It was a dark and stormy morning, and the anti-hero of our story, Bond Jebakovic, was sitting in a dimly-lit coffee shop — one of the few dimly-lit coffee shops in this otherwise-sunny Catalan town, for Barcelona is where our story takes place — sipping a latte, his bloodshot eyes glued to the door.
Bond was on a top-secret mission, and he was desperate for intel.
Suddenly, a woman walked in.
She was wearing a raincoat and sunglasses, though, as mentioned, it was a dark and stormy morning, and sunglasses were really not required. Maybe it was for effect? Or maybe she had something to hide?
The woman looked around. The coffee shop was empty except for Bond, who was sitting on an uncomfortable bench in the corner.
The stranger walked to the counter and ordered. “Double espresso,” she said, “and one of those little pistachio cookies.”
While the barista busied himself with the order, the woman ambled around the coffee shop. She approached and examined the large monstera plant in the corner. She walked to the large window and looked out to the gray street outside. Finally, she took a few steps towards Bond. Without a sound, she dropped an envelope on the bench next to him.
Bond grabbed the envelope. On the face of it was a typewrittten title: Monday Morning Memo. Bond tore it open and started to read:
From: Research Dept. Head Roy H. Williams
21 Nov 2022, 7:11AM CET
Bond —
I was most pleased to hear you are still alive. Unfortunately, we can’t allow you any rest. You must deliver the following message immediately to AK. it’s a matter of life and death.
Start of Message:
Most stories should be told as fiction, even when they are true. When confronted with facts we are always on our guard. But the words, “Once Upon a Time” dispel doubt, open the imagination, and create a willing suspension of disbelief.
Case study from Agent William Lederer:
“I was a journalist and none of my books had sold very well, so I showed Jim the manuscript for my newest book. He told me to go back and fictionalize the name of the country, the characters, everything. Jim said to me, ‘The public is more willing to believe fiction than non-fiction.’”
Outcome:
* The resulting book, The Ugly American, stayed on the New York Times list for 78 weeks
* It was directly responsible for the creation of the Peace Corps
* Then-President John F. Kennedy bought a copy of the book for every member of Congress
* Historians speculate The Ugly American did more to change American Foreign Policy than any document since the Declaration of Independence
Bond rushed out of the coffee shop and started running down the street. AK’s apartment was just a block away, but as headquarters wrote, it was a matter of life and death.
Would AK be at home? Would Bond deliver the message in time? And what about those little pistachio cookies — were they any good?
All that, and more, on tomorrow’s installment of Bond Jebakovic Action Adventures. For a free trial subscription to this pulp daily email newsletter, click here and fill out the free trial subscription form.