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 ï>¿The Courier by EC

   Chapter 7 - An Understanding

   Maria Elena woke up in the middle of the night.  She realized that she
was awake because she heard someone coming through the front door.  Still
not accustomed to living in a country where break-ins were very rare, she
silently went into the hallway to investigate.  Very quietly she looked
down the stairs, to observe Cecilia and her naked fiance embraced in the
front entryway.  They were passionately going at it, a make-out session
they would not even think of doing if they suspected Victor were watching.
Cecilia was running her hands up and down Jason's body, concentrating on
his bottom.  She spoke to him in English:

   "You're a bad boy...  such a bad boy.  You know that, don't you?"

   "I'm bad...  yes Cecilia...  so bad...  "

   Cecilia took his penis in her hand and began massaging it.

   "And what happens to bad boys like you?"

   "We get spanked.  Ohhhh...  "

   "Hmmmm...  spanked...  Really?  Is that what you want, bad boy?"

   "I...  Oh yes...  please...  spank me...  "

   "Hmmmm...  you really are a bad boy...  if that's what you want...  and
you do deserve to be spanked.  Well, you know I can't do it here...  but
tomorrow night...  I'm gonna spank you good...  on the bare bottom...  Hmm?
You like that?"

   "Yes...  please...  "

   She gave him one last squeeze, leaving him very erect.  She gave him a
lingering goodbye kiss, and with that he was dismissed.  She totally loved
getting him aroused before saying goodnight and sending him home.  Of
course that meant he would have to walk instead of taking the trolley and
try to stay out of people's sight.  There was no chance that his erection
would go down anytime soon and his fiance had forbidden him to touch
himself.

   Maria Elena didn't understand much of what Cecilia had said to Jason,
but it was obvious that she was talking to him seductively.  Even in the
darkness she could make out his attractive figure and very erect penis. 
She felt a strange longing for him, something that terrified her because
the last thing she wanted to do was cross Cecilia.  She knew that the
quickest way to gain the Dominican's animosity would be to show any
attraction towards Jason.  And it was obvious that Cecilia was extremely
vigilant for potential rivals because she was very aware of how attractive
Jason was.

   Maria Elena quickly retreated back to her room to avoid being caught. 
She curled up on her bed with her back to the door as she heard the
Dominican's quiet footsteps in the hallway.  Cecilia peeked in to make sure
the prisoner was in her bed and doing all right, unaware that she and Jason
had been watched.  She quickly got cleaned up and went to sleep.

   Once Cecilia's door was closed, Maria Elena lay on her back.  For the
first time since she had left Panama, she was aroused.  Slowly she began
running her fingertips over her breasts and stomach, before gently stroking
the insides of her thighs.

   She fantasized about Jason...  his lovely body...  his shy expression...
imagining herself in Cecilia's place, with his bare body always within her
reach.  Then, in her mind she changed places with him, imagining herself as
he had been over the past four years, never wearing anything...  and
then...

   She paused and sat up, realizing that she already was in Jason's
place... just like him she was naked and collared...  destined to never
touch clothing again.  She got out of bed and looked at herself in the
dresser mirror.  Naked and collared...  her Path in Life...  well, at least
she had a body that was worth looking at...  at least that...

   She lay back on her bed...  her body still aroused as her mind tried to
settle on something, a thought or a fantasy, that would allow her to
climax. Naked and collared...  and kneeling...

   Suddenly her thoughts returned to that moment when she knelt to offer
Victor a cup of tea.  At the moment she had not focused on sex at all, but
looking back, she found the thought of serving the master of the house
while naked, kneeling, and collared, totally erotic.  As her fingers
explored the sensitive area between her legs, the idea of being Victor's
naked servant took hold of her.  She would kneel to serve him his tea and
coffee, she could care for him, she would surrender to him.  She would be
his...  to do with as he pleased, and he would not be able to live without
her...

   ...  just like Cecilia could not live without Jason...  Oh yes...

   She climaxed, sweat pouring down her body as she imagined herself,
always naked...  always kneeling...  the perfect servant...

   Slowly the spell lifted and her body's desires released her back into
reality.  For a long time she lay awake, realizing that she had just
fantasized about something that could be all too real.  It looked like it
was indeed her destiny to live as Victor's servant, because Cecilia had
openly stated that she wanted Maria Elena to take her place running the
household.

   The prisoner pondered how such a life would unfold, and how Victor
eventually would see her.  She paused, wondering: is that all I want for
myself?  To be a household servant?  Her thoughts wandered again, because
she recalled that Kim had told her that she was property of the Danubian
government.  Her service would be to Danubia as a whole, not to a
particular person...  and yet...  she felt that was not the message she was
getting from Cecilia.

   Finally she managed to go to sleep...  but the memory of herself
kneeling and serving Victor held fast in her imagination.

   *****

   Maria Elena woke up early the next morning.  She was still very confused
about the tumultuous thoughts and fantasies she had endured just a few
hours before.  She went downstairs, wondering if Cecilia was already awake.
When she saw that the kitchen was empty, she presumed that the Dominican
must have overslept due to her night with Jason.

   The prisoner decided to boil a kettle of water while she set the table
and laid out ingredients for Cecilia to cook.  She still did not know what
to make for breakfast and would leave that to her translator, but at least
she could help set up.  After the water boiled, Maria Elena prepared a pot
of tea and poured a cup.

   Now she realized that she had an important decision to make.  Should she
take the cup upstairs and offer it to Victor in his room?  Yes, she had
fantasized about doing just that a few hours before, but should she do it
for real?

   Yes, she would.  She determined to test at least one fantasy and was
curious to see what would happen.  She would be the first person Victor
would see that morning, and she would offer him the first cup of tea he
would drink that day.  Trembling slightly, she went up the stairs, very
conscious of being naked.  However, her exposure no longer humiliated her;
instead she was experiencing a much more complicated feeling of sexiness
and vulnerability.

   She lightly knocked on Victor's door.

   "Nad budshkt dek."

   "Doc?"

   "Nad budshkt dek.  Doc."

   Presuming that he had given her permission to enter the room, she pushed
past the door.  He was almost finished getting dressed; only lacking his
tie and his shoes.  Maria Elena trembled as she approached him, not able to
understand herself why she was so scared.  She knelt, shyly holding up the
cup of tea.

   Victor seemed surprised, but he took the cup and responded:

   "Spakeebo dek."

   Maria Elena was very nervous, because she had no idea what she wanted or
what she expected to happen next.  Part of her was desperate to get the
awkward moment over as quickly as possible, but another part of her
insisted that she was where she belonged, on her knees in front of the
master of the house.  Victor took a sip of tea.  He sensed her unease and
rescued her by first pointing at his feet and then at the closet.

   "Meni chorni scarpikti tam dek."

   Maria Elena remembered that "chorno" in Danubian meant black.  By
pointing at his feet, Victor had indicted he wanted his shoes, the black
ones.  He had issued his first command to her.  She immediately got up and
brought him the shoes.  She knelt and held them out for him to put on. 
Once he finished, he smiled slightly and touched her bare shoulder.

   "Harashna div-jinok."

   He let out a short whistle and pointed at the door, and with that they
descended the stairs to have breakfast.  Cecilia already was setting the
table, with Pedro impatiently standing by, waiting to sit.  Maria Elena
pulled out Victor's chair for him to sit down and quickly knelt, awaiting
permission to join the others at the table.  Cecilia glanced at her with a
curious expression, but at the breakfast table said nothing.  After
breakfast Cecilia attended to her nephew while Maria Elena cleaned up from
breakfast.  She quickly returned to Victor's bedroom to make his bed and
clean the upstairs bathroom.

   *****

   At 9:00 Maria Elena started her new job at the university.  She would
work under the direction of an older couple who had been groundskeepers for
nearly 40 years.  Her new bosses knew exactly how to treat her and make her
feel comfortable, because over the years they had employed dozens of
criminals, including several foreigners.  Maria Elena's first assignment
was very easy to understand; she needed to clear grass that was growing
among some flowers without damaging the flowers themselves.  The gardeners
talked very little, but showed her what needed to be done and what to do
with the discarded grass.  The work was tedious and time-consuming, but the
only way to do it was by hand.

   Maria Elena was still self-conscious about her body, and at first tried
to sit to avoid exposing her naked crotch.  However, she was not able to
move through her work quickly and her legs began to cramp.  Finally she
gave up on sitting and got on her hands and knees.  She realized that every
time she leaned forward she was completely exposing herself, but her only
other option would have been to not have the flowerbed finished before she
got off at noon.  It also occurred to her that if the sun shined directly
on her bottom it was likely her bruises would heal faster.  As she knelt
forward and started pulling out grass roots, she felt the warm morning sun
shining between her legs and realized that she liked the sensation.  The
unimaginable was happening: she was enjoying the feeling of being naked
outdoors, of feeling the warm air and sunshine on her exposed bottom-hole
and vagina.  Exactly 48 hours after the moment she was arrested, her
inhibitions faded completely and the prospect of facing a life in the nude
no longer horrified her.

   She had an excellent day in class.  She was able to fully participate
and keep up with the norteamericanos.  She was not any more knowledgeable
than most of them, but she hardly could have expected that after just one
day.  Still, her efforts at studying had paid off.  For the first time in
three years she was learning something that actually was worth knowing,
something that was a complete break from the futile life of pleasure
pursuit she had led before her arrest.

   During the break she talked to the female classmate who spoke Spanish.
The woman's name was Carmen and she was from Los Angeles.  Her Spanish was
not that great, but she spoke well enough to hold a conversation.  Carmen
talked a bit about the exchange program, although it was obvious she was
curious to know what had happened to Maria Elena.  She didn't feel
comfortable asking directly and the Colombian was not about to volunteer
any information.  It was a strange and uncomfortable conversation because
while the two women talked about the university, in reality Carmen was
trying to figure out how to get the Colombian to explain why she was
collared.

   The Californian brought up Jason, hoping to talk about collaring, but
Maria Elena changed the topic to discussing how attractive he was.  Then
she decided to get some information on Jason, knowing that Carmen was
likely to know something about him.

   "Yeah, we all know a little bit about his story.  He and Cecilia came to
Danubia about four years ago.  I think what happened was that he had to
testify at some trial...  you see...  uh...  did you ever hear of an
American company called Mega-Town Associates?"

   Of course Maria Elena had heard of Mega-Town.  Who hadn't?  Their
tentacles had extended throughout Colombia, devastating the country's small
retailers.

   "Well, what happened was they came here to testify in a trial, because
some of their executives got caught here when they tried to overthrow this
country's government.  I guess it was a big deal, a really big deal...  I
mean, they had an actual battle with Mega-Town mercenaries about 30 miles
south of here...  and another one in Rika Chorna...  and they were gonna
kill the Prime Minister...  I mean, they were really serious about taking
over.  It was Jason and Cecilia who helped the government stop 'em, and
they had to come here to explain what they did so those guys could get
convicted.  Of course, once they did that, they couldn't go home, so
they're stuck here."

   "But, what's the deal with Jason's collar?"

   "His father was one of the guys behind the takeover.  I guess he felt
really bad about that...  and so he went to their Church...  and they told
him he should wear a collar to show everyone he's sorry about what his dad
did.  I think that's the story."

   "And he's been naked since he got here?"

   "I think so.  At any rate, none of us has ever seen him wearing
anything. I think he kinda enjoys being nude, although I don't know what he
does when it gets cold."

   "Do you ever talk to him?"

   Carmen smiled and shook her head.

   "Talk to him?  Uh...  no.  If you don't want trouble with Cecilia, then
you'd better stay away from Jason.  A couple of girls from last year's
group learned that the hard way.  I mean...  Cecilia's not a bad person,
but you don't want to mess with her boyfriend.  You just don't want to go
there."

   Maria Elena would have liked to continue the conversation about Jason,
but it was time for the exercise class to start.  It was obvious that she
still was not ready to exert herself as much as her classmates, but it was
equally obvious that she had only a few days to catch up with the others.
The sinewy instructor ominously tapped the switch against the newest
student's inner thigh to force her to do some additional sit-ups.

   Later in the class Carmen took two cruel strokes across her backside for
attempting to walk during the run in a hidden part of the path where she
thought the P.E.  teacher couldn't see her.  In the shower her face was
flushed with embarrassment and her eyes were full of tears, so Maria Elena
did not attempt to talk to her anymore that day.  Two thin reddish welts
had formed across both sides of her bottom and already they were raised and
looked very painful.  Carmen would have an uncomfortable time sitting in
class the next day and it was likely those welts would last a week.  Maria
Elena shuddered, because her classmate had taken just two strokes.  She
remembered that criminal on the stairs of the Central Police Station who
had received considerably more than that, and...  she remembered her own
upcoming trial...

   *****

   Maria Elena went back to Victor Dukov's house by herself, because
Cecilia needed to stay at the university to council several students and
catch up on paperwork.  Pedro wouldn't be at the house either, because his
class had gone on an overnight field trip.  That meant Maria Elena would be
alone with Victor.  That was something she looked forward to, but she
couldn't have explained, even to herself, why.  She served him dinner and,
as usual knelt before he gave her permission to sit at his table.  She
shyly attempted to engage him in conversation, trying out some of the new
phrases she had learned in class that day.  She found that most of the time
she could make herself understood, but still could understand very little
of what he was saying.  When he finished eating, she again knelt to request
permission to clear the table.  When she noticed his shoes were dirty, she
requested permission to clean them.

   Throughout the rest of the evening Maria Elena dedicated herself to
Victor's needs.  She hung up his suit coat, put his shoes away after
showing him they had been shined, turned down his bedspread, laid out clean
towels for him to get cleaned up, and brought him two cups of tea.  She
also laid out his black prayer robe, knowing that he probably would spend
part of the evening in front of his dead wife's portrait.  While he was
praying, Maria Elena cleaned up the kitchen and the bathrooms, and took a
bath.  She wanted to be presentable, to make sure Victor found no fault
with her...

   When she served him yet another cup of tea, he told her to get several
photo albums from a bookshelf, so he could show her some of his past.  He
knew that he still could not really converse with her through words, but
there were other ways to communicate.  Letting her know about his past was
one way he could open himself up to her.

   Showing his naked guest a portion of his past was an important step in
Victor's life.  He always had trouble communicating with people, especially
with fellow Danubians.  And yet, somehow he felt a connection with the
young Colombian, partly because she was so desperate to please him.  Victor
was grateful for the attention, something that neither his sons nor Cecilia
were able to provide at the time because of their own responsibilities in
life.  Maria Elena was different, because she had nothing to do apart from
having to learn how to speak Danubian.  Perhaps it was precisely because
Victor and Maria Elena could not communicate in words that they felt they
had something in common.  Perhaps, in their case, words would have gotten
in the way.

   Another reason that sharing his past with Maria Elena was important was
because Victor was finally ready to move beyond his wife's death.  He was
not yet aware of that change, but after four months of grieving and heaping
guilt upon himself for her death, subconsciously he was hoping for
something or someone to pull him out of his emotional morass.  He didn't
have the inner strength to escape on his own; he needed something in his
life to change.

   The photos ranged from Victor's own childhood, through his time in high
school and college, his marriage, and his sons at various ages.  He pointed
out his older brother Vladim at various stages of his life, including
several photos of young Vladim as a criminal while Victor was still in high
school.  Yes, for five years the country's current Prime Minister had been
a collared criminal.  There were photos of a neighbor girl called Maritza
Ortskt, who later because Maritza Ortskt-Dukovna, and photos of Victor's
nephew and niece.  Victor also had photos of his employees, including
several of Kimberly Lee-Dolkivna, back in the days she was called Criminal
# 98945 and she spent her summers riding naked around Danubikt Moskt on a
bicycle delivering messages.

   What struck Maria Elena was how ordinary the lives portrayed in the
album truly were.  Even Vladim Dukov, the Prime Minister, seemed such an
ordinary person, right up to the day he was elected.  There certainly was
nothing to distinguish him from the rest of the family in any of those
photos, except that he had worn a collar for such a long time.  Yes, even
the country's Prime Minister had done what Maria Elena was having to do. 
Even the Prime Minister...

   Maria Elena collected the photo albums and returned them to the shelf.
She knelt, and exchanged glances with Victor.  At that moment, something
very important happened.  They both realized that they cared about each
other.

   *****

   That night Maria Elena spent a long time masturbating on her bed, as her
mind wandered from topic to topic.  She visualized Jason Schmidt,
desperately wanting to fondle him in the way Cecilia had fondled him the
night before.  She thought about herself, on her hands and knees in the
university garden, her bottom facing towards the sun and the warm rays
touching her exposed womanhood whenever she reached forward.  She thought
about the naked norteamericanos during the exercise class, their sweaty
bodies exposed to anyone walking by who cared to look at them.  Her
thoughts wandered to her classmate Carmen, standing in formation after the
run, her eyes full of tears as she rubbed her sore bottom...

   But most of all, Maria Elena fantasized about herself with Victor... 
Her desire to serve him and her desire for him to hold her and comfort her.
There was something about him that she found very desirable...  but what?
It was strange, he was not particularly good-looking and he even had sons
who were older than her, but she desired him...

   *****

   The next morning, Cecilia noted Maria Elena's behavior during breakfast.
She suspected that the prisoner might have developed a crush on Victor,
which wouldn't have surprised her, given her circumstances and traumatic
arrest.

   Cecilia had mixed feelings.  She was relieved that the Colombian had so
quickly adapted to her new role in the house.  She was very happy that she
no longer had to worry about anything other than caring for her nephew. 
She also was glad to see the possibility that Victor could move beyond his
wife's funeral.  To be honest, she found her host's nightly praying
sessions in front of the portrait creepy.

   However, Cecilia was becoming increasingly concerned about what was
witnessing at the table during meals because she did not think that any
romantic involvement between Victor and the prisoner was a good idea. 
There were plenty of young men at the Socrates Club and as soon as Maria
Elena met some of them she probably would forget about Victor.  She just
needed to wait...

   More importantly, Cecilia was convinced that Prisoner # 101025 did not
understand what being a collared criminal actually meant.  She was not
Victor Dukov's personal servant; she was property of the Danubian
government.  The Ministry of Justice, through Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna,
could reassign her whenever it chose to do so, according to the perceived
needs of the Danubian state.  For example, at a moment's notice she could
be forced to live in a camp at the other end of the country and participate
in a public works project.  Cecilia suspected that if Kim knew what was
going on, Maria Elena would be moved immediately.  She didn't want the
courier transferred out of Victor's house, for purely selfish reasons.

   On their way to the university she decided to talk to her housemate, not
about her growing feelings towards Victor, but about what was expected of
her as a criminal:

   "...  you need to understand that you don't belong to Victor.  You've
been assigned to live in his house, but that's because of me and my
Spanish. It has nothing to do with him."

   "But...  I thought you told me that I was supposed to help him out. 
Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"

   "It is, but you gotta look at it this way.  You're being kept at
Victor's house because, for now, that's the most convenient place to keep
you.  When the government needs you somewhere else, you're gonna get moved
and no one's gonna care about what you or Victor think about it.  I'll give
you an example of what can happen.  Last spring a canal overflowed near the
river upstream and flooded a bunch of farms.  They had to sandbag the area
so the Public Works people could get in there and fix a levee.  To do that,
the Ministry shipped in 600 criminals from Danubikt Moskt and kept them
there for three months.  For three months those criminals never saw their
families, and that whole time their employers had to figure out how to get
along without them.  No one: not the criminals, not their families, and not
their bosses, had any say in the matter.  The Public Works Ministry said
'we need 600 criminals to fill sandbags' and the Justice Ministry said
'sure, where do you want us to send 'em?' Whatever was going on in any of
their lives didn't matter.  They got called to the Central Plaza, they were
loaded onto buses, and three months later they came back.  The point is; it
could have been a year.  Or three years.  Or the rest of their sentences.
That's what it means to belong to the government.  You have to understand
that."

   "But...  did they go back home...  I mean, afterwards?"

   "In that case they did.  But that's not something you can count on. 
Home is wherever the government decides to put you."

   Cecilia continued: "I think you've done very good adjusting to things in
Victor's house and helping out.  I'd bet had you been from the States you'd
still be crying and moping and feeling sorry for yourself.  You've actually
adjusted extremely well.  You just need to remember who you belong to."

   A question popped into Maria Elena's thoughts.  She felt it was general
enough to not arouse Cecilia's jealousy:

   "What about Jason?  Does he have to do all that stuff too?"

   "No.  As long as he wears a Church collar, he's property of the Church.
He doesn't have to do anything for the government, but trust me; those
Priests keep him plenty busy.  Sometimes I wish, if he has to be collared,
that he was just an ordinary criminal, because he's always busy on the
weekends."

   "But...  could he quit...  I mean, lead a normal life...  if he wanted
to?"

   "He could, but that's between him and the Creator.  I've never said
anything about it because it's not my Path in Life to question his
conscience."

   Cecilia's last comment opened up a bunch of new questions in Maria
Elena's mind, but the conversation needed to end because they had arrived
at the university.  Cecilia had to chaperone yet another group tour, while
Maria Elena had to report to the groundskeepers to find out what she needed
to do that day.

   *****

   The rest of the day was typical of what would be Maria Elena's routine
over the next few weeks: work, lunch, class with the norteamericanos, and
exercise class.  Carmen's bottom still was clearly marked with the two
welts from the day before, but she seemed none the worse for the
experience.

   "Everyone's gotten at least a swipe or two.  The instructor watches to
see what you're capable of doing, and then if she thinks you're not putting
everything into the workout, you'll get it.  I got lazy yesterday...  can't
argue with that...  my fault."

   "She hasn't hit me...  "

   "...  because she hasn't figured out what you can do...  how fit you
are. Once she has that figured out you'll get hit if you're not putting
100% into your workout.  But at least she's fair about it.  She knows that
100% effort for someone else isn't 100% for you.  And if you're sick or got
a sprain or whatever, all you have to do is tell her before class and
she'll have you do something else, as long as you don't try to BS her."

   *****

   Maria Elena thought about what Cecilia had told her, but decided that
she should continue trying to get as close to Victor as possible.  Her
efforts that night were crimped by the presence at dinner of not only
Cecilia and Pedro, but also Victor's youngest son and his fiance.  The
young woman was absolutely beautiful and elegantly dressed, leaving the
naked prisoner feeling intimidated.  For some reason she felt extremely
uneasy kneeling in front of that young Danubian, in particular when she
gave her several haughty looks.  However, Maria Elena's unease made her
even more determined to ingratiate herself with Victor.

   For the first time Victor was eager to be alone with the naked prisoner.
After dinner he put on the prayer robe that she had laid out, but his
prayer session was somewhat shorter than usual.  For the first time in four
months he had something else on his mind besides guilt.  His thoughts were
on the naked Colombian and his own desires to...  to do what with her? 
Hold her?  Touch her?  Comfort her?  Make love to her?

   Maria Elena went about her daily chores while he was praying, but she
had the hot water boiled for tea and was vigilant to make sure she was
ready when he finished.  She was a bit surprised when he ended his prayer
early, but she was prepared.  She quickly poured his tea, knelt, and
presented him with the cup.

   When he sat down, their glances met.  She stared at him with her intense
dark eyes, thinking: I'm here for you Victor.  You can take me if you want,
because that's what I want.  I'm yours.  I don't care what the government
says, I'm yours...

   Victor stood up and motioned for Maria Elena to stand up.  He wasn't
ready to make love to her...  and yet he wanted to...  at least touch her.
He wanted to talk to her, but the language barrier was still
insurmountable. But her expression...  no language barrier there... 
Prisoner # 101025 was offering herself...  there was no doubt about it...
and he badly wanted her...

   Without saying anything, Victor shyly reached out to take Maria Elena's
hand.  However, the moment their skin touched they heard a thud upstairs.
That was followed by footsteps running to the bathroom, a door slamming,
and more footsteps.  Then they heard Cecilia's voice in English: "Pedro,
just stay there.  I'll get you some water."

   Cecilia came running down the stairs and rushed into the kitchen.  She
glanced at Victor and Maria Elena on her way back up.

   "Pedro just threw up.  Stomach virus.  I need you to help me with his
sheets."

   And that was it for that night.  Maria Elena was drafted to help Cecilia
deal with her sick nephew.

   However, as she went up the stairs, Maria Elena turned to look back at
Victor.  They exchanged a final glance.  Victor Dukov and Prisoner # 101025
felt connected, that they understood each other.  So much separated them:
language, culture, age...  and yet, they felt a bond that neither of them
could have described or even understood.



   Chapter 8 - "Socrates' Mistresses"

   Maria Elena woke up early and set up the kitchen so Cecilia could
prepare breakfast.  Cecilia entered the kitchen with a concerned look on
her face, partly because Pedro was still in bed sick, and partly because
she correctly suspected that she had interrupted something between her
housemate and Victor.

   As usual, the prisoner focused on serving her host and making sure he
was ready to go to work.  She assisted him dressing much in the way a wife
would help a husband get dressed; brushing off his suit and straightening
his tie.  He was flattered by the attention and happy for the
companionship.

   Cecilia attended to her nephew, pretending not to notice what was going
on in Victor's room.  She was in an awkward situation, because she was
determined to forestall any romantic involvement between her host and her
housemate, but she knew that there was no point in trying to openly
confront either of them.  She did not want to tell Kim what was going on
either, for fear that the prisoner would be moved and she would have to
resume doing everything in the house.  Instead she reasoned that if she
could keep Maria Elena occupied until her trial and introduce her to other
young criminals, eventually she would settle on a more appropriate partner,
one closer to her age and social stature.

   Because it was Saturday, there was no field trip and no P.E.  class for
Cecilia's exchange group.  The students had their language class in the
morning and were released at noon.  Maria Elena did not have to work on
Saturdays, so she would attend class with the norteamericanos and, like
them, be free in the afternoon.

   After class Maria Elena was planning to go back to Victor's house and
wait for him.  However, Cecilia was determined to keep her occupied.  In
the middle of the afternoon she took her housemate to a nice two-story
residence at the western edge of Danubikt Moskt, almost into the
countryside.  It was the home of Vladik Dukov, who was the son of the
country's Prime Minister.  Cecilia also learned that Criminal # 98946 lived
there, because she was married to Vladik.

   "That house used to belong to Spokesman Vladim Dukov, before he got
elected Prime Minister.  But now he's living in the Prime Minister's
residence downtown, so he turned his place over to his son and his wife
Tiffany."

   "Tiffany?"

   "That's her name before she was arrested, Tiffany Walker.  I call her
that, and I suppose you will too, once you two can talk to each other.  Her
married name is Tiffany Walker-Dukovna, but her official name is Criminal #
98946."

   "98946?  Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna told me her number was # 98945...  and
Tiffany is # 98946...  "

   "Yes, because they were arrested together, along with another American
girl called Susan.  It's a long story, what happened to those three...  but
the short version is that Tiffany and Susan were arrested with Kim for
smoking pot, but then they got released while she went on trial and got
convicted."

   "But...  then...  if Tiffany was released...  why is she collared?"

   "She came back to Danubia."

   "But...  "

   "She came back on purpose.  She knew she was gonna get arrested, but she
came back because she had to."

   "On purpose?  But...  "

   "It's a very long story.  You'll find out about it soon enough.  Now...
look over there."

   Cecilia pointed down the street.  Just a few doors beyond the house was
a yellow sign with an electronic sensor.

   "Those yellow signs mark the edge of the Danubikt Moskt collar zone.  If
you go past any of them without having your collar turned off or
re-programmed, an alarm will go off.  If that happens, you'll have to kneel
next to the sign and wait for the police to come get you.  Don't try doing
anything else except kneeling next to the sign, or you'll get in serious
trouble."

   "What happens when the police come?"

   "They'll take you downtown and there will be a hearing to find out why
you went past the sign.  You'll be switched, but how many strokes you get
will be determined by what you were doing that set off the alarm.  If it
was just carelessness or not paying attention to where you are, normally
you'd get 20 strokes.  If it was something you had no control over, like
being on a city bus that gets diverted and takes a different route, you'd
just get 10."

   "That's not fair...  If you're on a bus...  "

   "No, it isn't fair, but it's up to you to stay within the collar zone.
That's how they see it."

   Cecilia led Maria Elena into the house and to the back yard, where
several women already had gathered.  Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna was present,
along with Tiffany Walker-Dukovna and three young Danubians.  All of them
were naked.  Cecilia was the only person still dressed among the group. 
After saying hello to the others in Danubian, she quickly undressed as
well.

   Maria Elena knelt upon seeing her Spokeswoman, but Cecilia told her to
stand up.

   "This is one time you don't kneel.  We're all equal here."

   In the back yard there were two plastic chairs and a large tub of warm
water, along with bottles of shampoo, combs, towels, and several bowls and
pitchers.  It turned out that Maria Elena had been invited to participate
in an ancient Danubian tradition: the weekly hair washing and re-braiding.

   Danubian culture considered a woman dishonored if she appeared in
public, or even alone in front of a male relative, with her hair unbraided.
Women kept their hair tightly braided at all times, except on Saturday
afternoons, which was the only opportunity during the week they had to let
their hair loose to wash, comb, and re-braid it.  Danubian women normally
did not touch their own hair, but instead gathered with female friends or
relatives to attend to each other.  The tradition was considered very
intimate because it was the only time it was socially acceptable for
Danubians to touch a person of the same sex.  Maria Elena did not realize
it at the time, but for her to braid her hair with Kim and the others was
an important gesture of friendship towards someone who barely knew them.

   The Danubians were introduced as Eloisa, who was Kim's best friend;
Tatiana, who was a fellow Spokeswoman from the Ministry of Justice; and
Valia, who was another friend of both Kim and Eloisa.  Eloisa stood out,
because she was very pretty and had blond hair, which was rare in a country
where most people's hair was brown.  Maria Elena looked hard at her... 
because she seemed...  very familiar...

   The women took turns sitting down and loosening and shampooing each
other's hair.  After everyone's hair was clean, they drank wine from a
large goblet while waiting to dry out for the final combing and braiding.
The goblet was a symbol of equality among the group; women who shared the
intimacy of braiding also shared the intimacy of drinking from the same
cup.

   Cecilia taught her housemate how to braid Eloisa's hair while Kim and
Tiffany braided each other's hair.  However, the big surprise came at the
end, when it was Kim, not Cecilia, who braided Maria Elena's hair. 
Supposedly Kim held custody over the prisoner, but in that backyard they
were not Spokeswoman and client, but instead two women sharing an ancient
ritual.  The fact they both were naked was an important part of that
ritual, because without their clothing they were equals.  Both understood
that as soon as the Spokeswoman put her clothes back on, Maria Elena would
have to kneel for her.  However, Kim was determined that her client clearly
understood that she saw her as a person and not a foreigner, in spite of
their different positions in Danubian society.

   For most of the afternoon the others chatted in Danubian, with Cecilia
translating whatever she thought was important.  Towards the end, Kim and
the Danubians started singing.  Maria Elena recognized the song...  and the
voices.  Suddenly she realized who she was with...  three of the singers
from the band Socrates' Mistresses!  Yes, of course she recognized
Eloisa... and Kim and Valia...  they were from that controversial New Age
band!  They were international celebrities, and here Maria Elena was... 
sitting naked with them and having her hair washed!

   The entire experience that afternoon had a profound impact on a person
who had come from a country that still placed great emphasis on wealth and
social status.  She couldn't even begin to imagine spending such time with
a famous Latin American singer or soap opera star.  However, in her new
life she had shared an afternoon with three famous singers from Danubia,
who thought there was absolutely nothing strange about her being in their
presence.  She still felt that she was nothing, just a pathetic dishonored
prisoner, a failed drug trafficker with a squalid past, an uneducated
low-life.  And yet, that was not how the people in Danubikt Moskt saw her.
Yes, she was a criminal, but she also was a person who had her place in
society and, as long as she understood her responsibilities, was worthy of
being treated with respect.  To the three Danubians, she was Kim's client
and a member of Cecilia's household, so of course she was welcome as part
of the group.

   *****

   The afternoon ended in the traditional manner, with the husbands and
fiances of the women showing up together to retrieve their respective
partners.  It turned out that all of the women were married with the
exception of Cecilia, who was engaged.  Jason, as always, was completely
naked except his collar.  The other young men were dressed.  For the first
time Maria Elena saw Victor's nephew Vladik, who was in full police uniform
to greet Tiffany.  The criminal, in spite of the fact that she was his wife
and very pregnant, got on her knees to greet her husband.  Like Kim, Vladik
was a public official and it was Tiffany's Path in Life to kneel for both
of them, as a display of respect for their positions.  The other four men
were musicians from Socrates' Mistresses.

   As dictated by ancient tradition, each of the men had brought a flower
that he put in his partner's hair.  The only member of the group who did
not have a man picking her up was Maria Elena.  As an uncommitted woman,
there would be no flower for her, no gift marking the renewal of her
relationship with her beloved and the world around her.  In her imagination
she pictured Victor, standing among the others in his dark business suit,
holding a flower to put into her hair.  She was determined that, soon
enough, his Path in Life would include bringing her a flower every Saturday
afternoon.

   Kim turned to her client:

   "We're singing tonight at the Socrates Club; would you like to come?"

   Before Maria Elena could say anything Cecilia interjected:

   "Of course she would...  I'll make sure she's there.  She'd love to see
you sing...  and also have a look at the club."

   Actually, that wasn't Maria Elena's desire at all; what she wanted was
to go back to Victor's house and spend time with him.  However, before she
had any time to react or think of a reason she shouldn't go, she had been
drafted to join Cecilia and Jason to see Socrates' Mistresses perform live.

   The group said goodbye to Tiffany and Vladik, who stayed behind at the
house.  The others boarded a trolley to go downtown.  Jason and Maria Elena
had to stand, but the others, to show sympathy and solidarity, chose to
stand with them.  It was just starting to get dark outside when the trolley
stopped in an old section of the city just outside the ancient wall.

   *****

   The Socrates Club was a unique institution, because it was the only
place in Danubikt Moskt where criminals could meet and socialize.  The club
occupied an entire block: there was the main building housing a restaurant
and dance hall, an adjacent building with small rooms that could be rented
by the hour, and an old armory that had been converted to a fitness center
and gymnasium.  The clientele were mostly criminals and ex-criminals, but
anyone in a romantic relationship with a criminal was welcome as well.  An
important rule of the club was that, whether a person was collared or not,
clothing was strictly forbidden anywhere on the grounds.  Criminals always
showed up naked, of course, but ex-criminals and other visitors had to
surrender their clothing and other belongings at the check stand right
inside the main entrance.  The rule was that anyone who had completed their
sentence had to show respect to those still collared by entering the club
completely undressed.

   The Club's importance extended far beyond being a simple haven for
criminals.  Most evenings started with people speaking on stage to recite
poetry or express their feelings, followed by live performances of musical
groups of criminals and ex-criminals.  Singing was a hobby for many club
members, but for the more talented performers, singing at the Club could
turn into something much more significant.  Most famous Danubian musicians
started their careers performing naked on stage in front of hundreds of
fellow criminals.

   Performing at the Socrates Club was how the most famous Danubian group
of them all, Socrates' Mistresses, got its start.  The group had been the
most popular band in Danubia for more than five years.  Their music also
was popular throughout Europe, especially in the countries immediately
bordering Danubia.  In the US sales of anything by Socrates' Mistresses was
boycotted by all the major music stores, but the group had a fiercely
devoted following among political activists and university students, who
obtained their music off the Internet or from friends who had visited
Danubia.

   "Socrates' Mistresses" performed live at venues in Danubikt Moskt and
Rika Chorna, sometimes to very large crowds.  The band also was a fixture
in the Central Plaza during national holidays such as New Year's Eve, the
Summer Solstice, and the Day of the Dead.  However, the group had their
start in the Socrates Club, and it was in the Socrates Club where they
always introduced new songs.  No matter who else in the world liked or
bought their music, Eloisa and her fellow musicians considered the clients
of the Socrates Club their core audience.  In spite of the group's fame,
their source of inspiration and their "home" remained among Danubikt
Moskt's criminals.

   The band had a unique style of singing that combined traditional
Danubian female vocals with instruments that ranged from ancient to modern.
The music typically was classified as New Age, although the overall sound
was distinct from most New Age music in the US.  The stage performers
included five women singers and 10 male musicians.  Eloisa was the leader
of the singers and ultimately had final say over the band's musical
direction.  She had the most beautiful voice that Maria Elena had ever
heard, as well as an instinct for music unmatched by anyone else in the
group.  Kimberly Lee-Dolkivna was the lead singer for any song in English,
but when performing she always deferred to Eloisa's guidance.

   Upon entering the front door everyone in the group undressed and stuffed
their clothing in cloth bags.  Other friends of Kim and Eloisa showed up
and undressed as well.  When the band members surrendered their clothing,
all of them held on to a single item, a Ministry of Justice collar with a
broken latch.  Cecilia explained that Socrates' Mistresses always performed
in the nude, and during performances they always wore the collars assigned
to them when they were criminals.  "It's to remind them, and everyone else
who's watching them, where they came from and how they got their start. 
Actually, it was Kim who thought up the idea a few months after they got
released.  The others really liked it, so that's how they always sing."

   Once inside, the group sat at a row of tables that had been pushed
together.  There were a total of 35 naked young people sitting at the
tables: the stage performers and various wives and friends.  The women of
the band all were married to other band members, but the remaining men also
had brought their wives.  Cecilia introduced additional members of
Socrates' Mistresses, although Maria Elena was too overwhelmed by the large
group to be able to remember any of the Danubians' names.

   However, one new acquaintance very much stuck out for Maria Elena.  A
second young Asian woman joined the table along with her Danubian husband.
She looked like a slightly older, slightly more heavy-set version of
Kimberly Lee.  It turned out the woman was Kim's older sister Cynthia. 
Cecilia greeted her very warmly; obviously they were very close.  Maria
Elena immediately noticed that both Cynthia and her husband were wearing
collars identical to the one Jason had on.  Apparently, just like him, they
were performing Public Penance for the Danubian Church.  Their bodies were
deeply tanned and it was evident they had not worn any clothing for a very
long time.

   The club's main room was very large, capable of fitting hundreds of
customers.  In the center was a small stage: in front of the stage there
was a large dance floor, and beyond the dance floor were dozens of tables
for sitting and dining.  The food at the club was simple and cheap,
consisting of salted deep-fried vegetables and dishes full of fresh
blackberries.  The only drinks available were organic beer and water.

   The club, as always, was full to capacity.  Maria Elena estimated there
might be over 700 naked people in the room.  She was a bit overwhelmed
seeing so much exposed human skin: bare bottoms, penises of all imaginable
shapes and sizes, naked breasts, uncovered vaginas.  Several nude waiters
wearing orange tennis shoes moved among the tables, taking orders and
delivering food.  A few of the collared criminals had switch-marks on their
backsides; some fresh, others faded, from punishments administered a week
or two before.  Many of the naked women were pregnant, including several
sitting at the Socrates' Mistresses tables.  As bizarre as the scene would
have been for anyone not familiar with Danubian society, it was obvious
that it was a typical evening for everyone in the room.

   The band members excused themselves to get ready to sing, leaving a
reduced group of about 20 people.  Immediately they had to consolidate and
give up several tables to other customers, leaving Maria Elena sitting
between Cecilia and Cynthia.  It turned out that Kim's older sister was
much more approachable than the Spokeswoman herself and was genuinely
curious to know more about the stranded Colombian.  Cynthia and Maria Elena
exchanged numerous details about their lives, but Cynthia also was
interested in learning more about Colombia.  Cecilia translated with a
mischievous expression, all the while running her hand up and down Jason's
thigh and occasionally touching his penis.  He sat quietly, blushing
because he had a furious erection.

   While Maria Elena was talking to Cynthia, various singers performed on
stage, most of whom performed very melancholy-sounding music.  Part of the
conversation included telling the newcomer what the songs were about; all
of which were serious or melancholy themes.  The entire genre was very
different from what she was used to in Colombia; cheerful Salsa that either
talked about sex or the joys of dancing.

   Maria Elena realized that not only the sound, but the very purpose of
Danubian music differed from Latin American music.  In Latin America the
purpose of popular music was for light entertainment and dancing, while in
Danubia the purpose of music was to make a person reflect on serious
subjects.  That change suited her just fine, because in her current
situation dancing to rapid happy music was the last thing she wanted to do.
The songs coming from the stage were sad-sounding, but at the same time
were relaxing and calming to her frazzled nerves.

   Cecilia excused herself and tapped Jason on the shoulder.  Even though
he was fully erect and embarrassed, he immediately stood up.  The couple
exited through a small door in the back of the room.  For about 40 minutes
Maria Elena and Cynthia sat in uncomfortable silence while they waited for
their translator to return.  When she came back, leading Jason by the hand,
she had a much more relaxed look on her face.  Jason was no longer erect,
but his bottom was red.  Apparently his fiance had spanked him.  When the
couple sat down, she resumed her conversation as though nothing had
happened.  Within a few minutes she started stroking his thigh again,
occasionally touching his penis.

   *****

   Shortly after Cecilia returned, Socrates' Mistresses got on the stage.
Normally they sang three songs when they performed: one of their original
songs, one of their more recent songs, and the new song they were
introducing.  The group only performed at the club when they were
introducing new music, but every new song was tested among the criminals at
the Socrates Club before anyone else had a chance to hear it.  The
criminals of Danubikt Moskt did not have much in their lives, but one
privilege they did enjoy was the being the first audience to hear new music
from the famous group sung live.

   Kim and Eloisa took their positions at the main microphone, with the
other three women standing slightly behind them.  The 10 musicians sat
behind the singers.  As soon as men had positioned their instruments,
Eloisa tapped the microphone and started moving her hand to set up the
beat. The first song they performed was one of the group's most famous, "My
bicycle", or as it was titled in Danubian: "Nemat mi biciklet."

   As soon as she recognized the song, Maria Elena's memories transported
her back to Colombia, to Pereira, and into the arms of her first boyfriend,
Jose Pablo.  Maria Elena's first love had totally loved "Nemat mi
biciklet". She knew what the lyrics were about, because he had translated
for her: the story of not appreciating what one has in life until it is too
late.  Maria Elena certainly had not appreciated what she had in her life
until it was too late.  She had not appreciated her mother, who had
struggled to keep her in a good school so she could have opportunities in
life, nor the boyfriend who had loved her, nor the boss who had been
patient with her and tried to give her an opportunity in his store.  No,
she had not appreciated any of that.  Her life in Pereira was not flashy,
but it could have been a decent life if she had just understood what she
was sacrificing to look for adventure and quick pleasure.

   Oh, how Maria Elena wished Jose Pablo could have been with her to see
Kim and Eloisa sing in person, in the place where his favorite song was
created.  She would have given anything just so he could have had that
moment, the opportunity to watch the band whose music meant so much to him.
She would have given anything just to have him hold her once again; to tell
him she was sorry for what she did and somehow make him understand that she
actually meant it.

   However, it was too late.  She could never apologize to Jose Pablo
because he was dead.  Maria Elena knew that it was because of herself that
her ex-boyfriend had died.  When she broke up with him and he found out
why, he was determined to get revenge against drug traffickers by joining
the Colombian Army and become a paratrooper.  He never made it that far;
just a few weeks after he got out of basic training, his unit was ambushed
by guerrillas and he was killed in combat.

   At first Maria Elena didn't think much about his death, but later it
began to weigh on her.  Now, hearing that song, with all those memories
coming back to her, the burden of guilt fell even heavier on her shoulders.
What weighed on her the most was not only his death, but the fact that at
the time she found out about it she didn't really care.  What evil had
possessed her that she didn't even care about the death of an honorable man
who had loved her?

   Now the time had come to face her regret and her guilt.  She buried her
face in her hands.

   Jose Pablo...  I'm so sorry...

   *****

   Maria Elena wasn't much company after Socrates' Mistresses sang their
first song.  She sat with her face buried in her hands for a long time. 
However, Cecilia and Cynthia didn't see anything strange about their
companion's behavior, because plenty of criminals at the Club had to deal
with grief and guilt.  They didn't know the details of Maria Elena's
anguish, but they understood she was dealing with a personal crisis and
they needed to leave her alone.

   Anyhow, Cecilia's fingers had worked their magic on Jason and he was
ready for another round of sex.  She tapped him on the shoulder, grabbed
his hand, and led him to the back door for a second time.  They would
return to a room they had rented for the evening where he would make love
to her.  He then would go over her lap to be spanked for his indecent
behavior of having an erection in public, and once his bottom was
sufficiently punished, there would be yet more love-making.

   *****

   Kim and the others returned to their places among their friends at the
table a few minutes after finishing the debut of their newest song. 
Cecilia and Jason were gone and Maria Elena still was crying with her face
buried in her hands.  Cynthia figured it would be best if the Colombian
went home and offered to take her.  Kim accepted the offer and Cynthia, who
had taken Spanish in high school for a couple of years, spoke just enough
that she could make Maria Elena understand that they were going back to her
house.  The Colombian was ready to leave and grateful to be escorted back.

   Maria Elena, accompanied by Cynthia and her husband, stepped out of the
club.  It was almost midnight, foggy with a chilly September drizzle
falling on the streets.  The three naked people shivered as they felt the
wet pavement on their bare feet and the cold damp air hitting their exposed
skin.  Cynthia pointed up and said:

   "Otono.  Si...  uh...  tu dices otono?

   "Si, senora, asi se dice...  el otono."

   "Temprano...  mucho llueve...  mucho frio...  invierno...  "

   She hugged herself to indicate that soon the weather was going to get
cold.

   "Senora, que nos pasa durante el invierno, cuando hace frio?  Nos
quedamos desnudas?"

   "Yo no...  uh...  comprendo."

   "I...  naked...  winter...  cold.  Naked...  desnudas...  we?"

   "Desnuda...  si Maria Elena, invierno desnuda...  "

   The Colombian took a deep breath.  She would have to confirm that fact
with Cecilia the next day, but from what she understood from Cynthia's bad
Spanish, she would have to remain nude no matter how cold it got outside.
Not a pleasant thought...

   The naked prisoner and her companions took a late trolley to the
university.  At the university transfer station they got off.  Cynthia and
her husband had to catch another trolley to go to their own home, but she
pointed down the street that led to Victor's house.  The couple then
boarded the trolley going west, leaving their companion shivering alone on
the platform.

   Maria Elena slowly walked along the quiet street.  She felt numb, not
only from the chilly rain, but also from the emptiness in her soul.  For a
long time she silently stood in front of Victor's house in the dark,
punishing herself by allowing the cold mist to soak her bare skin.