double handed blow that nearly fractured Napoleon’s knuckles. Apis grinned and slammed out with both fists. The wall behind Napoleon vibrated and cracked from the force of the double blow.
Napoleon realized that the fight was using up precious minutes. Illya would probably appreciate a bit more help than was being offered in handling Porpoise and the rest of the Thrushes trapped in the darkened space house.
“Come on, chum,” he directed Apis; “let’s get out into the light were we can see what’s happening.”
Apis was quite happy to fight it out in the dark, but if Napoleon wanted to go to where there was light, Apis would follow. Napoleon talked and taunted Apis back toward the opening to the Spaceship Room.
“Stand still, Solo. I wanta break you in two,” Apis bellowed at the specter before him.
“I’m standing still, chum. Come on ahead.”
“You promise, you aren’t going to dodge me?”
“Why should I lie?”
Apis lowered his head and charged. Napoleon brought both fists up from the floor in a reverse pile-driver blow that straightened the giant out. Apis, still rushing, felt as if his nose had been smashed. Napoleon dropped backward, lifting his feet into the giant’s gut, and sailed him on over, through the broken spacelock and into the maze beyond.
The crash following bespoke the loss of at least two more mirrors and parts of the Space display. Napoleon felt even more confident in counting Apis out as he raced along the dark corridors to his partner’s aid.
Apis dragged himself out of the wreckage and stumbled around the room. He found the Spacelock by pure chance and fell back through the opening. He pulled open a locker and emptied it out onto the floor. By feel he found and donned a strange three-lensed contraption with twin horns looping up from behind. He flicked a switch, and the two infrared beams over his head came to life. The room, viewed through the lenses of the Thrush night-sight helmet, seemed to be fully lit.
Apis clutched one of the legs of a nearby stool, and by
twisting it once, ripped it loose. He swung it once to check the balance, and then set out after Napoleon.
The U.N.C.L.E. agent, after making a couple of wrong turns, found himself coming into the radio room. The extensive electronics and the carpeted floor acted as heat dampers. Despite his goggles, much of the room was too dimly lit to see. He slowly felt his way forward, step by step; the only sounds he heard were those of his own breathing. Part of the room glowed and slowly dimmed as the heat beam traveled on.
Suddenly he heard a half-animal growl and heavy footsteps behind him. Napoleon spun, to see the indestructible Apis charging, his short club raised to strike. The U.N.C.L.E. agent dived across a flat table covered with tools and rolled to safety beyond as Apis smashed the club into the shadows.
The eerie glow wavered, rising as the beams from Apis’s headpiece struck, and falling off as the room sucked away the heat. Apis charged again, and Napoleon met the flashing club with a metal stool. Apis missed his target and struck a metal rung with his wrist. The stool, bent and warped, was tom from Napoleon’s grip, while Apis raised the club for a second blow. Napoleon brought his right fist up to the giant’s jaw, and then danced aside.
Apis checked for a moment, and then swung around to pin the U.N.C.L.E. agent in the twin beams. Solo backed slowly away, taking on a karate stance. The giant stepped forward and brought the club full around. Napoleon wavered back and then forward. He put one hand under the giant’s elbow as the club passed and swung a foot between the spread legs. A lift and swing, and Apis, already off balance, crashed backwards through the matched radios. Napoleon brought a tapedeck down on the giant’s head, and repeated the blow as Apis tried to shake free. The twin infrared beams went out, Napoleon struck twice more, and Apis slumped back, unconscious.
“Very good, Solo,” Arnold said from the doorway. “Now all you have to face is me.”
The small Thrush was also wearing one of the night-sight helmets. In one hand he carried a slender wand, in the other
%
a light cloth. Napoleon dropped the shattered tape transport on slumbering Apis, and turned to face his new foe.
“You’ve got to be kidding, Arnold,” Napoleon said with a smile. “After that, you ought to be a vacation.” He leaped forward as he spoke, and the small Thrush drifted to one side in a perfect Veronica. Napoleon reached out to grasp his foe and the slender rod spoke. It hummed as Arnold spun it through the air and it popped once as he touched Napoleon on the right wrist. The wrist bone cracked on impact, and a numbing pain ran up Napoleon’s arm.
Arnold stepped forward and tapped Napoleon twice on the side with the humming wand. Two ribs cracked from the blows. The U.N.C.L.E. agent fell back as Arnold pressed on across the room, the wand in his hand humming like a wasp, and striking like a hawk.
Napoleon reached down and grasped Apis’s impromptu club. He swung it forward, taking on a fencing stance. Arnold’s wand hummed and danced, and Napoleon thrust and parried in a counter. The pain in his side and wrist was nothing to the concentration he was putting into stopping that deadly little wand.
With a shift of tactics, Arnold flicked the cloth toward Napoleon’s eyes. He caught the cloth on his make-do foil, and Arnold slashed forward with the wand. The stool-leg j club vibrated, stung Napoleon’s fingers, and flew across the | room. Napoleon feinted to follow, and, as Arnold countered, struck with his damaged hand. The blow was too light; Arnold fell back and then slashed out with the spinning wand again.
Napoleon gave way, step by step. Finally his back was to the wall, and Arnold smiled as he spun the wand toward the U.N.C.L.E. agent’s face.
Using the wall as a brace, Napoleon kicked out, catching Arnold low. The little Thrush staggered back, but regained his offensive position instantly. Napoleon’s hand darted down to the calf of his wetsuit and came up with a slender blade. Arnold brought the wand up, and Napoleon flipped the little knife across at him.
Arnold screamed and collapsed, the knife quivering in his knee, splitting the cap.
“So help me, I’m going to spend a week in bed when this is all over,” Napoleon muttered as he slumped down next to the two unconscious Thrushes.
Chapter 15
“I do believe you’re upset with me/7
BULLHORN at the ready, Matt waited for Napoleon’s signal. The watch on his wrist read fifteen to, and all of the lights on the pier flickered and went out. The U.N.C.L.E. assault squad went into flawless action. Two portable spot lights flashed on, bathing the open pier with light from two angles. Four armored vehicles pulled out onto the beach and arranged themselves in skirmish formation facing the fun house. Their headlights finished the lighting and not a shadow remained unplumbed.
“All right, we know you’re in there,” Matt’s voice echoed through the bullhorn. “Let’s make this as easy as possible on all of us.”
There was no response from the Space House, no sign of life, no sound.
“Avery Porpoise, send your men out with their hands raised,” Matt called out, and then repeated. There still was no response. The U.N.C.L.E. agents pulled forward, expecting to be ordered to invade.
Matt lowered the bullhorn and signaled a squad leader forward. The two agents were picking out objectives for the attacking squad when the first sign of life appeared. Three figures in black, their hands raised, and all laughing, danced out of the entrance to the Space House.
“We surrender,” their leader shouted, as she broke into a dance. Mai and the boys had made it through the maze. Noting Mai’s new step, one foot free to dance wildly, the other dragging behind, the two boys fell in.