"The Meet Me At the Fair Affair"~ for PicFic Tuesday 11/11/14

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

I couldn’t resist taking a trip down memory lane with this one, so forgive me for indulging myself. It’s hard to believe I was at the New York World’s Fair with my parents 50 years ago. Just like U.N.C.L.E. it's the 50th anniversary for this exhibition. I hope this little story and the illustrations bring back a few memories for some of you as well! I have to say, just researching alone for this fic was a blast. I kept looking in the photos of the crowds to see if I could spot me and my parents. (chuckle)

The two U.N.C.L.E. agents exited the slow moving white tram and hit the ground running.

“There,”Kuryakin called. “The multicolored tower; he is headed in that direction.”

“It’s called the Tower of the Four Winds,” Solo said as they trotted side by side, moving towards the 120 ft. kinetic sculpture that was in a constant state of motion.  Napoleon glanced around, noticing they were getting a lot of stares from passersby.

“Umm I think we need to slow down, we’re calling too much attention to ourselves.”

“Time is of the essence my friend. Should it matter?

“When we’re surrounded by crowds full of innocent women and children, it does matter...look there he is,” Napoleon pointed,” he’s going into that exhibit.”

They watched as Willie Hayes, the man they were chasing after, stepped inside a nearby pavillion. He was the last man to go in and a new line immediately began to form in front of the, ‘It’s a Small World’ exhibit, forcing Solo and Kuryakin to impatiently join the queue. At least the crowds were being momentarily distracted by someone dressed up as a character called ‘Goofy’.

Napoleon, though usually a patient man was not happy. Illya was right, they were losing precious time now, having to wait in line to continue their pursuit of the THRUSH agent who’d waylaid a courier just outside headquarters and taken his pouch. It contained the details for the next summit meeting along with new U.N.C.L.E. security codes.

The heads Section I were slated to be joined at their conference by the Presidents of the United States, France, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, the Chancellor of West Germany, as well as the representatives of the other member nations to discuss the world situation.

The agents could only presume Hayes was here at the New York Worlds Fair to make a hand off to his contact. That was something they had to prevent at all costs.

Illya was being more animated than his partner, huffing and puffing, shrugging and waving his hands as he spoke about the delay.

‘Why can we just not go inside? We will lose him if we wait.”

“Because it’s a ride, an amusement. There’s too many people waiting to get in and we need to be discreet. He’s not that far ahead of us, as he just got his ticket.”

“What is this Small World thing anyway?” The Russian asked, looking at his ticket stub.

“I’m not quite sure chum, but it’s something put out by Walt Disney, so it’s garnering a lot of attention. All the more reason why we have to be a little low key.”

“Disney, who is this Walt Disney. The name sounds familiar to me.”

“Remember when we went to the movies to see ‘From Russia with love?”

“Yes, that silly spy movie. What of it?”

“Remember the cartoon that was featured with it?”

“Oh yes, Russian story of Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev. It was well done.”

“The animation was by the Walt Disney studios. They have a huge amusement park in California called Disneyland.”

“Oh,” Kuryakin cocked his head.

Napoleon watched his partner, presuming the wheels were turning in that blond head, though he wasn’t sure what would be the next words to come out of the Russian’s mouth.

“This will not do,” Illya mumbled as he pushed ahead in the line, excusing himself politely.  When a man complained, he had a convenient excuse ready.

“Hey buddy who do ya think you are. Wait yer turn like everybody else!”

“I am so sorry but I have been separated from my pregnant wife and little boy. They just went inside and I cannot leave her to handle my son alone. He is quite a handful, you understand.” Illya looked down at the tow-headed child clasping the man’s hand.

“Oh yeah, sure I get ya there. Go ahead, and enjoy the ride.”

“Thank you,” Kuryakin quickly nodded. “I am sure we will.

Napoleon moved outside the stanchions near the entrance, and hopped over once his partner was at the head of the line.

“Excuse me Mister, no line jumping,” He quickly pulled out his UNCLE ID, flashed it and grabbed Illya by the back of his jacket collar. “Fair Security Miss, I need to use your office,” he said to the woman taking the tickets.

“Oh go ahead officer. It’s just to the right as you go inside," the red-caped woman replied.

As soon as the agents entered the pavillion, they bypassed the office and went straight inside, and there they saw Hayes boarding one of the wagon-train of boats running on tracks set in shallow water that would carry the patrons for the ten minute ride.

The agents were immediately bombarded by music and the voices of children singing a song that could definitely get caught in one’s head.

“It’s a world of laughter and a world of tears, it’s a world of hopes and a world of fears, there's so much that we sharethat is time we're aware, it's a small world after all.

It’s a small world after all, it's a small world after all

it’s a small world after all, it's a small, small world…”

As they climbed into their seats in the rear of their own boat, containing at least a dozen other patrons, Solo spotted their quarry. “Look, he’s in the boat just ahead of us,” Napoleon pointed.

Illya reached out with his arm, testing the water beneath them for its depth.

“It is only a few inches, we could probably run it…”

“Not just yet, as long as he’s within our sight; let’s just wait until the ride is almost over. Too many kids…”

Kuryakin rolled his eyes.

“Now why are you doing that? What have I said that doesn’t meet with your approval?”

“These children will be fine. So what if they see several men running along in the water. What if Hayes were an axe murderer or a molester of children...I am sure you would have no trouble going after him immediately would you?”

“Point well taken chum. Let’s just give it a few more minutes and let him think he’s home free.”

As the ride proceeded through a dark tunnel, audio-animatronics built to resemble the children of the world came into view; all the while their electronic mouths on their cherubic faces were moving to appear as though they were singing the song.

Amid a vibrant, multi-colored backdrop of papier-mâché, glitter and fabric, there were hundreds of the figures from different cultures singing the same song, but as each country was revealed the children’s song changed into different languages.

Traditionally dressed, little darlings from nearly every corner of the globe sang the simple song  about universal harmony in their native language.

So many people were represented...Scandanavia, the British Isles, Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, South America, North America, Australia, the Islands of the South Pacific and even Antarctica. It was an amazing achievement of sight and sound. The colors were vivid and things were in a constant state of delightful motion.

Illya seemed momentarily distracted as they passed the children of the Soviet Union; hearing their voices sing in his native language. He watched in fascination as some of the dolls moved in a Russian dance called the kazatske to the music of a balalaika.

The ride continued along, traveling to all seven continents until at the end, the children of the world united, all now dressed in white for innocence, and to sing one last rendition of the song in English.

It was then Hayes turned and spotted the UNCLE agents in the boat behind him; he jumped out, running through the water, heading to an emergency exit.

Napoleon and Illya did the same, with one of the attendants on the ride yelling at them to get back into the boats.

“Sorry, seasick,”Illya called out as he disappeared through the door after his partner.

Hayes was moving fast, but Solo and Kuryakin were hot on his trail. They split up as the crowds were becoming too heavy and they found themselves being pushed along towards the entrance to the monorail.

If Hayes got on that before them, they’d lose him for sure. They had to keep him in sight incase he tried to hand off the information to another feathered cohort.

Kuryakin forged ahead, circling around in front of the enemy agent, and bringing him to a dead stop as the man ploughed right into the Russian.

Solo came up behind Hayes, pulling his Special and taking a shot. The sleep dart went right into his back, and he went down limp like a wet noodle right into the waiting arms of the Russian.

People gathered around but Illya cautioned them to step away as there was nothing to look at.

“Too much beer at the Löwenbräu Gardens.”

He’d seen a sign for many such areas where alcohol was available. This particular one was a replica of an 18th century Bavarian hamlet radiating gemutlichkeit, with brewery horses vying with imported beer and German cooking as attractions.

Napoleon moved quickly to his partner’s side, helping him  lift Hayes between the two of them and together they hefted him off to a nearby men’s room.

There they sat him in one of the stalls, but not before emptying his pockets of his wallet, his handgun, as well as the stolen documents.

The last thing Kuryakin did was relieve the man of his pants; stuffing them into a trash bin. They closed the door on the T.H.R.U.S.H. agent, leaving him there to come to on his own.

“Maybe we could report a drunk is passed out in here to Security,” the Russian grinned.

“You’re in rare form Mr. Kuryakin,” the American smiled.

Napoleon and Illya strolled along now at a more leisurely pace, passing the Sinclair Dinoland display, and they paused to stare up at the immense animatronic figure of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

“Amazing what they’re doing nowadays,” Napoleon said. “I’d hate to think of our feathered friends getting their hands on something like that. Imagine monstrous dinosaurs, mind you mechanical ones, rampaging through the streets of New York City?”

“Perish the thought,”Illya replied.”Still, they are fascinating.”

He stopped in front of a series of vending machines that could instantly produce a molded plastic figurine as a souvenir.

Digging into his pants pocket for change; Illya inserted a coin into the slot. He watched with great curiosity as it whirred and thumped rather loudly; two sides of a mold were pressed together while molten plastic was injected into it. Less than a minute later the molds separated and a green dinosaur slipped down to a slot located in the front of the machine.

Illya took it out with a smile. It was a brontosaurus…

“Aren’t you a little old for toys tovarisch?” Napoleon snickered.

“It is not a toy, it is a souvenir as I happen to like dinosaurs. Do you suppose we might come back here tomorrow, neither of us is on assignment as it is Sunday? I think I would like to continue to further explore this fair. There are many interesting exhibits to see. Please come with me?”   

Napoleon smiled to himself, suddenly seeing a bit of the child coming out in his partner. He wondered what sort of childhood the man really had, if any, and for that reason he couldn’t refuse such a rare request. Illya never asked for much in life, so why not indulge him?

“Sure, chum we can come back tomorrow and spend the entire day if you like.”

“Thank you. I would very much so,” Kuryakin grinned ear to ear like a kid in a candy shop. Somehow he’d gotten a hold of a guide book and souvenir map and began drinking in the contents like a thirsty man being given a tall glass of water.

                                                                                     

“Look they have a replica of a Russian style wooden chapel, inside there is a copy of the icon of ‘Our Lady of Kazan,’ and I would like to visit the Vatican pavillion to view Michelangelo's Pieta, and then there is Ford Magic Skyway pavilion where there are many more animatronics to view.  There is a whole technological side to this fair that I had not expected at all.”

Napoleon stood patiently with his arms crossed listening to his partner ramble on.

“IBM has an exhibit with a presentation in a 90 foot high ellipsoidal shaped theater giving a multi-media show called the ‘Information Machine.’ A twelve tier ‘People Wall’ hydraulically lifts 500 visitors up inside the theater to watch a 15 minute show. It uses 14 synchronized projectors and nine screens to explain how both the human brain and the computer obtain sensory information, feeds it to the brain or central processor, and through a program interpreting it to make some decision of what to do. This is much more than simple data storage and retrieval!”

The excitement was evident in Kuryakin’s voice, making Solo chuckle just a little.

As they headed towards the immense globe...the Unisphere, using it as their land mark to find there way out to the parking lot and Solo’s silver convertible; Napoleon swore he heard his partner humming that children's song. He then realized Illya was singing, very softly mind you, ‘It’s a Small World,’ but in Russian…

"It was an amazing time to be alive for all sorts of reasons," Solo mused to himself.

                           

Comments

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I remember that brontosaurus (and the others) vividly. Like IK, I got the molded plastic brontosaurus souvenir, though it's long gone.

I remember It's a Small World vividly. (though I got to see it again and again at Disney world) The Pieta was incredible, as were all the animatronics!

So many memories came back while I was researching this, and I was thrilled that I was able to find photos that were from the actual fair, as was the Disney Video at the end. It was filmed at the 64' Fair so it's exactly how it looked back then.

Most of the videos out there are of the updated Small World in Florida or California.