On the evening of June 6, Robert Kennedy's body was brought to St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York city, and the next day mourners numbering in the thousands lined up to pass by the flag draped coffin and pay their respects.
It was long but a congenial wait, kept in line by police barricades that stretched for blocks and blocks through midtown Manhattan. The day was terribly hot, yet people waited patiently.
On Saturday June 8, thousands attended a funeral Mass at St. Patrick's. Napoleon Solo was present among the diverse members there to mourn. His partner begged off on attending, not for religious reasons as the Russian was an atheist. He felt his presence might be problematic, given he was a Soviet and a Communist, regardless of the fact that he was a member of the U.N.C.L.E. Secret Service would not be happy with him being there, given the number of politicians, clergy and Kennedy family members present. In their minds he was always a potential threat...even though in reality he wasn't.
Solo had visited the Kennedy compound on a number of occasions over the years since Jack's death, and had developed a friendship with Bobby as well. He was devastated when he heard of his death. Robert Kennedy died at the hands of Sirhan Sirhan, followed the assassination of Martin Luther King; both events shook the nation.
Napoleon listened as Edward Kennedy, the younger brother and a U.S. senator from Massachusetts, delivered a eulogy:
"My brother need not be idolized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life. [He should] be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it. Those of us who loved him, and who take him to his rest today, pray that what he was to us, and what he wished for others, will someday come to pass for all the world. As he said many times, in many parts of this nation, to those he touched and who sought to touch him: "Some men see things as they are and say, 'Why?' I dream of things that never were and say, 'Why not?'"
That last line touched Napoleon's very soul…
On Saturday afternoon, Kennedy's coffin was taken by train from New York to Washington D.C. Thousands of mourners, perhaps more than a million, lined the tracks to catch a glimpse of the funeral train. It arrived at Washington's Union Station shortly after nine in the evening. A motorcade then took Robert F. Kennedy's body to Arlington National Cemetery for the only night-time burial in the cemetery's history. He was interred not far from his brother Jack's grave.
Napoleon didn't go to Washington. Life went on for him as well as his partner; they were off on an assignment to the Belgian Grand Prix. It was a Formula One motor race being held at the Spa-Francorchamps Circuit and intelligence indicated there might be an attempt to sabotage the top 5 drivers, allowing a THRUSH affiliated driver to most likely win.
Why they were doing this remained to be seen.
Napoleon was definitely distracted on the flight, not even flirting with the stewardesses.
"I wish I could say something profound to make you feel better my friend," Illya leaned over as he whispered to Solo.
"I'll be all right. It's just so disheartening to see a man who could do so much good cut down like that."
"It is a waste that we have seen again and again; one day perhaps what we do can finally bring an end to such things."
"Amen to that tovarisch. Now if you don't mind, I think I'm going to have a drink before I take a nap."
"I will join you."
Napoleon rang for the stewardess and requested a scotch and a vodka, both neat. When the drinks arrived they raised their glasses in a toast.
"Here's to hope," Napoleon said.
"I second that," Illya said as he touched his glass to Solo's.
They downed their drinks not saying another word and closed their eyes. They would not have a dreamless sleep as their next assignment would be on their minds...
