Chapter 9.

RUINS OF KALA PRADESH (1955)

"What on Earth...?" Cassandra began to ask.

"I can't go into too much detail," replied Agent Melion. "International security, you know. But I can tell you this much. Galahad, Gareth, and I were in Nepal, training some Gurkha mercenaries for an upcoming mission in the Trucial States,* when we got side-tracked here. At the request of the Green Lama!"

Cassandra chuckled and shook her head. "Same old Jethro. Always butting in... in the nick of time!"

"Yes, well, fascinating as all this was," Agent Galahad interjected. "I'm afraid we have to get back to Nepal, immediately (if not sooner). So, Melion, if you'd please...?"

"Certainly," replied the younger man, as he began wielding his wand. "Stragulam vestem! Cum basi ad viatores."

Whereupon, the trio of rescuers departed almost as abruptly as they had appeared. Although, not before Melion had transfigured the bazooka and B.A.R. back into Japanese parasols!

LONDON, ENGLAND (JAN. 6, 1961)

"Sad to see you go, old boy!" said the new Agent Galahad. "The King's Men won't be the same without you."

The slightly older man smiled.

"Thank you. Really! But Department Zed needs me. And wherever duty calls the loudest, there I will be in answer."

Upon which John Steed flicked the front of his gray bowler hat with his left index finger in a gesture of sincere and affectionate farewell.

OSTBERLINHAUS,

EAST GERMANY

(JUNE 10, 1967)

The concept was relatively simple.

A pair of empathically bonded lovebirds would be put in separate cages. With one cage to be delivered, via stork, to the intended correspondent. While the other cage remained behind with the planned initiator of the long-range communication. The utterances of both parties would then be telepathically relayed between, and literally given voice by, the two lovebirds!

Not as efficient as owl mail, perhaps. But, definitely less prone to interception and confiscation by unauthorized personnel.

"The West Berlin warehouse has been compromised," declared Dieter Seltzmann (via his lovebird). "You will have to activate the auxiliary site, at once!"

"It's been ready and waiting for occupancy since last month," replied Death-Eater Basil Wilkes (via his lovebird). "All you need do is send the gizmo through from your end."

"Both it and Dr. Krelmar will be arriving, shortly. Who have you selected for transposition?"

Basil's wife Lola (a pure-blooded squib, like himself) came dancing up to the table with a pair of beige folders. Inside each of which, he found one of those detestably motionless muggle-made photographs. Whereupon he read the names printed below them.

"John Steed... and Emma Peel."

"Sehr gut!"

SOMEWHERE IN THE DAINAVA FOREST,

ALYTUS COUNTY, SOUTHERN LITHUANIA

2:45 A.M. (JUNE 11, 1967)

John Baring Summers was no novice when it came to operating behind enemy lines in the dark of night. But he was absolutely astounded with the rapidity that his guide demonstrated while still remaining incredibly stealthy! A question he asked, using those very words, when they finally paused to catch their breath.

"Are those glasses some kind of upgraded snooperscope?"

Agent Gareth grinned. "Not in the sense you mean. These are Coppelian glasses! Enchanted spectacles that allow me to see protective wards that would be totally invisible to the naked eye. My colleague, Agent Melion, developed them for a special mission in the Near East, some years back. Our employers have made them standard issue, ever since. Now, if you have your second wind, shall we continue on our way?"

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at their destination. The grimmest-looking castle that John had ever seen outside a Disney movie!

"Goratrix lives here?"

Gareth nodded. "On the north side of the castle. But, our means of infiltration will be on the west side. Come! I show you."

Gareth was as good as his word. What he pointed out to John was a square opening at the bottom of the castle wall. A grated opening through which water flowed outward into the almost stereotypical moat.

"Assuming you have a way of getting through that grate," said John. "... are we supposed to tread water while you accomplish that? Because I'm afraid I neglected to bring a scuba suit!"

Once more, Gareth grinned. Only, this time, while removing his backpack and lowering it to the ground. He then opened the backpack to remove a small cardboard parcel that read (in fluorescent glow-in-the-dark lettering). "Self-Inflating Life Raft."

"Then, let's go!" John exclaimed, in a barely controlled whisper of excitement. "What are we waiting here for?"

"That!" replied Gareth, pointing upward. John followed the angle of the other man's right index finger... and gasped.

For, the very next moment, a large silhouette flew by overhead! An unmistakably draconic silhouette. One that flew off toward the east, a few hundred yards. Only to circle back almost immediately. And, when it flew over them that second time, John could plainly see what kind of dragon it was.

"A Welsh Green? Here?!"

"Taip! Though, not just any Welsh Green. You are looking at an Abomination! A Setite vampire of the Abd-al-Sobek bloodline. Imperio-cursed by Goratrix, himself, to guard this castle like a fire-breathing watchdog."

tbc

GLOSSARY

*Trucial States: pre-1971 name for the present-day United Arab Emirates.

"Stragulam vestum! Cum basi ad viatores": ("Carpets! Return to base with your passengers.").

Jan. 6, 1961: The now-classic espionage adventure series THE AVENGERS premiered on English television the very next night.

". . .since last month. . .": an in-joke reference to the broadcast date (May 19, 1967) of the now-classic fifth season Avengers episode ("Who's Who?") in which Steed and Peel had their minds transferred into the bodies of two hired assassins (and vice-versa) called Basil and Lola.

Snooperscope: slang term for the infra-red imaging device developed for, and used by, Allied commandos during World War II. The progenitor for every kind of night-vision device used in covert operations ever since.

Abd-al-Sobek bloodline: Setite-Embraced Kinfolk of the were-dragon tribe known as the Mokole.

This chapter is dedicated to Dame Diana Rigg. RIP, Mrs. Peel.