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Literary Tag


Ann "Q'ute" Reilly is a fictional assistant to the Quartermaster of the British Secret Service. The character appears in many of the James Bond continuation novels penned by author John Gardner, and in the comic strips The Paradise Plot (1981–2), Deathmask (1982–3) and Flittermouse (1983).

Biography[]

After a year of field work, Ann took a two-year technical course, which earned her the promotion to Q-Branch executive. After only a week in this position, Ann was given the nickname "Q'ute", a name that she found "damn silly".

Licence Renewed[]

A year in to her service, in 1981, it was Q'ute's task to equip agent 007 with the necessary equipment to infiltrate Dr. Anton Murik's Castle. She equipped him with a steel-strengthened briefcase and suitcase, both with hidden sound capturing equipment, sabotage tools, and survival items. She also gave him a pen with a distress beacon built in, a high-intensity flashlight, a replica of his Dunhill lighter that released a painful gas, as well as a set of Nitefinder goggles. Later, in an attempt to sharpen her handgun knowledge, she watches as Bond disassembles and reassembles a gun. She then asked about the mark on his hand (the surgical scar from removing the Ш left over from Casino Royale). The two went to dinner, and Ann took Bond to her apartment where she showed him her extensive hologram array that used mirrors to change a room's appearance.

For Special Services[]

Ann and Bond are established as "close friends and occasional lovers", and Bond was staying at her apartment when he was summoned by M to the Regent's Park building for a briefing.

Icebreaker[]

By the time of the rise of the National Socialist Action Army, Q'ute had perfected the art of creating hidden screened compartments to such a degree that she was reluctant to share the secret even with other Q-Branch staff. This screening technology went into Bond's Shielded briefcase, in which he smuggled weapons and a VL34 Privacy Protector through airport customs.

Role of Honour[]

During a particularly dull year and a half of Bond's life, the high point was helping Ann and Major Boothroyd test out the ASP 9mm pistol for its viability as a new standard sidearm. Shortly after, while Bond was undercover and pretending to have been ousted from the service amidst scandal, he recognized her in a local restaurant, but she pretended not to know him.

Behind the scenes[]

John Gardner, in his James Bond novels, introduced the character of Ann Reilly, a young female assistant to Q whose co-workers as well as Bond nicknamed Q'ute. Major Boothroyd himself was only mentioned a couple of times. During Licence Renewed and For Special Services, Q'ute and Bond maintained a brief romantic relationship. Afterwards, it was revealed a number of times that Bond and Q'ute were involved in a casual relationship. By the time Gardner left the book series, Q'ute had taken over the running of Q Branch, but when Raymond Benson took over the literary series, he ignored much of Gardner's continuum and gave Q Branch back to Major Boothroyd with no explanation and no further references to Ann Reilly.

Trivia[]

  • In the 2019 Casino Royale immersive theatrical experience hosted by Secret Cinema, actress Veronica Hare is credited as portraying Ann Reilly of Q Branch.[1]

See also[]

References[]

  1. Veronica Hare (En). The Mandy Network Ltd..
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