section7mfu | The ABC Affair 2019- T is for Tuba

Napoleon and April headed back to the field office though they slowed their pace momentarily as another brass band marched past in the street.

It was such an incongruous sight as the tuba player wasn't much bigger than his instrument. Yet he could really play that thing!

“Darling this is marvelous!” April raised her voice to be heard over the music.

“Once we solve our current dilemma, I’ll show you around,” Napoleon winked.

That simply anazed her; he had such confidence in his ability to get thr job done. It wasn't cockiness or bravado. It was his eternal optimism that made him look danger straight in the eye and renained determined to win.

It didn’t take long to return to the field office and there the bad news was given to Illya and Mark.

“No tickee, no washee mates?” Mark asked. “Could we masquerade as the help? Not like we haven’t taken the place of waiter and waitress staff before.”

Valerie jumped into the conversation. “They watch the help like hawks. No one they don’t know is let in to work. If there’s substitutions the authorization has to come from the hotel manager. They only use their own staff.”

“Oy, we could always pull a fire alarm,” Mark grinned.

“That I think would be a court of last resort even if we can get in to pull said fire alarm,” Napoleon said.

It’s not like they really couldn’t get into the hotel, Illya was a masterful second story man and could break into any building, the problem was once he was in there, how could he search without being spotted, or any of them for that matter.

Security was heavy and they knew the faces of everyone working there.

“Ahhh, but you recall it is a masked ball is it not,” Kuryakin said.

“Well you can get in, climbing about in tuxes but I don’t think I could manage it in a ball gown,” April said.

“Excuse me for interrupting again,”Valerie said. “But I can get two of you in without any problem.”

All heads turned, looking at the woman.

“I spoke to my parents and my mother isn’t up to attending this year; my father wouldn’t think of going without her but then she suggested he ask me to go with him. I told him I had to work overtime at the Times-Picayune due to Mardi Gras...he thinks I work for the newspaper. Anyway. I asked him for their tickets to give to my boss and his wife as it might earn me some brownie points for a raise.”

“When can you get them Valerie?” Solo asked.

“I picked them up while you were gone.” She held up two white cards embossed in gold lettering and intricate scrollwork detailing the outer edges.

“You’re definitely getting that raise,” Napoleon accepted the tickets from her.

“That covers only two,”Illya said,” now as to the rest of us?”

“I’m thinking tovarisch, I’m thinking,” Napoleon nodded.

The next evening Solo and Dancer were dressed to the nines. He in his black tuxedo had borrowed Illya’s black turban and black face mask. That gave him enough anonymity to pass the scrutiny from any of the guards who might have seen he and April on their previous visit to the Monteleone.

April was dressed in a stunning yellow gown, not bright yellow like her favorite rain slicker, it was softer more like a buttercup yellow.

The dress had multiple layers of feather-light satin organza The top two layers were printed with gold leaf filigree in a pattern accented with crystals. The sleeves were puffy, with the top of the dress just off the shoulder. Her mask was white, covered in crystals that matched her gown. In her hair she wore a glistening diadem.

When everyone saw her, they were speechless.

“April, you are stunning,” Napoleon bowed to her.

“Why thank you sir.” In return she gave a slight curtsey. He offered her his arm and they were off to the ball.

“Good luck, and have her home by curfew,” Mark called out.

“Yes dad,’ Napoleon saluted as they disappeared out of the gate to the street.

Arriving at the hotel, they made it past security without a hitch. They casually strolled towards the ballroom, glancing at the grandfather clock as they past it by.

Not putting all their eggs in one basket, the duo would do a discreet inspection of the ballroom, just in case Illya’s theory was off, though Solo was confident it wasn’t.

At first they blended in with the elegantly dressed elite, and Napoleon escorted April on the dance floor as a waltz was announced.

For a moment Dancer felt like the belle of the ball as she and Napoleon spun slowly around the floor. She looked as if she were floating on air. Finally they stopped and walked over to inspect the refreshments.

Napoleon retrieved glasses of champagne punch for the two of them as they began to casually walk the perimeter of the ball room.

The bar was clear as was a dais that was apparently the focus of the room. So far there was nothing, not by the main entrance nor the French doors that opened to an exterior enclosed garden.

Outside rose bushes and topiaries were laced with tiny twinkling white lights, and in the center of it all was a magnificent three tiered fountain with water pouring from the mouths of dolphins.

There was a fanfare plated by the band, drawing the agent’s attention. The King of Rex and his Queen consort had arrived, and following them into the ballroom were for the bal masque were the King and Queen of Comus. These organizations were the most prestigious in the carnival hierarchy. The official Meeting of the Courts was now in session.

All Carnival features great and small came together in this lavish meeting of the two courts. In the culminating moments of Mardi Gras, Rex his Queen, Comus, and his Queen, stood side-by-side on the dais and acknowledged their applauding subjects.

The guests from the Krewe of Rex arrived, filling the room with the sparkling of rhinestones, paillettes and brilliants that enhanced the attire of many of the masked guests.

It was not only the gowns and the crowns, but the scepters and the goblet of Comus that enthralled all assembled there. It was also the four individuals, who were chosen to reign during the conclusion of Carnival and the glorious gallivanting of the Rex and Comus ball on today, Shrove Tuesday

Embellishments went from the sweetheart neckline to the double layer, scalloped train, hand-beaded lace accented with Swarovski crystals and rhinestones. The bright silver of the chiffon underlayer was the backdrop for rhinestones, margaritas, lochrosens and silver bugle beads that followed the curvature of the lace's scallop design. Both queens' ensembles were completed with their organizations' collar, mantle, crown, scepter and royal jewels.

It was a sight to behold, but Solo and Dancer were not really paying attention to it all especially as the speech making began. They concentrated on continuing scouring the ballroom, but still had no luck.

Napoleon looked at his wristwatch. “Okay April, time to head out.”

Together they gracefully left the ballroom, and right on time the diversion began.

Illya and Mark had appeared at the entrance to the hotel, and appearing in disheveled tuxedos, they began arguing with the security guards.

“Heeeey, we haf invitations, my gooood man. Hic.” Illya slurred. He began slapping his pockets as if searching them. “They here somewheres…”

Napoleon smiled, watching the scene unfold as his Russian partner could always play a good drunk.

“Oy mates come on now. Give a couple of blokes a bit of a break? There’s some nice birds in there weeeeed like ta meet. If ya know what I mean.”

“An liquor, do not forget tha liquor,” Illya said. He wobbled as he spoke and one of the guards grabbed hold of his arm in an attempt to steady him, as they prepared to escort he and Mark from the hotel.

“Leggo you Cossack!” Illya took a swing and connected right with the man’s jaw, knocking him to the ground.

Immediately every security guard swarmed down on the scene.

That was Napoleon’s cue to open the door to the front of the grandfather clock.

“Bingo,” he whispered. Inside were the missing blocks of C-4; they were wired with individual timers.and the digital displays were counting down the minutes and seconds.

There was even less time than they’d counted on, and La Croix had used every possible color combination to connect his devices.

The din with Illya and Mark was dying down; Napoleon needed more time.

“April go help them, I need you to stall the guards.”

“Will do.” She hurried over to the hotel entrance.

“Gentlemen, gentlemen. Please unhand them. Don’t you know who they are?”

“They’re a pair of drunkards Ma’am, trying to crash the ball.”

“Firstly, I’m too young to be called Ma’am; you have insulted me sir and I’ll not stand for it.”

“My apologies Miss…”

“Charlotte Devereaux of the Shreveport Devereaux’s. These gentlemen here are Lord Francis Binghamton, a delegate to the British Mission in Atlanta and the other gentleman who you were manhandling is the...son of the...umm, Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Nations! Do you want to create an international incident or wouldn’t it be better for you to merely call a taxi for them and quietly send them on their way.”

April suddenly snapped open a white fan, and waved it in front of herself. “I do declare, I think all this excitement is too much for me. I feel faint.”

She acted with all the subtlety of Mary Pickford as she pretended to swoon, thinking the situation called for a little drama.

Napoleon studied the wiring, hoping that April could buy him enough time. He wished Illya were at his side right now as he had an uncanny knack for these sort of things.

“Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock” The clock’s pendulum continued to hypnotically swing back and forth, back and forth...

Taking a small pair of nippers from his pocket, and isolating the first wire between his fingers, he touched the cutter to it. Hesitating for a split in a moment of doubt...was it the red wire or the black one.

He chose the black one before closing his eyes andwhispered a prayer to himself and …

“Snip.”

Breathing a sigh of relief he muttered,”One down, four to go.”

He followed the same procedure with the next three, but the last one was ticking away with less than two minutes left before it detonated.

They’d never get everyone out in time and with the amount of C-4 La Croix used, it would take down the entire hotel.

The remaining device going off would trigger the rest of the explosives, as there was no time to move to a safe distance, The individual detonators were acting a a kind of fail safe for each other should any of them malfunction.

A bead of sweat had run down his forehead and now was at the tip of his nose as closed the nippers on the final wire.

“Snip.”

Napoleon exhaled a long sigh of relief. Looking around for something to use, he grabbed a nearby planter, and dumped the contents into another larger potted plant and carefully placed the bricks of the grey C-4 and the timers into it.

He removed his tuxedo jacket, and threw it over the arm with which he was holding the planter. He turned and came face to face with the ghost of the clockmaker who smiled at him, and tipping his hat, the old man faded until he was no longer visible.*

Heading to the door, he called out to April.

“May I be of some assistance Miss Devereaux?”

“Oh yes please, I think all the excitement here has been too much for me. May we leave darling?”

“Of course my dear, I think we can help your friends get home safely as well.”

“Thanks you,” Illya slurred. He glanced at his wristwatch seeing it was two minutes past one in the morning.

There was a barely perceptible smile on his lips as he suddenly straightened up, appearing to the guards that he was as sober as a judge...

* ref to The ABC Affair II - chapter N is for New Orleans

The ABC Affair 2019- T is for Tuba

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