"No one can tell when two people walk closely together what unconscious communication one mind may have with another."

~Robert Barr

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"The Powers That Be Affair"

.

"Together they're unstoppable, separately they are simply a brother and sister with gifted psychic abilities," Dr. Schiller of Thrush announced to his guest observers from Central.

They stood above in a small gallery, watching a young blond boy and girl, no more than ten years of age as they stood innocently together. There was thin blond-haired man seated in front of them, handcuffed to a metal chair.

"A captured U.N.C.L.E. agent," Schiller said, "a perfect test subject as their minds are strong and are conditioned to resist mental manipulation."

Schiller flicked the switch to the intercom in front of him, speaking to the children.

"Nu bøm, vil jeg geme dig til at gøre manden bange, få ham til et skrige et i frygt."

They obeyed his instructions, joining hands and concentrating on the man, boring deep into his mind with their thoughts until his eyes went wide in fear as he screamed.

"Neeeej_nooooo," he moaned, "stop kan du gøre det stoppe_please stop, please make it stop?" He cried out desperately in Danish before he passed out."

"So they can inflict pain?"

"Yes,"Schiller said, " but they must be within close proximity to the subject and physically joined in order to do it."

"So they can inflict pain with their minds, big deal. I have some very good specialists who can do the same things with their hands." Another observer said.

"Ah but your torturers cannot do this?" Schiller smiled as he turned on the intercom again, as the door below opened. An man dressed in a lab coat entered, waking up the U.N.C.L.E. agent with a few slaps to the face. He removed the cuffs from the man's hands, freeing him then placed a pistol on the table in front of him.

The agent grabbed it immediately, pointing it towards the man in the smock. "Let me out or I will use this!"

"Børn_children?" Schiller said calmly,"tell the man with the gun to kill himself please?"

The boy and girl stared at him, their pupils nearly disappearing as their eyes rolled back.

The agent suddenly grabbed his head, his eyes going blank as he raised the pistol to his temple and fired. BANG!

"Tak børn_thank you children. See gentlemen and Madamosielle, quite effective aren't they?"

"Another demonstration bitte?" The sole woman in the group, a handsome platinum blond asked. "Can they pick up on non-verbal commands?"

"They must be strong thoughts," he answered, and of course they must be in Danish."

"Gut_good. Then tell them without speaking the command for...your lab technician to kill himself as well," she smiled wickedly.

"My technician?" Schiller swallowed nervously.

"Is there a problem with that Herr Schiller?" One of the observers asked.

"No no of course not." He turned again. I am not sure though that the distance to the the children may be too far for them to pick up my thoughts?"

"Try," the woman ordered.

Schiller looked down at the boy and girl, saying nothing. He placed his finger tips to his temples as he concentrated, trying to send his thoughts to them.

After a moment, they turned their heads in unison facing the technician while their hands remained joined.

The man stiffened, his eyes going blank as he knelt down, retrieving the pistol from the floor where it had fallen from the dead agent's hand. Then he stood, holding the pistol to his temple and slowly putting pressure on the trigger with his finger.

"Stop," the woman ordered. And they watched as seconds later the man lowered the weapon, placing it on the table.

"And their obedience? "Angelique asked.

"Unquestionable." Schiller. "They have been conditioned to completely obey my commands."

"Your commands?"

"No of course not, I did not mean to imply I was the only one who could give them orders. They have had code words embedded in their subconscious. When they hear the passwords they become to completely compliant to the person who uttered them."

"So if they are given a command to control someone else's thoughts and actions against that person's will, they are able to maintain that control?"

"Absolutely. They will not stop until they are given the code word to do so." Schiller smiled."If the try, it will result in terrible pain."

"Excellent" the observers all agreed, smiling as to the endless possibilities that the power these children possessed now offered.

.

Napoleon Solo and his partner had completed their assignment in Denmark earlier than expected and were enjoying a day's relaxation at a small café just inside the arched entrance of the Tivoli Gardens in downtown Copenhagen, not far from the Rådgysoasden_town hall.

They were staying at the Nimb Hotel located in an historic building in the gardens, its architecture having been modelled after a Moorish-inspired historical style, with its tall central dome over the entrance and minaret-like spires as part of the facade.

Illya complained as usual, though the accommodations were a much higher standard than what they were accustomed to, saying," U.N.C.L.E. still could not see their way fit to letting them have separate beds, much less separate rooms for that matter."

It was not that he wasn't amenable to sleeping in the same bed with his partner, as he was quite accustomed to it after all this time, but having one's own bed just made for a more restful, private sleep.

Separate rooms would have been ideal, as Napoleon had a habit of finding female companionship at the drop of a hat, which usually left his partner literally out in the cold for most of the evening. Sometimes that wore thin on the Russian, but most of the time he was very forgiving of his friend's wandering eye.

They had ordered lunch for themselves, for Napoleon... Frikadeller and Rugbrød, .a sort of meatballs and rye bread served with sour cucumbers and for the Russian and his boundless appetite, a Smørrebrød, an open-faced sandwich on dark rye bread with breaded fish, salad, cucumber, shrimp, caviar and tomato. It was stacked like it was the leaning tower of Pisa, making Illya smile with satisfaction when it arrived.

"I swear you'd eat a horse if it was put in front of you." Napoleon laughed, looking at the size of the sandwich.

"Oh it is quite tasty, slightly sweet, low in fat, tender and high in protein. " Illya smiled.

That thought turned Napoleon's stomach a little and left him suddenly picking at his Frikadeller, making him wonder what they were made from.

Illya seemed to be eating quite happily, washing down his meal with a Pilsner beer when he noticed something had suddenly gotten his partner's attention, "What?" he whispered.

"Don't turn around just yet, but we have company. I just spotted Angelique."

"Hmm, wonder what she is doing here?"the Russian asked softly. I assume that you will want me to make myself invisible?"

Napoleon's look gave him his answer, and Illya rose, plate and beer mug in hand moving to a table to out of view behind a large planter filled with bushy greenery.

"Excuse me Madamosielle?" Napoleon called out to her, his familiar voice getting her attention immediately.

"Napoleon?" she purred, masking her suspicion, " and what brings you here darling?"

"Oh just a little down time between assignments, and you?"

"Oh just involved in some thoughts and a bit of soul-searching if you want. And where is that insufferable partner of yours? You two are practically joined at the hip. I swear, one might even think you were lovers if I didn't know you better Napoleon Solo."

"Yes you do know me quite well don't you?" he smiled.'Would you care to join me for a drink?"

"I never thought you would ask."

Napoleon stood, holding the chair for her as he snapped his fingers for the waiter, ordering hyldeblomstsaft- an elderberry cordial for the both of them.

"So, thoughts and soul searching. That doesn't sound very Thrush-like. Anything wrong that I help you with?" he said seductively.

She sighed deeply. " I don't know. It's something of a rather personal nature."

"Angelique I think having shared your bed both on and off duty qualifies me in that area."

"I suppose darling."

The drinks arrived and Napoleon raised his glass to her.

"Well here's to sharing." he smiled at her.

Angelique raised her glass to him, then tipped the sweet cordial to her lips.

Illya had finished noshing and watched Napoleon as he worked his usual magic on the woman. He still detested the relationship that he had with Angelique, feeling that it was wrong to sleep with the enemy outside of an assignment situation.

But that was really Napoleon's business, and as long as it did not interfere with their missions, then so be it. Although there were times his partner's rendezvous with this blond bird had cut things a bit close, with Napoleon having to rescue him from a few precarious situations at the eleventh hour; some of which were orchestrated by Angelique herself.

Illya just did not like or trust her and he made sure that she always knew that. He watched with just a bit of trepidation as his partner rose from the table, disappearing with Angelique.