section7mfu | "The Eye of Horus Affair" Chapter 4 by mrua7

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3

“The men who threatened you, were they Egyptian?” Kuryakin asked. His usual cool demeanor seemed slightly different, unsettled perhaps.

“Yes they were. There were three of them and each wore a silver pendant with an Egyptian symbol.

“Another cult?” Illya moaned.

Napoleon nodded, well aware of his partner’s nervousness when it came to dealing with cultists. The poor guy had nearly been mummified three times, and that was three times too many.” *

“What did the pendant look like?” Solo asked.

“It looked like an eye.”

Illya took a small note pad and pen from his pocket and drew a picture. “Like this?”

“Yes,” Shlomo said.

“It is the symbol known as the eye of Horus,” Illya announced. His face looked paler than usual when he said it.

“But wait,” Shlomo said.”They were also wearing silver rings, a signet with a raised symbol of a bird. Horus was a falcon as I recall, the image of the bird on their rings was not that.”

Solo’s suspicions had him pull a card from his wallet. “Was it this?”

“Yes, that’s it exactly!”

The agents cast a concerned look to each other as it was the emblem for T.H.R.U.S.H.

“What? What does this mean?” Shlomo demanded.

“It means we could be in for a whole lot of trouble,”Napoleon said. “These people won’t stop until they get their hands on the stone.”

“Nor do we have any idea why they want it,” Illya added.

“Does this mean anything Mr. Solo?” Yiddel held out a white scarf, and it looked to be smudged with dark makeup.” One of those men was wearing this and dropped it before they left.”

“Now this is getting weirder,” Napoleon looked at it, after which he handed it to his partner.

“Indeed. T.H.R.U.S.H. masquerading as Egyptians? That is perplexing.” Illya shook his head. Still it was a relief to think it was their usual bird brained adversaries and hopefully not another group of bizarre cultists.

He’d had his fill of those. Still on the off chance they were involved in some sort of sect, all the more caution had to be taken.

Thrushies were more often than not, predictable. People involved in cults were in general, not.

Khasanov closed the vault, and Illya observed him entering an additional code in the key pad. The man saw he was being watched.

“On this one an alarm there is,” Shlomo winked.

When they returned to upstairs to the office, the diamond dealer received a phone call.

“We want the diamond. It is the eye of our god and have a right to it If you do not surrender it, then we will do as we threatened.

“I’m sorry but the diamond is going to Southerly’s for auction. It is out of my hands already,”Shlomo replied.

The auction house was contacted and they were fully cooperative once they understood the situation. As requested they set up an advertising blitz for a special auction to be held in two days for The Eye of Horus diamond.

As the agents visited the auction house, large banners with renderings of the diamond hung outside the building flapping in the breeze.

“They most certainly moved on this didn’t they tovarisch?” Solo nodded.

“Yes, they are being surprisingly cooperative.”Illya canted his head to one side.

“Why do I hear suspicion in your tone of voice?”

“I find it odd that such a well known auction house would risk a possible theft occurring at their location. Since they are advertising the sale of the diamond, one cannot preclude that the theft could take place here. It conceivably could endanger their staff even though we will have agents in place masquerading as potential buyers. Still there is an element of risk.”

“That’s presuming T.H.R.U.S.H. is going to try to get the stone at the auction and not as it’s being transported to the site,” Napoleon reminded his partner.

“We will be bringing it ourselves, so we will know where it is at all times, and we will be escorted by a security team.”

“That’s the plan among other things, tovarisch. Mit zabonges khapt men feygelekh un mit matones...meydelekh.”

Illya’s eyes widened. “Since when do you speak Yiddish?”

“Shlomo taught it to me. It means with nets you catch birds, and with gifts...girls.”

“Napoleon, why do I have a feeling there is something you are not telling me.”

“Good to keep a few secrets,” Solo winked.” I know you understand that.”

Kuryakin merely shrugged. “Sometimes they are necessary, still I do not understand why you will not tell me what you are hiding.”

“And how many times have I asked you that same question tovarisch?”

Illya’s nostrils flared, the only indication that he was annoyed.” That is not fair. There are things, personal things from my past that I choose to share with no one. They are mine to bear and mine alone. What you are not telling me has to do with our assignment and is not the same.”

Solo click his tongue. “When are you going to just trust me Illya? How long have we been partners and friends? You know there’s no one else who cares about you like I do, right?”

“I do know, but my secrets are not a question of trust. They are painful memories that I do not wish to revisit. Revealing them will only elicit pity and I do not want that from you my friend.”

“Maybe you should let me be the judge of that? Pity, maybe not. I just want to understand…”

“Napoleon I trust you with my life is that not enough?”

“Sometimes it’s not. “

Kuryakin took a deep breath. “All right, I promise after this is over I will tell you a few things, but not all my secrets.”

“Fair enough,” Napoleon smiled, feeling a sense of satisfaction that he’d finally chipped away at the wall with which Illya surrounded himself.

A short while later Napoleon tucked the wooden case containing the diamond in his breast pocket as he exited the jewelry exchange. Heading to an awaiting car; Kuryakin sat in the driver’s seat while another agent, Bill Willis sat in the front passenger seat.

Bringing up the rear was a second car with four more agents. Together the two cars slowly pulled out into traffic with their destination being the auction house.

Traffic was a little heavy as they headed northwest on West 47th Street towards 9th Avenue. Once reaching that cross street, Illya turned onto 9th. He then turned left again onto West 46th. It was there the first signs of trouble appeared.

Twin black sedans pulled out from their parking spaces on either side of the street, blocking the lead car.

Two men with THRUSH rifles jumped out, aiming at the car as the UNCLE agents stepped out, with guns blazing. Thankfully both sides were using sleep darts, and the sidewalks were surprisingly free of pedestrians.

Illya dove to the ground as he continued to fire on the Thrushies.

Napoleon rolled from behind the open door, taking cover behind a nearby parked car and when he got his chance, he dashed to the sidewalk and around the corner, leaving his partner and the other agents to fend off the ambush.

He headed down !st Avenue towards the United Nations, and past UNCLE headquarters. Napoleon looked over his shoulder, seeing no one in pursuit and it was then he hailed a taxi with a loud whistle.

A yellow cab screeched to a stop curbside. “Where to Mac?” The driver called through the open passenger side window.

“Southerly’s and step on it.” Napoleon hopped in, trying to remain focused on getting there and not worrying about Illya and the others being able to catch up to him.

It took but ten minutes to arrive and after paying the cab Solo got out, and quickly walked into the auction house.

There was no one at reception, and as Napoleon proceeded, someone stepped out from behind a painting display, aiming a gun directly at him.

“Hello Mr. Solo.”

He smiled his reply at first. “ Hello Mr. Willoughby.”

“You don’t seem surprised,”the Southerly’s director answered.

“I’m an UNCLE agent if you recall, and I’ve seen lots of things, so very little surprises me.”

“Now I’ll take the diamond if you please?” He waved his pistol at Solo.

“If you insist.” Napoleon motioned to reach inside his jacket, intending to grab his Special. He was confident he could outshoot the man.

“Yes I do, but first old chap if you’ll kindly remove your gun from its holster using only two fingers mind you, and lower it to the floor.”

Pursing his lips; Napoleon complied every so slowly.

“Now drop it to the floor and slide it away with your foot Mr. Solo.”

He shoved it aside, ever so slightly.

“And now the diamond,” Willoughby held out his hand.

Napoleon reached into his pocket, taking the wooden case and tossed it to him.

“Thank you, now I’m sorry but I suggest you say your prayers as you are about to meet your maker. You didn’t think I would let you live did you? We’ll report a robbery of this well advertised diamond...thank you for suggesting that by the way. You’ll simply be another casualty for U.N.C.L.E. I will tell them you died defending me from the thieves who took The Eye of Horus.”

“May I ask a question first. Why did your people disguise yourselves as disciples of a cult to Horus?”

Willoughby laughed heartily at that question.

“It was merely for effect dear chap, just to frighten that Mr. Khasanov, but apparently it was not enough since he called U.N.C.L.E. to do his delivery work. No matter, I’ll have the Eye now and that’s all that matters.”

“For one of your hair brained T.H.R.U.S.H. schemes to take over the world, I presume?”

“Oh nothing as insidious as that Mr. Solo. Actually, it’s merely an acquisition for my growing retirement fund.. Though the Hierarchy does pay well, it’s not enough to suit me, so a little side job like this now and then is all I need.”

Willoughby opened the box, but to his surprise there was no diamond; in its place was an egg.”

“What the devil?”

“Not deviled,” a voice spoke from behind him. “That is it, no plan for world domination this time, and just retirement? A certain Russian spoke from behind the director, pressing the barrel of his Special against his back.

Unexpectedly Willoughby spun round, wrestling with Kuryakin. There was a gunshot, and Illya went down.

Napoleon dove for his own gun and sliding across the polished marble floor, he darted Willoughby.

Napoleon picked up the case taking the surprisingly undamaged egg out, he smashed it against the partially conscious man’s forehead.

“Looks like the yolks on you.”

Illya got to his feet with a grunt, holding his left arm.

“You okay tovarisch?”

“It was just a graze. I will be fine.”

As Solo handcuffed Willoughby Napoleon looked to his partner with a question.

“What took you so long to get here?”

“Well we were battling it out with a few Thrushies as you recall, and then of course there was traffic. I would say that my timing was near perfect though,” Kuryakin smiled. “Did you suspect Mr. Willoughby? Is that what you were not telling me?”

“No, actually it was the egg in the box instead of the diamond. I had no idea the director of Southerly’s was involved.

“Napoleon. Where is The Eye of Horus?” Illya demanded.

*- Illya was nearly mummified in “The Alexander the Greater Affair” and in my two stories “The see the pyramids along the Nile Affair’ and ‘The Rio Affair.’

The conclusion