Waverly stowed the cube in a drawer just before a knock sounded on the door.

"Come in!" he called, and as the four agents entered he gestured them to sit. "Gentlemen and lady, we've a great deal to discuss.

"Firstly, the satellite data recorder which began this entire affair. It was returned to us intact by our new allies, and the information it contained has gone to the people who can best use it.

"Secondly, the allies I just mentioned. Scholar had earlier believed, and had told me, she and her people would be leaving the planet never to return. However, attempts to contact her ship have been unsucessful, and there are other indications they have been abandoned here. We've no choice but to keep them here in utmost secrecy, prisoners for life.

"Thirdly -- this primarily involves Agents Solo and Kuryakin -- there is currently no policy covering field agents who suddenly find themselves parents; in the normal course of events, agents marry before starting families, and for that we have a standing policy. Gentlemen, I must ask -- what do you intend to do, both with your daughters and with your careers? Incidentally, have you decided on names yet?"

Solo, as senior, answered for both men. "We'd like to continue with UNCLE if that's possible, and we've decided to keep the babies, who we've named," he looked to his partner and received a nod, "Galina Napoleonova Kuryakin and Jessamy Illyana Solo."

"Interesting choice of names. I'll forward your request to the rest of section one for consideration. If there's nothing else, you may consider yourselves dismissed." Waverly watched them go, then left through another door. He had some unfinished business.

Outside the office, Illya stopped Mark and April. "Would you do us the favor of standing as godparents to our daughters?"

The two agents exchanged glances. "You want *us*?" asked Mark.

April nudged him with an elbow. "We'd be delighted."

"Thank you," said Napoleon. "We'll try to make sure you're never called on to perform your duties." He grinned at the two of them. "Shall we go visit your goddaughters?"

The four of them headed for the infirmary.

~~~~~~~~~~

Waverly walked into another room in the installation to find his guests waiting for him.

"Mr. Smith," he nodded to the older of the pair, "Mr. Jones," he addressed the younger. "I trust you found the arrangements satisfactory?"

"The acommodations are excellent, and the settlement is advantageous to everybody," said Jones.

"Just remember not to flood the market with new technology," reminded Smith.

"You can count on our discretion," Waverly assured them.

He'd met the pair a day earlier in Bangkok, when he'd called in the agents he'd borrrowed from various organizations.

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

THE DAY BEFORE -- BANGKOK

Alexander Waverly entered the crowded bar and passed through to the rear, knowing the people who'd recognized him would follow and make sure others minded their own business.

The first to enter were the trio known collectively as the Champions, and individually as Sharron Macready, Craig Stirling and Richard Barrett. They were on loan from Nemesis.

They were followed by British Secret Service Agent James Bond and his American counterpart Felix Leiter.

A few minutes later they were joined by Modesty Blaize and Willie Garvin, borrowed from the French government.

And then Misters Smith and Jones joined them unexpectedly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I've just received word my missing agents have been located," Waverly said. "As there is no further need for your services, I thank you all and remind you UNCLE is available should you ever need our help. I have vouchers for all of you to cover the cost of travel, lodging and meals." He handed them out and added his personal thanks for their help.

After the others had left, the two men in black approached. "We know where your people have been, and we know you have aliens in custody," Smith said, "and we need to talk to you."

It turned out Smith and Jones represented an organization which handled alien immigration and tracked aliens living among humanity. "The group your people ran across has been warned about abducting humans, but every few decades their government gets overthrown and we have to renegotiate new treaties, because the new government won't abide by treaties they didn't sign," said Snith.

"Every time they do sign a new agreement," added Jones, "They depart posthaste, and anyone away from the ship gets left behind."

"Should I call my people and have our guests returned?" asked the UNCLE head.

"Too late," replied Smith, "The ship's already gone."

"You're stuck with the ones you have," added Jones, "but you'll find they're pretty easy to get along with and will trade technology for a good hidey-hole."

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

So now UNCLE had a few permanent guests at its most secret facility. Waverly said goodbye to Smith and Jones and had them escorted to the daily plane.

Then he returned to his temporary office, picking up a small box and some gift wrap on his way.

He put the cube in the box, wrapped it in the gift wrap, and marked the package, "For Galina Kuryakin and Jessamy Solo. To be opened by both if alive, or the survivor, on their 16th birthday."

He then took the gift-wrapped package to the facility's highest security vault and left it there.