"Whew..." For the Great Episode Challenge 11/19

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Challenge:  The Great Episode Challenge

Challenge #2:

In Season One’s “The Yellow Scarf Affair,” we get Napoleon Solo off in India attempting to retrieve a lie detector called Varec B that an UNCLE agent named Duncan McCallister died trying to get it to New York.  We have intrigue, the Cult of Kali, the Thuggees, beautiful women, but what we don’t have, is Illya Kuryakin.

The challenge is to answer the question: Where was Illya?’

Title: “Whew…”

Author: mrua7

Word Count: Approx. 600

Napoleon walked into the office in headquarters that he shared with his Soviet partner.  He was exhausted after and had just finished his debrief for The Yellow Scarf Affair as Waverly had dubbed it.

India was an amazing country but after this affair, Solo wasn't so sure he wanted to go back anytime soon. Every muscle in his body ached; still he was lucky to have gotten through this assignment with his hide intact. So what was a few sore...aw hell he hurt and was looking forward to a few days of R&R the old man had promised him.

Illya was sitting at his desk and looked up from his typewriter as Napoleon greeted him. Though proficient at touch typing, Kuryakin was using his right hand to hunt and peck the keys as his left wrist was in a cast and nestled in a sling.

It had to be kept immobile; doctor’s orders and this was a rare occasion to which the Russian was being compliant. He had no choice really, since he was on mandatory light duty.

“You look terrible,”Illya said.

“Oh gee thanks. No welcome home Napoleon, good to see you’re in one piece?”

“You are standing in front of me so I know you are intac...never mind. Welcome back my friend. How did it go?’

“Well there was lots of intrigue, the cult of Kali, thuggees, beautiful women, graft, bribery, an interfering though inept THRUSH agent, a security system that thankfully didn’t work....and saving the worst for last. Duncan McAllister was killed..”

“So I heard. A shame he was a good man. Margot in accounting was quite devastated. Rumor had it, they were an item.”

“I didn’t know that,” Napoleon slipped into his chair with a moan. “I was lucky I didn’t buy the farm myself.”

“Yes, the cult of Kali though banned, is still apparently quite active and dangerous from what I understand.”

“Actually I was referring to the failed security system in the typewriter case in which the Varec B was being transported.”

“What do you mean failed? I developed that nitroglycerine locking mechanism myself. So it was opened without it exploding?”

Illya was visibly annoyed now.

"It wasn’t opened but the case survived a plane crash, and being tossed around as I used it for a bit of self defence without blowing up, so hence the security measure didn't function like it was supposed to."

“Napoleon it was rigged to explode only when opened. I used a modified form of nitroglycerine, more stable so as to not detonate when jostled.”

“Oh, that’s good news...I think.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well at one point I was using the case to barter for my life with the Maharaja. I was made to kneel at his feet while in his secret Kali shrine in a cavern beneath his home, when one of his men placed the case in front of me. I figured since it hadn’t blown up after all the manhandling;  it wouldn't explode if it were opened.”

Illya canted his head to one side. “Not at all, as I said it was modified nytro and would only have exploded if in the event the case were improperly opened.”

Napoleon cocked his eyebrows. The thing could have actually blown up in his face, or more precisely.... lower, given he was kneeling right beside it.

He kringed at the thought.

“So did you get to attend Diwali?”Illya asked.

“The Festival of Lights? No not really. I was little occupied." Napoleon smiled as the little time he'd spent with Kamala Devi post mission was enchanting but sadly not intimate. The way he felt he doubted he would have been able to perform up to his usual standards.

“Oh pity,” Illya said absentmindedly; returning to his typing.

“Hmm, yeah right... pity,” Napoleon exhaled."Whew..."