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 ï>¿The Courier by EC

   Chapter 5 - Victor Dukov's house

   Once Kim and her group had returned to her office, she began finalizing
the details of Maria Elena's immediate future.  The prisoner needed a place
to sleep that night, she needed to begin Danubian language lessons as
quickly as possible, and she needed to find work within three days.

   Cecilia dispatched the language problem first.  There was a new group of
US exchange students at the National University who were enrolled in
intensive Danubian language training to prepare for attending classes
alongside local university students.  Among Cecilia's students there were
two language groups: slow and advanced.  The easiest and cheapest solution
would be to have Maria Elena attend class along with in the slow group.

   The next problem was where Maria Elena would work.  She had to take a
job that kept her body as exposed as possible, preferably something
outside. A quick question determined that she did not know how to ride a
bicycle, which eliminated the option of her being a document courier. 
Another option, the record store where Kim used to work when she was a
criminal herself, was not available either.  At any other time Kim could
have called the owner and started Maria Elena as a window washer, but the
previous week she had sent over two clients and the store definitely did
not need any more.  Any other customer service job was out of the question
until she could speak Danubian.

   Kim shrugged her shoulders: "We have another day to think about that
one. Let's see what we're gonna do about where she's gonna sleep."

   It was getting late, so the only viable solution was for Cecilia to take
Maria Elena home with her.  She explained to the prisoner that she was
living in the house of Victor Dukov, who was the brother of the country's
Prime Minister, Vladim Dukov.  Victor was a recent widower whose sons were
grown and had moved out, so he had made his house available for Cecilia and
her nephew.  There also would be a spare room for Maria Elena, at least for
a few nights, until Kim could arrange long-term housing.  Cecilia called
Victor explaining the situation and getting permission to bring Maria Elena
to the house.  Then she turned to the prisoner and wryly asked:

   "Well, right now you get to make your first decision as a criminal. 
Either you can come home with me, sleep in a comfortable bed, and have a
decent meal; or you can be locked up in a holding cell and sleep there and
wait until tomorrow morning to have something to eat.  So what's your
choice?"

   "I...  I'll go with you...  "

   "Good answer.  Now, you understand that means you're going back
outside?"

   Maria Elena nodded.  Kim interjected:

   "Tell her to stop nodding.  You know that criminals are not allowed to
nod, they have to answer 'yes' and 'no' when spoken to by someone who's not
a criminal.  Tell her that."

   Cecilia translated, eliciting a very sad glance from the prisoner
towards her Spokeswoman.  The Dominican felt enormously sorry for her and
was increasingly annoyed with Kim's unsympathetic behavior towards her
client.  However, she held her tongue, having learned never to challenge
protocol in Danubia, especially from a public official.  She knew that it
didn't matter that Kim was her friend, because the Spokeswoman was a public
official first; and a friend second.

   At that moment a naked, very well-built young man showed up at the
office.  Upon entering he fell to his knees and placed his forehead on the
floor.

   "Good evening, Penitent Jason Schmidt.  Please rise so you can fulfill
your commitment to the Creator."

   Jason immediately stood up and kissed Cecilia.  Noting the shocked
expression on the prisoner's face, Cecilia introduced him with the
following explanation:

   "This is my fiance, Jason.  He's performing Public Penance for the
Danubian Church, which is why he's collared.  Jason's not a criminal, but
he has to follow a lot of the same protocol."

   Maria Elena looked over Jason's attractive body.  He was deeply tanned
from having spent the last four years of his life never touching any
clothing.  He had a very lean and muscular figure from constantly running
and working out.  By far he was the most attractive man she had ever seen
close up.  She noticed his collar was different from hers; it was smooth
and rounded, had no ring, and had a key-hole that allowed it to be
unlocked.

   Jason's expression was shy, and right away Maria Elena could tell that
Cecilia was the one who controlled their relationship.  A quick glance sent
an unspoken message to the prisoner: don't even think about trying anything
with him; he's mine.  Maria Elena was unnerved by how quickly her
translator had picked up on her attraction to Jason, and how, without
saying anything, she had issued a warning.

   *****

   A few minutes later Cecilia, Jason, and Maria Elena exited the Central
Police Station.  Kim had issued some final instructions to Cecilia, telling
her that she needed to have Maria Elena back in her office early the next
morning.  There was one final detail to take care of; the prisoner's hair.
As best she could, Kim quickly tied her hair in loose braids, telling her
that she would need to have her hair properly braided before returning the
next day.  It was up to Cecilia to make sure Maria Elena's hair was decent
before she went out again.

   Cecilia clearly was the one in the lead as her two naked companions
followed her onto a large plaza that was dominated on each side by an
important building.  Directly in front of the police station was the city's
main courthouse, where Maria Elena would go on trial later that month.  To
the left was the Gothic cathedral she had passed earlier in the day. 
Opposite the cathedral was the National Parliament Building.  The
Courthouse and the National Parliament were attractive late 18th Century
buildings; the Cathedral clearly was much older than that.  The plaza
itself was full of people walking to catch trolleys or sitting and
conversing.

   Maria Elena still was horrified at having to be naked outside, but that
feeling was starting to diminish.  For the first time since her arrest, she
was able to resist the temptation to cover herself.  The fact that she was
not the only naked person in her group helped her to accept her situation.
The hot summer evening helped as well.  She could tell that Cecilia was
uncomfortable in her clothing, while Jason seemed perfectly relaxed and
enjoying himself.

   They walked behind the cathedral and returned to the trolley stop.  The
first trolley that passed was an express returning to the airport.  Maria
Elena looked longingly as a few travelers got on with suitcases, presumably
to fly out of the country.  That trolley departed, only to be followed by
another trolley going directly north towards the National University. 
Cecilia and Jason got on, followed my Maria Elena.

   Cecilia handed a coin to the fare-taker, but Jason and Maria Elena,
because they were collared, did not have to pay anything.  However, that
also meant that Cecilia could take a seat, while Jason had to remain
standing.  Maria Elena, exhausted and still somewhat sick from her earlier
ordeal, was looking forward to sitting down.  The moment she approached an
empty seat Cecilia admonished her:

   "Stand up!  You can't sit!"

   "What?"

   "You're collared!  You're not allowed to sit on public transportation.
You have to remain standing so people can see you.  Don't you see Jason? 
He's not sitting either."

   Maria Elena felt true despair as she took her place standing next to
Cecilia's naked fiance.  The trolley was about half-full, and it seemed
everyone was staring at her.  Part of the reason was that both she and
Jason had attractive bodies that were pleasant to look at, but also the
other passengers had overheard the two women conversing in Spanish, a
language completely unknown in that part of Europe.

   The trolley passed through an opening in the Old City Wall and into a
neighborhood with elegant 19th Century architecture.  A few stops later it
entered a residential district of solidly-built 2-story houses along a
pleasant tree-lined street.  Cecilia put out her hand to allow Jason to
help her stand up.  Once she was standing, she gave him a quick slap on the
bottom.  Immediately he got out of the trolley and again offered his hand
to assist her as she exited.  To Maria Elena that scene was totally
bizarre, because never had she seen a man appear to be so thoroughly under
the control of a woman.

   The trio walked along a very narrow street before arriving at a 2-story
brick house.  By Danubian standards the house was very nice, but it was not
any larger than a typical upper-middle class home in Colombia.  There were
two large trees in front, several large windows, a solid wooden door, and
another door on the side that led directly into the kitchen.  The back yard
had a wall around it, as was true for most houses in Danubikt Moskt. 
Unlike most Colombian houses, however, the wall was not topped with barbed
wire and there were no bars on the windows.  Maria Elena noticed another
significant difference.  Not a single house on the street had a garage,
none of the houses even had a driveway, and not a single car was parked
anywhere in sight.  The neighborhood, because of the absence of vehicles,
was incredibly quiet.

   When Cecilia knocked, a middle-aged man with a unpleasant expression
opened the front door.  Jason immediate went to his knees and touched his
forehead to the ground.  Maria Elena correctly assumed that she needed to
follow Jason's lead and sank to her knees as well.  The man ordered Jason
to stand up in Danubian and shook his hand.  The young man turned to
Cecilia and kissed her goodbye.  It was clear that he wanted to take her in
his arms, but it was equally clear that under the staring eyes of her host
father he was not about to take such a risk.  Instead he departed, his
uncovered body standing out among the green trees and the brick houses as
he walked away in the late summer dusk.

   Cecilia explained that Jason lived with a different family, in the house
of a retired Spokesman called Alexi Havlakt, who was an advisor and
personal friend of the Prime Minister.  It turned out the only reason
Cecilia's fiance had accompanied the two women was to escort her back to
her residence.

   "You'll see that we're all connected here.  I live with the Prime
Minister's brother, Jason's living with the Prime Minister's best friend,
Criminal # 98946 is married to the Prime Minister's son, and Spokeswoman
Lee-Dolkivna used to live with Prime Minister Dukov."

   Maria Elena thought that detail was very strange; why should these North
Americans be living with such important people?  She wanted to press
Cecilia for an answer, but held her tongue, assuming she would find out
soon enough.

   Cecilia told her companion to kneel upright so she could properly
introduce her to Victor Dukov.  The man gave his kneeling guest a quick nod
of acknowledgement, listened to Cecilia's explanation of her situation, and
gave her another quick nod.  He spoke in Danubian, as Cecilia translated.

   "Victor is granting you permission to enter his house and sit at his
table.  You need to thank him by saying 'Spakeebo dek'.

   "Spakeebo dek."

   Victor nodded yet again and let out a quick whistle.  Cecilia explained
that was his signal that he had accepted her as a guest and that she was to
enter his house.

   "People communicate a lot in this country, not just with words, but also
with whistles and hisses.  A quick high-pitched whistle means 'come along
with me'.  A long low-pitched whistle means the person disapproves of you
or something you've done.  A hiss is much stronger than that, almost an
insult.  There's a lot more, but those are what you'll need to know to get
you started."

   Maria Elena got up and followed Victor and Cecilia into the house. 
Cecilia offered her the use of a bathroom, which she desperately needed,
followed by a summons to have dinner.  Seated at the table along with the
elder Dukov was a married son and his very pregnant wife, Cecilia, and a
seven-year-old boy she introduced as her nephew Pedro.  Maria Elena
expected Pedro to speak Spanish, but unlike his aunt, the only languages he
knew were Danubian and English.  Cecilia barely had time to eat because she
was translating questions and comments for four other people, plus trying
to listen to her nephew's chatter about the day he had spent with some
friends.

   By the time dinner was finished Maria Elena knew considerably more about
both her host and about Danubia in general.  Victor Dukov was the owner of
a successful business communications company that offered services ranging
from bicycle couriers, overnight package delivery, fax machine sales and
servicing, and various Internet services.  He employed 25 bicycle couriers,
owned two stores, and operated an Internet cafe.  His couriers were
criminals that always started out riding bicycles and then, upon finishing
their sentences, had the option of working in one of the stores.  He openly
admitted that having his brother as Prime Minister had helped his business
tremendously because his employees spent most of their time moving
documents between the government's various ministries.

   Victor talked about his earlier life when he had only five couriers and
that Kimberly Lee had worked for him.  It was clear that he was very fond
of her, remembering her as one of his best employees.  He reflected that in
a way she still continued to work for him, because all of his current
workers were clients that the Spokeswoman had recommended.  "I don't have
to advertise for employees at all.  Kim's the one who picks them out and
interviews them.  Having her assistance is like having a hiring agent
working for me for free."

   Maria Elena clearly was worn out by the time dinner was finished.  Now
that her stomach was full, she was nodding off, in spite of her efforts to
show courtesy by paying attention to her hosts' conversation and Cecilia's
translations.  The Dominican came to her aid by excusing herself and
requesting permission to take Maria Elena upstairs.  Once again she had to
kneel and repeat "Spakeebo dek", but then she was released.

   Cecilia ordered the prisoner to take a bath and brush her teeth before
she could sleep, emphasizing that Danubians were fastidious about
cleanliness.  She also ordered Maria Elena to wash and thoroughly comb her
hair, because the next morning it would have to be braided.  While the
Colombian was in the bathroom, Cecilia stripped off the covers from the bed
that she would be using, because even in her bed she would not be permitted
to cover her body.  Fortunately the evening was warm, so hopefully she
would be able to adjust to sleeping naked with no covers.

   Once Maria Elena was out of the bathroom, Cecilia approached her with a
thin dry dishcloth.

   "Pass this under your collar after you're cleaned up.  The skin under
your collar will chafe if you leave your neck wet, and I can tell you
that's not something you want."

   Once the prisoner dried her neck, Cecilia showed her the bed and
explained that she couldn't cover herself, even while sleeping.  Then she
looked hard at her companion.

   "Maria Elena, I have a question.  I need to know if I can trust you."

   "Trust me?"

   "To not try to escape once we're all asleep.  I want you to understand
that Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna has taken a personal risk in delaying your
trial and not locking you up.  She's placing trust in you.  I'm placing
trust in you.  Victor Dukov is placing trust in you.  We all understand
that you're scared.  I'm not gonna try to convince you that everything will
be OK, because your life as a criminal is not gonna be easy.  But you have
to understand that we're doing what we can to make it bearable."

   Maria Elena said nothing.  She was accustomed to being told that
everything would be fine, that she had nothing to worry about.  She was
accustomed to being constantly lied to, to listening to pleasant words that
had no meaning, mixed with threats that were very real indeed.  Cecilia's
blunt statement came as a surprise to her, because she had been expecting
to be told, once again, that everything would be fine and not to worry. 
She didn't know how to respond, because she was indeed pondering if there
was any way she could get out of the house, find some clothes, get her
collar off, and try to escape.  She couldn't bring herself to deny that was
what she was thinking.

   Had Cecilia told her that everything was going to be fine and not to
worry; Maria Elena could have lied and attempted to escape with no regrets.
It was obvious, however, that Cecilia cared enough about her to tell the
truth about what the future held for her.  There was no mystery, no
surprises...  she knew what she faced as a criminal in Danubia.  Almost
without realizing what she was doing, she confessed:

   "I was thinking...  about trying to escape.  I...  I'm sorry...  "

   "That's what I suspected.  Of course, you do understand that there's no
way you could get away?  That collar has a transmitter on it.  The moment
we noticed you were missing we'd call the police and they'd locate you. 
Even if you got the collar off, where would you go?  What would you do? 
You wouldn't exactly blend in.  You don't have any money.  People would
notice your hair.  You couldn't talk to anyone.  There's no Colombian
embassy here.  Your passport's gone.  You try to run, and the only thing
you'd do would be add to the number of switchings you'd get in your
sentence.  More switchings...  that's the only thing running's gonna get
you.  More switchings."

   Before Maria Elena could think of a response, Cecilia changed the
subject:

   "There's something else that I want you to think about.  For your plane
trip, you were supposed to get 1,000 Euros and a visa, correct?

   "Yes."

   "For one kilo?"

   "Yes."

   "From what I know, 1,000 Euros and an EU work visa seems an awful lot
for moving one kilo.  Are you totally sure you would have gotten that?  I
mean, did you...  ever talk to anyone else who flew a kilo to Germany?  Did
you even know those guys, I mean...  before you went to Panama City?"

   Maria Elena paused, realizing that no, she had never talked to anyone
who had worked for Alex.

   "No.  I didn't know them...  "

   "And you weren't flying with anyone else?  No partners?"

   "No, I was alone."

   "That's not normal, Maria Elena.  Usually they fly couriers in groups,
or at least pairs."

   "People do it all the time.  I've heard of plenty of people going by
themselves."

   "Yes, but in your case, to me it seems something wasn't right.  I don't
know...  maybe Alex is a really great guy and he was trying to do you a
favor, but I doubt it.  If I had been you, I would have checked things out
a bit more carefully before getting mixed up with him."

   "There wasn't any time.  Everything was so rushed...  "

   "What you mean was that he didn't give you any time.  Time to think...
time to have some doubts...  you're right about that...  no time, but you
need to ask yourself why."

   Maria Elena was silent, not sure how to answer her companion's
skepticism.  Cecilia waved her hand to get the prisoner's attention:

   "So, can I trust you or not?"

   "Yes, you can trust me.  I promise I won't try to run away."

   "In this country, people never promise.  They simply say what they're
gonna do."

   *****

   A few minutes later Maria Elena was soundly asleep on her bed.  She was
lying on her stomach and gripping her pillow, which was the only item
besides herself that was on the bed.  Until she lay down, she had not
realized how tired she was after not having slept over the last 72 hours.
The previous night, of course, had been spent awake in that school. 
However, she had not slept the night before either, because she lay awake
restless in Panama City, both terrified of what she was about to do and
eager to start her new life in Europe.  She was beyond exhausted; too tired
to even care that she was forced to lie naked on top of a sheet.

   Cecilia told Pedro to get in bed before going downstairs to briefly talk
to Victor.  Then she went to her room and got on the Internet to deal with
correspondence and e-mails that had built up over the day.  Unlike Maria
Elena, it would be several hours before she could go to sleep, because
after answering her e-mails she had to work on progress reports for her
students.

   *****

   Victor Dukov watched Cecilia as she climbed the stairs to return to her
room.  He reflected that it had been four years since she and her nephew
had first come to his house.  She had come to live with him and his wife
after having fled the United States with her boyfriend Jason.  A very
strange couple indeed, but it was because of them that his brother was
still Prime Minister and Danubia still had an independent government.  The
entire country owed them a tremendous debt, so to allow her to stay in his
house all that time, even if a rambunctious small boy was part of the deal,
was nothing to him.

   Four years...  how much everything in his life had changed in just four
years.  Four years ago his youngest son was still living at home and his
wife was still alive.  They were both gone: the son working at a new
customs inspection station at the southern border, and his wife was in the
Realm of the Afterlife.

   Victor took off his clothes and put on a black prayer robe.  He then
returned to his living room, knelt in front of a black-framed portrait of
his wife, and began praying.  He had lost her, and fully understood that
her death was due to his own negligence.

   Victor's wife had been the one person in his life who was patient enough
to withstand his ill temper.  She understood that he was not good at
expressing himself, which frustrated him and made him seem much meaner than
he really was.  She gave him a family and sense of purpose, wearing herself
out raising three sons as well as helping him with his business venture. 
She always supported him, even when it seemed his courier service was not
going to succeed.  For years she was indispensable, spending long hours
making sure his bookkeeping was in order so he could attend to his
employees and their assignments.  Without her, his sons would not have
grown up to be responsible adults and the business would not have survived.
He fully understood that.

   Yes, Victor's business had expanded tremendously over the past several
years, but that expansion came at a huge personal cost.  His wife started
having strange pains in her body, but she chose to ignore them.  She had
felt nauseous and faint, but she pressed on.  Towards the end Victor knew
that she didn't look very good, but he dismissed the thought that anything
could be seriously wrong.  He figured that he would take her on vacation
and with some rest she'd feel better.

   The vacation was supposed to be during the summer, but in April she
finally went to see a doctor.  At the appointment the Dukovs found out what
was really going on; that she had advanced cancer and that it had spread
throughout her body.  There wasn't anything that could be done, because she
was way beyond the point that treatment could have done her any good.  By
June she was dead.

   It was August now, and Victor still had not come to terms with what had
happened.  If only he and his wife had taken better care of their bodies,
seen their doctors on a regular basis, it was for sure the cancer would
have been detected in time for something to be done about it.  It really
had been up to him to watch out for her, because she was too busy with his
needs to think about her own.

   *****

   Victor finished his prayers and rose to his feet.  For a very long time
he stared at his wife's picture, unsure what to do next.  He knew that
eventually he would have to go to bed and face another day.  He now had a
total of 63 employees: couriers, clerks, salespersons, accountants, and
supervisors.  Those people depended on him.  Cecilia and her nephew
depended on him.  Even his brother, the Prime Minister, depended on him. 
He had a grandchild that would be born within a month, so dwelling too much
in guilt would do him no good.  He felt responsible for what had happened
to his partner in life, but now he also was responsible for the futures of
so many others.  How to balance all that...  what should have been with
what would be in the future?  Really...  how?

   Victor walked upstairs and passed the door to the room where the
Colombian girl was sleeping.  The door had been left open, because as a
criminal she had to sleep uncovered in an open room.  The light from the
hallway illuminated her attractive figure.

   He stood in the doorway contemplating his new guest, wondering how long
she'd be at his house.  He vaguely suspected it would be more than "just
the few days" that Kim had told him.  The truth was that, until she could
learn some Danubian, she would have to stick close to Cecilia and living
with her was the only realistic option.  He then realized that if the
Colombian stayed longer than a few days, he really didn't mind.  For some
reason he found her interesting and was not in any hurry to get rid of her.
Strange...  he was completely unable to communicate with that girl, and yet
she fascinated him...

   *****

   A few hours later Maria Elena woke up.  At first she was totally
confused.  The room was unfamiliar, she was naked on an uncovered bed, and
she had a metal collar around her neck.  Most disconcerting was the total
silence.  She sat up and covered herself with her hands, trying to figure
out what had happened.  Surly this must be some weird dream...

   She touched the collar and looked around the room.  Then she felt the
bruises in her bottom and the welts on her thighs.  Those hurt for real...
no dream.  At that point the memories of the previous day started coming
back and she realized where she was.  No dream...  she was in a stranger's
house, in a totally foreign city, where it seemed there was only one other
person who spoke Spanish.

   She touched the collar again and put her finger through the metal loop.
No escape...  there was no escape.  She could go downstairs and even step
out the front door if she wanted, but because that collar had a transmitter
on it, there was no escape.

   No escape.  It was not only because of her collar there was no escape,
it also was because she had nowhere to run.  Really...  no where to go. 
Without money and a visa there was no point in trying to go to Spain.  Most
certainly she did not want to be deported back to Colombia.  Many of her
friends had wanted to go to the United States, but for some reason she had
no desire to go there, nor did she want to go anywhere else in Latin
America.  Her earlier thoughts of running now seemed silly, because even
without her collar, she was trapped.

   Maria Elena slipped downstairs and decided that she did indeed want to
step outside.  However, she propped open the front door to make sure she
could get back in.  The pre-dawn darkness was incredibly peaceful, because
there were no sounds of traffic to disturb the quiet.  No one was moving
about; she was totally alone on the solitary street.  There was a slight
rustling of leaves in the night breeze, but that was it.  The cool air
seemed to caress her bare body.  For the first time since her arrest, she
actually was enjoying the sensation of being naked outside.

   She reflected that it only had been 18 hours since she had been
arrested, and yet so much had changed in that short time.  She wondered
what happened in Frankfurt when Flight 2298 finally arrived, and El Flaco
stood by, waiting for a call from her cell phone that never came.  Maria
Elena guessed that he probably called Alex to confirm that a courier was
indeed supposed to be on that flight.  They would have spent the rest of
the morning figuring out that the flight had been diverted to Danubia, that
Maria Elena traveled as far as Danubikt Moskt, but that she never made it
back on the plane.  The only question remaining would have been to
determine whether she had been arrested by the Danubians or whether she had
decided to not re-board the plane on her own, in hope of stealing the
cocaine she was carrying and trying to sell it herself.  As for the
boyfriend who had been responsible for her getting into drug trafficking in
the first place, Maria Elena was realistic.  Undoubtedly already he was
working on some other idiotic na�ve girl, using his fancy car and expert
Salsa dancing to seduce someone equally as stupid as herself.  It was
likely that he already had totally forgotten about her.

   There was one change that she could be happy about.  She realized that
her Spokeswoman probably was right when she asserted that in Danubia, Maria
Elena was totally safe from Alex and El Flaco.  She would not have been so
safe from them had she gone to Spain...  and...

   Suddenly Cecilia's words of doubt entered her mind...  1,000 Euros... 
that was indeed a lot of money.  Was it possible that El Flaco really had
no intention of actually giving it to her?  What if Cecilia was right?  El
Flaco didn't know her, so what would have prevented him from murdering her
and keeping the 1,000 Euros for himself?  Now that she had some time to
reflect, that frightening possibility loomed in her imagination.  Another
scenario forced itself into her thoughts.  Germany...  why did they have
her fly to Germany?  Wouldn't Spain have been more logical?  Maria Elena
didn't speak any German; so in that country she would have been totally
helpless...  especially if they took her passport.  Maybe that was what
they wanted?  Yes...  she had heard stories about women from all over the
world traveling illegally to various Western countries and ending up...

   Maria Elena tried to catch her breath.  She thought about Cecilia's
questions, and started remembering various details in Panama City, small
things that should have alerted her that she was placing herself in very
grave danger.  She chose to ignore those warnings, because she was so
blinded by her dream of going to Spain.  She realized, she now knew, that
there was no chance that El Flaco simply would have paid her off and
allowed her to leave Germany.  No, he had something much more sinister in
mind for her.  A terrifying thought: had she not been arrested, had she
continued on to Germany, would she even still be alive right now?

   *****

   Trembling with fear and badly shaken, she went back inside, closing the
door behind her.  She went to the bathroom and managed to calm her nerves.
To distract her mind from her frightening situation, she stopped in the
hallway and studied herself in a full-length mirror.  She realized that her
figure was attractive.  That came as a surprise to her, because she never
really had looked at herself naked in a full length mirror before.  She
still had tan-lines from the swimsuit that she normally wore in Colombia,
but she knew those would be gone within a few days; one more detail from
her previous life that was destined to disappear.

   Maria Elena returned to her bed and fell back asleep.  She had only been
up an hour, but during that short time she clearly understood that she
needed to accept what had happened.  The only future for her would be a
future in Danubia, because for her there were no alternatives.

   The Path of her Life...  as the people around her kept saying...



   Chapter 6 - Nothing to be proud of

   Cecilia was awake as soon as it started to get light outside.  She
started breakfast for the household, roused her nephew to force him to get
ready for school, and finally laid out a pressed shirt and suit for Victor
Dukov.  Up until late April, most of those tasks had been handled by Mrs.
Dukov.  Cecilia took over the household responsibilities shortly after the
cancer diagnosis and had been in complete charge of the house since May.

   As Cecilia pulled a stack of dishes out of the cupboard and started
distributing them around the dining room table, it suddenly occurred to her
that Maria Elena, if she remained in Victor's house, could take over most
of the housework.  The idea made sense, because it would automatically give
the Colombian a place to live and right away make her a useful member of
the household.  More importantly, having Maria Elena take over the chores
would free Cecilia to concentrate on her own responsibilities at the
university.  She felt that she owed it to the Dukovs to help out when Mrs.
Dukov became sick, but she had no intention of taking care of the house
more than a few weeks.  Four months had gone by and there was no sign that
Victor was ready to assume any of the household responsibilities, or any
sign that anyone else was about to come in and relieve Cecilia.  Now,
possibly, she had stumbled across a solution to her problem.

   Cecilia woke up Maria Elena and ordered her to join her in the kitchen.
She continued to cook, but told the Colombian to start taking food to the
dining room and to clean the pans.  That freed up Cecilia to push her
nephew to get ready for school and to check his homework.  She then checked
on Victor, who was close to being ready to go downstairs.  Ordinarily
Cecilia would have started making his bed, but she realized that she could
have Maria Elena do that.  Yes, she thought to herself, Prisoner # 101025
is gonna earn her keep from day one.

   Once the table was set, the Colombian stood quietly, not sure whether to
sit down or not.  Cecilia made sure that Victor, as the head of the
household, was properly seated before Pedro could sit down.  Then she
addressed Maria Elena:

   "Kneel.  Once Victor gives you permission to join us, you'll need to
thank him and you can take a seat."

   Once Maria Elena and Cecilia sat down and started eating, Cecilia
explained:

   "You'll have to kneel before each meal, 'cause you're a criminal.  It's
not just you; Jason has to do the same thing when he comes over.  It's not
so bad, because Victor is at least letting you sit at his table, which is a
favor in this country.  In a lot of households criminals have to eat in the
kitchen because of the shame they've brought upon everyone else.  There's a
lot of parents who won't even allow their kid to sit on any of their
furniture if he's collared.  He has to eat standing up and kneel if he's
talking to anyone.  Victor won't make you do that unless he's pissed at
you."

   Cecilia briefly talked to Victor in Danubian to present her idea of
having the detainee permanently stay at the house in exchange for helping
out with the chores.  He was much more receptive to the proposal than
Cecilia had anticipated, which meant that the only person she still had to
convince was Kim.  If the Spokeswoman agreed, then Cecilia would simply
tell Maria Elena about the arrangement and she would be expected to comply.

   However, as she considered the prisoner's situation, she decided that
she did at least owe her an explanation.  She asked Victor to take Pedro to
the school bus stop while she and the prisoner would remain behind to clean
up from breakfast.  Once the kitchen was clean, she ordered Maria Elena to
sit down in the living room so she could braid her hair.  Since properly
braiding her companion's hair would take about 30 minutes, Cecilia used
that opportunity to explain the plan of having her live with Victor Dukov
permanently.

   "There's a couple of things I'm worried about.  First of all, I've got
my classes, my fiance, my nephew, and 60 exchange students to deal with,
and I'm not doing any of that very well because I'm having to take care of
Victor.  I owe him a lot, but I also have my other responsibilities and I
need some help.  Also, because of your language problem, you'd have to stay
here for a couple of months anyway, so I figure we can make that permanent
from the outset.  That way you won't have to worry about where you're gonna
live, because that'll be taken care of.  So, we've got a solution to
several problems.  Does that make sense?"

   "Yes, Cecilia."

   "Now, you're not here to relax.  You're here to help me and Victor, and
you're here to do what I tell you.  Eventually you'll know what needs to be
done, and I'll expect you to do it automatically.  Victor's OK with the
idea, so the only person I need to talk to is your Spokeswoman.  I don't
know if she has any other ideas about where you should live, but if I have
my way, you're staying here."

   With that Cecilia told Maria Elena to stand up and look at herself in
the mirror.  The prisoner looked very different with her hair tightly
braided.  She did not like her appearance at all.  Cecilia picked up on her
disapproving expression:

   "You're in Danubia.  This is the way women keep their hair.  A lot of
those strange looks you got yesterday had nothing to do with the fact that
you were naked or collared, it was because of your hair.  Women just don't
have loose hair in this country.  That's something that actually they've
gotten stricter about over the last couple of years, I think because they
don't like the foreign tourists coming in with their hair flying all
around."

   Cecilia grabbed two large sacks of books and student papers to take to
the university.  She handed the heavier one to Maria Elena and the two
women exited the house.  They walked several blocks along tree-lined
streets before entering the main campus of the National University. 
Because classes had not yet started, the university was largely empty, with
the exception of grounds-keepers and several groups of students who were
exercising.

   The prisoner was shocked to see that the majority of the people on
campus were naked.  Cecilia explained that exercise was normally done in
the nude, since swimwear and most athletic clothing were prohibited by law.
The students who were running wore shoes and nothing else.  As for the
grounds-keepers, most of the older employees were dressed wearing nothing
but knee-pads, aprons, and wide-brim hats, while several collared criminals
working under their direction were as naked as Maria Elena.  This was one
weird country: they made such a big deal about braided hair, but no one
cared about public nudity.

   Cecilia noticed the gardeners and commented: "This might not be a bad
job for you, working in the garden at the university.  It's right next to
where you live, it would fulfill the work requirements of you being out in
the open, and wouldn't require much language.  I don't think your
Spokeswoman thought about grounds-keeping as an option.  I'll suggest it
when we see her."

   Maria Elena said nothing, but inwardly cringed.  Digging in the dirt
with her hands?  Certainly that was beneath her; she wasn't a peasant,
after-all.

   Cecilia led her companion to the exchange program office to drop off the
books.  She then told Maria Elena to follow her to a professor's office to
introduce her and request that she be added to the exchange program's
Danubian language training group.  Cecilia ordered the prisoner to kneel
during the introduction, but then told her to stand up.  The professor and
the program coordinator talked briefly before she turned to Maria Elena:

   "OK, you're in luck.  The professor's gonna add you to the program.  To
make sure you're not totally lost in class this afternoon, right now he's
gonna give you the basics of Danubian and teach you the alphabet.  I need
to meet with some of my students anyway, so I'll just leave you here."

   For the next two hours Maria Elena received an intense class in Danubian
language training.  The professor grilled her on the alphabet and taught
her some fundamental phrases and questions that she needed to know for
simple survival.  She learned numbers and how to say her legal name in
Danubian, she learned how to ask for permission for basic needs such as
going to the bathroom, and she learned greetings appropriate for a
criminal. Finally the instructor gave her a study guide from the class and
ordered her to review it until Cecilia returned.

   Twenty-four hours had passed since Maria Elena had been arrested, but
already her new life was beginning to take shape.  She had a place to live,
she knew what her legal situation would be, and she had learned a few words
and phrases needed to exist in the country that held her captive.  She
understood that there would be no transition for her.  She already was
considered a criminal and as such, had her established place in Danubian
society.  No one considered her as Maria Elena Rodriguez-Torres, the
Colombian detainee.  To the Danubians she was Prisoner # 101025, property
of the Danubian Republic.  The people around her would assist her as much
as they could, but only to help her understand and assume her duties as a
criminal.  No one was interested in helping her regain her freedom or
return to her old life.

   *****

   Three hours after she departed, Cecilia Sanchez returned to pick up her
prisoner and escort her downtown to the Central Police Station.  Cecilia
explained that within a few days Maria Elena would be expected to make the
trip by herself, pointing out which trolley routes she needed to know to
travel downtown and to return to the university:

   "Downtown's pretty hard to miss.  It's got a huge wall around it and if
you get lost; just look for the cathedral."

   Maria Elena noticed that with her hair properly braided, she did indeed
draw less attention than she did the previous day.  Of course, most of the
men at least noticed her, but their glances were not much more than she got
in Pereira when she wore her favorite mini-skirt.  On interesting
difference was that the men who looked at her were much better behaved than
many of the younger men in her home country.  There were no remarks,
whistles, or cat-calls, because the Danubians considered such behavior
dishonorable.  The men were free to look, but whatever thoughts they had
about the naked prisoner they kept to themselves.

   When Cecilia escorted Maria Elena to Kim's office, Criminal # 98946 was
waiting in the reception area to let them in.  The Spokeswoman invited her
assistant and her two guests to have tea with her in the back office. 
Cecilia reminded Maria Elena that it ultimately was Kim who was her mentor
and it was with Kim that she would have to work out the details of her
future life as a criminal.

   Cecilia conversed with the Spokeswoman in English, explaining her idea
of having Maria Elena stay with Victor Dukov permanently and possibly
request work at the university as a groundskeeper.  Kim seemed satisfied
that her prisoner already had received her first class in Danubian.  She
asked what Maria Elena thought of Victor.  When Maria Elena answered
honestly that she wasn't sure what she thought of him, Kim responded:

   "Did you know that I used to work for him?"

   "Yes, Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna, he told me last night.  He also said
that you were one of his favorite employees."

   Kim turned her head slightly.  She tapped her neck and glanced at
Cecilia, who shook her head.

   "Did you know that when I worked for him, I was a criminal?"

   When Maria Elena heard the translation, she wasn't sure she had
understood correctly.  Spokeswoman Kimberly Lee-Dolkivna...  a criminal?

   The Spokeswoman called her attention to a tapestry hanging on the wall
behind her desk.  She took it down, revealing several objects from her own
past.  There was a brightly-colored t-shirt with a marijuana leaf on the
front, a criminal's collar with a broken latch, and a small picture of
herself with the following inscription:

   "Zek nom.  98945 - Kimberly Lee - USA"

   Maria Elena studied the mug-shot.  The image must have been taken about
seven years before, when Kimberly Lee was only 18 years old.  Her hair was
very short and her expression reflected pure terror and bewilderment, a
total contrast with how she currently looked, sitting confidently at her
desk.

   "For two years, my name was Criminal # 98945.  I served a two-year
sentence for smoking marijuana behind the Temple of the Ancients.  For two
years I wore this collar you see hanging on my wall and I wore nothing
else. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

   "I...  y...  yes...  Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna...  I understand...  "

   I am telling you this, because I want you to understand that I had to
endure some of what you will have to endure.  You have no right to assume
that I really don't know what you are going through, because I was there
myself.  Seven years ago, I sat in that same chair where you're sitting,
the very same chair.  Just like you, I sat naked on a towel, because as a
prisoner I was forbidden to wear clothing.  And just like you, I went on
trial and was punished.  I know how you feel right now, because everything
you are feeling I felt myself.  Do you understand me?"

   After listening to Cecilia's translation, Maria Elena managed to
respond:

   "Doc-doc, Advodkatna Lee-Dolkivna."

   "When I told you yesterday that the Path of my Life was to serve as your
custodian and your mentor, I actually meant that.  I have a Path in Life,
which was laid out by the Creator before I ever set foot in Danubia.  That
is why I was arrested and that is why I served a two-year sentence.  You
will understand that you too, have a Path in Life, a path that brought us
together."

   Maria Elena face was blank, because she had no clue how she should
respond.  The Spokeswoman continued:

   "I am telling you this, because I don't want you to assume your life has
ended just because you were arrested.  It hasn't.  Your life has changed,
but it hasn't ended.  Nor has your life been suspended.  You will lead your
life day by day, and your duty to the Creator, to everyone around you, and
to yourself, is to make the best out of it.  And those words are not mine.
They were from my own Spokesman, something he told me the second day of my
sentence."

   Maria Elena was silent.  Finally she was able to respond with a
question: "So...  Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna...  I was wondering...  what's
gonna happen to me?  My life...  the one you're talking about...  what is
my life gonna be like?"

   "You're screwed legally, and I'm telling you that up front.  You'll
probably be wearing a collar for 55 years, like the arraignment committee
told you.  So, you'll live out the rest of your life just like you are now.
No clothes, no makeup, no jewelry.  No drinking, no drugs.  Your purpose
will be to serve society and those around you.  You will lead a demanding
life, but you will also always understand what is expected of you.  No one
will lie to you, and you won't lie either, because you won't have any
reason to lie.  At some point you'll come to terms with what happened, and
when you do, you'll learn to speak Danubian, make new friends, and probably
fall in love with someone.  Then the years will go by and you'll get older,
just like everyone else.  That will be the Path of your Life, as they say
here."

   "The Path of my Life...  "

   "The Path of your Life...  you will understand...  just like Criminal #
98946...  just like me...  just like all of my other clients."

   Maria Elena's thoughts returned to her conversation with Cecilia, and
the possibility that she might have been double-crossed and murdered had
she completed her trip to Germany.  Her mind was full of doubt...  was she
extraordinarily lucky, or unlucky?  What really awaited her in Frankfurt...
la plata or el plomo?

   *****

   The Spokeswoman did not give her client much time to reflect, because
there still were several issues that she needed to resolve, the most
important of which was making sure she was gainfully employed.  Cecilia
immediately brought up the idea of having Maria Elena work as a gardener at
the university.

   "Yes, that's better than anything I was able to think of.  The best
thing would've been for her to work for Victor, but since she can't ride a
bicycle, I guess the university is her best option.  I'll call over there
and see if they need anyone."

   Kim picked up the phone while Cecilia told Maria Elena what had been
decided.  It was obvious that she was not at all happy with the prospect of
being a gardener.  Cecilia responded:

   "What's wrong with being a gardener?"

   Maria Elena couldn't express what she was thinking, but what bothered
her was the idea of ruining her hands.  Even two days after being arrested,
her manicured fingernails were intact, the final link to a former life that
allowed her to worry about her appearance.  At any other time in her life
she would have dreaded getting her hands dirty, but in Danubia that fear
was even stronger, because it was her last shred of personal vanity, one
that she had hoped to preserve.

   "Please...  can't it be anything else?"

   "Yes, it can.  You can change jobs after you learn to speak Danubian. 
But right now you can't communicate, which limits what you can do.  If you
don't like gardening, then that'll be an incentive to do well in language
class."

   Maria Elena paused, desperately trying to think of an argument that
would get her out of the gardening job.  Meanwhile, Kim put her hand over
the phone's receiver and asked Cecilia in English:

   "What's the language class schedule for your students?"

   "13:00 to 16:00, Monday through Saturday.  In the mornings they go out
on city tours."

   "What about P.E.?
"16:30 to 17:30."

   "Do they want her to participate in that?"

   "Yes, to be in the language program, she's gonna have to participate."

   "OK, then I'll have her work from 9:00 to 12:00.  I'll have to petition
the Ministry to get it approved, because that's a reduced schedule.  I want
her to learn Danubian and, for the moment, that takes priority over
working. Also, you can tell her that if she's getting a reduced work
schedule, she'd better bust her ass at night for you and Victor.  You tell
her I'm doing her a favor."

   Cecilia translated, adding that she wanted Maria Elena to thank her
Spokeswoman.  The prisoner did not look happy at all.  Cecilia became
irritated:

   "What's your problem?  That's a huge break for you!  You're only gonna
have to work three hours a day!  I wish I could work just three hours a
day! Now, you get on your knees and you thank her!"

   Reluctantly the Maria Elena did as she was told, repeating a phrase she
had learned that morning:

   "Spakeebo dek mene."

   Once the prisoner was on her knees with her hands resting on her thighs,
Cecilia realized why she was so reluctant.  She had beautifully manicured
fingernails.  Obviously that would change the moment Maria Elena's hands
went into the dirt.  Well, that was just too bad, because Danubian women
(even ones that held professional jobs) didn't let their fingernails grow
out or wear nail polish.  One more thing for her to get adjusted to...

   Criminal # 98946 stuck her head in the door to let Kim know that the
police had just brought in a new detainee.  It was obvious her time with
Prisoner # 101025 had ended, because now she had to deal with her newest
client.  As the women exited the back office, they saw a cop standing over
a very depressed young man.  He was completely naked and was kneeling with
his hands cuffed behind his back.  Unlike Maria Elena, whose detention had
not really been normal, the young man had been photographed and assigned a
criminal number right after being arrested.  After exchanging salutes with
Kim, the cop handed over the client's paperwork and introduced him as
Prisoner # 101048.

   Cecilia commented in Spanish:

   "We need to go.  Kneel and say good-bye."

   Once they had exited the Central Police Station, Cecilia addressed Maria
Elena's fingernail problem, explaining that painted fingernails were
similar to unbraided hair in Danubia; something foreign and not considered
appropriate.  "...  in a way it makes sense because, look at yourself, for
example.  Here you have this really great work schedule and all you can
think about is ruining your nails.  Don't think I can't sympathize with you
because I do.  You take a look at my pictures before I came here, and
you'll see I liked bright red lipstick and bright red nail polish...  and
they always had to match.  I was thinking about that all the time...  but
once I came here I had to give it up."

   Cecilia glanced at Maria Elena's hands:

   "You got 'em done in Panama?"

   "Yes, sort of a last treat before my trip."

   "Well, enjoy them for now, because when we get home tonight you'll have
to cut 'em short.  It's not because you'll be digging tomorrow, you'd have
to do it anyway.  No matter where you'd work, you'd have to cut your
nails."

   *****

   Thirty minutes later Maria Elena was sitting in a class with 15 exchange
program students.  Most of them were from the United States, although there
were two Canadians and a guy from Ireland among them.  After being able to
forget about being naked in public for several hours, in the classroom she
felt very intimidated because she was the only nude person in the group. 
She noticed the guys constantly looking at her, but as best she could,
tried to ignore them.

   The professor came to her aid by watching for anyone paying more
attention to the naked Colombian than to his class and calling on that
person.  Time after time he tripped up inattentive classmates, until
finally they were able to focus on the fact that they needed to concentrate
on Danubian vocabulary and not on Maria Elena's body.  The professor
avoided calling on Maria Elena the first day, but she knew that he'd expect
her to participate after the newness of her situation wore off.

   *****

   After class the students immediately headed to the gym, while Maria
Elena stayed behind to wait for her translator.  When she showed up at the
door, the prisoner was shocked, because Cecilia was completely naked except
for a pair of running shoes.  In her hands was another pair of shoes.  It
turned out the extra pair of shoes were Maria Elena's, borrowed from her
seized clothing.

   "Exercise time.  I need to go out with my group, and you're coming with
us.  Put these on."

   They left the language faculty building to join a group of about 30
women, all of whom were completely naked except for running shoes.  A group
of naked young men had gathered about 100 meters away and already were
standing in formation.  Maria Elena recognized them as the male
participants of Cecilia's exchange program.  In both high school and at the
university, men and women always exercised in separate groups, to prevent
them from being distracted by members of the opposite sex.

   The women were all from Cecilia's exchange program.  Four
larger-breasted women who had obtained medical waivers carried folded
sports bras in their hands.  However, they would only be allowed to put on
the bras when the group was ready to start running.  During the stretching
exercises and immediately after the run they would have to take them off.

   A female Danubian fitness instructor, who was equally naked, was in
charge of the class.  She picked up a leather switch and snapped at the
group in Danubian.  The women quickly lined up and spaced themselves for
stretching.  The instructor used the implement to point at a couple of
students who had not positioned themselves properly within the group.  Very
quickly they complied with her commands.

   As scary as the scene might have been for someone who had never seen a
fitness class at the National University, it was obvious that Cecilia and
her students were used to what they were doing.  Fitness was a serious
matter for all students and participants in the foreign exchange program
were no exception.  The students had been informed about fitness classes
during orientation and had to sign waivers upon entering the program.  The
instructor kept a sharp eye on everyone in the group, and a quick swipe of
the switch across the bottom or thighs was the penalty for anyone not
putting full effort into her exercising.  Nearly everyone in the class,
Cecilia included, had taken a stroke or two at some point.

   Maria Elena was included in the fitness group because she would be
attending language classes along with the US students.  As long as she was
studying Danubian with the exchange program, she would have to exercise
with the North Americans.  Cecilia explained that the newcomer would be
expected to stretch with the group on the first day and perform some of the
more basic exercises, but for the moment was excused from running.  Within
a few days she would be expected to run with the others, once she was
completely recovered from her experience at the airport.

   An hour later Maria Elena joined 30 very exhausted women in the shower.
The women chatted in English, but there was one student from Miami who
spoke some Spanish and was able to communicate with her.  She commented
that a couple of the guys in the group also spoke Spanish, one of them
fluently.  That was heartening news for the prisoner, the hope that she
might be able to converse with someone besides the bossy Dominican.

   *****

   Upon leaving the shower room, Cecilia told Maria Elena to pick up her
study materials and follow her back to Victor Dukov's house.  They were
joined by Cecilia's fiance, who would be accompanying the two women back
home.  Later Maria Elena would learn that anytime Cecilia traveled around
Danubikt Moskt, she liked having Jason go with her, even if she was wasting
his time.  It was not because Cecilia perceived any danger in the Danubian
capitol, or because she wanted to show him off.  Instead, she suffered from
real anxiety if she was separated from him for more than a few hours. 
Maria Elena later calculated that Cecilia could spend up to six hours
without Jason in her sight: anything more than that made her nervous and
depressed.  She didn't merely love him: her feelings towards him came much
closer to a desperate need for him.

   That night, however, Cecilia was not wasting Jason's time.  The couple
would be going out on a date, to a place called the Socrates Club.  Cecilia
promised to invite Maria Elena in the future, but informed her that night
she needed to clean the house, cook dinner for Victor and Pedro, and study
Danubian for the next day's lesson.  "After your trial, you'll have plenty
of time to go to the Socrates Club...  you'll have the rest of your life to
hang out there."

   Cecilia left instructions in the kitchen for dinner: a salad, boiled
potatoes with fried vegetables, and blackberries for dessert.  Victor
helped Pedro with his homework while Maria Elena cleaned up from dinner and
straightened the house.  She laid out the clothing that Victor would wear
the next day and changed his sheets.  Finally she managed to take a bath.

   After that she sat down to do something she hadn't done in three
years... study.  She had dropped out of school at age 16, missing
graduation by only one year.  A wasted opportunity, just one out of several
chances in life she had passed up.  At first it was hard for her to
concentrate, but suddenly a long-lost feeling of hope welled up inside her
as she tried to memorize the guide book given to her by the professor.  She
now had a goal for the following day, something that was achievable.  She
was determined that, if called on in class, she would give correct answers
and outsmart the norteamericanos.

   *****

   Two hours later Maria Elena was too tired to continue studying and was
satisfied that she was adequately prepared for the following day.  She
decided to make herself some herbal tea before going to bed.  She quietly
slipped by Victor, who was in the living room praying in front of his
wife's portrait.  There was something very sinister about that black prayer
robe...  she thought to herself...  very medieval...  from a different
time...

   She pushed that thought aside and quietly boiled a kettle of water.  She
poured herself a cup and proceeded to take it upstairs when she noticed
Victor just standing in front of that picture.  In a flash she realized she
had a very good opportunity to ingratiate herself with him, by offering him
a cup of tea.  She took the cup originally intended for herself and walked
up to him.  She lightly tapped the spoon against the cup to avoid startling
him.  As soon as she was close to him, she knelt, and without saying
anything, offered him the tea.

   It was a small gesture, but it had a huge effect on Victor.  With
trembling hands he took the cup.  Then he held out a hand to help Maria
Elena rise to her feet.  His eyes were full of tears.  He pointed at the
picture:

   "Minak jinokt.  Onakt nad Juni mortk dek."

   He took a sip from the cup.  After a long pause he spoke again:

   "Spakeebo dek.  Spakeebo."

   Maria Elena was able to ask him one question, something she had learned
that afternoon in class.  She knew how to ask if he would be alright:

   "Ved budkt doc-doc dek?"

   He nodded.  "Doc-doc...  doc-doc...  "

   However his expression told her something very different.  It was clear
that he wasn't going to be alright.  She tried to give him a sympathetic
look.  He drew a deep breath, wanting to tell her that he deeply
appreciated her effort at condolence, but also knowing that she would not
understand what he was trying to say.  He drank the rest of the tea and
handed back the cup.

   Finally he touched her hand and repeated:

   "Spakeebo dek."

   "Doc."

   With that Maria Elena figured she was dismissed and returned to the
kitchen to clean the cup and put it away.  When she re-entered the living
room, Victor already was gone.  She decided that she too, needed to go to
bed.  She brushed her teeth and noticed her fingernails.  With deep regret
she searched among Cecilia's items in the bathroom and found a fingernail
clipper.  She held the device to the first nail, took a deep breath, and
clamped down.  She clipped as quickly as she could, but could not prevent
tears from welling up in her eyes as she contemplated her ruined nails.

   Maria Elena looked at herself in the mirror: her uncovered body, that
horrid collar, her face without any makeup, her ears devoid of earrings,
and those weird braids.  It was surreal and terrifying to think that the
image in the mirror was what she had become.  On the inside she didn't feel
like what she saw in the reflection, but she knew that it was only a matter
of time before what she was on the inside would match the image she saw in
the mirror.

   She heard a question in her mind, from a voice that was as clear as if
it had come from someone standing next to her:

   "Is becoming different really so bad, Maria Elena?  Can you tell me that
you actually liked who you used to be?  Is there anything you've ever done
with your life that you can say you're proud of?"

   She turned around with a start, but there was no one in sight.  Even so,
she could feel the presence...  of something...  or someone...  and it was
enough for her to answer out loud:

   "No, nothing to be proud of...  nothing...  absolutely nothing...  "

   She returned to her room and lay awake on top of her sheet for a few
minutes, but finally forced herself to go to sleep.