The Pandora's Box, 5 and 6

[svetlanacat6]

“Alexander... Kuryakin... Mallard.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

“Mallard?”

 

“It's my mam... my mother's name, sir. Elena Mallard.”

 

 

“Elena... Oh yes, I remember, Elena Mallard...”

 

“Mr Solo?”

 

“Yes, Lisa? You were right, this... young man deserved to be highly recommended...”

 

“Of course, Mr. Solo. I recommended him. There is some orange juice in your personal fridge. Mr. Solo, Sasha...”

 

'Thank you, mad... er... Lisa.”

 

***

“So, you are Elena's son...”

 

“And my father is...”

 

“Oh, I know who your dad is, young man. At the very moment I saw you... I knew ... Does... does your father come with you, Alexander?”

 

“Er... No, sir. Mama came with me.”

 

“Oh...”

 

“He doesn't really know that we are here sir.”

 

“He doesn't “really”?”

 

“He doesn't... at all. I am sorry.”

 

“Sorry? Why? Oh, no, Sasha... you're just tilting your head on the right, and, now, you're raising your eyebrow... just as Illya, your father did!”

 

“He still makes that.... I”m sorry.”

 

“You don”t have to be sorry. You're so alike your father... Sit down. We'll drink some orange juice and talk. I'm glad to meet you. Really. Are you okay?”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

“Perhaps you could call me Napoleon?”

 

“Oh, no, Mr Solo. It... it isn't proper. You are the number one, section one, of the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. U.N.C.L.E..”

 

“Yes, but you are my friend's son, Sasha. So you can call me Napoleon. Please, humor me ...”

 

“Yes, si.. Napoleon.”

 

“Good, Sasha. Now, tell me. “

 

“It's May, si.. Napoleon. Tonya... Tonya is my sister. She was afraid because she had heard a monster in the attic. So I went to look for the “monster”. It was just May. May is our cat. She was in the attic, with her kittens and I found the box.”

 

“So... May is the cat... And Tonya is your sister.”

 

“Her name is Antonya, Napoleon. You know, I have been named from Mr. Alexander Waverly. Antonya... has been named from you... Anthony. She is only six years old, but she is very intelligent.”

 

“And you love her very much. I have two children, too, Sasha. My daughter is about your age and my son is about Tonya's age.”

 

“Lisa told us about them.... And, Napoleon...?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Do you have... cats?”

 

“Yes, Sasha, yes, we have cats. So, what about the box?”

 

“Er... yes. The box. It was an old box. I took it down and I asked daddy about it. He was... He wasn't very pleased, because, you know, I shouldn't have gone alone to the attic. But I told him why, and he understood.”

 

“And he opened the box.”

 

“No... Now, I see that he didn't really want to. But...”

 

“You insisted.”

 

“Yes, and when he came to kiss me for a good night, I asked him again. Mama helped me. She brought the box.”

 

“And he opened it.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Sasha?”

 

“There were an old record, a Russian book, a dictionary... a pipe, a yellow triangle with 11, and... a photo.”

 

“A photo?”

 

'Yes, a photo. With a quote from a Russian writer “If you want to be happy, be.” It's a quote from Tolstoi... Oh, but you know that, because dad told me...”

 

“That I wrote it for him? So he knew... Yes, Sasha, I did.”

 

“I asked him about you, and he said that you were his best friend.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I saw that it made him sad. And ... it makes you sad, too. I am sorry.”

 

“It's just memory, Sasha.”

 

“Papa told me that you worked together, that he left his job and that you parted. And that you never saw each other since this time. And...”

 

“And?”

 

“I can't say that.”

 

“Your father was my best friend. You're his son, you can say what you want.”

 

“Mama explained me and I said that it was stupid and that daddy and you were...”

 

“Stupid? And what did Elena answer?”

 

“That... I was right... Are you mad at me, Napoleon?”

 

“No, Sasha, of course not.”

 

“I told my mama that I wanted to look for you. Since this night, you know, papa is... sad. I don't know what happened, why papa left the Uncle. Mama didn't want to tell me that. But I can't understand why daddy and you never talked since ...”

 

“It's a very long and complicated story, Sasha, my boy. When Illya, when your father left the...

“I am sorry, Napoleon.... but... I would like... I would like you to come with us at home. You could talk with papa, and...”

 

“No, Sasha, it's a very kind thought, but what you want is impossible. It's too .... I can't do that, bec... Sasha? What are you doing? Where are you going?”

 

“I am sorry, Mr Solo. I ... thank you for the orange juice. Excuse me. Good bye.”

 

“Sasha?”

 

“Excuse us, Napoleon. It was clearly a mistake. I should have known. Good bye.”

 

***

 

“Elen... Lisa, what...”

 

“You want me to call the Security, Mr Solo? You want them to arrest Elena and the boy?”

 

“Lisa!”

 

“Yes, Mr Solo? You wanted me to call you Napoleon? The Napoleon I remember was a little less dense... or... more human.”

 

“What happened is far beyond a little boy's understanding...”

 

“What happened... happened, twelve years ago. It doesn't matter any more. But that is beyond your understanding.”

 

“Elena came. Illya didn't. It's beyond his understanding, too, isn't it?”

 

“Oh, yes, you are right. His mission turned into a catastrophe. A young agent died. Illya held himself responsible for it... and he left. So, you are right. It would be so easy, for him, to come back...”

 

“He wasn't to be blamed. Alexander Waverly told him that! He could have talked to me. He could have waited. I have never underst... Lisa?”

 

“I'm sorry. I've some files to classify. Mr. Anders is scheduled at 6 pm, Mr. Solo.”

 

***

“Sasha ...”

 

“I was wrong. I shouldn't have...”

 

“No, Sasha. You were right. You are right. You sowed a seed. Napoleon... and your father were very close friends. Both of them are stubborn, but, you know what, Sasha? We”re more stubborn than them. Don't cry, my Sasha.”

***

 

“Look, Sasha. This café is the place where Uncle agents went, sometimes. And they probably still come here...”

 

“Did papa and Napoleon come, too?”

 

“Yes, Sasha. Yes, of course, we did... May I join you for a drink?”

 

“Na...Napoleon!”

 

“Good afternoon, Ell. I was expecting to find you here... Oh, Peter... Sasha, let me introduce Peter to you. Peter is the owner of the café. Peter, here is Sasha. Sasha is ...”

 

“Oh, my... You don't need to tell, Mr. Solo! It's a real pleasure to meet Mr Kuryakin's son... This room is a little crowded.. You'll be more comfortable in the lounge. Follow me.”

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

 

“Oh, Papa... It's beautiful... Look at this big black cat! I would like Mama and Sasha to be here with us...”

 

“The big black cat, Tonya, is a panther. And I would like it, too. But your mama had to go to New York, and she took Sasha with her. Next time, she'll take you... Tonya?”

 

“Yes, daddy?”

 

“Tonya, you're frowning. Are you so annoyed that you had to stay with me?”

 

“Oh, no ! No, no, no, no, papa! I love you so much!”

 

“Tonya, please, dear... you are going to suffocate me... I love you, too.”

 

“I am so happy to be here with you...”

 

“But you're still frowning. Tonya, do you know something I don't?”

 

“Nnnnnno...”

 

“That's to say “Yes”. Do you want to tell me? Can I help?”

 

“I.... Nnnnno. I can't. It's a secret.”

 

“So, honey, you have to keep it. Unless... it worries you too much.”

¤¤¤¤¤

 

“Sasha?”

 

“Yes, Mr Solo?”

 

“Sasha, please...”

 

“Na... Napoleon?”

 

“Good! So I have disappointed you. Don't deny it. You think that we were stupid, and that we still are...”

 

“Napoleon...”

 

“Please, Ell... I have to tell Sasha about it. Twelve years ago, your father and I were assigned to separate missions. It didn't... no, Sasha. I want you to know. It wasn't unusual, but we didn't like it. There was a mole. Do you know what a mole is, Sasha ? It's...s

 

“It's a small animal. It burrows his way underground in the gardens. Our neighbor hunts them... But a mole is also ... a spy. He betrays people who thought that he was a friend.”

 

“Did you learn the dictionary by heart, Sasha? Yes, there was a mole, a traitor... and Illya's mission turned badly. Although your dad eventually succeeded in bringing back the man he had to free, people died. A young agent. And Illya... There was nothing he could have done. The traitor worked here, in New York...unsuspected... But your dad was racked by guilt and he decided to leave the Uncle in spite of Mr Waverly's judgment...”

 

“Where were you, Napoleon?”

 

“Far from New York... When I came back, Sasha, Illya was gone.”

 

“And you couldn't find him...”

 

“No...”

 

“You... couldn't...”

 

“No, Sasha. I couldn't find him. Because I didn't look for him. Yes, Sasha. It was stupid. Mr Waverly thought that Illya needed time. I... chose to wait... twelve years. I don't know how he got my ID, and Mr Waverly's pipe, Sasha. But the photo...”

 

“The photo with “If you want to be happy, be”...”

 

“I... gave this photo to Mr Waverly, for Illya. I wasn't sure that he would pass it down to him... Well, apparently, he did. Your father got it. He kept it...but he didn't come back. He didn't call me, Sasha. And I thought that things were clear...”

 

“He didn't call you... You didn't look for him...”

 

“One thing, at least, is clear, Napoleon... All that mess is due to your stubbornness, his and yours .. Perhaps, now, the Number one, Section one of the Uncle Headquarter, New York, and the Chief Medical Examiner of the Forensic Laboratory, Boston... could be a bit less dense than two young Uncle agents...”

¤¤¤¤¤

 

“And could we have a baby panther at home, papa? They're so cute...”

 

“They are, Tonya, my love. But a baby panther will grow up.”

 

“We could buy a bigger basket, and a bigger bowl, and a bigger...”

 

“But I don't think that May and the kittens would appreciate that...”

 

“-Oh... The panther could eat the kittens? Oh, yes, to her, kittens are like mice. May eats mice...”

 

“But, if you want, Tonya, there are cuddly toys, there. Look. I see some black panthers...”

 

“They're so beautiful! I could have one? And, daddy, we could get one for Sasha? He likes cats very much.”

 

“Yes, Tonya, it's a very good idea. So two panthers...”

 

“Daddy, I love you.”

 

“So do I, Tonya dear.”

 

“Daddy, who is Napoleon?”