the plane containing the pacemaker's host crashed in the himalayas, so a deadly race commences to recover skin 17. bond, sexy mountaineer hope kendal, and roland marquis, also bond's rival from schoolboy days, lead one of the expeditions. early on, they destroy the chinese base camp, forcing that team to withdraw. not long after, however, everyone on the british expedition has been killed, save for bond, hope, and marquis. it turns out that marquis is in on the theft with harding, though they don't plan to sell it to the union. the race climaxes with bond battling marquis atop the peak of kangchenjunga. after a physical high-elevation fight, bond trades oxygen from a mortally wounded marquis for skin 17. bond and hope return to base camp to find paul baack, a team member believed to have died with the rest, who reveals his affiliation with the union and demands skin 17. bond and hope manage to kill baack and skin 17 is returned to the british.