Octopussy Gadgets
Loaded Dice
Kamal Khan is making a monkey out of a ‘Major’ at Backgammon, with some outrageous fortune with double sixes. The Major, with his obvious British sense of fair play, would not presume for a second that he is being cheated, and decides to duck out of the challenge of a rather hefty price of defeat.
Bond takes the bet and opts to use Kahn’s loaded dice.
“Oh, luck. But then I should use player’s privilege, and use your lucky dice.”
In one quick scene, Bond alerts the baddie that he has the Faberge Egg, he has Kahn's number, as it were, and a little challenge to come and get him.
The die were almost certainly weighted to ensure they landed with the two sixes face up whenever he wanted. As Kahn was using them in normal play (he couldn't throw double six every time - even the dopey Major would have thought that a tad fishy), they are likely to have been what, in cheating circles are often called 'Tappers'. These dice have a mercury drop in a reservoir in the middle of the dice. A capillary tube leads to another reservoir at the side of the dice - the load is activated when the dice is tapped and the mercury moves to the side.
Bond takes the bet and opts to use Kahn’s loaded dice.
“Oh, luck. But then I should use player’s privilege, and use your lucky dice.”
In one quick scene, Bond alerts the baddie that he has the Faberge Egg, he has Kahn's number, as it were, and a little challenge to come and get him.
The die were almost certainly weighted to ensure they landed with the two sixes face up whenever he wanted. As Kahn was using them in normal play (he couldn't throw double six every time - even the dopey Major would have thought that a tad fishy), they are likely to have been what, in cheating circles are often called 'Tappers'. These dice have a mercury drop in a reservoir in the middle of the dice. A capillary tube leads to another reservoir at the side of the dice - the load is activated when the dice is tapped and the mercury moves to the side.
Photo: Octopussy 1983 Danjaq, LLC, & United Artists Corporation. All rights reserved
