond that he is only working for Scorpius because his daughter had joined the Meek Ones when he was away, and wants Bond's co-operation to save her]].
* MythologyGag: As Bond watches ''Film/TheUntouchables'' as an in-flight movie, narration notes that [[Creator/SeanConnery his favourite actor]] plays a Chicago cop in it.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Scorpius, which is Latin for scorpion.
* OperationBlank:
** The operation to find and stop the Meek Ones is named Harvester.
** The operation to stop [[spoiler:the killing of the Prime Minister of Great Britain and the President of United States in the climax]] is called Last Enemy.
* ScaryScorpions: Bond and Harriett become trapped in a glass cage that is slowly being filled with hundreds of scorpions when they try to escape from Ten Pines.
* SuicideAttack: Scorpius, through his cult's religious dogma, has turned its followers into what Bond describes as a "self-perpetuating killing machine". The cult's members get married and will sacrifice themselves for "the revolution" on their master's orders after they have had children. The children will grow up to fulfill this same role as needed, giving Scorpius an endless supply of suicide-bombers-for-hire for his clients.
* WhiteCollarCrime: US Internal Revenue is after Father Valentine for the billions of dollars he owes to them. They have sent their agent Horner to England to find him.

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