"Man, this is the life!" said Napoleon. "Don't you agree, tovarisch?"
"I am enjoying myself very much," Illya replied. The two UNCLE agents were relaxing inside a large tent while watching a belly dancer perform. Her hips rolled sensuously in an undulating swivel as she held her arms high above her head, elbows slightly bent and hands together with palms facing outward. Outside the tent, the hot sun beat down upon the white sand in typical Arabian fashion, but inside, the two men were cool and comfortable as they enjoyed their entertainment.
"As am I," Napoleon agreed, adjusting his pants, which had suddenly become uncomfortably tight. Illya noticed the movement and gave a short, sharp laugh.
"I do not have to guess what your plans for tonight are," the Russian remarked wryly.
"You know me well, tovarisch," Napoleon chuckled.
The performance ended, and the two men left the tent in search of other amusements. They spent the majority of their day enjoying the sights of the open market, sampling unusual Middle Eastern delicacies and gazing at colorful rugs and other interesting goods. When they grew tired and weary in the merciless heat, the returned to their motel room to retire for the evening.
They had scarcely entered the room when they saw the closet door inch open. Both men immediately had their weapons at the ready.
"Please do not shoot!" begged a plaintive feminine voice. The two agents stared in shock as the closet door swung open to reveal the belly dancer they'd watched performing earlier.
"Who are you?" Napoleon demanded.
"I am Yasmin," the young woman told him. "Please, kind sirs, you must help me! You are Americans, yes?"
"I'm an American," Napoleon replied.
"You must help me to escape!" Yasmin pleaded. "My father is going to force me to marry the sheik. He has already paid a dowry of six camels, and we are to be wed tomorrow. The sheik is fantastically wealthy, but he is also very cruel. I have heard that he had one of his wives beheaded just for talking back to him."
"One of his wives?" Napoleon was astonished.
"He currently has three. I am to be his fourth," Yasmin explained. "Please, sir, I beg you to help me to escape to your country, where I can be free. I have heard that in America, women are allowed to drive cars and even to be seen in public alone. Is that true?"
"Yes, it is," said Napoleon. "But you must understand that we would be taking a dangerous risk in attempting to smuggle you out. If we were caught, it would mean certain death for all three of us."
"And marriage to the sheik would mean a life of misery for me!" Yasmin wailed.
As Illya looked into the young woman's pleading dark brown eyes, he was filled with compassion for her. "Napoleon, my friend, we cannot simply leave her to her fate," he told his partner. "We must do something to help her."
"I agree," Napoleon replied. "But what? A passport and visa would be required for her to enter the United States. She has neither."
"Surely falsified documents could be obtained within a few days," Illya suggested.
"But how could we keep her hidden for that long?" asked Napoleon. "She obviously can't stay in that closet twenty-four hours a day."
As it turned out, the problem was fortuitously solved for them. War with a rival Bedouin tribe kept the sheik distracted just long enough for the UNCLE agents to acquire the appropriate documentation for Yasmin to enter the United States.
"I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am to you for helping me," the young beauty told Napoleon and Illya as the three of them were flying to New York.
"It's no problem at all," Napoleon told her generously. "I'm so glad we were able to save you from the horrible fate your father had in store for you." He himself could hardly believe his good fortune in being able to gain Yasmin's gratitude and trust. He hoped that the two of them would enjoy many pleasurable moments together as he helped her to adjust to her new life.