>>"When Duncan stops sulking, I want him to enhance your already
considerable skills, to instruct you the ancient mental disciplines to
help you focus. Can I count on you to do that, Mr. MacLeod?"<<


Duncan shook his head. "They're far too newly Immortal to learn something
that esoteric, even if I knew it to teach them. Darius has mentioned
ancient disciplines -- he even offered to teach them to me -- but I've never
seen the need."

Waverly sighed. MacLeod was far too pragmatic still to benefit fully from
the wisdom of the millennia-old monk. "Very well, then -- take them back
down to the gym and let them practice against each other. I have work I
need to do."

After the trio had left the office, the spymaster slipped into his study and
picked up the receiver for his private phone. He dialed the extension for
the Head of Security and spoke a code phrase. The Security Head gave
the correct countersign, thus acknowledging he was blocking the phone
from internal monitoring.

Waverly dialed a number in Geneva as his secretary handed him the report
on the deceased Watcher. The conversation which followed was both long
and informative.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Duncan admired his old friend's wisdom in pitting the two men against each
other -- each strove to push the other to his utmost effort, not in a
competitive way, but to hone the other's skill to its finest. It was almost
scary to watch -- if he hadn't known better, he would have sworn they
were trying to kill each other.

He distantly heard the phone ring, and a moment later a young man told him
Waverly wished to speak to him. "Alec? What is it?"

"I've discovered a number of things I need to go over with all three of you.
Have Solo and Kuryakin clean up and report to my office, and we'll have a
briefing over dinner. Tell them to bring their swords."

Twenty minutes later the trio entered the office, the two UNCLE agents with
swords in hand. They were greeted by Waverly, dinner for four, and Mr. Del
Floria holding a pair of overcoats.

Waverly gestured to the garments. "Gentlemen, these have been modified to
hold the blades you've chosen. I would strongly suggest you never go
anywhere without them." Del Floria handed each man the appropriate coat,
and Napoleon and Illya tucked away their swords and hung the coats over the
backs of their respective chairs.

The four men sat down, said grace, and began both their meal and the
briefing.

"You said you'd discovered something," Napoleon said.

"I did indeed, Mr. Solo." Waverly then turned to MacLeod and asked, "Have
you ever heard of an Immortal named Methos?"

Duncan snorted. "Methos? He's a myth -- a fairy tale."

"What sort of 'fairy tale'?" Napoleon asked.

"Methos -- if he exists -- is said to be the oldest living Immortal," Duncan
replied. "He's rumored to be over 5,000 years old, and it's said he's so
old he can't even recall his childhood or First Death."

Illya raised an eyebrow. "5,000?"

"And that's one of the more conservative stories about Methos," Waverly
said. "There are other tales of the world's oldest human, and apparently
one has caught the fancy of a high-ranking THRUSH official. From what
we've been able to put together, this official believes Methos is the last
survivor of the continent of Atlantis. We've no idea where he got his
information or how reliable it is, but he seems to think Methos has
knowledge of ancient and highly sophisticated weapons and/or technology."

"Which he wants to get his hands on," Napoleon said.

"Utter nonsense! First Methos, now Atlantis!" protested Duncan. "Alec,
you can't mean to say you believe these things!"

"What I believe about Methos or Atlantis is irrelevant at this point. It's
what Raymond Boyd -- the THRUSH official -- believes, and what he's
willing to do to get what he wants.

"I've been in touch with --" the older man paused, "certain people, and
they've agreed to send an expert on Methos to New York. He's being
accompanied by a pair of agents from our Paris bureau, and he should be
arriving early tomorrow. The man's name is Adam Pierson. The three of
you will be meeting him at the airport and bringing him back here.

"I wouldn't normally involve a non-agent in this, Duncan, but could you
watch their backs for Immortals? They should be easily able to handle any
other problems which arise."

"You're expecting problems?" MacLeod asked.

"I *always* expect problems," Waverly replied.

---

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