The Thinking Machine Affair - Bernard Joel (читаем книги онлайн .txt) 📗

"What's the good of the apparatus if it doesn't work properly?" Professor Novak cried. "With the adjustment I have just made, and which I want my daughter to check, I am uncertain whether I haven't impaired its previous effectiveness."

"Your apparatus had better work, Professor," the officer bellowed. "While I take you and your apparatus to the Chief Organizing Officer, my colleague will hold your daughter in this room as hostage…"

That was as far as he went. Illya, who had moved behind him, knocked him unconscious with a brutal blow on his neck, and as he collapsed, his colleague, taken by surprise, never even got the opportunity to counterattack. Illya's hand moved quicker than the second THRUSH man's thoughts, and he went down, too.

"You and your daughter have nothing to fear, Professor Novak," Illya said, as he disarmed and tied the THRUSH officers to ensure that they stayed out of action. "I am here to help you and get you back to your villa and safety."

Professor Novak and his daughter looked at him unbelievingly.

"Don't be deceived by my uniform," he reassured them. "It was only borrowed to enable me to move around this place easily."

He disconnected the internal communications system to prevent anyone outside observing or hearing what was going on in the room.

"Can we help?" Professor Novak asked.

"I hope you can," Illya replied. "I should like you to have your thought-transference apparatus in perfect working order as quickly as possible."

"How do I know I can trust you?" the scientist said cautiously. "How do I know you are not someone who wants to gain personal power and use my apparatus for evil?"

"You, not me, Professor Novak, will give the thought-transference orders to your captors to surrender," said Illya. "You may be more convinced that I am genuine when, in a moment, you hear me communicating with my superior." He removed his transmitter-receiver from his pocket and said in a clear voice: "Open Channel D."

The Professor and his daughter looked at each other.

"Yes?" Waverly replied as Channel D opened. "I am with Professor Novak and his daughter inside THRUSH European Center E." He gave a precise description of the exact location of the enemy's stronghold and how it could be approached. He went on: "I need urgent reinforcements to seal off and take care of THRUSH European Center E."

"I'll see to that," Waverly said. "Where is Mr. Solo?"

"I haven't had the chance to find him yet, sir. First priority was to make sure that the two Czechs and their apparatus were safe."

"I look forward to an early report from Mr. Solo, too," Waverly said before closing Channel D.

"I think we can trust you," Professor Novak said as Illya replaced the transmitter-receiver in his pocket. "My daughter and I shall do our utmost to have the apparatus operating as fast as possible."

"I'll have to leave now because I must find my colleague, who is a prisoner somewhere here," Illya said. "But don't worry. Lock yourself in and no one will get to you." As he was about to go, he held his cuff-link to his mouth and said: "Napoleon, can you hear me?"

"Yes, Illya, and I have heard everything that was said," Solo replied. "There's no need to rescue me, I am already out of my dungeon and on my way to you. These apes forgot to take all my tools away."

The Chief Organizing Officer felt uneasy when the Special Tasks officer failed to arrive with the Professor and his apparatus. To find out what was going on in the workroom, he switched on the closed circuit television, but the screen remained blank. He connected with Technical Control and told them angrily:

"Check communications to the workroom and report at once what's wrong!"

"Both the audio and vision communication lines to the workroom are dead, sir," the Technical Control officer reported. "Communication will be restored as soon as practicable."

"See to it fast! It's urgent!" the Chief Organizing Officer said, and disconnected himself.

He was about to summon guards to investigate when the Duty Officer of Internal Security appeared on the television screen.

"The U.N.C.L.E. prisoner's escaped from the dungeon cell, sir," he reported. "He's blown up the two guards who were on duty at the top-security prison wing."

"Where is he now?" the THRUSH executive yelled. "I want him immediately!"

"The entire Center is being searched, sir."

"I want him alive and I want him here—and quickly!"

"Yes, sir."

"I also want you to investigate whether there's anything wrong in the workroom and I want to know fast!"

"Yes, sir."

Napoleon was traveling in the elevator to the seventh floor of the Center. He knew exactly where to go, for Illya had given him the layout via his cuff-link transmitter-receiver.

When the elevator reached the seventh floor and Napoleon stepped into the corridor, four THRUSH guards faced him with drawn guns. Knowing that there was no hope of escaping re-arrest by trying to shoot it out, he snatched the plastic explosive handkerchief from his pocket and threw it towards them. He managed to dive behind a steel pillar before the handkerchief bomb exploded and scattered the men.

Napoleon hurled himself through the explosion cloud and ran along the condor, ready for any other attack. He reached the door of the workroom and gave a prearranged signal. As Illya opened the heavy door, Napoleon spotted two groups of guards heading for them. He threw another plastic explosive handkerchief into their path, before diving into the workroom to shelter from the blast.

Out of breath, Napoleon asked Illya for his transmitter-receiver. He requested Channel D, and immediately it was opened Waverly answered.

"Everything's under control, sir," Napoleon re ported. "I propose now to call Major Klima of Czech State Security…"

"Czech State Security and our own forces are already on the way, Mr. Solo," Waverly cut in. "Expect them any moment. And, Mr. Solo," he added before closing Channel D, "don't forget to recover your own transmitter-receiver. We can't have our precious equipment lying around all over the place."

The Professor and Vlasta were still busy with the apparatus. "We should be ready any moment now," the scientist assured the two U.N.C.L.E. men.

"We'd better order the THRUSH executives and personnel to surrender," Illya said. He restored the two-way internal communications system and was about to pull the switches which put the workroom on to all closed circuit television screens throughout THRUSH European Center E.

"Shouldn't you take off your fancy dress?" Napoleon pointed at the THRUSH uniform Illya was still wearing.

Illya took off the outfit, threw it at the THRUSH officers still lying unconscious on the floor, and announced: "I resign!"

Over the closed circuit television, Illya declared:

"Gentlemen—it's time to surrender!"

Defiantly, the Chief Organizing Officer shouted: "I have ordered gas to be pumped into the workroom through the air-conditioning plant."

"Now, now," Napoleon countered. "This is no time for threats. We have the thought-transference apparatus and Professor Novak is about to condition your minds to surrender. In addition, THRUSH European Center E is surrounded by U.N.C.L.E. and Czech State Security forces..."