Story 3 in the Map Room Series

Mark Slate was sitting in Napoleon's office sipping at Napoleon's brandy. Illya was also using this opportunity to drink the brandy, while his friend was feeling in a generous mood. He was well aware that Napoleon had only been offering it to a shocked Mark Slate; but Illya felt that he was also perfectly justified in drinking it. He was in shock himself. Shocked at his friend being so generous with his brandy.

The door to the office opened and in walked Napoleon. He observed Illya taking liberties with his brandy. Illya gulped down the remainder of his glass and poured himself another glass full from the bottle before Napoleon could retrieve it and move it out of his reach.

"How was he?" Mark asked Napoleon between sips from his glass.

"Oh as well as can be expected under the circumstances. Mr Waverly did wonder why you were shouting 'Gotcha' at him." Napoleon replied.

"I wasn't shouting 'Gotcha' at him, I didn't even know he was in the room." Mark denied.

"Mark, if you weren't shouting 'Gotcha' at Mr Waverly, who did you think was in the room?" Illya asked, he felt sure that Mark was hiding something.

"I thought it was empty." He lied.

"Oh? Do you usually shout 'Gotcha' to an empty room?" Illya detected the lie and pounced on it.

"It doesn't really matter who I thought was in there. The question is how am I ever going to be able to look Mr Waverly and his wife in the face again?" Mark evaded neatly.

Illya decided to give up on obtaining the truth from Mark, at least for the time being and changed the subject slightly. "You know Napoleon we really should do something about a signalling system for the map room. It's getting downright embarrassing to go in there. We should have 3 signals. One for people who wish to be alone together, one for when it's empty and one for people looking at maps."

Napoleon and Mark both unleashed a bout of laughter at this, causing Illya to glare at them.

"Oh come on Illya, who on earth uses the map room for looking at maps?" Mark asked.

"I do," Illya stated icily.

"You would," Napoleon conceded.

"I lose count the number of times I've interrupted people in compromising positions in the Map Room. Like I did with you this morning," he said speaking to Mark, "but it does seem unfortunate that the one time you interrupt someone it happens to be Mr Waverly."

"Yes that really was bad timing." Napoleon agreed.

"You can say that again." Mark added.

"I think I'll try knocking the next time I want to study a map." Illya decided.

"That'll make a refreshing change. Besides I doubt if Mr Waverly will do that again. Like I said before he was only in there because his office was being refurbished."

"Why don't you bring the matter of a signalling system to Mr Waverly's attention?" Illya asked with a smile.

"For the same reason you don't. He'd be liable to bite my head off."

"We could all chip in for something, and keep it a secret from the old man," Mark suggested, thinking back once more to the image he saw of Mr Waverly and his wife, and determining that it should never happen again.

"I agree with you. However a signalling system would be rather expensive. How about instead of a signalling system we get a nice big door bolt for the inside. That way anyone using the map room for the usual purposes can just shove the old bolt in and keep people out." Napoleon drawled.

"I bow to your greater experience in such matters." Illya responded.

The End

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