Solstice by St. Crispin's (G)

[carabele.livejournal.com]

Fandom: THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.
Pairing: None
Length: approx. 4,000 words
Author on LJ: st_crispins
Author Website: Turning the Coat Hook
Why this must be read: It's the time of winter solstice in 1958 and U.N.C.L.E. agent Napoleon Solo is in New Hope, PA on the trail of a Thrush who is about to auction off some highly classfied stolen govenment documents. The Thrush is also "aspiring" to witch-hood, which leads Napoleon to an interesting source for information, a Wiccan shop owner.

This story was written for me during the MUNCLE 2010 Down the Chimney story exchange and I couldn't have asked for a better gift. I love backstories and this one on Napoleon before he met/became partners with Illya is very intriguing. As is the genesis it presents of how Solo got his famous pinky ring. I do admit I have my own ideas about the genesis of that ring, but this one nonetheless I find very believable, with its teasing tie to the later much-referenced Solo's Luck.

There were at least three dozen men’s rings. A few were large, some were expensive, and most were elaborate, encrusted with gemstones, images of dragons, skulls or pentagrams. As she looked over the group herself, she tried to find at least one or two which might be appropriate to someone in a business suit.

“What is your sign?”

“Sign?”

“Zodiac sign. When were you born?”

“Oh.” He nodded, understanding. “I was born in January.”

“A Capricorn.” Miranda touched a conservative garnet in a polished square silver setting. “Then, perhaps your birthstone…”

But his interest was drawn by another, nestled next to it and he picked it out: a plain gold band with a brilliant blue star sapphire. He slipped it on his ring finger, found it didn’t fit, then transferred it to his pinkie where it fit perfectly.

“That seems like it was made for you,” she observed, a bit surprised herself. “Star sapphires are very powerful stones. They’re also very lucky.”

At this, his lips tightened into a thin, rueful smile. “I could use some luck.” He sucked in a breath, as if making a decision, and said, “Miss Fee —”

That caught her off-guard. She understood they’d been going through the motions as buyer and seller, but she hadn’t expected him to know her name. How did he know it and what else did he know?

“You have me at a disadvantage,” she told him stiffly.

“My name is Solo,” he said, “Napoleon Solo.” Automatically, he reached under the lapel of his topcoat, into his breast pocket, and as he did, she glimpsed a glint of dark steel — A gun? Did she really see a gun? Was he carrying a gun? He produced an identification card. “I’m an agent representing an organization called the U-N-C-L-E.”

“U.N.C.L.E.?” The card was gold, and while the symbol of the skeletal globe with a man standing beside it was intriguing, the image meant nothing to her. “Are you from the government?”

“Not one in particular. We’re multi-national and work to protect and defend all nations, great and small.”

“I see,” she said, handing back the card, although she didn’t quite see, not yet anyway, and she couldn’t disguise her unease even if she tried. He didn’t seem to mind — indeed, he seemed prepared for it — so she pushed on. “Mr. Solo, obviously you aren’t here to purchase jewelry or anything else I sell, so would you please tell me what you expect me to do for you?”

Solstice