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Maragana Girl Ch. 01

By: caligula97236



Chapter 1 -- Kim's Arrest

Kimberly Lee and her two friends from high school, Susan Taylor and Tiffany Walker, had been touring Western Europe for nearly a month when they decided to expand their explorations into Eastern Europe. They looked through their tour book, finally settling on visiting Prague and Budapest. Almost as an after-thought Tiffany suggested a side trip to another small country called the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia.

The three girls knew nothing about Upper Danubia, except for what they were able to learn from their tourbook. Apparently the country had a lot of architecture from the 19th Century and had not been heavily damaged during World War II. The local citizens were relatively friendly, and there were plenty of nature trails, parks, and very cheap restaurants. Best of all, the guidebook pointed out that Upper Danubia was known for having the world's lowest crime rate due to its unique justice system. Kim and the other two decided to go there for sure; it sounded like a really great place. They would visit the capitol Danúbikt Mostk, and later spend a couple of days hiking at the Rika Chorna Reservoir before continuing on to Prague.

As they waited for the train to take them from Amsterdam to Danúbikt Mostk (or Danube City in English), Tiffany decided to buy some extra marijuana from her lover in Amsterdam. The three girls had taken full advantage of Europe's lax drug laws to smoke marijuana to their hearts' content. Amsterdam was so cool, to sit in cafes and get high! 

Kim, especially, had taken to smoking weed while in Amsterdam. She determined to have as much fun now before heading to college in the fall. Tiffany had turned Kim onto marijuana while they were still in high school, but now Kim was smoking it more than either of her two friends. Kim didn't realize it, but she was becoming addicted.

Tiffany casually stuffed the bag of marijuana in Kim's backpack and the three boarded the train. "Don't smoke all of it, Kim" she joked, "we gotta make this last until we get to Prague."

Fourteen hours later, the train arrived at the southern border of the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia. It was obvious that Upper Danubia was not a particularly wealthy country, but everything seemed very clean and in good order. The train stopped as the border guards casually checked everyone's passports and pieces of luggage at random. The girls had a brief scare when a border guard checked Tiffany's backpack, but fortunately he skipped Kim's.

As the train pulled to the Danubian side of the border crossing, Susan gasped and pointed out the window. "Check it out! That guy's got no clothes on!"

Sure enough, at the other end of the platform there was a naked young man selling ice cream out of a push-cart. The three girls were amazed that no one around him seemed to think there was anything strange about a naked guy selling ice cream. A few passers-by casually glanced at him, but that was about it. Kim tried to get a closer look at him. He seemed to have something around his neck, like a dark-colored collar, but he was too far from the train for her to have a good look at him.

The three girls now had something to discuss as the train completed the final part of the trip into Danube City, the capital of Upper Danubia. Kim remembered that Upper Danubia had a reputation of being a traditionalist and conservative country, but obviously that wasn't true if guys could run around selling ice cream in the nude.

Danube City was very different from the bustling European capitals Kim and her friends had visited previously. All of the architecture in the downtown area was at least 100 years old, and the buildings were very clean. There was no trash in the streets nor graffiti whatsoever. There were no private cars on the streets; only trolleys, trolleybuses, and bicycles. Kim remembered from the guidebook that only farmers and merchants were permitted to own vehicles, since the Grand Duchy's territory was small and its government didn't want it filled up with cars and parking lots. As a result of the restriction, the smoke and constant beeping of the other European capitals was totally absent from Danube City. The traffic moved very silently and orderly.

Most of the citizens of Danube City were dressed in typical western clothing, except for a few women wearing traditional Danubian dresses. One detail they noticed immediately was that all of the city's women, old ones and young ones alike, had their hair carefully done up in tight braids wrapped around their heads. Children were dressed in standard school uniforms. Then there were the naked people. As the three Americans walked around, they noticed the occasional young man or young woman, working in a store or a restaurant, or riding a bicycle; moving about completely in the nude. All of the nude people looked like they were in their teens or 20's, and all of them were wearing metal collars.

When they stopped at a cafe, their waiter was nude. The young man seemed very shy and nervous. He didn't seem like the sort who would be at ease being in public with nothing on, and in fact appeared quite depressed. Like all the other nude people Kim had seen in Danube City, he was wearing a metal collar. While her two friends admired the waiter's body and made jokes about him, Kim began to worry. There's something going on here with these nude people that we need to know about, she thought to herself. She badly wanted to ask the waiter what was up with his collar, but he didn't speak English and she did not speak any Danubian. At the end of the meal Tiffany got a bit drunk and slapped the waiter hard on the ass. He gave her a sad look, but otherwise did not react. 

By the end of their meal Kim wanted to smoke a joint. The urge was building up very quickly and soon the trio were looking for a place they could enjoy a good smoke in peace. They settled on the nature park behind Danube City's Temple of the Ancients. They found what seemed like a good spot, near a park bench in a picturesque spot that overlooked the East Danube River. 

Tiffany rolled a joint and passed it to Kim, then lit the end and held it until Kim was smoking. Kim sat back and relaxed, as she felt the mellow sensation slip through her body. Tiffany and Susan decided to run behind the bushes and pee, then they would take a few drags off Kim's joint before rolling another. It was a routine the three had gotten used to, and today would be another lazy, mellow afternoon...

Suddenly Kim heard an angry woman's voice shouting in Danubian. She looked around and saw a young female Danubian cop standing only a few meters away from her. The cop was quite pretty, but had a very angry expression on her face. She was holding a service revolver in one hand and a radio transmitter in the other. Kim realized with horror what was happening, she was about to be arrested.

When Kim tried to stand up the cop screamed in barely understandable English: 

"You...maragana girl! You no move!" 

The cop punctuated her command by pulling the hammer back on her revolver and pointing it at Kim's head. At that moment the cop's partner showed up, holding a rifle. He pointed it directly at Kim.

Tiffany and Susan came back a few seconds later, chattering in English. The male cop immediately pointed his rifle at them and started shouting at them in Danubian. They squealed with fright. The female cop, in her broken English, was the one who addressed them.

"You tourist?"

"Y...yes, w...were tourists. F...from America."

"You with girl?" The young cop pointed at Kim, who had her hands up and was shaking.

Tiffany nodded in terror.

The female cop then pointed at the ground about five meters away from the park bench. "You lay...lie! On tummy lie!" When Tiffany hesitated the cop pointed the revolver in her face. The three Americans scrambled to lie on the ground on their stomachs. Each in turn felt her hands being grabbed by the male cop and handcuffed.

By this time several local residents were standing around watching the arrest. The two police officers chatted with the bystanders in Danubian, explaining that these tourists had been caught smoking marijuana, on this Sacred ground behind the Temple of the Ancients, no less. The male then reached in Kim's pocket and pulled out her passport. He thumbed through it and found what he was looking for. "Amsterdam", he read aloud.

Two more police officers arrived, a man and a woman. The first female cop ordered the Americans to stand up and pointed at each of their three backpacks. "This one...who?"

"It's mine," mumbled Susan.

"...and this one...who?"

"Mine," responded Tiffany.

"...and this...you?" The cop looked at Kim. Kim sadly nodded her head. 

The two new cops pulled out three large plastic bags to put the backpacks in, while the two arresting officers emptied the contents of the girls' pockets into smaller evidence bags. One of the newcomers filled out labels for the bags while the female cop snapped a picture of the spot where the crime had taken place. As an afterthought she picked up Kim's joint from the ground to put in a separate evidence bag.

With that the four cops loaded the three Americans and their backpacks into a van. Kim, Tiffany, and Susan were too stunned to be able to react at all to what was happening to them. 

After a very short ride to the Central Police Station the van pulled to a stop in a courtyard. The police unloaded the backpacks and then pulled the Americans out of the van. Next to where the van was parked was a slightly raised circular cement platform. The police ordered Tiffany to stand in the middle of the platform, and Kim and Susan to kneel next to the platform, facing away from its center. The cop with the rifle pointed it at Tiffany while the young female officer took off her handcuffs. She pointed at the ground.

"Costumes here...all!"

Tiffany looked dumbfounded, not understanding the order.

"YOU DO!!!" The officer once again pointed her revolver at Tiffany's head. 

Tiffany screamed, but then an older man in a dark suit put his hand on the cop's arm and forced her to lower the weapon. He spoke to Tiffany in an educated-sounding accent.

"Young lady, you must undress, right away. You are now a prisoner of the Duchy, and you are not permitted clothing."

Tiffany started to cry. "No...please."

"It is our law, and you will obey. Take everything off and put it over here. If you do not, we shall punish you for insurrection."

Kim was facing away from her friend, but she listened with horror to Tiffany's crying and the sound of clothing sliding off her body and falling to the ground. Then she heard the rustling of plastic as a guard picked up everything from the platform and stuffed it in a bag. Then she heard the click of handcuffs as Tiffany's hands were once again secured behind her back. Tiffany was guided to kneel next to Kim. Kim glanced over at her friend's bare body and teary face.

Kim felt a hand grip her upper arm. The hand pulled her upward and helped the prisoner get on her feet. She could not bear to look at the officer helping her stand up. Kim felt the key enter her handcuffs and slide them off. With that the older man addressed her.

"You, place your clothes on the cement. Remove your jewelry as well."

Kim felt numb as she slowly worked to get her clothing off. She kicked off her shoes and slid her jeans over her feet. She dropped them on the cement with a dull clump. Next were her earrings and her necklace. A guard handed her a plastic bag to put them in. Kim then hesitated as she held her hands at the waist of her blouse. She held her breath as she pulled it up over her head, exposing her shoulders and breasts to the hot courtyard sun. The final item remaining was her panties. Slowly she slid them over her bottom and legs. She held onto them for just a second, hoping against hope that all this was somehow a nightmare and she would be waking up at any moment.

A guard yanked Kim's panties out of her hand and pulled her arms behind her back. Kim found herself handcuffed and kneeling next to Tiffany, the hot sun shining on her breasts and thighs. The rustling of her items being placed in a plastic bag signaled the final loss of her clothing and of her status as a free American tourist.

Kim knelt in numb horror as Susan undressed. Once Susan's clothes were off her body and bagged as well, the educated man shouted at his subordinates to get three carts to wheel the backpacks and other personal items to the examination rooms.

Three male guards led the three young women across the courtyard into the identification room. The police uncuffed them one-by-one, and then fingerprinted and photographed them. Kim thought to herself in terror, my God, they're going to take pictures of us naked. 

Sure enough, Kim found herself standing in front of the camera with nothing on. The first shots were of her face; one from the front, one from the back, one from above her head looking down, one from each side, and two taken from different angles.

Next came the full-body shots: hands at her side...facing the camera, facing away from the camera, facing left, facing right. Then another series of shots, this time with her hands behind her head and her legs spread: front, back, left, right.

Kim watched intently at Tiffany and Susan were subjected to the same series of identification photos. In spite of her fear and depression, Kim was somewhat fascinated seeing her two friends forced to pose with their bodies fully exposed to both the camera and the cops standing around in the room.

The police then handcuffed the three girls and separated Kim from the others. A guard led Kim to an interrogation room. Once in the room the guard locked the door and unlatched Kim's handcuffs. He led her to face a table where three very stern-looking officials, two men and an older woman, were sitting. Kim's backpack was placed on the floor in front of her, along with the plastic bags of her clothing and jewelry.

The guard snapped at Kim in Danubian and tapped her body to force her to spread her legs and place her hands behind her head. Words could not describe the humiliation sweeping through the prisoner as she stood completely exposed, her arms and legs spread, in front of those three well-dressed officials and all those cops standing in the back of the room. 

It was apparent that only the woman spoke any English, since during the interrogation only she directly addressed Kim and translated for her two companions.

"You are the American, Kimberly Lee?"

"Y...yes ma'am."

"And you were detained behind the Temple of the Ancients about two hours ago with two other Americans?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Is this backpack your property, an item that you brought with you earlier today from Amsterdam?"

"Yes...ma'am."

"You shall understand that under our laws, you are solely responsible for the contents of the backpack you brought from Amsterdam. We shall now search your backpack."

With that one of the male officials raised his hand. A guard opened up the backpack. The very first item he pulled out was a full sandwich bag of marijuana. He handed it to the three officials, who examined it and placed it on a scale. Kim nearly fainted. She had forgotten the group's entire stash of marijuana was being kept in her backpack. The three officials took notes as the guard emptied out the rest of the backpack. He found Tiffany's rolling paper and her marijuana pipe. He placed both items on the table in front of the officials. He found a colorful t-shirt with a marijuana emblem on it. Finally he pulled out Kim's traveling cash and placed it next to the bag of marijuana and the other items on the table. 

The panel looked over the items the cop had placed on the table, and talked quietly among themselves. One of the men talked to the woman, apparently giving her some instructions. Finally she addressed Kim:

"Young lady, according to your passport you entered our country at 9:00 this morning. Unless you are able to present evidence to the contrary, this panel is convinced that you entered our territory with 432 grams of marijuana. This panel is also persuaded that the cash in your possession was raised from the sale of marijuana, either in this country or in the country from which you departed to come here."

Kim felt like she was about to throw up. The spokeswoman continued.

"At 13:30 hours this afternoon, two uniformed officers of the law and three common citizens witnessed you smoking marijuana in the Sacred Grounds behind the Temple of the Ancients. Do you deny smoking marijuana in that location at that time?"

"No, ma'am, I don't deny that."

"Are you aware that the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia's legal system is separate and sovereign from that of the Netherlands and that all mind-altering substances are illegal here?"

"Yes, ma'am, I understand that."

"But you made a conscious decision to violate our laws by bringing marijuana into our country and smoking it. Is that true?"

Kim sobbed. "Yes, ma'am, it's true."

"And that you intended to raise income by selling and distributing marijuana in this country?"

"No...please! That part isn't right! We just wanted to have enough in case we couldn't get any in Prague! Please! We weren't trying to sell it!"

The woman picked up the bag of tightly packed marijuana and waved it up and down slightly. Her voice took on a very cold tone of skepticism.

"400 grams? For personal use? This panel finds that hard to believe."

"Ma'am! Please! We..."

"That is quite enough from you! You can give your side of the story at your trial tomorrow. This panel will recommend that you face charges of importing marijuana into our territory, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute for illicit gain, use of marijuana in a public location, and violation of the Sanctity of the Ancients."

With that leader of the arraignment panel stood up and drew his fist across his chest, which was the Danubian way of saying "this meeting is concluded". One of the guards took Kim's wrists and handcuffed them together while another photographed the spread-out contents of her backpack. 

With that Kim was led down a long corridor to a medical examination room. The hallway was quite busy with cops, public officials, and ordinary citizens running back and forth. Most of the people in the hallway had never seen an Asian girl close-up before, so they carefully looked over Kim's body and face as they passed her. A group of schoolboys shouted something rude to Kim in Danubian, only to have the guard escorting the prisoner yell at them and make them scatter. Kim never felt so vulnerable in all her life, completely exposed in front of dozens of strangers and her hands cuffed behind her back.

Far up ahead Kim thought she saw Tiffany and Susan being escorted together, but she only caught a brief glimpse of them.

Kim was taken into a large medical exam room in the basement where an older doctor and a group of medical students were waiting for her. By this time she badly needed to pee, given she had not had the chance to go to the bathroom since before she was arrested. To make sure she had to pee, the doctor ordered her to drink a large glass of water. Then, in front of 20 medical students, he positioned Kim over a bedpan and ordered her to squat. It was obvious that he expected her to fill the bedpan in front of the students, all of whom were looking at her intently.

Kim, in spite of the intense pressure in her bladder, simply could not open up in front of the class. The doctor shouted at her, but still she couldn't go. Kim started to cry. The doctor gave the prisoner a look of disgust. Finally he walked over to his desk and picked up a leather switch. He slashed it across her shoulder blades mercilessly. Kim screamed and lost her balance. She righted herself and shook with terror and utter humiliation as her bladder finally released its contents into the bedpan.


Maragana Girl Ch. 01



While Kim silently stood in front of the medical students with tears running down her cheeks, the doctor conducted a series of tests on her urine, showing the results to the group. He put the test samples on an overhead projector, and repeated the word "maragana" over and over, which of course was Danubian for "marijuana". Apparently he was teaching the students how to test for drugs. He then ordered a student to divide up the contents of the bedpan into 20 lab dishes and passed out drug testing strips. 20 students dipped 20 testing strips into 20 samples of urine. All 20 strips tested positive.

Kim's humiliation in front of the medical students was not over. The doctor ordered her to sit on an examination table. He drew four large needles of blood from Kim's arm and passed them to four of his students. The students then split up the blood among themselves to run tests on it. Over and over Kim heard the word "maragana" around the classroom. The students finally turned in their test kits and crowded around the examination table.

For the next hour the students took turns measuring Kim's pulse and heartbeat, turning up her eyelids and shining lights into her eyes, shoving fingers and swabs into her mouth, and worst of all, forcing her to submit to several pap smears and rectal exams. Kim was a real-life drug user, something very rare in Upper Danubia. The doctor was not about to pass up this chance to give his class hands-on experience with examining and testing a subject for drug use.

Finally the horror of Kim's medical demonstration passed. The doctor ordered her to shower in the bathroom adjacent to the examination room. There was no shower curtain, but it didn't matter. By now Kim was so broken emotionally that she didn't bother to object to showering in full view of 20 medical students. Kim left the shower and quietly allowed the guard to cuff her hands behind her back yet again, for yet another walk down the crowded police station corridor.

With that the most horrible day of Kim's life came to an end. The guard opened the door of a tiny holding cell that contained nothing but a mattress with a medical bed sheet on top and a chamber-pot. Kim crawled onto the mattress and cried herself to sleep. Just 24 hours ago she had been sleeping on a train with her friends, and now here she was, naked and alone in a Danubian holding cell, cut off from everyone and everything she had ever known.

Kim realized she was in a lot of trouble. Why...why did she go along with coming to this horrible country, not knowing anything about it? Why didn't she pay more attention to that voice inside her that was telling her something was very wrong about this place when she saw naked young people wearing collars on their necks? And what about Tiffany and Susan? What was happening to them?

As she lay crying, trying to force herself to get to sleep, Kim would have been even more horrified to know that even as she was wondering about them, Tiffany and Susan already had left Danube City on a train headed for Prague. They had been released and expelled from Upper Danubia, partly because of extremely good luck, partly because of Danubian law, and also partly because of Tiffany's betrayal of her friend Kim.

While Kim was standing before the arraignment panel, Tiffany and Susan had the good fortune to be placed in a holding cell together. It was only for a few minutes, but that gave Tiffany enough time to think of a strategy to get herself and Susan out of trouble at the expense of Kim.

In a quiet panicky whisper she spoke to Susan.

"Quick question...do you have anything in your backpack?"

"Uh...no. I think I put it all in the bag that Kim took."

"You don't have your pipe anymore?"

"No, I lost it last week. Don't you remember?"

"No paper?"

"No, I gave it to you..."

"...and I put it in Kim's bag. So you don't have anything...nothing..."

"No, but what difference does that make? They got Kim..."

"It makes a lot of difference, Susan...don't you get it? Now you listen to me and you listen good. No matter what they say or ask you, tell them you don't know what's in Kim's backpack...get it? You don't know. You didn't know she was smoking pot..."

"But we all were smoking pot..."

"No we weren't. Kim was smoking, you and I were taking a piss. We didn't know about the pot. You don't know shit about it."

"But...what about Kim?"

"Kim's fucked. There's nothing we can do about it. But if your backpack is clean and you stick to not knowing about Kim's stash, I think you and I can get out of this. My backpack is clean. I know that for a fact."

"Mine is too, but we can't do that to Kim."

"Oh we can't? I sure as hell can. Look, you saw how they treated us...you want to stay here in Nudie Prison?"

Susan sobbed, "No."

"Then you do what I tell you. You don't know shit. You're totally surprised. Never realized that Kim was capable of hauling pot. And one more thing. Don't mention anything about pot or Kim until they ask you. Don't bring it up yourself or they'll nail us."

"But..."

"Look...do you want to stay here or not?"

"No."

"Then..."

The cell door opened and Susan was pulled out to appear before the arraignment panel. Tiffany prayed that her friend wouldn't screw it up.

In the end the prosecutor decided not to file any charges against Tiffany and Susan. He didn't believe they were innocent, but there was no evidence nor any witnesses to refute their claim that they knew nothing about the marijuana Kim had with her. Their stories matched, so in the end the prosecutor simply decided to order them out of Upper Danubia and prohibit them from ever returning. Instead he would concentrate on charging Kim and try to get a maximum sentence for her.

Tiffany and Susan felt hugely relieved as they got dressed and were taken to the train station in the police van. When they got their passports back they opened them up to the latest stamp. In English, German, and Danubian it read:

"Bearer of this passport is strictly prohibited from entering the territory of The Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia under any circumstances during this lifetime."

No problem with that for either Tiffany or Susan. Neither had any intention of ever coming back.



Maragana Girl Ch. 02



Chapter 2 -- Kim's first punishment

Kim was emotionally drained the following morning. She kept on hoping everything was somehow an awful nightmare and at some point she would wake up. She used the chamber-pot and then sat sadly on her mattress wondering what horrible things would be done to her today. That panel yesterday had mentioned a trial.

The cell door opened. A guard cuffed Kim's hands behind her back and led her down the long corridor, which once again was filled with people. Once again dozens of eyes looked over the prisoner's exposed body as she was led down the hallway. The guard took her up two flights of stairs to the reception area of a small office. He then forced Kim into a kneeling position in front of two young secretaries and left her there.

The secretaries quietly talked to each other about the young American as she silently knelt in front of them. The two Danubians didn't do or say anything to deliberately humiliate Kim, but the embarrassment of having to kneel handcuffed and naked in front of two women her own age and be the subject of their discussion was overwhelming. 

After about five minutes the door of the main office opened. A well-dressed middle-aged man appeared. He had a quiet, determined appearance about him, and an expression that was kinder than the expression of anyone else Kim had talked to since her arrest. 

"You are Kimberly Lee, the American?"

"Yes sir."

"Very well. My name is Vladim Dukov. Allow me to assist you."

With that the man pulled out a key and unhooked Kim's handcuffs. He helped her stand up. 

"Let us go to my office."

A secretary entered ahead of them and spread a small towel on a padded chair facing a large desk. Next to the chair was a small table with some breakfast rolls, a jar of jam, several pieces of fruit, and a pot of tea. Kim suddenly remembered she had not eaten for nearly 24 hours and looked longingly at the food.

"That food is for you. Please. Sit and eat."

The Danubian official sat quietly watching Kim while she ate. Once the prisoner had eaten the majority of the food on her table Dukov remarked: "A man does not think well on an empty stomach. Is that not true for a woman as well, Kimberly?"

"Y...Yes sir...that's true. Thank you, sir."

"Good. Now pour yourself some tea and we can discuss what you must confront today."

Once Kim poured the tea the Danubian official spoke again.

"As I stated before, my name is Vladim Dukov. My title is translated as 'Spokesman for the Criminal', although you might understand it better if I told you I am a public defense council and parole officer. Under our law there is a difference, but you need not be bothered with that detail right now."

"Sir, you're going to defend me...like...in court?"

"In a matter of speaking I will defend you...in court. My responsibility to you is to explain to the judge any circumstances or facts that contradict the arguments presented by the prosecutor. Any facts that contradict the statements made by the prosecutor must be considered by the judge. It also is my responsibility to present any facts in court that would promote leniency in your sentence. You, Kimberly, have a difficult, but very interesting case."

Kim fought back the urge to cry. "Sir...Mr. Dukov...I was just smoking a joint! That's all I was doing! It was just some pot...that we got in Amsterdam!"

"Kimberly...please. First of all...allow me to ask you: are we in Amsterdam right now? Do you think this country is part of the Netherlands?"

"No...no sir. It's not the Netherlands."

"You are correct, this is not the Netherlands. The Dutch can do as they see fit. If they choose to destroy themselves with drugs, so be it. We, the citizens of the Grand Duchy, have chosen a different path for our society. All drug use is severely punished. Now, young lady, another question for you. Where were you smoking your 'pot' as you say it?"

"In the park behind the old temple."

"That is your second problem. That land is not 'just a park'. It is the Sacred Ground of the Guardian Spirits, the spirits of the ancestors who have protected our land for 3,000 years. You defiled our country's ancestors by choosing that location to commit your crime."

"Sir...I didn't know..."

"Yes...yes. You are an ignorant foreigner, how could you know? You Americans do not know very much, do you?"

Kim's heart sank. Even her defense attorney was disgusted by her actions.

"You have a much bigger problem, Kimberly. There were 432 grams of marijuana stored in your personal backpack. That is a significant amount."

"Sir, it belonged to all three of us, and Tiff's boyfriend. But we weren't selling it, honest. We just wanted to make sure we didn't run out before we got back to Amsterdam."

"We...meaning..."

"Me, Tiffany and Susan."

Dukov's expression changed slightly at Kim's last comment. She noticed him looking intensely into her eyes, as though trying to gauge how honest she was being with him.

"So...that marijuana belonged to all of you."

"Yes, sir."

"Who conducted the purchase of the marijuana...in Amsterdam?"

"Tiffany...sir...uh...actually it was her boyfriend."

Again Dukov looked hard into Kim's eyes, as she returned his stare with a puzzled expression. Dukov's demeanor suddenly became very irritated. He quickly picked up the phone, dialed, and started talking rapidly in Danubian. Kim made out the words "amerikanki", "passporti", "Tiffany", "Susan", "Amsterdam", and "maragana". The Spokesman made another call, waited impatiently, and then spoke a few lines in Danubian. His tone of voice became very exasperated as he snapped: 

"Nad Prágu?! Yak onetta ídalak nad Prágu?!" 

After he angrily hung up, Dukov called in his two secretaries and issued several orders. He then wrote a series of notes. Finally he calmed down, folded his hands and addressed Kim again.

"Kimberly, you must understand the facts of the charges against you before we enter the courtroom. I will make no effort to refute that you were smoking marijuana behind the Temple. That fact is indisputable and for that you will be sentenced and punished. Also, a city police officer retrieved 432 grams of marijuana from a backpack that you acknowledged belongs to you. You acknowledge that you knew that marijuana was present in the backpack when you entered the Duchy. That fact is also indisputable and for it you will be sentenced and punished. However, I will challenge the other charges. I also will tell you the prosecutor has behaved irresponsibly in this case, and I will discuss his failings in court. On your behalf I will attempt to use the prosecutor's failings to seek leniency for you."

"Sir...what..."

One of Dukov's secretaries entered at that moment with several folders. Dukov took them and turned to Kim.

"That is enough, Miss Lee. Now you must clean up and prepare yourself for trial. The criminals' bathroom is over there. You must shower. There is an unused toothbrush on the sink. Use it."

Once Kim was cleaned up she wrapped her hair in a towel and her body in another towel. She entered Dukov's office, expecting that he would have some clothes ready for her to change into before they left for the courtroom. Instead Dukov looked up at Kim with a very irritated expression.

"Remove those towels. Immediately."

"Sir..."

"It is prohibited. You are violating your status as a prisoner of the Duchy. You may not cover your body."

Kim gasped as she let the towels fall to the floor. "Sir...what about my court appearance? I can't..."

"You will be naked at your trial, Kimberly. That is the custom in our country. It has been that way for over 1,000 years. You shamed yourself by choosing to commit a crime on our soil, and that shame will be there for the world to see."

The naked people...the ones with the collars! So there was the answer to Kim's question, they were convicted criminals! And she was about to go on trial...and be convicted!

"Oh my God...Sir...Mr. Dukov...please, I can't..."

"Kimberly, that is enough from you. You are now a prisoner of the Duchy. You face conviction on two charges, and possibly more. This reality is now your life, and you must accept it. I will seek leniency, but I cannot change the fact that you violated our laws and must now face the consequences."

One of the secretaries poked her head through the door to tell her boss that the court guard had arrived to take Kim to her trial.

"Kimberly, you must now kneel and present yourself to the guard. When he takes you to the courtroom, Tatiana and I will accompany you."

With that the guard handcuffed Kim and led her out of the police station. The courthouse was on the other side of a large plaza. Kim felt sick as the guard led her across the open area and dozens of passersby stared at her in the open sunlight. Alongside her walked Dukov and his secretary Tatiana. About halfway across the plaza Kim had a slight shock, she ran into the naked waiter from the restaurant where she had eaten the previous day. He stared at her in amazement, wondering what she had done to be going on trial, just 24 hours after she had been a customer at his restaurant.

The guard led Kim into an ornate 19th Century courthouse and into a huge chamber full of police officers, medical students, law students, reporters, cameramen, and various witnesses. Kim recognized the onlookers who had been present at her arrest, as well as the doctor and his 20 students who had analyzed her urine and blood. The three members of the arraignment panel were sitting near the judge's chair towards the front of the chamber, as were the cops who had arrested Kim and searched her belongings. There must have been at least 200 people in the room altogether.

About 5 meters in front of the judge's chair there was a raised platform. Kim rightly assumed that once the trial began she would be ordered to stand on it.

The guard led Kim to a worn spot in the ornate carpet covering the floor about halfway between the back door of the chamber and the platform. He unhooked her handcuffs and ordered her to kneel. Dukov stood next to her, holding several folders in his hands.

Kim looked around. To her horror she noticed two television cameras pointing in her direction. Several reporters flashed their cameras at her. It was obvious this trial was going to be a sensation, because Kim was an American. Dukov swallowed and cleared his throat. Kim could tell that he was somewhat nervous. He had not expected the trial to draw so much public interest. He bent down and spoke to her:

"Kimberly, when the judge comes in everyone will stand and salute him, except you. You must kneel forward and put your forehead to the carpet. You will stay that way until the judge orders you to step forward. You will climb the platform and assume the prisoner's stance. That means you must stand with your legs spread and your hands behind your head. No matter who else is talking, you must remain in that position, facing the judge. I will translate anything you need to know or any answers you need to provide the court."

Kim nodded and choked back her tears. She couldn't believe this! It just kept getting worse and worse! The only shred of hope she clung to was her no-nonsense defense attorney, who seemed genuinely interested in helping her as much as possible.

The judge entered the chamber. The entire room shouted "Doc-doc Danube!" and everyone put their right fist against their left shoulder, the Danubian way of saluting a public official. As instructed Kim knelt forward and placed her hands on the worn carpet, her forehead touching the ground. She felt the cool air of the courtroom blowing against her exposed vagina and bottom. The tears rolled down the bridge of her nose and onto the carpet.

Kim heard the prosecutor's voice as he read the charges against her. Then she heard the judge's voice and Dukov's response. The Spokesman tapped his client's shoulder and pointed at the platform. Kim walked to it and climbed the steps, finding herself standing about a meter and a half above the ground. Reluctantly she spread her legs and put her hands behind her head. Four spotlights shined on her from different directions. She heard the murmurings of the spectators and saw the flashes of reporters' cameras.

At first the only people speaking were witnesses for the prosecution. The female cop who made the initial arrest and her partner spoke first, followed by other witnesses from the Temple area. Then came testimony from the police doctor and three of his students. Finally the arraignment tribunal members spoke, the woman holding up the damning bag of marijuana and Kim's t-shirt with the marijuana insignia. The prosecutor seemed quite smug and at ease with his case, while Dukov stood quietly scribbling furiously into a notepad.

After two hours, Kim's body was starting to cramp badly, and she wondered how much longer she could stay in her position. Just as Kim felt like she was going to faint, the judge stood up. Suddenly Dukov whispered desperately "Kimberly! Quick! You must kneel!" Kim just made it to the platform on her knees when the entire room exploded with "Doc-doc Danube!"

Dukov ordered Kim to get up and passed her a glass of water. She felt despair that her Spokesman had not yet said anything to contradict the witnesses, but she drank and tried to regain her composure.

"Sir...Mr. Dukov...how come you're not saying anything?"

"Kimberly, those witnesses are telling the truth as they saw it. I am not here to refute the truth. I am here to confront the prosecutor's mistakes."

"What mistakes, sir?"

"The two most important witnesses are missing, your two friends. They left the country last night. It is quite unfair you should go on trial and they should not."

"What!? They were released? But, why them and not me?"

"Because they told the arraignment panel the same story; they knew nothing about the marijuana you were carrying."

"But...but it was Tiffany who bought it...she...was the one who put it in my backpack!"

"That is the folly of the prosecutor. He released her and your other friend based on her statement, and did not talk to you first."

Suddenly Kim felt even sicker. Tiffany and Susan had left her! They lied to the Danubian police, just to save themselves at her expense! No wonder she was facing charges as a drug trafficker! 

"I was very angry when I found out your friends had been released," continued Dukov, "very angry indeed, because I was unable to talk to them about you. Neither the prosecutor nor the arraignment panel consulted with me about your friends. If they claimed you were the only one carrying the drugs and then were allowed to leave, I needed to know."

"They actually said that I was the only one?"

"What they claimed was they did not know what was in your backpack, and that neither of them knew you smoked marijuana. That they were very surprised."

"No! They couldn't have done that! We're friends!"

"Well, the fact remains, you are here on trial and they, by now, are in Prague. How else do you think they made it out?"

Kim felt like she had been punched in the chest. She had known Tiffany and Susan since middle school. They had spent the last five years together constantly. She had shared things with them that she never could share with anyone else. And now they had done this to her! Kim sat crying while Dukov reviewed his notes.

"Doc-doc Danube!" Kim scrambled to get into her kneeling position on top of her platform as the rest of the room saluted the judge. The judge read over some procedural issues and then ordered his client to stand. Dukov relayed the order in English and Kim resumed her position on top of the platform, legs apart and hands behind her head. The judge then called the Spokesman for the Criminal to speak up on her behalf.

Dukov spoke at length, consulting his notes and several folders. Kim heard the words Tiffany, Susan, and Amsterdam mentioned over and over. The crowd started to murmur, and out of the corner of her eye she could see both the prosecutor and the arraignment panel fidget uncomfortably. The judge asked the prosecutor several questions, which he answered sullenly. The judge did not appear satisfied with the prosecutor's responses, and shook his head. The judge then looked at Kim and directed a question at her. Dukov translated.

"They are about to pronounce the sentence. He wants to know if you have anything to say to the court. If you do, get on your knees before you speak."

Kim did have something to say. She knelt and spoke in English: "Your Honor, the only thing I have to say to this court and to the people of this city, is that I am very sorry for what I did behind the Temple. I have insulted your ancestors and I ask you and them to forgive me."

After Dukov translated there was a murmur of approval from the audience, at least this ignorant foreigner was willing to recognize her mistakes. 

The judge made some notes and finally pronounced the verdict, which Dukov translated. Due to the negligence of the prosecutor and the premature release of Tiffany and Susan, the court was unable to convict Kim of drug trafficking. As expected, she was found guilty of possession of marijuana and the public use of marijuana. However, the judge surprised the entire court by declaring Kim innocent of violation of the Sanctity of the Ancients. 

"The American Kimberly Lee has sought the forgiveness of the Ancients, and I believe that request was sincere. For that trespass she repented, and the Ancients will hear that request."

Dukov was enormously pleased when he heard Kim's sentence, while the prosecutor tightened his lips in disgust. For a drug conviction in Upper Danubia it was extremely lenient. 

"Item One: The American Kimberly Lee will wear the criminal's collar for two years. The collar will identify her as a criminal, monitor her movements, and alert the police should she try to leave this city. For the next two years the American Kimberly Lee is prohibited from traveling more than 10 kilometers from this courthouse."

"Item Two: For the duration of her sentence the American Kimberly Lee is prohibited from covering any part of her body with any article of clothing. She has disgraced herself and our city with her actions, and the American Kimberly Lee's disgrace will be shown to the world as a result of this sentence."

"Item Three: Finally, the American Kimberly Lee will receive four vigorous punishments on the naked buttocks with a standard leather switch. One of the punishments will be given in this chamber immediately at the closing of this hearing, the others will be given on this date in the Central Police Station six months from now, 12 months from now, and 18 months from now. The arresting officer will administer all four punishments."

Kim gasped as Dukov translated the court's punishment to her. When he noticed her horrified expression he tried to reassure her.

"Kimberly, this sentence is very lenient, almost nothing. Under our laws you could have been sentenced to five years of wearing the collar, plus a switching every three months for the possession charge. Had you been convicted of drug trafficking, you would have received 20 years, plus the switch every 30 days."

Two years of wearing a collar? Two years in the nude? Four "vigorous punishments on the naked buttocks"? That was lenient? No wonder Upper Danubia has no crime, thought Kim to herself.

"Kimberly, you are now convicted and sentenced. You must come down and kneel before the judge's table."

Once Kim was kneeling on the floor, the judge issued another command. A man in a white doctor's gown walked up to Kim and put a measuring tape around her neck. He checked the pulse of her jugular vein and wrote down the measurement from the tape. He left and shortly returned with a device that looked something like an enormous pair of salad tongs. He slipped the tong-device over Kim's head and closed it around her neck. He checked to make sure the device would not pinch the criminal's skin, and then clamped it shut. There was a faint hiss and a dull click. When the man opened the device and moved it away, Kim had a criminal's collar around her neck. The collar would be the only item she would be permitted to wear for the next two years. She now was marked as a convicted criminal by a collar that was virtually indestructible.




Maragana Girl Ch. 02



Kim's hand involuntarily went to her neck. She fingered the collar, the cruel item that now set her apart from who she had been before her arrest. The uncompromising feel of the cold metal on her neck echoed Dukov's words earlier in the morning: "This reality is now your life, and you must accept it."

The final part of Criminal # 98945's appearance in court was to be a "vigorous punishment by a standard leather switch" on her exposed bottom. Several court attendants opened the sides of the prisoner's trial platform and collapsed it, revealing a very solidly built table. The table had several straps attached to its top and legs. Kim glanced over at it in terror. Momentarily she would be bent over that table, with her arms and legs immobilized by those straps.

Dukov spoke again to the judge, who answered and nodded. The Spokesman then turned to his client.

"Kimberly, I managed to reduce the number of corporal punishments you will receive to four, but right now you must submit to one of those punishments."

"Yes...sir"

"I will explain to you what will happen. The officer who arrested you will strike you with a leather switch. You will receive 50 strokes. Usually those strokes are concentrated on the criminal's bottom, but the officer also has the right to punish the criminal's thighs or shoulders. I will witness the switching. If I believe you risk injury I can order the officer to redirect the punishment to some other part of your body. That is the only way I may assist you. I am not allowed to order the officer to reduce the severity or number of strokes."

Kim sobbed and nodded.

"You must understand that the arresting officer is the one who decides most of the details of your punishment. She can take as long as she wants to administer the 50 strokes, she may humiliate you, and she is allowed to touch you where she pleases. My only authority is to prevent any serious injury."

Kim shook with terror. Perhaps Dukov had gotten his client leniency by reducing the number of times she would have to face the switch, but that would not make the remaining switchings any less painful. The Spokesman continued:

"The judge will ask the officer if she is ready to administer your punishment. She will say yes, and once she does, I will bring you to her. She will touch your shoulder with the switch. That is the signal you must kneel before her and kiss the toes of her shoes. Once you have done that, I will release custody of you to her. Then she and her partner will strap you to the table and she will whip you. What happens after that is entirely up to the officer, as long as I do not think you risk injury."

Kim remained silent.

"Kimberly, do you understand all that?"

"Yes sir."

"Once you have received your 50th stroke, the officer will undo your straps and order you to stand up. She will bring you before the judge and present your backside for him to verify that the punishment was properly administered. Once he certifies the punishment was properly administered, you will kneel before the officer and thank her for disciplining you. Once you have done that, she will release you back into my custody."

Kim nodded. She looked up at the officer and her partner. The Danubian woman's eyes shined with anticipation. She had a wicked smile on her face. This was her big chance, the public punishment of the first American in Upper Danubia in over three years, and the punishment of the first Asian girl ever. Oh yes...she would show this spoiled little rich drug-using American a thing or two.

The cop and her partner stood at attention before the judge. The judge raised his hand and the two officers shouted "Doc-doc Danube!" at they moved their right fists to their left shoulders in salute of the official. The face of the young Danubian cop was bursting with enthusiasm. The judge asked the cop if she was ready to administer the sentence. The cop responded by pulling the switch from her belt and slashing viciously through the air. "Doc!"

With that Dukov took his client's arm and guided her over to where the two police officers were standing. He and the female cop stood face-to-face and saluted each other. He stepped back and the cop stepped directly in front of Kim. She had a truly wicked smile on her face and cruel look in her eyes. She touched the criminal's shoulder with her switch. As directed Kim knelt and kissed the officer's shoes. The officer then tapped her shoulder with the switch to signal that she needed to stand up.

Again the officer looked into Kim's eyes with her evil expression. She flexed the switch in her hands.

"Now I hurt you, Maragana Girl. Now I much hurt you. You much cry."

Kim was more terrified than ever, but suddenly she felt a strong desire to not give that bitchy cop what she wanted. There was something about the cop's sadistic behavior and terrible English that irritated Kim, something that made her want to fight and resist as much as possible. I will not 'much cry', thought Kim to herself, no, I won't give her the satisfaction.

The two cops took the criminal's arms and guided her over the platform. They buckled the straps that immobilized Kim's wrists, and then secured her waist and ankles. Kim closed her eyes and tried to nerve herself for the ordeal that lay ahead.

The cop did not begin the switching right away. She was fascinated by the soft brown skin of Criminal # 98945's exposed bottom. The two cops ran their hands over Kim's bottom-cheeks and up and down her thighs. The female reached between Kim's legs to fondle her vagina, then she stepped back to let her partner explore that part of her. The female then pressed her hands to Kim's bottom and forced her bottom-cheeks apart. The two cops took a good long look at the American's exposed bottom-hole.

Kim looked over at Dukov. He was not pleased by the cops' treatment of his client, but there was nothing he could do about it. Because he had formally released custody of Criminal # 98945, the cops were perfectly within their rights fondling and humiliating her.

Finally the initial part of Kim's punishment ended when the cops grew tired of exploring and fondling her body. The female cop put her face close to the American's and whispered into her ear:

"Maragana Girl, you now much cry."

The female stepped behind Kim, moved to her side, tapped her bottom lightly with the switch, and laid a vicious stroke across her bottom. Instantly the pain seared into Kim's body and rapidly intensified. Criminal # 98945 gasped and gritted her teeth, but managed to suppress a scream. She breathed heavily, but stayed quiet. The cop was surprised. She had struck the American with one of her best strokes but did not receive the scream she had anticipated. The American was resisting!

The female cop traced the rising welt marking the foreigner's bottom with her fingertips. She then stepped back and delivered another vicious blow, immediately beneath the first welt. The girl's entire body shook and she was breathing hard, but still she managed to stay quiet. The cop struck a third time, and a fourth. Kim bit her lip hard and the tears were rolling down her cheeks, but still, she had managed to stay quiet.

The cop was both irritated and embarrassed that Kim was resisting her. She had been under the impression that the foreign drug addict was a weakling and that the slightest touch of the leather would set her off screaming uncontrollably. Instead the "Maragana Girl" was holding up very well, as well as any Danubian criminal. The cop struck again, and then decided to change tactics.

In rapid succession the cop laid five vicious strokes on the criminal's right bottom cheek, then five vicious strokes on her left bottom cheek, concentrating the full force of the switch on one bottom-cheek at a time. As the pain mounted Kim's face became discolored with pain and her expression distorted from the agony she was enduring. Her entire world was reduced to the savage sensations coming from her exposed bottom, but her hatred of that cop and her determination to resist drove her to stay silent. Kim pressed her forehead against the surface of the table in an effort to suppress her screams. Her loud breathing and shaking body indicated that she truly was suffering, but still she managed to resist.

The majority of the court bystanders now sympathized with Kim. The young criminal's simple and heartfelt apology for the Temple incident warmed many hearts to her, and her determination to resist her punishment only increased her audience's liking of her. Kim did not realize it, but already, on the very first day of her sentence, she was well on her way to thinking like a Danubian.

Ultimately, however, everyone in the courtroom knew that at some point Criminal # 98945 would have to break. She had received only 15 strokes out of 50, and the cop had all the time in the world maximize the effect of the remaining 35. She could continue to rub and fondle Kim as much as she wanted. Kim would break, it was just a matter of when.

The cop decided to change her tactics yet again and laid a series of 10 strokes across both of the American's bottom-cheeks, waiting a full minute between each one. The cop waited patiently for the mounting pain and exhaustion to wear down Kim's resistance. The criminal was shaking violently and quietly groaning. The cop smiled slightly. She was close.

Once again the cop stopped to fondle Kim's badly marked bottom and allow the most recent welts to rise. The press photographers present zoomed their lenses on Criminal # 98945's backside, to get close-ups of the first Asian bottom ever to be punished in Upper Danubia. 

The cop resumed with her slow succession of blows, laying several across Kim's already punished bottom and causing ugly blood blisters to form. At that point Dukov moved in closer to watch, to make sure the cop did not break his client's skin. The cop proceeded to whip the upper parts of Kim's thighs. Then she struck hard at the base of her bottom three times.

Kim's resistance broke at the landing of the third stroke in that sensitive spot. She screamed loudly and collapsed into a series of violent sobs. Once her resistance broke, she was very loud during the remaining part of her punishment. She screamed every time the switch landed, and sobbed violently in between the strokes

Kim was in too much agony to realize it, but she had gained the respect of everyone in the room, including the punishing officer. The cop had not managed to get the American to cry until the 33rd stroke, which was far better than most Danubian criminals, men or women.

After the 45th stroke Dukov raised his hand. There was no way that his client's bottom could take any additional strokes without risking the skin being broken. Dukov pointed to Kim's shoulders. The cop would have to finish on the criminal's shoulders. Kim screamed five times, as five vicious parallel strokes marked her shoulder blades.

After the fifth stripe was laid across his client's shoulders. Dukov again raised his hand. The cop turned to her partner who verified that yes, indeed, the last stroke was the 50th and Criminal # 98945 had completed this part of her punishment. For a minute the two cops left the sobbing American in place, but finally they unbuckled her leg and wrist restraints. Kim buried her face in her hands and continued to cry, remaining bent over the table. The pain in her body seemed to be getting worse, even though the punishment had ended. She couldn't believe that a punishment could hurt so badly.

Finally Dukov walked up to his sobbing client and laid his hand on her arm. "Kimberly, you must stand up now. The policewoman will present you to the judge, and then you must thank her for punishing you."

Kim struggled to get up. The cop grabbed her arm and took her before the judge. Again she saluted the judge and then forced Criminal # 98945 to turn around to show him the American's badly marked backside. The judge nodded and signed the punishment certificate. Kim was still crying, but slowly regaining her composure.

"Kimberly, one final thing before the policewoman releases you back to me. You must kneel before her, kiss her shoes, and thank her for punishing you."

"W...what d...do I need...to say...to tell her?"

"In Danubian?"

"Yes sir."

"Spakeebo dákub moígu."

Kim repeated "Spakeebo dákub moígu."

"Not bad. It can be understood."

With that Kim knelt before the officer and again kissed her shoes. She raised her head and repeated, "Spakeebo dákub moígu".

The female cop again touched her switch to Kim's shoulder, to indicate that her punishment had ended. Dukov and the cop saluted each other and with that Criminal # 98945 was released back into the custody of her Spokesman.

The judge then clapped his hands. Dukov again lead his client to a kneeling position in front of the court. The judge had a few final words for Kim, which were translated by Dukov.

"Criminal # 98945, you are released from this courtroom to begin your sentence as a convicted criminal and identified drug user. As such you have many obligations, which your Spokesman will explain to you. You are reminded that you may not travel more than 10 kilometers from this court. If you do an alarm in your collar will be set off and you will serve a full five-year sentence for marijuana possession. All roads and streets beyond 10 kilometers are clearly marked with yellow warning signs, so you have no excuse for claiming you do not know where the boundary is located."

"Yes, your Honor, I understand."

"Within 48 hours you must return to this court with a certification of gainful employment. Your position as a criminal restricts what you may do. You must accept employment that maximizes the exposure of your body to the public. Any outdoor employment is suitable, as would be retail sales or customer service. Examples of jobs not suitable are indoor positions such as working as a typist or stockroom attendant. Your Spokesman is responsible for helping you find suitable employment."

"Yes, your Honor, I understand."

"Finally, you are responsible for reporting to the Central Police Station on this day six months from now for the second of your four corporal punishments. The conditions and severity of the next corporal punishment will be the same as the conditions and severity you endured today."

"Yes...your Honor...I...understand."

With that the court was adjourned. Once again came the shout "Doc-doc Danube!" Once again everyone's right hand thumped against their left shoulder. Everyone, that was, except for Kim. As a criminal, she was denied the right to salute. Instead, she dropped to the floor on her elbows and knees, touching her forehead to the ground.

There was one final indignity waiting for Kim at the courthouse. Immediately following her switching, she had to pose for a series of photos for her official sentencing certificate. The certificate included two photos of the criminal's face, now complete with her collar, and three shots of her body, with her welts on prominent display. Criminal # 98945 sadly turned around for the camera, her spirit totally broken.



Maragana Girl Ch. 03



Chapter 3 -- Kim's new life

Kim sullenly accompanied her Spokesman and his secretary across the plaza back to his office at the Central Police Station. Her body still was in considerable pain, not only from the searing welts, but also from her cramped muscles. The American walked stiffly and slowly, with Dukov and Tatiana slowing their own pace to allow her to keep up with them. The plaza was crowded with commuters and people relaxing in the afternoon sun. Kim, with her bare body, Asian features, metal collar, and marked backside, drew a lot of attention from the public as she walked by. They've turned me into a freak, she thought bitterly. And for two years I have to stay like this.

On the steps of the police station Dukov gave several short interviews to local television reporters, with Kim and the secretary standing behind him. His client felt deep bitterness at that moment, being forced to stand on the steps while the Spokesman cheerfully spoke to the cameras. The Spokesman was in very high spirits, having reduced his client's threatened 20-year sentence to just 2-years. Kim still did not fully appreciate how difficult an accomplishment this had been. She did not yet realize the reduction of her sentence by 90% in this very high-profile case had been one of the most significant victories of Dukov's career.

As the young criminal painfully followed Dukov up the steps, the cameras focused on her backside, filming the dark welts on her bottom and shoulders.

Finally the three were back in the Spokesman's office. The secretary who had stayed behind at the office had a recovery table set up; a massage table with lotion and disinfectant. Kim's body was stiffer than ever, and she was grateful for the opportunity to simply lie down. The secretary at the recovery table examined her to make sure her skin had not been broken anywhere, then she gently spread lotion on the welts to soften them. It was standard procedure following a judicial punishment. Six months from now Kim once again would be lying in this office following her second punishment.

Kim had no desire to move once she was on the table. Even the slightest movement hurt. The pain and stiffness were so overwhelming that she could barely imagine a time that she didn't feel such agony. She started to cry again, not only from the physical torment she was enduring, but also from the emotional suffering she had undergone that day and the overwhelming feeling that her life was ruined. She couldn't imagine that there could be any future for her after what she had endured. However, physical exhaustion finally overtook her and she fell asleep.

Kim did have a future in Upper Danubia, which Dukov spent the rest of the afternoon arranging. His first concern was making sure his client had a job. The court was dead serious about her needing to be gainfully employed within 48 hours. Kim would most definitely present a problem, given that she spoke no Danubian. Over time she would learn, but that did not resolve the issue of the moment.

Dukov decided that the best temporary position his new client could take would be to work as a courier. In a country where fax machines were still very rare, couriers were an important feature of Danubian business communications. Working as a courier would put Kim outdoors most of the time and keep her moving. Dukov suspected that the young criminal was a restless girl and needed movement to stay focused. At the end of September, when the weather started to get cold, she would have to change jobs and do something indoors, but that problem was still three months away.

Kim needed a place to live as well. A convicted criminal in Upper Danubia usually simply returned to live with his or her family. Kim, of course, had no relatives in Danube City, nor anyone else with whom she could live. Dukov had to get her a room, but that presented him with another problem. He knew from his professional experience that his client would be extremely depressed over the next few days, until she got used to her new life as a convicted criminal. That transition was difficult for anyone; with Kim it would be even more so because she had to get used to living in Danube City as well as get used to her new legal status. She had to live with someone who could watch over her, and yet leave her alone when necessary.

Finally, there was the issue of Kim's forfeited life in the US. Dukov needed to contact the US Embassy and arrange an interview with her. She needed to contact her parents and let them know that she would not be coming home for two years. Whatever college plans she had would have to wait. Dukov wondered if the hardest part of Kim's punishment was yet to come, having to explain to everyone in the US what happened.

Dukov spent the afternoon on the phone, first calling the US Embassy. The Spokesman had a rather unpleasant conversation with a consular official, who ripped into him about the barbarity of Upper Danubia's justice system. Dukov was a bit taken aback, given that he was the equivalent of a public defense attorney in the US and by Danubian standards he had successfully defended Kim in court. Finally his temper snapped. 

"You will listen to me now. I have been to your country. I have seen your jails. You choose to keep your criminals in useless confinement and your useless system does not work. Its failure is evident for all of us to see plainly. We conduct very speedy trials and return our criminals to society right away. They work, they contribute, they lead productive lives, they learn respect, and they do not re-offend. What is your preference, that Kimberly spend two years in a prison cell, or that she spend two years working?"

Dukov then called his brother Victor Dukov, who ran a courier service. Kim had to be trained and learn her way about the 10-kilometer circle in which she would be delivering messages. Dukov spent over an hour discussing the details with his brother. 

Finally there was the issue of where Kim would live. Until she learned how to speak Danubian, the only workable solution would be for her to stay with Dukov and his family. Anyhow, it was getting late and Dukov needed to go home, and take his client with him. He woke her up.

"Kimberly, you will come with me. Tonight you will dine with my family and sleep at my house."

Once again Kim sadly accompanied her Spokesman out onto the street. Once again she had to contend with the constant barrage of curious glances. The sight of a naked young woman with welts on her backside and a collar on her neck normally was not something that drew an extraordinary amount of attention from passers-by. However, the site of a naked young Asian woman with welts on her backside and a collar on her neck was something completely new. Along the street, at the trolley stop, and on the trolley itself local residents shifted around and strained their necks to get a better view of Kim's badly marked body.

At first Kim looked at the ground to avoid the sight of all her on-lookers. However, when Dukov noticed what she was doing he admonished her. "Kimberly, you must keep your head up. You must show your face to the world. A convicted criminal in this country is not allowed to hide her face."

Sadly Kim complied and lifted her head. She had to ride to Dukov's place standing up, even though there were several empty seats on the trolley. Criminals could use public transportation for free, but they were not allowed to occupy a seat. Dukov, realizing how difficult all this was for his client, chose to stand next to her.

The commute took the Spokesman and his client to the outer edge of the Danube City collar-zone and almost into the countryside. Dukov's house was about the size of an average US tract home, but it was solidly made from cinderblocks and polished wooden paneling. It overlooked a beautiful valley of mixed forests and pastures, one of the places Kim and her friends had hoped to visit. However, a yellow sign, visible along the street only a block past Dukov's house, reminded her that valley was now off limits.

Dukov and Kim entered his house. She went to the kitchen and looked out the window, curious to see the back yard. The yard was small and enclosed with a wall, as were most back yards of Danubian houses. Danubians valued their privacy and no proper house lacked an enclosed back yard. Two teenaged girls were sunbathing nude and giggling together over a pop-music magazine. Dukov called out to one the girls, asking her a question. The girl heaved a deep sigh and answered "Negat, Papa.". With that both girls got up, put on sun dresses, and began packing up the things scattered in the yard. 

"My daughter, Anyia. You see, she needed to start preparing our meal, and she neglected to do so. Teenagers are the same everywhere, is that not so?"

The girl's carefree behavior struck at Kim's soul. Just a short while ago she had been in high school, doing roughly the same thing with Tiffany and Susan. 

As Anyia began cleaning and cutting vegetables in the kitchen, Dukov instructed Kim to go into the main bathroom and get cleaned up. She sadly sat in the bathtub as the rest of Dukov's family returned home and he explained the situation of his new house-guest.

An hour later the young criminal was eating dinner with her Spokesman and his family. Dukov's family was about as typical as a Danubian family could be. Besides the teenaged daughter, he had an older son called Vladik who had just graduated from the National Police Academy. Dukov's wife, a sharply-dressed professional woman who introduced herself as Maritza, also was present, as was Vladik's fiancé. Throughout the dinner Anyia and the fiancé constantly glanced at Kim, not being able to hide their curiosity about the first Asian woman and the first person from the US to ever eat at their table.

As the women cleaned up and his son attended to his revolver and police uniform, Dukov called Kim to accompany him to his home library. The library was full of books in various languages and had two large very comfortable chairs. There were various pictures of Dukov and his family around the room, but one in particular struck Kim. That picture was the reason Dukov had brought her into the library.

It was a medium sized picture of the Spokesman, much younger than he was now, standing arm-in-arm with his future wife. Both Dukov and his fiancé were naked, and both were wearing collars. Beneath the picture two open collars hung on the wall. 

Kim gasped. "Mr. Dukov...you...?"

"Yes, Kimberly. I wore the collar for five years, as did my wife Maritza. We keep this picture to remind ourselves, and our children, of who we are and where we came from. I brought you here so that you can understand something very important. Your life has not ended. Nor has it been suspended for two years. On this date, two years from now, you will be a free woman, but you cannot think about that too much; you cannot live in the future. Between now and then you must live from day to day and enjoy life's momentary small pleasures. That was how Maritza and I endured our sentences, and how we found love in each other."

Kim wondered what Dukov and his wife had done to be convicted as criminals, but she decided not to ask. Dukov had not volunteered that information. Out of respect for her Spokesman she decided not to pursue the question.

Kim slept deeply that night. She did not wake up until 10:00 the following morning. Her body was unbelievably stiff and the pain from her welts was still very much present. She would have a very hard time sitting normally for at least another day. Kim looked at herself in the guest bedroom mirror. The welts had darkened and looked ugly.

The house was completely silent. Apparently everyone had left for work. Kim looked around and finally went to the kitchen, where she peeked out the window and saw Anyia asleep nude on a towel in the back yard. As much as she hated doing it, she forced herself to wake up the girl and ask her where her father was. As Kim had feared, Anyia was none too pleasant about having been woken up. She gave a disgusted sigh, walked into the kitchen to retrieve a note and a Danubian-English dictionary, passed both items to Kim, and then plopped back down on her towel. 

Kim couldn't say anything; a couple of years before she had been just as rude.

Dukov's note told Kim to ask Anyia to prepare breakfast for her and then gave instructions for taking a trolley downtown. She got her own breakfast, having no desire to bother the sullen girl on the towel a second time. Then she stepped outside to face the world alone as a Danubian convicted criminal. She carried the dictionary with her and walked up the hill to the trolley stop. 

Yet again Kim had to endure all those stares as she rode the trolley into town. She wished she could sit down and cover her welts from her audience, but of course that was impossible due to the rule against criminals taking any seats on public transportation. She arrived at the Central Police Station and again endured the barrage of stares as she went up to Dukov's office. By now it was after 11:00. Dukov's two secretaries were in the front room. Upon seeing Kim enter, one of them immediately ushered her back to Dukov's main office. Dukov got right to the point. There were three problems she needed to resolve that day: find work, call her parents, and figure out where she was going to live. 

The work issue was the most pressing, given that by the end of the next day Kim had to be employed. Dukov suggested the courier job with his brother. She agreed, really having no choice. Upon getting Kim's agreement Dukov took her to an old office building three kilometers away to meet Victor Dukov. 

Victor Dukov spoke much less English then did his brother Vladim, but he still could make himself understood to Kim. She learned what her working life would be like over the next several months. She would be working with four other couriers, all of whom were recent high school graduates. One was close to completing a year-long sentence of wearing a collar for fighting at his school, but the other three were just average graduates. Victor issued his newest employee a cheap Danubian-made bicycle and handed her three terry-cloth bicycle seat covers designed especially for naked riders. He emphasized that she had to change her seat cover every day as a health precaution. Another item Kim was issued was a pair of bright orange courier shoes to protect her feet. Criminals who worked as couriers were expected to wear standard courier shoes while riding their bicycles, but had to take them off when not riding. Once she was outfitted with her seat covers and shoes, the two brothers filled out some papers and then Victor gave Kim her first assignment as a courier:

"You take this document of work to judge who sentenced you yesterday. You retrieve his signature. You take this paper with signature to office of my brother. You leave paper there with him. Then you return here with bicycle and receipt from my brother. And remember, you are criminal in court. You act like criminal. You show respect to judge."

Kim sighed. Her new boss did not seem all that friendly, and certainly had no qualms about putting her in her place.

Kim set out on her bicycle on her first assignment as a courier. As she eased herself on her bicycle seat her body protested in pain. However, she gritted her teeth and began peddling, merging into a cluster of other bicyclists headed in the direction of the city's main plaza. 

As she cruised among the other commuters on her cheap bicycle, with her welts throbbing against the seat and the collar's feel on her neck as a constant reminder that she was no longer a free woman, Kim had a chance to reflect on her life. It was the first time in a while she had thought about anything other than partying and where Tiffany could score the best pot. All that was now behind her now. Tiffany was no longer her friend, there was no pot to be had in Danube City, and Kim doubted there would be any partying in her life for two years. She couldn't imagine this quiet city having much of a nightlife, and certainly not for someone like her.

Kim's first regret was simple and rather strange, considering all the other problems she faced. She wished that she could have her mountain bike from the US with her. The mountain bike had been a gift for her 16th birthday, but she probably had not ridden it more than 10 times altogether. Now that she would be spending her days on a bicycle, she wished fervently it could have been her own, the gift from her parents she never appreciated.

Kim's thoughts drifted to more urgent topics. She still needed to tell her parents and her sister what happened. She realized that she had so much to tell them. She had no idea where to begin. First, they had not been aware that Kim was using marijuana. That information alone would be a terrible shock to them. Once they knew she was in Danube City they would want to see her, but how could they? Kim's family was very conservative and no member of Lee family had ever seen any other member undressed. If her family were to visit they would have a horrible shock, seeing her naked in public with a metal collar on her neck. And yet, at the very least her sister would come to Danube City, and would see her. The full shame of Kim's situation would descend on the entire family, which, of course, was exactly the reason why she was being punished in this manner by the Danubian government.

Kim now regretted not having respected her family more in high school, and not having listened more to her parents. She had done all kinds of things behind their backs; lied, stolen, cheated on her classwork in her private school, played her sister and her parents against each other, and sacrificed everything at home to spend more time with Tiffany and Susan. She had always told herself that she had to treat her family badly, because Tiffany and Susan were the only people in the world who understood her. And yet...and yet, when she needed her friends to stand up for her, they instead betrayed her. What a waste...what a total waste!

Kim's bitterness towards Tiffany was only now starting to build. The shock from Tiffany's betrayal was giving way to an intense hatred. Because of Tiffany and Susan, Kim had been facing a 20-year sentence with monthly whippings for drug trafficking. She had only avoided the maximum charges thanks to the dedication of a complete stranger, not thanks to two people she had known for over five years. She now understood and could appreciate what Spokesman Vladim Dukov had done for her. Thanks to Tiffany, Kim faced losing 20 years of her life. Thanks to Dukov, 18 of those years had been given back to her.

It was true that Tiffany had panicked, but Kim was convinced had the situation been reversed she would not have turned on Tiffany, and also was convinced that Susan would not have turned on her had it not been for Tiffany's insistence. It was only natural that she should now hate Tiffany and disrespect Susan, but she also realized that she had to keep those feelings under control or they would consume her soul and force her to do something stupid upon being released and returning to the United States.

Kim looked around her. People were still staring at her, although now that she was on a bicycle with a courier's package and wearing courier's shoes, a lot of the mystery about this young Asian was resolved. People now saw her as simply another criminal who had been punished and was serving a sentence. The punishment of foreigners in Upper Danubia was not very common, but it happened occasionally. The only thing that really made Criminal # 98945 stand out from the others was that she was not European.

Kim parked her bicycle in the couriers' area of the courthouse. She winced as she dismounted. As instructed by Dukov's brother, she took off her courier's shoes and hung them on the handlebars before going in. She went upstairs to the judge's office and knelt at the secretary's desk, holding the papers out in front of her. With a very heavy English accent she repeated the phrase she had memorized: "Tutik ya mauk listok derjavnik na htre," which was Danubian for "I have an official document for the judge."  




Maragana Girl Ch. 03



The secretary called the judge to come out. Kim handed him the paperwork and put her head to the carpet. The judge looked over the paperwork. Ordinarily he would have asked the criminal a couple of questions about her employment, but in this case he had no means of communicating with her. He simply signed and replied "Doc-doc." With that Kim got up, left the courthouse, and returned to her bicycle, having completed the first portion of her first assignment.

Kim returned to the Central Police Station and climbed the two flights of stairs to get to Dukov's office. She needed to deliver the judge's signature to her Spokesman, but she also needed to talk to someone. Fortunately Dukov was working on case files, so he had some time to talk to his client about her new life and her feelings. She started by talking at length about her building hatred of Tiffany and her concern over what that could lead to after her release. 

"Kimberly, for someone who is only 18, I think you understand the issues of your life quite clearly. You are aware of the dangers that await you, and I do not blame you for hating your friend. She betrayed you. Who would not hate under such circumstances? But the question you must ask yourself is how you plan to live from today. You can obsess yourself with what you cannot change, or you can place your thoughts on becoming a better person. This is your chance to change your life...today...this moment. Is it not?"

"I want to change, Mr...uh... Spokesman Dukov, I want to do things right from now on...not like before." 

"Only you can make such a decision, Kimberly. Only you can make that change."

Kim paused, and thought about her next words. She realized she had overlooked something important. "And...Spokesman Dukov...I...I need to thank you for what you did for me yesterday...in court...I mean...really thank you. 20 years...It was gonna be 20 years...and you got me two..."

"That was nothing, Kimberly. It was my responsibility to you as your Spokesman, nothing more."

Kim nodded and choked back some tears. After a few minutes Dukov spoke again. 

"Kimberly, it is time you call your family and explain to them what happened. That is your chance to redeem your relationship with them. You wish to thank me...you can do so by making things right with your family. That is the first request I make of everyone who comes through my office. Now I make that request of you."

Dukov dialed Kim's home in the US and passed the phone to her. Her older sister picked up the phone at the other end, which made beginning her task slightly easier, but not by much. As Kim expected, her family members were devastated once she laid out her situation. However, she was determined to come clean with other things in her life that she had done wrong, and made several very difficult confessions. They talked for well over an hour, in the most truthful conversation Kim ever had with her family. Everyone was in tears when she hung up, but now it was over. The thing she had most dreaded, having to tell her family about her drug use and her conviction, now was past her. As soon as she managed to wipe away the tears, Dukov spoke to her.

"You still have an obligation to my brother before you leave work today. Return my confirmation ticket and your bicycle to his office. Then return to my office and I will take you back to my home. I will wait for you to return."

----------

The following Sunday night Kim watched her own trial and punishment on television.

Danube City averaged about 18 trials per week that resulted in corporal punishments. The average ratio of male offenders to female offenders was about 2 to 1. Crimes that required corporal punishments included stealing, fraud, public drunkenness, public drug use, drug possession, being at fault in any type of accident that resulted in an injury, vandalism, deliberately inflicting injury on another person, and "insurrection", a crime that covered any act of defiance against the police or public officials. Other crimes in which corporal punishment could be inflicted included "crimes of disrespect", an example being the accusation against Kim of disrespecting the land behind the Temple of the Ancients. (Upper Danubia also had a system of capital punishment for murder, rape, child molestation, organized crime, arson, and in times of military conflict, treason. However the capital court system was completely separate from the corporal court system and operated under totally different rules.)

Upper Danubia's unique justice system had one strange side effect on the country's society. Every Sunday night, the government television station broadcast several hours of highlights from the week's trials and judicial corporal punishments, complete with commentary. Almost everyone in the country watched the broadcasts, which were a holdover from times when criminals were publicly switched in Danube City's main plaza. As the city's population expanded after World War II, public viewing of the switchings in the plaza became impractical due to the large crowds. The solution was to televise the punishments instead.

Danubians loved to watch the punishments and debate among themselves the merits of the cases and the charges brought against the offenders. They also were curious to see how brave each offender was, how quickly he or she started to scream or cry during a switching. How much air-time the network gave any particular case depended on how many cases there were that week, how interesting a particular case was, whether the defendant was likeable, and the seriousness of the offense. Since most of the administrators at the television station were men, female criminals could expect to have their punishments, and sometimes even their trials, broadcast in their entirely. Besides, most of the public agreed that crimes committed by women were more interesting than crimes committed by men.

The case of Criminal # 98945 received prominent feature the Sunday night following her punishment. That was not a surprise to anyone, given that Kim was a foreigner, she was the first Asian woman ever punished in Upper Danubia, and because of the circumstances that led to the most serious charges being dropped. Spokesman Dukov's rebuttal of the prosecutor was aired in its entirety prior to the broadcast of Kim's sentencing and her punishment.

The guest room in Dukov's house where Kim was sleeping had its own TV, and that night she excused herself to watch herself be punished. She expected to be mortified and horribly embarrassed by the broadcast, but she was not. She found it fascinating to see herself filmed on the criminal's stand, legs and arms spread under the bright lights. She began lightly touching her breasts and stomach when she saw herself strapped to the table. 

By the time the switching began on TV, Kim was sitting in her easy chair with her legs spread wide open, teasing her clitoris. Seeing herself spread, her bottom and vagina completely exposed to the camera, and seeing the cops' hands rub her welt-covered bottom-cheeks, excited her in a way that she could never have previously imagined. It made no sense. During the punishment itself sexual desire was the farthest thing from Kim's mind, and yet, seeing herself suffer on TV aroused her almost uncontrollably. She was totally wet and experienced orgasm after orgasm as she moved one hand, and then both, over and over her soaked vagina. She threw her head back and closed her eyes, as she listened to herself scream on TV. Her breath came in irregular gasps and she started moaning, biting her lip and rocking back and forth. Suddenly she was filled with an overwhelming desire to be once again strapped to that table. She wanted to have those two cops fondle and caress her. She wanted to be helpless, to be fully exposed, and waiting for the pain. She wanted her suffering and her pleasure to be prominently featured in front of Upper Danubia, in front of all Europe, in front of the entire world.

Kim went to her hands and knees on the floor. She spread her legs wide and thrust her bottom up, enjoying the feel of the room's cool air between her legs. She went down on her knees and chest, freeing her hands to fondle herself, to explore her vagina and her exposed bottom-hole. The fantasy came back stronger than ever...she badly wanted those two cops to explore, to probe, to caress, to fondle her...there. She came yet again.

Kim was gasping for breath as she lay on the floor and watched herself on TV standing behind Dukov on the National Police Station's steps. On the screen the Spokesman was cheerfully explaining his strategy for forcing the reduction of Criminal # 98945's sentence in a post-punishment interview. 

Slowly the spell lifted and Kim returned to her senses. The room reeked of orgasm. She opened the window as wide as possible to air out the room and then dashed to the adjacent bathroom to clean off before anyone could smell her. 

She sat in the bathtub, wondering what on earth had just happened. She had enjoyed the best series of orgasms of her life, as she watched herself being publicly humiliated and horribly switched on television. She felt ashamed that something like that could possibly have excited her. She had learned something about herself a few minutes ago, something that she really had not wanted to know. She was terrified of the dark secret in her soul, a secret that had just forced itself to the surface. 



Maragana Girl Ch. 04



Chapter 4 -- The Socrates Club 

By the end of Kim's first week in Danube City she was partially settled into her strange new life as a convicted criminal and bicycle courier. Within a week her welts were fading and no longer hurt. She had come to terms with what had happened and even managed to pass by the Temple of the Ancients where all her trouble had started. Kim vaguely wondered if that sadistic cop and her partner were still patrolling the grounds behind the Temple, but had no desire to go there and find out. She would see the woman in six months in the Police Station for her second punishment, and that was soon enough.

Kim's new boss, Victor Dukov, forced her to quickly learn the skills needed to move about as a courier in Danube City. Victor Dukov was very different from his brother Vladim. He was gruff and impatient and pushed her very hard. He quickly forced her to learn how to ask for and understand directions in Danubian. He ordered her to memorize a map of the city and yelled at her when she made mistakes. He expected her to find and use the shortest route and to ride from one assignment to another with no breaks. His favorite line for admonishing the American was: 

"Kimberly, you smart girl. You pretty girl. But you lazy girl, and you do dumb thing. Why you lazy? Why you do dumb thing?" 

Kim knew that line always led into an unpleasant lecture, but over time she got used to it. She learned it was easiest to go along with Victor's nagging, and if she agreed with him and apologized that tended to shorten his lectures. Whether Victor was right or wrong, Kim simply answered "Sir, I guess I wasn't paying attention. I'm sorry for not listening. I'll try harder in the future."

Kim did not like Victor, but she had no specific grievances against him. He did not treat her any worse than he treated his other employees. Victor never disrespected Kim for being a convicted criminal or for being a foreigner. For example, he never required her to kneel when she spoke to him, which was something that in theory he had the right to do, being her superior. To Victor, Criminal # 98945 simply was his employee, the same as four other individuals, and thus she was subject to his temper and demands no more and no less than were the others.

Because Kim's command of Danubian language and society were so limited at the beginning, Victor Dukov sent her on the deliveries that were furthest from his office, the ones that would take time away from his other employees. That meant fewer deliveries and thus fewer chances of making mistakes, but also longer trips and constant riding. Kim rode hard all over Danube City, often to within just a block or so of the dreaded yellow signs. She made her delivery, or picked up the needed signatures and receipts, and then was riding again, desperate to make the next delivery before Victor Dukov's cell phone went off to check on her whereabouts. She was always exhausted after each day's work from her hours of hard riding through the city summer heat. However, the courier job was extremely beneficial, because within a month she knew the entire city very well and understood some details about Danubian business protocol. 

A delivery to a private individual or business owner was no different than a delivery would be in the US. Kim walked in with her package and her signature pad, announced herself with her terrible Danubian, completed the delivery, and quickly was out the door on her bicycle. If the delivery was made to a public official, she had to go to her knees and hold the delivery items out in front of her. Once the client took them Kim put her forehead to the floor, and stayed in that position until she felt the signature pad placed back in her hands. If she wasn't sure if the client was a public official, she asked, and dropped to her knees if the answer was affirmative.

Over the first few days following her sentence Kim was mortified at the thought of having her body on display for a full two years. However, a person can get used to many things in life. Within a week Kim's mind had accepted her constant nudity; by the end of the second week she no longer even thought about it. It seemed that the intense stares from bystanders had started to diminish and Criminal # 98945 simply received the same casual glances any other naked criminal would receive. The unwelcome attention towards her body had receded, and with it much of her self-consciousness.

What helped reduce the constant curious stares, ironically, was the broadcast of Kim's punishment on Danubian television. The case of Criminal # 98945 generated a sensational amount of interest. However, the broadcast also satisfied much of the curiosity surrounding Kim and answered a lot of questions. The naked Asian girl with welts on her backside and a collar on her neck had been sentenced under Danubia's marijuana laws and was serving a two-year sentence as a criminal. It was that mundane, and that simple.

No one in Danube City felt that Kim should have been exonerated, since there was no doubt she had possessed and smoked marijuana. However, most of the people interested in her case felt the reduced sentence was fair and that she did deserve some leniency. Kimberly Lee projected a sympathetic and likeable image on TV and there was general agreement that she had been treated shamefully by her two friends. People also agreed with Dukov that the prosecutor had behaved irresponsibly in trying to get a maximum sentence for Kim while releasing the other two Americans. But that was why a Spokesman-for-the-Criminal was needed, to argue on behalf of the suspect and work out a fair sentence. Spokesman Dukov had done his job admirably and as a result the American had received fair treatment in court.

The hot summer weather continued unabated as July became August. Kim continued her sweaty bicycle trips around Danube City. She was in great physical shape from the constant exercising. She ate well and slept soundly at Vladim Dukov's house. She spoke by phone to her parents at least once a week and tried to assure them she was fine. Kim was too busy to have much time to feel sorry for herself. She was too busy even to think about how much she hated Tiffany. While she was not exactly happy, she had achieved a daily equilibrium in her life. Kim's tranquil existence in Danube City had been one of the goals of the judge who had sentenced her.

Towards the end of July, Vladim Dukov announced that he had decided to extend his client's stay at his house until she had enough money saved up to get a decent room. He insisted that she open a Danubian bank account and deposit most of her paycheck from her job. Dukov also laid out a series of chores he wanted the American to perform at his house in exchange for her free boarding. He sent his client out to buy groceries, pay household bills, and other errands with the intent of forcing her to learn how to perform the basic tasks needed to live from day to day. Often Anyia went with Kim and helped her carry the groceries.

By the end of her first month in Danube City, Kim had become a de facto member of Vladim Dukov's family. Her professional relationship with Dukov, her dependency on him, and her lack of any other friends in Upper Danubia resulted in her becoming almost a second daughter of the elder Dukovs. Having been convicted criminals themselves, both Vladim and Maritza understood much of what she had to face. Furthermore, the Spokesman had traveled to the US several times in his life on official functions. While US society and its values were unfathomable to Dukov, at least he had a glimpse of the world that had produced Kimberly Lee and was able to understand some of the cross-cultural difficulties she faced in her new life as a Danubian criminal. Kim needed to be educated and brought up to function in Danubian society. She needed to learn what that society expected of her and how she needed to behave in many different situations, large and small. The restrictions and rules Kim had to live under as a convicted criminal only complicated her adaptation to Danubian society.

After just a few days Kim knew how to speak some phases of Danubian, the most important and most frequently used being "Ya negat rozumigut," which meant "I don't understand". Danubian was a difficult language, very archaic and with grammar and pronunciation rules that would make the average Westerner cringe. Not many average people in the isolated country spoke anything other than their native tongue, thus the task of learning Danubian was a top priority. 

Oddly enough, Anyia was willing to help Kim with learning Danubian, at least during the times she wasn't sunbathing. She learned to leave Anyia alone if she was in the yard on her towel or with one of her friends, but if she was in the house alone the girl was perfectly approachable. After a short time Kim's vocabulary expanded way beyond "Ya negat rozumigut", largely with the help of Dukov's moody teenager.

----------

August 15 was a significant day for the members of Victor Dukov's courier service. On that day there were to be no deliveries during the morning, no bicycle runs whatsoever. On that day Kim briefly saw a different side of Victor Dukov, even if it was only for a single day. It was the day Kim's co-worker Vita completed his sentence for fighting in school. It was a significant day for Vita and one that Victor and his staff fully appreciated. Vita would enter the courtroom still a criminal, but would exit as a free man.

Unlike trials, the only day of the week that end-of-sentence ceremonies were held was on Mondays. Normally around 20 criminals ended their sentences on any given week. It was a significant event in their lives and one marked by a formal celebration of the transition from criminals to free citizens.

Monday morning Victor and his couriers went to the courthouse. Vita separated from the group to hug his parents, and then joined the group of naked soon-to-be ex-criminals waiting at the entrance of the main hall of the court. The departure of Vita left Kim feeling a bit uneasy, given that she now was the only naked member of the courier group and as of today would be the only naked member of Victor's staff. She pushed that thought aside and tried to concentrate on Vita, not herself.

The courtroom was filled with relatives, co-workers, and friends of the 19 criminals whose sentences would end that day. There was a lot of happy chatter among the audience. The atmosphere was similar to the over-all feel of a graduation ceremony. 

A trumpeter in a traditional Danubian tunic blew a very old horn, signaling the criminals to enter the chamber. They filed in, 12 men and 7 women. They knelt and put their heads to the carpet, for the last time of their lives. The trumpeter blew again.

"Doc-doc Danube!"

The entire room put their right hands to their left shoulders, except for the hand-full of criminals in the audience such as Kim. The criminals in the audience dropped to their knees and put their foreheads to the carpet. The judge who had sentenced Kim six weeks before entered the room, and everyone in the audience sat down. The 19 criminals in the front of the room stayed kneeling, although they knelt upright to be able to watch the proceedings.

Vladim Dukov and three other Spokespersons for the Criminals came forward. They saluted the judge, who saluted back.

The judge asked each Spokesperson if each of the criminals under his or her authority had completed their sentences and whether or not they were ready to assume the rights and responsibilities of a free citizen. He asked the same question 19 times. Kim heard a loud "Doc!" 19 times. The judge then gave a brief speech about the transition from criminal to free citizen and the significance of reform and a new start in life.

The next part of the ceremony was the de-collaring of the criminals. One by one they came forward and knelt facing a sturdy metal post. The collar technician then hooked a scary-looking device to the post and closed it around the criminal's collar. The device looked like a huge pair of pliers. It had several clamps that latched into the collar and firing pin to snap the collar's latch. The technician fired the pin into the collar's locking mechanism and pulled it apart by opening the extractor's handles. Once the collar was off, the technician quickly removed the small transmitter and then handed the open collar back to the ex-criminal.

Still naked, but now free citizens, the ex-criminals lined up for the next part of the ceremony; the passing out of their clothes. There were 19 sets of traditional Danubian clothing waiting, tunics for the men and dresses for the women. The Spokespersons placed the respective outfits at the feet of each of their clients. Once everyone was ready, the judge ordered the ex-criminals to get dressed. They did so, quickly. The Spokespersons then stepped in front of the group and saluted them. Their ex-clients saluted back, then turned around and faced their audience, smiling and holding their collars over their heads. The room exploded into cheering and camera flashes. The long suffering of these 19 persons had come to an end.

Later that afternoon Victor Dukov held a small party for Vita in the office. The party was short, because Vita later had to go home and celebrate with his family. Vita's co-workers teased him about the tan-line around his neck from where the collar had been. There was laughter and good cheer in the office. Tomorrow Victor would return to his usual dour over-bearing self, but for one day, at least, he proved himself able to celebrate a joyful moment in another person's life.

----------

Kim's bike routes frequently took her past the plaza where the Temple of the Ancients was located. The first couple of times she passed the Temple she experienced both fear and regret over what that building meant for the loss of her old life. However, towards the end of August the location also began to symbolize a new beginning for Kim and new hope for her future.

On a blazing hot day Kim finished her morning deliveries early. However, she was dehydrated and did not want to wait to go all the way back to Victor's office just to have some water. She decided to stop at the outdoor cafe across from the Temple, the one where she had gone with Tiffany and Susan just before they were arrested. The naked waiter was there, the same shy young man that Tiffany had tormented just before Kim's arrest. She sat down and ordered a large glass of fruit punch, and...oh please, with lots of ice.

The café was nearly empty, leaving the young waiter with some spare time to converse with Kim. She could tell he was fascinated with her. Suddenly she found herself somewhat attracted to him as well. He was not the type of guy she would have been attracted to in the US, but she had changed as a result of her two months in Upper Danubia. Kim realized that she desperately needed someone to talk to who was not connected to Dukov or his family. In a flash she realized this waiter was her first chance to make a friend of her own, one who she had chosen herself.

The waiter's name was Sergekt. Kim found the name hard to pronounce correctly, but he in turn called her "Geemberglek". The two laughed at the mangled pronunciation of each other's names. With that they briefly exchanged a few details about their lives. It wasn't much, but it was a start. 

Some new customers came into the café and Kim's cell phone went off, pulling her and Sergekt away from their brief conversation. With that Kim was back on her bicycle, but she shyly smiled and waved to Sergekt as she pulled away. She badly wanted to see him again. 

Over the next few days Kim never missed a chance to stop at the café, even if she could only stay a few minutes. Finally at the end of her fifth visit, Sergekt asked her when she got off work. It turned out that Kim would be off work just after Sergekt got off, giving him time to meet her outside Victor Dukov's office. The result was a pleasant uninterrupted conversation at a nearby café. Kim had to force Sergekt to repeat himself many times to understand him, but gradually she found out more about him.

Sergekt had completed the first year of a three-year sentence for participating in a student riot at his high school. Kim was not able to understand much of Sergekt's explanation of why the riot took place, but apparently a total of 28 students had been convicted of the crimes of insurrection and vandalism resulting from the incident. 

Kim did understand enough of Sergekt's explanation to get a perspective on how Danubians saw "honor". When the 28 students were brought before the judge, each refused to say anything about what any of the others had done. Apparently both the judge and the police chief had expected the students would not say anything against each other, and thus the group had to be punished collectively. They were sentenced to three and a half years, collared, and returned to their school. They were switched one-by-one in the school courtyard in front of their classmates, something that took up an entire school day. Because they were under-aged, their punishments were not televised. The offenders then returned to their classes as criminals, naked except for their collars. As far as everyone was concerned the matter was closed and no one ever mentioned it again. All 28 students graduated at the end of the previous May, some of them with honors. Most were now in college. However, the sentences remained, the expected price of loyalty and friendship among the group. Every four months they had to show up at the local police station near their old school to be switched, a burden they would endure until their collars came off two years in the future.

Sergekt was all too-aware of Kim's case. More than anything else he was shocked and appalled by the behavior of her friends Tiffany and Susan, as were many other Danubians. No Danubian in his right mind would ever dishonor himself by betraying a friend out of self-interest. The American tourists had violated one of the most fundamental values of Danubian society, the belief that friendship is sacred and friends never betray each other. Sergekt believed that having to endure the betrayal of her friends must have been far worse for his guest to endure than her actual punishment. Kim sighed and thought to herself, you don't know my country, Sergekt. Where I'm from it's everyone looking out for Number One. 

It was only natural that two criminals would start out by talking about their sentences and convictions, since that was the one thing all criminals had in common. However, both Kim and Sergekt realized that to become friends they had to move beyond that topic and see each other as individuals, not as fellow criminals. They probed each other's interests, but quickly realized that Kim's Danubian vocabulary was not advanced enough to have such a conversation. Sergekt finally decided to invite Kim out on Sunday, for a walk in the park, for dinner, and for a movie. That sounded great, yes, just hanging out. She agreed, but later decided it would be a good idea to clear her plans with Spokesman Dukov first.

That night Kim found out that she was quite right in taking the precaution of clearing the planned afternoon of "hanging out" with her custodian. 

"Kimberly, as long as you are in my house, there will be no 'hanging out', as you say it, with a young man who has not sat at my table. I will not tolerate such improper behavior in my household. That young man will sit at my table before you spend any time alone with him."

Kim was a bit taken aback, not only by Dukov's response, but also by the harsh tone he used when he responded. She did not feel that the Spokesman was treating her like an adult. However, the following day Kim briefly saw Sergekt and brought up her guardian's objection. Sergekt seemed very embarrassed and apologetic. He immediately agreed to go to Dukov's office and ask for permission to visit his house.




Maragana Girl Ch. 04



Kim somewhat resented the whole exercise in permissions. All she wanted was have a friend and spend Sunday afternoon with someone her own age. She did not want a long-term relationship, just a friend. However, apparently in this country all contact between a young man and a young woman had to be sanctioned by the girl's parents, no matter how casual it might be. 

Saturday afternoon Vladim and Maritza Dukov dressed up in traditional Danubian clothing; a tunic for him and an old-style dress for her. They prepared several elaborate traditional dishes and awaited Sergekt. 

Kim rolled her eyes when she saw the set-up in the kitchen. This is totally ridiculous, she thought to herself. We're just friends. That's all I want from him. On top of everything else, she was not even Dukov's daughter. But she had learned not to argue. Upper Danubia had its own logic that she could only begin to fathom. 

Sergekt came onto the Dukovs' property. Because Dukov was a public official Kim's friend immediately went to his knees, touching his forehead to the ground. Dukov quickly requested that Sergekt stand up and join himself, his wife, and his client at dinner. Dukov and Maritza spoke at length with Sergekt as Kim stayed quiet. Over time Sergekt spoke more and more. The elder Dukovs initially wanted to have three basic questions answered, what had Sergekt done to be convicted as a criminal, how he saw himself as a person, and what were his plans for the future. Once Sergekt answered to their satisfaction, the conversation became more two-way.

The evening ended pleasantly enough with a strange combination of salutations. At first Dukov warmly shook Sergekt's hand and patted his arm, but then Kim's friend acknowledged his role as a criminal by going to his knees and placing his forehead on the ground. Kim did not like any of this. She resented having Sergekt essentially spend the evening with the elder Dukovs instead of with herself, and she resented all the formality. However, in the end Kim got what she wanted, Dukov's official blessing that she be allowed to spend time alone with Sergekt. 

"Sergekt is a man with honor. He has proper values. He will become a good friend for you."

Gee, thanks "Dad", thought Kim to herself. I think I had that figured out already.

Later that night, when she was alone, Kim gave some thought over the significance of the Dukov's stepping into her personal life. He had handled the matter with Sergekt in the same way he would have handled it with his own daughter. She now remembered that there had been no recent mention of her needing to find her own place, no hint that Dukov and Maritza expected her to move out any time soon. Increasingly, whenever the elder Dukovs went out, they wanted Kim to go with them. It seemed that at first they had taken Criminal # 98945 in as a temporary house-guest, but now increasingly they were subjecting her to household rules and Danubian protocol. For better or for worse, with no one ever saying anything about it, Kim had become a member of the Dukov family.

----------

Kim spent a very pleasant Sunday afternoon with Sergekt. They went into town and walked along the East Danube River, struggling to get to know each other through the language barrier. They had Kim's dictionary and were constantly looking up words. They had dinner at a café in the warm late-summer sun, and finally went to see a British movie. The movie must have been 30 years old, but it was in English with Danubian subtitles. Kim was grateful that Sergekt had taken the effort to find a movie she could understand. It was nice to hear something in English again.

Kim's second outing with Sergekt was a crash-course in Danubian culture. It also was the beginning of many huge changes in Kim's life; of her relationship with Sergekt, how she saw her own role as a Danubian criminal, and ultimately how she would look at herself.

Sergekt suggested going to a nightclub called the Socrates Club. Kim was thrilled. A nightclub, we can actually go to a nightclub? Sure enough, in the old part of town was the Socrates Club, which had been in that location for many years. Apparently the club was only for criminals and ex-criminals. The first thing she noticed was that everyone going into the club was naked. Not everyone was wearing collars, but club protocol mandated that anyone not still wearing a collar had to show proper respect to those who were still serving their sentences by not entering the club dressed. At first Kim felt a pang of fear, thinking that a nightclub only for criminals might be dangerous. Once inside, she realized that danger was the farthest thing from anyone's mind. 

Danubians often used the saying "to sing like a criminal" to describe a person who was capable of expressing himself in a very emotional or moving manner. The expression resulted from the fact that most of the country's romantic and serious music was written and sung by criminals, and most of that music had its origins in the Socrates Club. 

Kim later learned the club was a fixture in Danubian popular culture. It was a refuge for Danube City's criminals, a place where they could express themselves to a sympathetic audience, listen to each other's poetry and music, and share what they had created. The evening's entertainment started as club-goers stood before the audience to express their feelings, in as poetic a manner as possible. The poetry readings allowed other club members who had a talent for writing music to pick up ideas for songs from their companions on stage. During the ensuing week musicians in the audience wrote songs and music, which in turn were performed by the criminals who had the best talent for singing and playing instruments. It was a collaborative effort that produced a huge amount of very high-quality music, much of which eventually made it to Danubian radio.

Sergekt introduced Criminal # 98945 to a bunch of his fellow classmates. They greeted her warmly, but also with much curiosity. Finally they were able to meet the young American drug addict who had been so horribly betrayed by her friends. Kim saw in them a group of determined and very serious young people, hardly a group of rioting hooligans. Again she wondered what on earth had happened at their school. She also saw in them a group of people her own age with whom she would be able to hang out. Kim was a foreigner and a convicted drug-user, and yet Sergekt's friends seemed to accept her as one of their own.

The group ordered several pitchers of Danubian beer and sat down at a couple of tables that had been pushed together. Sergekt's friends talked a bit about themselves one-by-one. For a long time Kim struggled with introducing herself and trying to understand as much as she could from her companions. That effort was cut short by the beginning of the night's activities, the poetry reading. Two of Sergekt's classmates participated in that portion of the entertainment, as did five other club-goers.

Sergekt and five companions excused themselves for the next portion of the evening, the musical presentation. As two of his classmates, a man and a woman, sang together, the other four in the group played back-up instruments. Sergekt played an instrument that looked something like a balalaika. Even though Kim could only understand a few of the words from the group's songs, she could tell they were immensely sad and moving. One song she did understand almost in its entirety. It was a duet from Sergekt's classmates, in which the male singer lamented about no longer being able to sit at the table of his girlfriend's family; while she responded that she would wait for his sentence to end, and then insist he be allowed to return to her house.

Once Sergekt's group was finished singing, several others followed, all of which had produced excellent music for their companions. The criminals sung of lost love and lost opportunities, and also of the humiliations and physical suffering they were enduring. They sang about friendship and the personal sacrifices a person sometimes had to make to stay loyal to a friend. Above all, however, the criminals sang about their hope for the future. Kim sat fascinated as she listed to one sad philosophical song after another. None of the music that came out of the Socrates Club was light and happy, and certainly was not the type of music that would go very far in the United States. However, Kim reflected that what she was listening to now came far closer to the reality of her life than the escapist industrial product coming out of Hollywood.

Sergekt and Kim got up to dance, joining several other naked couples on the dance floor. They danced slowly and sadly, holding on to each other and seeking refuge from their lives on the outside. Kim vaguely wondered if Vladim Dukov and his fiancée Maritza might have danced here 25 years ago.

Sergekt and Kim left the club very late. The temperature outside was rather chilly, a warning that summer was coming to an end. On the way home the couple hugged each other for warmth. Kim was thrilled at the feel of Sergekt's body against her own as they huddled together on the trolley to Dukov's house. By the time Sergekt left Kim at Dukov's front door, she realized that her feelings towards him were much more than friendship. Perhaps her Spokesman had been right after-all by taking this relationship seriously from the very beginning.

----------

The following day was the first day of high school for Dukov's teenager. That morning the Spokesman's household was hit by a loud crisis. It began very early with several doors slamming and Anyia screaming at her mother. Both Vladim and Maritza tried to reason with the irate teenager, but she stormed off and slammed yet another door. There was more yelling, and another door slam.

The issue was the teenager's school uniform. Having spent the entire summer tanning, the Anyia wanted to show off as much of her body as possible by converting her uniform skirt to a mini-skirt and shortening the sleeves of her blouse. Dukov was incensed. He had no problem with his daughter lying naked in the back yard all summer, but when it came to the school uniform she needed to wear it properly. Maritza had found the mini-skirt in the girl's closet and burned it the night before, replacing it with a standard school skirt. Once Anyia discovered her converted skirt was now a pile of ashes in the backyard fire-pit, she directed her wrath full-force at her parents.

The battle continued four days; screaming and door-slamming in the mornings and tense sullen silence at dinner each night. Danubians normally tended to spoil their children and rarely punished them, but by Thursday Dukov had enough. He borrowed a leather switch from the police chief and returned home with it that night. He did not really want to use it, but he was ready to if necessary. That night Vladim and Maritza Dukov sat their daughter down in the living room. Dukov pulled out the switch, tapped it in his hand, and in Danubian stated very coldly:

"I brought this switch from work today and I am keeping it in the library. I want you to understand the issue of your school uniform is resolved to the satisfaction of your mother and myself. Whether or not it is resolved to your satisfaction is of no concern to me whatsoever. There will be no further talk about your school uniform in this house. If you wish to discuss it further, you can get undressed and we'll settle matters in the backyard with you bent over a chair. Now...do you want to talk about your uniform anymore?"

The wide-eyed girl shook her head. "N...negat, Papa."

With that peace returned to the Dukov household. However, the next day, as she was heading to work, Kim noticed Anyia standing in front of her friend's house. The friend was showing the girl how to shorten her skirt by rolling it up at the waist. Kim pretended not to notice. Better not to get involved in this one, she thought to herself.

----------

The desire to talk burned inside Criminal # 98945 the week after she visited the Socrates Club. She had so much she needed to get off her chest. Where to begin? At night she began writing her disjointed thoughts down on paper. She wrote about everything she could think of; the kindness of the Dukov's, her feelings about Tiffany, the painful conversations with her parents, the horror of her first two days while under arrest. She wanted to talk, to be heard, and to have her feelings put into a song. Ultimately she wanted to stand at the microphone at the Socrates Club and speak her mind.

Finally Kim settled on an unlikely topic for her first reading; her mountain bike in the US. Somehow that bike seemed to represent everything she had been given in the past and never appreciated. She struggled with the words in English, trying to make sure that her listeners could understand her bicycle as a metaphor for something much greater in her life than simply an unappreciated object.

She presented her idea to Dukov, who spent three hours helping her translate the text to Danubian. Anyia then helped her go over the phrases and memorize them. Finally Kim presented the idea to Sergekt, who looked over her text. She could tell he liked it tremendously. 

Two weeks after she visited the Socrates Club for the first time, Kim spoke to her fellow criminals in heavily accented Danubian. She stood at the microphone with her knees shaking as she struggled to express herself in a language she still only partially knew. The entire club listened with respect to the perspective of an American trying to come to terms with being a Danubian criminal. 

Two weeks after Kim's first speech to the club a group of Sergekt's friends presented a song titled "Nemát mi biciklet". They officially dedicated the song to Criminal # 98945.



Maragana Girl Ch. 05



Chapter 5 -- Two Dukovs in Court

Vladim Dukov was a Spokesman-for-the-Criminal. He son Vladik was a police officer. It was only a matter of time before Vladim would become the Spokesman for defendants arrested by his son.

The same day his daughter's school uniform issue was "settled", at least in Vladim Dukov's mind, Vladik arrested two burglars. Over the summer they had broken into several homes around the Dukovs' neighborhood to steal money and jewelry. In two of the burglaries they had killed family dogs protecting their owners' houses. It was a Danubian crime-wave that terrified the entire neighborhood. 

The two men finally were caught while trying to sell the jewelry to a Russian who was working undercover for the Danubian police. The case was fairly straightforward, except the two suspects had been classmates of Vladik, and were assigned to Vladim as clients. 

The case gave Kim a chance to see the trial and punishment of two newly convicted criminals up close. Kim's schedule of running all over Danube City was changed that day, because Victor decided to have Kim go directly to his brother's office and handle all the messages related to the trial. Kim would have to spend the entire day relaying documents, signature sheets, evidence, photos, and conviction packages between the police chief, Vladim Dukov's office, Vladim's son Vladik, and the court officials across the square. Even though Kim would have plenty of down-time that day as she waited for the case to run its course through the trial, it made more sense simply to have one courier moving the documents instead of constantly calling whoever was available at the moment. The lovely part of the entire arrangement for Kim was the temporary liberation from her boss's cell phone. Cell phones were strictly prohibited in both the police station and the courthouse. As a result Kim's cell phone sat silent in Victor's office during this particular assignment. She looked forward to spending an entire day not having to listen to her boss's voice.

The day started with Kim picking up the arrest report from Vladik and taking it upstairs to Dukov's office. As she entered she passed two very scared-looking naked young men kneeling on the floor of the reception area. Kim sympathized, but at the same time felt a twinge of erotic excitement. She would be on-hand to witness the collaring and punishment of these two thieves, an event probably just an hour or two away.

Dukov came out to unhook the handcuffs of the two suspects and had them follow him into his office. As he did for Kim, the Spokesman offered his clients a light breakfast, although this time it was just tea and breakfast rolls, no fruit. As the two suspects ate, Kim handed Vladik's investigation and arrest packages to Dukov. The Spokesman thumbed through the folders and sighed. He addressed Kim in English.

"There is very little in these papers that can help them. I do not believe I can rightfully request leniency; not with what is here. I can only hope that by conversing with them I might uncover something in their favor not reflected in these reports."

Dukov signed several acknowledgements of document delivery and then sent Criminal # 98945 across the plaza to the courthouse to deliver them.

Kim returned to Dukov's office with a trial schedule. Within 30 minutes the guard would arrive to take the suspects across the plaza to their trial. Conviction and a full sentence were a sure thing for these two. The evidence against them was overwhelming. Worse, while Kim was at the courthouse, Dukov discovered that both men were ecstasy users, which was why they were stealing. Under Danubian law he did not have the right to withhold that information from the police. Dukov called the police doctor downstairs and relayed the information. The two suspects now had to be tested for drug use before their trial. Dukov then called the judge. The trial had to be delayed, pending the drug test.

Vladik and his female partner quickly showed up to handcuff the two young men and take them downstairs, where the police doctor and his medical students were waiting. Kim had to go as well, with a couple of medical questionnaires. Once those were filled out she had to run them back across the plaza to the courthouse. She felt a grim sense of nostalgia as she entered the examination room. This room was not a place of happy memories for Criminal # 98945. The medical students all looked at the American as she entered, but fortunately today she was not the subject of their testing. As Vladik and his partner entered the students saluted them. They saluted back and turned the offenders over to the head doctor.

The police doctor was holding his switch, just in case there was any hint of rebellion from these two thieves and drug-users. They knelt on the floor as the doctor explained to his class they would be testing the two subjects for ecstasy. He passed out testing kits and then called three female medical students to step forward. They would help prepare the suspects for their medical exam. 

The doctor gave one of the kneeling suspects a sharp tap on the shoulder and ordered him to stand up. He hooked the suspect's handcuffs to a metal ring on the side of the examination table and ordered him to spread his legs and lean back a bit. Once the suspect complied his pubic area was completely exposed to everyone in the room. A female medical student then lathered the suspect's pubic hair with shaving cream and pulled out an old fashion straight-edged razor. The student needed to shave the suspect, and she decided to have a little fun with her assignment. She held the razor close to the suspect's terrified face and smiled. In Danubian she taunted him: "You better stay VERY still when I shave you. If you don't, something else besides your hair might end up on the floor, something I really don't think you'd want to lose."

With that the student carefully shaved the suspect. She fondled his penis and testicles, gently massaging and pushing them back and forth. By the time she finished the suspect had a furious erection. The female medical students from the class stood in front of their victim, commenting on the size of his organs and joking about the hard-on. The older doctor and the male students stood back, smiling and making crude sexual jokes at the expense of the suspect. The female student assigned to shaving finished by rinsing off the suspect with a warm washrag, something that aroused him even more. She gave his penis a gentle squeeze and then unhooked his cuffs from the examination table. She ordered him to kneel on the floor, his erection pointing up from between his legs and a truly miserable expression on his face.

The doctor then tapped the shoulder of the second suspect, and another female student repeated the shaving ordeal on him. There were more comments from the females in the class and more jokes from the males. Kim shuddered. Holy shit...at least they didn't do this to me, she thought to herself.

The doctor laid two bedpans in front of the two kneeling suspects and ordered them to pee. One of them emptied his bladder with no problem, but the other had the same problem Kim had, he just couldn't piss in front of a room full of people. The doctor picked up the leather switch and struck him hard across the shoulders four times before the suspect was able to comply with the demand to fill the bedpan.

There was the same testing on the urine samples that there had been when Kim was the subject, and there were 40 positive results, two for each student. Oh yes, documented drug users!

There was the same test on the suspects' blood and the same over-all medical check-up. However, one of the female medical students had a wicked idea when she noticed one of the suspects once again had a hard-on. She whispered the idea into the ear of the head doctor, who smiled and commented. "Ha, Magda, you are an evil little thing, aren't you? Sure, let's have some fun before these two go to trial."

With that the eight female medical students in the class split up into two teams, and the males placed bets on which team would win. Kim wondered to herself...win what?

The women ordered the two suspects to stand up. Two members of each team each grabbed an arm of their victim with one hand and started massaging his chest with the other. The other two team-members put on medical gloves and took up their positions, one behind the victim and the other in front. The student behind each suspect shoved a finger up his bottom and quickly located the suspect's prostate gland. The student in front grabbed the suspect's penis in one hand and his testicles in the other. At a whistle from a male classmate the females began rubbing and massaging the two suspects' prostates and penises. Quickly both young men had furious erections. They shivered and groaned as they came, shooting sperm across the floor in front of them. The male students whistled and applauded. They noted where the semen had landed and cheered Magda, the leader of the winning team. Her suspect had ejaculated first, and had ejaculated farthest. As Magda smiled and blushed, the whole room laughed and shouted: "Doc-doc Magda! Doc-doc Magda!"

Kim stood dumbfounded, wondering if Dukov was aware of what was going on down here. Anyhow, Vladik and his partner were quietly watching the whole affair with disapproving expressions on their faces. Finally in voice that reflected impatience and disgust he commented: "Doctor, I would very much like to get these two to trial. If you want to have sperm races down here I'd appreciate it if you do it on your own time, not mine."

With that the fun ended. The two suspects were briefly un-cuffed to shower and then re-cuffed to take across the plaza. Kim, meanwhile, ran the confirmation sheets up to Dukov's office for his signature and then over to the courthouse for more signatures, then back to the Spokesman's office. By now the two unhappy defendants were standing outside his door, ready to be taken over to the courthouse by Vladik and his partner.

Kim was on-hand to witness the trial and punishment of the two thieves and newly-identified drug users. As a courier, she had the right to sit in the press area of the courtroom, something she took advantage of to get a better view.

Dukov was not in a good mood at all. Not only was he on opposite sides from his own son; there was absolutely nothing in this case to allow him to argue for a reduced sentence. Still, he considered it a point of personal honor to argue for some sort of modification of the punishment. Finally he settled on the idea of reducing the number of switchings the two thieves had to face in favor of frequent drug-testing. It was the best he could do. As in every case he handled, his goal that day was to reduce the suffering of his clients as much as possible.

The trial went quickly and the sentence was standard for the crimes. The criminals got five years for the burglaries, two years for vandalism and animal cruelty, and five years for ecstasy use. They would be tested for drug use every 30 days and switched every five months. Furthermore, they were prohibited from having contact with each other during their sentences. To make sure they could not see each other, the judge ordered that they would have to draw lots to see which of them would move out of the Danube City collar zone and into a provincial capitol. Dukov's only success that day was reducing the frequency of switchings from once every three months to once every five months. It wasn't much, but at least he had done something for them.

The two criminals looked at each other in fear as they knelt to have their collars fitted and put on. Once collared, they knelt forward to put their heads on the carpet, their exposed bottoms and testicles high in the air for anyone behind them to clearly see. Dukov ordered his clients to stand up and led them to his son and his female police partner. The Spokesman saluted his son and presented the two young men for judicial punishment. Both knelt to kiss the shoes of the two police officers.

Although Vladik had been the arresting officer for both men, he needed to turn over the punishment of one of them to his female partner. He had been classmates with both criminals, but one of them in particular he knew very well, the two having played together in the school's soccer team. Under Danubian social protocol, Vladik could not punish his former friend, nor would he have wanted to. He needed to turn the punishment of his former teammate over to his female partner. The other criminal he would punish himself, since he had not known him that well in school and did not have the same social prohibitions against punishing him. 

Vladik quietly addressed his former teammate. "You might as well go first. My partner will administer your punishment. I want you to show some courage with she switches you, which is something you seemed to have lost over the last couple of years. It hurts me to see you like this, but you did this to yourself."

"I'm sorry Vladik. I really am."

"I'm not Vladik to you anymore. You have dishonored our friendship, you have dishonored your teammates, and you have dishonored our school. You are now a criminal and I am a cop. You will address me as Officer Dukov. Please don't make that mistake again when you talk to me. But...but, I guess...I'm sorry too."

With that Vladik and his partner took his ex-teammate's hands and guided him over the table. They secured his wrists and ankles with the straps. Vladik's female partner pulled him to the side and quietly asked him.

"Vladik, do you want me to go easy on him, since he was your teammate?"

"No. I don't want you to show him any mercy, none whatsoever. I want you to switch him as hard as you possibly can without breaking his skin or getting my father to intervene."

The female cop nodded. "As you wish, Vladik."

Vladik's partner positioned herself near the punishment table, lightly touched her victim's bottom with the switch, drew it back and laid a fearful blow across the base of the criminal's bottom. It was a vicious blow aimed right at a very sensitive area. Vladik's classmate groaned, his voice close to breaking at the very first stroke. She waited a few seconds, then struck again, only slightly higher than the first blow.

The female officer carefully timed the first 10 strokes, laying them across both bottom-cheeks. She struck hard, moving her entire body with the swing. Her aim was excellent. She laid one hard stroke after another on her victim's bottom, leaving it covered with vicious welts perfectly parallel and very close to each other. The criminal's voice broke at the fifth blow. By the tenth blow he was crying non-stop.

Vladik's partner methodically moved on to the next part of the switching, 10 full-force blows on her victim's right bottom-cheek and ten more full force blows on the victim's left bottom cheek. She carefully aimed at the unmarked parts of the criminal's bottom, hitting so hard that she came close to breaking the skin each time the switch landed. Vladik's ex-teammate screamed over and over, sobbing and begging for mercy. Vladik shook his head. This ex-friend of his was dishonoring himself yet again with all that racket. The young police officer looked up at the cameras focused on the criminal's punishment table. Yes, Vladik thought to himself, film it. Let the whole nation know what a coward he really is.

After just 30 strokes it was obvious there was no way Vladik's partner could continue to punish his classmate's bottom. Already both bottom-cheeks were a mass of very severe welts and quite swollen. Instead, the female officer slowly worked her way down the offender's thighs, laying seven full-force strokes on his left thigh and then seven full-force strokes on his right thigh. By now the criminal was sobbing so hard that his body was jerking back and forth on the punishment table. There were only six strokes to go, all of which Vladik's partner laid across the offender's shoulders. Six very loud screams punctuated the final set of strokes.

Vladik and his partner quickly un-buckled the straps that attached his former classmate. As a gesture of contempt the two officers pulled the sobbing criminal off the table and dropped him on the floor in the same manner they might have handled a sack of rotten potatoes. He remained on the ground, still sobbing loudly. Kim later learned that pulling a punished criminal off the switching table and dropping him on the floor was the supreme insult a Danubian police officer could level in the courtroom. Normally the punishing officer allowed the criminal to get off the table on his own, once he had sufficiently recovered to stand up. 

Vladik and the female officer then saluted each other, a quick formal gesture indicating that Vladik was now taking charge of the switching table from his partner. He glanced over at the second criminal, the one he now would punish. He tapped the table with his switch. The man sadly nodded and bent over the table, extending his arms to fit into the straps on the surface. Vladik's partner quickly secured the criminal's wrists and ankles.

Vladik was a serious officer and never attempted to fondle or sexually humiliate a criminal. In that respect the criminals he punished were lucky, since he did not like to have "fun" with them at their expense. However, like his partner, he was a severe disciplinarian who carefully measured and timed the strokes to maximize the pain and impact of any punishment he administered. He wielded his switch with maximum effect.

Using the same technique as his partner, Vladim began the switching with 10 parallel strokes across the criminal's bottom given full-force, then 10 strokes on each side, once again, given full-force. He then slowly struck the criminal's bottom again, trying to maximize the number of strokes on the bottom before having to punish the subject's legs or back. As a result, Vladik's victim received 38 strokes on the bottom and 12 on the thighs, none across the back.

In spite of Vladik's talent with the switch, the criminal he punished proved to be much braver than the one punished by his partner. He gasped and sweat during the first 38 strokes, but managed to stay quiet. His voice did not break until the 39th stroke, but even then, he had the good sense to not beg for mercy and tried to keep his screams to a minimum. Once the punishment ended he forced himself to quit crying. Vladik undid the burglar's straps, but allowed him to get up on his own.

Vladik and his partner led the two punished criminals before the bench. The criminals turned their backsides to the judge, who in turn examined the welts and signed the punishment certificates. Then both criminals knelt at Vladik's feet and kissed the toes of his shoes. The braver of the two criminals immediately thanked Vladik for punishing him. Vladik touched the man's shoulder with his switch and with a salute released him back into the custody of Spokesman Dukov. The other criminal knelt at the feet of the female officer, still crying and trying to force out the needed "Spakeebo dakub moigu." Finally he sort of got it out. The female cop did not push the issue. She wanted to be rid of the pathetic creature. She touched her switch to his shoulder and released him back into Vladim Dukov's custody.

As she sat among the reporters, Kim had a bit of a problem. She was totally turned on by the whole punishment scene, and during the entire time had been gently rubbing her legs together. Now she was as excited as she had been when she saw her own punishment on TV, but she was in the middle of a busy courtroom, officially at work as a courier, and needed to spend the afternoon running messages and signature sheets back and forth. She was wet, and what was worse, a cameraman kept glancing over at her, as though he knew something. Kim quickly ran to the restroom and cleaned herself up as best she could, but the burning erotic excitement continued to torment her.




Maragana Girl Ch. 05



Dukov's two criminals staggered across the plaza with their Spokesman as Kim picked up their punishment certificates and sentencing sheets. Once again she was running all over the courthouse and the police station looking for signatures, stamps, certified copies, delivering documents, picking up other documents. Finally she returned to Dukov's office and passed the two criminals lying face down on recovery tables.

Kim was a bit surprised to see Vladik and his partner in Vladim Dukov's office when she entered to deliver some papers. Vladik's presence eliminated at least one trip for Kim, since now he was on-hand to sign several medical certificates and receive a copy of the two criminals' sentencing sheets.

Vladim invited Kim to sit down and join them for a snack of Danubian fruit punch and cheese-rolls. As she sat down many questions entered her mind, among them how did Vladim and Vladik Dukov handle the conflicting goals of their jobs. Dukov's answer surprised Kim.

"Kimberly, our positions do not conflict at all. We all work for the same purpose, to keep our country safe under our laws. It is all one system. I am a part of that system, and Vladik is a different part of that system. It is like saying your hand and your foot are different from each other. Yes, they are indeed, but the body needs both the hand and the foot, just like a society needs policemen and its criminals need Spokespersons." Dukov sipped his punch, smiled at Vladik, and continued. "I will tell you that Vladik and I are very proud when we salute each other in court. I take pride in knowing he is a police officer, and he takes pride in knowing I am a Spokesman. Perhaps we must challenge each other at times, but in the end we want the same thing. We want the Duchy to be a safe and tranquil place for the people who live here."

"...and you're satisfied with the way things are here? You like...the whole thing with the collars and the switchings...and making criminals run around in the nude?"

"It is not that I like it, Kimberly. I was a criminal myself and I know what it is to dread the switch year after year. I feel very bad for the people who must suffer the consequences of their actions, which is why I studied to become a Spokesman. I do what I can to reduce the suffering criminals must face and fight any injustices that may work their way into the system. You, for example, suffered a great injustice at the hands of your friends and the prosecutor, which I had to address. Yes, we have problems, and our system has its deficiencies." Dukov took another sip of his punch and continued.

"But, think about it, Kimberly. No matter how cruel you may think things are here, remember one fact. Our country has no jails. We do not confine anyone for more than one night. The rest of the world says that what we do to our criminals is barbaric. But is it? Is it not more barbaric to put a person in a cage for many years and cut him off from his loved ones, from his work, from any usefulness in life?"

"Yes, Spokesman Dukov, I guess I see your point. To be honest, I still don't like what's happened to me, but you're right that it's better than sitting in a prison cell."

Vladik's police radio went off, calling him to an emergency a few blocks away. The two police officers excused themselves and left Dukov's office. Dukov decided to change the topic in his conversation with Kim.

"Kimberly, I would like to know something. What do you think would have happened to you if you had smoked your marijuana in peace and left the ground behind the Temple of the Ancients? If you had never been arrested and continued on your trip to Prague?"

"I guess we would have hit a bunch of discos in Prague, crashed at some friends' places...Tiff knows a bunch of people there. We'd of partied, maybe looked around a bit...probably not that much though...mostly we were partying."

"...and the marijuana? What would you have done with it?"

"Smoked it. Maybe party a bit with it...invite some friends to smoke...Tiff wanted to trade some of it for some smack...that's part of the reason we had so much with us."

"...and do you perceive that as a worthwhile use of your time...and your money?"

"No, of course it isn't. But you know how it is...people want to party and they don't know when to stop."

"Kimberly, another question...if I may...If you look back at your life in June through the prism of who you have become in September, how do you see yourself?"

Kim thought about it. Finally she answered. "If you really want to know, I don't think things were going well. I mean...we came to Europe to see it, and all we were doing was getting high. We spent a bunch of money to get to Amsterdam, and we just sat in the pot cafes all day, smoking weed. I was doing more and more of it. That's why I got kinda desperate after lunch when we got here...I just had to have a smoke. It was all weed for me, and...here Tiff was talking about smack...and I would have tried it...and I know better. That stuff fucks you up, but I would have done it anyway."

"...and there is my point. You had dedicated your life to your "partying," as you say it. Your life was not going in a good direction. It is quite possible your experience may have ended elsewhere under equally bad, or even worse, circumstances. If you believe yourself unlucky please give that consideration."

Kim sat silent for a minute. "Spokesman Dukov...there is something else that I realize. I don't like who I was back in June. I mean...I pulled a lot of shit on my parents and on everyone else. I didn't appreciate anything...all I wanted to do was party."

"Like in your bicycle poem..."

"Like in my bicycle poem. Exactly Sir...like in my bicycle poem. I didn't appreciate anything...not if it wasn't from Tiff and Susan...and now all that's gone, and I don't know what I want. I really don't know..."

Dukov smiled slightly. "There is no rush. You have two years to figure it out. That is one thing that seems to trouble you Americans; you think you need to have everything in your lives resolved right away. Such haste in life is unnecessary. Perhaps...perhaps your two years in our country will serve its purpose. You will have time to reflect about your life, and to think about what you really want for yourself."

Kim sighed. "I don't know." She tugged at her collar. "This sure is a rough way to do it."

"It is never easy, Kimberly. It is not meant to be easy. It is meant to work. It is meant to force you to change." Dukov stood up and smiled. "Come. Let us return to my house and have dinner. You can leave Victor's bicycle up here instead of returning it tonight. I will call him and let him know that I instructed you to do so."



Maragana Girl Ch. 06



Chapter 6 -- The Day of the Dead

In the middle of September there was another indication that Kim was becoming more settled in her new life in Danube City. She sat at the table of Sergekt's mother for the first time. Danubian social protocol mandated that any social contact between a young man and a young woman had to be preceded by the young man sitting at the table of the woman's father, or in the case of Kimberly Lee, her guardian, Spokesman Vladim Dukov. Sergekt had complied with that custom and now came over to the Dukovs' house once a week for dinner.

The second phase of the social protocol, that the young woman sit at the table of the young man's parents, only took place if the young man decided that he wanted to become romantically involved with her. By the middle of September Sergekt had decided that he wanted Kim to become his girlfriend. He asked Kim to eat at home with his mother and aunt. She accepted, not fully understanding the seriousness of what he was proposing.

The afternoon before Sergekt arrived to escort Kim to his house, Dukov sat in his library, wondering about the consequences of what was about to happen. He liked Sergekt tremendously. He had all the makings of an excellent Danubian citizen. He was brave, determined, and had "proper values". He clearly understood the importance of friendship and protocol. The fact that he was a convicted criminal did not bother Dukov at all. If Anyia were just a couple of years older, the Spokesman would have been very pleased if Sergekt had shown an interest in her, collar or no collar.

Dukov was somewhat puzzled by Sergekt's interest in Kim. Kim was very different from a typical girl from Upper Danubia and obviously would make a fascinating friend for anyone. However, to become romantically involved with her was quite another issue. At the end of two years Kim would be going home to the US. Did he hope to go to the US with her? Did he expect that Kim would stay in Upper Danubia past the end of her sentence?

Dukov's instincts told him he needed to dissuade his client from any romantic involvement with a Danubian. However, he also remembered what he had told Kim the first night she was at his house, that she had to live from day to day and enjoy the small daily pleasures of life. A romantic relationship certainly would help her get through the difficult times that lay ahead. 

Dukov glanced over at the picture of himself and his future wife on the wall, the one in which they were naked and wearing collars. The Spokesman took his own collar off the wall and studied it, running his fingers over its groves and touching the broken latch. This piece of metal had been on his neck for five years. Like Sergekt, Dukov had worn this collar not so much because of anything he had done wrong himself, but because he had refused to betray his friends. The circumstances had been different, of course, but the Danubian definition of honor had remained intact over time...a definition shared by the Spokesman and by his client's young suitor. 

Kim's suitor reminded Dukov so much of himself when he was young. He remembered the countless nights he had danced with Maritza at the Socrates club, just like Sergekt was doing with Kim...and the nights they sat at the tables of each other's families. There were the good times and the hard times...hard times, yes...very hard times. The relationship between Vladim and Maritza had survived through it all. They had been together 28 years. 

Dukov's thoughts turned back to his client. Kim hardly fit the image of a proper Danubian woman, but she seemed to be moving in that direction. Two years...what would two years in Upper Danubia do to her? Maybe she was not destined to leave the country after all...

In the end Dukov decided not to say anything. Kim would sit at the table of Sergekt's mother, just as Sergekt would sit at the Dukovs' table.

----------

When Kim went to Sergekt's house, Sergekt's mother and aunt were dressed in old-style Danubian dresses and the same elaborate dishes the Dukovs had prepared for Sergekt were on the dining room table waiting for Kim. However, Sergekt's mother greeted his new girlfriend with skepticism. An American who was not even of European descent, a convicted drug user, someone who could not express herself properly in Danubian...what on earth was he thinking? Kim faced a much more difficult task of sitting at Sergekt's table than he faced sitting at hers.

Kim sat uncomfortably while Sergekt's mother probed her with questions that she struggled to understand and answer. She resented being placed in this awkward position, but at the same time realized that Sergekt had to do the exact same thing for her. If she wanted to live in Upper Danubia and have friends, something she had no choice over for the next two years, she had to play by the rules of the country.

In the end Sergekt's mother warmed up just enough to allow Kim to continue coming over. It was not exactly an approval, but instead a withholding of judgment. In spite of all her deficiencies, "Geemberglek" seemed like a decent-enough girl, so Sergekt's mother did not feel justified telling her son she disapproved of her. To do so would be unfair and possibly cause problems for Sergekt and this strange foreign girlfriend of his. To condemn Criminal # 98945 also would have violated the Danubian idea that a person should never form a negative opinion about another person without a very specific reason. 

That night Sergekt took Kim back to Dukov's house. Once again in the trolley they held onto each other. Once again she thrilled at the feel of his body next to hers. When he left her at the front door, he took her hands in his and looked at her with a question in his eyes. For some odd reason Kim decided to answer in English.

"You can kiss me, Sergekt." 

Perhaps he did not understand her words, but he did understand her meaning. They kissed, slowly at first, then passionately. Eventually they forced themselves to stop. Kim squeezed Sergekt's hand and he was on his way home. In the US it would have been different; he would have come in and spent the night. Not in this country, and certainly not in Dukov's house. In Upper Danubia the pace of relationships, just like everything else in life, was much slower.

----------

As the weeks passed Kim became a regular member of Sergekt's social group at the Socrates Club. They went to the club at least twice per week to drink Danubian beer, eat salted deep-fried vegetables, talk, and share their music and thoughts. Criminal # 98945 had found her place in this hostile country, the one spot where she felt she belonged. She chatted with the others and danced with her boyfriend. Increasingly they danced closer and closer, enjoying the feel of each other's bodies. Over time their souls became more and more connected. Over time Kim thought about Sergekt more and more when she was not with him.

In mid September Kim listened to "Nemát mi biciklét" performed live for the first time in the Socrates Club. When she heard to the song and understood the words, tears ran down her cheeks. The song and its sad message of not appreciating the good things of life until it was too late deeply moved not just Kim, but everyone who listened to it. Quickly it became popular throughout the entire criminal community and the club scene. Within a year the song was featured on Danubian radio. With a simple, heartfelt speech, Kim had left a lasting influence on Danubian popular culture.

----------

The following week was the Autumn Equinox, and also the Danubian Day of the Dead. The holiday was the most important celebration in Upper Danubia, much more important than Christmas, New Year's Day, or even the birthday of Vladik the Defender, Upper Danubia's greatest king. 

The Day of the Dead marked the end of the summer growing season and the country's long descent into darkness, cold, famine, and death. It had been celebrated in the same manner since Pagan times, and it remained very much a Pagan event. It was a dark, morbid holiday, designed to appease the dead spirits by letting them know that those still alive were all too aware of the fate that awaits all living things. It was the chance for the living to show their respect and to assure the dead spirits that they appreciated the fleeting gift of life. Once the country converted to Christianity in 900 AD, Catholic Saints were incorporated into the Day of the Dead, but the ceremony itself and its purpose were only slightly changed. Now that Christianity was on the wane in Upper Danubia as it was in the rest of Europe, the ceremony had almost completely returned to its Pagan roots.

On the day of the equinox all electrical power in Upper Danubia was shut off, with the sole exception of emergency services in hospitals. All battery-operated devices had to be shut off. All telecommunications had to be shut off. The borders were closed and no motorized vehicles could operate. The country became completely silent for 36 hours, from sun-down on September 21st to sun-up on the 23rd. The Dukovs observed the holiday by dressing in black capes, as did everyone else in the neighborhood.

Kim did not spend the Day of the Dead with Dukov's family. Kim was a criminal, and the Day of the Dead was the one day out of the year criminals had an honored place in Danube City. Criminals played a central role in the main ceremony and the collective request for atonement. Shortly before sun-down on the 21st, Kim, Sergekt, and every other criminal in Danube City rode trolleys downtown. The criminals gathered in the plaza in front of the Temple of the Ancients, joining about 900 additional people who were not criminals, but instead performing public penance. There were over 3,600 criminals and penitents altogether. They lined up in groups, where their organizers were waiting with white and black body-paint. Every criminal in the city would be painted, first white, then with black highlights. The make-up job had been done in the same manner for 3,000 years. It was primitive, but very effective. From a distance, the criminals looked ghoulish, half-way between cadavers and skeletons.

The marchers were all painted by the time it was dark. Kim was amazed at the effect of seeing 3,600 naked, painted bodies all gathered in one place. It actually did look kind of scary. Temple officials passed out 3,600 torches with over-the-shoulder torch slings and explained how to carry the torches to minimize the strain on the marchers' arms. The participants then divided into two groups and started filing out in opposite directions. They would circle the city that night and meet again on the opposite side of Danube City in the morning. The following night they would complete their march by returning to Temple of the Ancients through the city center. Kim later learned that part of the purpose of all this was to present the Spirits of the Dead with an opportunity to walk the earth again through the marchers, if they so chose.

The criminals marched all night in single file. The group that included Kim and Sergekt followed the trail upstream along the Danube River and finally turned right to head inland. They walked along dark country roads, their surroundings illuminated only by their own torches. All along the route ordinary citizens silently knelt in their black robes, apparently praying for forgiveness for whatever they had done wrong over the past year. Death seemed to hang in the air. Kim could feel it all around her, as though the dead spirits really had woken up. 

Kim's eyes shifted back and forth from Sergekt's back to the kneeling crowds, as she tried to comprehend her own participation in this very strange ceremony. No one had asked her about doing this. It had just been taken for granted that Criminal # 98945 would participate along with all the others. She was a Danubian criminal and a member of Danubian society, whether she liked it or not. As such she had certain responsibilities.

Criminal # 98945 spent part of the night wondering about her forfeited life in the US. She would go back home in two years...probably. Suddenly she wasn't so sure. How could she return to her old life, after everything she had been through? Kim knew that she was changed. Less than three months into a two year sentence she had changed. Was it possible to change back? She thought so, but wasn't so confident about that anymore. This Day of the Dead, for example. Walking naked at night over silent country roads, covered with white and black body-paint, carrying a torch in front of thousands of kneeling Danubians...how on earth could she explain what she was doing to someone in the US without sounding like a total nut?

There were breaks in the marching about every two hours for going to the bathroom, exchanging torches, and drinking blackberry punch. The punch was dark red and stained the criminals' mouths. Some of the criminals, including Sergekt, allowed the punch to drip down their chests to give their body paint the appearance of being covered in blood. 

Kim's group walked a half circle around the city. Shortly before sunrise she made out the torches from the other group as they came from the opposite direction. The distant line of torches and the white bodies underneath truly did look scary. The two lines converged on a campsite made up of military tents and bed-rolls. The criminals would sleep and relax during the day and after sunset resume the march back through Danube City to the Temple of the Ancients.

Kim and Sergekt slept holding hands. She woke up in mid-afternoon to absolute silence. Most of the others were still sleeping. Ceremonies were going on in the Plaza of the Ancients, but they were too far away to be heard from the campsite where the marchers were staying. Kim got up to go to the latrine, get something to drink, and get her body paint touched up. As she stepped outside the tent she was amazed at the absolute quiet surrounding her. An occasional bird chirping or insect flying by: that was it. It truly did seem like all life had stopped.

After it got dark there was a religious observance and group prayer for the marchers. Then the procession back into Danube City resumed. The two columns of criminals walked side-by-side along the city's main boulevard, their torches partially illuminating the spectators. Once again Kim felt death all around her. She began to get scared as strange ominous sensations swept through her body. Kim had no idea what was going on, but she had no choice but to continue walking. Finally the weird feelings passed, leaving her apprehensive and shaken.

As the criminals approached the Temple of the Ancients, they were greeted with ancient music and choir singing. Suddenly every church bell in the city started ringing. The kneeling spectators then stood up and joined the singing, in this weird mix of Pagan and Christian customs. The sudden noise after two nights of absolute silence somewhat unnerved Kim. 

The marchers walked straight behind the old temple towards the Danube River. They threw their torches into a huge bonfire near the shore. To symbolize their return to the land of the living, the marchers walked out to a submerged stone platform in the river to clean off the body paint. Death was washed off, momentarily defeated. The criminals then filed back through the Temple of the Ancients and back out onto the plaza. As the sun came up they sang an ancient hymn and then dispersed.

Kim and Sergekt walked silently with some of his friends, all of them lost in thought as Danube City slowly came back to life. They made their way back to the Socrates Club to wash off properly, have breakfast, and then go to the Central Police Station. 

The day after the equinox was the day that the police handed out winter clothing for the city's criminals. Criminal # 98945 was a bit surprised and somewhat relieved at the news that yes, even criminals wore clothing during the winter. She had wondered about that, with winter coming up. When Sergekt saw that his girlfriend seemed happy about the winter outfits he commented in Danubian.

"Kim, when you see what that outfit actually looks like, you won't want to put it on unless it's absolutely freezing outside. They do that on purpose, giving you something that no one in his right mind would want to wear."

Along with the others, Criminal # 98945 picked up a garment bag and a set of bright orange boots. Bright orange boots. That was not a good sign. Sure enough, when she opened her garment bag she pulled out the most hideous piece of clothing she had ever laid eyes on. It was a bright orange top that looked something half-way between an army poncho and a cape. It had a hood and a sewn-in wool shirt underneath. There was a yellow stripe running up the middle of the cape and blue reflective strips sewn around the edges. There were several drawstrings to tighten the hood and waist. On the back was a large patch of Velcro.

"You need to pick up your criminal number from Spokesman Dukov and keep it attached...that is, IF you want to wear this. They'll let you wear the boots without the cape during the winter...which is what I did last year during the day. If you keep your feet warm and stay moving when you're outdoors it's not so bad. Not bad enough to wear this."

Kim agreed. Better to stay naked than wear a bright orange cape with a yellow stripe and blue reflectors, but at least she did have something to put on during cold snaps.

When Criminal # 98945 went to Dukov's office to pick up the Velcro patch with her number, he seemed in a very serious mood. She hoped that it was not over something that had anything to do with her, but unfortunately it was.

"Kimberly...please sit down. I need to talk to you about...a very unfortunate event."

"Spokesman? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, Kimberly, nothing like that. You have committed no transgressions. But...where to begin...I will tell you that I have taken the liberty of staying in contact with your parents in the United States. I believe that it was my obligation to make sure they understood your situation. I even sent them pictures of my house, my family, and your room, so they could see and understand...and perhaps not be so worried about you."

"Did that cause a problem?"

"No Kimberly. No problems. But the same afternoon you had to go to the Plaza of the Ancients I received a very bad piece of news from your mother, which she instructed I should relay to you at an appropriate moment. It is the obituary of your friend Susan."

"Susan...she's...dead?"

"Yes. I will let you read it, and then I will inform you about the rest of what I found out."

With that Dukov handed his client a cut-out piece of newspaper from her hometown in the US. She read:

"Tyrone and Debbie Taylor announce the commemoration and celebration of the life of their daughter, Susan Taylor, at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, July 19 at the Eastwood Baptist Church. Funeral services will be held Sunday, July 20 at the Eastwood Public Cemetery. Susan passed away unexpectedly on July 12, while vacationing in Prague, the Czech Republic. She is survived by her parents and brother. We all love you Susan. We love you so much."

Kim sat silently, absorbing this horrible new shock. "Susan...my God. But...how?"

"I called the American embassy in Prague, but of course that was foolish of me. They refused to tell me anything. So I called a colleague I have there, and he made some calls to the coroner's office and hospitals. It turned out Susan died of hepatitis. I also determined that your friend Tiffany contracted hepatitis, but she survived and returned to America."

"Hepatitis...but...how'd they get that? Where'd it come from?"

"They were sharing a needle at a night club. Two young Czech men who were with them contracted hepatitis as well. One died, the other survived."




Maragana Girl Ch. 06



"Shit...Tiff had said that in Prague we were gonna..."

"Yes, Kimberly. I recall you telling me that you were planning to experiment with 'smack', as you say it, in Prague. With needles, I presume?"

Kim nodded her head. She stared blankly at the floor, not really knowing what to think. She no longer really considered Susan her friend, but still, the shock of knowing she was dead...

"I suppose this is a terrible blow to you. I believe your mother might know more than I do, although you can relay to her what I learned from my Czech colleague. You may call her from my office if you wish."

Kim quickly dialed home. She talked to her mother, telling her a censored version about her participation in the Day of the Dead Ceremony. However, she quickly got to the reason she called. It turned out that it was only by chance her parents even learned about Susan's death. They had missed the obituary when it first came out in July, but when Mr. Lee was unfolding old newspapers to clean up an oil spill in the garage, he just happened to notice the name Susan Taylor on one of the pages. Needless to say, he was shocked to read that his daughter's friend had died only a week after she had been sentenced in Upper Danubia. Kim's parents called the Taylors, who verified that, yes indeed, their daughter had died in Prague in July. They refused to talk about it further and abruptly hung up. Mrs. Lee decided to forward the obituary to Vladim Dukov. Kim then relayed what Dukov had told her about what he learned from his end. Kim's mother had a final question for her.

"Honey, I need to know something, and you need to be honest with me. If you had gone to Prague, you would have gone to that nightclub with Tiffany and Susan, right?"

"Yeah, Mom. I was gonna go."

"And shoot up?"

"Yeah."

"Honey, how could you? How could you do that to us?"

"Mom, I don't know why...it just would have happened...we were partying..."

"And you would have died of hepatitis! Just like Susan!"

"Yeah...Mom...that's what would've happened."

Suddenly Kim heard her mother crying on the other end of the line. Finally Mrs. Lee pulled herself together enough to continue.

"Honey, I...can't talk to you right now. But I gotta talk to Mr. Dukov."

Dukov took the receiver. He sat quietly as Kim's mother cried into the phone. Finally he started to answer some questions.

"No, Mrs. Lee...there is nothing like that here...Our laws are much stricter...Yes, Mrs. Lee...I assure you I will watch after her...Maybe you are right, Mrs. Lee, maybe it was for the best she was arrested...Thank you, Mrs. Lee, but it was my duty as a Spokesman for the Criminal, nothing more...Thank you, Mrs. Lee...Yes, you too, Mrs. Lee, please take care of yourself."

Dukov hung up. He folded his hands and looked at Kim.

"Do you remember what I told you a few days ago, when I said that had you not been arrested, it was quite possible your experience may have ended elsewhere under equally bad, or even worse, circumstances? That I told you that if you believe yourself unlucky, to please give that consideration? Do you remember that?"

"Yes Spokesman Dukov, I remember that."

"I believe we now know where, and when, your experience would have ended. You life would have ended in a Prague hospital, on or around July 12. Is that not so?"

"Yes, Spokesman. That is so."

"Kimberly, you will understand that you cheated Death. Is that not so?"

"Yes, Spokesman Dukov. That is so."

----------

Criminal # 98945 spent the rest of the day writing an essay about her feelings. It most certainly was something she wanted to share with her friends at the Socrates Club. They needed to know. Kim's story was worth hearing, because there were plenty of lessons to be learned from it. She sat writing for the entire morning at a spare desk in the reception area, in spite of having not slept the previous night. Dukov looked over his client's text in the afternoon and made some minor corrections to make some of the imagery more understandable to a Danubian audience, and then helped her translate.

That night the Socrates Club was full. The night after the Day of the Dead ceremonies always was a time when plenty of club-goers had a lot on their minds, so it was one of the few nights of the year with no music, just criminals talking about their thoughts and experiences. There were over 40 speakers altogether. However, no one was rushed. The speakers could take their time and speak their minds. The song-writers listened attentively. Usually the night after the equinox was one of their best for gathering ideas and phrases for their music.

The night after the equinox Criminal # 98945 gave her second reading at the Socrates Club. She had not had time to practice her speech and was horribly tired. However, she spoke from her heart, even more so than she had spoken about her bicycle. As Kim spoke the obituary clipping describing the death of Susan Taylor made its rounds through the audience. She spoke at length about her feelings of betrayal. She spoke about the feelings of guilt and relief over not having been in that disco in Prague when that poisoned needle was passed to her two friends. Finally she spoke of the pain of having her own mother cry on Dukov's phone over her stupidity and her narrow escape. The thoughts were burned into her soul, making up for the fact she had not had time to practice her speech. The audience was silent after Kim finished speaking. For a moment the American stood at the microphone, also in silence, as tears ran down her cheeks. Finally she added, in accented but flawless Danubian:

"The police woman who arrested me kept calling me 'Maragana Girl'. I hated her for doing that, but who knows? Maybe she knows me better than I know myself. Maybe that's all I am...just the stupid 'Maragana Girl'."

Kim stepped off the stage to rejoin her boyfriend and his classmates. For a couple of minutes she sat in her seat, crying while Sergekt tried to comfort her. Around the room sympathetic glances went in her direction. Finally she managed to calm down. That night other criminals had stories to tell. Kim owed it to the others to listen with respect and try...try to understand.



Maragana Girl Ch. 07



Chapter 7 -- Kim's birthday presents

Upper Danubia's daily rhythm was changing rapidly by the end of September. Farmers were harvesting their crops, school was in full session, and extra trolleys appeared on the streets, ready to begin transporting commuters who had been riding their bicycles all summer when the weather was sunny. The trees began changing color and the nights became colder and colder. Kim and Sergekt began wearing their bright orange winter boots, as did Danube City's other criminals. For the first few days the boots made Kim all that much more aware of the nakedness of the rest of her body. Over time she got used to her new outfit.

Kim's weekly social routine was set by the end of September. One night each week Sergekt came over to Dukov's house to eat dinner with the family. One night per week Kim went over to Sergekt's house to eat dinner with his family. Two nights out of the week Kim and Sergekt joined his friends at the Socrates Club. Another night each week Kim and Sergekt joined some of his friends to play cards at one of their homes. The normal games were card games from Eastern Europe. However, Kim contributed to the card playing by teaching the group how to play Poker, something she had learned in high school the previous year.

Criminal # 98945 now was a full member of Sergekt's social group. No longer was she just "Sergekt's American girlfriend". If the women had something they wanted to do without the guys, they called Kim and asked her if she wanted to join them. The language barrier still impeded her somewhat, but as the weeks went by that barrier became less and less.

Kim's friendship with Sergekt's female classmates solved one important problem in her life, her need to get an indoor job during the winter. The group's lead singer, a petite blond girl called Eloisa, worked at a music store owned by a friend of her father. As the weather got colder and Christmas loomed ever closer, Eloisa suggested Kim to her boss as a new employee. The store owner agreed. As a result of the music store job, Kim's last day working for Victor Dukov was September 30.

Kim dreaded breaking the news to Victor, thinking he would be furious and give her an unpleasant lecture. He surprised her with his response: "Kimberly, you smart girl. I know winter comes, and you no ride bicycle with cape. I know that. But, maybe, in Spring you come back? Ride bicycle for me? Maybe I no good boss, but I like you. You good girl and good worker. So you come back?"

Kim responded by doing something she never imagined she would want to do. She promised Victor Dukov she would work a second summer with his courier service. Victor threw a small party the afternoon of her last day. He drank some wine with his workers and became quite cheerful. Kim thought to herself, maybe this guy isn't so bad after all, if he could just loosen up.

The next day Kim started her new job at Danube City's largest music store. The store had a huge inventory of both traditional and modern Danubian music. It also had music from other parts of Europe, and many lesser-known artists from the United States. There also was a wide variety of musical instruments and sheet music. The one thing lacking from the store, and from any other music store in Danube City, was music from popular radio play-lists in either Europe or the US. Danubians regarded the radio station play-list concept and billboard charts with utter contempt. The entire country rebelled against the global music industry by officially banning any music that was featured on billboard charts in major European and US markets. Danubians took pride in thumbing their noses at global pop culture and instead developing their own music industry, to the ire of both the US and the European Community.

Unlike Victor Dukov's courier service, every employee in the retail area at the music store was a criminal. Kim's new boss was convinced that only criminals understood music and he also wanted to promote the image that his store was at the forefront of the Danubian music scene. There even was a small studio upstairs where employees were encouraged to test and rehearse songs, and there was access to musical instruments for employees who did not have their own. 

A few ex-criminals also worked at the store in the stock room or in the accounting department. Because they had completed their sentences they were allowed to work out of public view. However, the store had the same rule for all employees that the Socrates Club had for its patrons, that all ex-criminals in the firm had to show respect to those still serving their sentences by staying naked during working hours. Even the store's owner adhered to that rule, in spite of being in his late 50's and never having been a criminal himself. 

Kim's nationality placed her in a unique position in the store. She was the only English-speaking employee and therefore on-call to attend any foreign tourist who had entered looking for "typical" Danubian music to take home. Over and over Criminal # 98945 found herself explaining about the Danubian manner of writing songs and the unique role criminals held in the country's music scene. Kim quickly became the store's unofficial tour-guide. Of course nearly every tourist also wanted to know why she was in the store, as a naked American wearing a Danubian criminal's collar. Kim simply told the truth, giving an abbreviated account of her arrest at the beginning of July and a stern warning not to possess or use drugs in Upper Danubia. "...unless you want work here and have me train you as a new employee," she always concluded joking.

Kim felt quite relaxed being among naked co-workers, many of whom were friends or acquaintances from the Socrates Club. However, she noticed a huge difference in the between the demeanor of the criminals and that of the ex-criminals working in the store, in spite of the universal lack of clothing among the store employees. To the ex-criminals nudity was simply the store uniform. As soon as they left work they could get dressed and return to their normal lives on the street and at home. They could leave Danube City, or even cross the border and leave Upper Danubia when they wanted. Most importantly, they did not have to think about their next upcoming judicial punishment. Their burden of wearing a collar and facing constant judicial punishments had passed.

For Criminal # 98945 and the other 23 cashiers and information clerks, the collars and the ongoing sentences they represented were a reality that was never far from their minds. Each week at least one employee, and usually more, returned from the Central Police Station with his or her bottom freshly marked from a recent switching. Kim realized something that scared her, no matter how many times a person was switched, it hurt just as bad each time. The welts were every bit as red, the blows every bit as painful, the experience every bit as traumatic. It never got any better, no matter how many times a person already had faced punishment. It was common for co-workers who had held up well during their most recent switching to come back to work, excuse themselves, and cry for hours in the break room. Kim sighed whenever she heard crying coming from the break room's closed door. It'll be my turn in January, she thought bitterly.

----------

Kim's 19th birthday was on October 18. She woke up very depressed, thinking about her 18th birthday the year before and how much she partied and how the world seemed to open up to her at that time. She had gotten drunk with Tiffany and Susan and a bunch of other friends from high school. It seemed like it was a lot of fun, although...she couldn't remember because she passed out. Tiffany got stoned and Susan spent the evening pulling up her top and flashing the guys at the party. Kim was sick the whole next day...and...hmm...maybe that wasn't such a great birthday. Maybe this year would be better. 

Indeed it was, thanks to two presents. One was from Kim's parents and the Dukovs, the other was from her friends at the Socrates Club.

The Dukovs, of course, went all-out fixing their guest an elaborate lunch and an American-style cake. The four members of the Dukov family, plus Vladik's fiancée and Sergekt, stuffed themselves with traditional food. A Danubian birthday party was never complete without singing, and the three Danubian women sang several traditional songs in honor of the birthday girl. Dukov then sent his daughter to the tool shed to get Kim's birthday present. 

"Kimberly, your parents, and Maritza and I, decided that for your birthday you should not have anything new. Perhaps what is old in your life is what is best for you. But with an old gift we all wish you much happiness."

With that Anyia came in with an object painfully familiar, Kim's mountain bike from her parents' house in the U.S. It was the second time the bicycle would be presented to her, but the first time she could really appreciate it.

"Uh...Spokesman Dukov...how...?"

"I talked to your parents about what would be best for your birthday. I suggested they ship your bicycle to you. I took responsibility for bringing it through our customs. This item is what you most need in our country, is it not?"

"Yes...Oh thanks!"

With that Kim hugged the elder Dukovs and their daughter. She then called her parents to thank them and update them on her life.

That evening Criminal # 98945 proudly rode her bicycle downtown to the Socrates Club, as Sergekt rode Vladik's old bike, trying to keep up with her. At the club there was universal good cheer and jokes about now having to re-write the song "Nemát mi biciklét", given that Kim was reunited with her mountain bike. She joined Sergekt and Eloisa at their usual spot at the table, along with 15 of Sergekt's classmates and three of her co-workers from the music store.

Kim was in a very upbeat mood. The sad songs coming from the singers on stage made her reflective, as opposed to melancholy. She actually felt good about her life, better than she had felt in a very long time. She knew this feeling was only fleeting, but she would take Spokesman Dukov at his word and try to enjoy the small pleasures in her world as much as possible.

The group's birthday present to Criminal # 98945 was three songs dedicated to her, one of which was written by Sergekt himself. Sergekt's work was a deeply moving love song. He knew better than to try to write a sentimental love song; instead he had written about Kim's strange journey through life and his own efforts to understand her. Sergekt played in the band with his usual balalaika-looking instrument, while he entrusted the singing to Eloisa and a male classmate.

The next song was loosely based on Kim's arrest and the fact the arrest prevented her from going to Prague and dying of hepatitis. The final song was titled "A question I cannot answer", and focused on Kim's painful conversations with her mother. It was sung by 5 women, with Eloisa in the lead and the others providing back-up voices. The back-up singers punctuated Eloisa's singing with the peculiar and complicated deep-throated vocals that were unique to traditional Upper Danubian music. The song and its music was the most complex Kim had heard in the Socrates Club. The vocals left her marveling at Eloisa's talent and her ability to organize and lead four other female voices, all of whom were singing different notes.

Criminal # 98945 was deeply moved. She had given her friends ideas for their music; in turn so far they had produced four incredible songs dedicated to her. How many other people could say that, having provided the inspiration for such music?

Kim spent the rest of the night dancing with Sergekt, mischievously rubbing herself against him and looking into his eyes with a very seductive expression. She was totally aroused. She had not had sex with anyone since the end of May. She had waited long enough. She badly wanted Sergekt.

Sergekt now had a bit of a problem. He was hard, his erection pressing into his girlfriend. He could not separate from her, not unless he wanted to make a total spectacle of himself in front of 200 other people. However, he was not the first male in the Socrates Club in that situation, and he knew exactly what to do. He eased his partner towards a back entrance that led to a staircase going upstairs. As soon as they got to the door, Sergekt quickly slipped through and pulled Kim through with him. As soon as the door went shut he separated from her and took her face in his hands. He kissed her passionately. He ran his hands over Kim's breasts and down her stomach, as she reached for his penis and gently squeezed it. Sergekt gasped.

"Geem...Geem...Ya lubík tebe...Ya lubík tebe..." Danubian for "I love you".

With that he buried his mouth in her neck. Suddenly he grabbed her hand and led her up the stairs. As soon as they were up the stairs, Kim realized the Socrates Club, as a service to its customers, had several small "intimacy rooms". Each intimacy room had a double-bed with a nightstand and a small bathroom. The room Sergekt led Kim into was very clean and tastefully decorated. There was nothing tacky about it.

For a minute Kim and Sergekt stood near the door, passionately embracing each other. He sank to his knees and kissed the insides of Kim's thighs. Yes...oh yes...she wanted this so badly. He stood up again, and Kim massaged his penis. He was so hard...he had wanted this for such a long time...and now finally the moment had come.

Sergekt's next move surprised Kim, but greatly increased her respect for him. He reached in the dresser next to the bed and pulled out a condom. She had not even thought about that, but he did. In the movies this detail was always left out, but this was real life. Sergekt was a person who always thought ahead, even in the heat of passion. He quickly put on the condom while Kim threw herself on the bed.

It had been five months for Kim. Five months of celibacy and she was desperate. As Sergekt moved on top of her, she pulled at his head, eager to draw his face into hers. She wanted to become one with her lover, to feel his tongue against hers, to feel his body on hers, to feel him inside her. As he entered her and started thrusting, Kim came immediately. She gasped and groaned. Sergekt took his time, seeking to stretch out this moment as long as he could. Finally he climaxed and his movements inside Kim slowed down. Reluctantly he pulled out of her.

Sergekt got up and reached down to take Kim's hand. She really did not want to get up yet, but she forced herself off the bed. He led her into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Kim stepped in as he disposed of the condom. He joined her and began soaping her back. The simple feel of her lover's hands on her back aroused her yet again, but in a more relaxed and peaceful way than she had felt on the dance floor. Once again Kim had a moment to enjoy, the warm water from the shower and Sergekt's hands on her shoulders. In the shower they kissed each other with a quiet tenderness, as the water washed away the soap and remnants of their love-making.

Once they cleaned up, Sergekt surprised his lover yet again as he complied with club protocol for the room. He pulled off the sheets from the bed and took a clean set from the nightstand. Kim helped him spread the new sheets and make the bed. Sergekt stuffed the bedding into a pillowcase along with the towels from the bathroom. Quickly he took spray cleaner and squirted the shower, cleaning it with a cloth that also went into the pillowcase when he finished. Kim put out new towels in the bathroom. Within five minutes the room looked exactly like it had looked when they entered. The couple left the room and Sergekt put his name on a sign-up sheet, apparently to charge the use of the room to his account. He then threw his pillowcase into a huge hamper full of other pillowcases and they went back downstairs.

Kim and Sergekt rejoined his friends at the table, their hair still damp and their bodies smelling of fresh soap. Kim expected a lot of jokes from the group, or at least some knowing smiles and thumbs-up signs. Instead, they acted perfectly naturally, as though Kim and Sergekt had just gone to the bathroom. Later she learned that in Upper Danubia friends never joke about their sexual relationships to each other. What Sergekt and Kim had done was a natural part of being together and there was no point of anyone making an issue out of it. 

----------

The following day was a holiday, so neither Kim nor Sergekt had to work. Kim's newly acquired mobility allowed Sergekt to invite her to his family's garden plot, which was outside the city limits, but fortunately just inside the boundary of the Danube City collar-zone. The garden plot was located completely on the opposite side of the city from the neighborhood where Vladim Dukov lived, so getting there involved a 20-kilometer bicycle ride. Fortunately the day was surprisingly warm for it being so late in the year, promising a pleasant outing.

Kim raced Sergekt along streets and hills, her fancy mountain bike easily outpacing the primitive bike he had borrowed from Vladik Dukov. She rode with ease as he struggled to keep up. Finally they turned onto a dirt road and entered the city's family garden area, an area covered with small plots of land and dotted with tiny houses that were barely bigger than storage sheds.

The area near Sergekt's family plot was completely deserted. The gardens had been harvested the week before and there was very little left to be done until the planting next year. A few older people remained at their plots to finish up canning their harvests, but no one remained near the plot where Sergekt took Kim.

Sergekt's family plot had a tiny house with a porch, a storage area for tools, a canning station, some chairs, and a very old sofa. Sergekt asked Kim to help him move the sofa onto the porch. The autumn sun shined gently onto the porch and cool breezes blew through the nearby trees. For two people who had very little privacy in their daily lives, this setting was ideal.

Kim was in a very strange mood. She wanted sex, but she also wanted to submit to Sergekt. She rubbed her legs together as she sat with him, wondering what exactly she wanted. He had his arm down at her side, gently caressing her hip. Kim realized that he actually wanted to caress her bottom. She went over his lap, spreading her legs slightly to feel the warm sun and cool breezes caress the most intimate parts of her body. Sergekt gently rubbed his hand over Kim's bottom, exploring the soft brown skin with his fingertips and his entire hand. He marveled at the flawlessness of her smooth skin. It seemed to him that his girlfriend's petite bottom was the most perfect, the most beautiful, he had ever seen.

Kim shifted on her boyfriend's thighs to get into a more comfortable position and tilted her bottom up slightly. For a long time she was content to simply enjoy the feel of his hand gently passing over her bottom-cheeks. But then her fantasies returned, and she wanted to do something more to show Sergekt that she truly belonged to him. The strong sexual urge came back. There would be love-making, but Kim wanted something else first, something intense...something...and then she remembered that her birthday had been yesterday. Sergekt owed her a birthday spanking. She went wet with just the idea. In Danubian she commented:

"Sergekt, in my country we have a tradition. A naughty girl like me gets spanked on her birthday...one good hard spank for each year. So...you want to do that for me...spank me for my birthday?"

Sergekt couldn't believe his good fortune. This beautiful, flawless bottom stretched over his lap, and its owner requesting a spanking. He could smell her excitement. He gently ran his fingertips over Kim's vagina. She was very wet. He was completely hard, his erection pressing into Kim's side.




Maragana Girl Ch. 07



"So this is the birthday present you really wanted, hmm? Very well, Kimberly, happy 19th birthday."

With that, Sergekt drew his hand up and delivered a sharp SLAP! to Kim's right bottom-cheek. He gently caressed the reddish area, and then delivered an equally sharp SLAP! to Kim's left bottom-cheek. Kim moaned with excitement. Slowly Sergekt delivered another sharp SLAP! to Kim's right bottom cheek and yet another to her left bottom cheek. Kim shifted again on his lap. The slaps were just the right intensity and she wanted more...she was desperate for more. 

Slowly and lovingly Sergekt continued Kim's birthday spanking. The fact that Kim would only receive 19 swats made him want to make sure that every one of those swats would count. He wanted Kim to feel and appreciate each sharp slap. As Sergekt continued to spank and caress Kim, her sexual desire intensified. She gasped, arching her back and thrusting herself up, completely exposing her wet vagina to the warm autumn sun. She wanted to feel his hands touch her most intimate areas, to tease her there and perhaps punish her there as well. However, he remained concentrated on her bottom and the increasing the reddish color on her bottom cheeks.

For the last five swats, Sergekt pressed Kim back down so he could give her extra sharp slaps. Kim's eyes were partially closed and she was gasping, her voice breaking. When Sergekt finished his 19th slap, he kept his hand on her bottom for a few seconds and then delivered one final slap, an extra for her next birthday and good luck.

Sergekt led Kim onto the grass and ordered his lover on her hands and knees. Kim's bottom and vagina were on full display, spread wide and glistening in the sunlight. It was a sight that would have tempted any man, but this lovely bottom belonged to Sergekt's own love, his own "Geemberglek". He quickly slipped on a condom and entered her. She pressed back into him and he thrust hard, so hard it almost hurt. Kim moaned and gasped through two of the most intense orgasms she ever had experienced. Sergerkt climaxed immediately, but continued thrusting, hoping for a second orgasm. Kim climaxed yet again, and Sergekt finally got what he wanted, the coveted second orgasm that left his legs shaking and his body completely relaxed. It was so good he almost blacked out.

Finally they pulled apart, their bodies shining with sweat and covered in dirt. However, a chilly breeze hit the two lovers at that moment, a reminder the day was short and it quickly would be getting colder as the sun dropped in the sky. Sergekt got up to fetch a bucket of water from the garden's pump. Kim giggled as her lover pushed the lever up and down in an effort to tease some water into the bucket. Finally some water came up and the couple was able to sponge off and head home.

As they rode back to Dukov's house, Kim showed Sergekt no mercy as she rode her mountain bike. She easily outpaced her boyfriend as he struggled on his primitive one-speed. She lifted up from her seat to tease him with her bottom, and then shot ahead, forcing him to petal hard just to stay within sight of her. She then dropped back, again lifted up to tease him, and again took off.

"Kim, I ought to spank that naughty bottom of yours for doing this."

"Maybe, but you got to catch me first."

He never did manage to catch her that day, but both knew that there would be plenty of days next summer, plenty of bicycle rides, and plenty of opportunities for Sergekt to catch Kim and give her that well-deserved lover's spanking.



Maragana Girl Ch. 08



Chapter 8 – Eloisa

The weather quickly changed a couple of days after Kim's birthday. Cold rain and sleet constantly bombarded the dreary streets of Danube City, with the promise that there would be no let-up until next spring. The pavement was covered with cold water and the last of the bicyclists were driven off the streets and into the city's trolleys. The entire fleet of trolleys and trolleybuses was working non-stop, but all public transportation was packed with commuters at all times.

In spite of the cold weather, Kim learned from Sergekt that she really did not need to wear her criminal's cape during the day. The criminal's cape was a truly humiliating piece of clothing, to be used only during the most inclement weather. Sergekt and most other criminals took pride in wearing it as little as possible. At the beginning Kim had thought about wearing her cape, but over time peer-pressure forced the American to leave hers at home as well.

Kim's orange boots kept her feet warm, and she quickly learned how to keep the rest of her body warm enough to move about in the city. Of course, the packed trolleys were so hot that the criminals actually were more comfortable than the average citizens who stood sweating in their coats. As a courtesy, average citizens usually allowed criminals to get on the trolleys first to let them get out of the cold as quickly as possible.

As for outdoors, the survival tactic adopted by Kim and the other criminals was to duck into stores as much as possible, warm up, and then dash to the next store, warm up, and keep moving. In Kim's case there really was no problem, since the music store was right next to a trolley stop. The store employees waited at the front door for the trolley to come by, then quickly dashed across the sidewalk to get in once it had stopped. The Socrates Club presented even less of a problem during the winter. The club had built an enclosed heated trolley stop right outside its main entrance to accommodate the patrons who did not want to wear their capes.

----------

Kim settled into a stable, peaceful relationship with Sergekt during November. They got to know each other better as Kim's ability to speak Danubian improved, they hung out at the Socrates Club, went to an occasional movie, ate at each other's houses, and just enjoyed being together. They made love every so often in one of the Socrates Club's "intimacy rooms", enough that Kim considered taking birth control pills to free Sergekt from the responsibility of always wearing a condom. Kim had established her routine with her boyfriend and felt very satisfied with that part of her life. Sergekt was the most serious relationship Kim ever had experienced, very different from the casual encounters and partying she had done the previous year.

During November another relationship opened up for Kim, her growing friendship with the singer Eloisa. Eloisa was by far the most unusual woman in the group. She was deeply philosophical and serious, but she could talk about anything and made a good conversation partner. There was something very sad and haunting about her, a pain in her soul that came out in both her conversation and in her music. 

Eloisa was dating one of the guys in the group, a very serious young man called Dima Chernákt. It was obvious they were very serious about each other and they planned to get married. Dima was with her constantly and she seemed to rely on him to give her protection. And yet, not once did Kim notice the couple ever touching each other. No hugs, no kissing, no physical contact whatsoever. The relationship was not platonic nor a simple friendship, but it was by no means a normal relationship either.

Kim asked Sergekt about Eloisa's strange behavior. He responded:

"Eloisa has been through a lot. She has suffered much more than anyone else I have ever known. That's why she sings the way she sings. She has been to the dark places of life, places I hope I never have to see."

"But what happened to her?"

"I can't tell you. If you get to know her better, maybe she might...but that's up to her. I can tell you that what happened to her is something that shouldn't ever happen to anyone...but it does, sometimes even here in this country."

Sergekt had given up very little information, but it was enough, together with Eloisa's obvious dislike of any physical contact, for Kim to figure out what happened. She guessed that Eloisa must have been raped. That was true, but when she later found out the full story Kim would much better understand, not only Eloisa, but also Dima, Sergekt, the group of classmates, and the social values of Upper Danubia.

----------

Kim's friendship with Eloisa began when one of the band's back-up singers completed her sentence at the end of October. The young woman was a fellow employee at the music store, and as a result the store shut down for a couple of hours to allow the employees to attend the de-collaring ceremony. The young woman left the courthouse wearing a traditional Danubian dress and a raincoat. She returned to work for a brief party, bade everyone a tearful goodbye, and disappeared from their lives.

Kim's co-worker had been accepted to study at Upper Danubia's most prestigious medical university, which was located at the other end of the country in the distant capitol of Rika Chorna Province. She needed to board a train immediately to attend an orientation and was out of Danube City by nightfall. The woman's departure left Eloisa with only three back-up singers, and for much of her music she needed four.

The next day Eloisa heard Kim humming a song that she had heard several times and liked. She listened attentively to Kim's voice, realizing its pitch was identical to the pitch of the voice of the friend who had just left. During lunch break Eloisa asked Kim to sing some notes...Excellent...Now deeper...From deep in your throat...Not bad...Try it again...Good...Now try this... By the end of lunch Kim had a new obligation in life, as a back-up singer for Eloisa.

It was obvious that Kim would not be able to sing songs with words because of her accent. However, Danubian music often relied on a group of women singing different notes, in the same way a band uses different instruments. Each female voice was part of the background music, unique and indispensable for the entire song to work. It was the pitch of Kim's voice that Eloisa needed, not her ability to sing actual words. It was as though Eloisa had lost a musical instrument and needed to replace it with another. 

That night Kim found herself rehearsing with the other three back-up singers, closely following Eloisa's lead. The following Saturday night Kim was on stage at the Socrates club during the group's musical presentation. She now was more committed than ever to her new life in Danube City.

Kim spent increasing amounts of time with Eloisa when she was not at work or with Sergekt. As much as she participated in the Socrates Club, her group, and in her personal relationship with her boyfriend, the internal torments in Eloisa's soul set her apart from everyone else. She was part of the group, but at the same time different and somewhat apart. Kim was in a similar situation, being Asian, being an American, and being a convicted drug-user. She was part of the group, but at the same time she was "different". As a result Eloisa and Kim gravitated towards each other.

Eloisa seemed to understand Kim better than anyone else, including Sergekt. Sergekt understood Kim from a male perspective, but there were certain things about her he could not understand due to the barrier of sex. Eloisa did understand Kim and could even understand why Kim had done so many stupid things in her life prior to getting arrested. Even Kim couldn't understand everything about herself, but it seemed that Eloisa had her figured out.

At the beginning of December the morale of Sergekt and his friends began to decline. They were more moody, more quiet, and increasingly apprehensive. The reason was simple enough, on December 15 they faced returning to their old school to receive the next scheduled installment of their punishment. The school authorities wanted to switch the group at their old high school to set an example for the younger students who had not yet graduated. Since vacation started on the 20th, the punishment needed to be moved up to the middle of the month, to make sure the younger students were on-hand to see what happens to criminals.

Kim sympathized, since the next installment of her own punishment would be January 2, six months to the date she had been punished in July, Kim was scared herself, and she was lucky. She only faced punishment every six months. Sergekt, Eloisa, and 26 others faced punishment every four months.

Just a couple of days before the 15th, Kim and Eloisa decided to have some Danubian fruit punch after a musical practice. They sat alone in the break-room of the store on a sofa, quietly sipping at their glasses. Eloisa sighed, thinking about the group's upcoming punishment.

"It never gets any easier," she noted sadly. "You think it will, that somehow you'll get used to it. But you never do. It hurts just as bad every time. And each time, before, I mean, you just get more and more scared, because you know, you know how bad they'll hurt you."

Kim nodded. Eloisa stared straight ahead. In a very distant voice she continued.

"You know, it's because of me the others have to do this. I'm the reason they're serving these sentences. It's because of me that 27 other lives got ruined. I should have just killed myself, and that would have saved them. Now I can't. Now I can't die. I owe it to the others to stay alive, even though that's not what I want."

Kim had no idea how to respond. She felt horrible about the consequences of her own decisions, but Kim had no desire to die. Quite the contrary, she realized how important it was to be alive. Kim treasured her life and the chance to remain on the planet. To hear Eloisa talk like this...

"You can't talk like that. Your life is a gift, and you can lose it real easily. I almost did. I mean...we all love you."

"I know. But to know what I did...and what happened...I mean it wasn't really my fault, but in a way it was...I mean...it wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for me."

"What happened? You didn't do anything..."

"Kim, did Sergekt ever tell you why we all got these three-year sentences?"

"He tried to explain it to me when we first started going out, but I didn't understand Danubian enough to follow all of what he told me. I did get that it was all out of a sense of honor that you guys all stuck together and you all got punished. He made a big deal out of that, because he was real upset about what my friends did to me...you know, when they told the police they didn't know about the marijuana in my backpack. But anyhow, I didn't understand much...he said something about a riot at your school."

"Yes, there was riot. I guess you could call it that. It was because of me it happened."

"You? What did you do?"

Eloisa sat quietly for a few minutes. Finally she forced herself to speak.

"I didn't do anything except just be a stupid kid. I thought he loved me...that's what he always said...but he made me...I mean, for three years he made me..."

Eloisa struggled to catch her breath and push back the awful memories that suddenly had surfaced. Finally she was able to tell Kim her story.

It turned out when Eloisa was just 14, she was seduced by a male teacher at the school. The relationship quickly became very abusive, especially after the teacher took a series of pornographic photos and threatened to show them to Eloisa's parents if she ever said anything or tried to break off the relationship. What the teacher forced Eloisa to do apparently went way beyond ordinary sex, it left her feeling completely degraded and nauseated by the thought of any physical contact with anyone. On that point Eloisa did not elaborate and Kim really did not want to know the details. The abuse went on for three years and got worse over time.

Eloisa's life changed the summer before her final year in school. The teacher molesting her was on vacation in Germany, and she began seeing one of her classmates, Dima, the guy she was currently engaged to. Eloisa was completely traumatized by what was happening to her and felt too degraded to have any friends from the school. Dima spent time with her, and slowly got her to realize she did have value as a person. He fell in love with her, perhaps in part because she was so distant and he hoped to bring her back. 

The possibility that Eloisa could have a normal relationship with someone her own age gave her courage to start confronting her situation with the teacher. She quit seeing him after school. When he threatened her with the photos Eloisa responded. "Go ahead and show those photos. Then you get to explain why you have them."

Eloisa thought she had escaped her tormenter because she did not have any classes with him during her final year. However, he proctored a series of tests for the end of the autumn semester that Eloisa had to take. He saw the finals as a chance to get revenge against Eloisa for leaving him. He accused her of cheating and began a series of reports to get her expelled from the school and charged with insurrection. As a result of the accusations Eloisa was suspended from school, pending the resolution of the cheating charges.

The male students in Eloisa's class knew the accusations were false. They talked among themselves, trying to figure out how to save Eloisa from being expelled from school and possibly from facing a formal sentence. Finally youthful tempers started to flair, and 27 students, male and female, decided to directly confront the teacher and force him to recant his accusations. They filed into his classroom and surrounded him. When he tried to get away several students punched him in the stomach and pinned him against the wall. Dima struck him hard across the face, breaking his nose. Suddenly the teacher realized he was trapped in a room with 27 angry students who were perfectly willing to kill him. 

The students extracted confession after confession from the teacher, including forcing him to reveal where he was keeping the photos he had taken of Eloisa. They were in a locked filing cabinet in the classroom with the tests, but the key was not in the school. That was not good enough for the students. The rage among the group was mounting. While Dima landed several more hard punches, several of his friends, including Sergekt, picked up the filing cabinet and heaved it through the window. Then several male students ran downstairs to retrieve the packages of photos. Sure enough, among the wreckage of the filing cabinet were several packets of very sick pictures. They ran back upstairs and waved a couple at the teacher.

"THIS IS WHAT YOU MADE HER DO?!...THIS IS WHAT YOU MADE HER DO?!"

The police arrived at that moment, screaming and pointing automatic weapons at the students. It was a terrible scene; a smashed window, desks and chairs kicked everywhere, 27 irate teenagers, and one bloodied teacher. The next few seconds were horrible chaos, as the police shot into the ceiling to get the teenagers to lie down. The teacher, hugely relieved at being rescued, headed towards the door, but the head police officer pointed his weapon at the supposed victim and snarled, "You're not going anywhere! Not 'till we get this straightened out!"

There was a lot to straighten out. The police were smart enough to understand that no group of students could have behaved in such a manner without being severely provoked. The answer was clear enough as soon as the police officers started picking up Eloisa's pictures, which had been strewn all over the room. The teacher ended up on the floor in handcuffs along with the 27 students. Vans arrived and everyone was taken to the Central Police Station.

Because Eloisa had been suspended from school pending resolution of the cheating charges, she did not learn about the riot until that evening. She took a trolley to the police station, identified herself, and quickly was dragged into the case. It was obvious she was the girl in the photos. She had to sign several statements discussing what had happened with her teacher, which were introduced later that night at his trial and helped condemn him.

What happened next was a very Danubian resolution to the case. Partly because what was in the pictures was so offensive, the teacher faced the death penalty for child molestation. His trial took place at midnight, as was the tradition for all death penalty cases. The teacher was dressed in a black robe and ordered to stand during his trial, even as he nursed his broken nose and bruised stomach. There was not much argument over guilt or innocence, the pictures and Eloisa's statements assured the verdict. The police also had searched the teacher's home and found yet more photos of Eloisa and three other high school girls.

The execution took place at sunrise. Still dressed in his black robe, the teacher was taken back to the central police station and ordered to stand at the end of the courtyard in front of a thick wooden wall. He stood with his hands untied, since any Danubian who faces death by execution is expected to greet it with dignity, no matter how heinous his crime might have been. The 27 students, still dressed in their school uniforms, were brought out in handcuffs to witness the execution. Very quickly five police officers pointed their rifles at the teacher, there was a whistle, and a second later he was reduced to a crumpled corpse.

The students then were led to the cement circle in the courtyard and one by one ordered to strip. They too, faced trial and punishment. However, they faced corporal, not capital, charges. 

Their cases were assigned to Spokesman Alexi Havlakt, who was the oldest member of Danube City's criminal defense team and on the verge of retiring. Now Spokesman Havlakt suddenly had 27 new cases thrust upon him and his retirement postponed indefinitely. Still, the path of his life was to help persons facing the Danubian court system and the fate of 27 high school students weighed on him more that his foregone years of rest. The old Spokesman prepared to mount as best a defense as he could, given the group's bleak circumstances.

The students faced multiple violations, including assault, attempted murder, disrespect for authority, vandalism, and insurrection. The police brought each frightened student in for questioning individually, but in the holding cell they all had previously agreed that whatever charges they faced they would face together. 27 seven times the police asked the same questions and got the same responses:

"...Who punched your teacher?"

"All of us, sir. We all punched the teacher."

"Who threw the filing cabinet out the window?"

"All of us sir. We all are responsible..."

The police did not push the issue once they figured out all the students would give them the same responses. In the US the police would have tried to get some of the students to testify against the others. In Upper Danubia the police understood that attempting to get some of the students to turn on the others would have violated the society's social norms, something no one in the police department wanted to do. The questioning became a mere formality. The group would have to be judged by the facts, not by what any of the students had to say.

While the 27 students were being questioned, Eloisa demanded that she be arrested and charged with her classmates. She was innocent of any wrong-doing, but the riot had taken place because of her. Eloisa's friends had sacrificed their own lives for her, and her Danubian perception of honor demanded that whatever consequences they suffered she would have to suffer as well. 




Maragana Girl Ch. 08



Eloisa explained to Kim that under such circumstances the police chief had no choice but to arrest her. Eloisa would have lost honor had she not stood with her friends, especially in this situation where they had given up their freedom because of her. Danubian protocol demanded that, whether they had been right or wrong, it was her social duty to join them. Eloisa quietly undressed in front of the chief of police and was led in handcuffs to her classmates.

The students had confessed as a group, and they were tried as a group. Now 28 with the addition of Eloisa, they knelt naked in the courtroom as charges were read against them. The case presented a very difficult dilemma for the trial judge. Their Spokesman pointed out that the students had done nothing more than defend a classmate's honor. However, as pointed out by the prosecutor, in doing so they had broken several laws and disrupted the peace of the community. As unfair as it was, they had to be punished. In the end they were convicted of vandalism and insurrection, the charges of attempted murder, assault, and disrespect for authority being dropped. They received a standard sentence of three years, with a corporal punishment every four months. They had to kneel in line as they were fitted with collars.

Most of the students in the group were still underage, so the court ordered they would be punished the following day at their school instead of in the courtroom. The police allowed them to get cleaned up and have dinner at the police cafeteria, and then they were locked overnight in a large room with mattresses. Early the following morning they were handcuffed and loaded into police vans to be transported back to their school to be punished. Following the punishment they would be released back into the custody of their parents.

Eloisa recalled with horror that second day, when she and the others were ordered to kneel in the cold school courtyard in front of 400 classmates. One-by-one they had to stand up and present themselves at the switching table. Each of them received 25 strokes, standard for someone under-age. As each student turned 18, later switchings would become the standard adult punishment of 50 strokes.

At the end of the day the school director gave a short speech, with the 28 students kneeling behind him. He announced that several serious crimes had been committed and all of them resolved. No one in the school, neither teacher nor student, would be permitted, under any circumstances, to ever mention the tragic events that led to this group punishment. The following day all 28 students would return to their classes and the matter would be closed.

Eloisa's parents were devastated. Over a four-year period they had known absolutely nothing about what had happened to their daughter. Eloisa had suffered in silence, her parents blissfully unaware of what was happening to her. Suddenly their bright daughter had ended up with a three-year sentence in the midst of a massive scandal. However, her father tried to make the best out of the bad situation. That afternoon he sought out Dima. Choking back the tears he had cried over what had happened to Eloisa without his knowledge, he addressed Dima:

"I would be very honored if you come to our house and sit at my table on Saturday. And you, and any of your friends, are welcome, very welcome, to sit at my table whenever you want."

Eloisa was allowed to re-take her semester finals and did quite well. A riot, an execution, and 28 three-year sentences were all it took to get Eloisa re-instated in her school as a student in good standing. The students considered that a victory.

----------

The riot changed Eloisa's outlook on life. She had always sought to avoid any attention and live quietly. She never trusted anyone except her boyfriend. And yet, when the moment came for her to be unjustly expelled from school, 26 other students had joined Dima to stand up for her. She was indebted to all of them. She had to come out of her world and join the others who had sacrificed for her. She always went with the group to the Socrates Club. Within two months, by pure chance, Eloisa discovered she had a natural talent for singing. Shortly thereafter she discovered that she had a real talent for organizing other singers and choreographing groups of other voices. She began singing on a regular basis. Just six months after her initial sentence, Eloisa was the lead singer for Sergekt's group and the most popular singer at the Socrates Club.

Eloisa's only release in life was singing. Standing on stage allowed her to release the sadness in her soul, a sadness well-suited to a society that valued music with morose philosophical overtones. She was a true Danubian singer, the living incarnation of the expression "to sing like a criminal".

There was another tragedy in Eloisa's life, a holdover from the abuse that she had suffered from her teacher. Eloisa loved her boyfriend in a manner that very few women could love a man. She loved him with all her spirit, all her soul. And yet the one thing she most wanted to do, to have him touch her and hold her, she couldn't. Eloisa was so nauseated by what had happened to her that she was repulsed by any physical contact with other people. No matter how much Eloisa loved her boyfriend, and no matter how much he loved her, he couldn't touch her.

"We keep hoping that, maybe someday it'll be different, that someday Dima can touch me. But Kim, I can't see how it ever will be any different. I'm broken, and I can't be repaired."

----------

Two days later, 28 young criminals reported to the small police station close to their old school. Spokesman Havlakt accompanied them to assure that they would not be injured and that any sexual fondling from the punishing officers was kept to a minimum. Fortunately for Eloisa, he had obtained a psychiatric release mandating that she could not be touched at all except for the switch. He vaguely hoped the officer punishing Eloisa would violate that psychiatric release, because if he did, her switching could be stopped immediately.

In spite of the unfairness of what had happened, there was very little pity for the group from the school officials and police officers assigned to punish them. The ex-students were forced to kneel while their collars were chained together. The police then handcuffed them and shackled their feet. The officer in charge walked down the line, kicking the kneeling criminals and striking them on the shoulders with his switch.

"Alright you little dishonored bastards...get your filthy bodies moving!"

The line of naked criminals struggled to stand up and slowly shuffled towards their old school. It was bitterly cold and most of them were shivering. They walked about two blocks and filed into the school's main doorway. From there they would go to the gymnasium (a concession to their Spokesman who had not wanted them to be forced to stay outside in the cold school courtyard), and one by one, each would receive 50 strokes of the switch. The terrible detail was the fact that Eloisa and Dima would be forced to witness each other's switchings. For Eloisa and her boyfriend to see each other suffer was a punishment far worse than being punished themselves.

Vladim Dukov and Kimberly Lee, for once dressed in her criminal's cape, quietly stood on the sidewalk across from the police station, sadly watching the group shuffle towards the school. Kim spotted Sergekt, who was fifth in line. She did not try to draw his attention.

"Spokesman Dukov, this is so wrong. At least I did something to get convicted. I mean...Eloisa..."

"No, it is not fair, but it is the way our justice system works. Laws were broken. Violators are punished. It has been this way for 1,000 years. In a situation like this fairness is of only minor importance."



Maragana Girl Ch. 09



Chapter 9 -- Kim's second punishment

Dukov and Kim returned to the Central Police Station as soon as the classmates had entered their school. Kim removed her cape as soon as they entered the building, since she was strictly prohibited from wearing it inside. She folded it over her arm and followed her Spokesman back to his office. Upon getting back upstairs, Dukov and his client helped the secretaries set up four recovery tables. 

All of the Spokespersons previously had agreed among themselves to help Eloisa's classmates as much as possible. Spokesman Havlakt had persuaded the sentencing judge to grant several concessions to ease the suffering of the group. The most important was forcing the punishment to be moved indoors. There was the psychiatric release for Eloisa that spared her any physical humiliation by forbidding the punishing officers to touch her. Finally, the sentencing judge had agreed that as soon as each criminal's switching was over he or she would immediately be released back into the custody of the Spokesman, instead of having to wait for the entire group to be finished. 

The police had arranged to switch the ex-students in groups of four. Once each group was punished, there would be a brief break while the punished criminals left the school, and then the following group would be tied down and punished. The ex-students had agreed that the women would be punished first so they could be released and returned to Spokesman Havlakt's custody as soon as possible. 

Part of the males' motivation for allowing the women to go first was out of self-interest. The men knew they faced sexual humiliation at the hands of the female police officers assigned to punish them. They did not want their female friends to see that part of their punishment, so they preferred to have the women from the group leave the school and return to their Spokesman's office before their own switchings began. There were eight women and 20 men, so the first two groups to be punished would be the females.

Spokesman Havlakt hired a van to bring the punished criminals back to the Central Police Station, paying for the service out of his own pocket. The other Spokespersons helped by having their recovery tables set up in their offices. Dukov planned to take four of the criminals, including Eloisa. 

Kim was hoping to have Sergekt come to Dukov's office. She wanted to comfort him, but Dukov explained why that would not happen.

"Kimberly, it is not proper that you see Sergekt after he has been punished. Nor is it proper that he be present following your punishment. If you love another person, do you really want to see him broken, crying, and humiliated? Is that how you would want Sergekt to see you?"

"No, Spokesman Dukov, I guess not...I guess I really wouldn't want him to see me..."

"Then you will allow Sergekt to preserve his dignity in your presence, and he will do the same for you. You must not see him after he has been whipped. The person who needs you today is not Sergekt, but Eloisa."

About a half an hour after the recovery tables were set up, Spokesman Havlakt called Dukov to let him know that he was coming in with the first four women from the group, including Eloisa. The van pulled to the side door of the police building that was closest to the stairs leading up to the Spokespersons' office area. Dukov, Kim, one of Dukov's secretaries, and two other Spokesmen-for-the-Criminals were on hand to receive the four women and help them get upstairs.

Spokesman Havlakt opened up the side door of the van to reveal four naked women, all of them Kim's friends. He helped each one get out. Eloisa's face was distorted with pain and tears were running down her cheeks. She was not crying. The other three were sobbing and holding on to each other, but Eloisa was absolutely quiet.

The three sobbing women quickly went inside and made their way upstairs, guided by the other two Spokesmen. Kim took a quick look at their backsides. The bottom of each was badly marked up with dark reddish lines, punctuated with ugly-looking purple welts. All of the women had been struck across the upper thighs as well. One had four red lines across her upper back. However, as bad as the marks were, in no place had the skin been broken and within two weeks all traces of the punishment would vanish from the women's bodies. It would take much longer for the marks to vanish from their minds.

Eloisa stood alone in the cold, shivering with her arms wrapped around herself. She sadly stared at the ground, seemingly unaware of her surroundings. Forgetting about Eloisa's fear of physical contact, Kim walked up to her friend and tried to touch her shoulder. Eloisa squealed and backed away. She looked at Kim with a truly horrified expression.

"Eloisa...please. You have to come upstairs. I promise I won't try to touch you again. But you have to get out of the cold. You'll get sick if you stay out here."

Dukov stepped near Eloisa, gently adding, "Eloisa, please come with us. Kimberly is here to watch over you. You must come to my office and rest."

Shivering ever more violently, Eloisa nodded and slowly made her way to the door. By now her body was almost white from the cold, making her switch-marks looked like red slashes of paint laid across a marble statue.

Dukov and Kim breathed a sigh of relief when Eloisa made it through the door into the heated police station. She was shivering violently and still hugging herself, but with a slow, unsteady walk she managed to climb the steps. 

Kim studied Eloisa's face as she ascended the steps alongside her Danubian friend. Kim realized that Eloisa must not have cried at all during her switching. She had focused all of her internal torments into one purpose, to not let the police hear her cry. Kim could tell that she still was tensed up from that effort, and she needed to release her pain and emotion. Eloisa's face almost seemed locked in that horrified expression.

After a very slow, laborious climb up two flights of stairs, Dukov's secretary held open the main door to allow the Spokeman and the two criminals to enter. Eloisa stopped in the reception area, staring the four recovery tables. She put her hands on one of them to steady herself.

"It's my fault" she said quietly. "It's all my fault. I'm the reason the others have to do this."

Rather than argue with her, Kim decided to try to get Eloisa to release her pent-up anguish. She stood close to her friend, as close as she could without touching her.

"Eloisa, you are a very brave girl. You did good not to cry. But now you're safe, with people who love you. It's all over, and you have to let yourself cry now. Please, you have to cry. It's OK. There's just me. No one else will hear."

Eloisa looked up at Kim, then straight ahead. Suddenly she did start crying quietly. She sank to her knees, holding onto the table and burying her face in her knuckles. Kim so badly wanted to hold her, to try to re-assure her with a simple touch from a friend, but she couldn't. She worried that if Eloisa completely sank to the floor, there would be no way to get her up.

"Eloisa. Eloisa. Please, you have to get on the table. I have to make sure you're not hurt."

Eloisa struggled to get back on her feet and slowly positioned herself face-down on the table. Her body jerked with sobs. Kim studied the red and purplish stripes on Eloisa's bottom and legs. They were no worse than the markings on the other three classmates, but Kim felt that to punish Eloisa in such a manner was an abomination. She had suffered so much, and through no fault of her own, continued to suffer. 

As Eloisa lay crying, Kim studied her backside. The welts on her bottom now formed hard, ugly ridges where the switch marks had crossed each other. It was obvious it would be several days before she could sit normally, not until the blood drained out of the welts and the skin had softened again. In spite of Eloisa's fear of being touched, Kim planned to wait until she went to sleep and then would gently spread some lotion on the welts to soften them.

When Eloisa finally cried herself to sleep, Kim set to work with the lotion. She put small amounts on her fingertips and very gently applied the lotion to the welts. As she softly touched her friend's damaged bottom, Kim again felt that strange sensation of arousal and sexual excitement. She totally forgot about her earlier view that punishing Eloisa was an abomination. At that moment Eloisa looked so graceful and tragic, lying on the table with her pale body contrasting sharply with the dark red and purple marks from the switch. Kim now badly wished she could have witnessed Eloisa's switching, instead of just being tempted by studying its aftermath. As Eloisa's body relaxed and her bottom spread, Kim could see her open labia and bottom-hole, nestled in a small patch of unmarked skin among all those welts. Like the others, Eloisa had shaved prior to her punishment, so the most private parts of her body were completely on display. Kim suddenly felt the urge to lean down and gently kiss Eloisa...

Kim came to her senses with a start. What in the hell was she thinking? This was her friend, and here was Kim, getting aroused by the sight of her punished body. She felt horribly guilty. And yet, Kim continued to see a strange beauty in Eloisa at that moment. Somehow it seemed that suffering fit the melancholy singer, just as her collar and welts seemed to complement her beautiful figure and soft pale skin.

----------

Kim's first Christmas in Upper Danubia was the most emotional she ever experienced. She badly missed her family in the U.S. She envisioned her parents and her sister, her cousins and grandparents, all gathered to celebrate without her. Kim knew full-well there would be plenty of uncomfortable discussion about why she could not be in the United States this Christmas, and why she would miss the next Christmas as well. Kim knew that her actions had left a huge hole in her family's soul. Once again her heart filled with remorse as she remembered last year, how she had been so desperate to break away from her parents to go off with Tiffany and Susan and get drunk with a bunch of classmates. If only she had known, if she could have appreciated...but now of course it was too late.

Kim's Christmas in Danube City, however, promised to be full of fun and social events. She had to divide her time between the Dukovs, Sergekt, Eloisa, her co-workers, and her friends at the Socrates Club. 

It was only natural that Vladim and Maritza Dukov would want Kimberly to spend as much time as possible at their house during Christmas vacation. She made the rounds to visit various relatives and friends of both Maritza and Vladim as they took her to dine at other people's houses. The elder Dukovs also took her to several churches and pageants. Often the events required her to stand outside for long periods of time, so like it or not, she had to wear her criminal's cape. 

One night, as a member of Vladim Dukov's family, Kim even had dinner with Vladik's fiancée and her family. The visit to the house of Vladik's fiancée was the most awkward of that first Christmas season, because she was the only criminal in a house full of 25 people. During dinner the American was forced to sit naked at a table full of formally dressed members of Dukov's family and the family of his futures. To make things worse, Dukov was treating Kim in the same manner he treated his own daughter, and introducing her as though she was family instead of a foreign client serving a two-year sentence. Dukov's future in-laws stared at Kim with unabashed curiosity throughout the dinner. Things got even more uncomfortable when Kim's singing career was mentioned and she was asked to join eight other women in singing Christmas hymns. The group stood in the living room, Kim's bare figure contrasting sharply with the bright dresses of her companions. However, in the end Kim survived the evening and was left with the impression that everyone in the household liked her.

The elder Dukovs treated Kim very warmly on Christmas day. She cooked dinner with Maritza and Anyia. Later she ate with the entire family, including Victor Dukov, his wife, and their two sons. Kim had to spend this Christmas separated from her own family in the US, but she was fortunate enough to be part of another.

----------

Kim spent more time with Eloisa than she originally had planned, given that Eloisa's singing was very much in demand at the end of the year. Kim found herself on stage with Eloisa's other back-up singers almost every night between December 20 and January 1. On December 24 the five singers appeared at Danube City's main cathedral to sing several ancient Danubian Christmas hymns. The event was televised, with Eloisa's performance prominently featured as part of the Christmas programming. Many Danubian television viewers were intrigued by Kim's appearance among the back-up singers, amazed to see the American "Maragana Girl" singing Danubian folk music that was hundreds of years old.

During all their Christmas performances, including the televised one, Eloisa and her back-up singers remained completely naked except their collars. In spite of their contribution to the nation's Christmas celebration, the five young women were criminals, still subject to the laws that denied them the privilege of wearing normal clothing at any time during their sentences. When they finished, always to loud applause, the five lead singers, as well as the men who were playing the instruments, acknowledged both their gratitude and their place in society by kneeling on stage and touching their foreheads to the floor instead of bowing. Kim knelt and leaned forward to put her forehead to the stage floor along with the others. The practice had long since stopped bothering her. She was a Danubian criminal and it was what society expected of her. 

By the end of the year Kimberly Lee's identity had undergone a profound change. She no longer saw herself as a graduate from her high school, as a tourist from the United States, nor even really as an American. Kim instead had become a full member of Danubian criminal society. All of her closest friends were criminals, her co-workers were criminals, and even her de facto parents were ex-criminals. In some ways Kim's life was fairly easy. As a part of the criminal sub-culture she was forced to adhere to very strict rules and protocol. She had her place in society, a place as well defined as that of a professional such as Vladim Dukov, or even that of a policeman such as Vladik. 

Kim's friends were the most important part of her existence. The group was very close. Kim felt that any of them could be a soul-mate, not just Sergekt and Eloisa. She could talk to any of them about anything. Most importantly, her Danubian friends were people she could trust. They shared everything: their free time, their suffering, their hopes for the future, their dreams.

The place where Kim most fit in was the group's musical band. She sang in harmony with Eloisa's other three back-up singers, to the point that Eloisa decided to start training Kim to sing songs with Danubian lyrics. Eloisa listened attentively to Kim's singing, occasionally telling her how to re-sing a word of phrase to cover her English accent. By January, the American was a full member of Eloisa's group of back-up singers, able to perform as well as any of the others. Kim's soul came out in her singing every bit as much as Eloisa's soul came out while she was on stage.

One part of Kim's life as a criminal was not easy, however, and that was building up the courage she needed to face the next of her four corporal punishments. As Christmas passed and New Year's day rapidly approached, Kim's soul filled with apprehension. The punishment would take place on January 2. Vladim Dukov confirmed that the arresting officer would be available to switch his client. In fact, the female cop was planning to cut short a vacation in Vienna with her boyfriend precisely to be on-hand to punish the American. Dukov also learned that the cop's male partner also would be present for sure. He planned to cut short his vacation with his family at the other end of the country to return to Danube City on the 1st, to be on-hand for Kim's punishment the following day.

Dukov was concerned about the two officers' enthusiasm. "Those two seem quite determined to punish you. It is not common for a police officer to cut short a vacation solely to be present at a particular criminal's punishment. You know that police officers can stand in for each other, but in your case the two officers have been adamant that they will remain in charge of your punishment."

Kim spent New Year's Eve with Sergekt and his friends. By this time the group's members were fully recovered from their punishments and back to their normal selves. Kim spent the entire evening in extreme apprehension, nervously watching the clock. Within 36 hours she would have to face those two cops again. She wondered if the two officers had thought of some horrible new way to punish or humiliate her. She trembled at the knowledge that the two officer's hands would be able to touch her wherever they wanted. She knew they would, that their rough hands would fondle her most intimate regions, that her body would hide no secrets from her two tormenters.

Sergekt was as kind as he could be to Kim throughout the evening. He knew what she was going through, having gone through the exact same emotional turmoil just two weeks before. There was very little he could say to comfort his girlfriend, other than to tell her to remember that, however horrible the moment of her punishment might be, at some point it would be over. "I tell myself that every time I have to face the switch. It doesn't help when I'm actually being punished, but it helps a little bit before because it is the truth, nothing lasts forever."

Kim and Sergekt stayed as long as they could at the Socrates Club after New Years Eve. Before returning to Dukov's house they sadly and quietly made love in one of the "intimacy rooms". When Sergekt finally said goodbye to her in Dukov's livingroom the following morning, Kim held him tightly as tears rolled down her cheeks. She faced punishment in less than 24 hours. She would not see him again until after the switching.

Dukov now had to get his apprehensive client through the day. He and Maritza took Kim back downtown to watch some New Year's festivities. Dukov's idea of keeping her busy that final day worked. In fact, there were moments, however brief, that she was able to focus on something other than her upcoming punishment. The day went by fairly quickly and pleasantly. That night, Kim followed Sergekt's advice and shaved off her pubic hair. Shaving beforehand ensured that at least she would not suffer the indignity of being shaved in public or by one of those sadistic medical students in the medical classroom in the basement of the Central Police Station.

Kim woke up the next morning after spending most of the night wide-awake, tossing in her bed. Dukov entered her room with a very forlorn expression on his face. He no longer saw Kim as a client. To Dukov she was his daughter. He wanted to protect her and save her from hardship, but in this case Danubian law was firm. Kim had to be punished, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Kimberly, we must go." He held up Kim's criminal cape. "Do you want to wear this?"

Kim shook her head. "No, Spokesman Dukov. I'll just go in my boots."

With that Dukov and his client silently took the trolley downtown. Once they got to the police station Kim took off her boots. Once they entered his office Dukov instructed her to get a drink of water and use the bathroom one last time. When she came out, the Spokesman told her to kneel in the middle of the reception area and wait for the police escort to arrive. The police escort would handcuff her and take her downstairs for the switching.




Maragana Girl Ch. 09



As much as she had feared this moment for the last several weeks, when the time actually came for Kim to wait for her escort, she felt very little emotion. She felt a bit numb from fear and depression, but that was about it. She quietly stared at the carpeting as her Spokesman sorted through her file and pulled out several forms. 

When the police escort arrived, Spokesman Dukov saluted while Criminal # 98945 knelt forward and touched her head to the carpeting.

"Put your hands behind your back."

Kim complied, and quickly felt the metal cuffs wrap around her wrists. The numb feeling quickly vanished from Kim's soul, replaced with fear. The fear seemed to grip her chest and restrict her breathing. She felt the officer's hand roughly grip her arm.

"Get up," he snapped.

Kim struggled to her feet as the officer's fingers dug into her upper arm. She heard Dukov's voice, sounding as though it was coming from very far away. "Tatiana, please set up a table. I expect Kimberly and myself to be back in an hour."

Kim walked down two flights of stairs to the main police corridor. She relived the ugly memory of her first day at this station as she was marched down the busy hallway and passersby stared at her. However, instead of being taken across the plaza to the courthouse, she was led to a much smaller room towards the back of the main police building. Because Kim was not on trial, there was no reason to have her punished in the court. 

The audience for Kim's second punishment was much smaller than it had been back in July. An assistant police doctor, three medical students, three policemen, one court photographer, and five witnesses were sitting in the audience area. The judge presiding over the punishment was not the same judge who had presided over Kim's trial. A single video camera was pointed at the punishment table, with its operator adjusting its settings.

The two arresting police officers were present, but the female cop did not have the same enthusiastic look in her face she had back in July. Her expression was neutral, perhaps even a bit upbeat. She had remembered that officer was quite pretty, but taking another look at her Kim was amazed at how pretty the cop really was. She was not pretty in the way a model would be pretty, but rather she had a cute country-girl appearance. She wondered if perhaps the officer would not be so harsh this time.

The officer and Dukov saluted each other. The female cop had a question for him.

"Spokesman, are there any restrictions concerning the punishment of this criminal that I need to be advised about?"

"No Officer, no special restrictions."

"Very well."

With that Dukov reluctantly let his arm down, ending the salute and indicating that Criminal # 98945 had been released into the custody of the officer. The female cop and her male partner walked up to her and took off the handcuffs. She knelt forward and kissed each of their shoes, four shoes altogether.

"Young lady, stand up and face me."

Criminal # 98945 stood, looking the police officer directly in the eyes. There was no cold hard stare, just a very relaxed expression. At that moment something very strange and very unfortunate happened to Kim. Along with her fear she was feeling a hint of erotic excitement. 

The cop picked up on the criminal's mixed emotions and decided to go beyond simply punishing her. The officer began by gently running her fingertips down Kim's breasts, down her stomach, and over her shaved pubic area.

"Kimberly Lee, it was very considerate of you to have shaved for me. Too many criminals don't do that. Too many criminals don't respect authority. But you..."

Very gently the police officer brushed her fingertips up and down Kim's body until she began to relax. She then concentrated on her victim's inner thighs and lightly touched the sensitive area between her legs. Against her best judgment, Kim spread herself slightly to allow the cop to explore her further. She felt genuine erotic excitement as the cop's fingers gently brushed her clitoris.

"You know, Kimberly Lee, you are very beautiful."

Kim then felt another set of hands gently touching her back. The second set of hands glided to her bottom. It felt so good, so relaxing and yet so stimulating.

"You lovely American...Does it feel good? Do you like it?"

Kim gasped "It...feels so good...oh."

Dukov watched the scene with alarm. He knew what was about to happen, but he had no way of being able to warn his client. He was prohibited from interfering in the punishment other than to prevent serious injury. Had he tried to intervene now, he could risk losing custody over Kim and seeing her re-assigned to another Spokesperson. The officer looked over at Dukov and smiled. She said nothing with words, but her challenge to Dukov was clear enough in her expression...do it, Mr. Spokesman, say something. I dare you.

The two officers gently led Kim to the punishment table. While the male officer tightened the straps around Kim's wrists and ankles the female continued to gently play with Kim's body. It felt so good, totally the opposite of what Kim was expecting. Kim's defenses were completely down. She thrust herself backwards, desperate to feel the tender caressing fingertips in her most sensitive areas.

The female cop nodded to her partner. Very quietly he passed the punishment switch over to her, as she continued to gently caress Kim between the legs with her free hand. The male then took his partner's place caressing Kim as she positioned herself to begin the switching. Kim gasped with her eyes closed, totally unaware of what was about to happen. The female cop gave a sharp nod to his partner. He quickly jerked his hands away as the switch descended against the lower part of Kim's bottom and her exposed labia.

Kim screamed as the pain seared into her exposed flesh. The shock tore into not just her bottom, but also into the sensitive area between Kim's bottom-cheeks. Kim was caught completely off-guard. The officer did not wait, but instead quickly struck four more times, landing savage blows close to where she landed the first. Kim screamed each time the switch landed.

The officer quickly changed sides and laid five additional blows against Kim's bottom from the other side. Again and again Kim screamed, as the switch marked Kim's bottom with bright pink stripes.

The officers smiled to each other. Their plan had worked beautifully. Today it seemed "Maragana Girl" wasn't so tough after all. Her resistance had broken with the very first stroke. Now she was reduced to a sobbing spectacle, and the officers still had 40 strokes to go. They had all day to deliver them, if they so chose. They could take their time and enjoy Kim's suffering.

The female cop waited for Kim's crying to die down a bit. She delivered two vicious blows across Kim's left bottom cheek that set her screaming again. She waited for the sobbing to die down. She then passed the switch to her male partner, who laid two vicious strokes across Kim's right bottom cheek. Two more strokes, two more screams, much more sobbing. The cops stood back to gloat over the spectacle of the crying American.

The cops spent the next hour punishing Kim at a very leisurely pace. They never struck until Kim's crying had died down. They continued to take turns. The female officer always struck first, with two sharp strokes to Kim's left bottom-cheek, then her partner took the switch, to concentrate two blows on the right side. The pain was savage in its intensity. Kim sobbed over and over as the punishment went on and on.

It was nearly an hour later when Dukov finally was able to raise his hand to re-direct the switch against Kim's back. The officers had punished Kim with precision, delivering a total of 46 vicious blows against Kim's bottom and thighs without breaking her skin. Dukov was hugely relieved when the switch started descending on Kim's back, because it meant the punishment was close to ending.

More than an hour after the switching had started, the female cop finally laid the 50th stroke against Kim's upper back. The American continued to jerk with sobs as the two cops undid her straps and released her from the table. However, Kim remained stretched on the table, in too much pain and too traumatized to move.

The female cop moved her head close to Kim's tear-stained face and addressed her in Danubian. "You thought you were pretty tough, didn't you? You thought you were better than me, and that you could resist me. Well, Maragana Girl, here's my answer. You don't try that with me. You are nothing but a pathetic little cry-baby druggie, and that's all you'll ever be." Then, returning to her broken English, the cop ended with "I much hurt you, Maragana Girl. You much cry."

With that the cop and her partner reached for Kim's arms to pull her off the table, but Kim still had a trace of resistance left in her. She struggled to stand up before the cops could grab her arms. She backed away from the table and quickly fell to the ground. Kim ended up on the floor, but at least it was not because the cops had dropped her there. She continued to sob at the feet of the two punishing police officers for several more minutes as they stood over her with triumphant expressions. Finally the pair of police officers grabbed Kim's arms and led her to before the judge. Kim's body still was shaking from her sobs as she stood with her back to the judge. The judge quickly signed the punishment certificate. There was no doubt this criminal had been properly punished.

There was one final part of Kim's ordeal, thanking the two officers. Kim tearfully looked over at Dukov, who reminded her to thank the cops by putting his hands together and lip-synching the word "spakeebo".

Kim managed to get into a kneeling position. She kissed the shoes of both her tormenters. Between sobs she tried to thank them. However, the female cop showed her no mercy, not even with the phrase of thanks Kim needed to utter to officially end her punishment.

"Sp... Spakeebo...d...dak..ub moi...moigu

"What was that? What did you say? You spoiled little American, you will have to speak better than that. Remember, I'm just an uneducated cop. I can't understand your foreign mumbling."

Kim sobbed, and quickly got out "spakeebo dakub moigu".

"I still can't understand you, and I didn't like your tone of voice."

Kim had to try six times before the cop finally accepted Kim's "thank you". It was Maragana Girl's final humiliation, one the cop enjoyed almost as much as beating her. But finally she did touch Kim's shoulder with her switch.

"Very well, then. I'll see you in six months. It'll give you something to look forward to."

Dukov and the two police officers saluted each other, and with that Kim was released back into Dukov's custody. Kim was still crying and somewhat disoriented. Dukov was extremely worried. Kim had to walk out of the room on her own, but once they got through the door, the Spokesman would help Kim get up the stairs. Dukov quietly addressed his client in English.

"Kimberly, walk to the door. Walk with me to the door, without touching me. Once we pass through and I close it, I will assist you."

Kim staggered to the door. Dukov was enormously relieved when Kim made it through and he kicked it shut. Kim immediately fell into her Spokesman's arms, sobbing. Dukov put his arm around Kim's waist, careful to avoid touching any of the welts. He led her upstairs as she continued to cry into his shoulder. They entered Dukov's office. Dukov wanted to get Kim up on a recovery table to make sure her skin was not broken anywhere, but she tightly held onto him as she continued to sob. Dukov quietly told his secretary to look over Kim as she remained standing. Kim continued to cry, with no sign of letting up.

This punishment had taken a much bigger psychological toll on Kim than her first punishment. Dukov had to hand it to those two cops. They had thought long and hard about how they would administer his client's second punishment. That female cop had her completely figured out. As another woman, she was able to read her vulnerabilities and use those vulnerabilities to completely trick her. 

Dukov was angry at his own inability to offer any meaningful help to Kim. He felt an overwhelming desire to protect her, but when the moment came for her to be punished there was nothing he could do. He officially had to release legal custody of his client over to the arresting officer during the punishment, so at the moment she was being switched Dukov had as little control over her fate as would a bystander off the street.

For the first time in his life, Dukov began to question Upper Danubia's justice system. He had grown up in the country, been convicted himself, served his sentence, and came out quite well in life in spite of everything. His son was an excellent and upright police officer, a fine example to Upper Danubia's police force.

However, to see poor Kim like this, emotionally devastated because she had been so cruelly tricked, made the Spokesman think that perhaps some legal modification of the way the police could administer punishments was necessary. Dukov did not question the system of corporal punishments, but he did feel that the time had come to outlaw the practice of sexually fondling criminals. Dukov pondered how he could begin that process, the long, difficult task of changing people's minds and eventually pressuring the National Parliament to pass legislation.

Dukov's more immediate problem was Kim. He needed to comfort her and slowly pull her out of her emotional abyss. Tomorrow would be another day, one in which she would return to work and see her boyfriend. However, today was the day she had to get through first, a day in which a world of pain, trauma, and humiliation would be the only things on her mind. For a very long time Criminal # 98945 remained hugging her Spokesman, crying and crying. 

----------

Kim spent the rest of the day in Dukov's office, slowly recovering from her ordeal. For a very long time she just wanted him to hold her and comfort her. She felt as though her Spokesman was the only source of kindness and stability in her life, momentarily forgetting about Sergekt and her other friends. 

Finally, exhaustion overtook Kim. She lay down on the recovery table and fell asleep, at last giving Dukov the opportunity to examine her and make sure she was not injured. The young woman's bottom was badly marked up, but nowhere was the skin broken. Dukov breathed a sigh of relief. Within a week or two the welts would be gone and she could move ahead with her life.

That night Kim returned home with Dukov on the trolley. She had somewhat recovered from her switching, enough that she was able to ride home unassisted. The weather was bitterly cold, but she insisted on wearing only her orange boots. Like most other criminals, Kim took pride in not wearing her winter cape, even if it meant momentarily exposing her body to the cold at the trolley stop and her welts to public view in the trolley itself. Dukov chose to stand next to his client on the way back. Both of them tried to ignore the constant stares directed at her welts from the other passengers in the crowded trolley. She seemed lost in thought, so Dukov stayed silent as well, respecting his client's quiet mood. 

Kim's body was horribly marked up. To Dukov it seemed the welts were even more severe than they had been the first time she was switched. Dukov marveled at how completely in control that cop had been, pushing the punishment to its legal limits without passing them. Under the circumstances Dukov had been powerless to really offer much help, except at the very end when he was able to re-direct a few strokes away from Kim's battered bottom.

As he looked at his petite Asian client, Dukov pondered his own role in her life. Since the very beginning he had felt an overwhelming desire to protect Criminal # 98945. That night he felt he had failed her.



Maragana Girl Ch. 10



Chapter 10 -- A letter from Criminal # 98945 

Kim returned to her normal life the next day. She went to work at the normal time in her normal manner, taking the crowded trolley downtown to the music store wearing nothing but her collar and orange boots. Her co-workers, of course, were curious to see the results of Kim's latest punishment. As was customary, Kim turned around and placed her hands on the cashiers' countertop to show off her welts and bruises to her co-workers. Some of them commented that the welts seemed particularly severe. Kim recounted her punishment, going into some detail about how the female cop had so cruelly tricked her. Some of her co-workers sympathized, having experienced the same abuse themselves.

There still was a half an hour before the store had to open, so there was time for Kim to talk in depth about her experience. She discovered that being able to casually discuss what had happened to her with others who had endured similar experiences helped her considerably in coming to terms with the trauma of the previous day. Her co-workers were sympathetic in exactly the right manner to help her recover. They weren't patronizing, nor did they express the phony sympathy of someone who had not endured the same experience. At the same time, they helped put Kim's punishment into perspective. It simply was something she had to face as part of her sentence; she endured it, recovered, and now had to move on with her life. Eloisa noted:

"Remember what Sergekt told you. Nothing lasts forever, not even suffering. It's over. Anyhow, tonight I need you for rehearsal, because we've got to get ready for our concert on the 6th."

"But...but I wanted to see Sergekt tonight."

"Yes, and you will. You'll see him at rehearsal. I already told him to bring his instrument. We don't have any choice. Either we practice, or we look like a bunch of fools on national television."

Suddenly another thought hit Kim.

"Eloisa, there's something else. I can't go on national television in three days. I'll still be all marked up."

"Will that affect your voice?"

"No, but..."

"Then what's the problem?"

"The problem is I'd like to think I still have some pride in myself. I don't want to show up on television with a bunch of welts on my butt."

Eloisa sighed. "Kim, the reality is that you are a convicted criminal. In this country criminals are beaten. When we are beaten we still have to show ourselves in public. It's part of our punishment. It's the way things are and everyone understands that. You just accept it and you move on with your life. Now, as for you and your 'pride', if you really want to take pride in yourself, then you need to show that cop who switched you that she didn't break you. The only way you can do that is to sing with us on the 6th."

Kim remained silent. Eloisa continued.

"Look, the rest of us did the exact same thing the days leading up to Christmas. We were all marked up, but we still sang and we did it where everyone could see us. And why? Two reasons. First, the music we create is more important than is any one of us individually. It is our gift to the nation. Without us there is no music. So, no matter what each of us must suffer, we cannot let that interfere with our purpose in life. I sing, no matter what, and that's what I expect from all of you; to sing, no matter what. The second reason is to show everyone that, maybe we're nothing but a bunch of naked criminals, but they can't defeat us. They beat us, they humiliate us, and we suffer, but we move ahead in our lives, and we can take pride in that. Now...think about that cop who switched you. If she sees you singing your heart out on TV just four days after she punished you; it will show her she didn't win after all. You're still here, in spite of what she did to you. If you try to hide, then she really will have defeated you."

For a long time Kim was quiet, while her friend waited for an answer. Eloisa then added, "Didn't that cop tell you that you were nothing but a pathetic cry-baby druggie and that's all you'll ever be? Don't you want to get up on stage and prove her wrong?" 

Finally Kim agreed. "OK, I'll stay for rehearsal tonight. Any new music?"

"Yes, we have two new winter solstice hymns we practiced last night that you need to learn. I'll go over them with you during lunch break. I think if you and I practice a bit this afternoon you should be ready for the rehearsal tonight. There's something else I want to try with you, an experiment. I'll explain at lunch."

With that Kim took up her position at the store's information counter as another co-worker unlatched the front door. Customers were crowded outside, because in Upper Danubia January 6th was an important gift-giving holiday, almost as important as December 25th. Kim was still quite stiff from her ordeal 24 hours before, but life moves on and does not wait for any single person. She spent the morning answering questions about the store's music and trying to ignore the customers' stares at her marked backside. She wondered what Eloisa had in mind for her.

In the lunchroom the American was shocked when Eloisa told her that she wanted Kim to help her sing lead in one the hymns. The hymn required two lead singers, one who would sing immediately ahead of the other. Eloisa would sing and Kim would echo her, while the other three women would provide the back-up voices. 

Kim wondered why none of the others objected to Eloisa's arrangement, given that the others were Danubian and thus one of them rightfully should have been the lead singer's companion at the main microphone. However, in reality she knew the answer; it was because Eloisa's instinct for music was so powerful that everyone else had long since stopped questioning her judgment when it came to choosing the group's songs and deciding how they were to be presented. The group's lead singer liked to take risks, but in every case the success of her decisions proved her right. Now she was gambling that the American had a better voice for the hymn than any of the others. It was not because of any favoritism for Kim that Eloisa wanted her to help sing lead, it was because Eloisa genuinely thought Kim's voice was the best for that role.

Eloisa led Kim through the hymn with ease during the short time they had for lunch. Kim was amazed herself at how effortlessly she was able to follow Eloisa's voice through the immensely sad notes of the ancient hymn. The song was a true Danubian lament of suffering, written hundreds of years before, probably in the dead of winter during a famine. It was a dark, morose piece of music, infinitely sad and moving, perfectly suited for Kim's mood at the time.

Kim spent the next three nights rehearsing with her friends, which turned out to be the best way for her to get over her punishment. Under Eloisa's leadership, her mind fell in line with the rest of the group in pursuit of a single purpose in life, the January 6th presentation. 

As much as she needed to spend time with him, during the first week of January Kim's time alone with Sergekt was limited to quick trips home on the trolley, very late at night after practice. Like everyone else, his mind was on the presentation. His voice was not good for singing, but his ability to play was a true asset to the group. Thus Kim and Sergekt gave up their personal lives for something far greater, the presentation to be led by Eloisa.

Very late at night, in the bitter cold, Sergekt always took Kim back to Dukov's house. They hugged each other closely in the trolley connecting their bodies as much as possible for warmth. She felt guilty about him having to go home alone in the cold after leaving her, but he was stubborn. However, in the brief moments they were together, Kim and Sergekt realized how much their souls truly were connected.

----------

On January 5, the day before the concert, Criminal # 98945 changed her outward appearance to better match the changes taking place inside her soul. She remembered she had not cut her hair since her arrest and she decided to try to get it styled. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she realized that her hair was long enough to braid in the traditional Danubian style. That night Kim approached Dukov's daughter about helping her with her hair. Anyia, who fortunately happened to be in one of her rare good moods, spent the next hour braiding Kim's hair and explaining how to do it. When the American went to work the following day, her co-workers greeted her new hairstyle with complements and enthusiasm. Eloisa was especially happy to see Kim's hair done up in traditional braids, since it made her fit into her group of singers even more.

----------

The January 6th concert was a turning point in the lives of Kim, Eloisa, and the other members of the music group. Eloisa and fourteen of her friends were performing on stage at the National Theater, 5 female vocalists and 10 males playing various instruments. As required by their sentences, they performed completely naked except for their collars, in front of 3,500 people and the cameras of the National Danubian Television Network. The fading switch-marks on the American's bottom and back showed up vividly, a message to the world that Criminal #98945 was condemned to suffer but had learned to overcome it. Kim took Eloisa's message to heart and concentrated on one thing that night, singing as best she could. She owed that not just to Eloisa and her friends, but also to the audience who had taken the time out of their lives to listen to the music.

Eloisa and her four friends sang for nearly two hours, all of it televised. The performance was flawless, a very public demonstration of Eloisa's incredible talent for singing and conducting the other voices in her group. Upper Danubia was amazed to see the American "Maragana Girl" in traditional Danubian braids and taking the lead microphone alongside her Danubian friend. The public was even more amazed to hear the American perform an ancient song in flawless Danubian. Kim even surprised herself, realizing that she could sing Danubian much better than she could speak it.

As the criminals knelt on stage to thunderous applause at the end of the performance, they were able to appreciate just how popular they had become. They had come from nothing, a group of convicted high school rioters and an American marijuana smoker. However, under the leadership of their talented lead singer, the 15 individuals on stage stood on the threshold of something truly great. The coming year would be filled with recording sessions and public performances, hard work and endless time at rehearsals. Their music eventually would be heard beyond the borders of Upper Danubia. The music had been the purpose of Eloisa's life, but now it would become the purpose of all 15 members of the group. They would face the future together, putting whatever personal plans aside for their greater purpose. At that time Kim was only vaguely aware of that fact, but her own plans for the future would be completely set-aside for Eloisa and her music.

----------

The hairstyle change symbolized a significant turning point of how everyone around Kim saw her and how she saw herself. Increasingly Kim's American identity was fading away, replaced by a new perception of herself as Danubian. To a bystander on the street Criminal # 98945 might still have had a somewhat foreign appearance, but to the people she knew, Kim was one of them. She was a full and trusted member of Vladim Dukov's family, a full and trusted member of Eloisa's musical group, and just another employee at the music store. Her romantic heart belonged to Sergekt, to the point that she no longer could imagine her life without him. She no longer judged people's behavior through the eyes of a person from the US. Her definition of proper behavior and values now were forged by the society in which she lived, not the one from which she came. 

Kim's changing identity did not mean she loved or idealized Upper Danubia. Her integration into her surroundings was complete enough for her to have balanced view of Danubian society. The society that had so forcefully adopted her was unjust and close-minded, superstitious and obsessed with its own past. Upper Danubia would never be a powerful or influential nation, largely because its people lacked much imagination for anything other than music. Still, Kim realized that the society had many positive points. The Duchy's lack of imagination and ambition meant that its people lived quietly and courteously, not competing against each other. The noise and aggressiveness of other major cities was totally absent on the silent streets of Danube City. Upper Danubia was a very peaceful country, not eager to impose itself on the rest of the world, but also determined that the rest of the world should not impose itself on Upper Danubia.

The duet Kim sung with Eloisa on January 6 was the first out of several songs the two women sang jointly. The group's lead singer had taken a real liking to Kim's voice and her ability to sing and the fact that her partner's voice was slightly different from any of the other voices in her group. As a result, Kim found herself not only echoing Eloisa, but later actually singing side-by-side with her. The American "Maragana Girl" became a feature of the stage at the Socrates Club, as many song-writers were curious to test their music with the Eloisa-Kim duo. 

Kim's life continued uneventfully throughout the rest of January and February. The marks from her switching were gone within two weeks. She continued to eat with Dukov and his family, or at with Sergekt's friends, or with Sergekt's mother. She continued to dance with him at the Socrates Club and spend time with him in the club's intimacy rooms. She spent endless hours with Eloisa, not just at rehearsals, but also talking alone with her and relaxing with her in general. There were recording sessions and performances, praises and parties. 

The beginning of the year sped by. Kim's prior existence became only a distant memory, which only intruded upon her when she talked to her parents in the US. Her life had become quite pleasant, in spite of the limitations placed on her by her sentence. She had everything any reasonable person could want, a great romantic relationship, a wonderful host family, close friends, a reasonably fun job, and the challenge of her music. All of that far outweighed the restrictions of her sentence. In fact, it was precisely because of her restrictions that Kim was able to fully appreciate the positive aspects of her life.

----------

As much as she was forgetting about her American life, Kim's situation was a constant torment for her family back in the US. The thought of their poor daughter stuck in that awful back-water country, naked and with a collar around her neck, filled the Lees with horror. They easily could have traveled to Upper Danubia to visit Kim, but they could not bear the thought of seeing her in her current status as a convicted criminal. The very thought of seeing their daughter naked in public made them physically sick.

However, Kim's father spent a considerable amount of time and money researching ways he could extricate his daughter from Upper Danubia. He thought of everything, ranging from litigation to a human-rights campaign. He even briefly considered hiring mercenaries to grab Kim and get her out of Upper Danubia by force. Finally he settled on a lawyer who claimed he could obtain her release through the European Union. Upper Danubia was not yet part of the EU, but its government wanted to join and could ill-afford to do anything major that would upset Brussels. The lawyer proposed including Kim's release as a condition for some upcoming trade negotiations between Upper Danubia and the EU. It would be expensive, but the lawyer seemed reasonably sure that he could get her released before her next switching in July.

The elder Lees decided to send Kim's older sister Cindy to Upper Danubia to explain the situation and let her know that her family in the US was trying everything they could to get her out of Upper Danubia. Cindy flew to Europe on March 2, first to Frankfurt, and then on to Danube City in a connecting flight. Vladim Dukov rode a trolley out to the airport to pick up Cindy. He went alone because the airport was 15 kilometers outside Danube City, well outside the Danube City collar-zone and inaccessible to any convicted criminal.

As they rode back to the Danube City's Central Police Station, Cindy Lee quickly laid out her father's strategy for getting her sister out of Upper Danubia. Dukov took Cindy to his office to discuss the matter in greater detail. Dukov was somewhat dubious about the whole idea. To him it seemed to include a criminal's release as part of a trade deal was a bit far-fetched and to be honest, an insult to Upper Danubia's justice system.

"Well, the other option we got is to litigate this through the courts, either here or over at the EU."

Dukov admitted that was possible and told Cindy he was willing to help argue the case in Kim's favor, should it get to that level. However, privately, he did not believe releasing Kim from her sentence at that point in her life was a good idea. She was doing extremely well with her job, with her friends, and with her participation in Eloisa's musical group. She had a fulfilling life in Upper Danubia, and probably did not have much of a life waiting for her back in the US. If she were released, would she go back to using drugs? Would she track down Tiffany and do something stupid to get even with her? How long would it be before she could get into college? And what about Sergekt and Eloisa? It wasn't just Kim's life at stake anymore, but theirs as well.

Dukov ultimately knew that his client would have to make her own decision about appealing her conviction. He suspected she would go along with the appeal, even though he felt that would be a mistake. It was only logical that a convicted criminal would want out of having to serve her complete sentence and most certainly Kim would want her freedom back. What concerned Dukov was what she would do with her freedom, especially if she were expelled from Upper Danubia and not allowed to return.

Dukov and Cindy met Kim at the music store when she got off work. To avoid totally shocking her sister, Kim had taken her criminal's cape to her job and wore it as she left the building. As soon as they entered another building she would have to take her cape off again, but she would deal with that problem and her sister's reaction when the moment came. The two sisters tearfully hugged each other. They had talked enough on the phone to be caught up on each other's lives, so the conversation focused on Kim's job. "It's actually a lot of fun," she concluded, "and I'd like you to come over tomorrow and meet everyone."

"Yeah...sure. I guess it'd be good for me to see what you're doing."

Cindy still was not checked into a hotel, so Dukov made a few phone calls and booked her a room. The hotel was within walking distance of the Central Courthouse and the Central Police Station, the two places Cindy would have to visit frequently if she decided to pursue her project of obtaining an early release for Kim. They had to go back to the main police station to pick up Cindy's suitcase. Upon entering the building Kim would have to take off her cape and boots, and thus confront her sister with the most disturbing reality of her sentence.

Kim knew that Cindy would be deeply troubled and probably offended the moment she stripped off her cape. Kim and her sister had not seen each other naked since they had been very small children. Cindy knew what was coming, which, in fact, was why she had come instead of her father. Still, when the moment came to actually be confronted with the sight of Kim's naked body, Cindy would have to overcome a terrible shock to the values she had grown up with. As they climbed up the steps outside the Central Police Station Kim warned Cindy:




Maragana Girl Ch. 10



"You know that once we get inside I'm gonna have to take off my cape. I don't have any choice, it's part of my sentence."

Cindy breathed deeply. "There's no way you could keep it on? I mean..."

"Sorry..."

With that Kim quickly pulled her cape over her head and kicked off her boots. Cindy looked away. However, Dukov and his client had to walk up the stairs ahead of her sister to lead her to the Spokeman's office. Cindy could not avoid studying her sister's bare backside as she followed her upstairs.

As they entered Dukov's office everyone hung up their coats. Kim picked up a tray of tea and sweet rolls the secretaries had left before going home for the night. She returned with it to Dukov's desk and poured tea for herself and the other two. However, Dukov decided to leave the two sisters alone for a while. He quickly emptied his cup and stood up.

"Kimberly and Cynthia, I believe it is appropriate that I should excuse myself from your conversation for a while. I must go to the courthouse anyway. I will return within an hour. Cynthia, once I return we will accommodate you at your hotel. Kimberly, you may stay with Cynthia or return home with me, as you see fit."

Cindy was enormously relieved to see Dukov depart, but his absence made Kim feel somewhat uneasy. For the first time Cindy had a chance to get a good look at her sister's face and see what eight months in Upper Danubia had done to her. There was, of course, the sight of Kim's collar. Kim's hair was a bit of a shock as well. Kim looked so...different...with her hair done up in braids. There was the expression in Kim's face. That was different as well. Cindy had expected to see Kim with a broken, miserable demeanor, but instead saw a look of relaxed confidence that somewhat unsettled her. Cindy realized that no matter what might have happened to her, Kim was not miserable.

Cindy laid out the same strategy to Kim she had laid out to Dukov, pursuing her release through the EU trade treaty and simultaneously litigating her case through the courts in both Upper Danubia and the EU. At first Kim was excited about the prospect of her release, especially if it could be taken care of before the July 2nd switching. To head home a year early, that would be great!

However, Kim's mind started to fill with doubts when she started talking about her current life in Upper Danubia. When she thought about her Danubian friends, the Dukovs, and even her job, she realized how much she would miss them. Kim also fully understood the devastating impact her departure would have on Eloisa's musical group. They were just starting to achieve real notoriety, and her departure would be huge blow to the entire project. And there was Sergekt...Sergekt, how could she explain this to him?

Dukov returned. He quickly looked at his client's face, hoping to gauge what was going on in her mind. He was somewhat relieved to see Kim's expression, not full of happiness, but instead full of worry and apprehension. It turned out she was smart enough to realize the difficulty of the choice she was facing.

Kim decided to spend the night with Cindy, but not to talk to her anymore about her case. There were many other issues she had to resolve with her sister, painful confessions and the hope that the relationship between Kim and the rest of her family somehow could be re-built. Cindy slowly reconciled herself to Kim's constant nudity as they talked at length about their pasts and Kim's relationships with the other members of her family. Cindy came to realize just how messed up Kim's life had been before her trip to Danube City.

At that point Kim still took it for granted she would be going home shortly. She wanted to repair as much of the damage in her life as possible. She knew going back would be extremely difficult. As she conversed with Cindy, she began to realize how difficult returning to her life in the US truly would be. 

One problem Kim faced was the complete lack of a social life waiting for her at home. Her high school friends had scattered. Cindy told her sister that one of her ex-boyfriends was in jail for ecstasy-dealing, another friend had died in a car-wreak, and yet another had overdosed and never completely recovered. Some of Kim's friends were out of state at various universities, others were sitting at home, not doing anything other than getting drunk or getting high. As for Tiffany, no one had any idea where she was. She spent a long time at her mother's house recovering from her bout with hepatitis, but then she vanished.

"Well, what about college? Do you suppose I'd get into college?"

Cindy sighed "Kim, that's something else I got to tell you. Your grade-point average in school was 1.9. You won't be getting into any college with that. All the places you applied to turned you down. Maybe you could take some classes at a community college...then you could build up an academic record...I don't know. Maybe you could try the military, see if that would help you. Dad seems to think that's what you should do."

The conversation turned to their parents. Details came out that further filled Kim's mind with doubts. There was a final blow coming. 

"You know that you really hurt Dad with all your crap. I mean, it seems like you've changed, but I can't see that he'll ever really forgive you. I mean...we all love you and want the best for you, and of course we want you back home, but sometimes...you just push things too far and they can't be fixed. Once you get back Dad wants you to get your own place. I suppose you could stay with me a while, till you find something."

With that the two sisters got in bed and turned off the lights. Cindy immediately went to sleep, but Kim spent the night in restless thought. The familiar sound of her sister's breathing brought back many memories in Kim's mind. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she relived much of her past, the pleasant memories of her early childhood, the not-so-pleasant memories of her more recent years. Cindy's bleak words continued to echo in her mind.

"Sometimes you just push things too far and they can't be fixed."

----------

The next day Kim called her boss at the music store to tell him she would be late for work that day. She urgently had to see Spokesman Dukov: immediately, first thing in the morning. He went to his office an hour early to accommodate her.

Kim laid out her situation. Dukov listened attentively to what he already knew, Kim had very little to go back to in the US. She would be giving up a lot if she left Upper Danubia. With a series of questions about her life the Spokesman made Kim clearly understand her situation. She had no job, no prospects of study, no friends, no family with whom she could live, no boyfriend waiting for her in the US. Nothing awaited her except a bleak emptiness.

"Kimberly, this is your life and only you can make this choice. I will support either decision you make. If you decide you want to go home, I will do what I must, even go to Brussels if need be, to ensure your release. If you decide to stay here, your life in my house will continue as before. I cannot decide what is best for you, but I care for you and want to see you happy, no matter what your decision."

"I don't know...I mean...I wanted to go back so much...but what am I gonna do when I get home?"

"I have the same concern, Kimberly. Indeed, what will you do with your life in the United States?"

Kim sat silent for a long time. Finally she came out with a question that somewhat surprised her Spokesman.

"Spokesman Dukov, what would happen if I complete my sentence and then, say, married Sergekt? Is that possible? Like, could I stay here?"

"It is possible, yes. Upon finishing your sentence your passport will be returned to you with a 'transition visa'. That visa will remain valid as long as you retain your current employment. Should you quit your employment, your status will revert back to tourist and your visa will expire in 30 days. If you marry with a transition visa, you would have to apply to become a Danubian resident. You would be eligible for full citizenship after another year."

"Then...I hate to say this...but the truth is...I don't have anything to go back to. I mean my life's gone. It's like...I'm stuck here."

"You are faced with a choice, Kimberly. Neither choice is pleasant, but then very few choices in life are pleasant. But your decision is a real one. You can return, or you can stay. My suggestion? I firmly believe you should complete your sentence. You are changing; your character has transformed. Do you not want to see where that transformation might lead you? Do you not want to see where your time with Eloisa and Sergekt might lead you? Or do you want go home, face life alone, and change back to who and what you were before you came to our country? That is your choice." 

Kim shook her head. "I can't believe this. I can't believe I'm making this decision. I mean..."

"So you wish to stay?"

"I can't go back, Spokesman Dukov...I just can't. It's not that I 'wish to stay', but...to go back... I can't do that ...there's nothing there...I don't want to go back. But, what am I gonna tell Cindy?"

"Kimberly, your sister will remain in our country four more nights. Take her with you and allow her to see your life here. Let her understand what you will give up if you go home. In doing so, by showing her your life, I believe that your decision to stay will be better resolved in your own mind as well. Remember what I said, you Americans are too impatient. Not everything needs to be resolved instantly."

Kim went to work, while Dukov went to the hotel to pick up Cindy. He had to attend a trial in the morning, so he asked his daughter to take a day off from school to show Kim's sister around Danube City. Cindy was impressed by the peacefulness and tranquility of a city that was not jammed with cars like every other place she had ever seen. Danube City, like any other European City, did not look its best during the late winter, but it still looked pretty good with its historical architecture and well-kept appearance.

Once Dukov's latest client had been switched and was lying on a recovery table in his office, the Spokesman decided to take a couple of hours off work to take Cindy to Kim's music store. Cindy was reluctant to go in when she saw the entire staff was working nude, but Dukov explained to her the reason and the store's significance in the Danube City music scene. Cindy agreed to go in and confronted the sight of naked cashiers and information clerks, all of them wearing metal collars. What struck her was the fact the staff's demeanor was that of any other store. They worked the registers, tidied up the shelves, and interacted with customers in a perfectly normal manner. Cindy watched Kim from a distance as she bantered with some German customers in English.

Kim turned the information counter over to a co-worker and greeted her sister and her Spokesman. She toured Cindy around the store and introduced her to Eloisa. Kim then took Cindy upstairs and showed her the recording and rehearsal studios. She then excused herself, needing to get back to work, but she mentioned that Cindy would be invited to have dinner with the Dukovs that night. Dukov took his guest back to the Central Police Station and temporarily excused himself as well, since he needed to finish up with his newest client and contact his parents to pick him up from the Spokesman's office. Dukov encouraged Cindy to walk around a bit and perhaps visit the National Parliament, which had a famous museum of medieval artifacts.

Cindy found herself alone during the late afternoon, walking the streets of Danube City in the cold drizzle of late winter. Her emotions were in turmoil. She was angry that she had come all this way to get her sister out of Upper Danubia, and here Kim was, working at that damn store as though it were just an average day. It was a bit of a shock for Cindy to be confronted with the fact that Kim actually was happy in Upper Danubia. Somehow she had pictured her sister sitting next to a sign at the edge of her collar-zone, crying and wistfully dreaming about her lost freedom. Instead she seemed content with her life. It was obvious she was very close to that blond girl in the store and that she liked her job. And Kim was singing? What was up with that?

Cindy suddenly had her own doubts about her father's idea of bringing Kim home, especially if he wasn't going to let her live with him. Her life had been very messed up in the US. She now seemed to be doing OK, here in this weird little country. Maybe pulling her out wasn't such a good idea, not if she didn't have anything to go back to in the US. Still, no matter what, Cindy's task was to get things moving for overturning or shortening Kim's sentence. She resented Kim's nonchalant attitude about the entire project, not yet realizing the truth that her sister really did not want to leave.

Dinner with the Dukovs did not help Cindy's mood any. The traditional formal clothes worn by the Dukovs somehow bothered her. This was just too strange, having dinner at some medieval costume party, with her sister sitting naked among this family and talking to them in Danubian. And yet, Kim seemed to like these people. She had a nice room, in some ways better than the one she had at her parents' house in the US, and certainly better than anything she would be getting upon returning.

The next night Kim performed on stage with Eloisa. The performance was much simpler than the ones the group normally did. It was just Eloisa, Kim, and three guys on stringed instruments, including Sergekt; while the backup singers and most of the other musicians had the evening off. Once again Cindy was confronted by the reality that Kim actually had a life in this country. Cindy realized that her sister had a beautiful voice for singing, something that no one in Kim's life, not even Kim herself, knew before her trip to Europe. It was very strange to see Kim up there on stage with that blond singer, their hair done up in exactly the same manner. What was truly bizarre was that, in spite of her Asian features, she really did not look out of place among the Danubians.

After the performance, Kim introduced Cindy to Sergekt. All three of them knew that the only purpose for the introduction was to allow Cindy to see what Sergekt looked like, since neither spoke the other's language. This meeting was yet another shock to Cindy, being confronted with the sight of her sister's nude boyfriend. She felt very uneasy about the situation, but at the same time she realized this naked European was far better than anyone Kim ever had gone out with in the US.

The following night, the fourth out of six nights Cindy planned to stay in Danube City, the two sisters sat down in a booth in the back of the hotel restaurant for dinner. Cindy had spent the day very agitated that there seemed to be no progress on any of her efforts to challenge Kim's sentence. She began berating Kim about not pushing Dukov to get the ball rolling on the appeal. She only had two more full days here and could not go back without having something to show for her trip. 

Kim realized that telling Cindy truth could not be put off any longer. It was time to break the news about her decision to not appeal the conviction. Kim stared at her plate and twirled a spoon on the table as she nerved herself to speak.

"The truth is, I don't think I ought to go home. I don't think this appeal is such a good idea."

Cindy's lips tightened. Deep down she knew Kim was right, but was not ready to admit that to herself yet.

"Kim that's bullshit. What they've done is they brainwashed you. Of course you..."

"No. That's not it and you know it. It's what you said the first night you were here, in your room upstairs. That's what got me thinking."

"What was that?"

"That 'sometimes...you just push things too far and they can't be fixed'. I realized that's true. Everything you told me...Mom and Dad, my friends, my grades, the job situation, it all...just made me realize...I really don't have anything to go back to. There's nothing there. So why bother with all this appeal stuff, getting the Danubian government pissed off at the US, messing up the trade deal, spending all that money...just to have me go back and sit in your apartment with nothing to do? What's the point?"

"The point is that we still love you and we want you home. We want you out of that stupid collar and with your clothes back on. We can't stand seeing you like this."

"I don't like it either, but it'll end. And maybe, by July of next year, I will have gotten something out of all this...I mean I have gotten a lot already. If you think about it, my life's really not that bad. I'm better off than a lot of my friends from school, from what you've told me about them."

"Well, yeah, but they're just a bunch of druggies."

"...and that's what I was becoming, a druggie. It wasn't just pot, Cindy. I was doing other stuff as well, and it was getting worse. When I came here I stopped, stopped completely, but it's because I was forced to. To be honest, you put me back in the US, with nothing to do...and no friends...what do you think is gonna happen? I'm gonna start using again. I won't want to, and I'll hate myself for it, but it's what'll happen. It's just the way it is."

"So that's why you don't think you ought to go back? You're afraid you'll start using again?"

"Yeah. I really don't think I ought to go back. I don't want to go back to being who I was last year. It just isn't what I want."

For a long time Cindy sat silent. Finally she asked.

"So that's it? You really don't want to push the appeal?"

"No. I can't see how it's gonna help me. From everything you told me about back home, I think I'm better off staying here, in spite of all the criminal crap I have to put up with. I never thought I'd say that, but I think it's the truth."

Cindy stopped arguing. It was blatantly obvious that Kim was right. There really was nothing waiting for her in the US, apart from boredom, depression, and a return to using drugs. Cindy was convinced. The only thing left was to convince their parents. That would be Cindy's job, not Kim's.

The day before Cindy left Upper Danubia, Criminal # 98945, in her own handwriting, composed a letter to the Danubian government. The letter had to be stamped at the Central Courthouse and then notarized at the US Consulate. At Kim's request, Cindy would take an original copy with her to the United States and turn it over to her father's attorney. The letter read:

I, the United States citizen Kimberly Annette Lee, under my own judgment, wish to formally express that I have no desire nor plans to file any legal challenge to my conviction for marijuana possession and the public use of marijuana in the territory of the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia. My decision not to appeal my conviction is final and I wish to have it respected in the courts of law of the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia, the United States of America, and the European Community. I am determined to complete my sentence to the satisfaction of the judge who sentenced me, the laws of the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia, and my Spokesman for the Criminal, Vladim Dukov.

Signed:

Kimberly Annette Lee

Criminal # 98945

----------

Cynthia Lee's final night in Upper Danubia passed quietly, since there no longer was any urgency about her purpose for being in the country. Cindy and Kim felt enormously depressed, at yet at the same time somewhat liberated, given that Kim's situation was settled. Perhaps what she was doing was not the most courageous decision that she could make, but it was the only logical decision, given her circumstances. There now was time for the two sisters to simply relax and try to repair the relationship between each other. Cindy promised to visit Kim later in the year.




Maragana Girl Ch. 10



The following day Kim accompanied Dukov and Cindy on the trolley as it headed to the airport. They got off at the last stop within the Danube City collar zone. Kim bid her sister a final tearful goodbye. Dukov and Cindy then caught the next trolley, leaving Kim standing alone and shivering at the trolley stop. In spite of the cold she stood in the chilly drizzle for quite some time. 

She had made the right decision, the only logical decision she could have made. For better or worse, life had stranded Kimberly Annette Lee in Upper Danubia. She couldn't leave without facing a completely empty and meaningless existence back home, one that would completely consume her soul and destroy her. Maybe, thinking of her lost friends, especially of Susan and Tiffany, and of her jailed ex-boyfriend...maybe Kim was the most fortunate of them all. At least she currently had a life that meant something.  

Criminal # 98945 caught the trolley going back into Danube City. She headed to the Socrates Club where Eloisa, Sergekt, and the other members of her musical group were waiting for her. 



Maragana Girl Ch. 11



Chapter 11 -- A partial reprieve for Eloisa

Kim spent the middle of March confronting the emotional turmoil that resulted from Cindy's trip. Without realizing what was happening until it was too late, she had long since passed a point of no return. She couldn't go back to her old life. 

Kim expected the first crisis from her decision to hit about 48 hours after she said goodbye to Cindy. Sure enough, two nights after her sister left Kim's parents called her, in hysterics over the result of Cindy's trip. Cindy's decision to support Kim's desire to stay in Upper Danubia only made their parents more irate. Both girls had completely lost their senses. Why wouldn't she want to come home, even with the tough transition that awaited her?

Kim's father was adamant. "Well, we're filing, no matter what you want. You're coming home and I'm going to knock some sense into you."

Kim asked her Spokesman to call her parents. He seemed to have a better ability to reason with them than she did. Dukov decided to talk to Mrs. Lee, since she seemed to have a greater understanding of how messed up Kim was. Dukov spent nearly two hours carefully explaining why Kim thought staying in Upper Danubia was her only realistic option. He played on her drug use, knowing that her mother had been appalled when she found out what her daughter had been doing in Europe with Tiffany and Susan. At last Kim's mother agreed that if she wished to stay in Upper Danubia, perhaps it was best to not pursue the effort to overturn her sentence. If nothing else, it would keep her clean and off drugs for two years. With that both Kim's mother and Kim's sister worked to change her father's mind. In the end he decided to wait and not file anything for the time being.

Kim's decision ended up saving her parents a lot of money and heartbreak. Later that year her father's lawyer was arrested for fraud. It turned out he specialized in promising the parents of young American adults jailed overseas that he could get their convictions overturned. He collected vast amounts of money, but did not successfully pursue a single case. He finally was caught in Peru, relaxing at a beach resort when he was supposed to be in Lima working on securing the release of two Americans arrested for terrorism charges. The Peruvian government extradited him to the United States for trial. One result of the lawyer's arrest was that Kim's father never questioned her judgment again.

----------

There was no question Criminal # 98945 had made the right decision in requesting that her sentence not be challenged. Still, it was a horrible feeling to think that she had burned a bridge in her life. There truly was no going back. The finality of what had happened frightened her. 

Images drifted through Kim's mind, the most vivid of which was that of an enormous set of steel doors, far larger than anything that could have existed in real life, slamming shut behind her. That huge set of steel doors, now bolted and rusted solid, stood between Kim and everything she had ever known in the US. The only reality she could ever know from this point on would be her life in Upper Danubia. 

Kim knew she was being overly dramatic. Of course, at the end of her sentence, she would be free to do what she wanted, whether that be to stay in Europe or return to the United States. Still, the feeling that the person she had been just a year before was completely dead continued to fill her thoughts. As March progressed and the trees started to bud out, she wrote at length about her feelings. She wrote actual poetry, not just essays, about the deep philosophical issues that surrounded her situation and what she thought about her life. 

Kim shared her thoughts during the reading sessions at the Socrates Club. As she stood in front of her fellow criminals, reciting her emotional journey in her accented Danubian, she wondered what her friends from high school would have thought if they could have seen her. Here she was, in an old building standing on an old stage, naked and with a collar on her neck, talking about her philosophical view of the issues affecting her life. A year ago she had been sitting in the smoking area behind her school, drinking with Tiffany and Susan out of soda bottles spiked with ever-clear. Most definitely the Kimberly Lee of today was not the Kimberly Lee who appeared in her senior high school annual picture from the year before.

Dima ended up writing several songs for the group based on some of Kim's thoughts. One of those songs, titled "The Wall that Divides My Soul", later became extremely popular throughout Europe, and ultimately a signature song for the entire group.

----------

Kim's life faced even more changes as April started and the Danubian springtime began in earnest. On April 1 Danube City's 2,200 criminals lined up in front of the Central Police Station to return their winter capes and boots. At the moment she turned over her clothing, Kim pulled off her criminal's number 98945 from the Velcro patch on the back of her cape and held it up to the clerk, who verified that Criminal # 98945 had returned the property lent to her by the government. 

After the capes were turned in, the criminals bantered with each other and posed for group pictures in the main plaza. They joked and smiled as they held up their numbers for the cameras. For some reason the returning of the winter capes was a customary time criminals posed for group pictures, perhaps because it was a time of the year they all were gathered in one place. Kim posed over and over with Sergekt and his friends, all 28 of them, plus several girlfriends and boyfriends who had ended up as part of the group in the same way Kim had joined, by dating one of the members.

Kim had to resolve the dilemma about her work situation. She loved her job at the music store, but she also had promised Victor Dukov to return to his courier service as soon as the weather warmed up. Kim wanted to return to making deliveries for Victor, not just because of her promise, but also because she wanted to put her mountain bike to good use. It was Sergekt who came up with the best solution.

"Why not just keep both jobs? You can work each part time, for example, ride for Victor Dukov Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and work the rest of the week at the store. That would get you out on your bike exercising and at the same time make everyone happy."

Kim approached both her bosses with the idea, making each of them understand she had a commitment to the other. In the end Kim went with Sergekt's suggestion. She delivered messages for Victor Dukov on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. She worked at the music store on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, the days Eloisa usually liked to have rehearsals or performances after work. Kim's work-week thus was split between working outdoors and indoors. Because each day she did something different, Kim never was bored with either job.

Kim moved about quickly throughout Danube City on her mountain bike as she delivered Victor Dukov's messages. She went everywhere within the collar zone, now that her ability to speak Danubian allowed her to make deliveries and ask questions as easily as any other member of Victor Dukov's staff. She became a familiar sight in Danube City, the naked Maragana Girl on her fancy bicycle, yes, the same one who was singing with Eloisa and her group of ex-students.

Kim now spoke to Victor Dukov in Danubian instead of English. Over the winter she had become fluent in speaking Danubian and now spoke the country's language better than Victor spoke English. That was not entirely a good thing for Kim. She no longer could hide behind claiming that she did not understand something when her boss got unpleasant with her. Victor was his usual self, in spite of the fact Kim was doing him a favor by coming back to work for him. However, Kim understood Victor actually liked her a lot and that his unpleasantness was simply a part of his personality he couldn't change.

Kim enjoyed riding, a task made much easier now that she had a proper bicycle. She loved the feel of the cool spring breeze and the warm sun on her body. She loved the sight of the pleasant streets and parks of Danube City as she whizzed down the tree-lined avenues. She loved her mobility, and the fact that every so often she could drop in at Sergekt's café and say hello to him at work. On the days she delivered messages, Kim rode herself to exhaustion, knowing that the following day she would be at the music store and could rest her body. By the end of the spring, Kim was in great shape, with her muscles toned and her body evenly tanned from the hours spent outdoors on her bike.

----------

April ended with the group becoming depressed again. Four months had passed since their last switching. They were due to be switched again on April 25, more than two years since their original crime. Once again they faced the prospect of being marched in chains to their old school and humiliated in front of the current students. 

On April 24, the day before the switching, Eloisa showed up to work with her pubic hair shaved off, as did the other three members of the group of ex-students who were working at the music store. Of course the main purpose of shaving was to prevent the humiliation of being shaved by the police, but there was more to shaving than just that.

Over her time in Upper Danubia Kim had learned that it was customary for a criminal who faced being switched to shave the day before the punishment, instead of the day of the punishment itself. It was an unwritten part of the entire punishment ritual that a criminal announce to the world that he or she faced punishment by appearing in public shaved the day before. There was no formal requirement that criminals make such an announcement, nor even that they shave at all. However, the criminals of Danube City had their own subculture with its own traditions and protocol, which included proper behavior for those facing the switch. Part of that proper behavior was to be shaved 24 hours before the punishment itself.

Kim planned to spend the evening with Sergekt. They would go to the Socrates Club and rent an "intimacy room", since tonight probably would be the last night for several days that Sergekt would want to have sex with her. She already had told Dukov she would not be home until very late.

In the early afternoon Kim was surprised to see Vladik Dukov enter the music store. He was in his police uniform, which meant that his behavior around her had to be different than it normally would be at home. In spite of living under the same roof, when Officer Vladik Dukov was in uniform, Criminal # 98945 had to treat him like she would treat any other public official. As Vladik approached the information counter, Kim dropped to her hands and knees. She touched her head to the floor, feeling very strange having to do this to a person with whom she lived. However, to have not greeted Vladik in the formal manner would have caused a scandal in the store and have been a direct challenge to his authority.

As Kim prostrated herself at his feet, Vladik asked to speak to the store manager. Eloisa knelt, received the order, and got up to find the manager. Once he showed up, Vladik explained he needed to speak with Criminal # 98945 and that she needed to be excused from work for an hour or two. Kim left the store in the custody of the young police officer.

Kim nervously accompanied Vladik, not having a clue about what the police officer wanted from her nor why the conversation could not wait until the evening when they both would be back home. 

A police officer and a criminal could not talk normally on the street, so Vladik took Kim to his father's office at the Central Police Station. Only when they entered the reception area could Vladik converse in a more normal manner towards his father's client.

"Kimberly, I apologize for having to pull you out of the store like that, but I need to talk to you and then you have get back to work as soon as you can."

"OK, so what's up?"

"Well, you know that your music friends are all getting punished tomorrow, at their old school?"

"Yes, Vladik, I'm well aware of that."

"Well, it turns out that I have to stand in for one of the arresting officers. He got into a motorcycle accident a couple of days ago and won't be out of the hospital for several weeks. So, I end up with the 'honor' of punishing some of your friends."

"You?...you mean...you're going to punish Sergekt?"

"No, not him. I can't punish him because he's eaten at my father's table. That's strictly forbidden, you know, to avoid conflicts of interest and trouble within our household. Someone else will get him. But I'm in charge of punishing a couple of the women. Right now your singing partner Eloisa is on my list. I have to switch her, and that's what I need to talk to you about."

"What's there to talk about Vladik? She doesn't deserve any of this. It's not her fault she got molested and I don't see why..." Vladik held up his hand.

"Kimberly stop...just stop. I'm not here to argue the merits of her case. My partner and I were ordered to participate in this punishment and that's the end of it. Whether or not she deserves what's happening to her is a decision that's beyond my authority. She and the others will be punished tomorrow, and I will be responsible for some of the punishments. Nothing can change that. What concerns me is that your friends are punished fairly and appropriately. I intend to respect their dignity as best I can and will ensure the blows they receive fall within the guidelines set by the Corporal Punishment Code."

Kim looked at Vladik with a bitter expression, not understanding what he was driving at. "So why are you telling me this? Do you think it'll clear your conscience?"

Vladik sighed. "I don't think you fully understand the situation. What my partner and I plan to do is stay just within the guidelines of the required punishment." 

Vladik paused and then continued. "I will make a confession to you. The fact is, I do think what happened to your friends is unfair. A lot of us think the same about that case, in the police department, that is. But we can't say anything about it. To question a sentence is not our place, nor our authority. Now about my situation. I try to respect the people I punish. I punish with force, but I do not fondle the criminals like a lot of the officers do. I find that practice disgusting and there are some of us in the police department who are trying to put a stop to it. Another thing. The judge who will sign the punishment certificates for my group is an old professor of mine from the police academy. We know each other and he is of the same mindset I am, and that Father is; that we need to have some reforms in the system. Things are going to change, Kimberly, but that's not going to help your friends right now. What will help your friends, or at least the ones turned over to me, is that I plan to switch them to the absolute minimum of the legal standard. They'll get their 50 strokes, but my partner and I want to go easy on them."

"Well...I mean...I appreciate that Vladik, but what can I do to help?"

"Well, here's my idea. My partner and I will punish eight of your group. There are eight women, including your singing partner, right?"

"Yes. Eight."

"Alright, here's where you can help me help them. Your group usually has the women all go first. If they do it that way tomorrow, my partner and I will only punish two of the women and six guys. What I want is to have all the women sent to my room, basically to keep them away from a couple of the other officers who, I know for a fact, will mistreat them. They'll mistreat the guys as well, but it won't be as bad as the women. Now, here's what I want. I want you to very quietly approach the leaders of your group, and tell them to re-organize so that all the women come to me and my partner. The judge will go along with it, but it has to be done quietly or we will all get in trouble."

"But why just the women? Why can't you try to help the guys also?"

"Because my partner and I are only in charge of eight of the punishments. I can help eight out of your group. The reason why it's the women I'm worried about, is because...well, if you knew the other officers you'd understand. I don't believe that criminals should be our playthings, and they very much disagree with me."

"So, with those other officers, it'd be like what happened to me in January?"

"Worse. I know those other officers, and, let's just say there's two of them who I don't think have the right to be wearing badges."

"Alright, I'll talk to them, see if they'll go along with it. I don't know if they will because..."

"No! You will not talk to the whole group about this! Nor will you tell any of the women what I'm trying to do! I want you to go directly to your singing partner's boyfriend and have him make the arrangements with the group's Spokesman. You can tell Sergekt as well, he seems trustworthy. But that's it. I don't want this to get out. I'm taking a real risk here, not just for myself, but also the presiding judge."

"But why are you going through me? Couldn't you just tell Spokesman Havlakt?"

"That's illegal. I am not allowed to make any such arrangements with a Spokesman. That's for a very good reason, because it helps prevent corruption. Nor am I allowed to talk directly to any of the criminals involved in tomorrow's punishment. I'm going through you because you're a member of my household and I can legally talk to you, even though you're a criminal."

"OK, I'll talk to Dima about this, and I'm sure he'll do what he can to help out. I won't tell anyone else except Sergekt."

Vladik let out a nervous sigh. "Thanks. I have to take care of some paperwork and I'll be downstairs while you're gone. Once you get back, have Father's secretaries call me and I'll escort you back to work."

With that Kim rode her bicycle to Sergekt's cafe near the Temple of the Ancients. Kim was relieved to see Sergekt and Dima working there alone. Several of the guys from the group had jobs at the café, but the others were not working the mid-day shift. Sergekt was surprised to see Kim show up on her bicycle, knowing that she was supposed to be at the music store.

Kim quickly and quietly talked to Dima about Vladik's plans. She then explained that Officer Vladik Dukov was the son of Spokesman Vladim Dukov and she lived with him. Dima's face lit up with relief.

"So there really are human beings among all those cops! I was starting to wonder!"

Dima promised to re-organize the group to accommodate Vladik. He would talk to the group's Spokesman, who would make the arrangement. He would not say anything to any of the group's other members, including Sergekt. The group's de facto leader fully understood the need to keep everything as secret as possible. The women would go in wondering about the change, and come out wondering why their switching was not quite as severe as it had been during previous punishments. The guys would know nothing, at least not until the day was over.

With that both Kim and Dima returned to the Central Police Station. They parted as Dima disappeared into the doorway of Spokesman Havlakt's office. With that Kim slipped into Dukov's office and called Vladik to escort her back to work.

A half hour later Kim was back at the music store, kneeling in front of Officer Vladik Dukov as he dismissed her. Kim's feelings about Vladik had been neutral until just a couple of hours ago. He was Vladim Dukov's son, but he was also a cop. Because of his profession, Kim always felt very uncomfortable around him. And yet, working within the restrictions of his position, he was willing to take risks to try to ease the burden of a group of criminals he felt had been treated unfairly. That small act of rebellion on his part totally changed how Kim felt about him.




Maragana Girl Ch. 11



----------

That night Kim spent several somber hours alone with Sergekt in an "intimacy room" at the Socrates Club. She asked him to lie on his stomach as she sadly caressed his bottom. Sergekt had an attractive bottom, smooth and fairly hairless for a guy. She pressed her palms to Sergekt's skin, fill with regret knowing by this time the next day this same bottom would be covered with cruel welts and blood blisters. She gently kissed and massaged Sergekt's bottom-cheeks, the final night before they would be so cruelly marked up.

Kim was fascinated with the clean-shaven area around Sergekt's penis. It felt smooth and looked so vulnerable stripped of the surrounding hair. Kim felt an overwhelming desire to kiss and run her fingertips over the clean skin. She licked the base of his penis until he was hard, then gently ran her tongue around the tip, tasting his pre-cum. She straddled him and impaled herself on him, enjoying the unique feel of Sergekt's hairless lower body against her crotch. She grabbed his arms and pinned them to his sides, relishing the feel of his momentary helplessness. She climaxed with loud moans, in one the best orgasms she ever had enjoyed. It felt so incredibly good.

Once they were finished making love Sergekt wanted to set the room in order and join the others downstairs, but Kim stopped him. She needed to talk. She told Sergekt about Vladik's tentative plans to try to give the group's eight women a partial reprieve from their punishments. She then briefly went over her conversation with Dima and his trip to the Central Police Station. Sergekt was a bit surprised.

"No wonder he came back in such a good mood! He was totally happy, but he wouldn't tell me why. He said that I was just imagining things."

"Well, you know, it's just going to be the women that are getting any leniency. You guys are going to get it just as bad as last time, or worse. From what Vladik told me, there's a couple of real bad apples among those cops that you'll be facing tomorrow. That's the reason he wanted to separate out the women."

"Well, he did something for us, or at least for the ones who needed it the most. We" (Sergekt used the Danubian masculine term to refer to just the men) "can handle most of what the punishing officers do to us, but we always worry about the girls. Every time we go through this it's the same thing. We're always stressed about what they're going to do to the girls. At least this time we don't have to worry about that. It will put everyone's mind at ease."

"Sergekt, no one's mind is going to be put at ease. You will keep your mouth shut about this. Don't tell anyone. Vladik and his partner are putting their careers at risk by trying to keep the women away from those other cops."

"Of course. I'd forgotten about that. I won't say anything."

Kim and Sergekt remained in bed for a while, quietly staring at the ceiling. Kim's thoughts returned to Vladik and his stern but fair outlook as a cop. She wondered what motivated him to go to the police academy in the first place. He was smart and educated, a cut above the majority of his co-workers in the police force. She wanted to get Sergekt's opinion of her Spokesman's son.

"What do you think of Vladik? I mean, you've eaten dinner with us, and talked to him a bit, so what do you think of him?"

"I don't really know. I come over and what I see is a cop. It's weird for me to sit with him. It's weird because, at your Spokesman's table I can talk to him just like I could with anyone else, but the moment I step outside, I have to kiss his shoes. That makes me feel very uneasy, and I can't really separate him from his uniform."

Sergekt continued. "You know, we've been criminals for two years. We still have another year to go. The whole thing has changed me: the restrictions, the beatings, the collar, being referred to as Criminal # 92876 instead of my name...it's made me different. I'm not like I was two years ago. I'm a criminal, and I can't believe I'll ever see myself any differently. And until just now that's how I saw Vladik; as a cop, as a blue uniform with a switch. I couldn't really see him as a human being, and I still can't picture that he sees me as anything other then a criminal. So...this plan of his is a bit of a shock to me, finding out that he actually cares about the girls. I never could have imagined that any cop would care anything about any of us."

Kim and Sergekt got up, figuring it was time to clean the room and go downstairs. They showered and replaced the bed sheets. As Sergekt tossed the used sheets into the overflowing hamper at the end the upstairs hallway Kim remembered something else that Vladik had mentioned that gave her hope.

"Vladik told me something that was interesting. He said there's a whole bunch of people in the justice system: cops, Spokespersons, even at least one judge, who want to make some changes and stop the sexual crap when we get punished. He thinks the laws about that will change at some point. Of course it'll be too late to do us any good, but still..."

----------

The following day Kim was scheduled to ride as a courier for Victor Dukov. He simply contracted her out to Spokesman Havlakt for the day. She had to ride back and forth with numerous legal documents to Sergekt's school, two different police stations, and the Central Courthouse. She was busy riding the entire day, so she only caught very brief glimpses of her friends as they were moved into and later out of the school.

As the criminals knelt in front of the small police station near the school, Kim noticed the eight women were chained together. The guys were separated into three groups: two groups of eight and one of four. Vladik, his partner, and another cop stood over the women, waiting to march them to the school.

Kim did not see the punishment itself, but heard the rest of the story that afternoon from Eloisa. Spokesman Havlakt ordered the women to kneel as a group instead of the usual arrangement of two women with six guys. The women were surprised to be chained together, and unsettled that their punishments would not be taken care of at the beginning, as had been the arrangement for previous switchings.

The women had never seen Vladik and his partner, so they did not know what to expect. Vladik seemed to have a rather stern appearance that frightened them. However, he did not yell at them nor beat their shoulders, as was happening to the guys. 

The criminals marched down the street in chains for the sixth time in their lives. It was a humiliating experience, and it was meant to be humiliating. Once inside the school there was more humiliation coming. In Upper Danubia it was customary that, if at all possible, a student punished at a school should be switched in front of an audience of the opposite sex. The police took the male criminals into the school auditorium, which was full of female students. Vladik and his partner took the women to the school gymnasium, where all the male students were sitting. 

Because Spokesman Havlakt was in the auditorium with the male criminals, a second Spokesman was present to turn over custody of the criminals to the police officers assigned to punish them. That Spokesman was Vladim Dukov. Eloisa recognized him, and suddenly realized that the cop standing near the punishment table looked a lot like the Spokesman, only much younger. 

The boys were sitting eagerly. They looked forward to watching the switching of the eight young women. However, they also were anxiously waiting to see the women humiliated, as they had been during the punishment prior to Christmas. The fondling was the part they really enjoyed, but today they would be disappointed.

The third cop escorting the group ordered the women to stand in a line as he took off the criminals' handcuffs and leg chains. He then unhooked the chains that linked their collars together and ordered them to kneel. They knelt forward, touching their heads to the floor. Because they were facing away from their audience, the women's vaginas and bottom-holes were in full view to hundreds of eager eyes as they knelt. As much as they tried to ignore their exposure, the feel of the air from the gymnasium's ventilator blowing against their most private areas made the women all too aware of how much on display they truly were. They could hear the boys quietly making comments to each other and comparing their bodies.

Vladik's partner picked up her switch and stepped in front of the kneeling criminals.

"Criminal # 92870, rise and present yourself at the table."

Eloisa stood up, walked to the punishment table, and resumed her kneeling position at Vladik's feet. As was customary, the Spokesman and the cop saluted each other to signal the change of custody. As was customary, Eloisa kissed Vladik's shoes. He tapped her shoulder with his switch and Eloisa sadly stretched herself out on the punishment table. Vladik's partner secured her wrists and ankles with leather straps.

Vladik touched Eloisa's bottom with the switch. He gave her a stroke that was painful, but not vicious. He re-positioned the switch, and struck again. Vladik continued to strike methodically, laying on one stroke after another. The punishment hurt, but was much less severe than what Eloisa had experienced previously. She closed her eyes, trying to cope with the pain. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she was able to resist the urge to cry.

Vladik continued switching Eloisa, sharply but not full-force. He tapped her bottom before each stroke, then twisted back and struck her. He punished only her bottom. The welts were not serious enough risk breaking Eloisa's skin, not even when the punishment was close to the end. As a result of the lighter strokes on her bottom there was no need to punish Eloisa's back or thighs.

The lead singer's switching was over in less than 20 minutes. The last time she had been switched, the cop took nearly an hour. She was in considerable pain, but was not feeling the agony she felt back in December. Vladik's partner unbuckled the straps and Eloisa stood up. Vladik then presented her to the judge, who signed her punishment certificate. Criminal # 92870 was hugely relieved. It was over. She knelt, kissed Vladik's shoes, thanked him for punishing her, and with a tap of his switch on her shoulder, was released. Vladik saluted his father and that was the end of Eloisa's switching.

Eloisa felt enormously grateful to Officer Vladik Dukov. He had punished her to the absolute minimum of the legal standard. She realized that some sort of secret arrangement must have been made on her behalf, which also would explain why all the women were together today and separated from their classmates.

Eloisa knelt quietly while the second criminal, one of her back-up singers, was called to the table and switched. The second woman's switching also was to the minimum legal standard and was finished within 20 minutes. No mistake about it, some sort of arrangement had been made. There was no humiliation, no teasing, no fondling. The young harsh-looking officer was showing leniency to the group. Eloisa looked at Vladik Dukov, then at Spokesman Dukov, then back to the officer. She realized the cop must be the Spokesman's son, the same cop with whom Kimberly Lee was living. That explained a lot, but not everything, in Eloisa's mind.

Once the fourth criminal in the gymnasium had been punished and released, the first four women from Vladik's group walked passed their audience of somewhat disappointed boys and left the school in Spokesman Havlakt's hired van. They briefly returned to his office, but none of them needed to get on a recovery table. Already the pain from their switchings was subsiding. They quickly drank some tea and then left to check on the guys. They knew the guys had not been so lucky.



Maragana Girl Ch. 12



Chapter 12 -- The Punishment in the School Auditorium

Officer Vladik Dukov had been concerned about the other police officers for good reason. Several of them had a reputation for being a bit perverted and two of them already had been reprimanded for abusing criminals. Vladik was appalled when he found out they would be part of the punishment team, which was what prompted him to take charge of the women.

Along with the deviant cops, several of the medical students from the Central Police Station were present in the school auditorium. As the male criminals looked over at the group of medical students standing with the cops, they knew they were in for a rough time. There was no legal need for the medical students to be present; they were there to have fun. Magda, the female student who had tormented the two burglars in Kim's presence, was included the group. She stood next to a cop she was dating, holding a box of medical gloves in her hand. 

The 20 male criminals were forced to stand at the edge of the stage, facing away from their audience. Their punishment began when they were forced to kneel. When they put their heads to the floor, they were fully exposed to hundreds of jeering teenaged girls whose ages ranged from 15 to 18. A couple of female cops walked behind them, kicking apart the knees of the guys who were not spread widely enough. The harsh stage-lights shined brightly on the testicles and bottom-holes of the 20 young men. 

The sight of 20 very exposed bottoms lined up on the stage was something the cops and medical students found extremely amusing. The cops, both male and female, kicked and slapped the kneeling criminals, to the point Spokesman Havlakt objected several times to their treatment. However the presiding judge in the auditorium was not the one same one who was in the gym. The criminals in the auditorium and their Spokesman received very little support or sympathy from the judge.

The female students were encouraged to taunt and whistle at the criminals. Many of the older girls remembered Eloisa's case and were sympathetic to the 20 guys on stage. They sat in the back of the auditorium and stayed quiet. However, the younger ones were elated at the spectacle unfolding in front of them. The teachers in the room were divided. Some of them secretly sympathized with the criminals, others felt they deserved everything coming to them because they had attacked one of their co-workers. It was an ugly case that continued to hurt the people involved and one that sharply split the school.

Four medical students put on medical gloves and shoved their fingers up the exposed bottoms of four of the ex-students. They massaged their prostate glands and forced furious erections from their victims. The cops then grabbed their arms and forced them stand up and face the audience. Four erect penises faced the mob of jeering teenagers. The cops, male and female, ran their hands up and down the criminal's bodies and teased them, to the delight of the girls in the front rows. The criminals' humiliation was complete, or so they thought.

Spokesman Havlakt was beside himself with disgust. There was no way he could get this to stop. The presiding judge would not support him, leaving him only the option of filing an official complaint once he got back to his office. However the complaint would do nothing to stop what was going on at the moment.

At last the first four criminals were ordered to kneel at the switching tables. As they knelt and kissed the shoes of the cops tormenting them, it was almost a relief to no longer have to stand in front of all those girls with their penises bobbing up and down. The cops secured them to the four switching tables. Magda, the medical student, placed her hand on the bottom of the criminal stretched out on the first of the four tables on stage. She addressed the audience.

"How many of you think criminal # 1 will cry first?"

A portion of the girls cheered.

"Very well...how many of you think criminal # 2 will cry first?"

Another portion of the girls cheered. She asked the question two more times for the other two criminals and got cheers from two other groups of girls. 

Sergekt remained kneeling with his forehead touching the wooden stage floor and his bottom spread and high in the air. He was totally horrified. He knew that he would be humiliated and punished in the second batch of criminals with three others. He was so nervous he was sweating and shaking slightly.

Still, Sergekt was immensely grateful that at least Eloisa and her companions were not facing this awful treatment, nor did they have to witness it. He now understood why Vladik Dukov had been so determined to get control over the women in the group. What was happening to the guys was bad enough, but at least they did not have to watch these indignities heaped upon their female friends. From what Kim had told him, Sergekt understood that Vladik planned to punish the women and get them out of the school as quickly as possible. He fervently hoped they already had left.

The switchings began, four at the same time. The four cops struck as hard as they legally could, each trying to get his or her criminal to cry first. The four criminals, following the protocol of their subculture, resisted as best they could. They wouldn't have wanted to admit it, but they were competing against each other to see who could hold out the longest.

The four punishing officers struck the criminals simultaneously, but each trying a different tactic to get his or her victim to be the first to cry. They tried striking fast, striking slowly, punishing across the entire bottom, punishing one bottom-cheek at a time. The first criminal screamed at the 21st stroke, the last one at the 42nd stroke. All of them were crying towards the end of their punishments.

Spokesman Havlakt nervously went from table to table, waiting to do the one thing he was authorized to do. One by one he redirected the punishments against the criminals' backs or thighs to prevent permanent injury to their bottoms. When the punishments ended the Spokesman was sweating from stress and anger. However, he had to maintain his self-control. One group had been punished, there still were four other groups to go.

The police un-strapped the four criminals. The four young men were very badly marked up; their bottoms, upper backs, and upper thighs covered with dark welts. They staggered off and sank to the floor to kiss the shoes of their tormenters. One by one they were presented to the presiding judge, who signed each of their punishment certificates. To conclude their punishments, they had to thank the officers for the mistreatment they had just endured. With that they exited the stage towards the waiting van, to spend a long and painful afternoon on recovery tables.

Sergekt felt a hand caress his bottom. The hand slid between his legs and squeezed his testicles, so hard that he felt some discomfort. He felt his penis being massaged, and then the hand returned to fondling his testicles. He did not dare move his head or try to see the face of the cop who was tormenting him. Then he noticed part of a white smock out of the corner of his eye. His tormenter was not a cop, but one of the medical students. He felt a rough finger slide up his bottom. The finger briefly searched inside him and found what it was looking for, his prostate gland. He gasped and tears ran down the bridge of his nose as the finger circled around his gland and worked up a furious erection. The medical student began massaging his penis with her free hand and continued working his prostate from behind. She abruptly pulled her finger out of his bottom and ordered him to stand up. Sergekt did so, and was forced to face the audience. The medical student stood behind him, running her hands up his chest and pinching him. She whispered in his ear:

"You know, you filthy little beast, that you look like you could use some relief. You're all worked up and no one to fuck. Now isn't that sad?"

Sergekt was mortified at the thought the medical student might force an orgasm out of him on stage, but she knew better than to go that far. As it was the punishment crew stood very close to passing the legal line of mistreatment of the criminals in front of their under-age audience. Forcing Sergekt to have an orgasm on stage would definitely cross the line and result in a legal reprimand. 

The girls sitting in the back and the teachers who had sided with the criminals were furious at what was going on. The school already was very bitterly divided over the merits of the sentences. The division would become even sharper after the punishment of today.

Sergekt and the other three criminals in his group finally were led to the punishment tables and kissed the shoes of the officers who would switch them. They bent over the tables and were strapped down. In spite of the fear of what was coming, he was relieved to no longer be standing up facing the auditorium with his erect penis on full display. However, the humiliation portion of his punishment was far from over. Several cops, male and female, as well as some medical students, caressed his bottom and continued to massage his penis, as he lay stretched out on the punishment table. It was the ultimate humiliation for Sergekt, to be touched by other guys. 

Finally the cops in charge of actually wielding the switches took position. Sergekt was so mortified by what had just happened that he no longer was really paying attention to anything going on around him. Still, the criminal protocol of resisting his punishment as long as possible was burned into Sergekt's mind, and he was prepared to attempt not to scream or cry as long as possible.

Once again Magda posed the question to the screaming girls, which criminal would be the first to cry. The girls screamed the loudest when Magda touched Sergekt, making it even more important that he resist, just to prove them wrong.

The cop took her time delivering the first stroke. She made several false starts, trying to catch him off-guard and perhaps get him to scream at the very first stroke. Finally she struck, a hard vicious blow that burned into Sergekt's backside and made him gasp as he tried to stay quiet. The cop patiently waited for a while and then struck again, with a stroke that approached, but unfortunately did not pass, the maximum legal standard. Sergekt clenched his fists and pressed his forehead to the table. Sweat trickled down his body. Very slowly the cop struck him again and again, waiting a very long time between each stroke. She would break him simply by dragging out the punishment. The pain was mounting and becoming intolerable, but the punishment was only beginning. 

The female cop and a couple of medical students periodically ran their fingers over Sergekt's welts. They pressed hard on them, knowing that sharply increased the mounting pain from the raised reddish lines crisscrossing the criminal's bottom. The waiting was an important part of what made the punishment almost unbearable; the pain continued to mount and yet the punishment was no closer to ending. In spite of what he had told Kim in January, that nothing lasts forever, Sergekt now felt that attitude was a lie. The fact this was the sixth time he had endured a punishment didn't matter. What mattered was that he had only taken 10 strokes so far. There were 40 to go. It seemed this would indeed go on forever.

Spokesman Havlakt nervously walked from table to table, trying to prevent any serious injury to any of his clients and looking for anything that would allow him to cut short a switching. The one thing that would end a punishment immediately would be blood. Danubian law prohibited the further punishment of a criminal whose skin had been broken. In fact, if a cop broke a criminal's skin during a punishment, the officer risked losing the switch as part of his or her uniform and with it the right to punish criminals in the future. The officers were well aware of that limit and were very careful not to whip to the point of drawing blood. The Spokesman could see nothing that would legally justify stopping any of the punishments.

Sergekt made it to the 37th stroke without crying. He had defied the girls' prediction by being the third criminal out the four to start screaming. The final holdout cried out less than a minute after Sergekt broke. In this aspect at least, Sergekt maintained a shred of his dignity.

Sergekt's punishment ended in the usual manner, with six strokes re-directed against his thighs and another six on his upper back. He was in so much pain he nearly passed out, but with every bit of energy and self-control he had left, he struggled to get off the table and accompany the police officer to verify he had been properly punished. He knelt to thank the cop for punishing him and finally, an hour and a half after he first had been told to stand up from the stage, Criminal # 92876 was allowed to exit towards the waiting van.

----------

Kim was well aware of what was going on inside the school. She picked up a batch of punishment certificates and caught a brief glimpse of the punishment in the auditorium. There were only four criminals still kneeling on the stage and four others on the tables, in the middle of their switchings. Even at a distance Kim could tell they were being savagely treated. She was relieved to see that Sergekt was no longer there. However, Dima was present, still kneeling on the stage. He would be in the final group to be punished.

Kim was surprised at the sharply contrasting attitudes of the girls filling the auditorium. The students in the back were sitting in disgusted silence, while the younger ones in the front were acting like they were at a rock concert. Kim decided to discuss the school's division with Vladim Dukov, hoping that somehow he would find the information useful.

Some of the girls sitting in the back sadly looked over at Kim as she left with her hands full of folders. The students recognized Kim as the "Maragana Girl", having seen her singing on stage with the criminals being punished today. Kim took a last look at the eight criminals remaining on the stage. Besides, Dima, there were two others who Kim considered close friends. However, there was nothing she could do for them by staying. Kim left the school and rode with her folders downtown.

----------

Kim returned to the school one last time in the mid-afternoon to pick up the final batch of punishment certificates. The students were back in their classes, pretending to pay attention to their teachers in spite of the spectacle they had just witnessed. The purpose of having the criminals punished in the school was to frighten the students into not getting into trouble themselves. That goal was easily achieved. There was not a student in the school who would have wanted to trade places with their ex-classmates.

Kim picked up her folders and quickly moved towards the main door, not wanting to be here any longer than necessary. However, she was stopped by one of the teachers, who signaled her to go with him to the school library. Once in the library the teacher quietly spoke to her in bad English.

"I want tell you. You...criminal...Advocat Vladim Dukov?"

"Yes sir. He's my Spokesman."

"You know...many teacher...many student...we no like today. Very bad. Very bad. No good to criminal."

Kim nodded. "Yes sir."

"You good girl. Good singer. Now you help me. Take list to Advocat Vladim Dukov. You no show list...only Advocat Dukov."

With that the teacher handed an envelope to Kim. It was fairly thick, but sealed. Kim looked at it, mystified. The teacher tapped it, nervously.

"You no show list."

Kim understood. The envelope had to be hidden. She stuffed it among the other envelopes.

"Now, go-go."

Kim quickly mounted her bike and sped to the Central Police Station. She should have gone to the Central Courthouse first, but she decided not to risk having someone there question the extra envelope she was carrying. She wanted to get rid of it as quickly as possible. 

Kim entered her Spokesman's office, passing the two secretaries and two of Eloisa's female friends as they were rubbing lotion onto the welts of four punished male criminals. The contrast between the women and the guys shocked her. The two women still had switch-marks on their bottoms, but nothing too serious. The women moved about normally, none the worse for their experience with Vladik. The guys were covered with dark raised welts that looked awful. Kim realized that Officer Vladik Dukov really had spared the group's women.

She entered Dukov's office to find him there with four other Spokespersons, including Eloisa's. Dukov's co-workers looked at her with surprised expressions. Kim quietly started to back out, but Dukov called her back. He addressed her in Danubian.

"Kimberly, I presume you have something urgent, to have come in here with such haste?"

Oops. Kim had forgotten her public duty as a criminal. In the presence of the other Spokespersons she had to greet Dukov in the formal manner, not just charge into the office. She immediately dropped to her knees and placed her head on the floor. She held out the teacher's envelope. Dukov took it, but did not give Kim permission to stand up. She felt very strange, given that she never had knelt for her Spokesman before.

Dukov opened the envelope and unfolded the sheets of paper it contained.

"Kimberly, please rise and finish your deliveries. Once your assignment has been completed, you are dismissed. You may wish to report to Eloisa. I believe she could use your assistance."

"Yes, Spokesman Dukov."

Kim bicycled across the main plaza to make her final delivery. Upon getting back she sought out Eloisa, and finally found her in Spokesman Havlakt's office. She was with Dima, standing next to his table. He was very badly marked up, not just from the 50 maximum-strength stokes of the switch he had received, but also from having been struck on the shoulders at the beginning of the punishment and having been slapped many times across the face. His face was swollen and his lip had been cut. He was asleep, or to put it more accurately, he had passed out.

Kim was not surprised that Dima had been treated so badly. What did surprise her was to see Eloisa holding his hand and caressing it. She looked up at Kim with tears streaming down her cheeks. She noticed Kim's surprised expression, given that she had never seen Eloisa touch anyone before.

"I...I need to be a bit stronger for him." Eloisa stated sadly. "I'm going to make myself get over my fear of touching people. I need to...be...a real woman for him. I realized that when I saw him this afternoon. He's given up everything for me. The least I can do is hold his hand."

Kim was so upset she felt sick. "What did they do to Sergekt?"

"He's better. He forced himself to get up to help the others come in at the end. Sergekt's tough. I don't know where he is now, though. I'd guess he's in one of the offices, or maybe helping people get home."

"I want to find him." Eloisa sadly nodded. Kim continued. "Will you be OK?"

"Kimberly, I have to be OK. I have no choice."

Kim spent the next few minutes looking for Sergekt, but instead ran across her Spokesman. Dukov signaled Kim to go back into his office. The other Spokespersons were gone, ending the temporary need for Kim to treat him in the formal manner. He was very agitated.

"Kimberly, I wish to ask you something. Are you aware of the contents of the envelope you gave me today?"

"No, Spokesman Dukov."

"Well, I will tell you. What you handed me was a petition, signed by 37 teachers, three administrators, and 138 students. The petition objected to the immoral treatment of your friends today. The teacher who worded the petition argues that to punish criminals in such a blatantly sexual manner will corrupt the morals of the school's young people. What they want is the punishments to stop, or at the very least to be moved elsewhere." 




Maragana Girl Ch. 12



Dukov sat back, stretched his arms backwards, and continued.

"There is something else I wish to tell you, which may or may not help you. All 20 Spokespersons in Danube City finally have agreed that our system of corporal punishment needs to be reformed. I will introduce legislation next week that would specifically prohibit police officers from touching a criminal with their hands during a punishment. We wish to outlaw any act designed to sexually satisfy a police officer. Also, we wish to outlaw allowing persons such as medical students to participate in corporal punishments."

Kim said nothing, not really knowing how to react. Dukov put on a pair of surgical gloves and opened up an ancient-looking law book that was placed in a felt-lined wooden tray.

"Today's decision is a very grave step on our part, Kimberly. Our judicial system has kept our country at peace for ten centuries. We have had only two major reforms during that entire time. The first was in 1524. That was when our King, Vladik the Defender, created the position of Spokesman for the Criminal. The second was in 1780. That was when the Grand Duke abolished the use of whips and instead opted for switches. We have had no reforms since 1780."

"So why now? What's made things different?"

"What has made things different is a recent breakdown of morality among the younger police officers. The sexual abuse of criminals is something that started only about 10 years ago. When I was sentenced, no police officer would have disrespected a criminal in the manner we are seeing today. Now the practice is becoming common. It will destroy our entire judicial system if we do not stop it. The problem we face is public opinion and the widespread belief that a police officer should have complete control over a criminal's corporal punishment, within the standards set in 1780. The standards of 1780 no longer properly protect criminals, so we must set new ones."

"But, what's the problem? I mean, isn't obvious that it's wrong to like, rub us and...?"

"No, Kimberly. It is not so obvious. I can tell you there is very little sympathy for criminals in this country. We cannot debate this issue by arguing that criminals deserve leniency. We need to argue from the point of view that the changes are needed to protect public morality. That is why the petition from the school is so important. It supports my argument in terms acceptable to the people of this nation. What we saw at the school today was immoral acts being performed in front of young teenagers. Those girls were corrupted by what they witnessed. That gives me the image I can use to make my argument when I speak next week."

"So, you're going to the Parliament next week?"

"Yes, Kimberly."

"Aren't you scared?"

"Yes, Kimberly. I anticipate this with much anxiety. I am not a politician, and to challenge the statute of 1780 will disrupt the tranquility of my family's life. It will bitterly divide the Judges, the National Police Force, the schools, and the public. I will be blamed for disrupting the peace of our society. Only the Spokespersons are in complete agreement about the need for reform. My responsibility over the next several months will be to convince the rest of the nation. At the beginning that task will be very difficult."

Kim left the office, briefly wondering about the wisdom of her decision to stay in Upper Danubia. What the hell was wrong with this country, that its people didn't recognize the obvious? Who wouldn't want to put a stop to what had happened in the school auditorium today? 

And yet, change was indeed coming to the Duchy. There were good people in the police force, in the schools, and in the legal system, who would push for reform. Some would challenge the system because of their definition of public morality, others out of genuine sympathy for the nation's criminals. Perhaps it would be enough to update a law that was two centuries old. Kim held out hope the result would be a better Upper Danubia, one in which she would feel more comfortable spending her life.

With that Kim returned to Eloisa and her boyfriend. He was up and somewhat recovered. The three left the Central Police Station. Tomorrow was another day, one in which Kim and Eloisa would return to the music store, and Sergekt and Dima would be returning to their café. There would be a rehearsal tomorrow night and a concert to prepare for on Saturday.

Every four months the 28 members of Eloisa's group went through this. They still had over a year of wearing their collars and at least three more switchings left on their sentences. 



Maragana Girl Ch. 13



Chapter 13 -- The American Financial Expert

Kim always marveled at the ability of her friends to bounce back after each punishment. The very next evening all 15 members of Eloisa's musical group were at rehearsal, following an ordinary day at work for each of the band's members. It was no surprise that the women should be ready to rehearse, given their switchings had been extremely lenient. However, the band's ten male members all were viciously marked up; with the passage of 24 hours only making the marks appear darker and more severe. But they all were present, all with their instruments, all following the direction of the lead singer. It seemed that once they started with the rehearsal, they were able to step out of the pain and humiliation of their lives and enter the spiritual world of song.

On May 1st there was an International Labor Day celebration in Danube City's Central Plaza. Eloisa's group received prominent billing, performing in front of an audience of 22,000 people. The country's Prime Minister and many deputies from the Parliament sat on the building's main balcony, enjoying Eloisa's talent and attractive figure as much as the crowds in the plaza below. Eloisa's group was only one out of six that performed that afternoon, but it clearly was the crowd's favorite.

The May 1st concert also was the first concert in which Kim sang with Eloisa for more than just one or two songs. The American stood with her Danubian friend at the main microphone for 9 out of a total of 22 songs performed by the group. Once the final song was completed and the group knelt in appreciation of the applause they were receiving, Eloisa brought Kim foreword and had her kneel up front along side her. At that moment Kim realized that Eloisa considered her an equal partner at the microphone.

In the US, and in most other countries, the popularity of Eloisa and her companions would have encouraged their fans to pressure the government to commute or shorten their sentences, or in some other way try to ease the burdens of their lives. In Upper Danubia the public's mentality was very different. Most of the people in the crowd saw no contradiction between the group's popularity and their status as criminals. To the contrary, the performers were held up as examples of how successful the Duchy's justice system truly was at forcing violent offenders to reform and lead productive lives. The public would applaud and honor the group, but at the same time would expect them to complete their sentences.

How Kim's friends saw themselves and their situation also differed tremendously from how a group of people in the US might react to a similar situation. Kim knew that Eloisa never stopped blaming herself for what happened to her friends, but how she dealt with that guilt was extremely productive. She believed that if the others had been so willing to sacrifice for her, it was her duty to be as successful in her personal life as possible, so the others could feel good about the sacrifice they had made. According to Eloisa's line of reasoning, had she failed in life or led a mediocre existence, the others would have sacrificed for nothing. It was her duty, her social obligation, to make sure the sacrifices of the others had been meaningful.

As for the others, there was neither regret nor resentment, not against Eloisa nor the Danubian government. They viewed what happened to them as inevitable. A friend's honor had been violated; it was their social duty to restore her honor and face the legal consequences. There was no choice in the matter, because Danubians believed that a person who had lost his honor was nothing more than a living corpse housing a dead soul. There was no "what if" in any of their minds. Keeping their souls alive was more important to them than evading the suffering they were enduring now.

May progressed with an important development in Eloisa's personal life. She had recovered enough from her experiences that she now was able to hold hands with her boyfriend. Her progress was slow, but it was real. At the Socrates Club Kim noticed her friend's hand constantly resting in Dima's hand on the table, as she nervously forced herself to confront her fear of being touched. One night Kim noticed Eloisa actually walking down the street with her boyfriend, holding his hand as they walked. 

Kim could tell that Eloisa was uneasy, but at the same time she was living a real adventure, confronting the demons that had taken over part of her soul. Eloisa was happier than she had been at any time since Kim had met her the previous year. Maybe, just maybe, she had been wrong about herself. She was indeed broken, but, with time and patience from Dima, perhaps the damage could be fixed.

----------

For all the performing they were doing, it seemed to Criminal # 98945 that she and her companions were receiving very little money for their efforts. In many cases, such as holidays, they performed for free, expected to do so as their contribution to the celebration. However, the group also performed in theaters where the public did pay. The only money she ever saw for all her efforts were incidental funds for meals. She also received money to compensate her bosses at the music store and the courier service for her absences, but that was it. When Kim approached Eloisa about the issue, the lead singer simply responded.

"We've been getting a lot of money for our concerts. You haven't seen it because we're not allowed to use it. It's being held in trust by the Spokesperson's credit union until we finish our sentences."

"But how do I know it's even there, if I never see any of it?"

"Is there anything in particular that you need and don't have?"

"Well, no...but..."

"So what's the problem? We'll receive our compensation when we're no longer criminals. Of course, if you have a pressing need...for example Valia..." (who was one of the back-up singers) "...lost part of her family's house in a fire. Our Spokesman released the money she needed to give her parents so they could rebuild."

"And how do you know he didn't keep any for himself?"

Eloisa gave Kim a puzzled look. "Why would he do that? He's adequately paid by the government. He doesn't need our money."

Kim was troubled by her friend's nonchalant attitude about the band's earnings. She decided to bring up the matter with Vladim Dukov. The first thing she wanted to know was how much money she had earned herself. The Spokesman opened a filing cabinet and pulled out her criminal's file. He took out a small bank book and handed it to her. There were various entries with a final sum of the Danubian currency equivalent for $ 14,500.00.

"I understand all of you have the same amount in your accounts, the active band members, that is. Eloisa has paid your songwriters and assistants half the salary the stage performers receive."

"So she's just splitting the money evenly among us?"

"That is correct."

"And you know for a fact that...I mean...are you sure the others are getting their full amount?"

"Of course they are, Kimberly. Why would they not? Anyhow, the compensation is in their bankbooks."

Kim was not satisfied and decided to ask Sergekt for his opinion. He seemed every bit as oblivious as the others. She tried to make him understand why the financial arrangement worried her.

"Look. In my country there's no way a group of people like us would just let a bunch of money come in and get divided up without someone taking a look at the books and seeing what's going on with it. How do you know $ 14,500 is what we all should be getting? What if it's more, and we never saw it? How would we even know?"

"Spokesman Havlakt is a man with honor. I can tell you he wouldn't take our money."

"Sergekt, when it comes to money, no one has honor."

Sergekt gave Kim an offended look, irritated at her questioning his Spokesman's intentions.

"Well, he does! He's not a capitalist! What is it that you want? Do you want to take control of our finances? Maybe you could talk to him and work out an arrangement."

When Kim brought up the issue with Spokesman Havlakt, her concerns were put at ease to some extent. Yes indeed, all his clients had bankbooks in their folders with the correct amount. There was a separate folder with the band's pay receipts and everything looked in order when she tallied up the income and outgoing expenses. The Spokesman addressed the young criminal when she returned the folder.

"Kimberly, I want to tell you that I understand your concern and I am not offended. But there is something you should know. Eloisa is in charge of arranging contracts between your group and the concert halls. Up until now that has not been a problem because they pay standard compensation to performers. By American standards it is not much, but by our standards it is fair. Remember, the Duchy's yearly per capita income is only $ 5,500. My concern is what will happen when Eloisa tries to negotiate recording contracts. She is quite naive on the matter and the assistance I can provide is rather limited. Maybe you, with your American capitalist background, can help?"

Kim sighed. Spokesman Havlakt, just like everyone else in this country, seemed to assume that she was a business genius just because she was from the US. She wasn't, of course, but at least she knew what questions to ask. 

It was obvious anyone negotiating a contract would run circles around the band's naive lead singer. The only answer was for Criminal # 98945 to step in and help out with the finances. So, as though she already did not have enough going on in her life, Kim found herself assisting the Spokesman Havlakt with the band's records. The next day he took her to the bank and gave her authority to collect and deposit money into the band members' accounts. Then he drafted a power of attorney to allow her to sign contracts on behalf of the group.

Eloisa and Dima came into the office that afternoon and gladly co-signed the permissions allowing Criminal # 98945 to negotiate the recording contracts. Kim did not fully understand what was happening until it was too late. It was obvious the Danubians did not know anything about contracts and were nervous about their lack of knowledge. Up until that point it had not been a problem, but it would be shortly. Rather than confront the problem themselves, it would be so much easier to have the American handle everything, since everyone knows that Americans are good with business.

The only problem was that Kim was only 19 and had barely managed to finish high school. She was not qualified to negotiate anything and she knew it. That night she made a panicky phone call to her father, begging him to get her some assistance.

----------

Vladim Dukov faced a test of his honor. He was sworn to uphold a legal and judicial system that dated back to the Middle Ages. His goal in life was to uphold the Danubian justice system and through his position do his part to assure social peace and tranquility. He took his obligation very seriously, because Danubians believed that if a person pursues a profession, especially a public profession such as Spokesman for the Criminal, the spirits of the dead predecessors in the field watched the actions of the living. A person who failed to uphold his profession to the standards of the Guardian Spirits faced punishment from those spirits, who would return to the world to wreck havoc in the lives of the incompetent and the malicious. That belief was not just superstition, it actually was incorporated in the country's religious practices, the most important of which was the Day of the Dead in September.

Spokesman Dukov saw nothing wrong with the over-all method of punishing criminals in Upper Danubia. Criminals had to be punished somehow, and kept under control for a set period of time. The only two ways to accomplish that goal was to jail them, or sentence them in the Danubian fashion. Dukov reasoned the Danubian way of punishing criminals was far superior to jailing them, because from the very first day of their sentences criminals returned to society and were forced to re-build their lives. Reform and redemption started from day one of the sentence. On top of that the government was saved the expense of maintaining jails and prisons.

Dukov knew that Upper Danubia's system of corporal punishment was in deep trouble, in spite of his belief in that system's benefits to society. Over the last couple of years he had talked at length with his son, and fully realized just how abusive the younger police officers were becoming towards criminals. He had battled with enough police officers himself to know that things in the courtroom and the punishment chambers were headed in a very bad direction.

The older police officers viewed both themselves and the criminals they punished as having specific places in society with specific duties. The officer had his role in society with its obligations and rights, and the criminal also had his position in society with its obligations and rights. Those obligations and rights had to be respected, even when a police officer needed to whip a criminal. The judicial code of 1780 clearly laid out a system of corporal punishments designed to be painful, but not cause permanent injury. Unfortunately, the code said nothing about preserving the criminal's dignity, but for generations it had been taken for granted that a police officer should never derive sexual pleasure from his position and power over a criminal.

Over the past decade the values within the police sub-culture had changed in Upper Danubia. The concept of social responsibility had greatly diminished, replaced with the idea that police officers needed to make punishments as hellish as possible to frighten the public into not committing crimes. Because of the change in over-all values, many of the younger police officers saw nothing wrong with sexually tormenting criminals as part of their over-all punishment. They were not violating the Code of 1780, nor causing any permanent injury, so what was the problem? Given the hostility from the over-all population against criminals, most of the public saw nothing wrong with sexually humiliating them. Besides, it was fun to watch.

Dukov had struggled with the issue since Kim's first switching. When she was stretched out on the punishment table last July, a terrified foreigner who only half understood what was happening to her, Dukov's heart went out to his client when she was fondled and he stood by unable to help her. His doubts about the system intensified over the winter as he conversed with Vladik about his fellow officers. Dukov finally was convinced that concrete reforms were needed when his son decided that he needed to put his own career at risk just to protect a group of female criminals from being sexually abused by his co-workers. The entire system clearly was broken and needed to be repaired.

Vladim Dukov wanted to restore the values of the Danubian National Police back to the way they had been prior to the recent change. He wanted the system to be returned to its original goal, rehabilitation. In the past the police officer was a key figure in the criminal's rehabilitation process and fully cooperated with the Spokesman. Today the Spokesman and the police officer were enemies in court, with the Spokesman desperately trying to protect the criminal from abuse and the police officer desperately trying to outwit the Spokesman. Because of the change, the entire system was breaking down and criminals were being unfairly treated. They were being turned into entertainment for both the punishing officers and for on-lookers.

Dukov's goal was to re-establish the spirit of the Code of 1780 by changing its text. He wanted to carefully define what exactly a switching was, how it was to be administered, and define limits of severity. Most importantly, Dukov sought to create strict sanctions against any police officer who sexually abused a criminal as part of his punishment. There would be no touching, no fondling, no sexual jokes permitted, nothing that might be considered to give sexual pleasure to the officer. Dukov's legislation stipulated that any police officer who sexually abused a criminal would face the same sanction as one who drew blood during a punishment, the officer would lose the right to switch criminals in the future. Dukov planned save the system by reforming it.

----------

Sweat trickled down Dukov's face as he stood in front of the National Parliament to present his bill at the end of the first week of May. Behind him stood 37 Spokespersons, 19 from Danube City and 18 more from the provincial capitols. Their support was the first surprise to the nation; that all of Upper Danubia's 37 Spokespersons agreed on the need for Dukov's bill and were standing behind him as he spoke. There was no doubt about their support, because they all saluted Dukov before he began his speech.

The Spokesman began by presenting three petitions, the one from Eloisa's old school, one secretly passed around the National Police Headquarters by Vladik's friends, and one from several religious leaders who were offended by the open display of sexuality during corporal punishments. Dukov then spoke to the stunned Parliament about the need to re-impose morality into the system of judicial punishments and restore harmony between the country's Spokespersons and police officers. A punishment code with clear rules and restrictions would help restore that harmony.

Dukov's proposal immediately proved unpopular among the legislators, as he had feared. It was attacked by numerous deputies who argued that it undermined both the authority of the police in general, and the right of the individual police officer to determine what was best for the criminal. At first it seemed that the support from Dukov's peers and other social leaders did not matter to any of the deputies. However, a deputy from the main opposition party finally broke ranks with the rest of the Parliament and spoke in favor of the proposal. Quickly two others seconded the dissident's position and also gave statements in favor of the reform. A group of deputies filed out in disgust as two others, this time from the governing party, raised their hands in support of Dukov's proposal. There was whistling and hissing from the deputies directed against each other and the Prime Minister shouting to restore order. With that the long debate over reforming Upper Danubia's criminal justice system began.

As the Spokesman stood sweating at the main podium, he was fully aware of the long difficult months that lay ahead because of his actions. He would have to defend his proposal day in and day out, argue continuously with adversaries and ex-friends, and justify over and over why a law that had worked admirably since 1780 no longer was serving its purpose. The debate would go on for a long time before finally being settled, because nothing in Upper Danubia's National Parliament ever got resolved quickly.

Dukov continued to stand in front of the cameras of the nation, unsure whether to leave the podium or not. Finally he directed a question at a deputy Prime Minister.

"Sir, may I be dismissed?"

"Spokesman, do you withdraw this piece of treason?"

"No sir."

"Then you stay there, at that podium. Look into the camera. Let the nation see you for the subversive that you truly are."

The term "subversive" stuck and appeared in the nation's newspapers the following day, under a picture of Dukov's sweating, nervous face. As the debate raged about the need to pass the reform, Kim's Spokesman became known as "Vladim the Subversive". Over the next few months the Spokesman and his supporters eventually took the nickname as a badge of honor.

---------

May of that year was abnormally hot throughout Central Europe. Kim enjoyed the hot weather, the high temperatures reminding her of a summer in the United States. However, for Upper Danubia the hot temperatures were a concern. Recently planted crops struggled in the heat, farm animals were under a lot of stress, and the population of Danube City was forced to shed much of its clothing. 




Maragana Girl Ch. 13



Anyia was elated with the crisis, because her school building was sweltering. As a concession to the students, the dress code was lifted and the very next day every girl in the school showed up in a mini-skirt and light blouse. Anyia went to school in the absolute skimpiest outfit she thought she could get away with, a loose-fitting back-less blouse, a very short loose mini-skirt, and sandals. Maritza Dukov watched with concern as her barely dressed daughter scampered down the street with her equally scantily clad friends in the abnormal heat.

The month progressed with no rain. The East Danube River dropped, opening up river beaches that normally did not open until August. The beaches, lakes, and public pools filled up with thousands of naked bodies as the city's population sought to escape the heat. In some places the ground was hard to see because of its covering of thousands of tanned human bodies.

Everyone at the beaches, public parks, and public swimming pools, without exception, was completely naked. Upper Danubia was the only country in the world to outlaw the use of swimsuits in public locations. Danubian society looked at swimsuits as yet another effort by foreigners to impose their moral values and fashion standards on the nation's people. The government's response was simply to make all swimwear illegal. The prohibition of swimwear was another act of defiance from Upper Danubia against the rest of the world.

As Kim rode making deliveries on the days she worked for Victor Dukov, she looked longingly at the people relaxing on the ground near any body of water. She had a few opportunities to swim, but not nearly as much as she would have liked. She worked 9-hour days, six days a week. She had rehearsals three nights per week, a concert at least once a week, and a recording session at least once a week. Whenever she had an evening free Kim could count on Vladim and Maritza Dukov to have something planned, and when that was not the case she could spend a little time with Sergekt.

Sunday hardly was a day of rest. Sundays always included the weekly tradition of Sergekt having dinner with the Dukovs and the preparations needed for the meals. Kim had to help Maritza prepare the dinners, since it was Kim's boyfriend who was coming over. As much as she wanted to drop the whole idea of those stupid dinners, she knew better than to say anything. The Dukovs would never dispense with the tradition and both parents felt that it was very important for them to maintain an on-going relationship with Sergekt. 

On top of everything else, Sundays were the only chance Kim had to attend to her newest duty, the singing group's income and contracts. There was much that she had to learn very quickly, about basic accounting, the group's expenses, negotiating performance details with the theaters scattered around Danube City, and beginning to understand music recording contracts. 

Kim found out that Eloisa had been contacted by a German company who wanted to sign up the group to produce several albums. Kim spent many hours researching the details of the deal being offered. She faxed pages of documents back and forth to her father in the US, who in turn showed them to a friend he had in the music business in the US. The verdict? Don't sign anything with them, they are trying to cheat you in a big way.

Kim brought the bad news to Eloisa and Dima, expecting an argument. The response was "Kimberly, you are the business expert among us. If you think a contract is no good, I'm not going to argue with you. You know what you're doing, and we don't. That's why you're in charge of the money."

Kim said nothing, but a sick feeling rose in her stomach. Eloisa, I don't know what I'm doing either, she thought to herself. I don't have a fucking clue.

Criminal # 98945 approached her boss at the music store about her dilemma. He surprised her by actually understanding her situation and by being the one person in Danube City who realized that being born in the US does not make a person a business expert. 

"Kimberly, there is only one solution. You will have to make yourself into the expert everyone thinks you are already. You have significant number of people whose lives depend on your actions. Is it fair that you should suffer this responsibility at age 19? No, but fair or not, this reality has become your life. You must succeed, and I will strive to help you."

Kim's boss spent many late evening hours over the summer giving her a crash-course in everything she needed to know to negotiate music contracts and make sure everyone was paid properly. She was amazed he was willing to spend so much time with her. When she expressed her surprise and gratitude her boss replied:

"Kimberly, I have spent my entire adulthood promoting music. It is the purpose of my life, it is the very reason I exist on the planet. I have seen many musical groups come and go, many wonderful songs played for a while and then forgotten. But when I hear Eloisa, I feel different. Her voice touches me more than anyone else I have ever listened to. There is something about her, something that will make her unique, and I don't really know what that something is. But it's there, and I want the world to share it. Not just Upper Danubia, Kimberly, but the world. She has that potential to touch the world with her singing. So for me to spend some time with you to make sure you negotiate the right contracts is nothing to me. And when you do need to talk to anyone about contracts, please let me know. I will go with you."

"Really sir? You'd do that?"

"Yes Kimberly, I think it's that important."

----------

During May and June Kim saw very little of her boyfriend except during rehearsals, concerts, and the Sunday dinners. While she was struggling with her two jobs and the band's finances, Sergekt was desperately trying to save his mother's garden from the drought. Hour after hour he spent at the garden plot pumping water from the ground and carrying it in buckets to dump on the garden's plants to keep them alive. It was a losing battle that left him exhausted, but at least he had to make the effort. By June Kim noticed the effect Sergekt's efforts were having on him. He had lost weight and become much more sinewy, his hands were callused from the work and his face continuously exhausted and stressed. There was little she could do to help him, other than lend him her mountain bike to let him get out to his family's garden plot more quickly.

Kim found out it was not just Sergekt who was struggling to save his family's garden. Most of the other male members of the band also had family plots to attend to, and it was Danubian tradition that a grown son should bear primary responsibility for the heavy labor needed to keep the gardens productive. All around Danube City young men desperately pumped and carried water to pour on their parents' vegetables as the sun blazed and water levels dropped. The women noticed the male members of the band become increasingly depressed as stories circulated that wells were running dry around the country. Kim's friends knew it was only a matter of time before their own water stations would run dry, and when that happened their efforts to save their families' food would end in failure.

----------

The worsening drought suspended debate on Vladim Dukov's proposal to reform the country's corporal punishment system, which was ultimately proved fortunate for the reform's proponents. Had the initial vote been held on schedule, the reform proposal would have been defeated by a 3 to 1 margin in the Parliament. However, Upper Danubia was facing a food crisis that needed more urgent attention. As much as the country prided itself on being self-sufficient, it was obvious that year the government would need to import a large part of the nation's food supply. There was money set aside for such emergencies, so the only real issue was to negotiate the best deal for importing basic food items, most notably wheat, animal feed, and potatoes.

Because of his English and experience in the United States, Spokesman Dukov was included in delegations ordered overseas to purchase several shiploads of wheat. The wheat would be off-loaded into barges and brought to Danube City, and from there sent to the provinces by rail. As the negotiations progressed and the contracts were signed, the nation's emergency fund shrank and eventually was used up. However, the end result was the purchase of enough wheat and animal feed to get the country through the next growing season.

Dukov was out of the country during almost the entire month of June, with the handful of other government officials who spoke English. The other officials had been scandalized by the Spokesman's efforts to undermine the nation's centuries-old justice system. At the beginning the others treated Dukov with disrespect, but over time he was able to win their confidence. Slowly, very slowly, he explained why the reforms were necessary, using different strategies to convince different members of the trade delegations. Dukov, in his quiet friendly manner, managed to win the support of several important government officials and deputies, who later in the year would return to their posts and talk to other officials about the need for reform. It was a slow process, but he began to feel confident that he might win the hearts and minds of enough people to make a difference.

----------

June sped by as Kim struggled to become the financial expert everyone thought she was already, and as the male members of the band fought to stem the slow death of their families' gardens. The equinox came, and with it a series of celebrations and national religious services. As always, Eloisa's group performed for the nation, this time in the Plaza of the Ancients, right next to Sergekt's restaurant and the Temple of the Ancients, were Criminal # 98945's legal problems began a year ago. 

Kim looked at the Temple and her heart pounded. A year ago. Shit. She suddenly remembered she was due for another switching on July 2, less than two weeks away. The anniversary of her arrest was coming up, the anniversary of the horrible two days that so completely demolished her old life.

Two days after the equinox Kim rode her bicycle over to the Temple of the Ancients. She needed a break and called Victor Dukov to tell him she was taking an extra hour for lunch. Immediately he objected, but she calmly responded: "Sir, I need to take the hour. You can cut my pay or do whatever you want, but I need the hour, and I am turning off my phone. Goodbye sir, I'll talk to you in an hour."

Criminal # 98945 decided to walk behind the Temple and visit the spot where she had been arrested the year before. It looked exactly the same, except the park bench was a bit more worn. Kim decided to sit down and simply enjoy the view of the river. The water level was very low, exposing sandbars she had not seen the year before. The trees didn't look all too healthy and the grass underfoot already was dried out. Oh God, Kim thought to herself, I hope there's never a fire here, all this would go up like matches.

Kim's thoughts wandered to Tiffany. She wondered what had happened to her. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Was it possible that Tiffany was consumed with guilt, being responsible for the death of one friend and the imprisonment of another? Was she so blitzed out on drugs that she no longer cared? Was she already dead? No one in Kim's life knew the answer.

Kim's thoughts wandered to her own life and the rest of the summer. The switching loomed in front of her, but then it would be over and within a couple of weeks she would be completely healed. She was more worried about her crash course in the band's management. She was grateful for all the help she was receiving from her boss, her father back in the US, and Vladim Dukov, but the enormity of what she was taking on frightened her. Still, she knew something very important. She knew that, ultimately, she would succeed.

As she got up to leave, Kim heard some footsteps coming up near the bench. Her heart jumped when she saw it was the female cop who had arrested her a year ago. The cop gave her a pleasant look and a slight smile, but Kim knew that was quite deceptive. Suddenly her conscience was filled with dread and horror. 

Shaking, Criminal # 98945 knelt at the feet of the cop, touching her forehead to the ground. She waited for permission to stand up. The cop stood silently for several minutes, letting Kim fully appreciate her submission in this situation.

"Criminal # 98945, I see you're a bit sentimental. I presume you are fondly remembering our first meeting in this spot. You know, our meeting here is something that gives me very sweet memories."

"Yes, Officer."

"So tell me, Criminal # 98945, are you looking forward to our meeting next week?"

"No Officer, of course I'm not looking forward to that."

"Good answer, Criminal # 98945. You're being honest with me. You know that lying to a police officer in this country is a crime."

"Yes Officer, I know that."

For a long time the cop left Kim kneeling. Finally she interrupted the silence.

"Criminal # 98945, since you and I are here alone, I want to ask you a question. Do you think your sentence was fair? I ask you that because normally you would have received five years, and the switch every three months. But you, because of your sweet-talking Spokesman, only got two. Do you think that's fair? And I want you to answer me with a simple 'yes' or 'no'."

Kim had no idea how to respond. She thought the sentence was more than fair, given that nowhere else in Europe would she have been so cruelly treated for a simple marijuana possession. But by Danubian standards her punishment was extremely light. Finally she answered.

"Yes, Officer, I think my sentence was fair."

"Oh really? Two years out of a five year sentence? Four whippings when you should have received 20? I don't think it's fair at all, Criminal # 98945."

"You are entitled to your opinion, Officer. What more can I say?"

"Oh, I'm entitled to much more than my opinion, you pathetic little druggie. You think you're so Danubian, with your fancy singing and your hair done up like you were one of us, but you, and that group of hooligans you hang out with, and your criminal Spokesman and his traitor son...you're all social garbage as far as I'm concerned. You'll never be Danubian. None of you. Well, I can't do anything about the others, but I'll be making your life pretty miserable next week."

"Officer, I request permission to speak."

"What is it?"

"Why are you this way to me? What did I ever do to you to make you hate me so much?"

"You're a criminal, and a spoiled rich American on top of everything else. I hate you all, all you criminals and all you foreigners. If it were up to me there'd be none of you, no criminals and no foreigners, contaminating our land. As for you, I really don't know why I hate you so much. I just do, and I don't see anything wrong with it. You will learn that hatred is a powerful thing in life, Criminal # 98945. Anyhow, I'll be able to vent my anger on that sweet brown bottom of yours. I guarantee that next week, while you are strapped to the table, I WILL break you. I'll have you screaming, just like last time, only more so."

"You won't be able to surprise me Officer. I now know what to expect."

"Oh, I'm not going to try to surprise you. I'm simply going to beat you as hard as I legally can. I'll make it nice and slow, take my time, enjoy myself. No, there will be no surprises this time...just me and you...and lots of pain. I've had plenty of time to practice, on other criminals, that is. But when I beat them, it's you who I'm always thinking about."

Kim started to shake. As much as she tried to stop, she couldn't. The cop noticed Kim's quivering body.

"I see that you are indeed scared, as you should be. Well, I must continue my patrol, so I'll leave you. Have a pleasant afternoon, Kimberly Lee. I'll see you next week."

With that the cop walked off. Kim sat back on the bench, her pleasant reflective mood totally shattered. For a long time Kim stared blankly at the ground at her feet, immobilized with terror.



Maragana Girl Ch. 14



Chapter 14 -- Kim's third punishment

Kim finally forced herself to turn on her cell phone, which was blinking with four messages from Victor Dukov. Instead of listening to the messages, Kim decided simply to return to Victor's office and tell him what happened in the park.

The moment Victor saw his wayward employee, he knew something was very wrong. He had the decency to hold off on berating her for the unauthorized break until he found out what was bothering her. In a frightened, broken voice, Kim told her story. It was obvious his employee could no longer work that day, so Victor told her that she was released.

"Kimberly, you understand that what you did was very foolish, first ignoring your duties to me and second, going into that policewoman's patrolling area. What did you expect would happen?"

"I...I wasn't thinking about her, sir. I just wanted to sit down a bit, maybe think things over. I didn't think I'd see her."

"Well, you did and here are my thoughts. You can't avoid what's going to happen to you next week. You're going to get hurt. There is nothing any of us can do about it. At least you know what to expect, but I would imagine that's no consolation."

"No sir. I sort of wish I didn't know."

"Well, you do, and I think that's for the better. Now here's some advice. I think what you should do is try to find out as much as you can about that police officer. Ask my nephew. I'm sure he knows her and perhaps can give you some insight about her."

"Sir, what good would that do?"

"Knowledge will always help you. Find out what you can."

"I guess so, sir. I'll try."

"Now, take the afternoon off and try to calm your nerves. I'll expect to see you the day after tomorrow, ready to make some deliveries."

"Yes sir."

Criminal # 98945 quickly went back to her Spokesman's house. She expected to find the residence empty, or at most with just Anyia lying in the back yard. However, she was surprised to see two police bicycles on the front porch. When she went inside, Kim heard Vladik and his partner talking in the kitchen. They were having lunch together, drinking wine and eating some leftovers from the previous night's dinner. 

Vladik looked none too pleased that the young criminal had shown up precisely at that moment, and his partner seemed a bit embarrassed. Suddenly Kim wondered if she might have interrupted something between them. She quickly knelt on the kitchen floor and touched her forehead to the ground. Kim never knelt for Vladik when he was alone, but in the presence of other people, especially other public officials, she was expected to show the formal gesture of respect. Vladik quickly told her to get up and join him at the table.

For the first time Kim was able to get a close up view of Vladik's partner. She was not particularly attractive, not nearly as attractive as his fiancée. She had a tough tomboyish appearance about her, but at the same time she seemed to radiate an intense sexuality. 

The fact that Vladik had a female partner was normal for his profession. Kim knew that in Upper Danubia, the National Police officers were roughly balanced between the sexes. Almost every police officer was assigned a permanent partner, and whenever possible that partner was of the opposite sex. The prevailing theory behind the custom was the Danubian belief that men and women see the world differently and have different forms of insight. The administrators of the National Police believed the differences between male and female officers complimented each other in the field, especially during investigations and interrogating criminals. Like almost everything else in Upper Danubia, the custom of employing female police officers went back many years, clear back to the judicial reforms of 1780.

As she sat at the table and poured herself some fruit punch, Kim was more convinced than ever she had interrupted something between Vladik and his partner, but she had to play dumb and pretend to be oblivious. Kim could tell that Vladik was making a real effort to hide his displeasure at her sudden intrusion. Well, it's not my fault you want to cheat on your fiancée and screw your partner, she thought to herself. 

Vladik's partner finally excused herself from the table when it became obvious Kim had returned home for the afternoon. Vladik stood as well, and the two officers saluted each other before the police woman mounted her bicycle to go home.

Kim was quite happy to have Vladik to herself for a few minutes, in spite of the uncomfortable situation she had just walked into. She told the young police officer about her scary encounter behind The Temple of the Ancients. As she talked, her old fear came back. Her hands were shaking. Finally she got to the point, following Victor's advice about getting more information about her nemesis.

"Vladik, I need to ask you something. Do you know that woman...have any idea why she hates me so much?"

"Oh yes, I know her. Her full name is Malka Chorno. She hasn't spoken to me since Father introduced his legislation in the Parliament. What really set her off was when she found out I was behind the petition that most of the older officers signed. She's called me 'the traitor' ever since. But I do know her fairly well from our service together before all that."

"Well, what's her problem?"

"I think that's the best way to put it, Kim. She's a powerful and charismatic officer, but she does have a serious problem. If she doesn't watch herself that problem will ruin her." Vladik paused for moment. "She's one of those officers who will end up either a complete hero or a complete villain, depending on which path the Spirits of the Ancients choose to lead her. In a fire-fight or in combat you couldn't have a better partner. She's vicious with her weapon, and when she shoots, you can count on that shot hitting its target. I'll give you an example. We had a couple of bank robberies near the border last year, just before you were arrested. Malka and her partner were dispatched to a third robbery, one in which there were hostages and four criminals with automatic weapons. Within 30 seconds of sneaking into the building Malka shot all four bank robbers with her service revolver. Clean shot to the head for each one, no thought or hesitation...she just fired. Bang...bang...bang...bang. It happened so quickly that none of the hostages were hurt. That's her good side."

"Now for her bad side, and she does have it, as you are well-aware. She loves to dominate other people. She's a bully; there's no doubt about that. She bosses her partner around mercilessly, and she's humiliated him in public a bunch of times. With criminals she's a lot worse. She'll do whatever she thinks she can get away with. She especially loves to humiliate other women. There's nothing that she loves more than to bring a young woman to orgasm against her will before switching her, but she does it with the male criminals as well. She loves to hear criminals cry and scream. I know that she'd go way beyond the 50 strokes if she could. She'd gladly punish with a whip if she could. Now as for you...you're special because you're a foreigner and you're a drug user."

"Well, what does she have against foreigners? I never did anything to her."

Vladik got up from the table and went into his father's library. He came back downstairs with a folder of newspaper articles. Kim opened them up and read about a white slavery ring that had operated in central Europe and had been responsible for the disappearance of eight Danubian teenagers. The case ended when three members of the ring were captured in Danube City. The Danubian police had no hesitation torturing the ring members to find out what had happened to their victims. The interrogation team, which included Malka, tortured the traffickers to death, saying that such criminals were not worthy of a formal execution. As a result of the interrogations four of the missing teenagers were traced to Middle Eastern countries, liberated, and eventually returned to Upper Danubia. The other four, including Malka's younger sister, remained missing.

"The people who got her sister were foreigners, and they used drugs to get their victims to do what they wanted. So there's your answer, drugs and foreigners."

"But I didn't do it!"

"That doesn't matter. Officer Malka Chorno's inner peace is damaged. She can't differentiate between you and any other foreigner. And on top of everything else was the marijuana smoking...that really drove her nuts. You're damn lucky she didn't shoot you behind the Temple of the Ancients instead of arresting you. I think she almost did."

"Shoot me?"

"Yes, shoot you. My partner overheard her a few months back. From the way she was talking, it seems she was just about to pull the trigger when she saw what you were doing. The only reason she didn't was because at the last second she realized there were witnesses, a couple of civilians who happened to be watching."

Kim was left speechless. Vladik continued.

"It's for officers like her that we need to codify a standard of decent behavior for the National Police Force. Malka Chorno is a gifted and charismatic officer, but her soul is damaged. Her attitude towards criminals has been a bad influence on many of my classmates from the Academy and on the most recent class that just graduated. The result...well, your friends suffered for it in April, and you'll get it next week."

"Vladik...do you think you could help me...like you did Eloisa? Maybe get someone else to punish me?"

"There's no way, Kimberly. Father tried, and pushed so hard that he was officially reprimanded for attempting to subvert the authority of a police officer. It is officially Malka's duty to punish you, since she is the arresting officer. The only thing I can tell you is that Father will be watching to make sure you're not seriously injured and that there's no blood. Malka cannot make you bleed, if she does she'll lose her switch. That will help you some, because it puts a maximum severity on what can happen to you. But she will punish you up to the maximum standard. And you will cry, and you will scream."

"No, Vladik, not this time. I know better. I'm not going to scream. I won't give her the satisfaction."

"Those are brave words, Kimberly, but you have to be realistic. Malka will do everything she can to break you, and perhaps it is best that you not resist her."

----------

Criminal # 98945 spent the next week feeling as though she was facing a death sentence. She now had enough information to suspect the upcoming switching would in some way change her. At the very least it would be a horribly traumatic experience and would leave her devastated. Deep down she wondered if Spokesman Dukov really would be able to prevent her from being injured.

Kim continued living her normal life, working at the music store and delivering packages for Victor Dukov. She rehearsed with her band, preparing for a televised concert that would take place the evening following her switching. Her voice was off, but everyone understood why. Kim was facing the switch, and of course she was scared. The others kept trying to reassure her that the switching would have to end eventually, that by this time next week Kim would have it behind her. Kim said nothing. The others did not realize that Kim was to be switched by a tormented woman who had wanted to shoot her.

On July 1, Kim followed the Danubian tradition of shaving her pubic hair to announce to the world that she was facing punishment the following day. As she sadly made her way to the music store, Criminal # 98945 felt all that much more naked, her soul all that much more exposed, as the cool morning air blew against her clean-shaven skin. She spent the day talking to customers and confirming that yes, tomorrow she would be switched.

Kim spent the early part of the evening at the Socrates Club, but alone with Sergekt. She had no desire whatsoever to socialize with her friends or hear any of the music or poetry readings. She retreated with him to an intimacy room, and from there planned to go directly home to Dukov's house. She was in a very strange mood. Her dread had subsided into a numb sadness, but what mystified her was that she wanted to begin her suffering now. She didn't want Sergekt to treat her tenderly; she wanted to be treated cruelly. She knew that her boyfriend would never go along with hurting her, but she was not in the mood for normal sex. She wanted something different, something that would not be pleasant and yet erotic.

Sergekt spent a long time kissing and licking the clean-shaven area around her pubis. Eventually Kim rolled on her stomach and spread her legs to expose herself from behind to her boyfriend. He began kissing her bottom and the tender skin surrounding her bottom-hole. It was at that moment Kim realized what she wanted.

"Sergekt, if I ask you to do something...unusual, would you do it for me? Even if you think it hurts me or degrades my honor?"

"Yes Kim, I'll do what you want. You know that."

"Then I want you to get a towel and two of those thin cleaning cloths out of the bathroom."

Sergekt complied, while Kim took all the pillows and stacked them in the middle of the bed. Sergekt handed her the towel and Kim laid it over the pillows. Then Kim settled over the pillows, her bottom high in the air. She spread her legs slightly, completely exposing herself to her boyfriend. Kim's position was extremely erotic. Sergekt took a quick look at Kim's exposed body and had a furious erection within a few seconds. It didn't seem that Kim wanted anything out of the ordinary, just plain sex.

However, Kim shocked Sergekt with her next words.

"OK, now tie my hands with the cleaning cloth."

"What?!"

"You heard me. Tie my hands in front of me. Make sure you wrap them tightly, I don't want to be able to slip out."

The cleaning cloth was long, narrow, and made out of thin material, so it was suitable for tying Kim's hands in the way she was requesting. Sergekt wrapped her wrists in a tight figure 8 and made a firm double knot. She tested the knot by pulling on it. It was tight enough to keep her hands immobilized.

"Now, take the other cloth and blindfold me."

Sergekt complied, tying the second cloth behind Kim's head.

"When you enter me...I don't want you to enter me in the normal way. I...I want you to enter my bottom...and no matter how much it hurts or how much I cry, I want you to stay in. Can you do that for me?"

"No. I'm not going to do that. You're going to get hurt tomorrow, why do you want me to hurt you tonight? That doesn't make any sense."

"I need you to do this for me. I can't explain why, but I need it. You told me you'd do anything for me, and right now this is what I want."

Sergekt looked at Kim's bottom and her waiting bottom-hole. Finally he decided to give her what she wanted, partly because he was curious himself to see how it would feel. He reached in the dresser drawer and pulled out some medical jelly, which was kept among the condoms and other sex supplies. He dabbed some on his fingertips and gently massaged it around his partner's bottom-hole. He slipped a fingertip inside to lubricate her more thoroughly. Then he put on a condom and dabbed yet more jelly on the end. 

In spite of his reluctance to hurt his girlfriend, the sight of her spread bottom, with its shiny target in the middle, excited Sergekt. It would be the only time in his life he ever would do this to anyone, a chance to try something different. He placed the tip of his penis against her bottom, repositioned himself slightly, and pressed down, using his bodyweight to force his way in.

Kim's voice broke as Sergekt pushed in and the intense pressure in her anus mounted. The feeling was far different from what she expected and not pleasant at all. She pulled hard on her tied wrists as she tried to break free. The muscles in her bottom tightened instinctually to fight this unnatural intrusion into her body. The pressure was awful, especially when he started moving back and forth inside her.

Kim did indeed feel degraded by the experience. She began to cry, which was what she was seeking. As Sergekt finished and pulled out of her, Kim's intestines ached and her bottom-hole burned and felt raw. She continued to cry for a long time as Sergekt gently wiped her off and tried to comfort her. However, when he reached for her wrists to untie them, she jerked her hands away. She wanted to remain tied and blindfolded. For the next few minutes she did not want to see him or anyone else.

Sergekt looked at Kim as her body jerked with sobs. Why had she wanted him to do this to her? Sergekt thought the matter over, trying to understand his girlfriend's emotions through his own experiences. He and his friends already had been switched six times, so he knew what it was to face a switching. However, there was a huge difference between Kim's situation and that of the others. Unlike the other members of the group, Criminal # 98945 had to face her switching by herself. When the moment came for her to be punished, she and that crazy female cop would be alone. No wonder she was so scared.

Sergekt knew Kim well enough to finally figure out what she was trying to accomplish. She intended to resist her punishment tomorrow and not cry. She believed that if she could suffer and have a good cry tonight, she would be better prepared to face her switching in the morning. Sergekt was not sure if it would work, but he understood Kim's line of reasoning. It was a question of her criminal's honor.

Finally Kim's crying died down. Sergekt untied her wrists and took off her blindfold. She winced from her still-sore bottom as she made her way to the shower to get cleaned up. While she showered, he cleaned the room and tried to rinse off the towel they had placed over the pillows.

There was very little either of them could say on their way back to Dukov's house. Kim was enormously depressed, to the point Sergekt was worried about her. Finally, at Dukov's doorstep they hugged each other for a long time. Sergekt asked about seeing her after the switching.

"I'm not sure. I have no idea what condition I'll be in. When you get off work tomorrow you can call Spokesman Dukov. He'll let you know if you can see me."

----------

The following morning Criminal # 98945 went with Dukov to his office. For the third time in her life she followed the routine of going to the bathroom one last time and having a drink of water to calm her nerves. Then she knelt in the reception area, waiting for the police to handcuff her and take her downstairs. Spokesman Dukov stood next to her, his hands full of the usual folders and punishment certificates. He issued the usual orders to his secretaries to have a recovery table ready. Kim looked up to see her Spokesman's expression. He was enormously depressed, knowing full well that she was in for a very rough morning.

Officer Malka's partner showed up to handcuff Criminal # 98945 and escort her downstairs. He treated her roughly, jerking her up and grabbing her arms hard. Every time they turned a corner he jerked her to force her to change direction. Kim had the feeling that if Dukov had not been present he would have pushed her down the stairs. She descended the same two flights of stairs she had descended six months before, and was led into the same punishment chamber where she had received her second switching back in January. Once inside, the male cop unhooked her handcuffs and Kim assumed the kneeling position on the floor.

There was the usual formality of Spokesman Dukov presenting Criminal # 98945 to the judge.

Officer Malka Chorno and her partner faced Vladim Dukov and saluted him. He saluted back, releasing custody of his client. Once again she asked:

"Spokesman, are there any restrictions concerning the punishment of this criminal that I need to be advised about?"




Maragana Girl Ch. 14



Very reluctantly Dukov answered: "No Officer...no special restrictions."

Malka gave the Spokesman a slight, but very wicked smile. She was well-aware of Dukov's failed efforts to get Criminal # 98945 punished by a different officer and the resulting reprimand.

"Very well."

Malka touched Kim with her switch and Kim kissed her shoes.

"Criminal # 98945, stand up and face me."

Kim complied and quietly looked straight ahead. Malka moved in front of her, staring hard into her eyes. Kim did not avert her gaze from Malka's face. Instead, her dark eyes met Malka's, indicating that she had gotten over some of her fear of what was about to happen. Malka was somewhat disconcerted by the criminal's calm, fatalistic demeanor. The cop slapped her hard across the face.

"Don't you look at me with such arrogance!" She slapped Kim again, but the American did not stop looking into the officer's face. She had not been instructed to do anything else, other than stand and look straight ahead. The cop twisted back to slap Kim a third time. Dukov raised his hand and glanced at the court officials.

The judge interrupted. "Officer! You will stop striking that criminal across the face immediately! All she's doing is what you told her to do!" The judge paused, glanced at Dukov, and continued. "Officer Chorno and Spokesman Dukov, I am subtracting two strokes of the switch from this punishment, given that Criminal 98945 has been struck twice across the face. This punishment will end at the 48th, not the 50th, stroke."

Malka clenched her teeth in anger at the rebuke. She signaled her partner to help her with the criminal. The two officers grabbed Kim's wrists and jerked her over the punishment table. Quickly the two officers secured her wrists and ankles with the leather restraints. Kim's heart raced with fear and her face still hurt from the slaps, but she was more determined than ever to not cry or scream during this punishment. She closed her eyes and put her forehead to the table. She then found herself doing something very unexpected, silently praying to Upper Danubia's Guardian Spirits to get her through the ordeal.

Malka was in a bad mood. She despised Dukov and was offended by his presence in the room. The rebuke from the judge angered her even more, as did her resentment that she had to exercise at least some restraint while punishing Criminal # 98945. This time she was somewhat impatient, desperate to break the American as quickly as possible. There would be no slow or calculated trickery like last time, just a series of hard strokes, delivered at maximum force.

Dukov watched the officer with disgust. She had lost her temper and her self-control. None of this was about Kim's discipline; it was about Officer Chorno's personal vendetta. This was precisely the type of behavior the Spokesman hoped to outlaw with his proposed reforms. Dukov had seen police officers lose their tempers before, and that was always when things went wrong and the criminal's punishment had to be stopped. Dukov was convinced that if Malka did not regain her composure, he would have justification to end his client's switching early.

Officer Malka Chorno looked at the silent criminal and her waiting bottom; her legs parted and body stretched in anticipation of her punishment. Kim's forehead was pressed to the table and her fists were clenched. She was breathing hard, trying to control her fear. Her knees were quivering slightly.

Malka's partner handed her the switch. Malka slashed it through the air and then lined herself up beside her victim. She touched the switch to Kim's bottom, readjusted her position slightly, and then struck full-force at the base of the culprit's buttocks. The blow was so hard that the girl's entire body jerked. A vivid reddish line quickly darkened across Kim's brown skin. She gasped and bit her lip hard, but managed to stay quiet.

Officer Malka was infuriated. Once again the American drug addict thought she was better than an officer of the law. This arrogant little bitch is going to pay. Malka clenched her teeth, and with every bit of her strength, savagely slashed at Kim's bottom eight times; four blows from the left, and the other four from the right. 

Criminal # 98945 tensed up, her knees shaking violently and her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles went white, but still, the only sound coming out of her were her gasps of pain. She pressed her forehead hard on the table, as she suppressed her instinct to scream. At just nine strokes, her bottom looked like it had been struck nine times with a whip. She had been struck so hard that the welts already had risen and quickly were turning dark. 

Malka then struck Kim's upper back four times, trying to knock the wind out of her and break her resistance. Criminal # 98945 held her breath each time the switch landed. She would resist. If it killed her she would resist. Somewhere, from deep inside her soul, came the force she needed to stay quiet, in spite of the severity of what was happening to her.

Malka should have waited and allowed the strokes to take their toll on the criminal's endurance before continuing. However, she was shocked and infuriated that Kim had resisted 13 of the hardest strokes she had ever administered during an official punishment. She backed away and slashed savagely at Kim, quickly laying additional strokes on the welts already marking her bottom. She stuck at Kim's thighs, and then returned to her bottom. Blood blisters were quickly forming where the strokes had crossed each other.

Just 15 minutes into her punishment, Criminal # 98945 already had taken 32 strokes. She gasped desperately as she suppressed her screams. Her whole body was shaking violently. Malka still was furious, but now she was horrified at the thought Kim might actually make it through her punishment without crying at all. No, that could not be. 

Dukov looked at the growing mass of blood blisters on his client's bottom and thighs. Some of them looked like they were just about to break. He raised his hand.

When she saw the Spokesman's hand in the air, Malka snapped. Disregarding her training and the standards of court punishment protocol, she ignored Dukov and, with every bit of her strength, quickly struck Kim's bottom hard two more times. As Dukov had feared, several of the blisters broke. He jumped between Kim and the officer.

"STOP! STOP! You will stop NOW!"

Malka's foot flew into Dukov's stomach. He doubled over from the force of the kick, all of the wind knocked out of him. Chaos broke out in the courtroom. Malka managed to strike Kim one more time before Dukov recovered enough to grab her arm. She hit him viciously across the chin with her free hand, but he did not let go. The tussle between Spokesman Dukov and Officer Chorno ended as court officials piled onto both of them and pulled them away from the punishment table. Malka struggled savagely as a court guard grabbed the switch out of her hand.

"I'M NOT FINISHED! I'M NOT FINISHED!"

Dukov remained doubled over and gasped as he tried to regain his breath

"Your Honor! My...client is bleeding! I...insist, under...Item 18 of...the Judicial Code...of 1780, that this punishment...be terminated immediately!"

"That request is granted, Spokesman! Under Item 18 of the Judicial Code of 1780, I am ordering this punishment terminated and Criminal 98945 released back into your custody! That is effective immediately! You may remove her from this courtroom!"

Dukov, holding his stomach and still gasping for breath, snapped his fingers at a cop standing nearby to undo the straps holding Kim in place. Kim was in so much pain she was almost passed out. In several spots where her skin had broken the welts oozed blood, and a drop of blood was making its way down her left thigh. As Kim was released from the table, Dukov grabbed her wrists and helped her up. He put his arm around her waist and lifted her hands to his shoulder. Thus supported by her Spokesman, Criminal # 98945 left the courtroom, the third switching of her sentence completed.

Dukov paged his two secretaries, who came clattering down the stairs to help both the Spokesman and his client. As they took Kim upstairs, Dukov doubled over and threw up.

"Call the doctor. I...want him in the...office immediately. I need to see...how badly she's hurt."

"What about yourself, Spokesman? What about you?"

"It's just a kick. I'll be fine. Take care of Kimberly."

A minute later Kim was lying face down on the recovery table, as one of the secretaries gently wiped away the blood and put disinfectant on her welts. An assistant police doctor arrived a few minutes later with a medical kit. He cleaned her more thoroughly, applied some special ointment to prevent Kim's skin from scarring, and placed three bandages over the most serious cuts.

"She should fully recover with no marks if she doesn't move about too much and keeps the cuts clean. She'll have a small scar on her left thigh, but I think that'll be it. This ointment's pretty effective."

"Well, what happened is still a violation of Item 18, scars or no scars."

"Oh, most definitely it's a violation. I'll write a medical report this afternoon and send it up to you. When you present that in court, Criminal # 98945 will leave the courtroom with Officer Chorno's badge in her hand."

"You think it will be her badge? Not just her switch?"

"Her badge, Spokesman. She struck your client three times after you tried to pause her, and at least one time when blood was clearly visible. There's no denying that, it's on videotape. And then on top of all that, she kicked you while you were performing the responsibilities of your office. That's her badge, and a criminal prosecution for assaulting a public official. There will be a hearing as soon as your client can attend court, and we'll release her for court attendance on Friday, after the head doctor examines her to make sure she's healed properly. On Friday Officer Chorno loses her badge. I would guess she'll lose considerably more than her badge. She'll leave the courtroom with a collar around her neck."

"It's about time. She's been a problem ever since that occurrence last year with her sister. I feel sorry for her, but she's become a threat to the whole judicial system. I'll be glad to see the last of her. Maybe it will be a lesson to the others. I don't know. Maybe this will help with the reform we have pending in Parliament."

"Don't be so arrogant, Spokesman. The only result of this incident is that one policewoman is going to lose her job, and another criminal will be added to your case-load. Nothing more will come of this. Malka Chorno will wear a collar for several years and maybe will consider correcting the path in life she has chosen to follow. That's the most you can hope for."

----------

Kim was in a painful daze when her Spokesman was talking with the assistant doctor, so she only was partially aware of what was going on in the office. She tried to sleep, but couldn't. Dukov warned her not to move unless it was absolutely necessary. Dukov didn't need to tell Kim not to move; the slightest movement sent sharp pains shooting through her body. She spent the afternoon lying facedown on the table, her body horribly marked up and the three white bandages standing out on her brown skin. Finally, after about four hours lying motionless on the table, Kim fell asleep.

Sergekt called Spokesman Dukov as soon as his shift at the restaurant ended. Dukov decided to meet with Kim's boyfriend in Danube City's Central Plaza, and waited for him at the steps of the Central Police Station. As dictated by protocol, Sergekt knelt and touched his forehead to the ground as he greeted Dukov. The Spokesman quickly ordered him to stand up, and the two men looked for a place to sit down, finally settling on an empty bench near the National Parliament.

Sergekt knew right away that Kim's punishment had not gone well. That much was obvious when her Spokesman told him to meet outside instead of allowing him to go directly to his office. Dukov quickly summarized what happened and explained that the punishing officer was facing the loss of her badge over the abuse of his client. Sergekt sat quietly for a long time, wondering what to ask next. Finally he asked the one question that seemed to matter much more to criminals than to outsiders.

"Spokesman Dukov, if may I ask...how long was Kim able to stay quiet? During the switching, I mean?"

"She didn't cry at all, Sergekt. That's what truly amazed me. Kimberly took the worst beating I have seen in my career, and she didn't cry. She didn't make any noise whatsoever, except her breathing. I don't know how she did it."

"Spokesman...I ask because...when I was with her last night, I...it...that was the most important thing for her. She was completely obsessed with not crying today. So...she succeeded."

Dukov and Sergekt sat for a long time in the late afternoon heat, each trying to think of something significant to say to the other. The passersby glanced at the strange pair, a naked young criminal and a middle-aged professional in a business suit. Finally Dukov spoke.

"If you had seen her today...she faced her fears and her worst enemy with complete calm. Kimberly was terribly afraid, but she conquered her fear. She looked that officer straight in the eye. When the officer slapped her, slapped her twice, in fact, Kimberly straightened up and continued to look right at her. I believe that is why that officer became so unbalanced. That officer's soul is damaged, and a damaged soul cannot face the truth. I want you to understand Kimberly is an extremely courageous young woman, and I hope you are able to truly appreciate how lucky you are to be with her."

"Yes, Spokesman. I know that the Spirits of the Ancients have truly blessed me by placing Kim in my life. In my prayers I thank them every night for that blessing."

"There's something else you should know, that should put your heart at ease. The worst of her sentence has passed. Officer Chorno faces the loss of her badge over her treatment of Kimberly. Another officer will administer her final switching in January. Under the law, I have the right to choose who the replacement officer will be. Probably I'll ask my son's partner to administer Kimberly's final switching."

There wasn't much else to say. Dukov planned to spend the night at his office, catching up on his case-load and watching over his client as she slept on the recovery table. Sergekt knew better than to ask Dukov if he could see her, because he knew the Spokesman considered that improper. He would have to wait until she had recovered.

Sergekt knelt in front of Dukov to say goodbye. He then went to the Socrates Club to tell Eloisa about Kim's horrific experience and amazing courage.

----------

The next day Criminal # 98945 was up and moving about fairly normally. Following the doctor's advice she avoided bending or sitting to allow her cuts to heal. She carefully showered, replaced her bandages, and had breakfast in the office with Dukov, his secretaries, and Eloisa. Kim had to eat standing up. After breakfast the two criminals went to their jobs at the music store. 

Once at the store, Kim followed the post-switching custom of placing her hands on the counter and allowing her co-workers to look at her punished bottom and back. The entire staff was horrified at how severely she had been beaten. Only once had any of them ever seen a fellow criminal who had bled as a result of his punishment. Kim's boss asked her if she wanted to have the day off or work a reduced schedule.

"No sir, I'll work a normal day. The whipping is over, and from what Spokesman Dukov told me, that officer won't be punishing me in January. Now I want to return to my duties. I want live my life with honor and not feel sorry for myself."

That night Kimberly Lee, with her horribly marked backside and three bandages, sang with her friends on stage. Her voice had returned, but Eloisa noticed a slight difference. There was more power in Kim's singing and a touch of anger. The lead singer knew what was going on in her friend's mind. She was hoping that cop was watching her sing. She wanted to prove herself, to the band's audience, and to that cop, that no, she was not defeated. Not even that savage beating 36 hours before could stop Criminal # 98945.



Maragana Girl Ch. 15



Chapter 15 -- The punishment of Officer Malka Chorno

Vladim Dukov and his client Kimberly Lee went to his office very early Friday morning. The chief police doctor was waiting for them, to examine Kim and clear her for attending the hearings that would determine the course of Officer Malka Chorno's future. As the doctor's assistant had predicted, Kim's bottom was well on its way to healing. He removed the bandages and was quite satisfied with the condition of Kim's injuries. "We may even avoid the scar on your thigh. Anyhow, if you have it, it won't be noticeable unless you're looking for it. That pretty brown bottom of yours will be back to normal in another week."

Kim cringed with dislike as the old doctor studied her bottom. The doctor was the same man who had given Prisoner # 98945 the drug test the year before and whose students delighted in sexually humiliating criminals. Kim would have expected the doctor and his staff to oppose Spokesman Dukov and his proposed reforms. However, on the question of injuries, the police doctors fully agreed with Dukov. Under no circumstances was it appropriate to actually injure a criminal. The doctors' objections to some of the more severe beatings that had recently taken place took priority over the head doctor's belief that there was nothing wrong with the sexual humiliations. The medical staff had become reluctant supporters of portions of Dukov's reforms. As for Criminal # 98945, the head doctor was every bit as concerned as was her Spokesman that she recover as completely as possible.

Before going to Malka Chorno's hearing, Kim had to go to the booking room of the Central Police Station to have her second mugshot taken. Throughout their sentences, Danubian criminals had to have their files updated each year, which included new yearly mugshots. Criminal # 98945 looked quietly into the camera as the flash went off. Later, when Vladim Dukov added the second mugshot to his client's file, he had a chance to compare it to the picture taken immediately after her arrest. The contrast was so startling that it was hard to believe that the two pictures were of the same person. The difference went way beyond Kim's changed hairstyle. Her entire expression was different; the very inner working of her soul was different. When Dukov compared the two photos, he realized how much Kim truly had changed and matured during the first year of her sentence.

---------

Dukov escorted his client across the Central Plaza to the Central Courthouse. They entered the ornate building and the courtroom where Criminal # 98945 went on trial the year before. Dukov explained to Kim that today was one day she was not to kneel in the presence of the public officials running the hearing. Kim was the aggrieved party in this case and was due an official apology. She would attend the hearing standing, although because she was still a criminal, she could not salute. Criminal # 98945 and Spokesman Vladim Dukov walked to the witness area immediately to the right and slightly behind the judge's desk. They stood together, as several cameras focused on them.

The courtroom was packed, filled with police officers, all of Danube City's Spokespersons, many law students and professors, and even some human rights activists. A number of criminals who had been punished by Officer Chorno also were present, eager to see the demise of her career.

The case would be a sensation, by far the most exciting trial of the year. Prosecutions against police officers were rare, so when they happened they always drew a great deal of public interest. Criminal # 98945 was relatively well-known and well-liked throughout Upper Danubia because of her singing. She was a familiar sight around Danube City on her bicycle and a fixture at the information counter at the city's main music store. Officer Malka Chorno also was well-known, especially as a result of the fire-fight in which she coolly shot four bank robbers with her service revolver as their automatic weapons sprayed bullets all around her. Finally, Spokesman Vladim Dukov was the most recognized of Danube City's 20 Spokespersons because of his success in representing criminals and because of the controversy surrounding his legislation pending in Parliament. It was for sure the entire incident, from Kim's switching and Officer Chorno's attack against the Spokesman, to the dismissal and prosecution of the policewoman, would be televised. Probably it would crowd out the transmissions of any other trials and punishments for that Sunday evening and be discussed for weeks.

Officer Malka Chorno quietly entered the courtroom in her uniform, accompanied by her partner. She had taken special care that her uniform look its best; her boots were thoroughly shined, her badge and buttons had been polished, her police tunic was crisply pressed and ironed. Officer Chrono knew this was the last time in her life she would have the right to wear her policewoman's uniform. She wanted to treat her outfit with special respect and care before she had to surrender it. Kim noticed one detail indicating the direction of Malka Chorno's future. There was no pistol in her holster. Her service weapon already had been taken away from her.

Malka and her partner silently stepped into the middle of the courtroom. They quietly stood on the empty floor, facing the judge's desk. Both the prisoner's stand and the punishment bench had been removed, because during a police disciplinary hearing neither was used. Errant police officers were harshly disciplined in Upper Danubia, but protocol prohibited them from being disciplined in the same manner as common criminals. It was partly for that reason Officer Chorno entered the courtroom still dressed in her uniform. The official stripping of her uniform would signal the beginning of her punishment.

From her spot in the witness area Criminal # 98945 looked at her nemesis. Officer Chorno looked neither broken nor defiant. She really did not even look sad. She looked...empty, as though the life force had been taken out of her soul. As Kim studied the officer's attractive face and immaculate uniform, she knew that Malka Chorno had changed. No longer was she the same person who had tormented Kim in the park nor the one who so had viciously beaten her a few days ago. Suddenly she felt somewhat sorry for the disgraced cop.

There were no such thoughts of pity from Vladim Dukov. He was determined to destroy Officer Chorno to the point she never could be a danger to anyone again. That cop was out of control and needed to be removed as a threat to the judicial system. She had violated the spirit of the 1780 judicial code continuously since the beginning of last year. She had shown absolute cruelty against anyone unfortunate enough to fall under her discipline. She held the city's Spokespersons for the Criminals in total contempt. Last year she had come very close to murdering Kimberly Lee. Her charisma made her dangerous because of the bad influence she had on other police officers. On top of everything else was the kick to his stomach. That kick was unprecedented. None of Dukov's co-workers ever had remembered a police officer striking a Spokesperson, and certainly never in court. Dukov would have had a hard time admitting it, but for the first time in his life he had developed a deep personal hatred and thirst for revenge.

"DOC-DOC DANUBE!"

The entire room stood up and saluted, including Malka's partner. She did not salute. She simply remained quietly standing at attention. Kim, her brain conditioned to dropping on her knees every time she heard the official salute, struggled to remember that she was not to kneel in court.

The person entering the judge's chair was not a judge at all, but the Chief of the Danube City Division of the National Police. Most of the other presiding officials were wearing police uniforms as well. There was an arraignment panel, but all three of them were senior police officers. The first hearing was not about the criminal charges pending against Officer Chorno, but instead her violations of the National Police Code of Conduct. The criminal charges would come after Officer Chorno's status as a police officer was settled.

The Chief of Police spoke from the judge's chair.

"Officer Malka Chorno. You will remove your badge and your hat. Place your badge inside your hat. Place your hat at the foot of my desk. Once you have done that, you will return to where you are standing."

Malka's partner un-pinned her badge and handed it to her. She took off her hat and, following the chief's instructions, placed it upside down at the foot of the judge's desk. She returned to her position standing next to her partner.

"You're responsibilities as a uniformed officer are suspended from this moment, pending the outcome of this hearing. That suspension will become permanent should this proceeding determine you are guilty of the violations of the National Police Code of Conduct pending against you. Do you understand the violations pending against you?"

"Yes, Chief of Police, I understand the violations of the Code of Conduct."

"You will state, in your own words, the first violation pending against you."

"I am charged with violation of Article 3 of Item 18 of the Grand Duke's reform of the Judicial Code of 1780. Specifically that means, during the course of punishing Criminal # 98945, I struck her to the point of bleeding, in clear violation of Article 3 of Item 18."

"You will state, in your own words, the second charge pending against you."

"I am charged with violation of Article 4 of Item 18 of the Grand Duke's reform of the Judicial Code of 1780. Specifically that means, during the course of punishing Criminal # 98945, I ignored my responsibility to stop striking that criminal when her Spokesman raised his hand to make me pause for medical evaluation of her injuries."

"You will state, in your own words, the third charge pending against you."

"I am charged with the violation of Insurrection. In violation of Article 9 of Item 5 of the Judicial Code of 1524, I struck a public official while he was performing the duties of his office. I struck him while I was supposed to be performing the duties of my office. Specifically that means, when Spokesman Dukov attempted to intervene to suspend the punishment of Criminal # 98945, I deliberately struck him full-force in the stomach by kicking him. I kicked him in court, while wearing my police uniform. I struck him in the stomach wearing a boot issued to me by the National Police Force."

"You will state, in your own words, the fourth violation pending against you."

"I am charged with a second violation of Article 4 of Item 18 of the Grand Duke's reform of the Judicial Code of 1780. Specifically that means, after I incapacitated Spokesman Dukov by striking him with my foot, I resumed striking Criminal # 98945, even though I could clearly see she was bleeding."

"Officer Chorno, do you refute the veracity of any of the four violations against you?"

"No, Chief of Police, I do not refute the violations."

"Can you give this court any justification for your behavior, any reason why you felt it was necessary to strike either Criminal 98945 or Spokesman Dukov?"

"No, Chief of Police, I cannot provide any justification that would alter the legal standing of the violations."

"Do you understand that your two violations of Article 4 of Item 18 of the Grand Duke's reform of the Judicial Code of 1780 and the violation of Insurrection will require this court to terminate your service as a uniformed officer of the National Police of the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia?"

"Yes, Chief of Police, I understand that."

"Very well. Malka Chorno, as of this moment you are no longer a member of the National Police Force. You have proven yourself unfit to wear that uniform."

Malka knew what was coming, but to hear the actual words pronounced struck at her soul. Being a police officer had been the purpose of her life, the reason she existed. The finality of what had happened finally sunk in. Malka's expression changed slightly. She looked stricken. The Police Chief's next comment was directed at Malka's partner.

"Officer, you will remove all property belonging to the National Police of the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia from the body of Malka Chorno."

Malka stood quietly at attention as her ex-partner stripped her. He started with her boots, taking them off her feet as she raised each leg. He then took off her police belt. He removed the items from the belt, her mace, her flashlight, her nightstick, her handcuffs, and her holster from the belt. He carried the boots and items from the belt to the foot of the judge's desk and lined them up next to Malka's hat. He rolled up the thick leather police belt and placed it at her feet, because it would stay with Malka and be used to punish her following her criminal trial. Malka's partner then removed several service metals from her uniform. He placed those in the hat with her badge. Her armband and rank came off next, and also ended up in her hat. Malka now was barefoot and wearing nothing but her woman's police tunic. He paused, hoping not to have to go any further.

"You will finish retrieving all property that belongs to the National Police Force, Officer."

Very reluctantly Malka's partner undid the buttons of her blue tunic. He took the tunic, folded it, and placed it at the foot of the judge's bench. Malka now was wearing nothing but a police shirt and the light-blue police-issue bra and underwear for female police officers. Those items had to be taken off as well. Malka's partner unbuttoned the shirt and pulled it off his partner's shoulders. He fumbled with the hook in her bra and finally got it off. He pushed her underwear to her ankles and she quietly stepped out of it.

Malka, now naked, stood at attention as tears rolled down her cheeks. Cameras flashed at the bare body of the disgraced ex-police officer. For a long time the Chief of Police left her standing, to let the humiliation sink in. Malka did not move, nor did she change her expression. The only detail indicating her inner torment was the tears flowing down her face. 

"Malka Chorno, for the final portion of this hearing you will kneel. You will understand that from this point forward you are not to salute any member of the National Police Force. No longer will you stand at attention in court. You have forfeited your right to salute. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Chief of Police, I understand."

"Kneel."

Malka sank to her knees for the first time in her life. She placed her hands on the floor and her head between them. She touched her forehead to the floor.

"Spokesman Dukov, you will approach the judge's desk with Criminal # 98945."

Dukov and Kim stood at the foot of the judge's desk, as she quietly contemplated the pile of police items at her feet. Kim was awestruck that these items, which looked so fearsome when worn by Malka Chorno, now were nothing but inanimate objects lying on the ground, incapable of causing her any further harm. What was truly shocking was to see how helpless Malka looked, stripped of her uniform. 

The police chief stepped down and saluted Vladim Dukov, who saluted back. He then retrieved Malka's badge from her hat and handed it to Dukov.

"Spokesman, in accordance with Article 6 of Item 18 of the Grand Duke's reform of the Judicial Code of 1780, you will present this badge to Criminal # 98945 as a gesture of apology from the National Police of the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia."

"Yes, Chief of Police, I will make the presentation."

Dukov turned to his client. He spoke to her in Danubian.

"Criminal # 98945, the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia offers its official apology for the manner in which you were treated this past Tuesday. I am presenting you with the badge of the police officer who offended your honor and your rights as a criminal as a gesture of remorse. You will understand this badge has no authority in your possession, it is nothing more than a gesture of apology."

"Yes, Spokesman Dukov, I understand, and I accept this gesture of apology with gratitude."

With that Dukov handed Kim the police badge. Kim thought she could hear Malka suppress a sob. Kim felt no triumph at all, no happiness or relief. She felt awful, and almost guilty that she had to accept the badge. 

Kim and Dukov withdrew to the witness's area and the Chief of Police addressed Malka again.

"Malka Chorno, my professional relationship with you has ended. I have one final duty to perform before I completely wash my hands of you. I am declaring you under arrest for the crimes of insurrection, simple assault, assault against a public official while in performance of his duty, and abuse of the authority of your former public position. I am ordering you to be taken to the Central Police Station immediately. You will be booked, arraigned, and assigned a Spokesman. Tomorrow you will go on trial, just like any other criminal."

The Chief of Police then stood up and drew his fist across his chest. The officers and civilians filling the courtroom saluted him. One of the court guards picked up Malka's handcuffs from her hat and used them to cuff her hands behind her back. He picked up her police belt and led her out of the courtroom and across Danube City's Central Plaza to the police station. Kim's arresting officer faced a day very similar to Kim's first day as a Danubian criminal. In spite of everything the woman had done to make her life miserable, Kim felt sorry for her.

----------

Dukov and Kim returned to his office. Dukov had expected to see Kim elated, but could tell that she wasn't. He was about to try to talk to her when one of his secretaries handed him an ancient silver box with an archaic version of Upper Danubia's national symbol, a griffin. Dukov sighed and frowned when he saw the box.

"What is it, Spokesman Dukov?"

Dukov showed the box to Kim.

"This box is an ancient tradition in our country. No one knows how old it is or where it came from. But all of us know very well what it is. I can tell you it is something no public official is happy to see."

"Why not?"

"This box contains a personal challenge. I must prove my honor. The document inside is a test of my character, a task that I must accomplish."

"I don't get it."

"In this country public officials have had a tradition for hundreds of years. If a public official considers himself important, his peers have the obligation to test his honor. If he passes the test, he may continue with his ambitions. If he fails the test, then he must desist from further public activity. The test is always a task that challenges one's inner soul."

Dukov opened the box and removed a standard business envelope. He opened the envelope and passed the letter to Kim. The message read:

Former Officer of the National Police of the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia, Malka Chorno, is officially under arrest and has been assigned Prisoner # 99348. You will serve as her Spokesman, and will protect her interests to the best of your ability. You will confirm receipt of this assignment when you retrieve her case file from the booking room.

Dukov took the letter back from Kim. He closed the silver box and packed it in its padded carrier. Later that night Dukov would have to return the carrier to the Temple of the Ancients. When it was not in use, the Temple's High Priest kept the box in his study.

"I should not be surprised. I do not know if you understand how difficult an assignment this will be for me. Malka Chorno is the first person in many years I have truly hated. I find her and her actions abhorrent. She represents everything I stand against and want to change. But now I am obligated to serve her interests."

"Who gave you this challenge?"

"The city's other 19 Spokespersons, without a doubt."




Maragana Girl Ch. 15



"But I thought they all supported you."

"The others support me, Kimberly. This is not a question of whether they support me or not. The others believe that Malka and I must come to terms with each other. This will be as difficult for her as it will be for me. That is why she became my client."

Dukov signed the letter and handed it to Kim.

"Please assist me in this matter. I would appreciate you going downstairs to the booking room and retrieving Malka's file."

"Yes, Spokesman Dukov."

Kim went downstairs to the booking room. The folder was waiting for her. Kim opened it to verify it contained Malka Chorno's documents. Kim studied Malka's mugshot, noticing the woman's glassy-eyed stare into the camera. Kim then knelt as the head photographer signed the receipt for Vladim Dukov. Dukov now was fully committed to serving a person he hated.

Criminal # 98945 returned to her Spokesman's office and handed the file to Dukov. With that he sat down to figure out how he could prepare a plea for leniency. The fact that both he and his surrogate daughter had been the victims of her violence no longer mattered. 

Kim left the office to meet Sergekt. He was waiting outside the main entrance of the Central Police Station. She desperately needed to talk to him. She hugged him hard, and they sat down on a nearby bench. She showed him Malka's badge. He took the badge and traced its engraving with his fingertip.

"Kim, you're not happy about this, are you?"

"No."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I really don't know why. She deserves everything she has coming to her, but I'm not happy about it. Tomorrow she'll go on trial, get her butt whipped and get a collar put on her neck, and the whole thing makes me sick."

Kim was having huge doubts about the destruction of Officer Chorno's career. Her American desire for revenge clashed with her Danubian concern about what was best for the entire community. What would become of Malka now that she had lost her badge? 

Kim's thoughts returned to Vladik's story about the bank robbery. It was obvious that Malka was a brave, if very flawed, police officer. Vladik's words "she's one of those officers who will end up either a complete hero or a complete villain, depending on which path the Spirits of the Ancients choose to lead her" came back to haunt Kim. Was there still room in this life for Officer Malka to become a hero instead of a villain? Could she redeem herself in a way that would be truly beneficial to Upper Danubia?

Kim checked herself. What the fuck am I thinking? That crazy woman wanted to kill me for no reason. She doesn't deserve any mercy. Or does she? Who knows what the terrible fate of her sister could have done to her soul? Can a damaged soul be repaired? Maybe the Guardian Spirits were trying to say something to her, maybe that was why they had answered her prayer to get her through the punishment without crying. Perhaps this country's Ancient Guardians had done Kim a favor, only to demand that she do something in return. 

My God, thought Kim...even this country's religion has gotten into my head.

As they walked in the mid-summer twilight, Kim discussed her beating in detail with Sergekt. The detail standing out in her mind was that she had prayed, actually prayed to the country's Spirits of the Ancients before her beating began, and then made it through the worst punishment anyone could remember without crying. She didn't cry at all, not even afterwards when she lay in agony on Dukov's recovery table. Could there be a connection between the two facts? And if she in some way had been helped, did it mean she had to do something in return?

Kim knew Sergekt was quite superstitious, that he took the entire Danubian Guardian Spirit thing very seriously. If there were anyone in her life who she could talk to about her question, he would be the right person.

"It's totally possible, what you're saying, Kim. It would make sense that the Guardian Spirits would have helped you get through your whipping, especially if you were praying to them. And you're right about giving back. If they gave something like that to you, then you must give something back. If the Guardian Spirits speak to you, you'd better listen, and follow the path where they lead you."

"What could they possibly be saying to me?"

"I don't have the answer to that. Let's go to the Old Temple, and see if we can get one of the Priests to help you."

As it got dark outside, the two criminals stood in front of a senior Priest. There was no kneeling, because for a Priest there was no social status among people seeking advice. The man was dressed in a simple black robe and looked about 60. Kim recognized him from last September as one of the organizers of the criminals' torch march. 

Kim explained her situation, and her doubts about finishing off Officer Chorno's career. She was perplexed and bothered that she even had such doubts, given that Malka was such an evil person.

"Kimberly Annette Lee, you will understand this dilemma in your life is not about Officer Malka Chrorno. It is about you. That is why you came here, to determine what path tomorrow must lead you. For the first time you hold another person's fate in your hands. That person is someone you hate, but it must be that way, or the decision would be an easy one for you. The decision will be difficult because that is the way it must be, difficult. Once the decision is made, it is not your enemy who will be transformed, but you."

Kim left the Temple clearly aware of what she needed to do. Two things were important. Malka had to be punished for what she had done. She needed to be punished not specifically for what she had done to Kim, but for her over-all behavior towards all of the criminals she had switched. Malka would become a criminal herself, learn what it was like to be on the other side of the punishment table, and be forced to change. However, once Malka's transformation took place, she needed to return to her rightful place in society.

Kim returned to Dukov's house very late. She spent the night in restless thought, wondering what she could say to Spokesman Dukov when he got up. As the pre-dawn light appeared out her window, Kim, a 19 year-old criminal, finally settled on a plan that would salvage both the career and the life of Officer Malka Chorno.

----------

Kim discussed her idea with Vladim Dukov as they made their way downtown. Dukov listened attentively once he found out about Kim's trip to the Temple of the Ancients. He was not as openly religious as Sergekt, but many of Upper Danubia's superstitions were present in his thoughts. The more he thought about it, the more Kim's idea made sense.

Vladim Dukov and his secretaries prepared a breakfast for Malka Chorno once they arrived at his office in the Central Police Station. It was a full breakfast, similar to the one Dukov had given Prisoner # 98945 the year before, complete with fruit, breakfast rolls, and tea. 

Malka Chorno entered the office, cuffed and escorted by one of her former co-workers. She knelt and was left alone in Dukov's reception area. Dukov un-cuffed her as Kim and the secretaries watched. Malka knelt forward and pressed her forehead to the floor, showing respect to the Spokesman she had so viciously kicked only a few days before.

"Malka, I want you to understand that regardless of what happened between us in the past, my duty now is to serve your interests."

"Yes, Spokesman."

"Please come with me and have breakfast in my office. Kimberly, you will prepare yourself to appear in court while I speak with Malka Chrono."

With that the Spokesman and Prisoner # 99348 entered the back office. Malka appeared totally broken, her soul emptied out. She ignored the food and stared blankly ahead.

"Malka, please. You must eat. Everyone who comes through my office begins with breakfast. A year ago Kimberly Lee went through exactly what you are going through. She ate breakfast, and then we discussed the trial and the charges."

Malka forced herself to eat. Once she finished she had a question for the Spokesman.

"Spokesman, if I may ask, because my crime was committed against you and your client, isn't it inappropriate that you represent me in court? Isn't that a conflict of interest?"

"Normally it is, Malka. But the other Spokespersons of this city have determined that you and I must make peace with each other. I will defend your interests, to the best of my ability. It is a question of honor, for both of us."

"Spokesman, I have no honor. What honor I had I squandered last Tuesday."

Dukov paused. Most certainly what the former police officer said was true, but now Dukov was faced with the task of salvaging as much of her life as possible.

"Malka, what you squandered was your current police career. You will understand that you will not recover that part of your life. Today you will be sentenced, and with your own police belt, your body will be severely beaten. Tonight you will sleep in my office, on a recovery table in intense pain. Tomorrow that pain will slowly subside. Once your body is back to normal your life will continue, whether you wish it or not. Now I have a question for you. I would like you, in your own words, to explain to me what happened last Tuesday. I want to know what was going on in your thoughts and what you hoped to accomplish. If you ask why I should know your thoughts, that is because I want to know anything that might allow me to request leniency for you."

Malka gave Dukov a sad look, then stared straight ahead.

"Spokesman, I wasn't trying to accomplish anything when I punished Criminal # 98945, other than satisfy myself. I simply wanted to gratify my desire to inflict as much hurt on a helpless person as I could, because it's what I enjoy doing. I wish I had some other explanation, but I don't."

"Do you believe using your position to gratify your desires was appropriate?"

"No Spokesman, of course it's not appropriate. And I knew that someday my actions would catch up with me. I knew it would happen eventually. It turned out that Tuesday was the day. As for kicking you, I...I don't know what happened. You stood between me and my obsessions. I wanted you removed so I could continue beating Criminal # 98945. It's like my emotions took total control of me, blocking out my ability to reason. I was insane, just for a few seconds, but long enough to injure Criminal # 98945 and to kick a public official, you. But...before Tuesday...I saw it coming...I knew it was going to happen, and I didn't do anything about it when there was still time."

Dukov proceeded to ask Malka to describe her police career at length, both the positive and negative things she had done in her life. He wanted his newest client to examine herself, and also gauge to what extent she could be truthful about her flaws. It turned out the ex-police officer was capable of being brutally honest with the most uncomfortable details of her life and her actions. She saw herself clearly for what she was, a brilliant police officer with a serious character defect that had hurt many people and ultimately wrecked her career. She blamed herself where she needed to, for striving to satisfy her lust for hurting other people instead of turning in her switch and seeking counseling. 

Malka didn't grovel in regret or self-pity. She knew she was a deeply flawed person who had failed to exercise any type of self-control. She now was paying dearly for that failure. Her fiancée had left her, her parents had disowned her, and her co-workers had turned their backs on her, including the ones she thought were her friends. Only one person in her life had stayed loyal to her, and that was her partner, a man she had so brutally bullied and bossed around ever since they had been assigned to work together. Malka suspected that over time he would reflect about his relationship with her and how awfully she had treated him, and once he did so, he too, would turn his back on her.

"My life is pretty much over, Spokesman. At least, what I knew is gone. I had a real reason for living; something the Ancients blessed me with. They gave me the talents and the abilities to do my job well and serve this country. How did I repay them? By tormenting criminals and squandering my career. I had a purpose in life, and now that purpose is gone."

"Malka, I don't believe that is true. You are only 26 years old. The meaning of your existence is not gone. I believe, ultimately, you will return to your purpose in life. However, before you return to that purpose, you will suffer for what you have done, and you will reflect about what the path the Ancients want you to follow. I will be here to help you."

"Spokesman, I...don't...want to argue with you, but I am facing at least an 18-year sentence. I mean...my crimes are pretty serious. How can I return to my purpose after 18 years?"

"We'll see. Now, I'd like you to get cleaned up. The criminal's bathroom is over there. There is an unused toothbrush on the sink. Use it."

"Spokesman, do you have a razor? I suppose I might as well shave."

"In the cabinet under the sink."

----------

Malka's police escort arrived to handcuff her and take her across the plaza to the Central Courthouse. The plaza was crowded with onlookers and reporters as the disgraced officer was marched naked and handcuffed to her trial. Dukov and Kim trailed behind, both very nervous about what lay ahead. As much as the reporters photographed Dukov and his two clients, there was no crowding, no pushing, no shouting of impromptu questions. The Danubian press would never tolerate such undignified behavior from its reporters. The reporters fully expected Dukov to answer their questions after the trial in exchange for respecting him now and keeping their distance.

The trial began in a manner very similar to Kim's trial a year before. There were the same formalities, the same salutes, the same shouting of "DOC-DOC DANUBE!" Like Kim before her, Malka knelt, placing her forehead to the worn carpet and her bottom high in the air.

One difference was Kim's role in the trial. Kim stood next to Dukov, for reasons the court would understand very shortly. Because she was one of the two aggrieved parties in this trial, she was not kneeling, in spite of her continued status as a criminal. 

The judge's first question in this highly unusual trial was directed at Dukov.

"Spokesman, I have a question for you. Since this prisoner is accused of kicking you, how is it that you became her representative in this court?"

"It was a collective decision of this city's Spokespersons that I am best suited to defend her interests, your honor."

The judge smiled slightly. Dukov's answer was a very euphemistic way of saying that he had received the Silver Box. Very well, Spokesman Dukov, I hope you're up to this challenge, thought the judge to himself.

Malka ascended the prisoner's platform and spread her legs and put her hands behind her head. She had watched so many people do the exact same thing, and now it was her turn. She stood motionless, looking straight at the judge.

The majority of the trial was a review of the tape documenting Kim's punishment, mixed with the testimony of the judge presiding over what was supposed to be a routine switching. The assistant police doctor testified next, as he shot a look of dislike at Malka.

"I have worked here for 22 years. Not once during that time have I seen a criminal as brutally treated as Criminal # 98945 last Tuesday. I was appalled and disgusted when I treated her injuries. Spokesman Dukov was well within the responsibilities of his position when he ordered a halt to that punishment."

There was more testimony from other police officials and the court guards who pulled Officer Chorno away from the punishment table, this time to support the charges of insurrection and assault of a public official while he was performing the duties of his office. Because of Dukov's task of representing Malka, there would be no direct testimony from him about what happened when she kicked him.

There was the usual break, and the usual drink of water for the defendant. Then Dukov spoke in defense of his former enemy. Dukov refuted none of the facts presented by the prosecution. Instead he concentrated on the need to give Malka the chance to reflect on her life and return as soon as possible to being a productive citizen. He presented Malka as she was, a brilliant but flawed individual who needed guidance and the opportunity to redeem herself.

Dukov's arguments were typical for such a case, but what followed wasn't. Criminal # 98945 stepped forward to testify. She was terrified, but courage welled up inside her to fulfill her purpose for being present on the floor of the courtroom. She addressed the court in accented Danubian as the cameras rolled and flashes went off wildly.

Kim spoke at length, explaining her deep fear of Officer Chrono before the final switching, her personal determination to overcome her fear, and most importantly her prayer that she make it through the punishment. She described her doubts as she received Malka's badge and at seeing her former nemesis reduced to a naked kneeling prisoner during the police hearing. The audience then sat in dumbfounded silence when Kim described her trip with Sergekt to the Temple of the Ancients and her talk with the old Priest there. Kim drew a deep breath, and finally proceeded with the mission she had assigned herself, making the effort to re-direct the destiny of Malka Chorno.

"The government of Upper Danubia has sought to apologize for what happened to me last Tuesday. I don't know how I should feel about that, because what happened to me is something that shouldn't happen to anyone. It did, and now I must move on with my life. The problem I face is that because of my trip to the Temple of the Ancients last night, I do not believe it is the destiny of Malka Chorno's life to be destroyed because of me. I want her to repair her damaged soul, and then I want her to return to serving this country. She is a brave and capable woman in spite of her damaged soul, and one who ultimately will serve this country well."

Kim then held up Malka's badge.

"Your honor, I request from this court permission to deliver Officer Chorno's badge to the National Police Academy and to surrender custody of it. I ask, once Malka Chorno has had an opportunity to reflect on what path in life the Ancients want her to follow, that she return to the National Police Academy, retrain, earn her badge back, and return to her duties as a police officer. If she needs to start over, at the lowest rank, so be it. But what I ask is that this woman's life not be wasted."

The judge tilted his head slightly, trying to make sense out of what Kim had just said.

"Are you saying that she should be exonerated of her charges, Criminal 98945?"

"No, your honor, not exonerated. She does need to be punished. She needs to learn what it is to be a criminal and to dread the punishment table. She needs to wear a collar and for a brief time live among the people she abused. However, once she passes though those experiences, my hope is that she will change, and that she will turn her back on who she has been up to this moment. My hope is, your honor, that the in the future she will use her talents to serve all of Upper Danubia's people, criminals included."

"What is your definition of a 'brief time', Criminal # 98945?"

"I'd guess a year, your honor. Definitely no more than two years."

The judge turned his attention to Malka.

"Malka Chorno, to be honest, I am shocked by the attitude of Criminal # 98945. She seems to have forgiven you, which is something that I, in her position, would have been reluctant to do. Now I will ask you. Do you think you can transform yourself? Do you have the same confidence in yourself that Criminal # 98945 has in you?




Maragana Girl Ch. 15



"I don't know, your honor. I don't know if I can change or not. Criminal # 98945 has placed faith in me. I cannot answer, even in my own heart, whether or not I deserve that faith she has placed in me."

The judge leaned back, thought for a few seconds, then leaned back forward.

"You gave me an honest answer, Malka Chorno. You don't know. If you don't know, then maybe there is hope for you. Fine. Here is my verdict. There is no doubt in my mind that you are quite guilty of all of the charges pending against you. Those charges include the crimes of insurrection, simple assault, assault against a public official while in performance of his duty, and abuse of the authority of your former public position. In ordinary circumstances the convictions would require you to wear the criminal's collar for 18 years. However, in your case I will not put a definite time limit to your sentence. If I am persuaded you are able to fulfill the faith that Criminal # 98945 and Spokesman Dukov have placed in you, then I will suspend your sentence and allow you to return to the National Police Academy. I am giving you something that you clearly don't deserve, the hope that someday you can redeem your life. Do you understand me?"

"Yes your honor."

"Criminal # 98945, I want to thank you for your gesture of concern for what is best for our country. I don't really know what to say, other than your thoughtfulness and consideration go far beyond what I would expect from a person only 19 years old. If you decide to carry through with surrendering the badge of former Officer Chorno, I will notify the director of the National Police Academy. He will receive the badge from you directly. Then it will be up to former Officer Chorno to earn it back."

"Thank you, your honor."

"This court is ready to pronounce the tentative sentence of former National Police Officer Malka Chorno."

With that, Malka dropped to her knees.

"Item One: Former National Police Officer Malka Chorno will wear the criminal's collar for an undetermined period of time. The collar will identify her as a criminal, monitor her movements, and alert the police should she try to leave this city. For duration of her sentence Former National Police Officer Malka Chorno is prohibited from traveling more than 10 kilometers from this courthouse."

"Item Two: for the duration of her sentence Former National Police Officer Malka Chorno is prohibited from covering any part of her body with any article of clothing. She has disgraced herself and our city with her actions, and Former National Police Officer Malka Chorno's disgrace will be shown to the world as a result of this sentence."

"Item three. Finally, for the duration of her sentence, however long that should be, Former National Police Officer Malka Chorno will receive a vigorous punishment on the naked buttocks and thighs with the leather belt originally issued to her as part of her police uniform every 120 days. Every 120 days Former National Police Officer Malka Chorno will be immobilized on the punishment table and beaten to the limit of her endurance, in accordance with the standard treatment for a former member of the National Police Force."

"Malka Chorno, you are now convicted and sentenced. You will descend to the foot of my desk to receive your collar."

Malka quietly knelt as the collar device closed around her neck. There was the familiar hiss and dull click signaling the final locking of the collar. Like every other criminal sentenced in the courtroom, Malka's hands went involuntarily to her neck, to finger the metal that now separated her from her life as a police officer. She had finished crossing to the other side. Malka Chorno had become a convicted criminal.

Malka was now to be punished. The table was waiting for her, but Kim noticed the restraints were set up differently. Instead of bending over the table, Malka would lie on top, with her wrists and ankles strapped to the table's four corners. As a former police officer, the protocol of her punishment would be somewhat different from that of an ordinary criminal.

Besides the different position, the punishment of a former police officer in Upper Danubia was different from the punishment of the average criminal in other ways. Because police officers punished ordinary criminals with switches, the National Police Code of Conduct prohibited switches from being used on police officers, even former ones. A former police officer instead always was punished with his or her police belt, beaten on both the bottom and the backs of the thighs. A former police officer always was punished by police officers of higher rank. In Malka's case that meant only the precinct's section chiefs could punish her, since she had the highest rank possible for a patrolwoman. 

The Chief of the Danube City division of the Danubian National Police approached the punishment table, holding Malka's police belt. The belt, stripped of its accessories, was a simple thick leather strap, very heavy and pliable from being used for several years. It was the only part of Malka's uniform that would remain with her. Once her punishment was finished she would have to wear it around her waist, and bring it with her to her next punishment. Now however, it would remain in the hands of Malka's former bosses, who would take turns punishing her.

Dukov saluted the Chief of Police as Malka knelt. She kissed his shoes and he tapped her on the shoulder with the belt. With that Malka climbed onto the table. The Chief of Police handed her a hard pillow that looked like a cylinder, which Malka placed in the table's middle. She positioned herself lying over the pillow, which pushed her bottom up high, fully exposing it. Two court guards positioned Malka's ankles and wrists at the corners of the table and secured them with straps. Malka now lay helpless and completely exposed for a long and harsh punishment with her own police belt. 

At first Kim thought the being punished with a belt would be more lenient than being punished with a switch. However, soon she would realize that was not true at all. Unlike the standard 50 strokes for a criminal, there was no set limit on the number of belt swats a former police officer could receive. The belt itself was thick and heavy, far heavier than a normal belt worn by a civilian. Malka would be badly bruised for days after her punishment. On top of everything else, as part of her sentence she would have to wear her belt around her waist when she went out in public, to show the world she was a disgraced former police officer.

The Chief of Police spent a long time studying Malka's spread bottom and exposed vagina, but he did not touch her. Finally he walked around to the side of the table. He doubled Malka's belt and lay it across her bottom. Malka quietly looked back at him, then straight ahead. Finally her former boss lifted the belt from her bottom, lifted his arm up and back, and marked the middle of Malka's bottom with a tremendous CRACK! 

Malka flinched, but stayed quiet. That did not surprise Kim. She expected Malka to be extremely stoic about her punishment and that she would resist crying for a very long time. The Chief of Police struck again, laying a second swat immediately on top of the first one. He struck a third time, laying yet another swat in the exact same place. 

CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!...Malka's former boss struck her hard a total of 10 times, always in the exact same spot. The swats were so loud that many of the court spectators flinched in sympathy. The police chief paused for a couple of minutes as the solid red band of pain marking the woman's otherwise white bottom darkened and swelled. The man tightened his lips and stuck hard, although this time at a different spot across Malka's backside. Viciously he struck again and again at the spots immediately above and below the vivid red stripe marking the first 10 strokes. Malka began crying. She didn't scream or make any noise, but her body jerked with sobs that she tried to keep quiet.

After the 50th stroke the police chief stopped. Malka's bottom was horribly red and had small purple marks on it. Kim thought the punishment had ended. Hmm...that wasn't so bad. But as that thought passed through Kim's mind, the police chief saluted an older woman, who she recognized as the member of the arraignment committee who had spoken to her in English following her own arrest for marijuana possession. The woman removed her jacket and took the belt. She doubled it, swatted it through the air to test it, and then, full force, delivered a tremendous CRACK to Malka's already badly marked bottom.

Once again, Kim flinched at the ongoing CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK! She felt bad for Malka, but could take satisfaction in knowing that her former nemisis did not face having to put up with this horrible punishment for 18 years. She certainly had incentive to reform, and do so very quickly.

After 25 swats the arraignment committee member was breathing heavily and ready to stop. She saluted another older uniformed officer and passed the belt to him. He struck Malka's dark red bottom viciously another 25 times. By then the errant cop's bottom was deep red and covered with purplish bruises and welts. Kim winced in sympathy. Malka now no longer was Kim's sadistic enemy. She was a fellow criminal who was suffering tremendously. Like any other criminal, she was trying to follow the informal code of honor by trying to stay as quiet as possible as long as possible. Her body continued to jerk with silent sobs as she attempted to hide her face from her former supervisors, who now had become her tormentors.

The older officer passed the belt to yet another section chief. Dukov raised his hand and pointed at Malka's thighs. The man nodded and struck hard at Malka's legs, concentrating on the sensitive area immediate beneath the base of her bottom-cheeks. Malka's resistance began to wear down. Her voice broke with each tremendous CRACK targeting her legs.

Two other sections chiefs punished Malka's thighs before Dukov raised his hand. By now Malka's bottom had darkened and looked ugly. Soon Malka's thighs would darken as well. When Dukov's hand went into the air a second time, Kim thought the punishment finally had ended. Kim was wrong about that.

The police chief snapped his fingers at four of the court guards.

"Turn her over."

The guards unbuckled Malka. One of them jerked the pillow out from under her. The guards then roughly grabbed Malka's wrists and ankles. They flipped her on her back and wrapped the restraints around her wrists and ankles. Kim gasped in horror as yet another section chief took the belt. He placed the belt on the upper part of Malka's thigh, lifted it up, and delivered a frightening CRACK to the previously unmarked skin of the former police officer's muscular right leg. He struck hard five times, then walked around the table to strike her left thigh another five times.

Malka, her face turned upward and her body spread and immobilized on the table, lost what little dignity she had left. She screamed and cried as the belt crashed into her skin over and over. Her body weight and movements pressed on the welts marking her backside, adding to her agony on the table. Her breasts jiggled back and forth as she sobbed, and her shaved vagina was on full display to the court cameras and her former colleagues in the police department. 

After 25 hard swats to the fronts of Malka's thighs, there was another salute. Yet another section chief took the belt. The belt struck Malka's thighs yet another 25 times. 

Kim gasped and stared at the scene in disbelief, looking at the broken, sobbing woman on the table. Dukov raised his hand a final time and looked at the judge. The judge drew his hand across his chest, indicating the punishment was over. The court guards undid the straps. Malka struggled to get off the table and fell into the arms of her former enemy. Dukov held the sobbing woman until she had recovered enough to finish the formal proceeding. 

The judge needed to sign Malka's punishment certificate. Malka had to present herself before the judge, instead of having the person who disciplined her perform the presentation. She struggled to stay upright as she faced away from the judge and presented her backside. Her final duty was to thank her former supervisors for punishing her. She dropped to the floor, struggled to her knees, and one by one kissed the shoes of her tormentors. Malka was facing away from Kim, so Kim had a good look at her bottom. It was so dark that Kim was appalled. No...most definitely being beaten with a police belt was no more lenient than being beaten with a switch.

The police chief touched Malka's shoulder with her belt and released her back into the custody of the Spokesman. He then handed Malka's police belt to Dukov.

The presiding judge had a final word for Malka.

"Malka Chorno you will arrange gainful employment with your Spokesman within 48 hours. You know the rules so I will not need to explain them. On this date, four months from now, you will present yourself to the Central Police Station for your second punishment. Do you understand?

"Yes, your honor. I understand."

With that, Malka Chorno, the brilliant young police officer whose character flaws had so thoroughly ruined her life, reported to the court photographer to have her official post-sentencing identification pictures taken. Once the photos were completed she silently accompanied her Spokesman back across the Central Plaza to the Central Police Station. She climbed on Dukov's recovery table and cried herself to sleep.



Maragana Girl Ch. 16



Chapter 16 -- The Bus Driver

Kim had to return to work at the music store immediately following Malka's punishment. Eloisa entered Dukov's office to remind Kim that she was needed at the customer service counter. She stopped to look at Malka's prostrate body and collection of dark welts and bruises. She was awestruck by the severity of Malka's punishment, and also by the fact that one of the most feared officers in the National Police had been reduced to a beaten and semi-conscious criminal, wearing a collar and lying naked on a recovery table.

Kim left Dukov's office to return to her normal life. Eloisa came to fetch her friend not only for their boss, but also to make sure she would be available for a recording session planned for that evening. A representative from a French record company would be on-hand to witness the session. Eloisa hoped for a foreign distributor for her band's music and needed all the members to be present. 

Spokesman Dukov watched the two naked young women descend the stairs as they left to go to work. Suddenly he felt very satisfied about Criminal # 98945 and her future. For the first time he knew, not just hoped, but actually knew, that his client would come out of her two-year sentence a much stronger and better person. Kim's courage had been tested, her physical endurance had been tested, and her need to come to terms with an enemy had been tested. The young woman's character displayed incredible strength in the face of some very harsh realities. Dukov reflected that, once the restrictions of Kim's sentence ended, she really would be capable of achieving great things in this life.

Dukov's immediate problem was not Kim, however. His immediate problem was what to do with Malka Chorno. The former police officer had neither a job nor a place to live. Prior to her public disgrace Malka lived with her parents, as was the case for any young woman who was not yet married. She had a very formal and traditional relationship with a fiancée, although rumors circulated that she had enjoyed affairs with several of her co-workers. All of that ended when Malka lost her badge. Her father locked her out of the family house, her fiancée left her, and her old lovers and friends turned their backs on her. She literally was starting from nothing, having to completely re-build her life living among people she had abused and humiliated just a week before. 

In many ways Kim had an easier task adjusting to being a Danubian criminal than would Malka. People generally sympathized with Criminal # 98945 because she was just 18 and a foreigner. She had no reputation prior to her arrest nor any enemies. She did not have to face the humiliation of being a criminal in front of her family and friends. Malka, on the other hand, was well known and hated by many people. She was 26 and Danubian, so there would be no patience or consideration from other Danubians like there had been for Kim. 

Malka's life would be one of constant and on-going humiliations. Any day she had to take care of business in Dukov's office she would have to walk through the Central Police Station past dozens of ex-co-workers. Every time she saw a cop on the street, she would know that person. Undoubtedly she would pass members of her family or her ex-fiancée's family every so often. Worst of all would be constantly facing other criminals, people who she had terrorized and abused in the past. Malka, of course, now held no special status among criminals, so the others would be free to jeer at her as much as they wanted.

Dukov wondered what on earth Malka could do to earn a living. Kim's music store definitely was not an option. Dukov hardly could imagine Malka smiling at patrons from a store's customer service desk. The only logical solution was his brother's courier service. It was far from perfect and a solution that could only be temporary, but working as a courier really was the only thing Malka could do at the moment.

Dukov called his brother. Not surprisingly, Victor objected to the idea of having to employ an ex-police officer. All of his other employees were only a year or two out of high school. Just how would an ex-cop fit in with a bunch of high school graduates? Dukov knew that his brother eventually would agree to employ Malka, if only on a temporary basis, but he spent nearly an hour begging and arguing before Victor finally agreed to issue Malka a bicycle.

"I will tell you this, Vladim. You had better let her know that around me she won't be any better than one of my other employees. Don't expect me to be nice or courteous to her because I won't be. When I snap my fingers, she'd better damn-well jump."

Dukov sighed when he hung up. Victor, always his same unpleasant self. 

Malka's next problem was where she was going to live. Dukov did have a possibility. He had a classmate from high school whose husband had just died. The woman was trying to raise three children and manage a small goose farm by herself. Anyone who has ever been around geese knows that geese are quite ill tempered. Well, Malka was even more ill tempered. No goose would be a match for the ex-cop. Vladim called his ex-classmate to suggest giving Malka a room and board in exchange for help with the geese and a small monthly rent. Overwhelmed with the loss of her husband, the Spokesman's classmate quickly agreed. Besides, the woman's children were getting out of hand, and having a cop around might help them calm down.

Vladim Dukov then called his secretaries in to have afternoon tea. In Upper Danubia mid-afternoon tea was a custom in all professional offices, a time when a boss and his employees sat together to relax. It was the one opportunity the Spokesman and his two assistants could sit together as equals and chat about their lives. Today's topic, of course, was the disgraced police officer recovering in the reception area and the events that led her to her current situation.

The three heard Malka stirring outside Dukov's door. They invited her in to join them for tea. Malka came into the office, knelt, and placed her head to the floor. When the Spokesman gave her permission to stand up, Malka took a cup and a sweet roll. She had to eat standing because her bottom and the backs of her thighs were dark and still horribly swollen. She would be very badly bruised for quite a while, so her first deliveries for Victor would have to be done on foot. There was no way her bottom would take the pressure of a bicycle seat until the bruises subsided a bit.

Dukov told his new client about her new job and living arrangements. Malka quietly nodded and thanked Dukov for taking the time to get her set up. As for her living arrangements, she was quite happy. She had grown up on a farm, so it would be a nice change from her life in Danube City. She had a comment about Victor that put Dukov's mind at ease.

"Spokesman, your brother doesn't sound any worse than several of my section chiefs. Remember where I worked is not a place known for having nice people, and I am used to taking orders. I've been yelled at plenty of times, so I'm sure your brother will be just more of what I'm accustomed to already."

The only problem with Malka's living arrangements was the location of Vladim's classmate's farm. It was a kilometer outside the Danube City collar zone, which meant that he would have to petition to have the transmitter in her collar re-programmed to allow her to live outside the normal area for criminals. Because it was Saturday, Dukov had to wait until Monday to turn in the paperwork. It would be Tuesday at the earliest before Malka could have her transmitter re-programmed. One of Dukov's secretaries volunteered to have the criminal stay with her family until Tuesday.

With that Malka put on her police belt. She was required to wear it to show everyone that she at one time had been a police officer. The belt, sitting alone on the woman's otherwise naked body, accentuated her nudity. She sadly knelt and said goodbye to her Spokesman. Malka then left the Central Police Station with the secretary, trying to avoid the stares of her ex-peers as she made her way out of the building.

----------

Following the broadcast of Malka Chorno's trial that Sunday night, Criminal # 98945 became something of a hero among her fellow-criminals. The others were amazed that she had been so savagely beaten and managed not to cry. They were impressed that the American was able to look Officer Chorno straight in the eye, even as the cop was slapping her face. They were gratified that Kim's actions resulted in the removal of a feared and sadistic police officer from their lives.

Kim expected the others to be angry over her plea for leniency for her former nemisis, but they were not angry at all. Danubian criminals tended to be more religious than average citizens, so Kim's actions following her visit to the Temple of the Ancients made perfect sense to them. Many of her peers even held out hope that once Officer Chorno returned to duty, she would be changed and would encourage her co-workers to treat criminals with respect and leniency. 

For the first time in her life, Kim felt good about herself. She was not proud, because pride in oneself was an emotion Danubian society ridiculed. However Kim had learned self-respect and confidence in her ability to make decisions that were morally right. Her feeling of well-being increased when her father broke the news about the arrest of his attorney in Lima, the attorney who had promised, for a huge fee, that he could negotiate Kim's release from her sentence. For the first time Mr. Lee treated her with respect over the phone, gratified by the changes that had transformed his daughter into an adult.

Kim realized something else the week following Malka Chorno's trial. No longer did she want to kill Tiffany, nor in any way harm her. Her feelings about her high school friend had changed. If Tiffany were to re-enter Kim's life, she would be concerned with doing everything possible to help her. As her hatreds dissipated, Kim found herself well on her way to achieving inner peace.

The following Tuesday, exactly a week after her switching, Criminal # 98945 took Officer Malka Chorno's badge to the National Police Academy to surrender it. As promised by the judge, the institute's director was on hand to receive it. He assembled the cadets in the parade yard as Kim knelt and formally handed over the badge. 

The director of the academy ordered Criminal # 98945 to stand up and then did something that shocked everyone. He bowed his head and kissed Kim's hand.

"Your gesture has humbled the National Police of the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia. I will carry through with your desire to someday provide ex-Officer Chorno the opportunity to earn back this badge. I assure you that the opportunity I will give ex-Officer Chorno will be just that, an opportunity. She will need to earn her badge. It will not just be given to her. Now, please face the cadets and remain standing."

The director then let out the loudest and most ear-piercing whistle Kim had ever heard. The cadets, in unison, shouted:

"DOC-DOC DANUBE!"

----------

The water crisis in Upper Danubia intensified as the hot July weather showed no sign of abating. Eloisa was forced to cut back on band rehearsals as her male musicians took afternoons off to try to save their parents' vegetable gardens. All around the outskirts of Danube City groups of exhausted, forlorn young men clustered around pumps with buckets, waiting their turn to obtain precious water for their families' dying plants. Farms began slaughtering farm animals, reservoirs dried up, and the nation's forests began to change color as the trees sickened from the drought.

The Danubian government did what it could to ease the situation. Around Danube City it set up several pumping stations to move water from the Danube River to the residents' garden areas. It approved emergency measures to make sure farmers did not lose their land due to foreclosures. The Parliament approved a plan to ration water and electricity that began July 15, as the water level behind Upper Danubia's main hydro-electric dam dropped to a critical level. Danube City ended up with electricity for only 9 hours per day: from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., then from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The main purpose of the schedule was to keep the trolleys running during rush hour, but even so, the country's Prime Minister appeared on TV to exhort the citizens to ride their bicycles whenever possible.

As bad a crisis as the drought was, Danubian society was well suited to confront it. The government's main goal was to ensure the nation's food supply through the next growing season, so every action taken by the Parliament served that purpose. The population clearly understood the need to make sure everyone would eat through the winter, so any personal sacrifices that needed to be made to save a farm, or a vegetable garden, or a herd of cows, or to import food, were accepted and supported by the citizens. 

On July 15 government scientists issued a warning the water table all around Danube City had dropped, and shortly many wells would run dry. The Minister of Agriculture warned that whatever vegetables people had managed to grow needed to be harvested and canned as quickly as possible. Food prices on fruits and vegetables started going up, but fortunately there was very little speculation and no panic buying.

The Ministry of Justice ordered all the nation's criminals to report to the Central Police Station the day after the warning. The police quickly turned off the transmitters in everyone's collars and then loaded the criminals onto buses to help farmers and pensioners get their vegetables harvested.

The wells ran dry over the following week as Kim and her friends helped harvest vegetables from several farms. The farmers issued the criminals work boots and aprons, and did what they could to show gratitude for the help. In the heat of the day, after working hard all morning, the criminals relaxed under shade trees and drank cold fruit punch to avoid dehydration. They started up again as soon as the sun lowered in the horizon and worked until well after dark. They slept on army cots, but in the evenings they ate well, enjoying food provided by the farmers they were helping. In spite of the hot, hard work, Kim enjoyed her week outside Danube City and the chance to see a part of Upper Danubia that normally would be off-limits to criminals.

The criminals spent their second and third weeks helping pensioners and anyone without an adult son harvest their vegetables from private gardens. They hauled baskets of harvested food to trolley-stops, and when necessary, helped pensioners carry heavy items to their apartments and houses. The fourth week most of the criminals returned to the farms for a final round of crop harvesting.

The farmers and pensioners were grateful for the assistance they had received and wanted to find a way to thank the criminals for their help. When several of them called Spokesman Vladim Dukov, he suddenly had an idea. He presented a petition to cancel all corporal punishments due to be issued through the end of September as a gesture of gratitude from the government. The idea caught on as many of those helped by the criminals lobbied their deputies to approve Dukov's proposal. The Upper Danubian Parliament approved the measure, not really having the time or the inclination to resist a popular idea. When the news broke to Kim and her friends out in the fields, they squealed with delight. Eloisa shocked Kim by hugging her. She and the others in her group had been due for a switching at the end of August. That punishment now was canceled.

----------

At the end of the second week in August, the criminals were transported back to the Danube City Central Police Station and their collar transmitters turned back on. The majority of the help they could provide was over, so they were released and ordered to return to their normal lives. The criminals had been away for four weeks, working 16-hour days with only a short break in the mid-afternoons. They were exhausted, sunburnt, and reeking from not having had the chance to get cleaned up. Their hair was disheveled and the men had beards. The women did not feel particularly feminine at that moment. Still, the criminals all were quite happy. They had performed public service to a country that had expressed at least some gratitude for their efforts.

Sergekt and Kim trudged up the hill to Dukov's house that evening. They hugged each other goodbye, and with that she went inside. Vladim and Maritza were eager to talk to Kim, but held off when they saw what a smelly mess she was. The first thought on everyone's mind was getting their surrogate daughter into a bathtub as quickly as possible. Once that was taken care of and Kim was civilized again, there was a dinner waiting for her. She recounted her adventures on the farms, but soon was nodding off. She went to bed right after dinner.

The next morning Kim woke up and looked out her window. She had not seen the view for a month and was shocked by how brown everything in the countryside appeared. A landscape that normally would have been lush green instead reminded her of the time she went on vacation in eastern Colorado. The trees were green, but the ground underneath them was completely brown. Kim noticed something else in the distance that she wondered about, some smoke in the air. She figured a farmer must have been burning some harvest debris. She shrugged her shoulders at the desolate view and prepared to deliver packages for Victor Dukov, for the first time in over a month.

There was more smoke in the air when Kim got home that evening. She spent the evening with the Dukovs, because Eloisa had decided to hold off on band rehearsals until the following week, and her boyfriend was busy helping his mother and aunt preserve what he had been able to salvage from her garden. Kim and Vladik stood at her window, commenting about the line of smoke in the distance and the increasing haze.

"This isn't good. I'd better call my section chief and see what's going on."

What was going on was the beginning of the worst natural disaster Upper Danubia would face in over a century. There were a series of huge forest fires just getting started. Already the entire fire departments of four provinces were totally occupied fighting the blazes. Most of the soldiers in Upper Danubia's small army were on their way to the fire zones as well. Officer Vladik Dukov's chief informed him a call-up of Danube City's police officers and firefighters was imminent. 

While their son was on the phone, the elder Dukovs turned on their television. Vladim, Maritza, and Kim watched news footage of huge fires burning forests, farms, and villages in eastern Upper Danubia. There were dramatic shots of frantic farmers and police officers trying to move herds of panicking cows away from rapidly approaching flames. There was one particularly gruesome shot of a pig farm on fire, with hundreds of dying pigs trapped in burning buildings.

The fires were exacerbated because the country still had plenty of forested areas, some even close to major cities. The forests were a vital economic asset to the country, as well as a traditional part of Upper Danubia's defense strategy. Having large forests near the cities allowed the Danubian military to mount guerrilla operations against any foreign invader, since there was no hope that such a small country could defend itself in a pitched battle against a large modern army.

King Vladik the Defender originally set up the forest preserves in the early 1500's after successfully using the woods to help his army repel a total of five foreign invasions. The king was a military visionary, a person whose guerrilla tactics against both Papal and Turkish armies were way ahead of their time. As they made their way through the forests, the invading armies suffered massive losses before they ever got to Danube City, at the hands of King Vladik and his guerrilla archers. Because of the forests and King Vladik's military strategy, Danube City never fell under foreign occupation at a time the rest of central Europe was devastated by wars.




Maragana Girl Ch. 16



The military rationale for the forests faded in the 20th Century. However, Upper Danubia still took pride in its forest preserves at a time when other European countries were trying to restore their own forests. The only problem, one that no one could have anticipated, was the vulnerability of the entire system during a drought as severe as the one currently afflicting the country.

That night Vladim and Vladik Dukov went downtown to the Defense Ministry. The Spokesman had to translate a series of phone calls, as the country's fire chiefs called overseas for advice to work out a strategy for combating the fires. Finally the fire chiefs settled on a creating a system of firebreaks to save most of the forests and more importantly, Upper Danubia's towns and farms.

The following morning Kim and Anyia watched as military convoys rolled passed Dukov's house and into the valley towards the line of smoke. A couple of military helicopters flew overhead. Kim rode her bicycle to her music store job, not realizing the fires were about to impact her life and the lives of her friends in a big way.

When Kim got downtown she saw a couple of police officers standing outside the music store talking to her boss. She noticed the "closed" sign still on the door. When she went inside, no one was working. Instead Kim's co-workers were calling their families to tell them they had been drafted into the fire-fighting effort. 

Eloisa came up to her with a very worried expression.

"Kim, call home. Let them know we're heading east, out to Rika Chorna Province, and it looks like we're going to be there for a while. They're pulling every criminal in Danube City to work on the fire-break they're setting up out there."

Kim parked her bicycle inside and called Anyia to let her know that she too, would be gone for an indefinite period of time.

Criminal # 98945 and her co-workers, only two days after being released from a month of heavy farm labor, walked with the police officers to the Central Police Station. The Central Plaza was full of criminals going through a huge assembly line to get them ready to become fire-fighters. The first priority was turning off their transmitters. Kim and Eloisa tilted their heads back as the collar technician touched their transmitters with an electronic device that somehow turned them off. The next line the two women stood in was to have their feet measured for army boots. The police took down their criminal number, Spokesman's name, and foot size; entering the information into a laptop. 

The next line was for clothing. Yes, clothing. This was a national emergency, so Kim and Eloisa found themselves putting on yellow fire-fighting clothing. The clothing felt extraordinarily hot and uncomfortable to Kim, who had spent the last 14 months of her life living nude, but obviously no one expected her to fight a forest fire without proper protection.

The police shouted at the criminals to find their Spokespersons. Each Spokesperson had to organize his or her clients to get on the military trucks for transport across Upper Danubia. Kim knew that Vladim Dukov still was on the phone translating for the fire chiefs, so she went with Eloisa to find Spokesman Havlakt. Sure enough, he had Kim's criminal number and her boots. He handed each of the two women a bag containing socks, a canteen and belt, a fire blanket, gloves, dust masks, and several plastic bags of US army meals, or MRE's. He then ordered the two women to turn around and slapped their criminal numbers onto the Velcro patches onto their backs. He then pointed at the long rows of Danubian Army trucks at the other side of Danube City's Central Plaza.

"Your boyfriends are in the third truck in that second row. If you hurry up you can catch it before it leaves."

Kim and Eloisa didn't bother to put on their boots. They simply dumped them in their bags and ran across the plaza in a frantic dash to catch the truck before it departed. The truck already was moving slowly, but when the driver saw the two young women desperately running behind it, he stopped to let them get on. Kim sighed with relief as she saw Sergekt and sat down next to him.

For the second time that summer Kim's normal life as a criminal was suspended as she was drafted into the service of Upper Danubia. The trucks rode out to the edge of the capitol and beyond the border of the Danube City collar-zone. The criminals whistled and hissed as they passed one of the dreaded yellow signs. It was a gesture of derision against the system that normally restricted their lives so severely.

The criminals were in a relatively upbeat mood, in spite of the danger and toil that lay ahead. It was a part of their place in society they be available for emergencies. They felt good about being able to contribute. They also looked forward to getting out of Danube City, even if it was for just a short time in a very restricted area. Most importantly, they could look forward to the possibility of having a switching canceled if they performed their duties well. If the police felt it was necessary to put a criminal in harm's way, the reward usually was to cancel a switching. That promise was sufficient to make criminals plenty willing to put themselves at risk for the good of the community.

A fairly pleasant ride lay ahead for Kim and the others, then would come days of hellish work in a smoke filled environment. The criminals filled their canteens, put on their socks and boots, and looked at their MRE's with bewildered expressions. They sang a few traditional songs, but finally settled down to sleep or watch the countryside go by. Kim relaxed in Sergekt's arms as she observed the towns and forest parks of central Danubia.

"If this doesn't get burned up, we'll come out here next summer once we get our collars off. I'm desperate for a good hike."

Kim smiled and nodded. A hike would be nice.

The criminals' convoy climbed a series of foothills, passed the Rika Chorna Reservoir, and continued through a range of low-lying mountains. As the vehicles turned out of the pass to descend into the next valley, their passengers observed with horror what was going on. A massive fire was sweeping towards the foothills and blanketing the entire valley with thick smoke. Behind the fire was an enormous blackened area containing several villages, which already were burned to the ground. A long column of evacuees and herds of farm animals streamed past the military convoy, heading in the opposite direction away from the fire zone. Helicopters circled overhead, trying to douse sections of the fire with retardant. 

As bad as the situation in the valley was, what concerned the government was the need to prevent the fire from making it past the first line of hills standing between the valley and the main mountain range. If the fire made it to the mountains, it would be completely uncontrollable and char the entire central portion of Upper Danubia. Not only would the forest be lost, the water shed for the nation's main reservoir would be destroyed and Danube City would lose both its electricity and water supply. The government's solution was to create a firebreak at the top of the first ridge, and in several spots a secondary series of firebreaks in case the fire jumped the main one. Professional fire crews and soldiers had sections of the firebreak nearly completed near the main road, but beyond the main road hill after hill was waiting for firebreak crews.

The trucks stopped along the main road as firefighters divided the criminals into work crews working under the direction of a police officer or a firefighter. Several trucks ahead, Kim noticed Malka Chorno, in her collar and yellow firefighter's suit, talking to couple of army officers. The officers placed her in charge of one of the firebreak crews, her status as a criminal suspended due to the emergency. For at least a couple of days Malka could go back to being her old self as a cop and shout orders at a group of subordinates.

Malka's crew separated out first. She was placed in charge of three Danubian soldiers, who in turn led three groups of 10 criminals each. Malka and her crew climbed onto a bus and disappeared down an unpaved country road towards one of the untouched hills.

Sergekt looked around sadly at the doomed countryside, and made a comment to Kim that later would become very significant.

"I've been all over this area. It has a lot of memories for me, because my father took me hunting and camping here before he died. I'm going to be real sorry to see it burn up."

The Danubian firefighters ordered the occupants of the first 15 Army trucks to get off with their gear. The firemen divided the criminals into groups of 10. Each group had a soldier leading it, and a firefighter or police officer was placed in charge of the three soldiers. The criminals received additional equipment such as shovels and pickaxes. The soldiers carried explosives to clear sections of firebreak and canisters to set backfires. Thus equipped, each crew loaded onto an old city bus and departed for one of the hills.

Fortunately the Danubian Army had managed to move several bulldozers and earthmovers out to the fire zone. The bulldozers already were en route to the line laid out for the firebreak and some already were toppling trees and brush.

Kim and her companions boarded a bus that trailed behind two army trucks towing bulldozers. They traveled about 25 kilometers away from the main road and then turned on a narrow dirt road that passed between two low-lying hills. There were five buses altogether, one for each heavily forested hill, and the other three crews to cut backup firebreak along a large meadow. The meadow was by far the more logical spot to cut a firebreak, but there was an evacuated village located at the back of the two hills the government was hoping to save.

As the smoke from the approaching fire increasingly poisoned the air, Kim's crew trailed behind the bulldozer, clearing debris as the soldiers set backfires. It was slow-going because of the large trees that needed to be cut down to clear the path. Three criminals who knew how to use chain saws switched off with the soldiers cutting branches, while the others exhausted themselves clearing flammable debris from the path. A local villager brought water and gasoline to the fire crew on a mule. 

The villager also brought some bad news. The bus driver who had driven the bus Kim rode in on had a heart attack and had to be evacuated by the other bus driver. The other driver had to take the second bus back to the Rika Chorna Medical Center, but promised to return shortly with a replacement. That afternoon there was just one bus left near the road. There was no one to drive it, but the crew's supplies were there.

Kim's crew felt they had made good progress as night fell. The soldiers expressed confidence the village probably could be saved after all. The lead firefighter called his supervisor, who estimated the fire would reach the firebreak mid-afternoon the following day. The firefighter ordered the three soldiers to have their crews pick up their tools and follow him back to the road, where everyone would have dinner, reorganize their equipment, and camp. There was plenty of time remaining to widen the firebreak, set more backfires, and prepare to fight embers...or so everyone thought.

As dawn broke the following day, the fire crew noticed it was very windy. There was more smoke in the air, lots more, blowing up from the valley.

The firefighter was on his radio, talking with a very worried expression. What the Danubians overheard terrified them.

"What do you mean you can't get a driver over here? Can't you see we're trapped? What about a helicopter?...too windy? Look, there's 68 of us out here...You've got to get a helicopter...No! I don't know how to drive that thing!"

The Danubians seemed immobilized with fear. Suddenly most of them got on their knees and started reciting a prayer normally spoken at funerals. It was obvious the group's members expected to be dead in a few minutes.

What the hell is the problem, thought Kim, we just get on the bus and go. She spoke up:

"Let's just get on the bus! We can get out of here on that!"

"There's no bus driver, that's why!"

"No one knows how to drive?!"

"Of course not! This is not America! We don't drive in this country!"

Kim glanced at the orange glare at the bottom of the hill. Unlike her companions, Criminal # 98945 was not yet ready to face the Creator in the Afterlife. There was only one solution. She would have to try to operate the bus and get everyone out.

"I do know how to drive! I haven't driven a bus, but I've driven a couple of vans! Everyone get on! I'll drive!"

The orange glare brightened. Kim frantically scrambled into the driver's seat of the bus. She fumbled for the ignition. The key was there, thank God. She turned it hard. The engine groaned in protest, but Kim got it running.

"GET ON!"

As Kim's 67 companions quickly filed on, she noticed the orange glowing brighter and brighter. Embers were blowing past the bus. The seats quickly filled and the final people boarding had to squeeze into the aisle or into the laps of those already seated. It was a tight fit, but everyone made it on. The firefighter took a quick look out the door to make sure no one was still outside, and climbed in.

Kim shifted into drive just as the flames became clearly visible along the road. The area was filled with smoke, making the frightened driver realize that she had a new problem, visibility. She gunned the engine and moved the bus forward, although not any quicker than the approaching flames. 

Panic swept through Kim. She had to move faster, but she could only see a few meters ahead of her. The awkward and unfamiliar feel of driving such a large vehicle made things considerably worse. One wrong turn onto the wrong road, and the flames would catch them. If she lost control and went off the road, she and everyone else would die for sure. Suddenly Kim remembered Sergekt's comment about knowing the area.

"SERGEKT! SERGEKT!"

Sergekt struggled to get up to the front of the bus.

"You know this area?"

"Yes!"

"Tell me where to go! Get us out of here!"

For several harrowing minutes Sergekt directed Kim down the hill towards the village. The flames chased the bus, as though the fire was infuriated at the escape of Criminal # 98945 and her 67 passengers. The village now was doomed; the efforts of the two crews canceled by the sudden shift of wind. However, as the bus descended into flatter and more open terrain, its driver breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed the smoke was not as bad. The vehicle dashed across open fields towards the main firebreak as the fire roared behind and engulfed the village. The flames swept across the parched fields, but fortunately there was not enough fuel near the road to put the bus in any further danger. Kim sped towards her goal and rushed past the first line of firefighters. She braked, assuming, quite rightly, that the two crews in the bus were desperately needed to supplement the main firebreak. She directed her next question to the head firefighter.

"Where are we going?"

"Let's go left, towards that next hill! They'll need us up there!"

Kim turned onto a dirt road, not yet realizing the others were flabbergasted with her feat. With Sergekt guiding her, she drove along the hill and unloaded her passengers, one team at a time. The flames were approaching Upper Danubia's second, and final, line of defense. The exhausted criminals working the main firebreak cheered the arrival of re-enforcements. Because of Criminal # 98945, 68 potential fire deaths instead became 68 extra sets of hands for the drama about to unfold on the main firebreak.

The smoke thickened again as the fire approached the back-burned slope of the hill. It had run out of fuel to keep going, but in a final desperate effort to make it to the mountains, the fire shot burning embers across the firebreak. The fire-crews pounded small flare-ups with their shovels. There were plenty of scares, and one spot where it looked like the fire had indeed jumped the firebreak that had to be attacked by a tanker plane dropping flame retardant. 

Finally, after two arduous days of shoveling spot fires and breathing smoke, the firefighters, soldiers, and criminals fighting the fire realized the worst was over. The central portion of firebreak had held so far. The fire still was burning towards the edges in either direction, but there were enough professional firefighters to handle the reduced crisis. The work was not over, because there was plenty of mopping up to do and the need to monitor the area, but the desperate physical danger largely had passed.

That night, as Kim and Eloisa tried to clean the soot off their faces, Eloisa mentioned Kim's hero status among her peers. Kim dismissed the entire incident.

"Look, I just drove a bus for a few minutes. That's all I did, and I wouldn't have made it down the hill if I hadn't had Sergekt telling me where to go."

"Well, you can say it's nothing, but we're all very grateful for what you did. You did save us."

----------

Three days later the criminals boarded the buses to go back to the main road. They would spend the night at the Rika Chorna Gymnasium getting cleaned up and resting. Then the plan was to transport them back to Upper Danubia's Central Valley to fight several smaller fires. However, that night, as they stood in the parking lot, Kim and her companions noticed it was increasingly humid. A light rain started as they went inside to eat and shower. Once clean and fed, the criminals relaxed on mattresses on the gym's main floor. They all were asleep within minutes. The following day the firefighters came in to announce the planned operation in the Central Valley was canceled because it had rained overnight and still was raining quite heavily. Not surprisingly, most of the criminals dashed outside to see for themselves. Sure enough, sheets of heavy rain were falling in the parking lot. The police decided to collect the fire-fighting suits and other equipment in Rika Chorna, since the items no longer were needed. As the rain continued to fall some of the criminals dashed outside and splashed water on each other. Many others, including Sergekt, were kneeling on the wet pavement, giving thanks for safely making it though the fire fighting operation. Kim knelt beside Sergekt and joined him in prayer to the Spirits who had protected her.

----------

A week of rain put an end to the fire crisis. Upper Danubia still faced huge problems, including the rebuilding of thousands of homes burnt in Rika Chorna Province and the restocking of the area's farms. The government had to plan massive replanting operations and set up a general economic recovery program for the entire eastern half of the country. However, life in Danube City could return to normal, now that the Rika Chorna Reservoir had some extra water in it.

The government kept its promise to cancel the next switching for the criminals who had participated in the fire-fighting operation. That meant Kim's final switching on January 2 was canceled. The dreaded beatings now were behind her. Sergekt, Eloisa, and Kim's other friends now could look forward to the cancellation of two switchings, the one at the end of August, and the one at the end of December. That left them with only one switching, the one scheduled for next April, which would be the final corporal punishment for the group.

The sentencing judge decided to give commendations to several criminals whose participation in the fire-fighting operation was outstanding, including Kim and Malka Chorno. Kim found out that Malka's crew had cleared and guarded their firebreak under particularly severe conditions, and that Malka had administered first aid to three injured villagers that saved their lives.




Maragana Girl Ch. 16



The Danubian government made a much bigger deal out of Kim's driving than she thought was necessary. Criminal # 98945 became a hero not by being brave, but because she knew how to do something no one else in her group knew how to do. How easy it had been to be a hero. She simply was in the right place at the right time with the right knowledge. The judge asked Kim if she had any wishes in particular that she might want to make, within reason, of course.

"Yes, your honor, I do have one request. I don't want to end my sentence on July 2. I would like to complete my sentence with my friends. The day they take off their collars is the day I would like to take off mine. I know it will add three weeks to my sentence, but it is very important to me that I stand together with them the day my collar comes off."

"Well, that is an easy-enough wish to grant, Criminal # 98945. But you will take your collar off on July 2. I will shorten your friend's sentences instead of lengthening yours. So, on the Monday after July 2, there will be 29 of you in this courtroom. Considering your contribution to our country, I think that's the least I can do for you."

As they left the courtroom, Malka approached Kim. In spite of their overt coming to terms with each other, the two women still felt very uneasy in each other's presence. Malka had something she needed to say to Kim, however.

"Kimberly Lee, I have an apology I must make to you. Maybe you might think it's a trivial thing, but it has been troubling my soul in a way I don't think you can imagine. I once said that you're nothing but a pathetic little druggie and that's all you'll ever be. That was the most mistaken thing I ever said to anyone. You are much more than that...much more than that."

Malka sadly turned away and walked out of the courthouse. Kim didn't follow her. She stayed quiet, not having a clue about how she should respond.



Maragana Girl Ch. 17



Chapter 17 -- The Brat on a Bicycle

Criminal # 98945 finally returned to her normal routine as August drew to a close. She continued to deliver Victor's packages and messages, greet customers at the music store, and deal with a backlog of issues affecting Eloisa's band. She continued to rehearse and sing. She divided what little free time she had between Sergekt, Eloisa, and the Dukovs. Kim's life was completely full, about as full as a person's life could be.

Ironically, Kim's job with Victor Dukov became a refuge of sorts in her life. Her constant activities and social obligations might have worn on her patience had it not been for the days she spent alone on her bicycle, pedaling hard around Danube City. Victor no longer had to exhort Kim to ride fast to make her deliveries. She was under so much pressure from the other areas of her life that she vented her stress speeding along the quiet streets of the nation's capitol. She moved about so quickly that her boss stopped nagging and berating her. She became his favorite employee, held up as an example of what Victor wanted from his riders. That was not entirely a good thing, because now he placed Kim in the uncomfortable situation of constantly asking his other employees why couldn't they deliver their messages as quickly as she was delivering hers. 

One afternoon Kim saw Victor berating Malka Chorno. True to her word, it was obvious Malka was quite used to being yelled at unfairly. She quietly stood at attention while Victor exhausted his long list of complaints and criticisms. Kim saw a huge irony in the situation, as Malka stood straight, listening to the complaints of a small businessman. In spite of losing her uniform, and in spite of everything else that had happened to her, Malka still looked and acted like a cop.

----------

Kim's first night back at the Socrates Club was filled with celebration. Every criminal in Danube City was jubilant over the double cancellations of switchings; Dukov's two-month suspension of corporal punishments for their help with the farms, and the added cancellation of one switching for each criminal who participated in the fire-fighting effort. The criminals had undergone a harrowing six weeks of hard work and danger, but then returned to Danube City to receive a respite from some of the harsher aspects of their sentences. The past hardships and current absence of pending physical pain changed the criminals' outlooks on their lives. Kim noticed a difference in both the speeches and the music of the Club from the year before. The music, especially, became much more philosophical instead of morose. 

Kim sat at her usual table, drinking Danubian beer and eating the usual salted deep-fried vegetables with her friends. It had been exactly one year since Criminal # 98945 started coming to the Socrates Club. Her friends commented on the anniversary and on how different she was now from whom she had been when she first came in. Kim ordered another round of beer and then stood up at her table. She put her hand on Sergekt's shoulder and smiled at him. Then, in Danubian, she addressed her group:

"A year...it's really hard to believe it's been a year since I've known all of you. In some ways it seems like it's been a lot longer, and in other ways it seems like the last year went by in a flash. But...your friendship...it means more to me than I could ever express, even in my own language." With that she raised her glass. "Here's to this time next year, to our freedom, and our continued friendship!"

Everyone at the table enthusiastically raised their glasses.

Later that night Kim and Sergekt went to an intimacy room for the first time in nearly two months. She was desperate for some good sex. Once they had the door closed it was Kim who took charge. She pushed Sergekt on the bed and grabbed his hands to pin to the mattress. For a very long time she held him down as she passionately kissed him. She could feel him getting hard, so she began licking around the base of his penis and kissing the tip. As he got even harder he arched his back and ran his fingers through her hair. She got up and straddled him, grabbing his hands and pushing them back down on the mattress. Kim's gritted her teeth in an intense passion as she lowered herself on him. She guided his hands to her breasts. He massaged her nipples as she came, and then came again. Two months! There was two months of sexual frustration pent up in Kim.

The couple waited for a while, and then resumed their love-making, this time in Sergekt's favorite position, with Kim on her elbows and knees, and her bottom spread and high in the air. Kim seductively moved her bottom back and forth, as Sergekt remembered his girlfriend on her bicycle from last fall. That's right, he thought to himself, I'll owe her a nice hard spanking if I ever catch her on that fancy American bicycle she's got. As he pushed hard into her and she groaned with pleasure, Kim didn't realize her boyfriend's thoughts were on spanking her cute brown bottom.

Kim briefly fell asleep on her stomach, as Sergekt gently ran his hand over her bottom cheeks and his fingertips ventured into the darker area in between. As he studied his lover's bottom and lay recovering from his exertions, Sergekt pondered the problem of how he could catch her while bicycle riding in a place private enough where he could put her over his lap. The only solution would be to somehow find a shortcut where he could secretly pass her and then surprise her by catching her from the other end. Yes, he thought, there is one such spot on the way to my mother's garden plot, a utility path that bypasses the main bicycle trail. Sergekt gently patted Kim's bottom, thinking about the attention that it was destined to receive the next time they went bicycle riding.

----------

Malka Chorno entered the Socrates Club for the first time at the end of August. She quietly asked the doorman whether or not she should wear her policewoman's belt, given the club's rule about clothing of any kind was very strict. No, was the answer; that comes off. Here you are a criminal, just like the rest of us. We're not worried about who you were before you were sentenced.

At the beginning Malka sat alone, given that she had no friends in the club. She watched several groups perform, and then Kim and Eloisa perform together on stage with three of Eloisa's musicians. As she watched Kim perform, Malka had a chance to reflect on her misplaced loathing of the American. She felt bad about how she had treated Kim, but couldn't see how that damage could be repaired.

Malka was extremely lonely. Because everyone in her former life had turned their backs on her, Malka had been completely by herself since she had been sentenced. She felt she deserved what was happening to her, but the pain of the betrayals by her former friends weighed on Malka tremendously.

Malka's isolation ended before Kim's singing was over. One of Sergekt's classmates, Tuko, noticed the ex-cop as she quietly sat by herself. Tuko had a girlfriend prior to the riot at his school, but her parents prohibited her from seeing him after he was sentenced. Tuko had not been able to find anyone else to go out with, and had given up hope of having a normal relationship until his sentence ended. That was too bad, because of all the members of the group, Tuko and Sergekt were the most adventurous when it came to reaching out in their personal relationships. 

The disgraced ex-cop presented Tuko with an opportunity and a challenge. He found her fascinating and wondered how approachable she would be. She was 7 years older than the members of Sergekt's group, but Tuko didn't care about that. She was pretty and tough looking, as well as somewhat mature, precisely the kind of woman Tuko secretly fantasized about having in his life. Well, here was his chance. Finally he walked over to Malka's table and asked her to dance.

Tuko's relationship with Malka took off very quickly. Malka accepted the first dance out of sheer boredom and loneliness. At the beginning she had real reservations dancing with a criminal almost a decade younger than her. However, Malka knew that the old rules and protocol in her life no longer had any relevance. She now was a criminal herself, and if this guy was still in his teens, so what?

While Sergekt and his classmates watched in dumbfounded silence, Tuko bought some beer and fried vegetables for himself and Malka and sat with her. It was weird to see her smile and converse. Kim and Eloisa could tell that both Tuko and Malka were sexually aroused, something that became very evident the next time Tuko invited her to dance. Shortly afterwards the Socrates Club's newest couple headed towards the stairwell door and disappeared to go to an intimacy room.

Sergekt and Dima looked at each other, a bit shocked at Tuko's departure from their table and its result. "Well, that was fast."

The group now was faced with a dilemma. It was customary that any member who started dating someone from outside the group would bring his or her partner to the table, and the person would become a de facto member of the group. That was what happened the year before to Kim when she started dating Sergekt. Malka, however, was much more of an outsider to the group than Kim ever could have been. Kim, although a foreigner, an English speaker, a drug user, and Asian, at least was the same age as Sergekt and his classmates, and like them, a recent high school graduate. More importantly, she never had been a police officer. Kim had no past associated with her, nothing to make anyone hate her before meeting her. 

An ex-police officer was different, especially one with Malka's background. The beatings Kim's friends had endured left them traumatized and afraid of anyone in a blue uniform. Until two months ago Malka Chorno had been among the cruelest of the police officers, one of the worst tormentors of criminals. Now she was a criminal herself, precisely because she had stepped over the line in her mistreatment of Criminal # 98945. How could she sit with the group? And yet...the group's subculture and their friendship with Tuko demanded that any partner of his would become one of them.

Fortunately that night the group was not confronted with the issue, because Tuko and Malka never re-emerged from the intimacy room. The group discussed how to handle the situation with Malka, should she continue to go out with Tuko and he end up bringing her to the table. Finally Sergekt stated:

"Look. Officer Chorno is really Kim's problem. I think it is up to Kim to decide how we should treat her. As far as I'm concerned, whatever she says is what we'll do, and there'll be no further discussion. It's Kim's choice."

Kim was not pleased that Sergekt was dumping the problem in her lap, because she felt she really had no choice. She felt morally obligated to come to terms with her former nemesis, but she really did not want to do so by mixing Malka with her social life. Nevertheless, Kim's conversation with the old priest at the Temple gave her no alternative other than to forgive Malka for what she had done. Kim knew that Malka had repented and even tried to apologize...sort of... That meant she had to treat Malka like she would treat any other fellow criminal.

"I...suppose...that we're all criminals, and now Malka is one of us. She's not a police officer anymore...or at least not until she gets her badge back. You're asking me what I want, but that's the wrong question, because what I want doesn't matter. You see...I don't have any choice. That priest obligated me to forgive Malka, and I'm going to have to, as hard as it is, I'm going to have to. So...when Tuko brings her, I'll just deal with it."

Eloisa gave the guys an angry look, and interjected "It's not fair to put this decision on Kim."

"Life's not fair, Eloisa. I think you know that better than any of us at this table. It's not fair, but I have to forgive Malka. So, when the moment comes, she'll join us. That's my decision."

Tuko spent the next two Saturday nights sitting alone with Malka, as both of them worked up the courage to re-join his group. Finally, on the fourth Saturday Tuko and Malka were together, Kim decided to approach them and resolve the issue herself.

"You might as well join us at our table. You two look ridiculous sitting here by yourselves, so come sit with us."

Malka gave Kim a sad, but gratified look. The invitation meant an end to her isolation. She sat quietly and was extremely reserved around the others, but now she had her place at the Socrates Club. Even when she was not with Tuko, his friends would expect Malka to join them at their table. It was the beginning of Malka's transformation, the simple act of sitting at the same table with a group of fellow-criminals.

----------

Sergekt's life changed radically at the beginning of September. He decided to reduce his hours at his restaurant and enter Danube City University to study hydrology. He knew right away what he wanted to do with his degree. He would seek to improve Upper Danubia's irrigation and public water supply systems, to assure that severe droughts never again could lead to a national disaster like the one the country recently had endured.

Sergekt had to seek permission from the sentencing judge to enter the university. Kim and Eloisa attended the hearing, as did Sergekt's mother and aunt. Sergekt knelt with his head on the floor while his Spokesman presented the formal petition. The judge then ordered Sergekt to kneel upright and explain his plans. Sergekt quickly summarized the experiences he had endured over the summer. He started by describing the collective humiliation of the young men clustered around the pumps as they watched their efforts to save their parents' gardens end in failure. Right after that came the mobilization to save part of the nation's commercial crops, and finally the horrific week fighting forest fires. He saw all that had happened to Upper Danubia that year as unnecessary.

"What distressed me, your honor, was that the water to meet our needs was there, deep underground, but we had no way of getting to it. The technology to get that water also exists in the world, but in other countries and thus is useless to the Duchy. Now I know what I want to do, and what path the Ancients have chosen for me. I will try to become educated to help solve our nation's water problems."

The hearing was really a formality, since there was no doubt what Sergekt wanted was perfectly reasonable and useful to the country. He would have to attend his first year of classes naked, of course, but there was nothing unusual about that. Plenty of convicted criminals studied at the university, and there were even a couple of criminals with lengthy sentences working as professors.

Kim noticed Sergekt's confidence in himself rose as the semester progressed. He became concerned about his future and looked upon his present as a temporary phase in his life. Just a few months before Sergekt had confided to Kim that he felt he would never be able to see himself as anything other than a criminal. Now, with the beginnings of his career as a hydrologist crowding out other concerns in his life, Sergekt's entire focus had changed. He had found his purpose.

----------

Cynthia Lee decided to visit her sister for the second time in the middle of September. Originally she had wanted to visit in August, but had to delay her trip because of Kim's fire-fighting duties. She re-scheduled once it was obvious the fire danger had passed and there was no further chance Kim might be mobilized to fight forest fires.

As before, it was Spokesman Vladim Dukov who had to pick Cindy up from the airport, given its location outside the Danube City collar zone. However, the whole tone of Cindy's trip would be different this time, because the only reason she was visiting was to see how Kim was doing and spend some time with her. Kim requested a week off from both her jobs, which freed her during the days to spend time with her sister.

Because Cindy arrived before the equinox, Kim did not have her winter cape yet. She was naked when she greeted her sister at Dukov's office, and would stay naked the entire time Cindy was with her. This time Cindy managed to get over the shock of her sister's constant nudity rather quickly. One thing that helped was seeing how accustomed Kim was to living naked, to the point she no longer even noticed. Her younger sister was perfectly comfortable with her body, which made Cindy question, for the first time, the values of a society that required people to be dressed at all times, whether it was practical or not.

Danube City was at its best during the late summer and early fall, so Kim had the opportunity to show Cindy around and familiarize her with the many monuments and historical sites the area had to offer. She took her guest to the Temple of the Ancients and King Vladik's Castle and explained the historical significance of both locations. Cindy marveled at Danube City's beauty: its fancy old buildings, endless parks, and quiet streets. Cindy thought to herself, this place has some real tourist potential, if these people could ever figure out how to market themselves.

Kim spent hours talking to Cindy about her life and what had happened to her since last Spring. She told Cindy the story of her final switching and its results, and tried to make her understand the underlying values and line of reasoning that determined how the whole affair was handled after the offending officer was arrested and sentenced. Kim eventually moved to the topic of the entire Danubian judicial system and its emphasis on corporal punishment instead of incarceration. She shocked Cindy with the following statement:

"It's actually a pretty good system, even if it has its problems. I mean...people really do have the chance to turn their lives around, and we criminals have a chance to do something useful and get ready for our futures. Yes, I got my butt whipped three times, and it hurt worse than I think you could imagine, but I'd take that over a jail cell anytime."

Kim's conversation with Cindy moved on to Dukov's stalled judicial reform pending in Parliament and what he hoped to achieve and change by trying to re-write the 1780 punishment code. The legislation had not gone anywhere over the summer because of the constant emergencies afflicting Upper Danubia. Kim suspected the legislation would eventually be forgotten, which was a real pity. Cindy disagreed.

"Kim, I don't think either you or Spokesman Dukov understand what an opportunity you have. You say there's a lot of good will towards criminals because of the fire fighting. Use it. Have all those people you helped call the Parliament and pressure the...deputies? Is that what they're called?" Kim nodded. "Alright, deputies. Have people call up the deputies and tell them this is how they can thank you for putting your butts on the line in that forest fire. Pass that reform."

Kim thought about her sister's idea. Cindy pressed her point. "Look, I've been taking some political science classes in college, so I have some ideas. What Spokesman Dukov needs to do is have his supporters lobby the Parliament. Have them call the deputies. Have the firemen you helped call the deputies. Then have them hold demonstrations in Rika Chorna Province and here in the capitol. Make sure you get the press involved. You do all that, and you'll get that reform passed."

"I don't think they do things that way around here."

"Probably not. That's why, the first time there is a real public relations campaign to make some changes it'll be such a shock that it'll shake things up. I'd bet, maybe once the public gets used to nagging the Parliament over things they want, things in this country might change and the system won't be so stuffy."




Maragana Girl Ch. 17



"Well, you ought to talk to Spokesman Dukov about it...see what he thinks."

That night Cindy had dinner at Dukov's house. She discussed her ideas at length with Kim's Spokesman, who listened with interest.

"You suggest what you call a 'public relations campaign'. You will understand public pressure is not the normal manner of conducting political policy in our country, but I presume in this case, such a concept might indeed prove successful. You are correct about public sentiment. At no time in our country's history have people had such a favorable opinion of criminals."

During the weeks following Cindy's departure, that conversation would put new life into Vladim Dukov's ambitions to reform Upper Danubia's corporal punishment system. Whenever he had any spare time, Dukov was on the phone, talking to anyone who had been helped over the summer by Danube City's criminals. He called the religious leaders of Rika Chorna Province and obtained their full backing for the reform. On Sundays, in churches throughout the province, priests exhorted their followers to contact Parliament and pressure deputies to pass Dukov's reforms. The nation's fire chiefs told their firemen to support the reform, as did the Danubian Forest Service and the Directorate of the Rika Chorna Reservoir. Within just a couple of weeks, Dukov found himself on national television giving a joint press conference with the governor of Rika Chorna Province and the Chief of the National Fire Department. Together the three officials exhorted the need for a judicial system that would protect criminals by standardizing corporal punishments and enforcing limits on how a police officer could treat a criminal during a court-ordered switching. They had the backing of a large segment of the population, while the opponents of the reforms had to stay quiet or face the wrath of the people of Rika Chorna Province.

----------

Cindy was on-hand to watch Upper Danubia's bizarre "Day of the Dead" ritual during her week in Upper Danubia. She and Anyia followed Kim and her friends to the plaza in front of the Temple of the Ancients the afternoon before the march. Kim's sister and the teenager stood among the spectators as Kim and 2,600 other criminals had their bodies painted and received torches. As the sun set there was the usual mournful singing, the ancient hymns begging the Saints/Ancients to get Upper Danubia through the coming dark days of winter. There was the usual sermon admonishing the country for not having given proper respect to the past, and the usual prayer hoping the dead might have a chance to return to life and ward off evil through the living bodies of the marchers. 

Once the marchers began filing towards the river, Cindy followed Anyia back to Dukov's house on Kim's bicycle. Upon her arrival at his home, Vladim gave Kim's sister a black robe and a long black shirt to put on underneath. Once she was changed Cindy then followed the Dukovs and Vladik's futures to a small local church for a service, then out to the dark road where the marchers would be passing by. She knelt with the Dukovs, noting that her host and his son seemed lost in their prayers. The whole affair still had a veneer of Christianity, but Cindy could see how quickly Upper Danubia was returning to its Pagan roots. Upper Danubia was supposed to be a Christian country and still was very religious, but not in a way that would be acceptable to most Western churches.

After the marchers passed, Cindy accompanied the Dukovs to the Plaza of the Ancients for the religious ceremonies to be held during the day while the marchers were resting. To Cindy the Day of the Dead was strange beyond belief; leaving her with the feeling she somehow had jumped out of the 21st Century and gone back several millennia in time.

As she stood in a sea of painted bodies waiting to move out, Criminal # 98945 felt very agitated, almost scared. Her dark eyes shifted back and forth nervously and her heart raced as she wondered why on earth she couldn't calm down. Once she started moving along the river, the uneasy feeling Kim briefly experienced towards the end of her march last year came back early, and came back full force. As much as she tried to concentrate on simply moving forward, images flashed through her mind. She saw Susan lying dead in the morgue in Prague, as clearly as if she had been there herself. She could see Tiffany in an alley, brutally being beaten in a drug deal gone bad. She could see Malka Chorno's younger sister, dumped in an unmarked grave on the outskirts of some Middle Eastern city. She saw the images of villagers in Rika Chorna province, dying in the forest fires as they tried to save their livestock. The visions became stranger and stranger, as Kim's imagination moved into the past and into the future. She saw Vladim Dukov, slightly older than he was now, speaking from the steps of the Parliament building to thousands of chanting supporters. However, the strangest image running through Kim's mind was seeing Tiffany on trial in the Central Courthouse, in the prisoner's stance and tears running down her face. Was that the future? Was the image something that should have happened but didn't?

The images vanished from Kim's mind in a flash, leaving her with the shock of seeing the pre-dawn light and the other line of marchers approaching from the opposite direction. The entire night had passed without Kim realizing it. The marchers moved into the campground, ate, and settled down on army cots. 

Kim lay down next to Sergekt but she couldn't get to sleep. Finally she walked out to the edge of the tents and saw a lone painted figure among the trees, contemplating the quiet countryside. It was Malka Chorno. Kim walked up to the woman and stood next to her, trying hard to control her feelings of uneasiness and discomfort. For a long time neither criminal said anything, but both realized they would not be able to leave without talking. Anyhow, Kim had something she needed to tell Malka.

"Malka, I...saw some things last night, during the march. Weird stuff, most of it not very pleasant."

"That's why they have us do this, Kimberly Lee. They send us out to let the dead see the world though us."

"So...do you believe in this whole thing, the march and all this about the spirits?"

"I don't know what to believe, Kimberly Lee. I don't. If you would have asked me three months ago, I could have told you very clearly what I thought about things, about life. Not now. I don't even know who I am, so how can I answer that question, 'what do I believe?'"

For a long time they stood silent, as Kim worked up her courage to tell her companion about what she saw during the march. She knew she had to tell Malka; she wouldn't have had that vision and then run into her if it were not absolutely necessary to share that image with her former nemesis. Finally Kim spoke.

"I...saw...I...Malka, do you know whatever happened to your sister?"

"My sister? How do you know about my sister, Kimberly Lee?"

"Vladik Dukov told me about you a couple of days before you punished me in July. I asked him, because I wanted to understand...why you hated me so much. So he told me about the white slavery ring, and showed me some newspaper articles. According to the articles your sister got sent out of Upper Danubia and your government never found her."

"Yes, it is true that we weren't able to find my sister. We found four others and got them home, but we couldn't find her. I imagine that's because she didn't survive."

"She didn't. Last night, when I was walking, I saw a whole bunch of stuff. Among all that I saw what they did to her...your sister, that is. There was this grave, real shallow, out in the desert, near a dirt road and some sheds. That's where she ended up. That's what I saw."

Malka sadly nodded. There was no arguing with the Maragana Girl. She and Kim would not have ended up standing together had the American's destiny not been to relay the dreadful information.

"At least I know the truth, Kimberly Lee. Now the question is settled in my own mind, and now I owe you yet another debt in life."

"You don't owe me anything. Nothing. Just...when you get your badge back..."

Malka shook her head.

"I'm not sure I want my badge back, Kimberly Lee. Maybe...maybe I want to become someone else, do something else. Leave the police work to another person. I don't know what I want right now."

Kim sadly patted Malka on the shoulder. She then left the former cop standing alone as she re-entered the tent area to find Sergekt. She looked back to see Malka's white painted figure curled up in a kneeling position on the ground. The ex-police officer was sobbing quietly and pulling at her hair.

Kim was not sure whether she had done the right thing by sharing her vision with Malka. However, as in all other aspects of her personal relationship with her former nemesis, Kim really felt she had no choice. She felt driven by forces she could not even begin to understand.

----------

The march ended the following morning in the exact same way it ended the year before, with the dead silence suddenly shattered by hundreds of church bells and thousands of singing voices as the criminals marched down Danube City's main street towards the Plaza of the Ancients. The marchers heaved their torches into a huge bonfire and made their way into the Danube River to rinse off death and return to the world of the living. Later in the day, after the criminals were properly cleaned up, they lined up in front of the Central Police Station to receive their winter boots and capes.

The mood in the plaza contrasted with the cheerfulness during the spring, when the criminals were turning in their capes. For one thing, no criminal looked forward to the onset of winter. For another, the Day of the Dead was a time in which every Danubian, and especially every criminal, was called upon to contemplate the meaning of life and its brevity. Many of the criminals had experienced visions during their march that left them spiritually shaken. 

Kim said goodbye to her friends and found her sister, who was waiting with Anyia on the outskirts of the plaza. Kim and Cindy chatted in English, while Anyia flirted with a young criminal who looked like he was still in high school. Kim ignored what was going on with Dukov's teenager, since she and the girl had an unspoken understanding that neither would tell Vladim about anything the other was doing. Kim instead concentrated on telling Cindy about her strange experiences during the first night of the march and her conversation with Malka Chorno. Her thoughts went back to Tiffany and the image of her former friend lying horribly beaten in a dirty alley, somewhere in the US. 

Later that afternoon Kim got cleaned up to go to the Socrates Club with her friends. She felt bad about leaving Cindy alone with the Dukovs, but the night after the Day of the Dead celebration was an important night for criminals to get together. Cindy shocked Kim with her reaction.

"Kim, I got a question. Could I see this famous Socrates Club of yours? You've shown me everything else in your life, but I'd like to see that club."

"You can't."

"Why not? Didn't you tell me that former criminals could go as well? And also boyfriends and girlfriends? If not everyone there is a criminal, why can't I go?"

"Well, you could go, but I'm sure you wouldn't want to. They don't allow clothes in there. They're very strict about that rule, because they want everyone to be equal as a criminal."

"And if I don't wear my clothes, I can go?"

"Uh...well...yeah, but I can't picture that you..."

Cindy paused nervously. She swallowed and continued: "I want to see it, Kim. I want to see what you do with your friends. I want to see that part of your life. I'm willing to take off my clothes if they'll let me in."

"Well, uh, OK...if you think you can handle it, you can come with us. I'd be glad to have you. I'll get you a visitor's pass to get you through the door and a bag to put your stuff in."

That night Cindy Lee accompanied her sister, Sergekt, Eloisa, and about 10 other naked criminals to the door of the Socrates Club. Cindy was the only person in the group wearing any clothing, which made her feel very uneasy while she was still on the street. As they entered the Club's reception area Kim handed Cindy a cloth bag. Cindy took a deep breath, sighed nervously, and started stripping. Within a minute she was completely naked, except for her jewelry. Kim pointed out the jewelry had to come off as well, since jewels were an indicator of social status and as prohibited as clothing. Once everything was off Cindy's body and in the cloth bag, Kim signed a claim ticket and handed the bag to the club's doorman. With that, Kim's sister, now as naked as her companions, entered the main area of the club and sat at the group's usual table.

At first Cindy was horribly uneasy, being naked in public for the first time in her life. She was dumbstruck at the sight of hundreds of other naked bodies, male and female, mostly young but a few middle-aged patrons as well. However, within a few minutes the visitor got used to her strange situation. In the end she felt more comfortable without her clothing than she would have had she kept her clothes on. There was not a single dressed person in a room full of about 350 patrons and staff. Cindy's body drew some attention because of her tan-lines from wearing a swimsuit in the US, but she was well received by Danubian criminals eager to meet her and try out their English. Sergekt helped break the ice by asking Cindy to dance. Once they saw Kim's sister on the dance floor with one of their companions, other male criminals eagerly sought her out for dances and conversation. By the end of the evening Cindy was fully accepted as a client of the Club, in spite of her strange tan-marks and lack of a collar. It was obvious several patrons were attracted to Kimberly Lee's sister, something that deeply flattered her.

Cindy went home two days after her debut at the Socrates Club. As Kim stood at the final trolley stop within the Danube City collar-zone to say goodbye, Cindy promised: "I'll be back at the end of next June. I want to watch that ceremony when you get your collar off."

"What about Mom and Dad? Do you think you can get them to come?"

"I don't know. But I'll be here, whether they come or not."

Cindy Lee had deeply enjoyed herself on this trip, especially towards the end. Kim could tell that her sister's second trip to Upper Danubia had changed her outlook considerably and broadened her vision of what was possible in life. She hugged Cindy goodbye and watched her depart with Vladim Dukov on the next trolley headed to the airport.

----------

The weekend after Cindy's departure Sergekt hatched his plot to catch Kim on her bicycle and give her a sound spanking. The day was perfect for such an outing, still plenty warm for a late September afternoon. The two criminals rode the bike-lane that paralleled the Danube River, and then turned inland to go to his mother's garden. Sergekt suggested a new route, which Kim readily agreed to explore.

Kim was in a very naughty mood. She shamelessly teased her boyfriend by lifting up in her bicycle seat and stretching her bottom seductively as she pedaled her fancy mountain bike. She then raced ahead, leaving him gasping for breath as he tried to catch up on his more primitive Danubian model. When Kim noticed that Sergekt seemed not to be trying so hard to catch her, she teased him all that much more. As he came close to catching up, she darted ahead; passing a small dirt side trail that did not catch her attention. Kim rode so fast that she didn't notice Sergekt no longer was behind her. She sped around a long curve that overlooked a forest-park, and finally noticed he was not in sight. Kim shrugged her shoulders, thinking she must have really outpaced him this time, and casually rode down the trail at a leisurely pace. She rounded another corner that was obscured by trees. Her heart stopped when she saw Sergekt standing in the middle of the trail, his arms crossed and his bicycle blocking the path. So...he had out-witted her. Now she was caught, and would have to pay with a sore bottom.

Kim's heart raced and she was wet between her legs. She was totally aroused; thrilled that he had been able to catch her after-all. He would punish her bratty behavior with a long, slow, sensuous spanking. Then, once Kim's emotions were fully aroused, the best part would come, the release through passionate lovemaking.

Sergekt grabbed Kim's hand, lovingly but firmly. She had been teasing him every time they had gone bicycle riding, making fun of his inferior bike. Now she was outwitted and caught. He kissed her, but then patted her bottom with a warning tap, letting her know what was coming. Kim nodded. "You got me. I guess my bottom is going to pay for my impudence?"

"That's right Kim. Park your fancy bike next to mine near that tree."

Kim complied, moving her bike off the path. Sergekt then took her hand and led her a few meters away from the main path up the shortcut. There was a park bench hidden in the bushes. Sergekt sat down and pulled Kim over his lap. For a long time she lay quietly as he gently caressed the flawless brown skin of her small shapely bottom. Sergekt lovingly patted Kim's bottom cheeks, but with a firm warning to comply with his next instruction.

"Spread you legs a little and lift your bottom up."

Kim obeyed, feeling the cool autumn breeze caress her exposed bottom-hole and vagina. The combined physical sensations and the tension of the impending spanking drove Kim wild with anticipation.

"Kim, you're 20 in a couple of weeks. That means a birthday spanking. But since you were so naughty to me on your bicycle, that will be a complete birthday spanking on each side of your bottom, plus another for your whole bottom. How many birthday spankings is that?"

"Three. Three good hard spankings on my poor bottom! I guess I really have been naughty, to deserve three whole birthday spankings!"

"That's right. Maybe you'll think twice about waving your cute behind at me when you're speeding on that fancy bicycle of yours."

"Hmm. Maybe, but I doubt it." With that Kim wiggled her bottom slightly.

Sergekt rested his hand on his partner's right bottom-cheek. He lifted his hand up and delivered a slap, one that wasn't all that hard. The feeling was just right. He slapped again on the other side. Slowly he spanked, alternating between Kim's bottom cheeks and gradually increasing the severity of the swats.

Kim's bottom was only slightly reddened at the end of her first birthday spanking. She felt a warm comfortable sting coming from her rear-end, and an extreme arousal radiating from between her legs. Sergekt knew her, and knew what she needed. The spanking would move from playful to sensuous to severe. Sergekt had allowed himself 60 slaps to build up Kim's arousal, although if he felt she needed more, he was ready to sentence her to yet another birthday spanking.

SLAP!... SLAP!... SLAP!... SLAP!... SLAP!... SLAP!...

The spanking grew louder and louder as Sergekt picked up the force of his slaps in the second part of Kim's punishment. She gasped and moaned, as the increasing heat in her bottom transformed itself into increasing arousal. Kim was so excited that Sergekt could smell her, even in the open area with the breeze blowing around them. She bit her lip as tears and sweat ran down her face.

Kim released control of her body to Sergekt. As he slapped harder and harder, he carefully gauged the effect his swats were having on his girlfriend. He took her to a level of pleasure she never before had experienced, through the sharp physical sensation of her punished bottom. Kim trusted him fully and surrendered completely. Kim was so aroused she was almost tormented, but she wanted to feel that torment, that wild mix of moderate pain and extreme pleasure.




Maragana Girl Ch. 17



At the end of the 40th slap Sergekt gently massaged Kim's swelling bottom, which by now was quite red. Kim groaned with pleasure, as she felt Sergekt's hand rubbing her bottom through the sting of her spanked skin. He slipped his hand between her legs, but tease and torment her, not to give her any relief. Kim would have to wait until the 60th swat before she could expect any release of her sexual tension.

Sergekt rested his hand on Kim's bottom for a few seconds. "Happy Birthday, Kim."

SLAP!... SLAP!... SLAP!... SLAP!... SLAP!... SLAP!...

Sergekt struck quite hard for the final part of Kim's spanking. There was much more of an element of punishment in the final set of slaps than there had been during the first two sets. By now Kim was experiencing some serious pain, but psychologically she was ready, and pain was what she wanted. As the tears flowed down her face, Kim felt the emotional release she so desperately needed. However, as Sergekt came to the end of the third set, he delivered the final several swats more gently, allowing Kim to wind down a bit before the spanking actually ended. He began rubbing and massaging Kim more and more, and finally slipped his hand between her legs again. Kim closed her eyes and concentrated on the intense sensations coming from her bottom and her clitoris. Somehow the pain from her bottom and the gentle teasing of Sergekt's fingertips on the most intimate part of her body went together, along with the gentle rustling of the leaves in the forest and the cool breeze blowing against her body, to give Kim a sensation of sexual and physical bliss.

Sergekt kissed Kim's bottom. He leaned over and kissed her shoulders. Finally he motioned her to get up. He took her hand and guided her behind the bench. He had Kim bend over the back of the bench, placing her hands on the seat. Kim spread her legs and arched her back, completely exposing herself to her lover; putting her red bottom and wet vagina on full display. Kim wanted to surrender herself completely, to let Sergekt do what he wanted with her body. She wanted him to take her.

Sergekt entered Kim. He thrust hard, grabbing her breasts with his hands. He squeezed her nipples hard between his fingers as he massaged Kim's chest. Kim groaned and thrust her head back, as she pressed her bottom backward to get him even further inside her. He thrust hard, with force. The trusts bordered on painful, but they were enough to give Kim deep satisfaction as her lover pressed into her. Kim climaxed and almost blacked out, it felt so good. Sweat poured down Sergekt's body as he pushed into Kim's body over and over. He held back with his orgasm as long as he could, wanting to relish the feel of Kim's body and the sight of her sweaty back and reddened bottom. Finally he was forced to release into her, as she groaned and climaxed yet again.

Sergekt pulled out of Kim, but she was so exhausted she remained bent over the back of the bench. He fought to regain his breath as he admired his lover's body. Finally he drew her to him and sat with her on the bench. She cuddled in his arms, although she moved a bit from the discomfort of sitting on her still sore bottom.

Sergekt felt deeply satisfied with life at that moment as he looked down at his lover. Kim's heart belonged to him. She was his, the woman with whom he would share his life. He was totally satisfied with her. Kim was a partner with whom he could play and share his sexual fantasies.

Kim looked up at Sergekt with a very naughty expression.

"I'm still going to tease you on my bike, and don't think you're going to catch me here again. So I think my bottom will be pretty safe for a while."

"We'll see. Of course when I do finally catch you again you'll get a nice rough spanking. We'll have all afternoon."

"Well, you have to catch me first, and I don't see how that's going to happen."

Sergekt patted his lover's bottom. "That sounds like a challenge to me, and I always am up for a good challenge. Your bottom will pay for your impudence, Kim."

Kim pinched Sergekt's chest hard and smiled mischievously. "I still have the faster bike, so don't get your hopes up."

Of course, they both knew that someday Sergekt would figure out how to catch Kim again. Once he did, she would end up with another sore bottom. Kim wanted that more than anything, but she had no intention of making it easy for Sergekt. After all, she was quite a brat.



Maragana Girl Ch. 18



Chapter 18 -- Paths towards the Future

Malka Chorno's final integration into the criminal community came much more quickly than anyone could have anticipated and from a completely unexpected source, the owner of the Socrates Club. As he watched Malka and admired her muscular cop's physique, an idea popped into his head. He decided to approach former police officer about becoming a physical fitness instructor for the Club.

The Club's owner had heard predictions that winter would come early, which would force Danube City's criminals off the streets and seek refuge indoors. Many of them would lose any opportunity whatsoever to exercise, since no gym in Danube City admitted criminals as members. The Socrates Club's owner realized he easily could fill that need, since part of the Club's sprawling property included an empty armory. The building was a 300 year-old historical landmark and thus could not be torn down or renovated on the outside. The structure had sat empty for years, but now the Socrates Club could, with the simple installation of a heater and a new floor, convert it into a fitness center. The only element lacking was a criminal who knew how to conduct physical fitness training. That problem now was resolved with the addition of an ex-police officer to the club's clientele.

In the middle of September the Club owner called Vladim Dukov to relay his plan to offer a job to Malka. The former cop took a break from Victor Dukov's deliveries to see about the new position. The Club owner took her into the armory and discussed his idea.

"What I want is for the physical fitness program to be included in the Club's dues and room fees. It won't be a separate charge, because I know most of my clients couldn't afford a health club fee. But I think they'll come exercise if it doesn't cost them anything extra, and if they have a charismatic instructor. It won't cost me that much, since all I need to do is put in a floor and a heater, in a building I really can't use for anything else. If you agree to do this, what you do is up to you, as long as it's general fitness. It's your chance to stop being yelled at by that bicycle guy. You'll get to yell instead."

Malka quickly accepted the offer. She had plenty of time to give notice to Victor Dukov, since she still had to wait for the installation of the new floor. She also took advantage of the time to read over her old police training manuals and set up several exercise regimes for different tastes. She decided to set up two classes of general military exercises and one class of non-combative martial arts. Malka would lead the classes by exercising herself as she shouted commands. She would lead by example, showing her classes what she wanted with her own body. 

The gym was ready at the end of September, just as the weather was becoming too cold for Kim and Malka to continue delivering messages for Victor. The first Saturday night of October Malka stood on the stage of the Socrates Club for the only time during her sentence to announce her exercise classes and her schedule. She concluded:

"I have taken the entire exercise program for the National Police Academy and adapted it for you. I will work with you in the same way my instructors worked with my class at the Academy. That means, don't expect me to be nice, because 'nice' is not how you get your body into proper shape. But I can guarantee my regimen will keep you fit and in better health. This is the chance for you not to become a bunch of fat slobs over the winter."

With that, Malka began her classes. Three times per day, six days per week, Malka's snarling voice could be heard on the street outside the old armory. Malka's classes started out full, but at the beginning many criminals came and left. By the end of the year the exercise groups had stabilized with a regular crowd. For the ones who stayed, Malka became something of a cult figure, the ill-tempered ex-police officer who now dedicated her life to helping anyone who cared to spend time with her get into top physical shape. Kim and Eloisa attended Malka's late afternoon sessions three times per week and always left completely exhausted. They jokingly referred to the armory as "Malka's torture chamber"

Malka became a totally different person when she was instructing her classes from any other time during her sentence as a criminal. Malka was very quiet and almost shy when she was among Tuko's friends, or with Victor Dukov, or with her Spokesman. The exercise sessions gave Malka the chance to be her old self again. In her classes she was boss, period. She had a clear idea what she wanted from her students and very quickly snapped at the ones not performing to her expectations. She pushed her classes mercilessly, but she led by example, exercising in front of her students during the sessions. As she shouted commands, Malka's sharp eyes scanned her group for anyone using poor technique. She didn't interrupt her class for errant students, but after class she worked one-on-one with anyone she noticed who was having problems doing the exercises properly. Malka's own body was in constant physical movement, pushed by the woman's incredible drive and determination.

The ex-cop managed to settle into her life as a criminal largely because of her unusual relationship with her young boyfriend Tuko. Malka came from a very strict and upright family of small farmers. Prior to her arrest she had dated the same man for years in the traditional manner. In every sense Malka had been a hard-core traditionalist, only to have her world disintegrate during the days following Kim's final switching. Malka realized the loss of her old life was not all bad, because now she could do something she couldn't have done in the past, simply live life for herself and enjoy the moment. She did not need to follow any formal protocol with Tuko. She could joke with him and touch him where she pleased. At a moment's notice the two could run upstairs to an intimacy room. They could experiment with different sexual positions and wrestle, something Malka would not have dreamt of doing with her old fiancée.

When it came to sex, Tuko and Malka were evenly matched. Both had very strong sexual urges and pent-up erotic desires. Tuko had a stronger drive and physical endurance than anyone Malka had ever slept with previously. For the first time in her life Malka had a man who could keep up with her craving for sexual gratification. Very quickly Tuko learned to be rough with Malka, because that was what she wanted. During sex he pushed hard when he entered her, grabbed her hair when he kissed her, and slapped her bottom hard when he wanted to position her for a new sexual posture. Malka was every bit as rough with Tuko. She dug her fingernails into his back or bottom during intercourse, frequently bit him, and grabbed his penis and squeezed it, looking at him with clinched teeth and flashing eyes, warning him he'd better become erect quickly...or else. There were plenty of evenings that Malka and Tuko returned to the Club's main floor after sex with their bodies all marked up from their exertions. The other members of the group tried not to notice.

----------

Dukov's teenaged daughter returned home one mid September afternoon with a bit of a surprise, a classmate from the United States. The girl's name was Jennifer Thompson and she was a high school exchange student spending a year abroad in Upper Danubia. Jennifer was living with a host family, who had sent their own daughter to live with Jennifer's parents in the US. 

Jennifer was petite and quite pretty, with pale skin and short red hair. In the US had enjoyed sports and cheerleading. She freely admitted that the cheerleading had gotten her into a lot of trouble, as she ran wild with fellow cheerleaders and football players. Like Kim, in her high school Jennifer had been quite the party girl, which was why her parents decided to send her for a year abroad.

Jennifer was elated about going to Europe, where she had heard that societies were more liberal than even California, which was where she was from. She had not heard of Upper Danubia, but hey, Europe was Europe, so she expected to have a blast. No drinking age, lax drug laws, tattoos, raves...what more could a 17-year-old want?

Jennifer's father had sent her to Upper Danubia knowing full-well what lay in store for his daughter. Yes, his little Jennifer would have a bit of a shock awaiting her when she started her high school in Danube City. Among the papers he signed was a release allowing Jennifer to receive corporal punishment while in school, if it proved necessary. Jennifer's parents gladly signed the release, and with that Jennifer was on her way to the airport.

Jennifer was somewhat taken aback by the conservative appearance of Danube City and its busy, but very quiet streets. The bars, discos and tattoo parlors she was expecting were nowhere in sight, but occasionally she did see a naked young person running around on foot or on a bicycle. Like Kim the year before, she wondered about that, but did not think to ask due to her lack of language. The only thing she enjoyed was swimming naked at her school pool, free from the hassle and discomfort of having to wear a swimsuit. However, that hardly made up for the lack of anything else exciting to do. She balked at her school uniform and her host family with their endless rules, formalities, and protocol. She didn't bother to study Danubian in her orientation classes and wrote angry letters home asking her father, what the hell was with this country...I thought Europe would be fun...this place totally sucks.

Jennifer's heart reserved a special resentment against Helga Tolkiv, the exchange program counselor at her school who always was telling her how to behave. Counselor Tolkiv was relatively young and quite attractive, but her long skirts, old-style braided hair, and tall statuesque figure made her a rather imposing woman. She spoke in a quiet, but bossy tone of voice, always using extremely correct English. She was Danubian to the core, very serious and obsessed with "honor". Counselor Tolkiv was Jennifer's main teacher, another aspect of her year abroad that grated on her.

Jennifer became popular in school, quickly making friends with several Danubian girls with similar personalities and interested in hearing about how wild life in the US was for high school students. Jennifer embellished a bit, as her classmates struggled to understand their American friend's stories given in English. Jennifer became the center of attention of the school's more rebellious girls and a growing source of concern for the school's teachers by the end of September. Both Counselor Tolkiv and the school principal began wondering how they could exert their authority over Jennifer and lessen her influence over her classmates. Finally it was Jennifer herself who provided the school authorities with a justification to make an example out of her in front of her peers.

In California Jennifer frequently had skipped class at her high school. No one thought anything of it because so many of her classmates did the same thing. No one in Jennifer's clique took school very seriously and the teachers were glad to be rid of the more troublesome students. Jennifer skipped class for the first time during the third week of the school year to smoke a cigarette in a nearby park. Her classmates marveled at her reckless courage, but Counselor Tolkiv gave her a very stern lecture about the need to stay in school.

"You are dishonoring yourself, the exchange program, and your teachers with your behavior. I trust you shall not dishonor us again."

Jennifer rolled her eyes. That act of disrespect earned Jennifer an hour standing in the corner while the teacher graded some papers. Unfortunately the lesson did not sink in.

Jennifer skipped class again the following week, but this time the consequences were far worse. As she sat smoking in the park, a police officer noticed Jennifer's high school uniform and detained her. He demanded to know which school she had come from, getting a response in heavily accented Danubian that she had been let out early by her exchange program coordinator. The story sounded unlikely to the cop, so finally he handcuffed her and took her to several nearby schools to find out where she needed to be. Jennifer was incensed at being paraded around in handcuffs, not yet realizing there was much worse to come.

Finally the officer led Jennifer to the correct high school and into the director's office. Jennifer could tell the principal was furious. He called Counselor Tolkiv to his office and berated her in front of both Jennifer and the cop. The woman gave the girl a hostile look, angry that Jennifer, after having been warned, was responsible for making her lose honor. On top of all that, the exchange student had committed a criminal offense by lying to the policeman and was facing arrest. Counselor Tolkiv stood at attention in front of the two men and addressed them in Danubian, after giving the American another quick, hostile glance.

"Officer and Director, my student has insulted our school and the honor of each of us. I wish to take responsibility for her actions and for assuring you this incident shall not be repeated. I request your permission to properly discipline her."

The principal looked at the cop, who reluctantly nodded. "That request is granted, Counselor. If you are willing to administer a proper punishment, I believe we can let this incident be forgotten."

Counselor Tolkiv then turned to the teenager and spoke in English. "I need to chastise you, Jennifer. I am unhappy about having to do this to you, but you have only yourself to blame. You shall suffer because of the choices you made."

Fear and anger swept through Jennifer as the cop led her to an unoccupied classroom. Counselor Tolkiv trailed behind, shutting the door as they entered. The cop took off Jennifer's handcuffs as her counselor issued her next order.

"Jennifer, you shall undress. Now."

"What?!"

"You heard me. You are to undress, immediately."

"Fuck you! I'm not taking my clothes off!"

The two adults were in no mood to argue. The cop grabbed Jennifer's arm and twisted it behind her back, as he pushed down on her neck in a grip that immobilized her. The girl's counselor pulled off her shoes and socks, then jerked her skirt and panties to her ankles. Jennifer then felt the buttons on her shirt coming undone one by one and her bra strap being unhooked. The cop shifted position to allow the teacher to pull Jennifer's shirt and bra off one arm at a time. The student struggled viciously, but in less than a minute she was naked. The cop twisted Jennifer's hands behind her back and put her handcuffs back on. 

The cop grabbed Jennifer's arms and pulled her upright. Counselor Tolkiv stood directly in front of her, face to face. The girl was resisting and breathing heavily as the cop held her tight.

"Jennifer, if you wish to struggle like a criminal, you shall be treated like a criminal."

The cop led Jennifer down the main hallway to the school basketball court as her counselor followed behind. To Jennifer's horror the entire student body was assembled on the bleachers. The school principal was standing next to a small chair and a microphone stand. The chair had a sinister-looking leather police switch on it. Suddenly Jennifer realized the seriousness of what was about to happen to her.

The two adults and their captive took position next to the principal. The cop grabbed Jennifer's arm firmly to keep her standing in position. Counselor Tolkiv picked up the leather switch and tapped it in her hand as the principal gave a rather long speech about the need to respect rules. Finally he concluded, pointing to the scared naked girl standing next to him.

"Among us is a person who thinks rules do not apply to her. I presume the fact she is an American makes her think she is special in some way, but she shall learn that in this school, a student is a student, and she shall be treated as such. She shall learn the rules apply to all of you. What we have is an act of insurrection, and its perpetrator shall be punished. She shall receive the maximum school punishment of 25 vigorous strokes across the naked buttocks with a standard leather switch."

The cop removed Jennifer's handcuffs and ordered her to lie across the chair. Her eyes wide with terror, Jennifer complied, realizing she only could make her situation worse if she continued to resist. Counselor Tolkiv took a pair of small leather straps that looked like thick watchbands from her pocket. She wrapped a strap around each of Jennifer's wrists and secured the girl's wrists to chair-legs. Jennifer's hands were immobilized, but, because this was not a judicial punishment, her legs were not tied down.

The counselor tapped Jennifer's bottom with the switch and struck her hard across both bottom-cheeks. As the stroke seared into her exposed flesh, the student screamed from the pain and the pure terror of what she was enduring. She had not yet learned that in Upper Danubia a person being punished normally tries to stay quiet as long as possible. Jennifer's high-pitched scream died down into a series of sobs as her counselor tapped her bottom and struck again. Once again Jennifer screamed as her legs kicked up and down from the sharp pain of the two strokes. The teacher did not wait, but tapped her bottom and struck hard a third time.

Counselor Tolkiv proceeded much more quickly than would have a police officer. This was a school punishment, not a judicial punishment. She struck, waited for Jennifer's scream to die down, tapped her bottom with the switch, and struck again. Each stroke was accompanied by a very loud shrill scream, followed by a lot of vigorous crying and fluttering of her lower legs. 

Jennifer was noisy throughout her punishment, as her Danubian classmates watched the affair with fascination. She had been something of a small celebrity among her peers because of her nationality and her defiant attitude about school rules. The Danubian teenagers had known that Jennifer was setting herself up to be disciplined. Several of them tried to warn her, struggling through the language barrier to get the American to realize that, if she pushed too far, she could expect to be switched. Jennifer rudely rebuffed the classmates who tried to caution her, so they simply waited to see how long it would take for her behavior to catch up with her.

The teacher struck the American harshly, but at the same time punished her fairly quickly and methodically. She felt somewhat sorry for the girl, knowing that what was happening was a horrible shock to her. Counselor Tolkiv did not enjoy what she was doing, but felt the switching was necessary to prevent the American from becoming a source of further disruption at the school.

Fifteen minutes and 25 strokes later, the punishment was finished. Jennifer's counselor bent down to unbuckle the straps immobilizing the girl's hands. Once her hands were free, Jennifer covered her face and continued sobbing. The American was in a lot of pain and totally humiliated. 

Counselor Tolkiv grabbed Jennifer's wrist and pulled her up off the chair. She placed her hands on the sobbing girl's shoulders to position her with her backside facing the audience. Her bottom was marked with 25 red lines and was beginning to swell. For a student her punishment had been harsh, however, any convicted Danubian criminal would have been glad to change places with her.

As the American stood with her face buried in her hands, her counselor moved in front of her to admonish her. "Jennifer, you must stop crying. You are dishonoring yourself by making such a scandal over a simple switching. Furthermore, we cannot release you until you are silent."




Maragana Girl Ch. 18



With a great effort Jennifer managed to stop crying after a few minutes. The school principal declared the punishment over and ordered the students to return to their classes. Jennifer had to remain standing with her backside facing her classmates until the last of them was out of the room. The students filed out of the bleachers row by row, walking past Jennifer's exposed backside as they proceeded towards the door to the main hallway. All of Jennifer's classmates, hundreds of them, got a good look at her punished bottom as they slowly filed past her.

Counselor Tolkiv then took her teary student to the school infirmary where there was a bed she could lie down on to recover. 

"Jennifer, if you need to cry, now is the time to do so. You may stay here as long as you wish, but once you recover enough to put on your uniform, I expect you to come to my office."

She left Jennifer's school uniform on a chair next to the bed, and closed the door to the small room. Jennifer cried for an hour, but finally got dressed and reluctantly went to the woman's office. The American endured a rather long lecture about responsibility and needing to set an example for proper behavior. The teacher finally released the girl for the day, but made it very clear to Jennifer that she expected her back in class the next day, on time, ready to study, and with her uniform presentable.

That night Jennifer sullenly returned to her host family, her bottom still quite sore from the welts. The two parents were incensed. They pulled a hard wooden chair out of the kitchen and ordered the American to sit down in the living room. Jennifer winced as the uncompromising wood from the chair pressed into her tender backside. For the next hour her host parents, using terrible heavily-accented English, lectured their guest about personal responsibility and the need to safeguard her honor as Jennifer shifted in her uncomfortable seat and tears rolled down her cheeks. 

Once the lecture was finished and Jennifer was allowed to go to her room, she finally had time to give her situation some thought, without having any Danubians yelling at her. At first she wanted to call her parents in the US and have them extricate her from her year abroad. But as she picked up the phone, she reconsidered. How on earth could she explain this to them? 

Jennifer then realized she was mostly to blame for her own situation. She had chosen to come here as an exchange student. She had chosen to ignore Counselor Tolkiv and the school rules. She had no one but herself to blame for not bothering to do any research before signing the papers that finalized her exchange student arrangements. She now was stuck here in Danube City, facing the awful realization she had to make the best out of her life in this restricted country. 

Returning to school the next day was one of the hardest things Jennifer ever did in her life. At first she was mortified at the thought of having been switched in the nude in front of nearly 400 classmates. After a lot of nagging and threats from her host parents, she went to school almost in tears, expecting to be ridiculed by her peers. 

Jennifer quickly found out ridicule was not how Danubian teenagers usually treated a fellow student who had been punished. Such punishments were common enough in Upper Danubia and were the logical outcome of rebellious behavior in school. Instead, Jennifer's classmates somewhat sympathized with the American. Several girls calmly sat down with the exchange student and explained why she had been switched. Anyia reminded her they had tried to warn her and then added a detail that made Jennifer cringe.

"Counselor Tolkiv switched you because she had to. I don't think you realize that cop was going to arrest you for lying to him, because in our country that's a crime. They would have put you on trial and made you wear a criminal's collar for a year for telling him you had your school's permission to be out of class, and then refusing to say what school you came from. Counselor Tolkiv got you out of it; she jeopardized her own honor to prevent you from being arrested. You need to be grateful to her."

That afternoon Jennifer, nervously twisting her hands in front of her, apologized to her counselor and thanked her for preventing her from being arrested. The teacher responded:

"Jennifer, you shall thank me by applying yourself in your studies. If I see you improving in your ability to study and to speak our language, then you shall have shown me you are truly grateful. As for yesterday's punishment, the unpleasantness between us has passed, and I consider the matter ended."

Jennifer sadly nodded. "I'll try, Counselor Tolkiv."

Jennifer then went to the school library, where Anyia and her other friends were sitting and reviewing textbooks for an upcoming test. Jennifer pulled some books out of her backpack and surprised them by asking in her terrible Danubian:

"I'm a bit behind, I guess, with the classes. Could you help me get caught up?"

The other girls nodded and with that Jennifer became part of their study group.

----------

Jennifer spent much of the rest of her year in Upper Danubia hanging out with Anyia. The two girls quickly became close because of their very similar personalities. Anyia was a bit rebellious herself, but she knew where the limits were and how to avoid crossing them. That information was something that Jennifer very much needed to avoid going nuts in her new host country. Over time Jennifer began going over to Dukov's house, but it would be several weeks before she met Kim, given Kim's hectic schedule and late night music sessions.

One Sunday afternoon Jennifer went over to Vladim Dukov's house when Kim happened to be there. It was a bit of a shock seeing a fellow-American naked and wearing a metal collar, but at the same time seeing an American, any American, was a real treat for the high school student. Jennifer and Kim quickly struck up a conversation, both relishing the opportunity to speak in English. Kim told Jennifer her story and how she had been sentenced the previous year for marijuana possession. Jennifer was shocked.

"So...you've been like this for more than a year? For smoking a joint? I mean...they never let you wear any clothes...at all?"

Kim smiled and shook her head. "No clothes. They're very strict about that. I mean, I go to work everyday, I've been on TV, I've stood singing outdoors in front of thousands of fans, always like I am now. It's part of my sentence, but it's not so bad. After a while you kind of enjoy it, at least when the weather's warm."

The sight of Kimberly Lee made Jennifer able to put her own situation into perspective. It was obvious that what had happened to her at school was nothing in comparison with what had happened to Kim.

----------

Kim's 20th birthday passed in celebration, first at her job at the music store, then with the Dukovs, and finally at the Socrates Club. Sergekt was very affectionate and courteous to Kim, but at the same time she could tell he was very nervous. Finally, when the night was over and they left to return to Dukov's house, she found out why. Instead of simply leaving her at the door, he asked to come in and talk to her in Dukov's living room. Once inside he opened up a small cloth bag he had carried with him and pulled out a small carved wooden box. He swallowed and handed it to Kim. He then stood silent, according to Danubian protocol.

A bit bewildered, Kim opened the box. There were three items inside, a gold ring, a silver necklace with a pendant showing two griffins standing side-by-side, and a silver hairpiece with gold in-lays. Sergekt's birthday present was an engagement box. 

Kim's heart raced. She knew there had to be protocol for accepting these items, but she was not sure what it was. She took a deep breath.

"How...do we do this? I mean, what do people usually do in this country...when they get engaged?"

"You hand me the items, one at a time, starting with the hair-piece, then the necklace, finally the ring. You tell me you accept each one and I will put it on you."

Kim picked up the hairpiece and handed it to Sergekt.

"Sergekt, I accept this hairpiece with all my love."

Sergekt took the hairpiece and gently pushed it into Kim's hair.

"Sergekt, I accept this necklace with all my love."

Sergekt wrapped the necklace around Kim's neck and clipped the clasp shut.

"Sergekt, I accept this ring, with all my love."

Sergekt put the ring on Kim's finger. It fit perfectly, leaving Kim wondering how Sergekt knew her ring-size.

Sergekt then knelt, kissed Kim's right hand and then her left. He stood up, took both of her hands in his own, and looked into her eyes.

"You are the love of my present, and the wife of my future. You have my heart and in your hands you hold my happiness."

For a long time Kim and Sergekt hugged each other in the silent living room of Dukov's house. So it was done, now it was official. Kim was Sergekt's fiancé. 

It was painful, but finally Sergekt had to leave to go home. Kim felt bad for him because already it was well past mid-night and her partner had to be up early the next morning for classes. She watched Sergekt's bare figure as he quickly walked up the chilly street to the trolley stop. Kim was immensely happy, but also rather scared. She had thought about marrying Sergekt, but now to be formally engaged to him made her realize how seriously she had to take her life in Danube City. So this was it. There really would be no going back to the US, except perhaps to visit. Kimberly Annette Lee would give up her US passport and take a Danubian one, and return to her parents' house and her hometown as a foreigner. She was destined to finish her life in Upper Danubia, married to Sergekt Dolkiv.

The following morning Kim proudly wore her engagement items to the breakfast table and excitedly told the Dukovs about Sergekt's marriage proposal. 

Kim's Spokesman had known about Sergekt's plans to marry her. Sergekt had asked his permission to propose, which he relayed to her parents in the US. It took some arguing and convincing, but finally the Lees reluctantly agreed to allow the proposal to go ahead. The decision was difficult for Kim's parents, because finally they had to formally accept the fact their daughter was not coming home at the end of her sentence. Following the conversation with her parents, Dukov went to the police warehouse and dug into his client's confiscated backpack to find a couple of rings to lend to her boyfriend to measure for a ring-size.

Dukov told his client that Sergekt's proposal was timed to allow him to marry her sometime shortly after the end of their sentences in July. He had followed Danubian protocol, first by dating Kim a year before proposing, then waiting another year before getting married. It was normal for Danubians to get married about two years after they first started dating. It was a common-sense approach, which allowed a couple to gradually build up a relationship over a two-year period before fully committing to each other. 

In spite of her excitement over being engaged, there was one huge disappointment. Unfortunately for Kim, the prohibition against criminals wearing jewelry applied to her engagement items. She could not wear them on the street or at work. However, at any family, social or religious function, she would be expected to wear the hairpiece, necklace, and ring to show her commitment to Sergekt. She wondered about the contradiction, but this was Upper Danubia after all, with its strange rules and customs.

----------

Whenever Kim turned on the radio station, she had to deal with the weird feeling of listening to herself, along with Eloisa and the back-up singers, featured in the collection of music currently popular. The group's song "The Wall that Divides my Soul" was well received throughout Upper Danubia, and had been featured on the radios since the beginning of the summer. Several other songs from the group received frequent play, including the still somewhat popular "Nemat mi biciklet", the title of which, when translated to English, loosely meant "The loss of my bicycle has left an emptiness in my life".

During October, Eloisa was more upbeat than Kim had ever seen her. Increasingly she was able to allow physical contact with other people to become part of her life. She had broken the barrier of being able to hold Dima's hand earlier in the year, but now she was able to hug both him and some of her closest friends. During conversations, if she wanted to make a point, she could lightly touch a friend's hand or shoulder. Eloisa and Dima knew that sex still was way beyond her psychological capabilities, but slowly she was moving in that direction. As the fall progressed and Danube City was pelted with cold rain, the change became evident in the music Eloisa was choosing for her band's rehearsals.

Eloisa increasingly was willing to experiment with the group's music. When Sergekt and three other musicians in the group proposed trying out more modern instruments such as electric guitars and synthesizers, they received the lead singer's full blessing. "I'm willing to try anything, as long as you know how to play it and can make it work with what we have already. The only thing I ask is that you have a clear idea of how you would want to use any new instrument, and that you practice on your own before you bring it here."

Eloisa proposed something truly visionary for her group, something that completely surprised the others. She decided to re-record "The wall that divides my soul" in English. Eloisa was smart enough to realize the group had to have at least some of its music sung in English if they were to have any hope of breaking into the popular music scene outside Upper Danubia. That meant Kim would become the group's lead singer for a portion of the group's music and Eloisa would sing with the back-up singers.

Kim was dumbfounded by Eloisa's willingness to drop into the background. However, Eloisa's proposal reflected her mentality and her desire to place the needs of the group's music in front of her own notoriety. Eloisa wanted her music to succeed, period. If that meant putting someone else instead of herself at the lead microphone, so be it. As she explained it to Kim, "It's not just about the 15 of us on stage. I have to think about everyone who ever gave us a song to sing, and everyone who gave us themes speaking at the Club. This is about all of us."

Reluctantly Kim translated several songs based on themes she had brought to the Socrates Club back to English. To help Kim, Eloisa ordered her musicians to record instrumental versions of the group's music. Kim spent hours in the middle of the night quietly singing to herself, trying to see how different combinations of words worked with the group's music. By the middle of October she felt ready to present the English lyrics of four songs, "My bicycle", "The wall that divides my soul", "A question I cannot answer", and "That's all I'll ever be".

The first evening the group had to rehearse the English version of the four songs, Kim stood at the microphone alone, feeling horribly guilty. Before she cued the musicians to start playing, she looked over her shoulder at Eloisa, who was quietly waiting with the other back-up singers. Finally Kim sighed, tapped her microphone, and signaled the musicians to start playing. 

Once she started singing Kim's closed her eyes and shut out everything other than her task at the moment. Eloisa, on the other hand, was very attentive to what was going on around her. Her sharp ears listened for anything that needed improvement, the tone of a singer's voice, the timing of an instrument, a misplaced note. After the first session Kim realized how much Eloisa remained in charge when she went over a long list of changes she wanted from her musicians and singers. Maybe Eloisa did not know English, but she did know how the sounds coming from Kim's mouth should interact with the sounds coming from the rest of the band. Eloisa ordered her group to re-sing the music over and over until they got it right. Finally, one by one, the group mastered the four songs in English to Eloisa's satisfaction and recorded them.

Eloisa and Kim presented the English recordings to the music store manager to review. He was extremely impressed and could suggest no changes. Later, when Kim was alone with her boss, she expressed her feelings of guilt by displacing Eloisa as the lead singer.

"Kimberly, let me explain something about Eloisa. You did not displace her as lead singer. She knows what she's doing. She made you record these songs in English because she had to. The English versions are what will be played on radio stations in the EU. However, people will listen to you, and they'll want to hear more of your group's songs. They'll buy the CD. Then...they'll hear Eloisa's singing. That's the real music. They'll hear the real power of her voice, and our language, in your group's songs."

----------

Several music companies showed increasing interest in the group's music, especially now that the group had four songs recorded in English. Eloisa had become the most popular singer in Upper Danubia by that time, to the point there were real prospects of marketing the group's music outside of the country. However, there were a couple of hurdles the group had to get past before they truly could go international. One problem was their forced nudity. Obviously a group of naked singers could not produce videos for markets such as the United States and expect to be taken seriously or played on commercial television. The other problem was the simple fact the group did not even have a name.

Kim addressed the name problem first. She thought long and hard for a name that would have some meaning for the lives of the band's 15 members. Finally she settled on "Socrates' Mistresses". She ran her suggestion past the entire group, but there were no objections. Everyone simply looked at her quietly with trusting expressions, assuming that Kim, because she was from the US, knew everything there was to know about the music business.

Once the group officially had a name, events unfolded very quickly for the members of "Socrates' Mistresses". There were several televised concerts during the end of October. The group's shows began selling out, requiring them to schedule more performances. The group's reputation began to extend beyond Upper Danubia's borders, as foreign fans and tourists started crossing the border to listen to the group in Danube City's concert halls. At the end of the concerts the crowds started chanting:

"DOC-DOC ELOISA!...DOC-DOC ELOISA!...DOC-DOC ELOISA!"

Finally, at the beginning of November, an international recording company approached the group with a serious and attractive offer about the possibility of an international concert and shooting some videos. The offer presented the band's 15 members with a huge dilemma. The restrictions of their sentences remained in effect until the following July: the prohibition against travel and the prohibition against clothing. Since fans could come to Danube City, the travel restriction was not as big a problem as was the group's forced nudity. Obviously any video taken of the band would be unacceptable in most foreign markets if the band members could not perform dressed. 

Spokesman Dukov, Spokesman Havlakt, and the owner of Kim's music store had to formally petition the Danubian Supreme Court to request a temporary lifting of the clothing restriction to allow the band to wear clothes during their video shoots. The court was reluctant to grant the request for a very legitimate reason; if this request were granted it would be unfair to other criminals who continued to make personal sacrifices because of the restrictions of their sentences. In the end however, the judicial panel decided to grant the request, since it was important for the band's future to shoot a video acceptable to markets outside Upper Danubia. The ruling stipulated, however, that the band could only put on their clothing during the actual videotaping. At all other times they had to remain naked.




Maragana Girl Ch. 18



The outfits the band would wear were the clothes they would formally receive in court during their de-collaring ceremony. That meant formal traditional dresses for the women and traditional tunics for the men. The band and the recording company had to present a formal schedule of video shoots to assure the judges the members would be dressed as little as possible. 

With that Kim was pushed into the forefront of "Socrates' Mistresses". She became the band's international face, the one member who could bridge the language barrier between the other members and the outside world. She sat nervously negotiating contracts, speaking in English and translating for Eloisa and the owner of the music store. She sat as the go-between for the concert hall owners in Danube City as the recording company worked out the final details of concert locations, lighting, acoustics and other endless details needed to make sure the live concert video-shoots went according to plan. Kim had to become forceful and knowledgeable, and overcome some very serious obstacles. Vladim Dukov or the music store owner always accompanied her, but Kim was under intense pressure because she was the only person legally capable of speaking on behalf of the other members of the band. Her biggest challenge was to force everyone to take her seriously, given that she was only 20 and often she was the only naked person in a room full of older people in business attire. In the end the recording company settled on two live concerts that would be filmed in front of international audiences, and the taping of eight studio performances, four of them in English. The videos would be used to promote two CD's containing a total of 28 songs, which already had been recorded during previous studio sessions.

The studio video shoots came first. Throughout November the band spent their evenings practicing against backdrops and props brought in by the recording company. Once the issues of choreography, lighting, and acoustics were settled the band shot the footage for the eight videos during the first three weeks of December. For the first time in a year and a half Kim put on a dress as she sang in front of the cameras. The soft fabric of the long dress felt truly elegant on Kim's body, and she loved the way the dresses looked on her four female companions. Unfortunately, the women's dark metal collars took away some of the elegance from the dresses, but there was nothing anyone could do about that. She thought the guys looked a bit silly in their tunics. However, the main focus of the video would be on the group's singers, not the musicians, so the tunics really did not matter.

The final part of the video shoot project came with the filming of two live concerts in December, one on Christmas Eve and the other on New Year's Eve. Leading up to the concerts Kim and Eloisa were interviewed be several European news organizations about the band's history and how the road to their popularity in Upper Danubia. The group's status as convicted criminals and conditions of the members' sentences received much attention and comment. One interviewer asked Kim if she had any thoughts about large numbers of foreign fans coming to Danube City to see the group perform live. Kim did have a significant comment and advice for the group's fans.

"I ask everyone who wants to come see us to remember something extremely important. The Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia is not Amsterdam. Drugs here are VERY illegal. I learned that the hard way. Please...please don't bring anything illegal across the border. I want everyone to enjoy themselves, and I don't want anyone's trip to Danube City to end the way mine did." Kim tapped her collar to emphasize her last final comment.

At the beginning of January the production company packed up its supplies and its workers returned west. The project was a huge success. The two concerts received very positive reviews in the EU press. The live concert footage, combined with the studio footage, gave the European production-company what it needed to make a series of videos to promote "Socrates' Mistresses". The bands' members folded their clothes and handed them back to their Spokesman. They wouldn't see the clothing again until the end of their sentences in July.

----------

The members of Socrates' Mistresses had spent a grueling two months as the year drew to a close. Not only did the band members have to spend their evenings occupied with the music video shoots, but they also had to fulfill their daily responsibilities to their employers and universities. The members' first obligation was to their jobs, since it was by working regular jobs that the criminals were complying with the employment requirements of their sentences. The music was of only secondary priority as far as the courts were concerned. On top of everything else were studies. All of the male members of the band were attending university classes. Sergekt had been the last one to enter classes, simply because he had not been able to decide on a career. Now, he too, had a full load of university classes, as well as a part time job and his commitment to Eloisa's band.

Kim, in spite of her overwhelming responsibilities of the moment, began to think about her own future in Upper Danubia. Perhaps her work with "Socrates' Mistresses" would last indefinitely, perhaps it wouldn't. She knew she had to study something else, have a back-up profession in case the musical one did not work out. It was Vladim Dukov who suggested a career for her, one that had not occurred to his client. At the end of December, just before the band's Christmas concert, Vladim asked Kim to come into his office and close the door. He questioned her at length about her plans and what she might do once she married Sergekt. Right away Kim realized that even if she had no clue of what she might do, her Spokesman did.

"Kimberly, we need to start thinking about our future, and this time I am not referring to the future of only you or myself. I am referring to the future of the Duchy. I believe you will perform a more significant role in the Duchy's future than you might realize."

Kim sat silent, wondering where her Spokesman was going with this. Dukov continued:

"Kimberly, have you contemplated attending the university?"

"Uh...no, Spokesman Dukov, I really haven't. My grades from high school were so bad I can't get in anywhere in the US. I figured I'd have the same problem here."

"You figured wrong, Kimberly. There are no impediments to prevent you from attending university classes here. I believe you must consider enrolling at the university and studying as quickly as possible, starting in January."

"But...what on earth could I study? I mean, what am I gonna do here if it's not staying with the music store or singing?"

"I have given that matter consideration, and believe I know what you should do, Kimberly. You will understand I am the only Spokesman in the entire country who speaks English. I believe we must have another, that is, another Spokesperson who speaks English and can properly represent foreigners unfortunate enough to offend our laws. I believe that after several years of training, you can become that person, the Spokeswoman who can fulfill our country's needs."

Kim's heart stopped. "Me? You want me to...to...become a Spokeswoman?"

"That is correct, Kimberly. I want you to consider that as a path in your life. You can determine if such a destiny is fitting as you study and work in my office as my apprentice. If you decide such is your destiny, you could speak as an apprentice on behalf of criminals within two years. I ask you to consider this path in life for a reason. The days of our country's isolation are ending. More and more tourists will be coming to visit the Duchy, and like you, some of them will fail to respect our laws. We will be obligated to convict and punish more foreigners; people who will need a compassionate and competent official to speak in court on their behalf. You will be able to speak from the heart, as a foreigner who was herself convicted and punished. Your clients will trust and respect you, as a person who suffered what they must suffer."

"But...how could I do that? I'd have to study law and all kinds of hard things. I mean...I'm not the world's greatest student."

"And you assume I would not make myself available to assist you?"

"But you think I could really do it, I mean, be a Spokeswoman?"

"I know that fact with certainty, Kimberly. The path of your life is what I envisioned the night of the equinox. I was shocked at first, but as I reflected on what I envisioned, the more it made sense to me. I believe it is your destiny to speak in our courts, just as it has been mine to speak in our courts."

Kim paused, suddenly remembering her own vision of Vladim Dukov during the Day of the Dead march, the one of him speaking to thousands of chanting supporters. She wondered if Dukov's career as a Spokesman was about to draw to a close, if life had much greater things in store for him. If that were true, then Kim felt obligated to help him as much as she could. She would help him by replacing him, by allowing him to leave his position with the security of knowing a competent person would take his place and fulfill his current responsibilities towards his clients. 

"I'll do what I can, Spokesman Dukov. I'll study and try to help you. You've done a lot for me and I do owe you."

With that Tatiana came in with a thick university packet. It turned out Kim was not the only person in the office who was destined to be a Spokesperson. Tatiana also was beginning her studies to become as Spokeswoman, with the goal of eventually returning to her home province and working in the provincial capitol. With that Kim realized she not only had a mentor, but she also would have a study partner. There was no reason, none whatsoever, why she could not eventually fulfill Dukov's responsibilities and become a Danubian Spokeswoman for the Criminal.



Maragana Girl Ch. 19



Chapter 19 -- Fame and Humility

Kim began her classes as a Danubian university student in the middle of January. She reduced her hours at the music store to her summer schedule, working only three days per week. She studied Danubian law, history, criminology, and the Danubian interpretation of sociology. Kim's self-confidence increased as she realized she was smart enough to master the somewhat difficult coursework in a foreign language. She was perfectly capable of studying hard and studying well, as long as she had a supportive environment and some help. Sergekt helped her with the history course, while Dukov and Tatiana helped her with the other classes. 

Kim enjoyed the university environment, going three days per week with Sergekt on the trolley. She spent most of her non-class time studying in the university library with her fiancée and his friends, but she also spent time with Dukov's secretary or in study groups from her classes. When she was with her classmates, Kim was the only naked person in the group, but that seemed not to matter very much. Her notoriety as one of the lead singers from "Socrates Mistresses" helped her overcome some of the distrust her classmates might have had against a foreign criminal studying Danubian law in their midst. Her classmates expected her to pull her own weight in the study groups, but as long as she did, they accepted the participation of the "Maragana Girl".

One of Kim's first major projects was a comparative study of US and Danubian criminal law. Kim knew little about the US legal system and had to quickly learn, in part by spending hours on the phone with her sister Cindy. Kim had to learn enough about the US criminal justice system to be able to understand and explain it. As the research for her project unfolded, Kim realized the Danubian legal system was much more straightforward than the US legal system, and thus easier to understand. 

The simplicity of the Danubian system partly resulted from the lack of institutionalized adversity between prosecutors and Spokespersons. A defense attorney in the US would not think twice about misrepresenting the facts to obtain an acquittal for his client, but in Upper Danubia it would be a serious violation of Danubian law for a Spokesperson to misrepresent the facts of a case or attempt to conceal evidence. Instead it was the Spokesman's duty to seek out mitigating factors that favored the criminal and present them in court. Kim's own case was an excellent example. Spokesman Dukov made no effort whatsoever to refute any facts or evidence, but instead concentrated on interpreting the information in a way that forced the court to give Kim a very light sentence.

Preparing the comparison project was a strange experience for Kim, because she had to study the US legal system from the perspective of a foreigner. However, to the US, Kim really had become a foreigner, because she no longer identified very much with the country of her origin. Kim's world was Danubian, and her perspective on life had become Danubian. Anyone who studied with Kim came to realize that, in spite of her foreign appearance, she really was not American anymore. She was a Danubian criminal, with an outlook that really was indistinguishable from that of any other female Danubian criminal.

----------

The push to pass Dukov's reforms in the Danubian Parliament intensified in February. As the moratorium against corporal punishments passed, the switchings were starting up again and there were increasing incidences of sexual humiliations and other abuses. Public support for the reform had peaked, so it was urgent that its supporters acted to pass the legislation as quickly as possible. Vladim Dukov had a secret motivation for passing the reform as well. Kim's friends were due to receive a final switching in April, and he wanted to ensure the excesses of the previous April's punishment were not repeated.

The officers of National Police Force were bitterly divided over the reform. Most of the older members of the police force, as well as some of the more religious younger officers, supported the reform. The majority of the younger officers, as well as most of the supervisors, did not. At first the proponents of the revisions had been afraid to speak out, but by February they were quite vocal and contemptuous of the reform's opponents. As a result the police split into two hostile camps that quit speaking to each other. During the final push to pass the reform Officer Vladik Dukov and his partner were under tremendous pressure from the younger officers, the ones who wanted to continue punishing criminals by humiliating them. They ended up spending their time with the older officers, ostracized by most of their academy classmates.

There were several mass rallies in Rika Chorna Province and finally one rather large rally in Danube City itself. Vladim Dukov addressed a crowd of nearly 13,000 people in the bitter cold of Danube City's Central Plaza, exhorting his supporters to defend Upper Danubia's honor and morality by treating criminals with respect during their corporal punishments. He repeated his familiar argument concerning the need to re-establish harmony in the country's legal system.

The audience then was surprised by an unexpected speaker; the disgraced ex-officer Malka Chorno. Before she got on the speaker's platform, Malka stripped off her criminal's cape. As she stood shivering in the cold, her bare body distinctly white against the old Parliament building, the ex-officer reviewed her own career and her abusive behavior towards the criminals she had punished. She sought to make sense out of her own attitude by self-analyzing her misdirected thirst for revenge against the people who had kidnapped and killed her sister. 

"I did things to criminals I should never have been allowed to do, and I think...had there been some restrictions in place, I would not have turned into what I became. I disgraced my profession, precisely because no one stopped me. I cannot change what I did, but I know that a standardized punishment regime will prevent other officers from following in my footsteps."

Malka Chorno's speech had more of an impact than anyone at the time realized. The sight of a frightened, shivering, naked ex-cop, repenting and pleading for legislation that would have kept her own behavior under control, persuaded several important deputies in the Parliament to change their votes in favor of the reform. As a result, the entire opposition party delegation voted in favor of revising the 1780 Corporal Punishment Code, as did about a third of the deputies from the ruling party. The reform passed on the first vote.

Vladim Dukov was the man of the hour. As he stood in front of his cheering supporters, he was awestruck at what he had accomplished. He had changed the course of Upper Danubia's history and forced the entire country to examine itself. Dukov was not an aggressive or proud man, but he had a strong vision for what his country should be and what it should not be. Part of that vision now had become law.

There would be celebrations among the country's Spokespersons and an apology from the assistant police doctor who had scoffed at the idea Dukov could change the country's legal system. There would be mandatory re-training for the National Police Force and a series of promotions and demotions. Now the others would have to treat Officer Vladik Dukov with respect, whether they wanted to or not.

In spite of everything else that would transpire as a result of his success, Dukov's most important task was to address the people who would be most affected by his reforms, the criminals of Danube City. The night after the reform passed, Spokesman Vladim Dukov returned to the Socrates Club for the first time in several years, along with his wife and his client Kimberly Lee. He warmly shook hands with the old owner of the club and looked around at a place where he had spent much of his youth. It had not changed much, to his satisfaction. The club was filled to capacity with criminals eager to understand what the reform actually would mean for their sentences.

Vladim and Maritza may have been respected public officials, but they also were ex-criminals in a club with strict protocol about equality among the people attending. Vladim and Maritza undressed and surrendered their clothing before entering the main area of the club. 

It was a bit of a shock for Kim and her friends to see Vladim Dukov step in front of the club's microphone, as naked as anyone else in the room. At that moment Kim realized how deeply her Spokesman's experiences from own his sentence were ingrained in his brain. In the Socrates Club Dukov saw himself more as a fellow criminal than as a public official.

Dukov began by explaining what the reform would do and what it would not. He went down a list of changes, the most important being the prohibition against sexual fondling. There were other revisions, including a standardization of the severity of the strokes, more authority for Spokespersons to intervene to prevent injury, and a new restriction against switching a criminal more than once every 60 days. Other provisions included not allowing a punishment to take place outside a courthouse or police station. For example, criminals never again could be punished at a school. They could not be chained and forced to march down a street. Nor could they be struck prior to the formal switching, for example they could not be kicked or beaten on the shoulders while waiting to be punished. There would be no participation in court-ordered punishments by anyone other than police officers. The days of medical students and girlfriends toying with criminals were over. Finally, there would be a time limit placed on the length of a switching. No judicial punishment could last longer than 50 minutes, one minute for each stroke.

Dukov explained his goal to keep the Duchy's corporal punishment system intact, but remove the excesses. "My desire is that, from this point forward, any criminal will know exactly what to expect from his or her sentence. What the judge orders will be what you must endure. There will be no unpleasant surprises from the police, nor from anyone else. Anything not specified in your initial sentence is prohibited."

Dukov went on to discuss the only realistic alternative to Upper Danubia's judicial system, which would be implementing a system of jails similar to what existed in the rest of the world. Dukov explained why he thought jails were a bad idea, an opinion shared by everyone else in the crowded room.

Upon the conclusion of the Spokesman's presentation, there was a shout of "DOC-DOC VLADIM!" With that Vladim Dukov and his wife joined Kim and her friends at their table, along with the owner of the club and a couple of other older professionals. It was still a bit of a shock seeing Vladim Dukov as an equal in the Socrates Club. It was even more of a shock for Kim to see Vladim and Maritza dance together later in the evening. They were reliving their time spent as criminals, a full generation ago. Their bodies were aged and no longer attractive, but Vladim and Maritza Dukov looked perfectly at home on the dance floor of the old Socrates Club. They had returned to a world their hearts really never had left.

In time Kim would follow in Vladim Dukov's footsteps and take over his responsibilities. She would be a Spokeswoman herself, and hang her collar under a picture of herself and her future husband. Kim also knew that 20 years from now she and Sergekt, their bodies weathered by age, occasionally would return to this club and dance among a new generation of criminals.

----------

The members of "Socrates' Mistresses", along with 12 song writers who contributed music on a regular basis and 6 others who contributed sporadically, found themselves increasingly wrapped up in their music as March and April passed. They had been performing so much at the Socrates Club that they were well practiced. Recording sessions were not that big of a challenge, since everything the group sang they already had sung in public several times over. 

The group's first CD sold out quickly after it was released. The company scrambled to produce additional CD's and speed up the release of "Socrates' Mistresses" second CD. The music became popular throughout Europe and parts of Asia. For some odd reason the CD became particularly popular in Japan and Taiwan. Slowly, very slowly at first, the music began to make headway in the United States among people looking for something relaxing to listen to that was different.

At first the group's music was classified as "New Age", although that description was not really accurate. When a music scene reporter asked Kim about how she thought her group's music should be described, Kim simply responded, "The music is Danubian, that's how you would place it. It's not New Age, or Folk, or 'traditional'...it's Danubian."

Eloisa tasked Kim to re-write five new songs in English. The task of translating the five new songs proved somewhat harder for Kim than doing the first four songs. Kim had provided the ideas for the lyrics of the first songs she sang in English, but the themes for the new songs had come from other band members. Still, Kim realized that Eloisa had picked songs that had universal appeal and would reach out past the cultural and language barriers that separated Danubian criminal society from the rest of the world. In the end Kim translated the five songs, practiced them late at night in her room, and presented the translations to Eloisa. 

Once again Eloisa's sharp ears listened to the sounds coming from Kim's throat and assessed how well they sounded with the group's backup singers and musicians. In the end she dropped one of the translations and kept the other four, thus giving the band more songs with which they could appeal to English-speaking audiences.

Kim called the group's recording company to tell them the band had an additional 2 CD's worth of songs they would be able to record. The company responded by sending a team of recording studio employees and renting the best recording studio Danube City had to offer. The group's members spent the final weeks of March and nearly all of April recording one high-quality song after another, including the four English translations. Finally, one of the company representatives suggested that Kim sing a couple of very old English love songs that were hundreds of years old. The old English songs added two more non-Danubian songs to the music collection. 

At the end of April the company's studio employees left Upper Danubia with enough recorded music to fill the two CD's Kim had promised. Later that year, a Hollywood producer making a movie about the fall of Gaul to the Romans was looking for music with a sad, haunting feel for the movie's score heard Kim's version of "That's all I'll ever be" on the radio. Intrigued with the song, he had a copy of the CD delivered to his office. As soon as he heard Eloisa's voice, he was hooked. He had found precisely the music he wanted for his movie. 

As their music's popularity exploded across Europe, Kim's friends continued to live their modest lives in Danube City. The money from their efforts built up in their bank accounts, but the only person who was aware of that was Kim. Between their studies, their jobs, their personal relationships, and the restrictions of their sentences, Kim and her friends lived lives that were barely distinguishable from the lives of over 2,000 other criminals serving sentences in Danube City. They worked, they studied, and they fulfilled their social responsibilities to their families and futures. They gathered at their usual tables at the Socrates Club in the evenings they were not recording, and they made love upstairs in the intimacy rooms. As criminals, they knelt in front of police officers and public officials, they shivered naked at the trolley stops, and they dreamt about July, when they finally could return to living normal lives. They were very humble, and very ordinary, people.

----------

Ex-officer Malka Chorno shaved her pubic hair on April 5, as she prepared to receive her second punishment with her own police belt. She announced to her exercise classes that she probably would be unable to lead the sessions until Monday of the following week. That night she sat quietly with Tuko at the Socrates Club, after repeating her announcement concerning the cancellation of her exercise classes to the entire club.

Malka had one last night of aggressive love-making with Tuko, and then cleaned up and took a trolley to the Central Police Station. It was quite cold outside, but Malka was naked except for her collar and winter boots. Like most other criminals she treated the criminal's cape with contempt, wearing it only when she expected to stand outside for long periods of time.

Malka Chorno was not scared in the same way that Kim or Eloisa were scared the nights before they faced being punished. Instead she was quietly resigned to her upcoming suffering. She had violated her responsibilities as a police officer, and now she had to pay for it. Malka did not see what was about to happen to her as unfair. She had inflicted suffering on plenty of people herself, and now it was her turn.

Deep down Malka had felt guilty about the way she had been treating criminals prior to her arrest. However, as she struggled with her internal conflicts, she became all that much more vicious to the criminals she punished. In a way Malka was relieved to no longer have that continuing internal emotional conflict within her soul. 

The former police officer also was relieved that her life's punishment was happening now instead of taking place in the Afterlife. Danubians had a vague idea of heaven and hell, but their Church hierarchy taught them that the Afterlife was neither. Instead, Danubian priests taught their congregations that a dead person's soul endured the results of both good and bad actions he or she had committed while still alive. For a Danubian the Afterlife was a mirror image of a person's life. Malka had grown up with that idea embedded in her brain, and thus as a cop she had been very scared of what might happen to her spirit after she died. Now that she was a criminal herself, she was paying her debt during this life instead of later. She could die with her soul at least partially redeemed.

Malka arrived at Spokesman Dukov's office and knelt in the reception area, waiting for him to arrive. The secretaries came in and asked Malka if she wanted any tea. She shook her head and asked for a small glass of water instead. When Vladim Dukov arrived, Malka knelt at his feet and kissed his shoes. Following the normal procedure for a routine punishment, Dukov retrieved Malka's police folder and prepared several punishment certificates.

One of Malka's ex-coworkers entered Dukov's office to handcuff her and take her downstairs to the punishment room. Malka quietly walked downstairs, passing several of her former colleagues on the way down. Some of her ex-coworkers glanced at her with contempt. Others gave her sad looks, thinking that what had happened to her was not fair. 

Malka, her escort, and her Spokesman entered the punishment room. Malka's escort locked the door and then un-handcuffed the criminal. The chief of the Danube City Police Department, along with most of the section chiefs, were present and waiting to punish their former employee. Dukov took a quick look at their faces, trying to gauge their mood and attitude about their upcoming task. However, the stern, weathered faces of the commanders were inscrutable. 

Because Malka was not a common criminal, some of Vladim Dukov's reforms did not apply to her. The police officials in charge of punishing her would not have dreamt of touching Malka sexually. However, there was no strict time limit placed on her punishment, nor any limit on the number of strokes she would receive. Malka's sentence stipulated that she would be beaten to the limit of her endurance.




Maragana Girl Ch. 19



Malka knelt, took off her police belt, and laid it flat on the floor in front of her. She then knelt forward, placing her forehead on the floor. Once Malka was in position and her Spokesman standing next to her, the judge spoke.

"Malka Chorno, from this point forward I will refer to you as Criminal # 99348, because a criminal is what you chose to become. It grieves me to see you like this, because I always thought you were a good officer, that is, until I witnessed your shocking behavior in this room last July. As of today, the convictions of four charges against you remain in place, two violations of Article 3 of Item 18 of the Grand Duke's reform of the Judicial Code of 1780, one violation of Article 4 of Item 18 of the Grand Duke's reform of the Judicial Code of 1780, and the violation of Article 9 of Item 5 of the Judicial Code of 1524, the crime of Insurrection. Do you have anything you wish to say to me before your punishment begins?"

"No, your honor. I was convicted according to the laws of our country and I am prepared to comply with my sentence."

"Very well. Spokesman Dukov, you will release custody of Criminal 99348 for the duration of this punishment."

With that the Chief of Police approached Vladim Dukov. The two men saluted each other. "Spokesman, are there any restrictions concerning the punishment of this criminal that I need to be advised about?"

Dukov answered: "No Chief of Police...no special restrictions."

"Very well." The Chief of Police then addressed Malka. "Criminal 99348, you will pick up your belt and present it to me."

Malka complied by picking up her belt and handing it to her former commander. He doubled it and tapped her on the shoulder with the leather. Malka now was out of Dukov's custody. Malka leaned forward and kissed the Police Chief's shoes.

"I expect you to position yourself properly on the table. Make sure that pillow is under you correctly."

Malka picked up the hard tubular pillow and laid it across the table. She then climbed up and draped her body over the pillow, leaving her bottom high in the air and fully exposed. Malka extended her arms and legs to the corners of the table, exposing herself even more. She positioned her wrists and ankles over the straps that would immobilize her. The Police Chief buckled the straps himself, and then took his position near Malka's upturned bottom. He laid the belt across both bottom-cheeks and let it rest in that position for several seconds, mainly to increase Malka's anxiety. Finally he lifted the belt, took aim at Malka's bottom, swung hard, and delivered a tremendous CRACK! to both sides of her exposed backside. Malka gasped from the pain and shock of the blow, but remained quiet. A vivid pink strip marked the woman's otherwise pale skin. Dukov looked on sympathetically, but it would be a very long time before he could raise his hand and halt the punishment.

The police chief used the same tactic as he used the year before, carefully laying a series of vicious swats, one right after the other, on the same place. After the first 10 strokes Malka had a searing red stripe marking her bottom, which was exactly as wide as the belt. The Police Chief paused, and then struck the bright-red stripe another five times. By the 15th stroke Malka was shaking from the pain and her efforts to not cry. The Chief of Police paused for a couple of minutes, as the bright red strip darkened and swelled. Finally Malka's former boss lifted the belt again.

CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!

The Chief of Police started punishing the rest of Malka's bottom, starting with the white skin immediate below the deep red stripe. As before, he punished viciously and methodically, expanding the red portion of her bottom by a belt-width.

CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!

The police chief worked his way down to the crease that divided Malka's bottom-cheeks from her thighs. He paid particular attention to the sensitive area at the base of Malka's bottom. He struck hard, determined to break Malka's resistance. Finally he decided to aim at the sensitive area between her spread legs.

He struck a couple of savage blows that made contact with Malka's exposed vagina. She grunted and gritted her teeth, determined not to give in. The police chief struck hard at the upper part of her bottom, then returned to the base of her bottom-cheeks, again aiming at the sensitive area between her legs. Finally Malka's voice cracked and her resistance broke. Her body began shaking with sobs, but still she was trying with all her effort to stay as quiet as possible.

After the 50th stroke the Chief of Police stopped. He saluted one of the section chiefs and handed Malka's belt to him. The new official took position beside Malka, and commenced striking her hard. However, the criminal's second tormentor concentrated on her bottom and made no attempt to further torment her vagina.

CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!

After 25 methodical strokes from the section chief, Malka began crying out as each stroke landed on her bottom. Between the strokes she was sobbing as loudly as any other criminal. She had held up quite well, but there was no way she could expect to hold up under such a lengthy punishment without her spirit finally being broken.

The section chief handed the belt to one of the arraignment committee members for yet another 25 strokes. When Dukov raised his hand, Malka's bottom was deep red with purplish welts. As before, her bottom would be spared any further injury that day, but her legs still awaited punishment. At that point the Chief of Police did something rather cruel to his victim. He clapped his hands and ordered tea to be served to himself and his subordinates. Malka, lying immobilized and in agony, would be forced to wait before the final part of her punishment would be administered.

When the Chief of Police asked Dukov if he wanted some tea, he angrily declined.

"I want this punishment to finish. I do not think this is appropriate, nor beneficial to Criminal # 99348. I think you should exercise a minimum degree of sympathy."

Dukov received an unexpected word of support from the presiding judge.

"I agree with the Spokesman, Chief of Police. You will continue this punishment or I will conclude it."

Somewhat chastened, the police chief angrily set down his cup and stood up. He passed the belt to another section chief, who immediately began belaboring the disgraced cop's upper thighs.

Once she had received the standard 50 strokes on the backs of her thighs, the court guards unbuckled the restraints on Malka's wrists and ankles and roughly turned her over. When they restrained her facing upwards, the woman's legs were spread and her shaved vagina was rudely exposed to the judge and the other witnesses in the room. 

As Dukov contemplated his one-time enemy and current client, he felt a twinge of sexual arousal. The sight of Malka's fit muscular body restrained and spread was intensely erotic to her Spokesman, as was her teary face and her helplessness. Dukov felt guilty about being excited by the view of his prostrate client, but his mind quickly jumped to the thought that her exposed pubic area might become a target of the belt unless he intervened. The Spokesman raised his hand.

"Your honor, I am requesting that you specifically prohibit that my client be struck anywhere other than her thighs. I would like that clarified."

The judge paused for a second, noting the former police officer's exposed vagina. Yes, that part of her body was very vulnerable and it would be for the best to grant the Spokesman's request.

"I will make that clarification in your favor, Spokesman. Criminal # 99348 may be struck only on her thighs. A blow to any other part of her body will end her punishment."

The section chief wielding the belt glared at the Spokesman. He had been looking forward to laying some hard strokes between the woman's spread legs and getting some good screams out of her, but now couldn't because of the judge's order. It was a small victory for Dukov, but a significant one for his client. The man sighed and began marking the criminal's upper thighs with reddish welts.

CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!... CRACK!

Malka cried and screamed as the final 50 strokes of her punishment darkened her upper thighs. Dukov raised his hand a final time and the court guards unbuckled her from the table. She struggled to get off and maintain her balance once her feet were on the floor. She presented herself to the judge, who signed her punishment certificate. Finally came the concluding humiliation, having to kneel and kiss the shoes of each of the police officials who had punished her. Malka struggled to move on her knees from official to official, thanking each one for flogging her. 

Suddenly, through the emotional haze of her pain and embarrassment, Malka remembered how she had treated Kimberly Lee at the end of the American's second punishment. She had forced Criminal # 98945 to repeat over and over her "thank you" in an effort to humiliate her. Now life had thrown that humiliation right back into Malka's face, as she was forced to kneel and say "thank you" over and over to her multiple tormentors.

With that the Chief of Police touched Malka's shoulder with the belt and saluted Vladim Dukov. Criminal # 99348 now was safely back in his custody. The Spokesman instructed his client to walk to the door ahead of him. She complied, although she was unsteady on her feet and had trouble keeping her balence. Once out the door Dukov put his arm around Malka and helped her get up the stairs.

When they entered Dukov's office Malka's situation finally hit her full-force. She knelt at her Spokesman's feet and began sobbing uncontrollably at the humiliation of her life. For the first time she truly realized what had happened to her. She had been flogged by the people she had worked under, and flogged with a piece of her own uniform. 

Criminal # 99348's view of herself underwent a huge change at that moment. She knew, no longer suspected but actually knew, that she did not want to return to the National Police Force, in spite of Kimberly Lee's gesture of forgiveness. How on earth could she go back to being a police officer after having undergone the experience of serving a sentence? How could she ever face her superiors in uniform again after having been whipped by them? Did she even really want to? She now saw herself for what she was, a criminal. That realization devastated her.

Malka heard Dukov's voice from what seemed a great distance.

"Malka, please, you must stand up. You don't need to prostrate yourself before me. Your whipping is over, and you can go back to your normal life."

Dukov put out his hand and his client took it. He helped her get up. Suddenly she put her arms around him and began crying into his shoulder. Dukov felt a bit uneasy having to hold her and comfort her, but such physical contact between a Spokesperson and a criminal was permitted immediately following a punishment. Some criminals needed to be comforted by being held. The Spokespersons' Code of Conduct had guidelines that permitted such physical comforting, as long as there was no sexual contact.

After a long time crying into Dukov's shoulder Malka finally quieted down, but she stayed pressed up against him.

"Spokesman Dukov, I don't know what 'normal' is any more. I don't know what my 'normal life' is, or what it should be."

"I suppose your normal life is your responsibility to your gym classes and to your boyfriend. Right now those are your priorities."

"But later...later what?"

"Only you can answer that question, Malka. Your life will become 'normal', but what 'normal' actually means is a matter only you can determine."



Maragana Girl Ch. 20



Chapter 20 -- The Story of Two Final Punishments

Kim's friends became increasingly nervous as the end of April approached. The reason was simple enough; they were due to receive the final switching of their sentences on April 25. The switching was the final major event of their sentences they needed to endure before their release in July, but that did not make them any less apprehensive about having to face the switching table. 

Spokesman Havlakt lobbied hard to get the group's final punishment canceled. They had contributed greatly to Upper Danubia with their music, they had risked themselves during last summer's forest fires, they were in college, and they were leading productive lives. What good could possibly come out of making them suffer yet again, for something that really was not their fault to begin with?

The sentencing judge was sympathetic to the group's plight, agreeing there was no point in administering the final switching. However, the law stipulated that unless a criminal had performed some important service to the country or an act of personal heroism, a scheduled judicial switching could not be canceled. The reasoning behind that law was to prevent Spokespersons from filing routine petitions to cancel switchings and to prevent them from seeking special treatment for their clients.

Spokesman Havlakt and the sentencing judge sat down to examine several old cases, to see if there was any way to get around that law. Finally, just two days before the group was due to report to the Central Police Station, the Spokesman found a partial solution to the problem, which he presented to the judge. The judge would not be able to cancel the switchings completely, but he felt the court could justify reducing the punishments to 25 strokes, because the crimes had been committed when Eloisa and her friends were still under 18. There was one such legal precedent for such a reduction, from a case in the 1960's that was somewhat similar to the one resulting in the convictions against Eloisa's group. On that occasion the students had been sentenced to a year of wearing collars and to receiving three switchings. Like Eloisa's group, the first switching was the standard 25 strokes for persons under-age. The second switching was 50 strokes, but the group's final switching was reduced back to 25 strokes, the criminals being punished as minors, even though they were above 18. The legality of punishing adults as minors in the 1960's case was never challenged. Spokesman Havlakt now had a legal precedent to request a reduction in the severity of his clients' punishments. The sympathetic judge read over the case and agreed with the Spokesman. He could use the old case as a justification to reduce the final punishment of Eloisa and her friends to 25 strokes. 

That evening Spokesman Havlakt called Eloisa and her boyfriend and told them contact all the other members of the group. They reported to his office in the evening, all 28 of them. They knew their Spokesman had something important to tell them, or else he would not have had them report to his office at night.

"I have some good news for you. It's not as good as I would have liked it to be, but still, you may consider yourselves blessed. The sentencing judge and I were determined to see what we could do to eliminate your final corporal punishment. We could not completely eliminate your final punishment, but when you are switched the day after tomorrow, you will be punished as minors, not adults. In other words, each of you will receive 25 strokes with the switch instead of 50."

Eloisa and her friends looked at each other, visibly relieved. The Spokesman continued, explaining the case that led to the legal justification for reducing the punishment. He concluded. "I don't know if this case would have helped you earlier in your sentences or not, because its legality was never challenged. There won't be any opportunity for the prosecutor to challenge the legality of the case now because it will be used on you in just two days and on a single occasion. But once you have been punished the day after tomorrow, that will be it. A little over two months from now your collars will be off and you'll be free citizens. Keep your minds focused on that when you lie across the switching table this one last time."

The Spokesman then laid out the schedule for the group's punishments. His goal was to simply get the whole thing over with as quickly as possible. The police would be using two punishment rooms, 14 members of the group per room. The Spokesman decided to divide his clients into two sub-groups of 14, one of which would report to his office at 8:00 in the morning, the other which would report at 11:00 in the morning. He hoped to have the punishments completely finished no later than 2:00 in the afternoon.

Once 14 members for each shift were present, they would be divided between the two punishment rooms, 7 per room. Spokesman Havlakt would take one group downstairs, while Vladim Dukov would take the other group downstairs. They would be switched one at a time, each one then being released to return to the Spokesman's Office after his or her switching.

"I hope that, with just 25 strokes, you won't need much time to recover, but for any of you who do, I'll have my tables set up. I do expect you to stick together once you have been punished. Come upstairs to my office, or to Spokesman Dukov's office, and wait there until everyone from your group is done."

Finally, the Spokesman emphasized the changes under the new rules resulting from Vladim Dukov's reforms.

"What you must endure will be very straightforward. You will go downstairs in handcuffs, each one of you will be strapped down, you'll get your 25 strokes, you'll be let up, you'll thank the cop for punishing you, and you'll come back upstairs. That's it. No leg irons, no fondling, no hits on the shoulders, no kicks, no fingers up your bottoms. We got all that to stop. The younger cops aren't that happy about it, but that's just too bad. You're not here to give them playtime."

Dima knelt and the others followed his lead. As the leader of the group he pressed his forehead on the ground at the feet of his Spokesman, and with that the group departed to the Socrates Club. The group was no longer afraid; they now simply looked at their final switching as the last unpleasant event that stood between the present and the conclusion of their sentences. For most of the group, their sentences really would end in two days. There were no more switchings scheduled, nothing to be afraid of during the final two months. 

Eloisa and her friends shaved their pubic hair one final time the day before their punishments, but they did not wear the long faces they had worn during previously. Tomorrow's ordeal would be painful and unpleasant, but not horrific and humiliating as it had been on previous occasions. 

The following morning, at 7:45 am, eight young women and six young men knelt in the reception area of their Spokesman's office. They had split into two groups, four women and three men each. They would follow their usual routine of allowing the women to go first. Shortly after the group was kneeling Officer Vladik Dukov and his partner entered the Spokesman's office. The 14 criminals knelt forward, touching their heads to the floor. Vladik addressed the group in a very routine manner.

"Very well, you all know the routine, so I'm not going to make an issue out of it. I need all of you to stand up, in the order you plan to be punished. As I come up to each of you, you will turn your back to me and present your hands. Once I handcuff you, step into the main corridor and get in line. My partner and I will take you downstairs and we'll try to get this over with as quickly as possible."

Once the fourteen criminals were handcuffed and standing in line, a second pair of police officers joined Vladik and his partner. They were somewhat older, a man and a woman. During that spring very few younger officers were punishing criminals, since most of the younger cops had to return to the National Police Academy and be retrained to punish criminals under the new guidelines. 

Once the two groups were ready, Vladik tapped Eloisa's shoulder and motioned her to follow him downstairs. With that a group of seven naked, handcuffed criminals followed the two police officers to the first of the two punishment rooms to be used during today's switchings. The second group followed behind and disappeared into the second punishment room. Spokesman Havlakt entered the punishment room along with the two police officers and seven criminals. The police locked the door and removed the group's handcuffs. There was the usual reading of the charges and sentence conditions by the judge as the seven criminals knelt with their foreheads pressed to the floor and their bottoms high in the air. Once the official reading of the charges was over, Eloisa and her companions knelt upright. They no longer would be required to keep their heads pressed to the ground until their turn came up to be punished.

Vladik and his partner took their places close to the switching table and waited. Spokesman Havlakt tapped Eloisa on the shoulder. She struggled to her feet, stepped forward with her Spokesman, then dropped to her knees at Vladik's feet. There was the normal question from Vladik.

"Spokesman, are there any restrictions concerning the punishment of this criminal that I need to be advised about?"

"Yes, Officer, today there is a restriction concerning the punishment of this criminal."

"What is that restriction, Spokesman?"

"The court has ruled that you will punish this criminal as a minor, in accordance with a precedent set in 1964 with the sentence of Criminal # 52298 and her five companions. The court has ordered that you are limited to delivering 25 strokes instead of the normal 50."

"Very well, Spokesman, I will comply with the restriction."

With that the two men saluted each other and Vladik tapped Eloisa on the shoulder. The exchange had been a formality, because Vladik already was aware of the ruling. Still, the court records needed to document that Vladik Dukov understood he was to give only 25 strokes and why. The same exchange would be recorded for each criminal in Eloisa's group, in each of the two punishment rooms.

Eloisa leaned forward and kissed Vladik's shoes. Again he tapped her shoulder with the switch.

"Criminal # 92870, rise and present yourself at the table."

Eloisa stood up and for the last time in her life extended herself across the switching table. Vladik's partner secured her wrists and ankles with leather straps, then buckled the strap around her waist. Eloisa was immobilized and ready to receive her second switching from Officer Vladik Dukov.

Vladik Dukov tapped Eloisa's bottom with his switch and quickly struck her with a sharp, painful blow. He was not hitting her as hard as the law permitted. However, he had to strike her hard enough to leave a clear mark, or the sentencing judge could not count the stroke when he presented Eloisa's bottom to have her punishment certificate signed. Eloisa would have to have 25 clear switch-marks on her body for her switching to meet the minimum legal standard. This was, after-all, real punishment, not a formality. Eloisa understood that, and held no resentment against Vladik for hurting her. She knew that he was trying his best to keep her suffering to a minimum.

Eloisa gasped and tears ran down her cheeks as Officer Vladik Dukov laid one painful stroke after another on her exposed bottom. She was determined not to cry, however, during this final punishment of her sentence. Vladik tried to accommodate Eloisa's effort not to cry by moving as quickly as possible through the 25 strokes. He tapped Eloisa's bottom, laid a red stripe, tapped her again, and struck again. He was done within 10 minutes. Eloisa maintained her dignity and managed to stay quiet during her ordeal.

Vladik and his partner quickly undid Eloisa's straps and she struggled to stand up. A bit uneasy on her feet and her cheeks streaked with tears, Eloisa allowed Vladik and his partner to take her arms and present her backside to the judge. The judge counted 25 red welts on her bottom, and signed her final punishment certificate. Eloisa then approached Vladik and her Spokesman, and knelt to kiss his shoes. There was a salute, and that was it. Eloisa was released back into the custody of Spokesman Havlakt, never to be punished again.

Eloisa left the room and struggled to walk upstairs. The pain from the strokes had actually increased a bit, but that was normal. She walked into the reception area of her Spokesman's office and past his secretary. The secretary put her hand on a recovery table, but Eloisa shook her head. She didn't need a recovery table. What she needed was to be alone for a while. The secretary nodded and opened the door to the Spokesman's back office.

"The others will be looking for me. Please tell them where I am, but not to bother me. I need...really need...not to be bothered."

Eloisa entered her Spokesman's main office and closed and locked his door. She was alone, as she wanted, but was unsure what to do next. She walked to the window and looked out onto the street below. The trees were leafing out and people were walking around in the warm spring sunshine. Some of the younger women were wearing a new style of sun-dress that recently had come into fashion and that Eloisa really liked. She was hoping the style would still be popular in July, because a new summer dress was one of the first indulgences she wanted for herself once her sentence ended.

It's over...thought Eloisa to herself. This is finally over; at least the dread of the physical punishments was over. The only part of her sentence left was the waiting until July 2, and then, freedom. Eloisa knew that sometimes criminals looked back at the final part of their sentences, the weeks between the final switching and actual freedom, as the happiest time of their lives. The anticipation of freedom is very present in their minds, with none of the disappointments and hardships that invariably accompany a person's ability to exercise free will. Eloisa would have to be careful with her impending freedom, and was well aware of that fact.

Ever since her first year in high school, Eloisa's life had been one of personal hardship and psychological torment. In some ways her sentence had been far easier on her than the four years that had preceded. Her mind had suffered and her body had suffered. Suffering was what defined Eloisa; it was what made her who she was. She expected to suffer, and actually was somewhat frightened of having to live a life in which the only suffering she endured would be the torment of her own memories and her guilt. Maybe she could someday break free from all that, maybe she couldn't.

The searing pain coming from Eloisa's bottom continued to torment her. This had been by far the most lenient punishment she had received, but for some reason today she felt that day's welts more than she had felt any of the other switchings. She walked over to her Spokesman's full-length mirror and sadly studied the red lines marking her pale skin. For a long time she stared blankly at the carpeting at the foot of her Spokesman's desk, as the anguish inside her soul rose to the surface. Eloisa could feel it, rising from her gut to her chest, from her chest to her throat, that unbelievable torment embedded in her soul.

I'm damaged, and I don't see how I can be fixed. Eloisa used the Danubian word "poganachoa" to describe herself, which meant "broken beyond repair." What if that was true?

The memories came back, full force. All those horrible things that teacher made her do...and those pictures. And on top of all that, an unfair sentence that dragged her friends, and even some students who barely knew her, into her problems...How could she ever find peace after all that had happened to her? Over and over she repeated the damning phrase from her life...

"Ya dek poganachoa! Ya dek poganachoa! Ya dek poganachoa!" 

Eloisa began crying. After all these years, she needed to cry. Not cry from the pain of a sore bottom, but cry from the pain of her experiences in life. She sank to her knees and rested her elbows on one of the office chairs, burying her face in her hands. The young criminal's entire body heaved with sobs. She had been brave; she had done everything possible to live as honorably as she could, given her circumstances. She had repaid the society that had so cruelly mistreated her with kindness and the gift of her music. She had fulfilled her social duty to the friends who had sacrificed for her by becoming successful and making many of them successful. Now however, there was one thing that Eloisa needed. She sobbed on and on, louder than she had ever cried before. She had seven years of intense pain built up in her soul, and finally it had to come out.

By the time Eloisa started crying and making such a scandal in the office, all of the group's women had finished with their switchings. The women had prepared some tea and were nursing the welts on their bottoms. They were extremely upbeat, due to their relatively mild punishments and the knowledge they now were done with the physical portion of their sentence. However, their good mood was disturbed by the sounds coming from the other side of their Spokesman's door. The seven young women clustered around and became increasingly worried about what was happening on the other side.

Eloisa was confident the thick wooden door of her Spokesman's inner office would muffle the sound of her crying. Normally it would have, but she was crying so loudly that her fellow ex-classmates could hear her quite clearly in the outer office. They heard her screaming "Ya dek poganachoa", but none of them could understand why she would be saying that. The crying went on and on, continuing as the six male students from the first punishment group came up the stairs to join their eight female classmates.

Several members of the group debated getting the key from Spokesman Havlakt and opening the door. It was Spokesman Havlakt who came up with one final important detail to that plan.

"If you really want to disturb Eloisa, then you need to call Kimberly Lee and have her go into that office by herself. She knows Eloisa better than any of the rest of you, and I think she's the only one who can get her to calm down."

The others immediately jumped on the idea of having Kim try to talk to Eloisa, since it was true Kim was much closer to Eloisa than anyone else in the group. One of the group's back-up singers made a quick call to the music store. 

Kim excused herself from work and sped to the Central Police Station on her bicycle, arriving within five minutes. She darted up the stairs to the complex's top floor and the Spokespersons' office area. She entered the office, took the key from Spokesman Havlakt and eased the door open. She found Eloisa lying on her stomach on the floor, her body still jerking with sobs. 

Kim was reluctant to disturb her friend, knowing that Eloisa needed the emotional release she was experiencing. At the same time, Kim suspected Eloisa also needed comforting. She knelt next to her friend and laid a hand on her shoulder. Eloisa continued to sob. While their other friends were baffled by the statement "I'm damaged beyond repair," Kim did understand what Eloisa was saying. She addressed her friend in Danubian.

"Tebe negat...Eloisa. Tebe negat poganachoa..."

Kim tried to fill her friend with hope, with the idea that she could, and would, get past everything that had happened to her over that last seven years. She helped Eloisa stand up. Eloisa, still sobbing, hugged Kim tight, almost intimately, to the point the American felt a bit uncomfortable. Kim felt Eloisa's naked body pressed tightly against her own, her companion's breasts flattening against her chest. Eloisa pressed her head on Kim's shoulder, which quickly became wet from her friend's tears and saliva. Kim said nothing more...she just held Eloisa for a very long time while the other women and Spokesman Havlakt watched nervously through the doorway. Eloisa sobbed and tried to speak.




Maragana Girl Ch. 20



"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"There's nothing for you to be sorry for! You didn't do anything wrong! I want you to understand that! You didn't do anything wrong! Do you think so many people would have stood by you if you had?"

Eloisa stopped sobbing, but she continued to hug her friend tightly and cry quietly. She looked up at the doorway at the collection of concerned faces. 

At that moment Eloisa realized how lucky she truly was to have such loyal friends. She realized she had one final debt to pay to them, and to herself. She had to put her awful memories behind her. She had to move forward and begin changing, to find something else to define her besides her past suffering. She would have to find happiness, or at least come to terms with herself and find inner peace. Eloisa admonished herself. If Tuko's crazy policewoman girlfriend could change, put her torments behind her, and find inner peace, certainly Eloisa could.

Eloisa was leaning hard on Kim, in a manner that made the American realize she was completely exhausted. She guided Eloisa to the Spokesman's sofa, which was covered with a clean linen cover to accommodate the office's naked clients. For a long time Kim held Eloisa, until the group's lead singer went to sleep. 

Kim finally eased herself out from under her friend and gently laid her down. She would have wanted to cover Eloisa, but she knew that was prohibited. In theory a criminal was not allowed to use bed covers at all, but of course at home no one bothered to enforce that rule. In a public office however, the rule about no covers had to be obeyed.

Kim studied her friend's lovely bare figure and sleeping face. Asleep, Eloisa's face looked peaceful, free from the tormented expression she often carried with her when she was awake. 

----------

Tuko was among the guys being switched in the second group. His turn was right after Sergekt, so he watched Sergekt's punishment with deep interest. Tuko's emotions were in turmoil. He was happy this was his final switching and that the punishment had been cut in half. He also was happy about the new restrictions and not having to be humiliated once again in front of the students of his ex-high school. No more being forced to kneel spread and on full display to hundreds of jeering female spectators, no medical students shoving their fingers up his bottom, no forced erections, no male cops fondling and squeezing his testicles. However, it was precisely because the severity and much of the nastiness had been deleted from the corporal punishment he faced, that Tuko saw eroticism in what was happening to the seven young men in the punishment room.

A middle-aged female cop saluted Spokesman Havlakt and asked the usual question if there were any special conditions she needed to be aware of before punishing Sergekt. As he already responded 11 times, the Spokesman answered yes and cited the 1964 case and provisional ruling. Sergekt kissed the cop's shoes and went over the punishment table.

The punishment for Sergekt was an unpleasant experience, but in comparison with what he had endured previously, it was quite mild. He had not been groped, he had not been kicked, and his shoulders were not covered with welts before his formal switching began. He had not been forced to march down the street in chains, nor forced to stand on a stage with his erect penis on display to a shouting audience. All he had to do was face about 15 minutes of intense pain, and then it would be over...this three-year nightmare would be over. Sergekt held his breath and winced each time the switch made contact with his bottom. He gasped between strokes and sweat trickled down his face, but he never was in any danger of crying.

As Tuko studied the growing collection of red lines on his friend's spread bottom, he felt increasingly aroused. The detail that most got to him was the sight of Sergekt's testicles and exposed bottom-hole, on full display to his tormentor and to everyone else in the back of the room. His girlfriend Malka used to do this...she used to have guys strapped down and spread, naked and completely defenseless. She punished without mercy. Tuko suddenly developed a guilty fantasy. He imagined that he was strapped to the table instead of Sergekt and that the cop was Malka. He fantasized that Malka was about to punish him.

Sergekt's punishment was over just as Tuko's fantasy was getting under way. His penis had stiffened somewhat, a detail that caught the attention of everyone remaining in the room. Sergekt gave his friend a perplexed look as he nursed his marked bottom and walked out of the room.

It was Tuko's turn. He relished the preliminaries of his punishment, the kneeling, the kissing of the cop's shoes, the getting up and lying across the punishment table. All that time he was imagining that it was Malka who was wielding the switch. 

The female cop lined up her switch on Tuko's bottom, but she did not strike right away. She saw quite clearly that this criminal was sexually excited. She would not have fondled him even if she had been allowed to, but she did rub the switch over his bottom to raise his anticipation. As he felt the cruel hard strip of leather momentarily caress his bottom, Tuko's became even more aroused. By now his penis was quite hard, as he closed his eyes and imagined that it was his beloved Malka who was about flog him. He relaxed his bottom and tried to shift it out, wanting to expose it even more to the woman in the uniform.

The cop was fascinated by the criminal's display of arousal. Very well, young man, if it's a severe punishment you want, than that's what you'll get, she thought to herself. The cop pulled her arm back and struck Tuko full-force. The stroke landed in the sensitive lower part of Tuko's bottom, just slightly above the crease that separated his bottom-cheeks from his upper thighs. Tuko gritted his teeth as the pain seared into him, but the fantasy that it was Malka who was punishing him bore into his brain even more. He wanted to surrender himself to her, to have her completely control him.

The cop struck again, a second cruel line of pain placed immediately above the first one. Again Tuko gasped, all the time imagining that it was Malka, wearing her police uniform and her cruel smile, who was tormenting him. He imagined a full punishment of 50 strokes, laid on his bottom so hard that she would be forced to finish on his thighs and back.

The cop rubbed Tuko's bottom with the switch, touched it across the spot she planned to strike next, and struck precisely where she indicated. Again Tuko gritted his teeth and gasped, but the gasp was not entirely from the pain. A third thin reddish line took its place right above the first two.

Tuko's punishment took nearly twice as long as the switchings of his companions, almost half an hour. The cop was determined to see how far she could push the criminal while limited to 25 strokes, curious to see if full-force strokes would break his arousal. Rarely had she encountered a criminal who actually was aroused during punishment, and of the few who started out aroused, most quickly snapped out of it once the first strokes started landing. This criminal was different. He seemed to become more aroused, not less, as the pain mounted in his bottom. The cop had no way of knowing this young man was the disgraced Malka Chorno's boyfriend and that he was imagining it was own lover who was beating him instead of a stranger.

Tuko was shaking and covered in sweat when the cop finally finished with him. His bottom was severely marked; clearly showing the difference between stroke laid at the minimum legal force the others had received, and the maximum legal force. The cop and her partner unbuckled Tuko and he stood up, his penis fully erect and bobbing slightly.

The cop and her partner grabbed Tuko's arms and presented his backside to the judge. Tuko's bottom was badly marked up and there was no question his punishment was valid. The judge, however, was more concerned about Tuko's sexual arousal.

"Turn that criminal around."

The two cops complied, forcing Tuko to face the judge with his erection pointing straight at him. The judge gave Tuko an annoyed look.

"Young man, you will explain to this court this indecency. Whatever is in your head, I expect to hear it."

Tuko stammered "Y...your honor...My girl...girlfriend used to be a...a cop...and I...I had this fantasy."

"You're Ex-Officer Malka Chorno's boyfriend?"

"Yes...yes your honor."

"Then maybe, once she finds out about your disgraceful behavior, she'll use some of her old punishment skills on you, which obviously you clearly need. In the meantime, you will stand next to the bench in the prisoner's stance, facing the rest of the room. You will stay in that position until that disgusting erection is gone."

Having to stand with his hands behind his head, with his legs spread and his bottom throbbing, seemed only to accentuate Tuko's state of intense arousal. He stood quietly, with his knees shaking and his penis continuing to bob up and down. In the meantime, the group's final criminal, Dima, was strapped to the table and punished. The cop had exhausted most of her remaining energy punishing Tuko and was in no mood to exert herself on the group's leader. Dima, after having been the most harshly punished criminal in the group during all of the previous switchings, today received the lightest punishment. The marks barely met the minimum legal standard and the he did not even have any tears in his eyes when his punishment ended.

Tuko remained standing in the criminal's stance after Dima was released and left the room. Right after that, to Tuko's horror, his girlfriend Malka entered, having been summoned by one of the judge's assistants. Malka took a quick look at her boyfriend before dropping to her knees and touching the floor with her forehead. 

The judge ordered Malka to stand. She stood crisply at attention, in exactly the same way she had been taught to stand when she was still a cop. The difference, of course, was that now she was completely naked except for her collar and her police belt. The judge addressed her.

"I expect you to teach this young man some manners. He seems to have a fantasy about you punishing him, and because of that fantasy, he disgraced himself in court today. What I expect is for you to turn his little fantasy into reality. He only has two months left on his sentence. During that time I expect you to make sure he's properly disciplined."

Malka gave Tuko another quick look.

"Yes, your honor, I'll make sure he is properly disciplined. I'll need to borrow a switch."

"I'll have the old one from your uniform given back to you as soon as we adjourn. Keep in mind you may only use that switch to comply with my order. You are not to use it for any other purpose."

"Yes, your honor."

A few minutes later Malka and Tuko left the punishment room together. Malka was holding Tuko's hand with one hand and carrying her switch with the other. The naked couple made a rather odd sight as they walked to the Socrates Club, Malka with her switch and Tuko with his welt-covered bottom. By this time his hard-on finally had subsided, but the combination of fear and intense sexual arousal still was very much present in Tuko's mind. 

They entered Malka's gym, which was empty at the time. Malka's first exercise class of the day had passed and her martial-arts class was not scheduled to begin for another hour. Malka ordered Tuko to assume the prisoner's stance in the middle of the exercise area. She then gently caressed his penis and testicles with the tip of the leather switch. He went hard immediately.

"Very well, Tuko. I love you, but the judge is right. You do need discipline. I've thought about that for a while and wanted to bring it up with you, but now the judge has done that for me. Having an erection in court, and then saying it was my fault! What on earth were you thinking?"

"I...I was fantasizing that it was you who was punishing me, Malka. I don't know why, but I kept imagining you instead of that other cop."

"Well, whether you like it or not, it's no longer a fantasy. As soon as your welts heal, I'm going to punish you again, and punish you for real. In the meantime I want you to keep shaving." She tapped the cleanly shaved area right above his penis with the switch. "Since I need to discipline you, I expect you to be properly shaved at all times. Now lie on the floor on your back."

Tuko complied, wincing as his welts pressed on an exercise mat. Malka knelt beside him and took his erect penis in her hand.

"You really are a bad boy. I don't think any of us realized how bad you are until today. Well, I plan to fix that." She gently massaged his penis and caressed his testicles. "So, Tuko, do you think you're a bad boy?"

"Yes, Malka, I'm bad."

"That's right Tuko, and bad boys need discipline."

Malka straddled Tuko and lowered herself onto his penis. She gasped and moved on top of him as she climaxed. The thought of punishing her young lover, precisely at the moment she felt him inside her, drove Malka wild with sexual desire.

As Malka's weight pressed his welts hard against the floor, Tuko's excitement mounted. The fear and anticipation of being punished by her took control of Tuko's soul. He relived his half-hour bent over the switching table, feeling both intense pain and intense arousal. Tuko no longer was fantasizing. He would be strictly disciplined as soon as his welts healed. He suspected he would spend most of the rest of his sentence with his bottom constantly healing from the latest set of welts from Malka's switch. That thought, combined with the intense pain from his bottom and the intense pleasure from the feel of being inside his future disciplinarian, drove Tuko to have the best orgasm of his life. The moans and gasps of the two lovers filled the gym, as did the intense smell from their sexual excitement and their sweat. Malka definitely would have to air-out before her next class.

Malka, however, was not finished. Her strong sexual drive demanded yet more satisfaction, plus she needed to establish her dominance over Tuko. She rolled on her back and spread her legs.

"Tuko, I'm a mess. You need to clean me up before my next class. Start licking. I'll tell you when you can stop."

Tuko studied Malka's shiny vagina and the pubic hair surrounding it, which had partially grown back since her last punishment. He had to clean both his own orgasm and Malka's orgasm off of her skin and surrounding hair, using his tongue. He had no choice but to submit. He had brought this on himself.

Tuko licked the area around Malka's labia first, trying to clean her up as best he could. He was somewhat disgusted by the taste of the combined orgasms, but at the same time excited by being forced to follow his lover's commands. He moved his face between her legs and gently licked around her vagina. Malka was getting wet again, so Tuko moved to her clitoris and began gently massaging it with the tip of his tongue. Malka involuntarily shuttered with anticipation. She began to sweat, a sign she was about to climax. Tuko became excited as well, his active sex drive having recovered from his most recent coupling. He moved over Malka, who complied by raising her legs. He entered her and thrust hard, the pain from the welts in his bottom somehow giving him that extra edge. Once again the gym filled with the sounds of the two lovers and the strong smell of their sex. Tuko kissed the ex-cop, smearing some of the remains from the previous orgasm on her face.

The two finally recovered from their second round of orgasms, only for Malka to realize that her martial arts class started in within 10 minutes. Malka dashed out the door to the main building of the Socrates Club to take a shower, leaving orders with her boyfriend to clean up the mats and try to air out the gym. Tuko complied, opening the windows and wiping down the exercise mat. He picked up Malka's switch and set it on her worktable. Tuko's hands trembled as he touched the black leather handle. He knew he would be seeing, and feeling, a lot of that switch over the next two months.

----------

Eloisa recovered during the afternoon in her Spokesman's office. Finally she got up with a new resolve. She had to face her fears and overcome them. She would go to the Socrates Club tonight, try to re-live what happened to her, and try to repair herself. Within two months she would have her freedom back, and she felt an urgent need to be ready to face the challenges of being a normal citizen.

That night, with all 27 of her high school friends present, along with Kimberly Lee and the group's miscellaneous girlfriends, boyfriends, and fiancées, Eloisa stood on the stage of the Socrates Club to talk. She discussed her thoughts about being damaged beyond repair and openly speculated whether or not she could ever lead a normal life. There was hope, however.

"For the first time in my life, I feel there is some hope. Maybe someday I can find happiness. I didn't think it could happen, but I now I believe it's possible. I want to say one more thing. The only reason there is even hope in my life is because you..." she turned to face her friends at the table, "...were there for me. The ancients chose to inflict suffering on my body and my soul. However, they also gave me the friendships that I needed to survive my ordeal. And they gave me one special person...the one man in this city who could understand me...who fought for me...who has waited..." 

Eloisa broke down crying. Her boyfriend approached the stage and took her hand. She collapsed in his arms, as the rest of the club sat in respectful silence. They left the stage, with Dima expecting to take her back to her seat at the group's table. However, a strange resolve had built up in Eloisa. After four years of knowing him, she wanted to try having sex with her boyfriend. It would be the most difficult thing Eloisa would do in her life, but she had to break through that barrier. For some reason she couldn't understand, she felt that tonight was the one night she might succeed in re-claiming that portion of her life. She quietly took Dima aside and asked him to take her upstairs. 

He reacted with doubt and fear...what if this didn't work? What if...? But perhaps she knew something he didn't. Perhaps this was the one opportunity to break through her psychological wall of horrific memories and internal torment. So, to the amazement of their friends, the couple slipped through the back door of the main hall and headed for the stairs. Their hearts pounding, they found an unoccupied intimacy room. They slipped inside, but suddenly Eloisa's resolve began to falter. She didn't know what to do next, being totally fearful of being hugged sexually.

Dima figured out how they needed to approach breaking through the sexual barrier. He couldn't take her. The moment he held onto her in a sexual manner she would start having flashbacks. She would have to take him, go at her own pace, and stop where and when she needed to.

"Eloisa, I am going to lie on the bed. You're going to get on top of me. That's the one thing he didn't make you do, is that right?"

"I...I was never on top."

"Then that's how we'll do it, me underneath and you on top. You will be in control. I will do whatever you tell me to do. Take your time. There's no rush. And if you can't...well, we'll try again later on."

Dima lay on the bed on his back. Eloisa nerved herself to approach the bed and sat down next to him. She started moving her hands over his, and then ventured to massage his chest. Eloisa nervously moved her hands to the area right above his penis, exploring the shaved spot where his pubic hair had been a couple of days before. She took a deep breath and touched his inner thighs, looking intently at his penis and testicles. She had seen his body on a daily basis for nearly three years, but never this close and never from below. Finally curiosity overcame fear, and Eloisa began exploring her lover's most intimate regions with her fingertips. 




Maragana Girl Ch. 20



The reaction was immediate; he became hard right away. She had touched him...there...and not recoiled in horror. Eloisa's heart raced as she ran her fingers up and down his stiffening penis. She was fascinated by the change, never having seen her boyfriend have an erection before. So far...so good...no flashbacks.

"What...What do I do now?"

"There's a tube of gel in the dresser drawer. Hand it to me."

Eloisa complied, and watched as her boyfriend dabbed the end of his penis with lubricant.

"I'm ready. The rest is up to you."

Eloisa clumsily positioned herself over him, trying to line up her vagina and his penis. It was a bit difficult, and he had to help guide himself inside her. The experience for Eloisa was not altogether pleasant, because no one had entered her for nearly four years and her muscles were tight. Her vagina hurt as the flesh was forced to open up, but she knew that particular pain would only be one time. The next time would be better, and less painful. 

In spite of her lack of an orgasm, Eloisa was not disappointed at all. Quite to the contrary, an immense happiness swept through her as she felt her lover pulsating inside her. She was able to concentrate on the sensations of the moment, not on what had happened to her four years before. Because the position her fiancée had chosen there was nothing to associate her current efforts to have sex with anything that had happened to her in the past. The experience was far from perfect, but they had done it! They had managed to make love!

Eloisa's healing process began in earnest three nights later, when once again she straddled Dima. By the second time she had lost some of her fear and was much less tense. She moved more naturally on top of her lover, more relaxed and feeling more pleasure from his body. Finally her own body opened up. For the first time in six years she had an orgasm, a release of pent-up sexual tension. As she gasped and squeaked on top of her lover, Eloisa's body experienced sensations she had not experienced since she was 14, since the day before her teacher took the first pictures of her as a teenager.

The long-suffering lead singer of "Socrates' Mistresses" lay next to her lover once they were done. She caressed his hand and held it to her chest as hope rose in her soul. Maybe I'm not broken beyond repair after-all, she thought to herself.



Maragana Girl Ch. 21



Chapter 21 -- The Danubian Spring

"Socrates' Mistresses" returned to the national stage on May 1, once again performing for the Danubian public. Like the year before, the group performed live in Danube City's Central Plaza as part of the May Day Celebrations. Once again the deputies and staff-members of the National Parliament lined up on the rooftop and balconies of the old building to take advantage of their privileged viewing opportunities. 

However, the crowd was much larger during the band's second May Day performance and included large numbers of foreign fans. It was obvious that any other group performing that day simply was a warm-up for Danube City's favorite lead singer, so the other Danubian modern musical groups stepped aside for ones that specialized in traditional folkloric music.

"Socrates Mistresses" put out a grueling performance of three full hours, as the crowd shouted "DOC-DOC ELOISA... DOC-DOC ELOISA... DOC-DOC ELOISA..." between songs. Eloisa was a bit taken aback by her popularity and became visibly more nervous as the concert wore on. She looked over her shoulder at her back-up singers several times with a frightened expression. Finally, the lead singer signaled Kim to join her at the main microphone for a series of duets. Eloisa needed Kim's reassuring presence at her side, as she finally comprehended the awesome success the band was becoming. With Kim present, the magic returned to Eloisa's voice. It was at that moment Kim realized how much Eloisa truly needed her.

The group performed again the second week in May, to another outdoor concert almost as large as the May Day crowd. This time there were even more foreign fans, some of whom were fascinated at the thought their favorite group lived and performed in the nude. There were numerous television interviews following the second concert, including in-depth interviews with Kim in English from British and German television companies. 

The following week a major US entertainment magazine picked up on Kim's story and did a detailed feature on her participation in the Danubian music scene. Criminal # 98945 posed for several pictures, most of which were from the chest up. However, she also posed for a full-body shot, in which she turned sideways and crossed her legs to comply with US censorship rules. The magazine wanted its readers to know that, yes indeed, Kimberly Lee had not worn any clothing for nearly two years as a condition of her sentence.

Kim, for the first time, discussed her views on drugs with the US press. She described her trial and sentence, trying to emphasize that she felt what had happened to her ultimately was extremely fortunate. She discussed the experiences that led to the writing of "A question I cannot answer", the immensely sad retelling of her conversation with her mother as they discussed Susan's death in Prague and her own narrow escape from a similar fate. She went on to describe the origins of a second song she had largely written herself, titled "Marooned". The second song focused on Kim's decision the year before to stay in Upper Danubia rather than return to the US and risk being unemployed and getting back on drugs.

There were further questions about how Kim became a friend of the Danubian singers, and the path that led her from participation as a back-up singer to singing partner to co-leader of the band. She discussed her plans for the future: marriage and a career as a Danubian Spokeswoman for the Criminal. The interviewers clearly were fascinated with the story as the interview went much longer and in much greater detail than they previously had envisioned.

The magazine feature about "Socrates' Mistresses" was an important step in the group's rise to popularity in the US market. The piece became much more important for the magazine's June 1 issue than the editors originally had planned. Apart from Kimberly Lee's full-body sideways portrait, the magazine also included numerous facial shots and a couple photos of Kim and Eloisa singing together, cut off just below their shoulders. The editor decided to include a second full-body shot of the two lead singers in concert, taken from behind and showing the large crowd of fans in the background. The editor defended the shot by saying: "This is their reality, and you can't censor the truth."

----------

Kim did not return to work for Victor Dukov during the final spring of her sentence. She regretted not having the opportunity to ride her bicycle around Danube City and get paid for it, but she needed the three days per week to finish her university classes and attend to the growing needs of Eloisa's band.

When Kim visited Victor's office to justify not returning to work for him, she had a bit of a surprise when she saw his office. Victor clearly was about to re-direct the focus of his business, because there were a large number of fax machine promotional pamphlets on his desk. Victor explained that the Danubian Parliament was debating legislation to allow some business and legal documents to be faxed instead of forcing them to be delivered in person. The law was one of many measures Upper Danubia had to implement to get ready to join the European Community and it was getting very little attention from the public. Victor, however, foresaw the arrival of fax machines eventually would reduce Danube City's need for bicycle couriers and potentially ruin his business if he could not adapt. He was getting ready for the change by importing fax machines from abroad. As soon as the legislation passed, Victor would open a fax machine store and over time curtail his bicycle business as more local businesses started using faxes. Already he was preparing to send two of his couriers abroad to receive training for servicing and repairing fax machines. As time went on and the need for bicycle couriers slowly diminished, one by one he would send his other employees abroad for training.

"For a while I will offer both fax machines and courier services, but the change is coming." Victor was reflective, but a bit sad about the impending transition in his business. "The courier services in our country go back many years, but I'm afraid that's one of the things we'll have to give up to modernize."

----------

In the late spring Mrs. Dolkiv finally accepted the American "Maragana Girl" as Sergekt's future wife. Kim noted the difference as her fiancee's mother began treating her with warmth and kindness, as opposed to a distant cold tolerance. The change began very slowly in the fall, right after the forest fires were put out, but it was not until after the second Easter that Kim's future mother became truly nice as opposed to just courteous.

Although she did everything she could to keep her doubts about Criminal # 98945 to herself, secretly Mrs. Dolkiv had hoped at some point her son would break up with that Asian drug-addict. However, the American had proved herself a worthy woman time and time again, to the point it was obvious Sergekt could not find a better partner. Sergekt would marry the "Maragana Girl", study his hydrology, and live the path the Ancients had laid out for him. His mother knew that he was happy, happier than he had been at any time since his father had died, which was what mattered. 

Mrs. Dolkiv finally accepted it was time to put her prejudges aside and treat her future daughter properly. She and Sergekt's aunt began taking up some of Kim's precious spare time by inviting her to shop and cook, taking her to the nearby temple, and teaching her some protocol the Dukovs had overlooked. Kim was not particularly thrilled about doing any of those activities, but she understood it was necessary to accept the invitations offered by her future in-laws. Kim was happy enough to have finally ingratiated herself that she took the time needed to build up the relationship, one that would be crucial for a peaceful marriage in the future. 

----------

Kim and her friends spent the final two months of their sentences in very upbeat moods. The stress of university classes passed, their bodies finally could enjoy the warm late spring weather, and the impending promise of freedom beckoned. Kim marveled at the change in the entire group, a change that was real, and reflected, among other things, in the music Eloisa was choosing for her group's rehearsals and recordings.

The evenings at the Socrates Club were full of happy discussions about plans and hopes for the future. Psychologically the group already was making the transition to becoming free citizens, as they discussed clothes they wanted to buy and places outside the Danube City collar zone they wanted to visit. Many of the group's members planned to travel to provincial cites to visit grandparents and other relatives the week after their release, others simply wanted to relax at the campgrounds and beaches of the Rika Chorna Reservoir.

There were plenty of wedding plans for that summer. Most of the group's members wanted to get married. There were 5 couples within the group itself, including Kim and Eloisa and their partners, as well as 12 other members who were engaged to people who had not been part of the original 28 students convicted after the riot. The desire among all of the couples was to have a normal settled life as quickly as possible, even though Kim doubted the maturity of some of Sergekt's friends. Now was a time for dreaming, but reality would set in once the group's collars were off.

Kim and Sergekt were among the couples who planned to get married later in the year. Considering the hectic summer that lay ahead, the couple decided the best time to get married would be in the fall, possibly on October 18th, Kim's 21st birthday. Kim felt that marrying Sergekt would be the perfect 21st birthday present for her.

When Kim discussed her possible wedding plans with Vladim Dukov, he made it very clear that he expected her to stay at his house until she was properly married. Dukov's statement came as no surprise to Kim, since she knew that "living together" was unheard of in the socially conservative Duchy. An unmarried person always lived with a relative. In the rare cases when no relative was available, as was the case for Malka Chorno, then an unmarried person almost always lived in the household of an older person or family.

Dukov made it clear to Kim that as long as she remained in his house, the rules, protocol, and expectations of proper behavior would remain in effect. Her status in the household would not change at all, in spite of her change from convicted criminal to free US citizen with a transition visa. The Dukovs never treated Kim any differently than they would treat any other single young woman who was a member of their household.

----------

Over the winter the US exchange student Jennifer Thompson took her studying of the Danubian language more seriously, mostly so she could communicate with her classmates and join them in what social activities were available to high school students. She joined the girls' soccer team and did very well. She began swimming and exercising more. By the end of the school year she in great physical shape and actually was enjoying her time in the Duchy. Most importantly, Anyia taught her friend that it was possible to be rebellious in Upper Danubia, just not in the way Jennifer had envisioned. 

There was one significant act of rebellion open to the teenagers. During the spring both of them started dating convicted criminals. The two high-school girls took delight in parading their naked boyfriends around Danube City. Jennifer distressed her parents by having Anyia take several photographs of her dressed in her school uniform and standing arm-in-arm with her naked boyfriend. She delighted in sending them home to her father. That'll stress-out my dear old Dad, thought Jennifer to herself, knowing that his daughter has a nude boyfriend in Danube City.

Spokesman Dukov was not thrilled at all with his daughter's choice of a boyfriend, because the guy was convicted for a perfectly legitimate crime. He had gotten drunk and participated in a football-riot while studying abroad in Germany. He was videotaped participating in several acts of vandalism including helping his German friends overturn and burn some cars. On top of that, he threw several bottles at the German police and injured a bystander when a bottle missed its intended target. Germany quickly expelled him back to Upper Danubia, where he faced a government very angry at the negative publicity he had brought to the Duchy. Because his crimes appeared in the German press with some comments about "uncouth easterners", he was given a rather harsh 10-year sentence for the crimes of assault, insurrection, and "dishonoring the Duchy" once he returned home. 

Dukov did not treat his daughter's boyfriend with the same warmth and trust with which he treated Sergekt. The young man's crimes had not been "crimes of honor"; quite the opposite, the he had dishonored himself and Upper Danubia with his loutish, drunken behavior. Still, Dukov felt he could not openly reject Anyia's boyfriend unless he did something specific to offend the Spokesman. Dukov himself had served a sentence and spent his life representing people like his daughter's boyfriend in court, so he had to show a minimal amount of respect to the young man kneeling at his feet. That respect was minimal, however. Dukov made it very clear to his daughter's boyfriend that he was to treat the Spokesman and his wife with the proper protocol due to public officials at all times. 

Jennifer's boyfriend was a straight-forward criminal, convicted of burglarizing several warehouses and trying to sell stolen merchandise. He was serving an eight-year sentence and would not have his collar off until he was 26. The relationship became rather interesting over time, because after several weeks of going out she began disciplining him. Because Jennifer was free and her boyfriend was a criminal, the American student had a superior legal status and thus could tell him what to do. The young burglar was grateful enough to have a girlfriend, especially an attractive red-headed American, so he was willing to put up with having to submit to her. 

The discipline started with an occasional sharp slap to the bottom if Jennifer's boyfriend did not move fast enough or do something the American had told him to do. After a few weeks, every time Jennifer told the young criminal to do something, the order always was accompanied with a sharp slap to the bottom. Then it became two slaps to the bottom. Always. Then, shortly before Easter, Jennifer's boyfriend accidentally bumped into her back-pack and crushed a pair of sunglasses as they were entering Dukov's house with Anyia. 

The house was empty, so the teenagers were free to do what they wanted. Jennifer sat on the sofa and ordered her boyfriend to lie across her lap, right in front of Anyia. The silent, embarrassed pleading in the criminal's eyes only stiffened Jennifer's resolve.

"I told you to get over my lap! Now do it!"

Once the young man was properly positioned, Jennifer began spanking him while Anyia watched. The punishment was not nearly as painful as the switchings the young man was enduring as part of his sentence, but was infinitely more embarrassing. The slaps continued for a very long time, as the criminal's bottom changed color from light pink to deep pink.

Anyia ran upstairs and grabbed a camera. To the young man's horror she began taking pictures of the spanking. When he turned his head away from the photographer, both girls sharply admonished him to keep his face visible to the camera. Once again, the girls' photo session proved far more embarrassing then the video-tapings made of the criminal's judicial switchings. To be forced across his girlfriend's lap, with another friend taking pictures....

Finally Jennifer finished the spanking, mostly because her hand became sore and her arm was too tired to continue. The next time, I'll see if I can find a paddle or belt, Jennifer thought to herself. Still, the girls were not finished with the punishment; they wanted to do something more. Anyia came up with the idea of making the young criminal kneel in the corner, with his hands behind his head. Once he was in position, there were several more pictures. The finishing touch came when Jennifer decided to write something on her boyfriend's back. Anyia got a black magic marker and, in careful block letters, wrote in Danubian: "I stupidly broke my girlfriend's glasses and she had to punish me."

Right after that the three went back outside and got on a trolley and go downtown. Jennifer and Anyia thoroughly enjoyed the young man's utter humiliation as bystanders stared at his pink bottom and the message on his back. 

The experience changed Jennifer and made her realize she actually could enjoy her time in Upper Danubia. Yes, it was true there were no raves, drugs, tattoos, nor any other "fun" things to do in Upper Danubia, but then, where else could you spank a naked boyfriend and then make him walk around in public with a pink bottom and a punishment message written on his back?

----------

During the final months of their sentences Kim and Eliosa had very little time to daydream about what life would be like without their collars. Their recording company approached them with plans for a late summer tour through Europe, a series of live performances in several major cities throughout the EU. There were plans to have the group record some more music in Germany after July 2 and another possible movie deal. The two lead singers were forced to rehearse hard with the female vocalists from the band, night after night, as they tried out new music. They recorded song after song with the musicians, desperate to produce what they could while the group's music was still rising in popularity.

There were rumors the soundtrack for the Hollywood movie about the Roman invasion of Gaul would be nominated for several prizes, including best musical score. The haunting music from "Socrates' Mistresses" provided a perfect backdrop for a tragic story that dealt with the destruction of Gaul and its lost civilization. As the soundtracks sold, the group's other CD's sold, with the music stores struggling to keep up with demand. 

During that spring music companies began approaching other Danubian musical groups, as the "Danubian sound" moved to the forefront of global popular music. The owner of the Socrates Club and the owner of the music store scrambled to prepare bands for auditions and make arrangements for recording studios. The two men eventually pooled some money and bought several warehouses close to downtown to set up as recording studios. They brought in equipment and technicians from the EU to set up a top-quality recording studio complex for Danube City. Group after group, almost all of them criminals or ex-criminals from the Socrates Club, passed through the new Danube City studio complex on their way to recording albums and receiving contracts. 

The Danubian Parliament quickly had to change the law that initially had protected the Danubian music industry and kept Danubian music unique. The law that prohibited top billboard music from being played or distributed in Upper Danubia had to be overturned, or Eloisa's music would have been banned in her own country. As regrettable as removing the protection was to many of the deputies, there was no choice if the Duchy was to have any respect for its popular singer and her friends. With the passage of the new music law Upper Danubia took a major cultural step in ending some of its isolation. That step, however, was done on Danubian terms and to accommodate Danubian interests, not the interests of foreigners. Having to change the law made Danubians more confident of the country's contribution to global culture, and even more proud of the Duchy's culture and traditions. 




Maragana Girl Ch. 21



The summer months following Kim's release would bring changes to Danube City. Foreign investors bought shares in the studio complex and soon the owners of several older buildings downtown began converting them to hotels and cafes for the increasing contingent of foreign technicians and music representatives. Following the music industry employees would be fans of the various groups and tourists interested in seeing the historical capitol of the Duchy. Within a very few years Upper Danubia was to become a major tourist destination in Central Europe. The arrival of the tourists and their money was the beginning of Vladim Dukov's hope that Upper Danubia could face the future and adapt to the world without surrendering what made the country so unique.

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The record company promoting "Socrates's Mistresses" had big plans for the group for the weeks following July 2. There was a scheduled international tour with a series of concerts in Warsaw, Berlin, Paris, Barcelona, Athens, and finally Vienna. The schedule would allow the group to be back in Danube City in time for their university classes, but the original idea was to have the Warsaw concert on July 6 and the Berlin concert July 12. The band members were both excited and disappointed by the impending trip. The opportunity to travel excited the group, but at the same time any post-sentence vacations had to be cancelled. Many of the group's members had wanted to spend time with relatives outside Danube City and were distressed at the thought their musical careers would interfere with their family plans.

Kim was determined to travel back to the US for a couple of weeks with her sister Cindy to visit her parents. She also felt a trip to her former home would allow her to come to terms with her forfeited life as an American. Cindy planned to travel to Upper Danubia at the end of June and be present for Kim's de-collaring ceremony. After Kim was released from her sentence she wanted to spend time with her sister, and then travel to the United States to visit her hometown.

Kim decided not to allow anything to interfere with rebuilding her relationship with her sister and her parents. She had to have the two weeks following her release to herself. Kim, sitting next to Eloisa and the owner of the music store, put her foot down on what would be scheduled for July.

"Whatever else happens this summer, there's something I gotta to do. I have to go back to visit my parents for a couple of weeks, before I do anything else. I need to do that before I get married and change my citizenship, before I tour, before I record, before anything. I gotta go home for little bit, and try to figure out who I really am. Then, I'll be back, I'll tour, I'll sing, I'll do whatever we need to make Eloisa's music successful. But my going home for a couple of weeks is not negotiable."

Kim's own needs forced the group's company to alter its summer plans for "Socrates' Mistresses". The music company's representatives mulled over Kim's trip home, and decided Kim's return to the US would be a good opportunity for her to promote "Socrates' Mistresses" in the North American market. Ultimately there would be plans for the group to go on tour in the US the following year, during the summer when its members were not in class at the university. Kim's trip home would help lay some groundwork for next year's concerts, assuming she was willing to grant a couple of interviews.

The others in the group would be getting a vacation during the two weeks, time to spend with their families and getting used to being able to travel outside the collar zone. For Eloisa and her fiancée the two weeks would be a chance for their two families to travel together to the main resort at the Rika Chorna Reservoir and spend time getting to know each other better. Eloisa confided in Kim that she and her fiancée planned to announce their wedding plans at the summer retreat. The band's lead singer also confided to Kim that she wanted to make love in the forest and try to expand her sexual experiences. 

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Malka Chorno continued with her exercise classes as the spring progressed. Her groups had stabilized into a regular crowd of hard-core students who were determined to get into top shape before they finished their sentences. Malka's sharp voice and sweaty body became a fixture in many lives, to the point that Malka had to start a third fitness section of her class and a second martial arts group. The owner of the Socrates Club installed some showers and a public bathroom in Malka's gym to accommodate her clients; a clear indication he expected Malka's service as a gym instructor to be long-term.

Malka began giving the idea of permanently being a criminal gym instructor some thought. She had discovered she really liked being a gym instructor much more than police work. Oddly enough, the ex-police officer had found herself among the Danubian criminal community, to the point she no longer identified with who she had been the year before. Malka finally decided to approach her Spokesman about a possible change of plans, wondering if the only way she could end her sentence would be to return to the Police Academy.

Dukov brought up Malka's case with the sentencing judge. Malka's sentence was a provisional sentence, which was not very common. However, Malka's case allowed for some flexibility. The judge surprised Dukov with his suggestion.

"I think...if she does not want to go back to being a police officer, she should remain a criminal. She seems to have found herself in that gym of hers, and I would like to see her continue her life as it is now. Here's what I'm willing to do. I will expect her to serve the full 18 years of her sentence, and if she wants to be a gym instructor, then I will expect her to fulfill that commitment she has made to her fellow criminals. She will keep her collar and the clothing restriction will remain in effect for her. However, I will ease two conditions of her sentence. I will re-classify her as a 'willingly repentant' criminal. Also, I'll have the transmitter removed from her collar so she can move about the country."

Dukov agreed to suggest re-classification to his client. Malka would remain a convicted criminal, but under much less restricted conditions. Malka gladly accepted the proposal. The reclassification allowed her to sever her final ties to her former life. She was, and would be for a very long time, a criminal and a gym instructor. The gym was her life, the very real contribution she could make to improve the lives of many people. Now it was official. There would be no turning back for Malka; she could look at herself as a gym instructor instead of a disgraced former police officer.

Malka knelt in court toward the end of May to be officially reclassified, as her Spokesman stood at her side. Once the sentencing judge read the changes he asked Malka if she had any comments or requests.

"Yes your honor, I do have one request. My boyfriend wants to become a police officer. If he is accepted to the Academy, I ask that he be assigned my badge number and wear the badge that used to be mine. I think that having my badge will serve him, because it will constantly remind him he needs to take his responsibilities seriously."

"Very well, Criminal # 99348, that is an easy-enough request to grant. The day your boyfriend receives your former badge, I will require him to stand before his fellow cadets and explain the significance of that badge to his peers. I think that will be a good lesson to both him and to his fellow police officers."

Malka then knelt before the judge's desk to allow the collar technician to remove her transmitter. Once the transmitter was off the technician removed the steel ring from her collar and replaced it with a brass ring. The brass ring officially marked Malka as a "willingly repentant" criminal. 

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During the entire month of May, Spokesman Dukov spent almost every free moment of his time in his library. He returned home from work, had dinner with his family, and then retreated to his study and to a new computer he recently had purchased. He spent his time looking through a vast pile of history books stacked by his desk or typing furiously. He was driven, in a way he never had been driven before, to speak to the Danubian nation through his writing.

Starting May 15, the Spokesman began publishing a series of political opinion columns in the Danube City Post, which was the Duchy's most important newspaper. Dukov's readers expected him to discuss his ideas about criminals and their place in Danubian society, but he ignored that topic altogether. Instead Dukov wrote about his broader concerns for the Duchy's society and his vision for Upper Danubia's future. 

During the two years Kim served her sentence for marijuana possession, there were two major political movements represented in the Danubian Parliament. There was the conservative ruling Party of the Duchy, which argued that Upper Danubia had to defend its traditions at all costs and shut out the outside world. The opposition was led by the Greater Danubian Progressive Party, which vehemently argued that Upper Danubia's society was a failed relic of the Middle Ages and that the country needed to modernize as quickly as possible, taking the good with the bad and becoming like the rest of the world. Dukov responded in his columns that neither approach served the country's best interests. 

Dukov argued the Duchy's peaceful society was under tremendous threat from the outside world, in particular from globalization. In his writings the Spokesman compared Upper Danubia's current situation to the crisis which faced the country in the early 1500's, when the Ottoman Empire and the Counter-Reformation threatened to completely destroy Danubian society. The Kingdom of Danubia at beginning of the 16th Century was much larger then it was in modern times, and its nobility was confident it could be successfully defended against the growing threats posed by the Turks and the new Holy Roman Emperor. In the end Danubia did manage to survive and maintain its independence, but only because the country had a king who was smart enough to know that not everything in under his rule could be saved. There were some very difficult choices and national sacrifices that only one man, King Vladik the Bastard, seemed to realize were necessary. 

The rest was history that every Danubian learned in school. Before Ottoman armies invaded from the neighboring country to the south, King Vladik ordered the southern half of his kingdom to completely evacuate. He essentially abandoned all of the fertile lands of Lower Danubia to the invaders without a fight, realizing his army was no match for the heavily armed Ottoman armies. As the invaders poured across the abandoned and burnt lands of Lower Danubia, the kingdom's subjects retreated to the part of the kingdom their ruler felt he could defend, the valleys of Upper Danubia that were protected by thick forests. He ordered his knights to melt their armor into weapons that could be easily carried over long distances and used at close quarters, bought smaller, faster horses for his soldiers, and hired bandits to teach his troops how to live in the forest for extended periods of time. 

The king made his stand in the woods that separated Upper and Lower Danubia, with the goal of protecting the lives of his citizens, not protecting land or property. He won the first battle against the Turks in the forests, after a savage and protracted campaign of ambushes, raids, and traps. The following year King Vladik faced another invasion from a Christian army coming in from the Holy Roman Empire led by religious fanatics who saw the Danubians as heretics and pagans. The Papal Army was routed even worse than the Turks; very few of its soldiers even making it out of Upper Danubia alive.

There were a total of six invasions over a 25-year period, none of which ended successfully for the attackers. Danubia adapted, changed, and survived. What could not be saved was discarded. Among the things that could not be saved were the farmlands and manors of Lower Danubia. That was the sacrifice King Vladik had to make to save Upper Danubia. After he was killed in battle during the sixth and final invasion, King Vladik the Bastard was remembered as King Vladik the Defender and revered by his subjects. 

Dukov's history lesson had implications for the present. Upper Danubia could jump into the global economy with no consideration of the social consequences, it could try to ignore the outside world and ultimately fail, or the nation could face and adapt to the over-all threat. Dukov argued that a rational modernization plan tailored to the Danubian social values would allow the Duchy to enter the 21st Century in a way that would cause minimal disruption to the country's society.

"We stand in the shoes of King Vladik. The Ottoman and the Holy Roman Imperial armies are fast approaching our lands. We can hide and pretend they are not coming, we can surrender our souls to the invaders and change our identity, or we can face the future and determine where the new boundary between Upper Danubia and Lower Danubia is located. Our task is to save Upper Danubia, yet again, by determining what we as a society can keep and what we must abandon. The goal is to maintain ourselves as a people and as a society. No matter what decisions we make, we must ensure there will be a Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia to pass to our grandchildren."

Dukov's columns caused a sensation, because they put into words the thoughts of many Danubian citizens. Dukov gave a coherent voice to the majority of Upper Danubia's voters who thought that both parties were wrong in their approach to modernizing the Duchy. Yes, the Duchy had to modernize, but in a rational way that would not destroy the country's society.

Towards the end of May the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia entered a political crisis. The governing party lost several no-confidence votes in Parliament after opposition deputies criticized the lack of planning that led to the previous summer's fire disaster in Rika Chorna Province. Suddenly several governing party deputies announced their withdrawal from their party and the formation of a new political group. To the shock of the nation, several deputies from the opposition Greater Danubian Progressive Party joined them. Upper Danubia began a political re-alignment as a third political movement took shape over the summer. 

At the time the political uproar in the Parliament was taking place, Vladim Dukov watched with the detached interest of an average public official. As a professional, the only immediate concerns he had were how the political changes might affect court appointments and the National Police. He worked from day to day, continuing to argue cases and help criminals rebuild their lives after being sentenced. 

What Vladim Dukov did not realize was that the changes he wrote about in his articles, as well as the resulting political turmoil in Parliament, soon would affect him directly. By the end of the year the political changes would completely alter the course of the Spokesman's life. 

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Criminal # 98945 passed her first round of final exams during the end of May. She had done well in her classes, completing her first semester in college with a cumulative class academic score of 94.5 percent. In the US that would have been the equivalent of a grade point average of 3.7 or 3.8. Kim was impressed by her own performance in college, considering that she had barely finished high school and was taking her current classes in a foreign language. She now was well on her way to fulfilling her Spokesman's vision of someday speaking on behalf of foreign criminals in Danubian courts.

Once their grades were returned and Dukov had a chance to examine their coursework, the Spokesman invited Kim and Tatiana to King Vladik's Castle. Dukov and the secretary wore their black prayer robes, while Kim, in compliance with her status as a criminal still serving her sentence, wore nothing.

They entered the ruler's chamber and knelt in front of the dead king's empty throne. A crown sat on the throne, but what struck Kim was the its simplicity. The crown was made from carved silver and brass, and inlaid with amber. There was no gold on the crown, nor any imported jewels. That crown had been made only from materials available within the realm. The crown was Kim's first introduction to Upper Danubia's greatest national hero. It was obvious he had been a modest and practical ruler.

Dukov spoke in the direction of the King's throne, but was not addressing the dead King directly. He asked, in Archaic Danubian, for the country's ancestors to bestow wisdom on him and his two protégés.

"These two young women will enter their responsibilities during very trying times. Life will test them in ways that my companions and I cannot even imagine. They will need your guidance, because my guidance, corrupted by the limitations of my generation's experiences, will fail them." 

Kim looked over at her mentor, a bit taken aback by the Spokesman's doubts in his own abilities. To her Vladim Dukov was one of the most knowledgeable and intelligent people she had ever met. However, later in her life Kim would realize it was precisely because Dukov was so educated he realized how little about life he really knew.

The Spokesman and his two protégés left the castle. Tatiana returned to the Spokesman's office to change her clothes and get back to work, while Kim and Dukov walked down to the park that extended along the Danube River. For a long time neither of them said anything, although it was clear to Kim that Dukov wanted to make himself available to answer her questions. Finally she spoke up:

"Spokesman Dukov, why...I mean...what's so great about King Vladik? Why did we go and pray to an empty throne?"

"Kimberly, I understand you have not taken the university history requirement for that time period?"

"No, Spokesman Dukov, not yet. That's why I'm curious."

"Kimberly, perhaps I should begin by explaining to you why I, as a Spokesman, would pay homage to King Vladik. King Vladik created the position of Spokesman for the Criminal. You will understand that prior to King Vladik's rule, a convicted criminal became subject to his accuser. Once a person was convicted, he had to serve the person he had wronged. You will understand that before 1524, many, many people were unjustly accused by others who wanted to use them as slaves. Every society has something that dishonors its people, and that was what dishonored us."

"That makes sense. So that's what he changed?"

"What the king changed was who held responsibility over the convicted criminal. In 1524 the criminal became subject to the Crown, not to his accuser. In a single decision the King swept away a justice system that had degenerated into a system of slavery. All the nation's criminals passed under his control, and under his protection. He ordered 10 of his most trusted advisors to assume custody of the nation's criminals and determine how many of them were unjustly accused of committing crimes. Those 10 advisors became our country's first Spokesmen for the Criminals. That was how our profession began. That is why King Vladik is so important to me, and to you. You will understand that you and I will have walked the same path in life before we join the dead. We began as criminals. We will have become free citizens and then Spokespersons. That was the path in life King Vladik foresaw for people like ourselves." 

"And Spokesman...you really think I can do it, I mean...like...argue in your courts and hassle with your prosecutors?"

"You will. It is what I foresaw back in September. And...Kimberly, I will advise you of something important. The beginning of your responsibilities to our justice system will come sooner than you think, long before you finish your studies. Very shortly you will understand why I just made that statement."




Maragana Girl Ch. 21



"Spokesman...but how...if I don't have my degree..."

"Kimberly, I foresaw that very shortly you will be called upon to use our profession to save a life. As I stated before, you will understand when the moment comes."

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The final major event in the lives of Kim and her friends prior to their release was the summer solstice festivals. During Pagan times the summer solstice was an important religious event, with festivities that lasted a full four days. The Danubian Ministry of Culture had decided to revive part of that tradition and raise the solstice events back to the importance they had held many years before. For the first time Upper Danubia would have an official four-day vacation and many ancient pageants would be revived. There would be the usual concerts in the Plaza of the Ancients on the day of the Solstice itself, but now there would be much more, as the country sought refuge in its distant past to understand its present.

There was the usual required performance for "Socrates' Mistresses", the very last public appearance of the group before the end of their sentences on July 2. Other groups would perform as well, but there was a mutual decision between the owner of the Socrates Club and the Ministry of Culture that all the performers that day would be criminals still serving their sentences.

The concert was a very emotional one for the members of Eloisa's band. It would be their final public act as criminals, the final performance as group performing only for Upper Danubia. All of the group's members felt the concert was an official closure to one part of their lives; a good-bye to their lives as criminals. The next concert the group had planned would be in Warsaw on July 30. By that time the lives of the group's members would be radically different and much more complicated.

The songs Eloisa had chosen for the equinox concert surprised Kim. The American had expected Eloisa to choose the group's more recent and upbeat songs, to fit the general mood of Upper Danubia's only cheerful holiday. Kim did not realize that, for this final performance as a criminal, Eloisa was not interested in providing simple entertainment. The group's lead singer wanted her listeners to reflect on the meaning of life. She chose the group's saddest and most philosophical songs, along with the songs that had the most ancient musical roots or themes. She asked that the group be allowed to perform at dusk, because she wanted the long summer twilight to set the backdrop for the melancholy theme she hoped to set for the concert. 

The lead singer's instinct for music resulted in what many of her fans would consider the band's greatest performance during the criminal phase of their careers. Eloisa's voice was infinitely sad, and infinitely moving. While she was on stage that night, Eloisa seemed detached from the physical world. She sang her best, because at that moment singing was the only thing on her mind. 

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The following weekend Kim and Sergekt took their final bicycle ride together as criminals. As she felt the warm summer air blowing against her bare body, Kim realized there were things about being a criminal she would miss. She knew that she would miss riding naked on her bicycle, and the naughty chases with Sergekt through Danube City's forest parks. Such behavior was accepted for criminals, but there was no way Danubian social protocol allowed free citizens to act in such a scandalous manner.

Kim and Sergekt rode to the bench where he had spanked and made love to her the previous fall. They parked their bicycles and for a long time sat on the bench, simply relaxing and enjoying the hot weather and rustling leaves. 

Both Sergekt and Kim knew she was due for another spanking. After sitting quietly with him for a while she went over his lap, nestling herself against his body and enjoying the feel of the summer breezes on her exposed bottom. For a long time he caressed her backside, studying her flawless soft brown skin. He ran his fingertips between her thighs and teased her vagina and bottom-hole. 

Kim's lovely bottom always fascinated Sergket. After being with Kim for nearly two years, her body excited him every bit as much as it did when he first saw her. Yes, he would spank her, but just enough to put a slight shade of pink on her bottom. There would be no punishment that day, such a series of soft sensuous slaps that would heighten her sexual arousal and make her bottom even more beautiful than it was already.

Sergekt began spanking Kim, but the slaps were much more erotic than painful. Kim went wet, in a sexual bliss over the combination of sensations she was experiencing. Sergekt had been right; Kim was not in the mood for a hard spanking. She wanted the spanking to be a purely sensual experience, to feel the soft slaps of his hand over and over on her eager bottom. The pain on her bottom was slight, just enough to completely stimulate her body and her senses.

Sergekt mixed the slaps with sensual teasing between his lover's legs, including the occasional light touch on her clitoris. Kim lifted herself up every time Sergekt's finger brushed that most intimate part of her body, hoping for more touching, but he kept her in suspense. There was more spanking, and then more teasing between Kim's legs.

Finally both of them were ready for sex, more than ready. Kim lay on her back on a towel Sergekt had brought and he entered her. He thrust long and hard as Kim closed her eyes and gasped with delight. This was good...really good. She climaxed twice, as her orgasms swept away the stress of the past several weeks.

The spell slowly lifted as the pleasant summer afternoon dragged on. Yes, thought Kim to herself, maybe being a criminal is a rough experience, but I'll miss these bicycle trips. That part I'll miss.



Maragana Girl Ch. 22



Chapter 22 -- Redemption

Criminal # 98945 expected the final week of her sentence to be extremely hectic. However, because most of the issues surrounding the impending concert schedule of "Socrates' Mistresses" were settled the in the middle of June, there really was very little for her to actually do, other than make final arrangements for her sister Cindy to be present at the de-collaring ceremony in July.

Kim had a very slight disappointment when she learned that the actual ceremony would not be on July 2, the official date of her release. She would have to wait one extra day, because the Monday closest to July 2 was the following day, July 3. The change of date did not really bother anyone, however. Kim's friends had served three-year sentences and she had served a full two-year sentence. One more day hardly mattered.

Vladim Dukov filed a series of papers related to Criminal # 98945's impending release, including a certificate that assured the Danubian government that she was psychologically ready to be released and that she posed no further threat to the community. That was standard procedure, given that a Danubian Spokesperson for the Criminal held legal custody over the criminals assigned to his or her case-load. In theory a Spokesperson could be held accountable if a criminal approved for release re-offended. As a result Spokespersons had the legal authority to declare a criminal "not ready for release", although in practice postponing a release date was not common.

Dukov and Tatiana went to the basement of the Central Police Station to retrieve Kim's back-pack, which was dusty and smelled strange from having sat on a shelf for two years. He retrieved the plastic bags containing the jewelry and clothes she had been wearing on the day of her arrest. Finally the Spokesman retrieved his client's U.S. passport and had one of his brother's couriers take it over to the Danubian Ministry of Foreign Relations for a "transition visa" stamp. The stamp stipulated that as long as Criminal # 98945 held her job at the music store, she could continue to live in Upper Danubia as a legal resident. As soon as she quit her job, her visa would become a simple 30-day tourist visa, with the expectation she be out of the country before the visa expired.

Dukov studied Kim's passport picture, which had been taken about six months before her fateful trip to Europe. He marveled at the change, at how different she must have been when she was still in high school. He looked at the other stamps, noting the two-year-old exit stamp from the Netherlands on July 1 and the entry stamp issued on July 2 to enter the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia. There was a third stamp, issued July 5 by the Danubian Ministry of Justice, indicating Criminal # 98945 was prohibited from leaving Danube City for two years and that her passport would be returned to her Spokesman upon completion of her sentence. Dukov initialed and dated that final stamp, to indicate he now had possession of Kim's passport pending her release.

----------

Cynthia Lee pled with her parents to accompany her to witness Kim's release from her sentence, trying to explain what a big event in her sister's life her final court appearance would be. However, the Lees wanted nothing to do with Upper Danubia, in spite of their daughter's troubled life prior to her trip and her Spokesman's kindness to her during her sentence. Certainly they did not want to see Kim anytime before she was allowed to get dressed. Once she was properly dressed, well, then it would be a different matter. However, the Lees still did not see the point in traveling to Upper Danubia, given that Kim was coming back to the US just a couple of days after her release.

Finally Cindy boarded a flight to Frankfurt by herself, filled with regret her parents could not understand the momentous importance Kim's release would have in her life. The ceremony that ended her sentence would mark her official redemption, the chance for her to apply all of the hard lessons learned over the past two years to the decisions she would make throughout her future. At least Cindy understood. Her sister's support was something that Kim would appreciate for many years to come.

----------

Cynthia Lee arrived in Danube City the final day of June. As before, Spokesman Vladim Dukov was at the airport to greet her, since his client still could not travel outside the Danube City collar-zone. However, the following week, when it was time for Cindy to leave, Kim would be going with her. They would fly out first-class, courtesy of their band's music company. 

Once again Kim's sister would stay a hotel near the Central Plaza, to be within walking distance of the Central Courthouse and Dukov's office. 

Cindy met up with Kim and Eloisa as they got off work at the music store. The store had changed, now that several of the bands its owner had sponsored were becoming successful. The adjacent building had been converted to a contracting office for aspiring groups of musicians and was very busy. The store itself was much busier than it had been the previous year with foreign music fans and tourists, with more employees and an even wider selection of music.

Cindy had dinner with Kim and Eloisa at Sergekt's restaurant. Eloisa then departed with her fiancée, leaving Kim and Cindy alone. Kim decided to take Cindy to the Temple of the Ancients, and then to the spot where all her trouble had begun, now almost exactly two years before.

The two Americans sat on the same bench where Criminal # 98945 had sat smoking her joint, and where she had endured two very fateful encounters with Officer Malka Chorno. They sat quietly in the late afternoon shade as Kim tried to think of something she could tell her sister, something that would best explain who she had become during her two year sentence. She decided to tell her sister the story of Officer Malka Chorno. She went into graphic description about her arrest, then continued with the ugly encounter in this same spot the following year and its result. She had a hard time making Cindy understand the strange relationship she had with Malka Chorno following the police officer's conviction, the difficult efforts of the two women to come to terms with each other, and the ex-cop's genuine efforts to come to terms with herself and her flaws. Kim concluded:

"I guess we've all had to figure out who we really are. Me, Eloisa, Spokesman Dukov, Malka Chorno, and maybe even you. I can tell you that I really didn't know who I was two years ago...never really gave it much thought. I still really don't know who I am, but maybe I'm a bit closer to figuring it out."

Cindy sat silent and lost in thought for a while. Kim's sister changed the subject.

"You know, I bet it's going to be really hard for you to go back next week...maybe more than you realize...I mean, see our old high school, Mom and Dad, your teachers...you know, everyone who knew you before you came here."

"I know that. I know it's gonna be hard for me stay focused on what I really want from my life."

"What do you want from life, Kim? I mean...it seems that you've sort of found yourself, here in this country. I can tell you this is the weirdest place I've ever been to, but you really seem to fit in. So, this is it? This is where you want to end up?"

"I think so. Spokesman Dukov wants me to take his place and represent all the foreigners he thinks will wind up in trouble, once we get a bunch of new tourists, Eloisa wants me to sing with her, and Sergekt wants me to marry him. So, that'll be my life, the path of my existence, as they say it here."

"But is it what you want?"

"I don't think that's the right way to put it, Cindy. This isn't what I want; it's what I've become. It's what I am. It's what life has turned me into. Take me out of here, put me somewhere else, and what do you think I'd have left? What do you think I'd be?"

"I guess we figured that out last year...it wouldn't be all that much."

"And that was last year...I've had another year here since then, and another year away from home. This is my life, here in Upper Danubia."

Cindy's own feelings were in turmoil, over some very old issues standing between her and Kim, ones that went way back. During Cindy's previous two trips to Upper Danubia Kim had made several hard confessions to her sister. Now it was Cindy's turn to come clean with Kim. She felt pushed from the inside to talk, almost against her will. Cindy buried her hands in her hair and leaned forward. She spoke without looking up.

"Kim, I...we....uh, well...you know that up until the time you got arrested, and even a bit afterwards, I always kind of...I don't want to admit this...I hated you...ever since we were little kids. That's something I realized last fall, and I realized it only when my feelings towards you changed. I realized I hated you all my life, and now I feel really bad about that."

"You were jealous because Mom and Dad always paid more attention to me than you?"

"Yeah. Ever since you were born, it was like you got everything and there was nothing left over for me. It was always 'Kim's younger than you and...Kim needs this and Kim needs that...' I always thought that if I was the good one, the one with the good grades and the one who never caused any problems, that over time Mom and Dad would love me. But you were the one who always got all the attention. It's like...it was all about you, and you were totally messed up, and...Mom and Dad couldn't see anything wrong with you. Not until...your trip. Then everything changed..."

Cindy sat silent, still staring at the ground. She was nerving herself for what she had to say next. Kim thought she knew what was coming...

"...and so you were glad when I got arrested?"

"Yeah, Kim. I was glad. I hate to admit it, but at the time I felt real good about that. Mom, and especially Dad, I mean...they were totally devastated about your pot-smoking. And then, later that summer, when they found about your grades in school, I mean...the grades you really got, when all those college rejections started coming back because of your GPA...I loved it, watching their illusions about you fall apart. I felt like I was getting even for all the crap I put up with when we were growing up."

Kim sat quietly for a long time. It seemed that every time she sat in this spot something awful always happened. Cindy's confession frightened her. Kim forced herself to speak.

"So...why the three trips to Danube City if you hate me so much?"

"Because I don't hate you anymore, not now. A lot of what happened between us wasn't your fault, and that's what I came to realize a few months after you got arrested. Now it seems like...I'm the family's 'good girl' and you're not...and that's not right either. It's not right that either of us be 'the good one' or 'the bad one'."

Cindy again sat silent for a while, and then continued.

"I'm telling you all this because...I realized that whatever happens between you, me, Mom, and Dad, I want to have my own relationship with you, on my terms, not anyone else's. I don't want you to be 'good' or 'bad' in my life. I just want you to be happy, I want to love you, and I want you to be my family. I want to appreciate you for who you are, not for what anyone else wants you to be. We have the rest of our lives, maybe 60 years, ahead of us, and I want you as part of my life. That would mean a lot to me. And that's what I started to realize when I came here at the beginning of last year. That's why I kept coming back, simply because I wanted to see how you were doing and because wanted to be with you. It wasn't because of anything Dad wanted...not really."

Kim bit her lip and nodded, overcome with the emotion of the moment. She felt, for the first time in her life, that she was destined to have a real relationship with her sister. They would live on different continents and would have to travel to make their changed relationship work, but Cindy suddenly had become an important and appreciated part of Kim's life. As Cindy had said, the two women had at least 60 years to set things right with each other.

Kim and Cindy stood up and hugged each other hard, on that Sacred Ground behind the Danubian Temple of the Ancients. Criminal # 98945's conversation with her sister was the final, and the most important, act of redemption she would experience as a result of her two-year sentence.

----------

The night of July 1 was the final night Kim and her friends went to the Socrates Club as criminals. Kim and Eloisa went with Cindy, who entered the club wearing a simple sun dress she could slip over her head as soon as she was inside. Once she was in compliance with the Club's dress-code, Cindy sat among a couple of Sergekt's friends and started flirting with them, as Kim and Sergekt spent the night eating, dancing, and socializing.

That night there was no singing or performing from any member of "Socrates' Mistresses". The participation of Eloisa and her friends in the Club's creative efforts had ended. Tonight was a night for Eloisa's friends to simply relax and enjoy their final evening together as criminals. There were other performers on stage, and more recently sentenced criminals discussing their feelings about their punishments. Life was moving on. Now it was the time for others to read their thoughts, write songs, and perform for their friends. 

As she danced with Sergekt, Kim looked nostalgically at the row of tables where she and her friends had sat evening after evening over the past two years. Within a couple of days the tables would be re-arranged to accommodate the fact that Eloisa and her defenders had graduated from the clientele of the Socrates Club. Kim's friends would be able to come back any time they wanted, but it wouldn't be the same. They would be coming in as guests and outsiders, not as criminals and members in full-standing. Kim found it odd thinking about how much she would miss some aspects of her life as a convicted criminal, realizing the loss of the Socrates Club and its supportive environment would leave a huge gap in her existence. 

----------

Kim's final full day as a Danubian criminal passed very quietly. It was the custom in Upper Danubia that a criminal spend the final day of his or her sentence with family, in quiet contemplation, or at church. Kim knew that Sergekt would be at church with his family, as would most of the other members of Eloisa's band. Kim and Cindy, somewhat less religious, spent the day picnicking with the Dukovs at a nearby park, along with Vladik's fiancée and her younger brother. It was a very quiet and anti-climactic end to Criminal # 98945's sentence, but everyone wanted to be well-rested for the de-collaring ceremony the following day.

----------

The next day was Monday, July 3rd. Kim woke up in her sister's hotel room after an excellent night's sleep. She had expected to past the night in restless anticipation, but the quiet picnic from the day before put her in a relaxed mood, as did the familiar presence of Cindy. 

The two sisters had a light breakfast in the hotel restaurant and then walked to the Central Courthouse. The sun already was shining hot on Kim's exposed body. In spite of the happiness she felt over having her sentence finally end, she felt slight regret over not being able to enjoy her body uncovered outside in the hot weather anymore, except when she went to the beach or relaxed in Dukov's backyard. At her job at the music store Kim would continue to work in the nude, but the morning's walk to the courthouse would be her last appearance without clothing on Danube City's streets.

Kim and Cindy met up with Dukov and his family at his office, and then the group walked across the Central Plaza to the Central Courthouse. A large group of naked criminals and their relatives already were assembled in front of the main door, waiting for the call to line up and go inside. The relatives snapped numerous pictures of the group, and group members took pictures of each other. As always, the whole affair had the general mood of a graduation ceremony, which in a way it was.

Cindy took several pictures of Kim: by herself, with the Dukovs, with Sergekt and Eloisa, and with her fellow singers from "Socrates' Mistresses".

Spokesman Havlakt finally arrived with three workmen carrying 29 packages of clothing. He was in a very upbeat mood, very happy to see the sentences of his 28 clients, along with their added friend Kimberly Lee, finally concluded. He also was looking forward to finally being able to retire, three years later than he originally had planned.

The workers carried the packages inside while the two Spokesmen whistled loudly to get their clients to separate from their families and form a line to go inside. The relatives then quickly passed through the door and filed into the courtroom to take their seats in the public viewing area.

The 29 criminals formed a line as requested, with the women in front. They waited in silence for a minute or so, until they heard the trumpet blast from inside the courtroom. Kim and her friends filed in, 9 women and 20 men. They knelt and put their heads to the carpet, for the last time of their lives. The trumpeter blew again.

"Doc-doc Danube!"

The entire room put their right hands to their left shoulders, except for the 29 criminals in the front of the room. Kim and her friends remained kneeling, but they did not need to keep their heads pressed to the floor. Today was their day, the ceremony that was being held for them, so the court expected them to kneel upright to be able to watch what was going on.

Vladim Dukov and Spokesman Havlakt came forward. They saluted the judge, who saluted back.

The judge asked the Spokesmen if each of the criminals under their authority had completed their sentences and whether or not they were ready to assume the rights and responsibilities of a free citizen. He asked the same question to Spokesman Havlakt eight times for each of the women in his custody. Then Kim heard the question addressed to Vladim Dukov:

"Spokesman Dukov, this court wishes to know if you consider Criminal # 98945, the American Kimberly Annette Lee, ready to assume the rights and duties of a free citizen."

Dukov replied with a very loud "Doc!"

Kim's heart raced with anticipation. The question and the answer from her Spokesman legally ended her sentence. The question had to be repeated 20 more times for the guys. Sergekt's name came up 10th on the list, while Dima, the leader of the group and the main instigator of the unlawful actions that lead to the sentences, was the last one whose sentence was ended. 

As he did for all de-collaring ceremonies, the judge then gave a brief speech about the transition from criminal to free citizen and the significance of reform and a new start in life.

The next part of the ceremony was the actual de-collaring of the Criminal # 98945 and her friends. Vladim Dukov signaled to his former client to get up and to have her collar removed first. Kim got up and knelt in front of a short metal post slightly less than a meter high. The post had handles on it for the criminal to hang on to. The collar technician ordered Kim to grab the handles and hold herself steady. The post had a metal loop near the top, to hold the collar extractor in place while it was being operated.

The technician closed the imposing-looking device around Kim's neck and closed several latches on her collar.

"Hold your breath and don't move."

The former criminal felt a slight jolt and heard the distinct crack of metal snapping. The collar technician had shot the firing pin into the latch of her collar to break it. He then pushed the extractor's levers apart and opened the collar. A second later Kim's collar was off. For the first time in two years she felt the cool air of the courtroom against the lower part of her neck.




Maragana Girl Ch. 22



The technician removed the transmitter from Kim's collar and handed it back to her.

"Congratulations. You're free."

With that Kim returned to her place in line, but as previously instructed, she stood, not knelt. Eloisa was next, and within a minute was back in line, standing next to Kim. The two friends stood at attention as the other members of the group stepped forward to get their collars off. It took nearly a half an hour to get through the entire group, but Kim was not rushed. The American wanted to savor every moment, to hear the satisfying "crack" of the firing pin as it broke one collar latch after another.

The two Spokesmen then carried bundles of clothing to the line of ex-clients. Each bundle had its owner's criminal number on it and was color-coded by sex, white for women and beige for men. Dukov walked up to Kim with her bundle and smiled at her as he set it at her feet.

"This court authorizes you, as free citizens, to get dressed."

Kim opened her package and pulled out its contents. There was a traditional Danubian dress and a pair of women's sandals. She quickly slipped the dress over her head and bent down to put on the sandals. Then she looked over at Sergekt, who was adjusting his tunic and putting on a pair of traditional leather boots.

The two Spokesmen took their positions in front of the group. They exchanged glances and simultaneously saluted, putting their fists against their right shoulders. The group saluted back.

The judge spoke next.

"People of the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia, this court presents to you 29 persons who have earned the right to rejoin our community as free citizens."

Kim and her friends then turned around to present themselves to the Danubian nation. They held their collars up for the world to see they were indeed now free citizens. The room exploded into very loud cheering from the relatives of the 29 criminals. Kim only had one relative present, but Cindy was cheering, clapping, and making as much noise as possible.

It was over. Really, truly over. The emotion overwhelmed most of the members of the group, both men and women. Eloisa was crying, as she struggled to keep her collar held high in the air for her family to see.

I won't cry, Kim thought to herself. I won't cry. Even as that promise repeated itself over and over in Kim's mind, tears rolled down her cheeks.

----------

Kim and her friends were done with their de-collaring ceremony by 11:30. The celebratory atmosphere outside the courthouse continued for a while, as the families continued to take pictures of their newly-freed relatives, and as Kim's friends took dozens of group pictures, now dressed in their official formal clothing. Finally, however, the picture taking wound down and the crowd began to diminish as its participants began to bid the others goodbye and drift away. Within an hour the majority of the group had departed the Central Plaza with their families, including Eloisa and the rest of her band members. Eloisa hugged Kim hard and departed, along with her long-suffering fiancée and their respective families.

Only Sergekt and his relatives remained behind, to accompany the Dukovs and Cynthia Lee back to their house for a family celebration. As she watched the others depart, Kim wondered if the entire group ever would be completely together again. The friendships would remain, as well as the still-growing career of "Socrates' Mistresses", but would all of Sergket's friends ever sit together in one place again?

Tuko, for example, quickly would disappear from their lives for a full year. He had been accepted to attend the National Police Academy and faced 12-months of very intense training. He would leave the Academy wearing Malka Chorno's badge and a blue uniform. He would carry a service revolver, wield a switch, and have a female partner. He would come out of training a very different person than he was now. Kim wasn't sure if she would still like him once he was a police officer.

The two families celebrated at Dukov's house, on large tables loaded with fancy food that had been set up in Dukov's back yard. It was a chance for the Dukovs and Sergekt's relatives to get to know each other better, and for Cindy to have a good look at her futures. Kim and Sergekt confirmed their plans to get married in October, on or around Kim's 21st birthday. They stood arm-in-arm as the made the announcement, to much cheering and toasting. The party thus became not only a celebration of the end of their sentences, but also the public announcement of Sergekt's plans to marry Kim. With Sergekt's announcement Cindy found herself committed to yet another trip to Danube City in the fall, to attend her sister's wedding. 

----------

Although she officially was free, Kim spent the next day wrapping up some final details of her sentence. She went downtown wearing one of the sun-dresses that was in fashion that year. The dress was made of very light material, but Kim felt somewhat uncomfortable, still having to get used to the feel of cloth covering her body after two years of wearing nothing. 

Dukov called his ex-client into his office to return her passport with the new "transition visa". Kim got her musty-smelling backpack back, along with plastic bags of clothes and jewelry. Dukov held up the T-shirt with the marijuana emblem and asked her if she planned to keep it.

"Yes, Spokesman Dukov, I'll keep it. What I want to do with it is hang it in my office with my collar...to show people who I really am and who I used to be." Kim then smiled. "But don't worry, sir. I don't plan to wear it around Danube City. I think my days of wearing marijuana leaves are past me. If I wore that everyone really would call me 'Maragana Girl'."

The final detail was a post-release mug-shot in the police booking room for Kimberly Lee's now closed police file. The words "Criminal # 98945" at the bottom of the closing photo had a line through the letters to indicate Kim's criminal number had been retired from the Danubian judicial system.

----------

Kim and Cindy worked out the final details of their trip to the United States with Eloisa's recording company. In exchange for a first-class flight Kim agreed to grant three interviews, one to a leading popular music magazine and the others to television stations doing features on Danubian music. Kim planned to spend the rest of the time trying to repair her relationship with her parents and touring her hometown. 

The two sisters left that following Saturday, on a "Griffin Airlines" flight to Frankfurt, where they would change flights to go on to the US. From the trolley window Kim watched as she passed the yellow sign marking the edge of the Danube City collar zone, and within a few minutes she and Cindy were at the small and rather primitive King Vladik International Airport.

An hour later, Kim and Cindy walked across the tarmac to the plane, which, like every other large object in Danube City, had a huge griffin painted on it. Once airborne, Kim stared out the window at the strange little country that had so completely refocused her life. The plane rose above Danube City and then banked west through the clouds to make its way to Frankfurt.



Maragana Girl Ch. 23



Chapter 23 -- "Willow"

Kim's homecoming turned out to be every bit as painful as her sister had feared. She did not bother to bring up staying at her old room in her parents' house; she instinctively knew it would be better to stay at Cindy's apartment. 

Now that her sentence was over, the older issues poisoning Kim's relationship with her parents resurfaced, especially the endless deceptions she had inflicted on her family throughout her adolescence to spend time with two friends who turned out to be totally worthless. The Lees did not feel comfortable lecturing her or treating her in a condescending manner, however. Their wayward daughter obviously had matured in Upper Danubia. She thought and spoke like a person much older than her current age of 20. What most surprised them was how determined she was about details of her life; her marriage, her music, and the odd idea that she wanted to become a Danubian defense attorney. 

Kim's parents instead treated her with a cold tolerance, none too happy about the fact she only planned to stay in the US for two weeks before going back to Upper Danubia. Kim's braided hair and foreign appearance bothered them, as did her radically changed personality and constant use of Danubian expressions such as "the path of my life", "it is a question of honor", "proper protocol", "damaged soul", and "the Ancients have guided me". To the elder Lees, their daughter had become a complete stranger, and on top of everything else, just plain weird.

----------

Besides her strained and tense get-togethers with her parents, Kim spent much of her time trying to readjust to the United States. She was very uneasy during her trip and a bit dismayed at the fast pace of life and the over-all appearance of a society completely oriented around consumerism and automobiles. The crowded smoky streets bothered her, as did the enormous dirty parking lots, ever-present fluorescent lighting, the public's constant rushing, and overwhelming amount of cheaply-made products in stores and people's houses.

What bothered Kim the most, however, was the constant noise. Noise was everywhere, as though the entire nation was afraid of a few minutes of silence. Kim, after having been out of the US for two years, winced at the ever-present assault on her ears. 

The three interviews went well. Kimberly Lee tried to set the record straight over who was the real inspiration for most of her group's music by trying to give as much credit to Eloisa as possible. Many US fans of "Socrates' Mistresses" had assumed Kim was the band's lead singer, because she was the band's English voice. Kim used the interviews to give US viewers a much more accurate idea of what her group really was all about.

----------

Cindy accompanied her sister around her hometown as she confronted the ghosts of her past. Kim understood that her life in the US was truly over. As Cindy had warned the previous year, all of Kim's old friends from high school were scattered. The luckier ones had gone out of state to college, but most had drifted into obscurity. Two friends from her past, including an ex-boyfriend, were in jail. Kim's first week back in the US ended with a painful jailhouse visit to her former high school boyfriend, and a visit to the parents of another friend who overdosed about two months after she left for Europe. Everyone Kim talked to mentioned her how great she looked.

Kim's hardest encounter with her past came at the beginning of her second week, when she decided to visit to her old high school with Cindy. She talked to a couple of her teachers who happened to be giving school classes, and gave much needed apologies for some of her behavior. Kim then went around to a spot behind the gym where she had spent endless hours with Tiffany and Susan. Cindy stood in nervous silence as her sister sat down in her favorite old hang-out spot, just staring at the pavement and not saying anything.

As Kim silently sat contemplating her past, a tall, lanky teenager with a rather punkish appearance and reeking of cigarette smoke showed up. She jumped to her feet and hugged him. It was Joe Walker, Tiffany's younger brother. He heaved a sigh of relief.

"Hey, Kimmie, real glad to see ya...The guys said you were back...and fuckin' Jones just told me you were here at school...just got out of class...glad I got ya while you're still here."

Kim smiled slightly. "You're in summer school?"

"Yeah...fucked up the year again. What else is new?"

Cindy, who never really liked either Joe or his sister, excused herself, claiming she had to go to the bathroom. Cindy's departure left Kim alone with her former best friend's younger brother. She felt very uncomfortable, but at least one huge question in her life was about to be answered, what happened to Tiffany? She gathered from Joe's comments that he actually had been looking for her, which struck her as rather odd.

Kim decided to give her companion an update on her life with a very abbreviated and censored version of her sentence in Upper Danubia. She informed Joe she had just been released, and pointed to the tan-line from her collar that still was visible around her neck. She didn't mention the fact she had been nude during her entire sentence, hoping Joe was ignorant enough about foreign places that he didn't know that detail about Upper Danubia. It turned out he didn't know anything about Upper Danubia, nor had Tiffany been eager to share any details about her disastrous trip to Europe when she returned home.

"Ya know, when she got back, she didn't talk. People said a lot of shit to Tiff because of you and Susie...ya know...how she took two friends to Europe and came back solo...I don't know...She's pretty fucked right now...has been for two years...I think the trip did it."

"When you say Tiff's 'fucked', what do you mean by that? What's she actually doing?"

"What ain't she doin', Kimmie? She's doin' just about everything...weed, smack, 'K', blow, crank...I think now it's mostly crank, 'cause of her boyfriend."

"That's it? Just drugs?"

"That's it, Kimmie. Drugs. That's all she's doin'. Says she ain't no good for anything else."

"Where's she getting the money?"

"How do you think she's gettin' it? She's dancin' over at Dirty Grampy's. Strippin' and, well...ya know...gettin' paid..."

"Shit. And it's all going for drugs?"

"All of it, Kimmie. Drugs and that fuck, Raymond. That's her boyfriend. She ain't got shit for anything else."

"And that's why you were looking for me? To tell me this?"

"Kimmie, I was lookin' for ya...'cause...I don't know... I thought maybe you could talk to her...make her feel better...maybe tell her you're not mad or something...you know...about Europe."

"Joe, I can't tell her I'm not mad, because I am. I'm fucking furious at her. Do you know what it felt like, when I was in that courtroom on trial, and my defense attorney told me what Tiff told the police, that the pot she bought was all mine and that she didn't know about it? That she lied to ditch me? Do you have any idea how that felt? Because of what Tiff told them, they were gonna hit me with a 20-year sentence, and it was Spokesman Dukov who talked them out of it. No, Joe...I'm mad, and Tiff's gonna know it. But...then...I guess I'll try to talk to her, and I suppose maybe I can do something for her."

Joe was a bit stunned at Kim's last statement. "20 years? For what?"

"For dealing. The Danubians don't like drugs. You want to piss-off their government, the best way to do it is have drugs on you. I had a full pound of pot on me, and they thought I was dealing."

Kim decided to have Joe take her to Dirty Grampy's that night, along with Cindy. She called Cindy on her cell phone and told her to come back. An hour later the two women and Tiffany's brother made their way to the strip bar.

Dirty Grampy's was a juice bar, which allowed Kim, who was 20, and Joe, who had just turned 18, to go in. Cindy already was 23, so there was no problem for her. Joe was a bit reluctant having Kim see Tiffany at her current job. Kim, however, went in with the confidence that she knew exactly what she needed to do. She still was furious at Tiffany, but now she also was mulling over ideas with the hope of salvaging her life.

They entered as several scruffy middle-aged patrons turned around to see the two women's fresh faces. Kim and Cindy obviously were not dancers, nor did either seem a likely partner for Joe. The European-style braids made Kim really look out of place in Dirty Grampy's. Cindy obviously was out of her environment as well, with the clean-cut look of a serious graduate student.

Kim handed Joe two 20-dollar bills.

"Get me some singles."

"Huh?"

"I want singles. That's what you tip the dancers with, isn't it?"

Joe returned with a stack of one-dollar bills. Kim took them and sat at a barstool right next to the stage while the other two ordered smoothies and sat at a table a little further away. She watched the routine of a rather wasted-looking young Asian, who she thought looked eerily like herself. The girl ended her routine completely nude. Kim passed the dancer a few dollars to get her to do a sexual routine close up, to learn what the dancers actually had to do for their tips. Kim's companions were surprised to see her tip a stripper for a dance, but what she did next would shock them much more.

It turned out Tiffany was the next performer. Her stage name was "Willow", because she was so tall and thin. Kim watched in anger and disgust as Tiffany moved about the stage and peeled off her clothes. Once Tiffany had stripped down to a loose blouse and G-string, Kim pulled out two dollars and held them up. The flash of money drew Tiffany's attention, but as her glance met the face of the young woman holding up the cash, the dancer froze in horror.

Kim's dark, angry eyes bore into Tiffany. She waved the cash. 

"Willow, it's a tip. Please show me what you do for tips. I tip very well, but I expect value for my money." 

Tiffany went white, but the club DJ and several patrons were looking at her, expecting her to put out the usual reward for hard cash. She had no choice. The dancer got on her knees and began waving her bottom in Kim's face. Kim slipped the money into Tiffany's G-string and then held up two more dollars. Once again the cold stare of Kim's dark eyes confronted Tiffany.

"Show me what you got...Willow."

Reluctantly Tiffany peeled off her blouse and flashed her breasts in front of her former friend. Kim took a look the dancer's arms, noting the needle-tracks. Kim held out yet more dollar bills, touching them to Tiffany's scarred arms. Yet again, Kim's cold, hostile stare tore into Tiffany as their eyes met.

The dancer reluctantly pulled down her G-string and slipped it over her feet. Kim showed her no mercy. She held up five dollars as the other patrons and the club DJ stared intently, wondering why a young woman was shelling out so much just to catch a few close up glances of Willow's body. With tears flowing down her cheeks, Tiffany spread her legs and waved her bare vagina in Kim's face. Her spectator's next comment was sarcasm in its purist form.

"Willow, you are so hot. I wish you could dance like this for me all night."

"Willow" couldn't see how she could be any more humiliated, but she was forced to face yet another indignity when the third song of her routine was played. The song was a slow piece by "Socrates' Mistresses" from the soundtrack of the recently released Gaul movie. As Kim listened to her own voice singing along with Eloisa, her lips tightened and her eyes flashed with anger. She held up dollar after dollar as she forced Tiffany to completely degrade herself throughout the final song. 

Joe sat next to Kim's sister, silently looking into his glass. He was very afraid of meeting his sister's gaze or having her realize he was sitting in the audience. Cindy stared hard at the young woman on the stage, very curious to watch the infamous false friend who had landed Kim into so much trouble in Danube City.

The Danubian song ended and Tiffany, holding 30 of Kim's dollars in her hand, sadly collected her clothing and left the dance stage. There were a few whistles, sex-whoops, and some half-hearted clapping from the guys in the room.

Kim's moment of revenge had passed. There was no way, none whatsoever, that she could have found a better way to completely stun and humiliate Tiffany. Kim's idea was to first break her former friend, and then get her to talk. Once Tiffany was talking, she could try to figure out what to do next, with the ultimate hope to find some way to help her. The dance-floor encounter had its place in that plan. Kim could tell Tiffany was indeed broken and had nothing left to hide. Also, she now felt completely in control of the relationship.

Tiffany retreated to the dancers' changing room in shock over what had just happened. She had not known Kim even had been released, let alone that she was back in the US. Tiffany was as amazed seeing her as she would have been seeing someone she thought was dead. Finally, the drugs in her body, combined with the horrible experience she had just endured on the dance stage, made her sick enough to throw up in the bathroom. Once she finished, Tiffany tossed Kim's money all over the floor and began crying.

As soon as Tiffany left the stage, Kim got up to join the others at their table. Cindy was stunned at her treatment of Tiffany, while Joe was incensed.

"You fuckin' bitch! What the fuck...what'd you do that for!?"

Kim stared at Joe with a cold calmness that somewhat disarmed him.

"Joe, you will not call me a 'bitch' if you want me to do anything for Tiffany. I did that for a reason, so that when I talk to her she won't try to bullshit me. And besides, what did I actually do? I paid her to do her job, Joe; that's all I did! I just paid her to do her fucking job!"

Before Joe had a chance to respond, Kim stopped a waitress and passed her a five-dollar bill. She told the waitress she wanted to buy a drink for "Willow". She passed the waitress some more money for the club's very over-priced smoothies. The waitress took off to bring the smoothies and summon her co-worker. Kim then turned to her two companions.

"OK, I'm going to try to talk to Tiffany. I need you guys out of here. Go next door and get something to eat. I'll catch up as soon as I'm done."

Joe quickly got up, eager to leave before Tiffany had a chance to see him. Kim's sister also got up quickly, having no desire to stay in this awful place any longer than she needed to.

As Kim's companions vanished through the door, the waitress came back with Tiffany and the drinks. Kim handed the waitress another five-dollar bill, mainly to make sure the waitress stayed on her side if there were any problems. 

Tiffany was dressed in her G-string and skimpy top. She looked wasted, but still was rather attractive. Her breath smelled of toothpaste and a hint of vomit. This was not the first time she had cried and thrown up but still had to face a customer.

The last thing Tiffany wanted to do was to see or sit with Kim. However, the drink on the table signaled that her high school friend had purchased 10 minutes of her time. Over the last year she had sat with plenty of unsavory people and with some of them negotiated an hour in the cheap motel across the street. In this place the only real language was money, and Kimberly Lee spoke that language quite well.

As soon as Tiffany was seated, Kim's temper rose up in her. Suddenly the memory of that moment, in the middle of her trial when Dukov told her "...the most important witnesses are missing, your two friends. It is quite unfair you should go on trial and they should not." Unfair. For a second her emotions took over and she forgot the main reason why she had Tiffany sitting with her. She angrily leaned forward, tilted her head to the side, and pointed at her neck. The tan-line from her collar had darkened a bit, but still was somewhat visible. Again her dark eyes bore into Tiffany.

"OK, Willow. Ask me what this is! Ask me why I have a white stripe around my neck! Ask me where I've been and what I've been doing over the last two years! Come-on...Willow...ask me! Then I've got some questions for you!"

"I...I know the answer...I don't have to ask you...'cause I know. You were in Danube City all this time. They busted you because of me."

Kim calmed down slightly, a bit ashamed of her outburst. She took a deep breath and tried to focus. "Tiff, what I want you to understand is that I'm not mad about the conviction itself. That would have happened no matter what. What really hurt me was what you told the police. And I'm going to tell you how I found out about it. It was in the middle of my trial, when I asked my Spokesman what was going on, you know, 'cause I didn't understand anything that was happening. And that's when he told me...that you two had been released and gone to Prague. Then he told me why."

Tiffany sat silent, staring into her smoothie. Kim continued with a question. 

"Tiff, I want to know, for real, whose idea it was for you two to play dumb about our stash."

"It was my idea. At first Susan felt bad about doing that to you, but I talked her into it. I mean, we were scared, Kim, both of us. We panicked."

"You panicked. And how scared do you think I was, standing there by myself in court the next day, naked, up on the prisoner's stand, facing the judge with my arms behind my head and four spotlights shining on me? How scared do you think I was when Spokesman Dukov told me you two had left and that I was facing 20 years...20 years, Tiff...for marijuana dealing? How scared do you think I was?"

"I'm sorry Kim. I don't know what else to say. I'm sorry." 

Tiffany reluctantly sipped her smoothie. She looked like she was going to be sick again, but she forced herself to talk.

"If I could go back and take your place I would...and maybe I'd be better off. Maybe that's what should have happened, and if I'd told the truth, it would've been me in that courtroom and you and Susan would have left and come home. And...Susan would have come back. It was because of me she didn't. Maybe life is punishing me 'cause of what I did. Maybe..."

"OK, that's my other question. What happened to Susan?"

"When we got to Prague, she just wanted to get on a plane and come home, and maybe try to get you some help. I...I don't know Kim. I knew you were fucked, and I...just...didn't give a shit. So, I hooked up with some local guys, and we partied while Susan sat in the hostel by herself. The next day she told me to go fuck myself and that she was going home, and we had a big fight. Then I...grabbed her plane ticket and told her she wasn't going anywhere unless she partied with me one more night, you know, 'cause I didn't want to be alone with those guys. So she came with me, and we shot up...and then we all got sick."

"I know about that part. Spokesman Dukov told me about it in his office, after my mom sent him Susan's obituary. Hepatitis?"

"Yeah."

The waitress came by, looking at Tiffany and tapping her watch. Before Tiffany could say anything, Kim handed the waitress a 20-dollar bill to shut her up.

"Tiff, I gotta talk to you after you get off work. We gotta sit down some place quiet and we gotta talk."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Raymond wouldn't let me. As soon as I get off work he's here to pick me up and he doesn't let me out of his sight unless I'm here or across the street with a customer."

"Yeah, your brother mentioned Raymond. You really did fuck up your life, didn't you?" 

Kim shook her head at the thought of Tiffany's abusive boyfriend. Obviously Raymond wanted to prevent precisely what was happening right now, the possibility that someone could enter Tiffany's life, get her to talk about herself, and get her to think about her alternatives. Kim realized it was vital to keep Tiffany talking. She decided to purchase some more of Tiffany's time.




Maragana Girl Ch. 23



"How much do you charge?"

"What?"

"I want you to myself, for an hour. How much is it? You and the room...how much?"

"300 dollars."

"OK, Tiff, I'll hit the ATM. For the next hour, your ass is mine."

----------

Kim felt driven to talk to Tiffany, as though some force were pushing her from within. What she was doing made no sense whatsoever, to drop $ 300 that would either fuel her friend's drug habit or go to Raymond, but she was desperate to have an hour of uninterrupted time with Tiffany.

She called Cindy and explained she would be with Tiffany the next hour. She told her sister to take Joe home, and then come back to pick her up. With the cash in her hand and the other members of her group dismissed, Kim prepared to cross the street with her former best friend.

For the next hour the two women brought each other up to date on their respective lives. They both realized something extremely important, that over the last two years Kim, while serving her sentence, actually had enjoyed far more freedom than Tiffany, who had never been arrested. Kim, the one who had been arrested, faced a fulfilling and interesting future, even if it was a future that cut her off from her past. 

Tiffany, on the other hand, had spent a horrible two years, first recovering from her bout with hepatitis, then facing the ire of both the Lees and the Taylors, then drifting and getting high, and finally her somewhat more settled life dancing at Dirty Grampy's and servicing the club's customers. Kim's friend, between the torment of her chemical dependency and Raymond, led a grueling and horribly restricted life. She was in continuous discomfort from the drugs or withdrawal, exhausted from her work schedule, and living in constant fear of Raymond's paranoia and his tweaking from meth. Kim sat dumbfounded as Tiffany described one squalid event in her life after another.

"I don't know... I'm just...such a waste. You know...I did OK in school, better than you for sure...could've gone to college, but...look at me. I probably won't see my 30th birthday even...I'll probably O.D., or get AIDS, or get stuck long before that."

"Tiff, I'm curious, from something you just said. Do you think you'd have been better off if you'd gotten sentenced in Danube City?"

"I know that for a fact. I mean...look at you. You're clean. You look good, I mean...really good, like you've been at the gym. You got your friends and your singing and your Spokesman, I mean you've got a really great life. Kim...I mean...just to be clean, to not think about your next hit, I'd go back just for that."

"You'd go back to Upper Danubia?"

"If it'd get me out of this shit life of mine, yeah, I'd go back. I'd give anything to exchange my last two years for the ones you had."

The image of Tiffany on trial in the Central Courthouse of Danube City flashed through Kim's mind, as did the comment from Dukov. That's it! She realized there was one place Tiffany could flee to, one place where she could kick her drug habit. If Tiffany were to travel to Danube City and live under the restrictions of a convicted criminal, she would be forced to kick her addictions, because drugs were completely unavailable in the Danubian capitol. She could escape Raymond, and all the other horrible details of her current life.

"Tiff, I have a question for you. Do you want to live to see your 30th birthday? Live without drugs? Walk around in a clean place and have some people in your life who care about you? Have a real job? Maybe even a family? Is that what you want from life?" 

Tiffany nodded.

"I can give that to you. It'll be very hard and you'll have a rough transition, but I can give you all that, if you really want it. I can give you your 30th birthday, if you want it bad enough."

"Kim, how...I'm totally fucked."

"Yes you are, but there's very little in life that can't be fixed. You don't have HIV, do you?"

"No, not yet, at any rate."

"Then you can just walk away from all this...just walk away."

"I can't. I tried and I can't."

"Well, I'm leaving for Upper Danubia in four days, and if you come with me, I can guarantee to get you off drugs. You won't have any choice. There's no drugs in Danube City, so no matter how hard it is for you, you'd be forced to get clean."

"But, I can't go back there. I'd get arrested."

"That's right, you would. You'd be arrested right at the airport, and I'd go with you down to the Central Police Station to have you booked and arraigned. After that I'd take you to the hospital, where you'd dry out and go through withdrawal. Once you're cleaned up, you'd go on trial, get a long sentence, and be restricted to Danube City for many years. And things between you and me would be very different from what you're used to. I'd hold legal custody over you. I'd be telling you what to do, and you'd better damn-well do it. I won't be nice to you, because 'nice' isn't how you're going to turn your life around. But I can promise you something that I hope would make it worthwhile...your 30th birthday, in good health, and many more after that."

Tiffany said nothing.

"You'd have a lot of your choices in life taken away from you, but maybe that's been your problem, too many choices. Yeah, your life will be restricted, but what about now? How much freedom do you really have, right now?"

"I don't have any."

"Well, that's my offer. Spokesman Dukov has a lot of pull in the country 'cause he got his legislation passed, so I'm sure he can get you in. I'm warning you, though, it's gonna be rough."

Tiffany suddenly was very agitated, at the thought that she really did have a viable alternative to the life she had at the moment. Her hands shook slightly as she played with the hem of her blouse.

"Would they whip my ass...like they did to you?"

"Yes. That's part of their whole justice system, the ass-whippings. How many you'd get would be worked out in your sentence."

Oddly enough, the last detail put Tiffany somewhat at ease. She hated herself and felt she needed to suffer. At the same time Kim was being up-front about the fact she was offering Tiffany a very restricted life. Life in Danube City would be hard, but it would be livable. Her current life was not livable. Just since the beginning of the year two of her co-workers had overdosed and another had been murdered by a customer. Tiffany knew full-well she was living on borrowed time.

"Kim, if I go, can you forgive me for what I did?"

"I want to forgive you, Tiff. That's something I need to work out with myself, just like I had to work it out with that cop. I'd find it easier to forgive you if I knew you wanted to save yourself, if I knew you wanted to do something else with your life besides get high and support a tweaker. It's going to take me a while, but I think I can forgive you, if you put some effort from your end to make some changes in your life."

"When are you leaving?"

"I'm flying out Friday afternoon to Frankfurt. I'll be back in Danube City about noon on Saturday."

"I'm gonna be working Friday. That's my early shift."

"Well, that's perfect, if you want to come with me. I can simply come over here on the way to the airport and pick you up."

"But I can't come here with my suitcases, everyone will see."

"Tiff, there's no point in packing anything. You're not gonna need your clothes. Whatever pictures or what-not you want just stick in your purse. Now, one more question, where's your passport?"

"I think my mom has it."

"Not Raymond?"

"No. My mom took my passport when I got back. If she didn't throw it out she still has it."

"Well, then I'll get it and hold on to it. So you're coming?"

Tiffany nodded.

"No, don't nod your head. I want to hear, out of your mouth, what's happening Friday."

"On Friday I'm coming to the club and wait for you. You're gonna pick me up and take me to Danube City."

"You're not going to wait, Tiffany. You're going to act perfectly normal and do your first dance. Once you finish I'll buy you a smoothie and have you sit with me. Then, you and I go out the door. I'll take care of everything else. All I need from you is to be here at work on Friday and dance one more time, and between now and then for you to be careful about what you do with your customers."

Tiffany sat silent for a long time, almost to the minute she and Kim had to vacate the room. She had a final question for Kim.

"I...don't get it. Why are you doing this? Why do you even give a shit about what happens to me?"

"I do give a shit about what happens to you, Tiffany. What we're doing is very important to me. I need to get you on that plane."

Again Kim thought about the many things Vladim Dukov had told her during the two years she was a criminal, and her visions from last year's Day of the Dead. 

"I learned something while I was serving my sentence. I think everything in my life during those two years happened for a reason. Everything I did or experienced in Upper Danubia led to something else. I mean everything. You're part of all that. I'm here to pull you out of this mess because that's part of the path of my life, the path that has been laid out for me. I can't really explain it. I think once you get there and get settled into your daily routine you'll understand a bit better."

Kim squeezed Tiffany's hand and the two women headed back to Dirty Grampy's.

----------

Cindy was sitting alone in the restaurant next to the strip club when Kim left the motel. 

Kim watched Tiffany disappear through the door and then waved at her sister to come out. Cindy was more than skeptical when she explained her plans about Tiffany. Kim was going to take a tweaker to Upper Danubia and expect her to turn her life around? Yeah, right. 

Kim, however, seemed oddly calm about the whole affair, which to some extent persuaded Cindy that maybe her sister knew something she didn't about either Tiffany or Upper Danubia. More than anything else Kim talked like a professional, with Tiffany being the first case out of many she would handle through Upper Danubia's court system during her life. Her sister's next comment made Cindy understand how she saw herself and the extent to which she had internalized Danubian values.

"Right now I believe the path of my life will be to help people repair their broken souls. That is the role of a Spokesperson. I now understand the Ancients are testing me, and it's something I foresaw last fall. Tiffany is the first test the Ancients have presented me with. She is the first test of my honor and the first broken soul I will try to redeem."

"And what if this doesn't work out? What if she doesn't make it?"

"Then I will understand I'm called upon to seek a different path in life."

The next day Kim spent several hours working out the Danubian portion of her plan to redeem Tiffany. She talked on the phone with Spokesman Vladim Dukov and Officer Vladik Dukov, making arrangements for the details surrounding Tiffany's entry into Upper Danubia, her arrest, her detoxification treatment, her trial, and her post-sentencing employment. She called her boss at the music store to set up a job for her future client. Tiffany would begin her Danubian life in a manner very similar to Kim, as a cashier.

Vladim Dukov decided to put Kim formally in charge of what would happen to Tiffany and award his protégé legal custody of her wayward friend. That meant she had to be officially certified as a Court Apprentice, something that usually did not happen until an aspirant studying to be a Spokesperson had completed the second year of university classes. However, because Kim was bringing another American to Upper Danubia to get her off drugs, the country's Supreme Court judges agreed to grant Kim the legal status she needed to handle Tiffany's case. Kim would become a provisional Court Apprentice, which gave her authority to argue Tiffany's case at her trial and negotiate her sentence. Officially she would be known as Apprentice Lee, which was how Tiffany would have to address her in public.

Dukov informed Kim that Tiffany faced three charges if she chose to return and submit herself to the Danubian justice system. The most serious violation was not the five years she would receive for marijuana possession, but 30 years for perjury. Tiffany would be sentenced to 20 years for committing direct perjury for lying to the arraignment panel about the marijuana during her interrogation following her arrest with Kim. She faced a second charge of indirect perjury for encouraging Susan to lie to the arraignment panel. Indirect perjury carried an additional 10-year sentence. Tiffany was facing a full 35 years of confinement to Danube City. Dukov asked how Kim planned to handle the seriousness of the charges.

"She'll serve the full 35 years, Spokesman Dukov. I need to keep her under my control, because if she's not, she'll relapse." 

"Even after several years?"

"The danger will go down over time, but with as messed up as she is, I'm not taking any chances. I'll argue for leniency on some of the conditions of her sentence, but the time she has to wear her collar won't be one of them."

----------

Kim's only real concern was retrieving Tiffany's passport. She met up with Joe and he took her to his mother's house. As Joe smoked one cigarette after another, Kim explained what she had in mind for his sister in terms he could understand. Kim compared what was about to happen to Tiffany to a very long rehab session. She didn't mention Tiffany's rehab session would last 35 years, but Joe did understand that Tiffany was leaving for a long time.

Tiffany's brother became agitated. He got up, unlocked a trunk in his room, and came back with a bottle of whiskey. He took a drink out of the bottle and offered it to his guest. Kim smiled, but held her hands up and shook her head.

"Joe, I gotta tell you something. You're...kinda fucked yourself. I mean...your just 18, and if you keep this up your gonna be worse than Tiff in a couple of years."

"Yeah, Kimmie, I know, I'm fucked. I don't know, I think some of it's from watchin' Tiff. Ya know...seeing her like this as a fuckin' tweaker and whore. Maybe if I know she's OK, over there in...Danube...or whatever the fuck you call that place..."

"Well, for that I need her passport. Do you know where it is?"

"Yeah, I'll get it."

Joe went to his mother's room and rummaged around a bit. Just as Kim was beginning to worry that Joe might not find the passport after all, he came back into the living room and handed it to her. A huge feeling of relief swept through her. She opened up the passport and looked at the stamp Tiffany got when she and Susan were expelled the night after their arrest. She put the passport in her pocket.

Joe took another drink from his bottle.

"Ya know, she's been in fuckin' rehab...didn't do shit for her. What makes you think this'll work?"

"Do you have any other suggestions?"

"No."

"Then we gotta make this work, don't we? Now, the plan is I'm renting a car on Friday, and me and Cindy are heading over to Dirty Grampy's at about 2:00. Our flight leaves at 5:00, so we should be OK for time. Cindy's staying in the car, while I go in and get Tiff. I'd like you to come as well, to see us off. You can meet us at the club and we'll head to the airport together."

"Sure Kimmie, I'd like that."

----------

The final two days in the US Kim spent with Cindy. As much as she wanted to make up with her parents, that was not to be, at least not during this trip. Kim's parents were deeply bothered by the enormous changes in their daughter. In spite of everything their two daughters had told them about Upper Danubia, they had not fully realized how much Kim was committed to her life in that country until they saw her in person.

Cindy, now her parents' favorite after so many years of doting on Kim, tried to explain the significance of Kim's transformation. She sadly commented: "If you just would've gone to her de-collaring ceremony you would have understood what's going on with her. You didn't, after I begged you to go. That's why you don't get it. Now, she's getting married in October, and I'm going. What I want is all three of us to go."

The Lees finally agreed to attend Kim's wedding. Hugely relieved, Cindy began making plans for the October trip. It would be in October, not July, when Kim and her parents finally would begin the long, difficult process of rebuilding their relationship.

----------

Kim rented a car the morning she and Tiffany were scheduled to leave. As planned, Kim went in and watched her future client perform her final dance. While up on stage Tiffany's eyes scanned the audience, looking for her future Spokeswoman. Finally the dancer's eyes met Kim's and they exchanged nods. Once Tiffany was off the stage, Kim ordered two smoothies and asked for "Willow" to join her. Tiffany came out, wearing her usual G-string and skimpy top. Kim quickly stood up and the two women went to the door. Tiffany pulled a mini-skirt out of her purse and stepped into it. The top was not appropriate for traveling, but Kim planned to pull a T-shirt out of her suitcase for her companion to change into at the airport.

Joe was standing outside, smoking a cigarette and wearing a very forlorn expression. Tiffany took the cigarette from her brother's hand, took a very deep drag, and nervously nodded.

"OK. Let's get out of here before someone sees me and calls Ray."

Tiffany jumped in the back seat, with Joe beside her. Kim swung into the front seat and with that Cindy sped off. 

The trip to the airport was uneventful. Kim, Tiffany, and Joe stood in line to check-in while Cindy parked. There was a brief question concerning the stamp in Tiffany's passport forbidding her to travel to Upper Danubia, but Kim countered with a fax from Dukov's office that over-rode the prohibition. Kim produced a second fax that granted her provisional custody of her companion, which struck the airline employees as odd, given both women were US citizens. All the time Tiffany was looking fearfully at the door, terrified Raymond might show up. However, in the end there was no real reason to hold up the travelers and finally they were issued their tickets.

At the security entrance Cindy and Kim hugged each other good-bye, but their farewell was not painful, given Cindy's plans to see Kim get married in October. Tiffany's goodbye to Joe was much more traumatic. She was leaving, probably forever. It was very unlikely her brother would ever see her again. She was crying quite vigorously, her emotions unstable because of her addictions. However she did say one important coherent thing to Joe.

"Please, Joe, please get off the booze. That's how I got started, and I don't...want what's happened to me to happen to you."

"Yeah, Tiff. If you get cleaned up, I guess I'll have to also."

Kim tapped her companion on the arm and pointed at the security scanners. "Come on, Tiffany. We gotta get moving."

Once they were in the waiting area for the first part of their flight, Tiffany became agitated again and began fidgeting. Kim worried about her client panicking and bolting right up until the time they were seated on the plane and the door finally closed. However, once the plane had taken off, Kim looked over at Tiffany. She was asleep, and did not stir until Kim shook her awake to change planes in Frankfurt.

----------

That night, once Joe was dropped off and Kim's rented car safely returned, Cindy turned on the local news before going to bed. The top story was the emergency closure of the international terminal of the city's airport due to a security breach. It turned out that a subject by the name of Raymond Stark had been arrested after storming through the passenger screening area with a loaded gun. Prior to the airport incident local police reported that he had rampaged through a juice bar called Dirty Grampy's, causing extensive damage and injuring two bouncers. The reporters interviewed a dancer, who speculated:




Maragana Girl Ch. 23



"Well, you know...his girlfriend took off with a couple of Chinese girls this afternoon, or, you know...maybe they were Japanese...and we haven't seen her since. Ray...you know...he's got this real mean temper...and ...you know...with Willow gone, he just started bustin' stuff up...and then he...you know...busted Mike upside the head with a table leg...and..."

The police refused to comment, pending an investigation.



Maragana Girl Ch. 24



Chapter 24 -- Prisoner # 98946

While Tiffany was asleep Kim took the precaution of rummaging through her future client's purse, looking for ID's, cash, and drug paraphernalia. Sure enough, she found all three, along with some pictures of Tiffany with family members and some others with young women who must have been co-workers from Dirty Grampy's. Kim's heart skipped a beat when she came across some worn pictures from high school. There were photos of Tiffany with Kim and Susan, and another with a friend who had been killed in a car accident last year.

Kim confiscated her companion's passport, money, credit cards, her state driver's license, and her medical records. She put those items in her own travel bag, to turn over to Vladim Dukov as soon as they were in Danube City. She pondered what to do with Tiffany's meth pipe. She thought about keeping it for her client's trial, but then thought no, I'll just get rid of it. She dropped it in the trashcan in one of the plane's bathrooms.

The two women had about a 90-minute lay-over in Frankfurt. They got off the plane with Tiffany a bit disoriented and cramped from having slept curled up in an airplane seat for eight hours. 

As soon as they left the plane, Kim immediately led her companion to find the connecting flight to Danube City. At the far end of the terminal was the gate for Griffin Airlines. She saw the familiar braided hair and traditional-looking dresses of the stewardesses, shortened and modified to accommodate the needs of their profession. 

Once they were near the departure gate, Kim began exercising her new role in Tiffany's life. She ordered her former friend to go into a nearby women's bathroom. While Tiffany watched, Kim stepped out of her shorts and T-shirt, replacing them with a long skirt and Danubian blouse. Kim explained that she needed to be dressed somewhat more formally upon entering the Duchy because she would be acting in an official capacity. She then put on the engagement gifts Sergekt had given her: the wedding band, the griffin necklace, and the silver hairpiece.

"I would be greatly dishonoring my fiancée if I'm not wearing these items when I re-enter the country. By the way, one of the things I expect from you is an apology to him for the way you behaved at the café before we got arrested, as soon as you speak enough Danubian."

Kim then addressed the issue of Tiffany's piercings. "OK, you got the piercing in your stomach, the one on your eyebrow and the one in your nose. Any others?"

"No, that's it. I used to have one, well you know...but I had to take it out when I started having customers at Grampy's."

"Alright, I need those piercings out. Take 'em off and hand them to me. You can't be wearing anything like that once we get to Danube City. They don't allow it."

"Kim...fuck...you don't have to be so bossy."

"Give me the piercings. And get your all those earrings out of your ears."

Tiffany, a bit taken aback by the tone of Kim's voice, removed the piercings from her face and stomach and handed them over. She then removed a row of cheap earrings from each ear. Kim promptly threw the items in the trash. When Tiffany objected she commented.

"That part of your life is over. You don't need 'em."

Tiffany resented Kim's sharp way of talking to her, but there was much more to come. She was becoming agitated again, as the first symptoms of withdrawal loomed in her body. Kim was all too aware of the possibility her companion might break away and try to find someone selling drugs. In Frankfurt finding drugs was quite easy. Getting them for free wasn't. Tiffany suddenly began frantically digging through her purse.

"Where's my stuff!? Where's my money!?"

"I have your ID's and money. I'm putting them in your case file."

"You can't fucking do that! That's my money! You can't take my fucking money!"

Apprentice Lee, now asserting herself in the role of Tiffany's Spokeswoman, calmly looked her client in the eyes. With a very cold, knowing tone of voice she asked:

"Tiffany, why do you need money?"

"It's none of your fucking business! You can't just take my money!"

"It is my business, because I know why you want your money. You want one last hit before you go to Danube City. Just to calm your nerves. But that's the way it's always been with you, hasn't it? One last hit! Just one last hit! One last hit before we leave Prague! Isn't that what you said to Susan? One last hit? And for her it was, wasn't it?"

Tiffany said nothing, but her silence gave Kim her answer.

"There's not going to be a last hit for you. Not this time. You're done. You've stopped using drugs. You've already quit."

"Kim...please...I..."

"It's over! You've stopped! Now, we need to get on our last plane, and you need to get your ass moving!"

Tiffany was becoming yet more agitated. Kim decided to get her on the plane immediately. She pulled out her two faxes and showed them to the ticket agent. In Danubian she explained the situation with Tiffany and the possibility her forlorn-looking companion might start going through serious withdrawal on the flight. The ticket agent got on the loudspeaker to ask in Danubian if there were any military or law enforcement personnel waiting to board. Two men in civilian clothing responded. Apprentice Lee saluted them and showed them Dukov's faxes. The ticket agent opened the door to the plane, allowing Kim, Tiffany, and the two police officers to board first.

Kim ordered Tiffany to sit next to the window and sat down next to her. The cops sat in the seats behind. Tiffany was running her hands through her hair and fidgeting, but had calmed down slightly. She was very nervous, knowing a hellish several weeks lay ahead. Kim's next words did not reassure her.

"Tiffany, now that we are on a plane that's Danubian and there's two cops sitting behind us, as far as I'm concerned, we're in Upper Danubia and you're under arrest. Do you understand?"

Tiffany nodded.

"OK. Here's the deal. I now hold legal custody over you as your Spokeswoman. I'm not officially a Spokeswoman and won't be for several years, but with you I have been granted a provisional status. As far as you're concerned, the word 'provisional' doesn't mean anything. You will treat me as your Spokeswoman, and you will do what I tell you. If you make any major decisions, like changing you job, you have to clear it with me first. If there's a guy you like, I have to meet him and say whether or not you can go out. And I can have you tested for drugs when I want, which at the beginning, is gonna be at least once a week. If you don't obey me I can have you charged with insurrection. If I have any doubts about anything I'll consult with Spokesman Dukov. You also have the right to appeal any decision I make to Spokesman Dukov, if you think I'm being unfair."

Tiffany buried her forehead in the hands.

"Do you understand?"

"Yeah-Yeah! I understand!"

"The other issue is protocol. You need to address me as Apprentice Lee, always. That's my professional title, and they're big on using titles in the Duchy. When I get married, it'll be Apprentice Lee-Dolkivna. When I get my degree and my apprenticeship ends, then I'll be 'Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna'. There's something else, and this is going to be hard, but you gotta do it. As far as you're concerned I'm a public official and you are a criminal. That means when you greet me, whether it's to say 'hello' or 'goodbye', you have to get on your knees and touch your forehead to the ground..."

Tiffany gave Kim a horrified look. "You're fucking crazy! You're on a fucking power trip! That's why you got me to do this...to..."

"No! That's not it! It's the way they do things in Upper Danubia and you'll just have to get used to it. I can tell you, up until three weeks ago, I had to kneel in front of a lot of people, because I was a criminal and that's the way things are. All I want is to keep you out of trouble and not have you embarrass me. If you don't believe me, then you can request a different Spokesperson. Now, let's get that issue settled, once and for all. Do you want another Spokesperson when we get to Danube City? If you do, I'll have you re-assigned."

Tiffany was silent.

"Do you?"

"No."

"No, what? How do you address me?"

Tiffany looked at her former friend and current Spokeswoman. Kim looked so totally different than she had looked two years ago, with her braided hair, her Danubian blouse, and engagement necklace and hairpiece. The change in what she was wearing, however, was nothing in comparison with Kim's hard, determined expression. The Kimberly Lee Tiffany had known in high school was gone...completely gone. For the first time she really saw Kim for what she truly was, a Danubian public official...and her custodian. 

"No...Apprentice Lee. I...I don't want another Spokesperson."

"OK. I know you're about to start going through withdrawal, but I'm hoping it won't be too bad before we get to Danube City. By the way, I need to know what to expect. Is it meth or heroin that you've been using? Joe told me he thought it was meth." 

"I've been doing both. You know, to control the binges."

Kim sighed. "Alright, once we're in the air I'll call the police doctor and let him know. I'm not sure what that means for your detox, but that's his job, not mine, to figure it out."

Kim was interrupted by the pilot welcoming the passengers and announcing the standard emergency procedures. The stewardesses took their positions and began safety demonstrations, as Apprentice Lee and her client stayed silent. Within a few minutes the plane was in the air and on its way to Danube City. The flight would be very short, slightly over an hour. 

Once the plane was airborne, Kim pulled the phone off the seat in front of her to relay the information about the mix of methamphetamine and heroin in Tiffany's body. After she hung up she continued.

"It's gonna be rough for you and I understand you'll be saying things to me over the next few days you don't mean. Whatever you say I won't hold against you 'cause I know you can't help it. This is it, Tiffany. There's no turning back now. You're gonna be clean and you're gonna see your 30th birthday. It's over."

Tiffany tried to smile, but she was terrified of the commitment she had made, a commitment she no longer could reconsider. 

----------

The plane landed and pulled to a stop at the King Vladik International Airport. The airport was primitive, so the plane did not pull up to the terminal. Workers instead wheeled staircases to the front and back doors of the plane. Kim, Tiffany, and the two cops accompanying them walked with the other passengers to the terminal. Right outside the entrance Vladim Dukov, as well as his son Vladik and his partner, were waiting. Kim's temporary escort saluted Vladik, said goodbye to Kim, and departed into the terminal. As her nervous and forlorn client looked on, Kim saluted Vladik and his partner, who saluted back. She then presented Vladim Dukov's faxes. In Danubian Kim announced:

"Officer, I am entering the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia with the United States citizen Tiffany Walker, who has volunteered to return to the Duchy to face charges of marijuana possession, direct perjury, and indirect perjury resulting from offenses committed July 2, two years ago." 

"Very well, Apprentice Lee, I am declaring your client, the American Tiffany Walker, under arrest for the crimes of marijuana possession, direct perjury, and indirect perjury."

Kim turned to Tiffany to address her in English. "OK, that's it. You're under arrest. Turn around because Officer Dukov needs to cuff you."

Once the handcuffs were on, Vladik's female partner firmly gripped Tiffany's arm, not painfully but with enough force to let the prisoner know who was in charge.

Once Tiffany was properly subdued and handcuffed, Kim saluted Vladik and made another for-the-record statement in Danubian.

"The United States citizen Tiffany Walker will require medical treatment for methamphetamine and heroin addiction before she is processed through the Danubian judicial system. I request that my client be placed under medical confinement instead of judicial confinement. Furthermore, I request that the National Police of the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia utilize the public resources necessary to conduct a full medical evaluation of her condition and to remove all traces of illicit narcotics from her body. I request that Tiffany Walker's medical needs be fully resolved before any judicial action is taken against her by the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia."

"That request is granted, Apprentice. I will escort this prisoner to the medical treatment center of the Danube City National Hospital and have her processed for medical observation and chemical detoxification."

Kim turned to Tiffany to explain in English what was going on.

"Alright, these two police officers are taking you to the Danube City National Hospital and putting you under the care of the police doctor. They'll have to test you to see what's in your body. I'll have to catch up, 'cause I need to get my bags and get our passports stamped. I gotta drop my bags off at Spokesman Dukov's office and pick up your police file from two years ago."

Tiffany was shaking from both fear and withdrawal, which was starting up in earnest. Vladik and his partner pushed her into a nearby squad car and they took off. Kim and Vladim Dukov entered Customs to get the needed stamps for the two US passports. The Spokesman and his trainee signed a series of certificates to formally declare Tiffany's entry into the country as a prisoner. Then they went to the luggage claim area and picked up Kim's two suitcases. Since they were not police officers, they had to return to Danube City by trolley.

----------

By the time Kim and Vladim Dukov appeared in the hospital with Tiffany's paperwork, Kim's client was in a large hospital room with a large group of medical students. Kim realized from the noises coming from the room that Tiffany already was suffering from full-scale withdrawal. She screamed and ranted as she endured bouts of extreme paranoia and delusions. When Kim entered the room, she saw Tiffany naked on a hospital bed, with several students trying to control her by holding her arms and legs. Other students and doctors were standing near the door frantically taking notes and thumbing through reports or papers downloaded from the Internet. Tiffany was the first real case of methamphetamine withdrawal any of them had directly witnessed, which presented them with a real learning opportunity.

Kim winced at seeing Tiffany going through her personal hell. The Danubians believed in treating drug withdrawal cold-turkey, so there were no sedatives, just multiple hands holding her down. A couple of the medical students who spoke English were trying to communicate with her, but were making little headway. 

Kim grimly watched for about an hour. After a protracted struggle, Tiffany finally calmed down, as her keepers nervously checked her vital signs and consulted their notes. Kim realized her client was about to crash again. She asked the old head doctor for his evaluation of Tiffany's condition. He responded by handing her a copy of the results of the medical tests. Tiffany had tested positive for high levels of methamphetamine in her body. She also had tested positive for heroin, as well as trace amounts of cocaine, marijuana, and valium. She later would need to be treated for Chlamydia and amoebas, as well as have some serious cavities in several of her teeth filled. He commented:

"There's quite a bit that's wrong with her, but fortunately it looks like we can fix all of it and she'll lead a normal life. Well, a normal life for a criminal, anyhow. She's not damaged beyond repair, and you should give thanks to the Ancients that you managed to get her treatment when you did."

The doctor handed over some additional papers and signature forms, along with Tiffany's mini-skirt, G-string, and t-shirt. Kim took the clothes, not really sure what to do with them. As a condition of her impending sentence, Tiffany would not be allowed to get dressed again until she was 55 years old.

----------

There wasn't much more Kim could do for Tiffany that night, so she spent the evening with Sergekt. He chose not to go to the airport when he found out about Tiffany, knowing that Kim needed to focus her energies on her new client. Kim, hugely relieved that Tiffany was safely undergoing withdrawal in a supervised situation, finally decided to go home and change, then call Sergekt.

Sergekt and Kim greeted each other in the proper manner of an average engaged couple, using correct protocol. Sergekt kissed Kim's hand and then she kissed his. They did not hug, because hugging was something done in private. Criminals hugged in public and no one said anything about that, but Kim and Sergekt no longer were criminals. They were free citizens, and with freedom also came responsibilities and protocol. They would be a serious couple determined to be strict and upright in their behavior, and exercise "proper values" at all times.

Precisely because Kim and Sergekt had suffered so many humiliations and indignities as criminals, they were fixated with achieving respectability from the people around them, which was a common obsession among recently released offenders in Upper Danubia. Ex-criminals tended to over-compensate for their sentences with proper protocol and formal behavior during the first several months after their collars were off, an obsession that usually faded after while. Kim and Sergekt were in the first stages of their lives as free citizens, which meant reasserting their dignity was still very much on their minds.

As the long summer afternoon slowly faded into dusk, Kimberly Lee and Sergekt Dolkiv walked down the streets of Danube City. It was the very first time in their lives they were downtown together as normal citizens, not criminals. Kim had changed into a light sun-dress, while Sergket was wearing a loose-fitting traditional shirt and modern cargo pants. Kim was wearing the three engagement items Sergekt had given her the previous fall, which she would be expected to wear on a daily basis for the rest of her life, unless she was at the beach or exercising.

Kim talked about her trip to the U.S. and her feelings about having extracted Tiffany from her death spiral.

"It's strange how it all happened. In school she was the leader of our group. She was real popular and always got everyone to do what she wanted. You never argued with Tiffany, because if you did, she knew how to put you in your place. But, you wanted to please her, because she was a lot of fun to be around. She had real charisma and people really liked her. But now, she's...just emptied out, maybe like a glass of wine that got tipped over. There's nothing there, except her addictions and a bunch of self-pity. Everything she was in high school, the way she got people to like her, the fun, it's gone. I'm confident the path of her life is to recover, but she won't be the same. I don't know whether to feel good about that or not."

They walked in silence for a while, along the river in the twilight of the European summer. Kim continued.

"She learned a very hard lesson in Frankfurt, when I cleaned out her purse and started bossing her around. I'm not her friend anymore. I'm her Spokeswoman and she's my client. I'll run her life, and she'll have to do what I tell her. She'll have to get on her knees when she greets me and ask my permission if she wants to do anything. If she disobeys me I'll ask Officer Vladik Dukov to switch her. That's going to be hard, because I still have some pictures of us, back when we were in high school, when it was her telling me what to do. But, with her addictions, I don't see how it can be any other way."




Maragana Girl Ch. 24



"What does Spokesman Dukov have to say about all this?"

"He was the one who put me in charge of Tiffany, because he thinks I can understand her better than anyone else. He thinks I'm doing the right thing, by planning on being so strict with her."

"What about her sentence?"

"She'll serve the full 35 years. I'll ask that she not be allowed to leave Danube City at all during that time. I'll ask that she be switched once each year on July 12. That's the date Susan died, and every year Tiffany will be reminded how her behavior resulted in our friend's death. Every year she'll remember, and every year she'll be punished for it."

"Don't you think that's a bit harsh, especially 35 years?"

"There's two things to remember. Direct perjury is a crime that has a maximum punishment of a 20-year sentence and a switching every four months. I don't really want Tiffany to be punished for perjury, but I plan to use the perjury charge as a justification to keep her under my supervision as long as possible. I'm worried about relapses, which, with methamphetamine, can happen years after a person gets clean. I'm also worried about the heroin cravings, which she'll be stuck with for a very long time. She's a drug addict, and she'll still be a drug addict 20 years from now, even if she never touches the stuff again."

Kim was quiet for a moment. She collected her thoughts and continued.

"What she really needs to be punished for, on a yearly basis, is her role in Susan's death. I think she's full of guilt over what happened, and that guilt is what damaged her soul. That's part of the reason why she got so badly hooked on drugs. Instead allowing that guilt to destroy her though drug abuse, I'll make her suffer physically on the same date every year as a way of forcing her to perform penance. Every July 12, she'll get her bottom whipped and be forced to think about the consequences of her behavior. That should take care of the guilt problem. They used to do it that way in the Middle Ages, you know, penance. That, and her annual participation in the Day of the Dead ceremonies, should be enough to repair the damage to her soul."

"What kind of life will she have the rest of the year?"

"At the beginning she will follow my path, working at the music store. But her path won't end there. When I become a Spokeswoman-in-full-standing and represent foreigners convicted as drug users, I'll have Tiffany assist me. She's 'been there' as far as drug addiction is concerned. She knows a lot more about drugs than I do. She'll be able to help me with interviews and give me advice. She can talk to people and help them get used to being criminals. I think she will become a very great asset to me, which right now is what I have in mind for her future. Tiffany will be a very important part of my life, as my criminal assistant."

Sergekt marveled at his fiancée's rapid change. Just three weeks before she had been a criminal herself, and now it seemed she had completed her transformation away that mindset. She was serious and direct and had a very no-nonsense way of talking. The transition was so fast and so dramatic that Sergekt found it very disconcerting, almost frightening.

----------

The following day Kim and Vladim Dukov visited Tiffany in her holding cell at the hospital. She was deeply asleep, in a crashed state as her body continued the long process of expelling the mix of chemical substances built up in her tissues. Kim shook her head.

"There's no way she's ready for trial, Spokesman Dukov, and from what the police doctor told me, it'll be at least another week before she'll want to do anything other than sleep."

A delayed trial was not a normal procedure in Upper Danubia, but in Tiffany's case it was the only viable option. Anyone looking at her would know right away she was not ready to face a court hearing. Not only did she need to have her body decontaminated from drugs; she also urgently needed dental work and to be treated for amoebas and venereal disease. 

Tiffany woke up mid-morning. She stunk from not having showered for three days and from her sweaty bout of delusions the previous afternoon. The first thing she did was look for her clothes, but they were nowhere in sight. Kim reminded her why.

"They gave me your clothes last night. I took my T-shirt back and threw out your mini-skirt and G-string. Don't forget you're now a prisoner of the Duchy, and they don't allow prisoners or convicted criminals to wear any clothes."

Kim sat with her client as she ate, then told her to take a shower. Once she was clean, Vladik Dukov handcuffed Tiffany to take her to the Central Police Station to have her formally booked and photographed. 

An hour later, for the second time in her life, Tiffany stood in front of the police cameras in the booking room to have an updated series of mugshots taken. She listlessly followed Kim's instructions, too tired to really care what was happening at the moment. Tiffany's original criminal number, 98946, was re-activated. Kim signed the papers that officially gave her custody of Tiffany and collected the new pictures to add to her case file. At Dukov's request, the arraignment committee agreed not to interview Tiffany until she had finished her medical treatments.

Tiffany was in a very irritable mood, because she desperately wanted to get back to sleep. At that moment she cared about nothing else. Kim decided to return her to the hospital. Vladik handcuffed the prisoner and took both women back to the hospital in a squad car. Tiffany was infinitely grateful when she was able to get back in bed.

Kim then met with the doctor in charge of the substance abuse program in the hospital to make the final arrangements for Tiffany's next month. As soon as Tiffany started sleeping less, she would begin a regime of exercising, physical labor, and a strictly controlled diet, under the direction of a medical intern who spoke English. The hospital would address her other medical problems and release her for trial at the end of August.

Kim worried about Tiffany becoming bored or trying to escape.

"Our patients don't get bored. We don't give them that opportunity. Boredom will be the last thing on her mind. As for escaping..." the doctor held up a sturdy plastic collar "we collar our patients, as soon as we're confident they won't have any more seizures. You will notice this collar is blue, which is what we use for alcoholics. Tiffany Walker will have a red collar, for heroin. We don't yet have a color for methamphetamine."

"Doctor, I have another question. What about visitation?"

"Sundays, between 9:00 a.m. and noon. Our patients have Sunday mornings to rest and that's when they receive visitors. However, they can only see family members or Spokespersons. The only visitors Tiffany Walker can see will be either you or Spokesman Dukov."

The doctor then took Kim to the hospital grounds, where a group of about 40 naked patients was performing calisthenics. Kim noticed that about half of the patients were middle-aged men wearing blue collars. The others were younger people, men and women, wearing collars of various colors. An older female doctor dressed in a white smock was directing the group. She walked around carrying a police switch, ready to give a quick stroke to anyone not performing to her expectations. 

The doctor explained that because it was Sunday, the day was an "easy" one for the patients. They had spent the morning resting or receiving visitors. Once the group finished the calisthenics session they would stretch and then go swimming in the large hospital pool. The swim would be followed by the patients' weekly medical evaluations and another session of stretching.

The other six days of the week had a much more rigorous routine that always started at 5:30. After breakfast, the patients spent the morning gardening or performing other manual labor tasks. The chores were followed by calisthenics. Once the calisthenics were over, the group would go swimming. They would have a session of stretching, then have lunch, and then hike during the afternoon in a nearby forest park. In the late afternoon there was more stretching, another swim, dinner, a group activity, and finally bedtime at 8:30. They could write or read letters between 8:30 and 9:00, but no television or radio was permitted. The only day patients could sleep past 5:30 was on Sundays. Kim agreed with the doctor about Tiffany not having the opportunity to be bored. With this program, boredom was not an option.

"We don't give our patients much time to think or reflect, and we do that on purpose. Our job is simply to remove the substances from their bodies and restore their physical health. Once their physical health is restored, then they will earn the luxury of thought and reflection. We believe damage to the mind cannot be repaired before damage to the body is repaired. It is our path in life to repair the body of the patient. It is the Spokesperson's path in life to repair the mind and soul."

For a while Kim and the head doctor watched the on-going calisthenics session in silence. Kim noticed all the patients were trying to exercise as hard as possible, but each at his or her own pace. The switch was for anyone who quit trying. The doctor continued:

"Tiffany Walker will walk out of here with her physical health restored. When she does, my job is finished, and your job, to restore her damaged soul, will begin."

----------

Kim returned to Tiffany's room, to find her awake and listlessly staring at the ceiling. She gave her client a summary of the rehab program and its expectations. Tiffany was somewhat distressed upon finding out she would not see Kim until the following Sunday. Kim countered:

"Look, the doctor's right. You gotta fix your body, and for that you don't need me. There really won't be that much for me to do until your health's taken care of. Besides, I do have a life of my own, Tiffany. I have to sing in Warsaw at the end of the week, and I haven't even started rehearsing with Eloisa. Tomorrow I have to go back to my job at the music store, if I don't want to get fired and lose my visa. And between all that I have to spend quality time in Spokesman Dukov's office reading up on the laws affecting your case, to make sure I don't make a fool out myself at your trial."

Tiffany sadly nodded.

"OK, this coming week they're gonna let you rest in the mornings, but after lunch they'll at least want you at the pool and out stretching. There's an intern who speaks a little English who'll be giving you instructions. I think tomorrow's when they'll start your Chlamydia treatments, but I don't know what exactly they're gonna do. Your teeth will have to wait 'till next week, but they will get that fixed before you leave here."

She squeezed Tiffany's hand. 

"Anyhow, I gotta go, 'cause actually, I'm not supposed to be here outside official visiting hours. I know it's gonna be a rough week, but it'll get better once you're well enough to exercise. Just do what they tell you and they'll treat you fine."

Kim stood up to leave. Tiffany stayed sitting on her bed sadly looking at her. Kim stopped and flashed an irritated glance at her client.

"Tiffany, what did I tell you about protocol?"

"Kim...I..."

"That's not the proper way to address me. You'll notice I'm not calling you 'Tiff' anymore."

Kim impatiently tapped the floor with her foot. Tiffany opened her mouth to object, but the sharp look Kim's dark eyes stopped her. Very reluctantly she got on her knees. Her sad expression asked the silent question, "...what do I do now?"

"Please kneel forward and touch your forehead to the floor. Then say "Goodbye, until our next meeting, Apprentice Lee.' Next week I'll teach you how to say it in Danubian, which you'll need to know when you say goodbye to me, or to any other Danubian official, in public."

"Goodbye...until our next meeting...Apprentice Lee."

As soon as Kim left, Tiffany got back in bed. She cried very briefly, and then went to sleep.

----------

The following day Kim went back to work at the music store, after a three-week absence. For the first time Kim entered the store dressed, but as soon as she was inside she pulled off her dress and hung it in the employees' break-room. As it had been for years, the store uniform for all employees, criminals and ex-criminals alike, was complete nudity. She returned to the information desk properly naked except for her engagement jewelry, which was the one item she now was allowed to wear. The other employees crowded around her as she passed out shot-glasses, baseball caps, and paperweights from her hometown in the US.

Kim spent most of her first day back at work talking about her trip to the U.S. and her feelings about her scattered friends and estranged parents. What she would not discuss in detail was Tiffany. Kim confirmed that she had brought Tiffany back with her to face criminal charges stemming from two years ago, but refused to say anything more, citing her responsibilities as Tiffany's legal representative.

"The details of her case will come out at her trial, which I'm sure will cause a bit of a sensation once it goes on TV. I would be violating my relationship with her if I were to say anything now."

Once back in the store and safely at her post at the information counter, Kim truly felt that she had come home. That day she made one important decision, that she did not want to quit her job at the music store anytime soon. She would continue to work three days per week, and use the other days to handle the finances of "Socrates' Mistresses" or pursue her legal studies under to tutelage of Spokesman Dukov. In spite of the store's modest pay, to simply banter with customers, hang out with her co-workers, and talk about music offered Kim a welcome break from all her other responsibilities. Besides, the store manager had signed her "transition visa", so she was committed to stay at least until her marriage in October.

Eloisa came in that afternoon, wearing one of her stylish sun-dresses. She warmly hugged Kim, but then got right down to business: the rehearsal schedule and the upcoming trip to Warsaw for the concert, which had been moved up to Friday the 28th. Kim was not surprised to hear Eloisa announce there would be rehearsals every night until the group's departure that Thursday morning, and then another dressed rehearsal in Warsaw Thursday night. The band would return home to Danube City the following Saturday afternoon, a fact that hugely relieved Kim. The concert would not interfere with her visit to Tiffany the following Sunday.

Besides rehearsal, there were other issues waiting for Kim to work out, mostly the financial details Eloisa had delegated to her American partner. When she was not working or rehearsing, Kim spent every moment of her spare time going over the band's business arrangements with her boss from the store.

Kim noted a very significant change in Eloisa during the rehearsals. She was happier than Kim had ever seen her, but in a rather detached, spiritual manner. The transformation was very evident in the way Eloisa sang. Eloisa sang as though she were dreaming. Her voice was infinitely moving, almost unbelievably moving, perhaps like the voice of an ancient wood spirit or angel. 

That Thursday the band's 15 members, plus 10 support staff, took a short flight from Danube City to the dreary Polish capitol. It was the first time out of the country for most of Kim's friends. Warsaw held few surprises for the American, but her Danubian companions were a bit dumbstruck at the barrage of signs, traffic and noise. They huddled together as they made their way to the concert hall from their hotel. 

Kim sighed. This is just Warsaw, for heaven's sake. How on earth are you going to handle Berlin or Barcelona? 

----------

That evening "Socrates' Mistresses" presented a mix of new songs and some of the original music that first made the band famous. Kim sang several solos in English, Eloisa sang some solos in Danubian with Kim backing her up, and the two sang several songs together. 

Finally Eloisa worked off her stage fright. She ended the concert by performing several Danubian songs by herself, while Kim took her place among the back-up singers. The lead singer closed her eyes and focused her entire being on a single purpose in life, her music. During the final minutes of the concert Eloisa overpowered everything and everyone else, the beauty of her voice allowing everyone listening to forget the squalidness of this world for a few minutes. 

As she sang with the other back-up singers, Kim watched with deep personal satisfaction as Eloisa shined on the stage. The American was a good singer, but as she watched Eloisa's soul come out with her mystical songs, she realized there was no way her own voice could possibly keep up with her friend's voice. No one's voice could keep up with Eloisa's voice. 

Kim realized that Eloisa had completed her transformation from a traumatized high school student into something truly great. Her spirit finally had escaped "the dark places of life". 



Maragana Girl Ch. 25



Chapter 25 -- Tiffany's Three Demerits

While Kim and her friends were occupied with the first week of their concert tour, Upper Danubia struggled through an ever-deepening political crisis. For the first time since the Second World War, the Duchy faced the prospect of political instability. The conservative government of the Party of the Duchy fell in the Parliament's first no-confidence vote since 1940. The Prime Minister immediately called elections assuming, correctly as it turned out, the deputies of the opposition Greater Danubian Progressive Party were not yet organized enough to win an election outright.

On July 29, the day after the successful concert of "Socrates' Mistresses" in Warsaw, the Duchy held the first out of a series of chaotic national elections. During the campaign the opposition deputies savagely attacked the government's disastrous handling of the previous year's fires in Rika Chorna province, which resonated among dispossessed voters in the entire eastern part of the country. However, the economic program the Greater Danubian Progressive Party put forward was frightening because of the commitments its leaders had made to foreign corporations. Included in the opposition's plans were the immediate abolition of many of the country's oldest institutions and social services, the removal of all legal protection for local businesses, and the immediate removal of most border security. The "Progressives" openly argued for closing Upper Danubia's public transportation system and encouraging the public to buy and import private automobiles. As for the farmland that would be destroyed by the proposed roads, the solution would be to import food from the European Community.

The proposal that most frightened much of the public about the opposition's program, however, was the idea to systematically log Upper Danubia's forests, in order to pay for road building and other large-scale development projects. Several international logging firms already had contracts pending to clear out the forests. All that was needed was a clear victory by the Greater Danubian Progressive Party.

As insane as the massive logging projects may have sounded to the western half of the country, to voters in the eastern half of Upper Danubia logging made perfect sense. Logging would remove the region's fire hazard once and for all, as well as finance the reconstruction of Rika Chorna and other fire-affected provinces. It was a financial quick fix that had its attractions, but any educated person realized the ultimate price would be far greater than any short-term gain for the east.

There was one final part of the opposition's program that struck real fear into the hearts of Danube City's 2,000 criminals: jails. The "Progressives" wanted to bring Upper Danubia's justice system in line with the rest of the world by rounding up all convicted criminals and putting them in jail. The incarceration program would begin with a concentration camp outside Danube City, which would stay in operation until a proper prison could be constructed. Once the prison was built, criminals would move in, be issued prison uniforms, have their collars removed, and spend the rest of their sentences in prison cells. Sure it would be costly and pull the criminals away from their families and jobs, but isn't that the way the rest of the world does it? Besides, a lucrative prison construction contract was waiting for a US corporation paying the campaign contributions of several opposition candidates.

Two nights before the election the Parliament's independent deputies invited Spokesman Vladim Dukov to address a campaign rally. He gave an angry speech to a large crowd, exhorting the public to reject the "insane" proposals of "capitalism in its most savage manifestation". He attacked globalization and the neo-conservative push to turn the world over to corporate interests. As she listed to him speak Kim realized, in spite of his kindness to her and his understanding of US citizens as individuals, Dukov did not like the United States as a society and rejected much of what its government stood for.

"We need to cultivate our land and we need to eat! We need to be safe! We need to walk down our streets in peace and breathe clean air! We do not need to become a nation of automobiles, international logging companies, pollution, and crime! We must not become a nation of people working 60 hours a week to buy imported products we don't need! And we must not sacrifice our identity on the altar of global commerce! I reject that false god, and I urge you to do the same!"

Dukov's speech killed the prospect of an outright victory by the "Progressives" and earned him some real political enemies in the Parliament. The popular vote split three ways, between the "Nobility", the "Progressives", and the unorganized group of dissidents from the two parties. Following the election, the Party of the Duchy formed an unstable coalition with the Duchy's independent deputies to set up a government. The new government would last a total of three weeks before the independents defected in a no-confidence vote and forced yet another election. The nation's Prime Minister later resigned in disgust, leaving Upper Danubia in political crisis with no real leadership.

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Kim returned to the hospital to visit Tiffany on the 29th, the same day of the first round of elections taking place around the country. She entered the hospital grounds right at 9:00, expecting to spend the entire allotted three hours with her client. Kim was not surprised to see Tiffany still in her room, but she was surprised to see that her physical appearance had only slightly improved. Tiffany's intern reminded Kim that her client not only had spent the entire week cleaning out the drugs from her body, but also undergoing treatment for venereal disease and amoebas. 

"She's had a rough week, but I think once we discontinue the antibiotics she'll feel much better. She's definitely past any danger of seizures, so I think we'll collar her today after her medical evaluation. Tomorrow we'll fix her teeth, and on Tuesday she'll start the regular exercise regimen with the other patients."

"How's her attitude been?"

"Apprentice, about the attitude...that's not been so good. She earned three demerits on Thursday, which is something I want to discuss with you. Our program includes a system of merits and demerits, which is one of the ways we encourage our patients to cooperate and behave appropriately. We issue merits based on good behavior and cooperation. A demerit results from a refusal to cooperate, or in the case of your client, disrespect and dishonesty. We've had quite a bit of unpleasantness from Tiffany over the last week. Some of that is to be expected, due to her medical condition. However, last Thursday we directed her to spend some time on a treadmill to check her heart and blood circulation. We run a total of three sessions on the treadmill to check a patient's endurance. Tiffany co-operated the first round, but she became rebellious after that. She...I presume it's an American manner of insulting...circled her eyes around when we issued our instructions, and then, in English, she called the doctor a 'cock-sucking fag' and to 'go fuck himself'. We did not understand what the term 'cock-sucking fag' meant, so I tried to look it up. I never figured out what the first word meant. The best I could figure is that it has something to do with sucking on chickens. The second word has two meanings, and I presume she was not calling the doctor a pile of firewood."

Kim sighed. "No. In the US that means only one thing, and it's an insult. A pretty bad one."

"Very well Apprentice. Then that is one demerit. I confronted Tiffany about the gesture with her eyes and her vocabulary, and she flatly denied both. Perhaps the gesture with her eyes was a misinterpretation on my part, but what she said was quite clear, and I am not the only person in the room who heard it. Several other patients witnessed the incident. We issued her a second demerit for lying and a third for the fact the incident took place in front of other patients."

"So...what is a demerit? What does that actually mean?"

"A demerit involves a formal apology and five strokes of the switch."

"And she's got three? That's fifteen strokes?"

"That is correct. Fifteen strokes and three formal apologies. Had she earned any merits, a merit would have canceled demerit. Unfortunately Tiffany did nothing this past week to earn a merit. To be honest, her behavior outside the Thursday incident has not been very cooperative."

Kim shook her head. The intern continued.

"I've discussed this matter with the doctors involved, and perhaps we can...postpone the corporal punishment until next weekend and hope she can earn a merit or two. That wouldn't sit well with the other patients, but perhaps it would motivate your client." 

"Very well, Intern. I'll talk to her, and see what's going on."

Kim then returned to Tiffany's room, to find the patient sitting up and a bit restless. She gave Tiffany a sharp look and pointed at the floor. Tiffany sadly got on her knees and touched her forehead to the ground.

"OK, Tiffany, let's remember our protocol...it's 'Good morning Apprentice Lee. I am pleased you have safely returned.'"

Once she repeated the formal greeting, Kim invited Tiffany for a walk across the hospital grounds, to begin conversing with her. At first Kim gave Tiffany an update on her own life and the concert in Warsaw, and then went into detail about what Tiffany's life would be like once her trial was over. Kim wanted to emphasize that Tiffany would indeed have real life after her rehab and trial. 

Kim continued with some questions about Tiffany's current life, beginning with how she planned to maintain contact with her friends and relatives in the US.

"I don't know who I'll stay in touch with. The only person who really cares about me is Joe. I know I...I gotta write him and tell him I...guess I'm doing OK. I don't know. I'm so doped up with antibiotics that I really don't know how I'm supposed to be feeling."

Kim and Tiffany walked out to the edge of the forest park, which was a place Tiffany would come to know very well over the next several weeks during the rehab program's afternoon hikes. For a long time both women stared at the woods, while Kim tried to think how she could bring up the subject of Tiffany's behavior and the resulting demerits. Finally she asked:

"What about things here at the hospital? How do you feel you're doing?"

Tiffany was quiet for a moment. Kim knew her well enough to realize that she was struggling with whether or not to tell the truth or simply gloss over what happened. Finally Tiffany sighed.

"Kim...I mean Apprentice Lee, I don't know if you talked to the doctors yet...about something that happened Thursday. I kinda...said some things on Thursday...to the doctor...and...I think...I'm in some sort of trouble."

"Why? What made you talk to him like that?"

"I don't know. You know how I am with my mouth. And I didn't feel good and I was in a pissy mood, and they...do you know what happened?"

"I heard the intern's version of the story, so I know that much. What I need is to hear your side. Did they do anything wrong, anything to make you upset?"

"Not really, they just kept insisting on that treadmill test. But I starting to feel kinda sick and I mouthed off, and totally shocked everyone in the room. I think the other patients were more shocked than the doctors. It's like...I don't know...like the other patients are madder at me than the staff. They tried to be friendly at the beginning, but they haven't talked to me since Thursday...and that's got me a bit scared."

"Yeah, I guess it would. Tiffany, you just don't do that in this country, insulting someone and then lying about it. The Danubians get pissed about lying, because they're real big on this whole concept of 'honor'. Part of that thing with the 'honor' is you don't lie, and another part of it is you take responsibility for what you do. The other patients are avoiding you because you dishonored yourself. You know, if you just would have 'fessed-up and apologized..."

"I know I should've, but I...just can't. I've never apologized for anything."

"Well, this afternoon you're gonna have to. You owe the doctors three apologies, and you're gonna have to say it like you mean it. Nobody's gonna talk to you until you apologize."

"Yeah, I know. But the intern said something else...that they're gonna punish me.

"Maybe. What's happened is you got what they call 'demerits', three of 'em; first for the insult, and then for lying about what you said, and the third for doing it in front of the other patients. Do you know what a demerit is?"

Tiffany shook her head.

"An apology is part of a demerit. The other part is five strokes of the switch. You got three demerits."

Tiffany gasped. "You mean...they're gonna whip me?"

"Well, that's what I'm not sure about. The intern said that maybe they could put it off 'till next Sunday, to see if you can get make up for it this week. The way their system works is if you get a 'merit' for good behavior, that'll cancel a demerit. If you could get three merits, that would cancel your punishment."

Tiffany's next question surprised Kim.

"Apprentice Lee...do they...ever do that for other patients...I mean...postpone a whipping to see if they can make up for it the next week?"

"No. In fact, the intern said it wouldn't sit well with the other patients, 'cause it's not the normal way they do things. But I guess they're willing to make an exception for you, 'cause you're a foreigner and maybe they think you don't understand the system or you didn't know what you were doing."

Tiffany struggled with the information and the possibility of a reprieve. For a long time she was quiet. Then Kim noticed a change in her expression. The change was slight, but it was noticeable. 

"On Thursday...I knew what I was doing. I just thought, because they didn't speak English, I could get away with it." Tiffany swallowed and continued, "I just...I'm...I really don't want to do anything that's gonna piss off the other patients, any more than they are already. I mean, Kim...I mean...Apprentice Lee...I gotta live with everyone here until the end of August, and I...just...can't have them...not speak to me...'cause I got special treatment."

"So...what exactly are you trying to tell me?"

"I don't...I just think...I think the best thing would be for me to just get it over with. I...if I got punished, like normal...do you think the other patients would speak to me again?"

Kim thought for a moment, trying to draw upon her knowledge of Danubian society to answer Tiffany's question.

"I don't know about the hospital. I can tell you that with a group of ordinary criminals, if you turned down a special favor and asked to be treated like everyone else, it would get the others to respect you again. Anyhow, the way a switching works in this country is you deal with it, it hurts like hell for a while, and then it's over. Like, with our sentences...me and my friends from the band...once our collars came off, with the Danubian government it's as though our convictions never happened. I've got one friend who just entered the police academy, and well, here I am, as a legal Apprentice. I don't see why it would be any different with you. You screw up, you get your butt whipped for it, and then you're done."

"I really don't want to worry about this next week. I just want to forget about it."

"Well, you're not going to just forget about it. The welts will hurt for several days."

"I mean, the others..."

"I think it would fix your problem, if you're worried about getting along with the other patients."

Tiffany drew a deep breath. Her voice quivered slightly with her next statement.

"Then...I guess I'll just take the demerits and get it over with."

"You mean the switching?"

Kim's client nervously nodded.

"Yeah."

"It'll be 15 strokes."

"I know. I'll just deal with it."

Tiffany began twisting her hands and fidgeting. Before she and Kim returned to the hospital, she had one final question for her custodian.

"Kim...I mean Apprentice Lee, could you stay with me when I get punished, you know, to make sure I don't get hurt, like in court?"

"Sure. If you've got the guts to go through with this, then the least I can do is stay with you."

As they made their way back across the hospital grounds to the main building, Kim knew that, in her own way, Tiffany was about to make an important step in her personal transformation away from being a drug addict. For the first time in her life she had decided to directly face the consequences of something she had done wrong. She had turned down special treatment in order to regain the respect of her fellow patients. Tiffany's acceptance of her situation contained the seed of understanding the Danubian concept of "honor".

Kim approached the intern with her very forlorn client trailing behind her. Kim motioned with her fingertips for Tiffany to kneel. She then saluted the intern and addressed him in Danubian.

"Intern, I have discussed the situation concerning the three demerits with my client, Tiffany Walker. Tiffany understands she dishonored herself last Thursday and is willing to accept the consequences of her behavior. I do not believe a postponement of her demerits is necessary."

"Very well Apprentice. I think that's for the best. I was more concerned about how the other patients would view this, much more than the staff. It's been a bit difficult for all of us, given that Tiffany Walker is from a different country, and we're really not sure how we should behave around her. If she can accept her role as a patient and abide by our rules, I think that will make all of our lives much easier."

"Intern, I do have one request to make. As her Spokeswoman, I would like to be present during her punishment."

"I don't see why that would be a problem. If you come back here about 5:00, the head doctor will issue you a hospital pass."

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Kim decided to spend the early part of the afternoon at a nearby beach along the river. She pulled off her dress and for a while walked naked, with her clothes over her arm and her shoes in her hand, along the water's edge. After a few minutes she had the good fortune to run into her fellow-vocalist Valia and her family. Kim spent several pleasant hours just relaxing, for the first time in well over a month, as she swam and played cards with Valia, her boyfriend, and her younger brother.

Kim returned to the hospital in a relaxed and very upbeat mood. As promised, she was issued a special after-hours visitor's pass and made her way to the substance abuse department of the sprawling complex. She found the program's 40 patients sitting in a large classroom filling out questionnaires. Two doctors and five interns were standing in a group at the instructor's podium; looking over test results and organizing case files.

Tiffany and a middle-aged man wearing an alcoholic's collar were kneeling at the front of the room, facing the wall. The Danubian words "pogánit jéttit" were written in black magic marker on each of their backs, which, translated literally, meant "improper behavior". Kim realized the magic marker was indelible and would take several days to wash off. The humiliation of being marked was part of the demerit.

As soon as he noticed Kim was present, the intern called two security guards on a pager. The guards, a man and a woman, entered the room, as the head doctor loudly whistled. The patients quickly stood at attention, with the exception of the two demerits. The male guard was carrying a police switch.

The female guard approached the kneeling man and told him to stand up. Once he did so she took his arm and led him to the head doctor. He knelt and touched his forehead to the floor. Then he knelt upright and spoke: "Doctor, I committed a transgression that I need to apologize for. I pretended to be sick last Monday to avoid working in the garden. I lied about my physical condition, and wish to express remorse for my dishonesty. I request that I be appropriately punished for dishonoring myself."




Maragana Girl Ch. 25



"Very well, patient Dima. Once you are chastised, I will accept your apology."

Tiffany was next. The male guard looked at Kim, who instructed her client to stand up in English. The guard then took Tiffany's arm and led her to the head doctor. Tiffany knelt and looked nervously at Kim. Kim noticed the other patients were watching very intently, curious to see if she actually was going to apologize.

"OK. What you need to do is look at the doctor and say 'Doctor, I committed a transgression that I need to apologize for.' I'll translate."

Once Tiffany spoke and Kim translated, the Apprentice continued. "Now, say the following: 'I insulted you because I did not want to exercise last Thursday. What I said was in English, but I greatly dishonored you."

When Tiffany repeated Kim's words and Kim translated the statement to Danubian, she continued: "My second offense was to tell a lie because I wanted to deceive you. I did this in front of other patients, not thinking about your honor or anyone else's. I want to say I'm sorry for my behavior. I ask that I be appropriately punished for dishonoring myself."

As best she could, Tiffany stumbled over the long statement in English while her mentor translated. As soon as the other patients heard the translation, their expressions changed somewhat. They were very pleased that Tiffany was willing to accept the consequences of her scandalous behavior. She now could re-join the group once her punishment was over. The head doctor answered in Danubian:

"Very well, patient Tiffany. Once you are chastised, I will accept your apology and this incident will fade from our memories."

Kim's translation was "OK Tiffany, they'll drop this and forget about it after they whip your butt."

The guards led Tiffany and the alcoholic to the hospital grounds as the doctors and other patients filed behind. There was a pole located in the middle of a grassy area that had several metal loops welded to one side. Kim realized the pole was a whipping post. 

The guards took out two sets of leather cuffs and attached them to the wrists of the culprits. Because he had only one demerit, the man would be punished first. However, what his punishment lacked in severity it more than made up with humiliation. Kim later learned he had entered the rehabilitation program voluntarily, because his wife threatened to divorce him if he did not stop drinking. He was an ordinary citizen with a good job and three children. Until recently he had led a respectable life, before his drinking got the better of him. Finally, on the verge of losing both his job and his marriage, he entered rehab. Now, here he was, a respected citizen with children, being cuffed naked to a whipping post for a stupid lie he had told earlier in the week. Kim noticed he did not really seem to be afraid, but it was obvious that he was horribly embarrassed.

The male guard handed the switch to his female partner and attached the patient's wrists to the pole. As was the custom in the National Police, the hospital rules stated that a person of the opposite sex should punish an errant patient in the rehab program. It was a humbling experience, especially for substance abusers who were married or had serious relationships. 

The guard then told the man to spread his legs and arch his back. The patient sighed, but complied. The female guard positioned herself and tapped the man's bottom with her switch as he closed his eyes and waited for the first stroke.

The female guard struck hard, as hard as any police officer would have struck. Her victim gasped and turned slightly, but then tried to properly reposition himself for the second stroke. As soon as he was back into position, his bottom sticking out and his feet spread, the guard struck again. The patient gasped as sweat started collecting on his forehead. Once again the guard waited for her victim to reposition himself, and laid a third cruel stroke to the man's bottom.

Kim winced as the blows landed, but, having endured three full criminal switchings herself, she knew the patient's punishment was relatively mild. While it was true the strokes were every bit as hard as strokes issued by a police officer, there would be only five, which was something anyone could endure. Sure enough, the man made it through the fifth stroke without making any sound apart from his breathing. The guards released him and he rejoined the other patients. He tried to avoid rubbing the five red stripes across his bottom, but every so often he winced as his hands went over his backside. Still, he had made it through his punishment properly and gave Tiffany an example of how she needed to behave.

The guard glanced at Kim, who turned to her client. "Alright Tiffany, you're up." Tiffany shot a frightened glance at Kim as she got up off her knees. Kim gently squeezed her arm.

"OK. It's gonna hurt like hell, and it's supposed to. It'll feel like you're being cut open, but they won't do anything to hurt you for real. Now, one thing. Please...please try not to scream or cry if you can possibly help it. If you really want to get the respect of the other patients, you'll tough it out as best you can."

Tiffany nodded, but Kim could tell she already was on the verge of tears, even before the first blow was struck. Sadly she moved to the post and the two waiting guards. The female guard attached metal clips to the cuffs on her wrists and raised her arms to one of the higher metal loops. She clipped the cuffs to the loop and then tapped the insides of Tiffany's thighs with her fingertips to force them apart. She then put her fingertips on Tiffany's waist to move her backwards and have her bottom sticking out.

"You, American Tiffany. This how you stand, you listen me?"

Tiffany nodded, as a tear rolled down her cheek.

There were no preliminaries to the punishment. The female guard stepped back as her male co-worker positioned himself to whip Tiffany. He struck hard, hard enough to make all of the females in the group watching flinch in sympathy. Tiffany bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut, but did not make any noise. Kim was relieved, because she had been afraid her client might not endure a switching very well. Tiffany bent her knees slightly and moved her body forward. Kim admonished her in English.

"Tiffany, get back in position. The quicker you get your butt out, the quicker this'll be over."

Tiffany gasped and nodded. She shifted herself back out. The moment her bottom was flexed back into position Tiffany felt another searing blow across her exposed backside. Her eyes were completely filled with tears and her lip was getting bruised from her teeth biting down from the pain, but Tiffany was determined to not cry out. 

Patient Tiffany Walker struggled to get herself back into position. The pain from the strokes was a horrible experience, and yet, deep down inside, she was happy this was happening to her. This experience: being tied naked to a whipping post in a foreign country, being subjected and beaten by people who did not speak her language...somehow filled Tiffany with a sense of relief, as though her soul had been contaminated and now it was being cleansed. Tiffany now realized how much she would be forced to turn away from everything she had been just two weeks before. The pain tearing into her drove that message home. This was real. Her life had changed and there was no going back. 

As the pain mounted in her bottom from the increasing collection of reddish welts, Tiffany's mind focused on a single purpose in life...don't scream...don't scream. For the first time in a while she was able to forget about the selfishness, impulsiveness, and self-pity, as well as the resulting guilt and self-hatred, that had filled her thoughts for several years. At the same time she felt relief from having finally done something wrong, confessing to it, apologizing, and accepting the consequences. Tiffany was learning what it was to live a life in which each of her actions had consequences that were immediate and direct results of the things she had done wrong. She found that reassuring: considering that in her previous life the consequences for her actions came days or weeks afterwards, and usually in convoluted ways that never made any sense.

The punishment was over only about ten minutes after it began. Tiffany almost blacked out after the final stroke and her face was totally wet from her tears, but she had managed to not cry, to the amazement of everyone watching. The guards undid Tiffany's cuffs and released her. She fell into Kim's arms. Her tears wet Kim's shoulder and the sleeve of her blouse, but she still managed to stay quiet, even as the pain in her welts mounted. Finally Kim whispered into her client's ear.

"You did good. Really good, Tiffany. I'm proud of you."

"Really? You think so?"

"Yeah. You're gonna be OK. You're gonna get past all this, and then you'll have a life that's worth living."

Tiffany finally took her place in formation with the other patients. Kim knew, from observing the others and from her knowledge of Danubian society, that Tiffany had redeemed herself among the doctors, and more importantly, her peers. She could look forward to participating as a fully accepted member of the group during the activities the following week.

The final part of Tiffany's incorporation into the hospital program came a few minutes later, when she was fitted with a red fiberglass medical collar. The collar was a clear indication she was progressing with her detox treatment, because the doctors only collared patients who were past the danger of seizures and ready to fully participate in the program's busy schedule. Tiffany would spend a good portion of the following day sitting in a dental chair, but once her teeth were taken care of, she would begin a regimen of rigorous exercising to finish cleaning and restoring her body.

That night, as Kim got ready to leave, Tiffany showed correct protocol. She knelt properly, and, in spite of the pain from her welts and bruises, she crisply placed her hands on the floor and touched her forehead to the ground.

"Goodbye, until we meet again, Apprentice Lee."

"Goodbye, Tiffany. I'll see you next Sunday."



Maragana Girl Ch. 26



Chapter 26 -- The trial of Tiffany Walker

The following week Kim divided her time between the music store, rehearsal with Eloisa's band, and studying the cases and laws she needed to become familiar with to properly represent Tiffany during her trial at the end of August.

Dukov conducted some of Kim's research for her, finding relevant cases and book-marking them. He laid books and files on Kim's desk, along with a few old drug cases he and other Spokespersons had represented over their careers. Kim later would have to learn how to research and find the necessary information herself, but Dukov realized she simply had no time to find the information she needed for her research now. It was imperative that Kim know the legal limitations placed on her by the Danubian judicial system, and to have very clear in her own mind what she hoped to accomplish when Tiffany was sentenced. Kim's primary goal never wavered:

"She's here to get off drugs. That's what I want to accomplish with her sentence. I want to get her off drugs and see to it she never has the chance to get high again. I don't care how much she craves that crap, I want to make sure she can never get her hands on it. I'm sure that someday she can make peace with herself, but she's gotta be clean to do it."

Dukov thought about Kim's statement for a moment. Finally he responded: "Very well, Kimberly. I believe you will properly represent your friend in court, from what you have just stated. The goal of personal redemption is what we strive for in our judicial system. The thought of redemption should be on the mind of every Spokesperson as he contemplates each criminal who must pass through his office. If you understand that, and also understand how you can use our laws and resources to redeem Tiffany, then you will properly represent her at her trial."

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Kim only had three days to attend to her duties at the store and in Dukov's office before having to leave Danube City for the second foreign performance of Socrates' Mistresses that loomed at the end of the week. The band's second concert was in Berlin that Saturday. Kim's third week back in Europe would be taken up with video shoots and then there would be a concert the following weekend in Paris. Between all that Kim somehow had to schedule return trips to Upper Danubia each Sunday to spend her allotted three hours with Tiffany.

Kim openly worried about her fellow band-members during their upcoming trip to Berlin, given that in Warsaw she almost felt like their chaperone. Kim's boss from the music store and the now-retired Spokesman Havlakt came to her rescue, volunteering to go with the band during the trip to Germany and France. Their help would allow Kim to study her case files during the week and return to Danube City on Sundays to deal with Tiffany.

Kim took a suitcase of Danubian law books with her to Berlin. While the other members of her band toured the German capitol with their two chaperones, Kim spent hours alone in her hotel room with Dukov's books and photocopies of his case files. When Kim was not reading or taking notes she was with the other members of the band rehearsing or being filmed for footage to be used in several upcoming videos. Kim only slept about five hours per night during her time in Berlin and Paris. Of those two famous cities Kim saw absolutely nothing except the airports, her hotel room, the Berlin studio, and two concert halls.

As regrettable as it was she could not be with her friends as they explored the world outside Danube City, Kim had no choice. Tiffany would be released from the hospital at the end of August and immediately go on trial. Kim's actions in the courtroom would determine the course of her client's entire life and she had to be properly prepared. Kim ran up the band's hotel phone bill spending hours talking to her former Spokesman when she had questions or doubts about how to interpret what she was reading. Kim had only three more weeks to attain a third year level of proficiency in understanding the cases and laws concerning drug use and perjury that would be relevant to Tiffany's case. Her only consolation was that because she had to push herself so hard during the weeks leading up to Tiffany's trial, she expected her classes in the fall to be somewhat easier now she was familiar with real cases and laws.

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Kim visited Tiffany for the third time the Sunday following the concert in Germany. She flew to Danube City first thing in the morning to be at the hospital by 9:00 and would go to the airport immediately after noon to return to Berlin. Officer Vladik Dukov and his partner borrowed a police van to take Kim from the airport to the hospital and back again, justifying the use of the van to transport the Apprentice because she was performing the duties of her profession. When the two cops dropped her off, Kim realized they had an ulterior motive for borrowing the van. As she got out of the vehicle she noticed a picnic basket sitting in the back, partially covered with a blanket.

As she entered the substance abuse rehabilitation program area of the hospital complex, Kim had a pleasant surprise. Tiffany was not in her room. Instead she was sitting outside on a bench, struggling to communicate with a young man and woman. The woman was wearing a red heroin collar like Tiffany, but the young man was wearing a yellow collar. Kim later learned the color yellow was for ecstasy users and he had become hooked on the drug while studying abroad in Belgium.

As Kim approached Tiffany, she dropped to their knees and crisply greeted her in the proper manner. The other two stood up to greet Kim instead of kneeling. Tiffany seemed surprised as she turned her head slightly and noticed her companions still on their feet. 

When she was alone with her client, Kim realized she would have to explain the complicated situation of her status as a provisional Apprentice. As far as Tiffany was concerned, Kim was legally her Spokeswoman and had to be treated as such. However, Kim did not have her Spokesperson's certificate, so she was not yet a public official. Therefore any other criminal, prisoner, or patient not directly assigned to her had no obligation to use protocol when greeting her. As far as the others were concerned, legally Kim was nothing but a college student.

When she knelt upright, Kim noticed that Tiffany's appearance had improved tremendously. Her skin color looked good and she seemed to have gained some weight. The scars on her arms had faded and were only visible if one actually was looking for them. However, the other changes were nothing in comparison with the change in her eyes and her expression. Tiffany's eyes no longer had a vacant, exhausted look. They were not sunken nor with dark circles under them. Tiffany looked...healthy.

Kim also realized Tiffany was in an upbeat mood. She quickly found out why when her client summarized her week. The second week in rehab had been a difficult one, but it seemed each day Tiffany was making real progress.

"Kim...I mean Apprentice Lee...I got a merit! They actually gave me a merit yesterday, 'cause I've improved so much with the exercising!"

"In just a week?"

"Yeah! In just a week! I went out on Tuesday and got sick during the workout...but I kept trying. Everyday I got a bit better, and yesterday I was able to keep up! I mean I did the whole routine! The hike, everything! And I didn't get sick!"

"That's so cool! I'm really happy for you!"

Tiffany's merit, because she did not need to use it to cancel a demerit, resulted in her receiving a small reward. During the dinner Saturday night Tiffany was allowed to eat dessert. She had the choice between a piece of cake and two cookies. She took the cookies so she could give one to her roommate. Having dessert was a big deal in the program, since ordinarily dessert was not on the menu. The patients ate extremely bland food designed to clean out their bodies: whole wheat bread, raw fruits and vegetables, buckwheat porridge, and an occasional piece of meat. Dessert was held out to those who had earned merits.

Kim was pleased that Tiffany had shared her merit with her roommate. That small gesture indicated that Kim's client was thinking about others and making the effort to become an accepted member of the detox program's patients. Kim noticed a very real difference between how the program's other patients were treating her now, and how they had treated her the week before. The language barrier still stood between Tiffany and her fellow-patients, but the Danubians seemed to be determined to make Tiffany part of their group.

Kim reflected how much Tiffany already had changed. In high school she had been the leader of her clique. She mercilessly bossed her friends around, using her charisma and the threat of her disapproval to keep everyone in line. The Tiffany who was emerging now was much more reserved, content and eager to be accepted and follow instead of lead. What she had been before was completely destroyed by her drug use. Now, with the drugs out of her body and her brain recovering from the chemical assault it had endured over the last two years, Tiffany had to rebuild her mind and her personality every bit as much as she needed to rebuild her body. Her goals would have to be modest ones at first, because she was rebuilding herself from nothing. Tiffany's excitement over the merit reflected her new ability to appreciate the smaller things in life. 

Tiffany still was in the very initial phase of breaking free from her past. She still faced many very hard challenges. For example, she had a bad craving on Thursday, but was smart enough to tell her intern about it. He walked with her for several hours until she was able to work that awful feeling out of her body. The year before the exact same thing had happened when she was in rehab in the US, but with different results. As the craving became unbearable Tiffany escaped and immediately scored some drugs to get high. This time, with a red collar around her neck and the prospect of a switching looming over her if she tried to escape, Tiffany was forced to stay and work through her craving instead of leaving to satisfy it.

That week Tiffany felt well enough to start a rather long letter to her brother, a project that took up all of her scant spare time. She shared what she had written so far with Kim. Kim was surprised to read the detail with which Tiffany had described the Danubian rehab program. She left nothing out, not even the fact she was denied the right to wear any clothing, nor the details of the punishment she received the week before. She emphasized she was not really sorry to have been punished, since it was in response to something she had done that clearly was wrong. Once the punishment ended and her welts healed, everyone acted as though the entire incident had never happened. 

Tiffany also wrote Joe about how grateful she was for everything he had tried to do for her over the past two years. All of Joe's efforts to help Tiffany had failed but, as best he could, he kept trying. Finally his efforts did pay off when he succeeded in getting help for his sister by finding Kim. Without Joe, Tiffany would not have talked to Kim. Without talking to Kim, Tiffany would still be dancing at Dirty Grampy's, strung out on meth and making trips across the street with her unsavory clients to get money for Ray.

Finally, as she talked to her client, Kim realized her speech had improved in her conversation. Tiffany's grammar was better, she was using somewhat less slang and not swearing constantly. Her sentences were longer and her train of thought more coherent. She was more straightforward with her statements and clearly not embarrassed at all about the steps she was taking to rebuild her life. In the letter Tiffany planned to include a Polaroid picture of herself taken with her roommate and two other patients, to give Joe a better idea of what her life really was like. 

----------

The remaining weeks of August passed in a flash. Kim would have liked to enjoy the rest of the summer doing things outdoors. She remembered with regret Sergekt's hope the previous year they could go hiking in the foothills near the Rika Chorna Reservoir, but it was obvious there was not a chance there would be any time for hiking that year. She really saw very little of Sergekt, because she was with her law books while he was constantly practicing and experimenting with Dima and the band's other musicians. Both of them were extremely busy, so fortunately there was no time for either to be upset about not being able to spend time with the other.

Eloisa, on the other hand, fully enjoyed her month traveling around western Europe. She and the three other female members of the band took time off from their practicing to explore with Spokesman Havlakt. Eloisa's mind, recently freed from many of its inner torments, was hungry for experiences and information that did not relate to her life in Danube City. Under the very legitimate justification they needed to rest their voices for the concerts, the band's four Danubian women simply relaxed and went sight-seeing during the day while Kim studied and the men practiced with their instruments. 

----------

The group's other chaperone, the owner of Danube City's music store, watched Kim dig herself ever deeper into her future life as a Danubian Spokeswoman for the Criminal. He became increasingly annoyed about the fact the band had dumped its financial responsibilities on its American singer, and also angry at himself for allowing it to happen. What had happened to Kim was completely unfair. Dima and Sergekt were intelligent and sharp young men. There was no reason why they should hide behind that "Americans are so good with business" nonsense to shirk their responsibilities to the band's other musicians and songwriters. In Barcelona he sat down with Dima and Sergekt to give them an angry lecture about the need for them to take control of the finances of "Socrates Mistresses".

"What you two are doing to Kimberly Lee is completely unjustified, and you are dishonoring yourselves with your laziness," he snapped. "She has her own path in life and that path is not to keep your band's records straight! That is your job, not hers! Kimberly Lee now has her duties to Spokesman Dukov and to that drug addict Tiffany Walker. I do not want you to approach Kimberly Lee with your financial concerns any more. When you have problems, you will approach me about them. When you do, I will expect you to have at least made the effort to find out what questions you need to be asking. From this moment I will insist that you two take responsibility for this band, and I will hold you accountable for anything that goes wrong. You will learn what you need to know to negotiate your contracts and make payments, and you will assume some leadership!"

With that the lives of Dima and Sergekt suddenly became much more serious and focused. While the others went out sight-seeing, the band's two leaders nervously sat with the impatient businessman and learned the basics of the band's financial arrangements. As Kim sat reviewing her law materials during the final weeks of August, Dima and Sergekt spent all of their free time with the financial records of "Socrates' Mistresses". They were forced to learn what they should have learned the year before as they answered a barrage of challenges and questions posed by their impromptu business instructor.

----------

Kim returned to the rehab wing of National Hospital for the last time on the final Sunday of August. Tiffany's month in the program had rejuvenated her and restored her health. She had put on 5 kilograms and her muscles were toned from the constant exercising. It was obvious there was no need for the American to stay in the hospital past the beginning of September.

Carrying with her the court authorization to represent Tiffany, Kim presented herself at the arraignment committee on August 29. Dukov went with her, but only as an observer. Tiffany was Kim's case and it was Kim who had to address the committee to arrange a trial date. Kim put on her most formal dress and stood in front of the same three individuals who had arraigned her as a criminal slightly over two years before.

There was no warmth between Apprentice Lee and the three officials. The committee members had been humiliated during Kim's trial because of Dukov's defense and criticism of their actions regarding the release of her friends. On the other hand they also had a legitimate interest in questioning Kim's qualifications, given her provisional status and partially completed studies. When asked about her limited education Kim responded in accented Danubian:

"It is true that I am completely unqualified to appear in court for any case other than that of Prisoner 98946. It is true that I have not completed the second year exams, which is why I am only a provisional Apprentice instead of a certified Apprentice. However, it also is true the amount of research I have conducted on the case law related to the crimes committed by Prisoner 98946 is comparable to the research a Spokesperson in full standing ordinarily conducts under similar circumstances. What I lacked in education and general knowledge of the Danubian court system I compensated with guidance and tutelage from Spokesman Dukov."

Kim took a breath, swallowed, and continued:

"I am qualified to argue this particular case because of my unique knowledge of the personal situation of Prisoner 98946. I believe I understand her needs and that is why I volunteered to represent her. My intention is exclusively to serve her interests and make the necessary arrangements to protect her from her own chemical dependency. I have certain concerns regarding her sentencing and want to make sure this panel and the trial judge understand those concerns. If you ask me whether or not I am qualified to represent most prisoners, the answer would be that clearly I am not, due to my lack of experience. However, I do believe that I am the most qualified person available to defend the interests of Tiffany Walker."

Kim's heart was pounding as she finished. She couldn't believe she had said all that, in Danubian, with no pauses and no grammatical mistakes. When the committee members questioned Kim about the cases she felt were relevant, Kim's answers convinced them she was indeed familiar with the information she needed to confront the judge and prosecutor.

The committee had nothing more to add. If Kim could defend Tiffany as well as she had just defended herself, she would do fine in court.

The committee members quietly talked among themselves. The leader responded in Danubian:

"Very well, Apprentice Lee. This committee will take you at your word that you will properly represent Prisoner # 98946. Since we already are familiar with this case we will change our normal procedures for processing her. On September 1 you will bring her here under armed escort at 7:00 in the morning. We will confront her with her actions from two years ago. Immediately after we read her the charges, you and your police escort will take Prisoner 98946 across the Plaza to trial. Once she is punished the court will release her to your custody."

"Yes Chairman, and...thank you."

The committee chairman stood up and drew his fist across his chest. Kim and Dukov saluted the committee members and they saluted back.

----------

On August 30 Kim visited the hospital to break the news to Tiffany about her trial. Tiffany was scared, not only because of the trial and the punishment that awaited her, but also because she had become used to the sheltered life of the detox program. Tiffany had enjoyed the regimented routine and being able to keep her mind clear of everything except her minute-to-minute responsibilities.




Maragana Girl Ch. 26



That evening there was a small goodbye party for Tiffany and two male alcoholics who were well enough to leave the hospital. The hospital staff removed the patients' collars by unlocking them. Unlike judicial collars, which were much more permanent, medical collars simply unlocked and were designed to be re-used on other patients. The party was short, but very emotional for Tiffany and her roommate, who shortly would be separated. The two women would see each other in about a month, however, once the roommate was released. Kim was deeply satisfied knowing Tiffany had made her first friend in Upper Danubia. 

The two middle-aged male patients got dressed and officially were released into the custody of their wives. Kim learned an interesting detail about Danubian law and how it treated substance abusers. An officially certified substance abuser, even if not accused of any crimes, no longer was a completely free citizen. Instead the patient had to be released into the custody of a family member, most often a spouse. The spouse was legally responsible for the substance abuser's public behavior, could tell him or her what to do, and could request arrest or detention if the offender refused to follow orders. After a year the detox program's staff reviewed each case to determine whether custody needed to continue or if it could be canceled. Kim figured very few men would want to be ordered around by an angry spouse for a year. Perhaps that was one factor that kept Upper Danubia's alcoholism rate so low. That night the two men, in a very subdued demeanor, left the hospital with their wives.

Tiffany was not released, because she had to go on trial the next day. Instead Vladik and his partner showed up to take Tiffany to the Central Police Station and lock her in a holding cell. The law was inflexible on that point; if Tiffany was not wearing a collar she had to be locked up. Kim felt bad for her, but the only thing she could do for her client was have Vladik give her some paper and a pen so she could spend the night writing letters. Tiffany was very scared, and with good reason. The next day would be both painful and traumatic. As best she could, Kim had warned her what to expect, which was not particularly reassuring.

At 6:00 the following morning Kim and Vladik showed up to take Tiffany to Spokesman Dukov's office. Tiffany ate the usual criminal's breakfast of tea, breakfast rolls, and fruit, before going to the bathroom and getting cleaned up. Kim ordered her to fill a sample tube with her urine for drug testing and to shave her pubic hair. While Tiffany finished getting cleaned up Vladik's partner took the urine sample to the police doctor. A medical student determined there was nothing in Tiffany's urine except a trace of marijuana, a drug that lingers in the body much longer than most other drugs. For the first time in several years, Tiffany was clean.

Tiffany dried herself off and came out just as Vladim Dukov showed up to accompany Kim to her first court appearance as an Apprentice. Kim ordered Tiffany to kneel in the outer office. Vladik then ordered her to stand up and handcuffed her. She gave Kim a very scared look.

"Alright, Tiffany, we're taking you down to your arraignment. I'm gonna warn you that committee is not going to be very nice to you, because they're a bit pissed about the perjury. Just be ready to answer their questions, and whatever you do, this time tell them the truth." 

A few minutes later the Tiffany was standing in front of the arraignment committee, in the prisoner's stance with her hands behind her head and her legs spread. She was trembling from fear and humiliation as the tears began flowing down her cheeks.

The English-speaking member of the panel addressed Tiffany in her usual dour manner.

"You are the American Tiffany Walker?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Has your Spokeswoman, Apprentice Kimberly Annette Lee, informed you about the charges pending against you?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"What are the charges you face, Tiffany Walker?"

"Marijuana possession, direct perjury, and indirect perjury, ma'am."

"That is correct. You are aware of the seriousness of these violations of our law?"

"Yes ma'am."

"And knowing the seriousness of what you did, you still chose, voluntarily, to return to our country and face these charges?"

"Yes, ma'am."

There was a brief discussion among the committee members, before the female panel member addressed Tiffany again.

"Tiffany Walker, on July 2, two years ago, you entered our country with two other American tourists, Kimberly Lee and Susan Taylor. Kimberly Lee had 432 grams of marijuana in her backpack, along with items associated with the preparation and use of that drug for the purposes of intoxication. Were you aware of the presence of the marijuana in Kimberly Lee's backpack?"

"Yes, ma'am. I knew the marijuana was in there."

"How did you know that?"

"I put it there before we left Amsterdam, 'cause I didn't have any room in my own backpack."

"You now acknowledge having placed 432 grams of marijuana in Kimberly Lee's backpack? With your own hands?"

"Yes, ma'am, I put it there myself."

"But, two years ago, in this very room, you denied having any knowledge of the contents of Kimberly Lee's backpack."

"Yes, ma'am. What I said two years ago wasn't true. I knew."

"Who purchased the marijuana in Amsterdam?"

"I bought it from a guy...you know a friend...like a boyfriend or something, who gave me a good price for it. That's part of the reason I got so much. And I was going to take it to Prague and...trade some of it for heroin. That's what I wanted to do with it."

"So your plan was to exchange a portion of the marijuana for another drug."

"Yes ma'am, that's what I was gonna do."

"What was Kimberly Lee's participation in this transaction you were planning?"

"She just was smoking, that's it. And Susan was just smoking. I was the one who had the contacts in Prague."

"That is not what you told this committee two years ago."

Suddenly Tiffany began shaking with fear.

"No ma'am. Two years ago...I...I....w...wasn't....t...telling...the truth."

The committee gave the prisoner a moment to calm down and continued.

"Let us change the subject. You mentioned Susan Taylor was smoking your marijuana as well. So she was aware of the marijuana's presence in Kimberly Lee's backpack?"

"Yes ma'am, she knew."

"And why, do you suppose, she denied any knowledge of the marijuana when we questioned her?"

"Because I...when we were in the holding cell...I told her to play dumb, you know, so we wouldn't get charged."

"And you did this knowing Kimberly Lee would be charged with possession of the full amount of marijuana in her possession?"

"Yes ma'am, I knew she was fu...uh, that she was gonna get charged."

"And you now claim that it was your idea that you and Susan Taylor would deny knowing what Kimberly Lee had in her possession, even though, in fact, both of you did know?"

"That's right, it was my idea. I was the one who told Susan what to say."

"Very well, Tiffany Walker, you will understand that you have admitted to marijuana possession, you have admitted to lying to this committee, and you have admitted to telling Susan Taylor to lie to this committee."

"Yes, ma'am."

The woman then stood up and tightened her lips. Her eyes bore right into Tiffany as she continued.

"I do not find what you did to us, however, nearly as abhorrent as what you did to Kimberly Lee. Apparently you had no reservations about destroying her life in order to spare yourself. Is that not so?"

"I...I didn't...I...was more worried about myself, that's true, ma'am...that's..." Suddenly Tiffany sobbed.

"You will control yourself!"

With every bit of her strength Tiffany forced herself to stop crying, while the committee members again talked quietly among themselves. Finally the woman spoke again.

"I want you to understand how vile a person I would find you, but there is one detail that prevents me from making such a conclusion. You did volunteer to return to our country and submit yourself to the consequences of your crimes. You will understand that your trial will not determine your guilt or innocence, since you already have admitted to all three charges. You will understand there will be no leniency for you, because what you did came very close to destroying the life of a person who considered you her friend. But you have chosen to try to redeem yourself, and for that I am forced to withhold my judgment concerning your value as a human being."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Very well. This committee will recommend you face charges of marijuana possession, drug trafficking, direct perjury, and indirect perjury. Your trial will begin as soon as you depart from this hearing."

With that the director of the committee stood up and drew his fist across his chest.

Vladik immediately handcuffed Tiffany and led her into the hallway of the police corridor. As members of the public and staff from the National Police watched, Vladik led Tiffany out of the building and onto the sunlit Central Plaza while his partner, Kim and his father trailed behind. The trip across the plaza seemed to take forever, even though they were in the main courthouse only minutes after leaving the Police Station. As always the Plaza was full of morning commuters, many pausing to stare at the attractive tall young foreigner being led across the plaza in handcuffs.

Kim was quiet during the trip across the plaza, extremely worried about the added charge of drug trafficking. She had expected the other three charges, but drug trafficking carried an additional 20 years plus a switching every 60 days. The extra time did not worry Kim, but the prospect of the extra switchings did bother her. Kim was convinced that switching Tiffany more than once a year would do her much more harm than good. Somehow she had to convince the court not to impose the extra switchings.

----------

The Spokesman and his Apprentice, along with two police officers and one very forlorn-looking naked young woman, entered the old ornate courtroom. The courtroom was crowded, as it had been for Kim's trial two years before. The audience this time was different, and included Sergekt, Eloisa, Dima, ex-Spokesman Havlakt, and Tuko, who now was wearing a police cadet's uniform. Also present were Anyia, a couple of her friends from high school, and Dukov's wife Maritza.

Kim and Tiffany took their positions at the back of the chamber for the beginning of the trial. Kim's words to Tiffany echoed what Dukov had said to her two years before.

"Tiffany, when the judge comes in everyone will stand and salute him, except you. You must kneel forward and put your forehead to the carpet. You will stay that way until the judge orders you to step forward. You will climb the platform and assume the prisoner's stance. That means you must stand with your legs spread and your hands behind your head. No matter who else is talking, you must remain in that position, facing the judge. I will translate anything you need to know or any answers you need to provide the court."

The judge entered the chamber. The entire room shouted "Doc-doc Danube!" and everyone saluted, including Kim. As instructed her client knelt forward and placed her hands on the worn carpet, her forehead touching the ground. Like Kim before her, Tiffany felt the cool air of the courtroom blowing against her exposed vagina and bottom. The tears rolled down the bridge of her nose and onto the carpet.

The prosecutor read the charges, which included the new accusation of marijuana trafficking. Kim quickly scribbled a note to pass to Dukov asking him if Tiffany could be charged with trafficking if she did not intend to sell the marijuana in Upper Danubia. A court courier took the note and handed it to Dukov. Kim noticed Dukov writing a rather lengthy response.

The Prosecutor then asked Kim in Danubian: "Apprentice, is your client properly aware of the charges she is facing and that you are her representative in this court?"

"Yes your honor. I informed Prisoner 98946 of the charges before she departed the United States to come here and face trial. I have since provided her with the additional information to fully understand what she faces as a convicted criminal in the Duchy."

"Are you properly prepared to represent her?"

"I am properly prepared to represent her regarding the charges of marijuana possession, direct perjury and indirect perjury. I will request assistance from my mentor, Spokesman Vladim Dukov, concerning the charge of drug trafficking, which under the Spokesperson's Apprentice Code Item 7, article 2, I have the right to do."

"Very well, Apprentice. It is better to request assistance when needed than to poorly represent your client. Please tell your client to present herself to the court."

Kim tapped Tiffany's shoulder and pointed at the platform. Tiffany walked to it and climbed the steps, finding herself standing about a meter and a half above the ground. Reluctantly she spread her legs and put her hands behind her head. Four spotlights shined on her from different directions. 

Tiffany was totally terrified. Over the last two years she had suffered nightmares about going on trial, and now here she was, going on trial for real. And yet through her haze of terror and humiliation, Tiffany realized that here, on the prisoner's stand in the Danubian courtroom, was where she needed to be. This was her destiny, to surrender herself to the harsh punishment of Upper Danubia, and at last her life had come in line with her destiny.

Tiffany knew had she confessed the truth and been on the prisoner's stand two years before, two ugly things in her life would have been prevented. First, the traumatic adventures from the most recent two years of her life never would have happened. There would have been no hepatitis in Prague, no unpleasant homecoming, no drug addiction, no Raymond, no dancing at Dirty Grampy's, no sex with paying customers. Joe probably would not have started drinking so much, and her mother would still be speaking to her. Kim would still be her friend instead of her Apprentice, or Spokeswoman, or whatever the fuck she was. More importantly, had Tiffany come here to the courtroom instead of going to Prague, Susan would still be alive. Kim's harsh words in Frankfurt echoed in her mind: "One last hit! Just one last hit! One last hit before we leave Prague! Isn't that what you said to Susan? One last hit? And for her it was, wasn't it?"

There was only one thing that could be saved now, and that was Tiffany's own life. Standing here guaranteed only one thing, that she would stay alive long enough to see her 30th birthday. It was a gift from Kimberly Lee, but a gift that would come with a very heavy price. If only Tiffany had come here two years ago. If only...

Tears stated flowing down the prisoner's cheeks. She was not crying from fear of what was going to happen, but out of regret for the two years of hell she had gone through because of her "escape". Kim was the lucky one. She was the one who stayed. She was the one who had a life worth living.

The three arraignment panel members spoke for the prosecutor, as well as Malka Chorno's former police partner. An assistant to the prosecutor re-introduced the statements of other witnesses from Kim's trial, but did not see the need to actually call them back to give live testimony. The judge asked Kim if she objected to excluding live testimony from the witnesses, to which she replied she had no objections.

About half-way through the prosecutor's portion of the trial, Tiffany's loud sniffs began filling the room, as she desperately tried to keep the snot from her crying from running down her face. Finally the judge couldn't stand that irritating sound anymore. He addressed a court attendant:

"Attendant Dublakt, please bring some tissues to Apprentice Lee. Apprentice Lee, as soon as you have the tissues in your hand I want you to call Prisoner 98946 off the stand and have her blow her nose. Then she will reassume her position and we will continue."

"Yes your Honor."

Once Tiffany's nose was taken care of, the intern in charge of her rehab discussed her current physical condition. He described how she had deteriorated since her arrest two years before and how much she recovered during her five weeks in the National Hospital program. He showed two mugshots of his patient, the one taken the day after her return to Danube City, and a more recent one to emphasize the change.

The judge commented: "I believe we have a living example in front of us who demonstrates why our drug laws are necessary."

Finally Officer Vladik Dukov testified concerning the details of Tiffany's arrest at the International Airport. His testimony did not really have anything to do with Tiffany's guilt or innocence, but he had to certify he was the arresting officer to allow the court to authorize him to switch Tiffany, should she be found guilty.

Tiffany still was crying when the prosecution phase of the trial ended. Kim ordered her off the prisoner's stand and handed her a glass of water. Kim's mind was on the note Vladim Dukov was about to pass to her, concerning how she was to confront the drug trafficking charge. However her first priority was to get Tiffany to calm down. As best she could Kim tried to comfort the prisoner, telling her that the trial and the switching would be the worst part of her experience in Upper Danubia. All she had to do was get through the next several hours. As Tiffany buried her face in her hands, Kim nervously opened Spokesman Dukov's note. He advised her to argue for dismissal of the drug trafficking charge, given that there was no indication Tiffany planned to sell or exchange marijuana in the territory of Upper Danubia. He cited two cases he had worked on before Kim's, in which he successfully had argued for dismissal of trafficking charges in possession cases. Kim realized that there was a third case she could cite, her own from two years ago.

"OK, Tiffany, here's the deal. I am going to be arguing your defense. I'm going to be honest and tell you there's a bit of a problem, and that is they want to add drug trafficking to your charges. I'm going to argue that doesn't apply to you because we weren't going to sell or exchange any of that pot in Danube City. I'm worried because its going to affect what actually happens to you during your sentence. Now you gotta get on the prisoner's platform on your knees and wait for the judge to come back in. When you hear 'Doc-doc Danube' kneel foreward and put your forehead on the platform. I'll tell you when they want you to stand up, and when you do it'll be legs spread and hands behind your head."

Tiffany climbed back up and knelt, occasionally wiping her tears or blowing her nose.

"Doc-doc Danube!"

Once Tiffany was back in position Kim began her defense. She spoke of her personal experiences and how she had come to terms with what had happened to her. She explained that in the end she had been the lucky one, to have stayed in Upper Danubia while one friend died and the other became a drug addict. She discussed how she understood the term "redemption" and how she felt the Danubian justice system could contribute to personal redemption. She went on to explain why Tiffany had been crying throughout the trial. It was not because she was scared, it was because she had lurched from one personal tragedy to another. Kim then described Tiffany's condition when she came across her in the US. She left nothing out, describing Tiffany's drug addiction, her boyfriend, her job at Dirty Grampy's and her supplemented income. Kim concluded:

"Just a couple of weeks before my sentence ended, Spokesman Dukov told me I would use my profession to save a life. I now understand that life is the life of Tiffany Walker. I brought her back with a single promise and a single purpose. I asked her if she wanted to see her 30th birthday, in good health, and many more after that. She agreed, and came back with me."




Maragana Girl Ch. 26



Next Kim addressed the issue of the drug trafficking charge, citing Dukov's two cases and her own to request the trafficking charge be dismissed. Kim then continued to explain what she wanted for Tiffany's sentence:

"Prisoner 98946 is in this country because this is the one place where she cannot feed her addictions. Her master is her chemical dependency, and chemical dependency is a jealous master that doesn't give up easily. Tiffany Walker can lead a normal healthy life, but the shadow of her addictions will loom over her forever. I plan to stand between her and her former master, to see to it that no matter how bad her cravings become, never again will drugs assault the soul of my client. I am accepting a lifetime of responsibility, because I believe that is what the Ancients have called upon me to do. That is what this being a Spokeswoman is all about. It is about saving a life and redeeming a soul."

The court sat in absolute silence as Kim confidently laid out what she wanted for Tiffany's punishment. There was the 35 year sentence and yearly switchings that Kim had discussed with Sergekt, to be held each July 12 to force Tiffany to perform penance for her role in Susan's death. Later would come Tiffany's future purpose in life, to provide first-hand information about drugs to a society and a government that knew very little about the substances themselves or how they were made. Among other things Tiffany knew several recipes for making methamphetamine, knowledge of which would allow the Danubian government to restrict the importation and sales of the needed ingredients.

"The storm is coming. It's not here yet, but it's coming. You need to prepare to fight it, and you can only fight it with the correct information. I believe Tiffany's path in life will be to provide the information you need to change your laws and make methamphetamine production impossible in this country. Without those changes, you will have plenty of Tiffany Walkers among your own children."

Kim spoke with such confidence that everyone in the court, with the exception of Vladim Dukov, was left stunned. She knew exactly what needed to be done about Tiffany Walker. 

Spokesman Dukov sat back, deeply satisfied, his task with Kimberly Lee finally fulfilled. Kim had entered the path he had foreseen during the previous year's Day of the Dead ceremony. He had foreseen she would be here in court, redeeming a person no one in their right mind would have thought could have been saved.

Finally Kim finished speaking. The chairman of the arraignment committee raised his hand and the judge gave him permission to speak.

"Your Honor, this committee would like to withdraw the charge of marijuana trafficking against Prisoner 98946. We also recommend you abide by the wishes of Apprentice Lee concerning the sentencing of the prisoner."

"Very well, Chairman. I think that places everyone in this courtroom in agreement about how we should address the case of Prisoner 98946. This court finds her guilty of the crimes of direct perjury, indirect perjury, and the possession of one third of 432 grams of marijuana. The suspicion of drug trafficking does not apply in this case, given there is no evidence she planned to negotiate any monetary exchanges with her marijuana in the territory of the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia. The conditions of the American Tiffany Walker's sentence are as follows:"

"Item One: The American Tiffany Walker will wear the criminal's collar for thirty five years. Twenty of those years will be for her reprehensible act of deception and perjury against the Danubian government and more importantly, the violation of her friendship with Kimberly Lee. For her corrupting influence on the behavior of the American Susan Taylor, the American Tiffany Walker will wear the criminal's collar an additional ten years. Finally, for her part in the possession of 432 grams of marijuana, the American Tiffany Walker will wear the criminal's collar an additional five years. The collar will identify her as a criminal, monitor her movements, and alert the police should she try to leave this city. For the next ten years the American Tiffany Walker is prohibited from traveling more than 10 kilometers from this courthouse. After ten years this court will review the criminal's status and determine if she or the nation might benefit from her being allowed to travel outside the Danube City collar zone."

"Item Two: For the duration of her sentence the American Tiffany Walker is prohibited from covering any part of her body with any article of clothing. That prohibition will remain in effect for the full 35 years, regardless of any other changes to the conditions of her sentence. She has disgraced herself and our city with her actions, and the American Tiffany Walker's disgrace will be shown to the world as a result of this conviction."

"Item Three: The American Tiffany Walker will receive 35 vigorous punishments on the naked buttocks with a standard leather switch. One of the punishments will be given in this chamber immediately at the closing of this hearing, the others will be given on the date of July 12 in the Central Police Station each year for the duration of her sentence. The arresting officer or his assigned partner will administer all punishments."

"Item Four: Finally, Apprentice Kimberly Lee will be held accountable for any drug use or relapses by the American Tiffany Walker. Apprentice Lee has full discretion concerning medical evaluation and drug testing of the American Tiffany Walker. Should the American Tiffany Walker violate her responsibilities as a convicted criminal, Apprentice Lee will advise this court concerning what action we should take."

Kim looked up at her client.

"Tiffany, you are now convicted and sentenced. You gotta come down and kneel at the judge's table."

Once Tiffany was kneeling on the floor the judge issued another command. The collar technician walked up to her and put a measuring tape around her neck. He checked the pulse of her jugular vein and wrote down the measurement from the tape. He left and shortly returned with the collar-fitting device. Tiffany glanced at it in terror.

"That's what they use to put the collar on you," explained Kim. "It won't hurt."

The technician slipped the imposing tong-device over Tiffany's head and closed it around her neck. He checked to make sure it would not pinch her skin, and then clamped it shut. There was a faint hiss and a dull click. When the man opened the device and moved it away, Criminal 98946 had a metal collar around her neck. Like Kim before her, Tiffany now was marked as a convicted criminal by a collar that was virtually indestructible. Like every other criminal, Tiffany's hands went involuntarily to her neck to feel the collar that now set her apart from the world of free citizens.

The court attendants were collapsing the prisoner's stand to reveal the switching table. Tiffany glanced at it not so much in fear, but rather in sad resignation. Kim had told her how to behave in court and what to expect the previous night, so there was no need to explain now. Kim would release custody of Tiffany to Vladik Dukov, he would punish her and present her to the judge, she would thank him, and she then return to the police station to spend a painful afternoon on the recovery table in Dukov's office.

Kim, with Tiffany kneeling at her side, saluted Officer Dukov and his partner. There was the tap of the switch on Tiffany's shoulder, the kissing of his shoes, and the order she lie over the table. To Kim's relief it seemed that Tiffany had stopped crying.

Kim felt enormously relieved once Tiffany was strapped down to the table. The switching would be the final act of passage from Tiffany's life as a drug addict in the US to being a Danbuian criminal. It would be "the wall that divides Tiffany's soul".

Once she was strapped down Vladik tried his hand at speaking English to Kim's client.

"This whipping hurt your bottom because you need punish, but when you hurt, I want you show me courage and honor. I want you be brave criminal and no much cry. You understand?"

"Y...yes Officer."

With that Vladik tapped the switch to Tiffany's bottom, repositioned himself slightly, and struck hard at the base of her buttocks. A reddish line appeared and quickly began to darken as Tiffany winced and clenched her fists. At last, Tiffany finally was receiving the punishment she should have submitted to two summers ago.

Vladik tapped Tiffany's bottom again and struck another vicious blow. A second line of solid pain marked the American's exposed bottom, soon to be joined by a third, a fourth, a fifth. Vladik sympathized with Tiffany. He had no intention of showing her any mercy by reducing the severity of the punishment, but he wanted Tiffany to show him, the courtroom, and most importantly herself, that she could take a severe punishment would courage and dignity. It was another step in her path to personal redemption and to gaining respect among her future peers in the criminal community.

Tiffany gritted her teeth, but wanted to do her best to show that officer the "courage and honor" he was asking from her. She understood this was the way things had to be. She had done many terrible things in her life to serve her addictions. Now the moment had come for the world to hold her accountable for having ruined her life and the bright prospects she once had enjoyed, as well as the lives of her two best friends. 

Vladik punished Tiffany in his usual methodical manner. He tapped the victim's bottom to let her know where the next stroke would land, drew back, and then delivered a fearful blow. He waited for Tiffany to fully appreciate the pain from the stroke. After about 40 seconds Vladik tapped his target and struck again. He slowly worked his way up towards the top of Tiffany's bottom leaving it covered with 15 welts. Starting with the 16th stroke he slowly worked his way back down, trying as best he could to aim at the unmarked skin between the reddish lines on Tiffany's tanned bottom. He wanted to leave her bottom a solid mass of evenly placed welts.

Sweat and tears poured down Tiffany's face as she gasped through her clenched teeth. This punishment was a real judicial punishment, far more severe than what she had faced at the hospital. And yet, Tiffany still felt somewhat relieved about the intensity of the pain tearing into her. As the pain intensified, it forced her mind off the guilt, cravings, and self-pity that had so much filled her thoughts over that past two years.

Vladik continued striking viciously at the American. Her knees were shaking and her body jerked each time the switch landed. Vladik carefully laid a series of hard strokes at the base of Tiffany's bottom cheeks and then continued down her thighs. 

Kim watched the punishment intensely. She knew that it was her duty to make sure Vladik did not come close to breaking Tiffany's skin, but the truth was she had little experience watching switchings and decided to leave the punishment's severity up to Vladik. She knew Vladik was both an experienced and a careful disciplinarian, so she trusted his judgment better than she trusted her own.

Tiffany was shaking and groaning slightly from the pain, which by the 35th stroke was worse than anything she had experienced previously. Over the past two years she had been beaten up a couple of times, but intensity of the physical pain from those experiences came nowhere close to the agony she was experiencing now. Her bottom and upper thighs were a solid mass of red swollen welts, and there still was more to come.

Vladik's 36th stroke landed right across the middle of Tiffany's badly swollen bottom. The stroke hurt enough to break her resistance and she started crying. Still, she struggled not to scream. She began sobbing, the sobs growing louder at each stroke. The final blows left ugly purplish lines across Tiffany's reddish skin, as she cried louder and louder. 

Finally the 50th stroke landed and Kim was able to raise her hand. Dukov previously had instructed her that it was extremely important to keep track of the number of strokes a client received, because it was the Spokesperson's job, not the cop's job, to make sure the punishment did not go beyond 50 strokes. Tiffany's body was jerking with sobs and her bottom was quite red, with a series of dark purple lines punctuating where Vladik had landed his final blows.

Kim and Vladik exchanged glances. Tiffany had held up extremely well, considering the severity of her punishment. Vladik and his partner unbuckled their victim, but for a few minutes she remained bent over the table with her face buried in her hands. Vladik had no intention of pulling her off himself, but gave Kim another glance, warning her she needed to get Tiffany to stand up on her own if she didn't want the officers to move her. Kim laid her hand on Tiffany's shoulder:

"Tiffany...Tiffany...come on, you're done. They still gotta present you to the judge, but then that's it, it'll be over. You did real good, but you gotta stand up."

Tiffany sobbed, nodded, and pushed herself to her feet. She was unsteady while standing, but Vladik and his partner grabbed her arms and walked her over to the judge. The judge signed the punishment certificate and they presented her to Apprentice Lee. Kim needed to remind Tiffany.

"OK, that's it. All you gotta do is thank Officer Dukov. Just kiss his shoes and say 'thank you for correcting my bad behavior.'"

Tiffany clumsily got on her knees and repeated the required sentence in English, which Kim translated for the court. Vladik again touched Tiffany on the shoulder with his switch and saluted Kim. Kim saluted back and with that Tiffany's first punishment ended.

The court gave Criminal 98946 its final instructions and the promise that Kim was required to find her work and a place to live within three days. Finally, Kim led the broken criminal to the photography room, where she posed for her post switching police photos. The final ordeal was another walk past the crowded Central Plaza to the police station, to return to Dukov's office and rest on a recovery table.

As they entered the Central Police Station, reporters lined the steps leading to the entrance. Kim responded:

"I will be back here in a few minutes to answer your questions, but I request you let me take care of my client first. Once I have her on a recovery table I will be out here to talk with you."

The reporters respectfully stepped aside to let Kim, Tiffany, and Spokesman Dukov pass by. Fifteen minutes later Tiffany was safely on a recovery table and Kim returned to the Police Station entrance to fulfill her promise to the Danubian press. In accented Danubian she discussed the case and how Tiffany came to be her client.

Towards the end of the impromptu press conference a reporter asked Kim about any feelings she had of personal betrayal. Kim responded:

"Whatever happened two years ago I must now address from a professional point of view, not a personal one. As I stated in court, the path of my life included rescuing Tiffany Walker from her chemical addictions. I will continue to help her battle her addictions for many years to come, which is why I requested such a long sentence. To understand my feelings about the 'betrayal' issue, you must understand she is not the same person from two years ago, and neither am I. What matters now is that Tiffany Walker and I will have a professional relationship and I will serve as her mentor."

Kim went back upstairs to see Tiffany asleep on her recovery table. She cringed slightly at the sight of the dark marks punctuating Tiffany's red bottom, but by now Kim was quite used to the sight of a punished criminal. Still, it was very hard on her to see her friend from high school reduced to a naked criminal with a whipped bottom asleep on a Danubian recovery table. 

Spokesman Vladim Dukov stood next to his Apprentice, as she sadly looked at her former friend.

"Right now I feel terrible about having to do this to her. It hurts me to see her like this, to have to make her kneel when she talks to me, not to be able to call her 'Tiff' anymore..."

"Kimberly, you've done the best you can for her. She now must rebuild her life, and what you see on this table is not an end, but a beginning. Will your new relationship ever be that between two equals? No, but you will serve each other, and someday you will be close friends again. You will be there for her, you will guide her, and she will need you. Tiffany will build her life here in our country, and I believe, in her own way, she will find the path to happiness."



Maragana Girl Ch. 27



Chapter 27 -- Vladik Dukov's "Proper Partner"

Kim spent the afternoon making arrangements for Tiffany's future. There really were only two issues that needed to be addressed; where Tiffany was going to live and where she was going to work. Kim already had both details partly settled, so her calls that afternoon simply were to confirm her previous arrangements. Tiffany would start at the music store the next day. As for living arrangements, Victor Dukov reluctantly agreed to rent her a room, with the understanding she would move to Vladim's house following Kim's marriage.

Tiffany was up within just a couple of hours. She struggled off the table, wincing at the pain from her badly marked up backside. Tears rolled down her cheeks, as she again thought about the grim chain of events that brought her to her current state in this office. For a few minutes she stood with her hands on the recovery table, trying to steady herself.

Kim ordered Tiffany to go into the back office and quickly explained her job and living arrangements. Tiffany dried her eyes and partially recovered after drinking some tea. Her next statement hugely surprised Kim.

"I was curious...could you take me to the store, you know, so I would see it...maybe meet some people there?"

"Well...uh...sure...except you don't have to report in until tomorrow."

"No. I want to do it today. I want to get started, or at least know what it's gonna be like."

"Alright, I'll take you over. You really think you can make it over there with your butt like it is?"

"It's not that bad, at least if I don't sit down."

The two women left the Central Police station. In spite of Tiffany's assurance she was fine, she did have some trouble getting down the stairs. Once they were out on the street Tiffany was able to walk fairly normally, although she had to walk more slowly than usual. 

At first Kim was surprised that Tiffany didn't seem to be bothered by being out on the street wearing nothing but her collar. At this stage in her sentence Kim had been mortified at the thought of being so completely exposed to the world, and thus was surprised by Tiffany's acceptance of her situation. However, during their walk Kim remembered that Tiffany already had spent nearly six weeks in the nude in the National Hospital rehab program, and before that she had worked as a stripper. Any modesty about her body had long since been purged from Tiffany's mind.

Tiffany, in fact, wanted to be exposed, and have her punished backside exposed, to the view of the population of Danube City. The punishment and her collaring marked the final break from her past. She no longer was a stripper, no longer a prostitute, no longer Raymond Stark's girlfriend, no longer an active meth and heroin user. She now was a Danubian criminal and eager to move ahead with her life as quickly as possible. Subconsciously Tiffany actually was proud of her collar and welts because of what they symbolized, a new beginning for her.

Once they arrived, Kim, following store protocol for employees, stripped off her dress and hung it up in the employees' break room. She then led Tiffany around the store and introduced her to the owner and everyone working the afternoon shift. Kim then explained how Tiffany would start out. She would begin by doing manual chores such as window washing and cleaning up until her Danubian was good enough for her to train as a cashier. Over time she would start at the information counter, to provide an English-speaking presence when Kim was not working. It was possible that later on Tiffany might be promoted to a job at the studio and recording complex, perhaps as a guide or information assistant.

Kim was amazed at how happy Tiffany was upon hearing the explanation about the routine she needed to follow and the steps she would go through to get promoted. Tiffany now knew she had escaped, really, truly escaped. Her life in Danube City hardly would be exciting, but after two years of squalid drug-addled adventures, she felt she needed a routine life and a break from "excitement". 

There was another surprise for Kim coming from Tiffany that afternoon. Before they left the store Kim's client noticed disposable cameras for sale and asked Kim to buy her one. Kim then shot the entire roll on Tiffany posing in front of the store, in the store, and later in the Central Plaza. Once they got back to Dukov's office Tiffany did something that struck Kim as extremely odd; she placed her hands on the recovery table and looked back at Kim over her shoulder. The pose emphasized her welt-covered bottom. Kim took two pictures of Tiffany in that position and finished out the roll of film. Once the film was used up Kim handed the camera back to Tiffany. The criminal then got on her knees and thanked the Apprentice for doing her the favor.

Shortly afterwards Kim took her client by trolley to Victor Dukov's house. She met his family and partially ingratiated herself by kneeling when she greeted him. With that Kim got ready to leave, with the weird sensation of seeing her former boss and her former best friend standing next to each other. Tiffany knelt and in heavily accented Danubian said "Goodbye, Apprentice Lee, until we meet again."

"Goodnight Tiffany. I'll be here at 7:00 tomorrow to take you to work. I'm scheduled to be there all day, so I'll be helping you train."

With that, Kim departed to return to the other part of her life, rehearsal with Eloisa and the other singers of "Socrates' Mistresses" for the upcoming Day of the Dead Equinox ceremony. 

----------

Kim and Sergekt returned to their classes at the National University two days after Tiffany's sentencing. For the first time they entered classes as free citizens, but the euphoria of entering the university in their new status quickly wore off. Kim and Sergekt realized their second year of classes would be extremely demanding for both of them. Sergekt, in particular, faced a rough year, studying chemistry, engineering, and geology, with the promise of a third year that would be just as difficult. 

Kim did have one pleasant surprise on campus when she ran into Anyia's friend Jennifer. It turned out Jennifer had decided to stay in Upper Danubia to go to college for at least a year. Upper Danubia had grown on Jennifer during her year in high school as an exchange student. She now felt comfortable in the country and was not ready to give up her friendships with Anyia and some of her other classmates. More importantly, she was not ready to give up her relationship with her naked boyfriend. At the university café he was by her side, in his usual subdued manner, with his bottom pink from constantly being slapped. While they were talking Jennifer ordered her boyfriend to get her and Kim some fruit punch. The order, as every other command she gave him, was accompanied with two sharp slaps on the bottom as he left, and two more when he came back with the drinks.

Kim was surprised to find out where Jennifer was living. She was staying with her exchange-program counselor, the same woman who had punished her in high school. It turned out that her counselor had helped her enroll at the university and complete the paperwork needed to extend her student visa. Obviously Jennifer needed to behave with proper protocol at all times in the woman's house, but in public she rebelled by wearing jeans and keeping her non-Danubian hairstyle.

The grim and politically charged atmosphere on campus worried Kim and her fiancée. The campus was bitterly divided between students coming in from the eastern provinces who supported the Greater Danubian Progressive Party, and the ones from the capitol and the surrounding Central Valley, who mostly supported the Party of the Duchy. That afternoon Kim, Sergekt, Eloisa, Dima, and Valia sat down to afternoon tea at a university café to discuss the country's future. Sergekt, the most politically aware of the group, explained the Duchy's political situation to his increasingly dismayed friends. He concluded:

"This country is going to be in a lot of trouble, no matter who wins the next election. Our choices are just terrible. The "Nobility" doesn't have a viable candidate and they think it's still 1945. The "Progressives" have been bought out and want to hand us over to foreign companies. The "Dissidents" couldn't organize making a pot of tea. Who will we vote for? Or maybe we'll just have election after election..."

Sergekt looked at Dima, who sighed and buried his hands in his hair. The three women had no clue what to say.

----------

Officer Vladik Dukov invited his partner to his father's house a couple of weeks after Kim and her friends started classes at the university. Vladik thought it would be a perfect afternoon for a quiet tryst with his lover, with Anyia in school, his fiancée and Kimberly Lee at the university, and his parents at work. 

The couple turned off their police radios and parked their bicycles near the front door of the Dukov residence. There would be a nice three hours to have some wine, a small meal, and a pleasant session of lovemaking under the sun in the back yard. The two cops had done this plenty of times before. There was no reason to suspect today's adventure would end any differently. 

The two officers finished their meal and went into the back yard. Their uniforms came off and Vladik caressed his partner's lean, muscular figure, enjoying the feel of the hot sun on his backside and his lover's hardened sweaty body underneath. Maybe he was engaged, and maybe she was married, but it seemed...

The kitchen door swung open and banged loudly against the back wall. The two naked cops looked up to see Vladik's fiancée, holding a camera. The camera clicked twice before the young interloper dropped it down her blouse. The photographer addressed the policewoman with a tone of quiet rage in her voice that frightened both cops.

"I expect you to put on your uniform and be off this property within a minute. If you take any longer than 60 seconds your section chief sees these pictures tomorrow morning, and your husband will see them tomorrow afternoon."

The policewoman jumped up to grab her uniform and quickly got dressed in the living room. As soon as she had her tunic and boots on she scrambled out the door and sped off on her bicycle. Vladik reached for his uniform as well. His fiancée snatched away the clothes before he could reach them.

"You will not put this on. You have proven yourself unworthy to be a police officer, just like you have proven yourself unworthy to be my husband."

She reached back and pulled her silver hairpiece out of her hair, and then quickly tore off her necklace and her ring. She threw the items at Vladik's feet.

"Your father had no right to call you Vladik. You are a disgrace to our King's name, and you're a disgrace to your family's name."

Vladik had nothing to say. There was nothing for him to deny, she had seen everything with her own eyes and it was on film. There was no point in trying to persuade her to give him a second chance, in Upper Danubia a dishonored engagement never got a second chance. Finally he choked out a question:

"How did you know?"

"I could see it in your eyes, Vladik. I could see it in your eyes for more than a year, but I kept deluding myself it was my imagination. Anyhow, I have a classmate whose younger sister is a friend of Anyia. Last week she mentioned your partner's little visits to this house, and I became more suspicious. But, what I want you to know is that it was not your sister who gave you away. You gave yourself away."

"I suppose I did..."

"You made a final mistake today. I saw the bicycles and let myself in. You were very foolish to have left those bicycles there and not to have locked your front door."

"I...I don't know what to say."

"Well, I do know what to say, you dishonored liar. Your life is ruined. I will see to that. It's up to you to decide whether you want me to ruin your partner's life."

"No...you can ruin my life, but not hers."

"That's up to you. If you wish to spare your partner you will resign from the National Police, effective immediately. If you wish to spare your family and those two Americans, you will resign. That will be my revenge, destroying your career. Next Monday I will check the National Police roster. If your badge number is still active, your section chief, your partner's section chief, your partner's husband, and your father will get copies of the pictures. If your badge number is removed, then I will send the pictures and the negatives to you, after I'm absolutely sure your resignation is finalized."

With that she threw Vladik's uniform on the ground and walked out. As she went through the front door, the woman's controlled rage became a bit less controlled. She picked up Vladik's police bicycle and with all her strength flung it at Dukov's front window. It shattered several panes and broke part of the window frame. It was a very un-Danubian display of temper, but one Vladik realized he deserved.

Vladik lost no time putting on civilian clothes and folding up his uniform. He got on his bicycle and rode back to the Central Police Station. He knew his ex-fiancée would be true to her word, whether he chose to resign or attempt to keep his job. She wanted revenge against him, not anyone else, not even his partner. However, she was perfectly willing to destroy the other people in Vladik's life if he did not accept the punishment she had laid out for him. Vladik's concern was to protect his father and his lover from his mistakes, not himself, so there was no question his police career had ended.

Vladik went up to his father's office and typed out a letter of resignation on one of the secretary's computers. He printed several copies and then went downstairs to present them to his stunned section chief. He handed his folded uniform to his chief along with the letters.

"I dishonored myself, my uniform, and my father's house. I am unfit to wear this uniform and am returning it to you."

"Have you lost your mind?! You're one of our best officers! You're up for promotion! You could be a section chief within two years!"

"No, that would never happen. I...did something that if you knew, you'd understand. It's not just my life that's involved, but also several others. It is best...for everyone...that I resign. That'll spare the honor of several innocent people, including you."

Vladik's dumbfounded boss reluctantly signed his resignation letters, realizing his star employee apparently was resigning to prevent a scandal. The section chief was torn between wondering what on earth Officer Dukov had done that was so terrible and hoping not to find out.

With that Vladik went back upstairs to his father's office. Kim was at her desk, researching some of Dukov's old cases for an upcoming class project. Kim, upon seeing Vladik in civilian clothes and with a stricken look on his face, realized something was very wrong. He sat down and buried his forehead in his hands.

"You will need to find someone else to punish your client Tiffany next year. I'm not...I'm not an officer with the National Police anymore. I'm dishonored, and I have only myself to blame."

For a moment Kim stared in silence at Vladik, who didn't even look like the same person with his broken expression. She decided it would be a good idea to get him out of the police station and then get him to talk about what happened. She told him to accompany her to the nearby river park. He listlessly complied and walked with her down several city blocks to the spot where Danube City gave way to the strip of parkland that lined the Danube River.

Kim knew, because she was not Danubian, Vladik would be able to speak to her and not have to be afraid of being judged according to the harsh standards of the Duchy's morality. Vladik did what he most needed to do, talk. In a single afternoon he had lost his fiancée, his mistress, his job, and his self-esteem. The fallout from his mistakes would continue that evening when he would have to face his irate parents and uncle.

"I don't know myself what was wrong with me. She was perfect: smart, determined, educated, pretty, from a good family. Her parents liked me and Mother certainly liked her. She got along with Anyia...she's a woman with honor. And what did I give her up for? I gave her up for sex with a woman I preferred, but one who I knew could never be mine."

"Vladik, did you love your fiancée at all?"

"No. The woman I love is my partner. I respect my fiancée, but I don't love her. I don't know why. She's everything a man could possibly want, but in my heart I never appreciated her. That is why I'm so dishonored."

"Well, I'm going to be honest and tell you that, from my point of view, I think you got what you deserved. I never said anything, but I knew what was going on because it was a bit obvious. I think what you did to both those women, especially your fiancée, was totally wrong. The only thing I can say is I do admire you for taking the blame yourself and trying to protect everyone else."

Vladik said nothing. Kim thought for a moment and then continued with a statement that over time would change how he saw himself and what he wanted from life.

"I was wondering...you know, about how you Danubians see love. Maybe you're all a bit too logical about it. It's always 'good family' and 'honor' and 'logical partner', and never 'how do you actually feel about this person'. Maybe she was too perfect for you. Maybe what you need is a woman with flaws and problems, someone you can love for who she is and how she feels about you, not for what she is. If your parents approve, that's great. If they don't..." Kim shrugged her shoulders, "that's their problem, not yours."

"That's not how we think, Kimberly. A proper partner is necessary to have tranquility in life."

"Really? You had a 'proper partner', and how tranquil was your life? You deceived and lied to everyone you knew, and you wasted four years of her life because you didn't love her. To me that's not how you should live. It's definitely not living with honor." 

"Very well, Kimberly, since you seem to have the answers, let me ask you this. What do you think I should do next? What advice can you give me?"

"Really there's only two things. First, start over. Get another job, or maybe go to college. Maybe with the end of your career with the National Police Force you've been blessed instead of cursed. Think about it. Maybe now you can just enjoy yourself instead of worrying all the time about your responsibilities and what other people think about you. Then, you'll be free to find a woman who you actually like being with, instead of a 'proper partner'."

"You make it sound so easy."

"Well it's not. It's easier to do things the way you've been doing them, because everything was laid out for you. But it's obvious to me that you can't live an easy life. You need a life where you have to make your own choices and suffer the consequences. If you can accept that about yourself, then you have the chance to be happy."

Kim and Vladik came up to the grounds behind the Temple of the Ancients. Suddenly Vladik decided to go in and talk to a priest. He knelt and confessed what had happened while Kim stood nervously watching. The priest repeated much of what Kim had told Vladik, that he needed to start his life over with a better understanding of what he really wanted. The priest then suggested Vladik undergo a purification ritual and perform public penance during the week leading up to the Day of the Dead Ceremony. Public penance would allow Vladik time to divide his life between who he had been up until that day and who he would become after the Day of the Dead. Vladik agreed, nodded, and stood up.

Two female attendants dressed in black robes took Vladik by the hands to a stone platform behind the main Temple building. There was a fire-pit with an active fire at one end, and a small prayer stand at the other end.




Maragana Girl Ch. 27



Vladik stood at attention in front of the prayer stand. The two attendants quickly undressed him. One of the women handed Kim his wallet, watch, keys, and a religious medallion. The rest of Vladik's belongings went into the fire.

Vladik then knelt at the prayer stand, as the priest stood in front of him and an attendant stood to either side. There was a lengthy set of ancient prayers that Kim could not understand, some burning of incense, then more prayers. Vladik then began a series of confessions. The priest was much more interested in Vladik's habit of lying than in his physical acts of adultery. Merely confessing to a lie was not enough for the priest. As he confessed to each incident in his life, Vladik had to go into detail concerning what he actually said, why he told the lie, and its result. Kim could tell that Vladik was becoming increasingly scared, because his confessions were far more numerous and detailed than he had anticipated. It was obvious the priest was determined to dig deep into Vladik's soul, to find out what made his mind work and what motivated him. In the end, Kim found out much more about his secret thoughts than she cared to know.

The priest asked Vladik what he wanted for his future, but he only could answer by referring to his past. He wanted to live differently, but wasn't sure how. To Kim's surprise the priest did not have much advice, apart from telling him the obvious, that he needed to be more truthful. However, Dukov's disgraced son now faced a radical change in his daily life, which would last at least through the upcoming Day of the Dead ceremony. 

The priest began Vladik's public penance by collaring him. The collar was a special Temple issue instead of a standard Ministry of Justice issue. It was smooth instead of grooved, lacked the metal loop, and had no transmitter. It could be unlocked by a priest, taken off, and reused. Its purpose was not to control Vladik's movements, but rather mark him as serving public penance. The rules Vladik would have to live under were very similar to the rules of a "willingly repentant" criminal such as Malka Chorno. Like a convicted criminal, he was prohibited from wearing any clothing at any time, the standards of criminal protocol applied, and he could not take a seat on public transportation. The only difference was the option of ending his penance whenever he chose. In Vladik's case, the priest assumed he would serve his penance up through the Day of the Dead ceremony and participate in the march, but then turn in his collar and start the second phase of his life once the march was completed.

It was getting dark by the time Vladik and Kim left the Temple. It felt extremely odd for Kim to be out on the street with Vladik, their roles reversed with her wearing normal clothes while he walked alongside collared and naked. Finally they boarded a trolley and headed back to Spokesman Dukov's house.

Dukov and Maritza both were waiting in the living room with plenty of questions. Upon seeing their son nude and wearing a penance collar, their questions about what happened multiplied. Vladik, now in his new role of performing public penance, had to kneel upon greeting his father, who still was a public official. Dukov did not give Vladik permission to stand up.

The news that day for Vladik's parents had gone from bad to worse. First came word of Vladik's resignation through his boss. The section chief called Dukov, wondering if the Spokesman had any clue that would explain his son's sudden resignation. Dukov was infuriated upon hearing the news, not so much over the resignation itself, but because Vladik had not talked to him about it. Then came a call from Maritza with information about their smashed front window and the engagement jewelry thrown in the back yard. Maritza had thought something must have gone wrong between Kim and Sergekt, but when her husband relayed the information about Vladik's resignation it became logical to assume the engagement jewelry must have been from Vladik's fiancée, not Kim. Dukov, extremely worried, made a series of phone calls but was unable to find out anything more.

Vladik, his head still pressed to the ground, filled in the missing information. He admitted to having an affair with his police partner and that afternoon his fiancée had walked in on them. That prompted a round of angry questions from Maritza, which brought out the detail that Vladik's fiancée had suspected the affair for more than a year and finally captured proof of it on film. The threat of exposure explained his sudden resignation from the National Police, because he and his partner had been conducting their affair during hours they were supposed to be working.

Maritza was livid. Her intense anger frightened Kim, given that she never had seen the woman lose her temper any time before. She tore into her son about disgracing the Dukov name and ruining his chances to marry into one of Upper Danubia's "best" families. And for what? Sex with a vulgar, skinny, ugly, uneducated peasant, and one who already was married on top of everything else. You gave up your future for that?

As Maritza continued to berate and insult her kneeling son, Kim realized something about the elder Dukovs. It turned out they never had fully recovered psychologically from their sentences and were determined to move the family as high as possible through "proper" marriages for their children. Kim realized Maritza had gone to great lengths to set up meetings between Vladik and several young women from the country's "old blood" and was enormously pleased to see him engaged to a fine young woman. Kim also realized Vladik had become engaged to placate his parents. Try as he might, he never actually loved the "proper" young woman to whom he was engaged. Now he was paying a terrible price for his misdirected efforts.

Maritza landed several vicious kicks at her son's upturned bottom and then stormed out of the room. For several minutes the room was full of tense silence, with Vladim Dukov wondering if he should ask Kim to leave and Kim wanting to tell him to let his son get off his knees.

In spite of the immediate crisis, Vladim's mind already was moving ahead. He broke the silence by asking Vladik how long he planned to perform public penance, and then what he wanted to do afterwards. Vladik, still kneeling, responded that he figured going to the country's military academy would be a good option. He didn't see why he couldn't be a good military officer and two years of academy training would be waved because of his police experience. As for the penance, he wasn't sure how long that would last.

"Very well, Vladik. I'll make some calls to assure you receive a slot in the January class. In the meantime you'd better get a job that keeps you busy in the evenings. I can tell you your mother isn't going to want to see you for a while."

----------

Kim took Vladik to the music store the following day to see what work might be available for him. The other employees gathered around, shocked at seeing Officer Vladik Dukov out of his uniform and performing public penance. The store's owner did have an appropriate job for Vladik, as a temporary contractor to recommend upgrades for the store's security system and run checks on the wiring and fire safety equipment. Another tasking would be to create an emergency evacuation plan for both the store and nearby studio complex. The work easily would last until Vladik's Academy date in January, but with the condition he had to remain naked during working hours, no matter what. Vladik agreed, and simply decided to extend his public penance until the end of the year.

As Vladik started walking around the store with a blueprint of the building's wiring in his hands, he noticed Tiffany Walker cleaning windows and dusting the windowsills. Of all the people in the store astounded to see the disgraced cop out of his uniform, she was by far the most surprised, given that he so recently had been her arresting officer and had switched her just three weeks before. Vladik realized he owed her an explanation.

Because he was a contractor being paid by the task instead of a regular employee, Vladik was free to take breaks when he wanted. When Tiffany had her lunch hour, he decided to try to talk to her, in spite of a language barrier that still was quite formidable. He spoke a small amount of English and she spoke a small amount of Danubian. Between them they had a dictionary, so with a lot of effort they were able to communicate. Tiffany accepted Vladik's invitation for lunch at a nearby café, partially flattered that he was paying attention to her, and partially curious to find out what had happened to him.

As they began trying to talk to each other, they stopped referring to each other as Criminal # 98946 and Officer Dukov. From now on it would be Tiffany, (or "Deevonay", as he pronounced it) and Vladik. They were equals and, at least for the time-being, co-workers. The relationship they had as police officer and criminal no longer had any relevance in their lives, because Vladik himself now was much closer to being a criminal than to being a police officer.

Tiffany listened to Vladik's story about his fiancée, his partner, and his forfeited police career. As first she couldn't understand why Vladik had to resign, but finally understood when he told her that he and his partner had been conducting their affair during working hours. She realized there was much more than just the detail about the misuse of work hours, some cultural stuff she couldn't yet understand. Tiffany's judgment was much less harsh than even Kim's had been. She mostly felt sorry for Vladik, because he seemed like a decent person, even if he was somewhat flawed. 

Tiffany went home that night to Victor Dukov's house. She knelt and greeted him, then got up to join him and his family for dinner. As Victor conversed with his wife in Danubian, Tiffany heard Vladik's name mentioned. In spite of her very limited Danubian vocabulary, Tiffany could tell from Victor's expressions and gestures that he saw his nephew as a dishonored fool.

After dinner Criminal # 98946 thought about her own situation, her mind functioning more clearly now that she was clean. Tiffany marveled at her own recovery. She had not taken any mind-altering substance for more than eight weeks. She also had been celibate the entire time, but did not miss sex in the least. Her sexual desires had burned out, at least for the time being. Whether or not her sexual drive ever would come back was a question that still had to be answered. She presumed, over time, she might be able to enjoy sex again, assuming it was with the right guy. The right guy...

Tiffany's thoughts shifted to the disgraced young cop. She cringed at remembering the switching he had given her, but she did not hold that against Vladik. He simply had been doing his job, and she had returned to Upper Danubia knowing she faced physical punishment. The experience had been horrible, but Tiffany was quite glad to have endured it because it removed some of the self-hatred and guilt from her past. She then thought about the comment he made immediately before he began punishing her, that he wanted her to show him courage and honor. The comment made her aware of an important detail about Vladik; even though he had to punish her, he cared about her. 

As Tiffany thought about Vladik, she pondered what the possibilities might be for a relationship with him, whether it be friendship or perhaps something more. She knew his life was in crisis and he could use a friend, someone not connected with his past and who would not judge him. She went to sleep promising herself she would try to get to know him better, and see what might come out of it. 

The following morning, when he saw her at work, Vladik asked Tiffany to accompany him on the upcoming Day of the Dead march. Tiffany happily agreed, relieved not to have to endure that strange experience alone. Vladik's simple gesture of friendship signaled the end of Tiffany's isolation and the real beginning of her redemption. 

----------

The night of the Equinox, the members of Socrates' Mistresses led hymns in the Plaza of the Ancients. This was the first year the band would sing instead of march, its 15 members performing dressed in black robes. Several cameramen were filming the concert for footage to later include in music videos. Eloisa and her singers outdid themselves presenting the most mournful music Upper Danubia had ever created as the marchers moved out and the religious ceremonies began. The music moved many members of the public to tears, but there was no applause. The morose atmosphere of the Day of the Dead demanded somber behavior from the audience. They were to listen respectfully, but not make any noise themselves.

Vladik and Tiffany marched out together, with torches in their hands and their bodies covered in white body paint with black highlights. They marched in a single-file column with 1,300 other criminals and Temple penitents. A second column of the same size headed off in the opposite direction with the plan to reunite the following morning at the rest camp at the other end of Danube City. Tiffany was quite happy to have Vladik marching in front of her during this bizarre and rather frightening experience. 

----------

The Equinox prayers were very painful for Vladim and Maritza Dukov. In contrast with the previous year, the only member of the family present with them was Anyia. As she knelt praying, Maritza increasingly became burdened with guilt over her treatment of Vladik, and saw very clearly she had to apologize to him. 

Spokesman Vladim Dukov's visions terrified him. He saw Upper Danubia as an impoverished, polluted, deforested wasteland, the historical buildings of Danube City torn down and the city's smoky streets jammed with cars. Gangs roamed freely, attacking at random, while desperate pensioners stood outside the dilapidated Parliament Building clamoring for what little the government could provide them in food relief. The plazas and parks were full of drug addicts and the hospitals full of AIDS patients. Billboards and advertising for foreign products cluttered the landscape, but from all the closed stores and factories it was obvious Upper Danubia no longer was producing anything, not even food. As Dukov's mind traveled through his nightmarish vision of his country, it seemed the only industries doing well were casinos and sex tourism. 

An even more frightening scene filled the Spokesman's mind, as his imagination carried him east to the recently deforested mountains. Dukov watched as heavy rains washed vast amounts of mud from nearby hills into the Rika Chorna Reservoir. Suddenly several huge landslides plunged into the lake, breaking the dam and sending floodwaters downstream. The wall of water annihilated two provincial capitols and many villages before completely leveling Danube City. Dukov's last vision was of a Danubian flag floating in muddy water. He caught a very quick glimpse of King Vladik's empty throne, and then came back to the real world.

Maritza looked over at her husband's terrified, gasping face.

"Vladim! Vladim! What happened? What did you see!?" 

"I...I watched our country die, Maritza, the entire country. I actually witnessed the last day of the Duchy."

----------

The following day Vladik stayed with Tiffany while she picked up her winter cape and boots. Like Kim two years before her, Tiffany was dismayed when she pulled it out and saw what a ghastly piece of clothing it was. 

"This is shit! I can't wear this!"

"No Deevonay, what you say, true. Criminals no wear cape. Boot yes, cape no."

"Fuck!"

Tiffany went upstairs to get her criminal number from Kim. After kneeling and doing the protocol greeting, Tiffany jumped on the issue of the cape. Kim responded.

"Well, I got through two winters with wearing that thing maybe ten times altogether. The truth is they don't want you to use it, it's just for cold snaps and if you have to be outdoors for more than a few minutes." Kim then explained the survival strategy for wearing nothing but boots during the winter, ducking into buildings whenever possible and jogging if it was necessary to go more than a couple of blocks without having a building to warm up in. 

Tiffany then went with Vladik to the Temple of the Ancients and watched as he knelt to address the priest. Vladik told the priest he wanted to continue his penance until the end of the year and asked for a pair of Temple shoes to protect his feet from the increasingly cold pavement of Danube City's streets. The priest gave him a pair of black boots with the Temple emblem. For Vladik there would be no cape. Persons performing penance stayed nude, no matter how cold it was outside.

----------

September became October as Danube City enjoyed the final sunny days leading up to the fall rains. During the weeks following the Day of the Dead ceremony Vladik never missed an opportunity to invite Tiffany out for lunch. He found her fascinating, with her tall thin body and strange hair that contrasted with anything a Danubian woman would wear. Her personality fascinated him as well, because she was so completely different from either his ex-fiancée or his ex-partner. Even Tiffany's past, which would have disqualified her as a partner for most Danubian men, fascinated Vladik. Tiffany was as "un-proper" as a woman could possibly be, but Vladik found himself wanting to spend more and more time with her.

During October Tiffany became increasingly acclimated to her life in Danube City, but not because of Kim. At the beginning Kim had expected to take time away from her studies and rehearsals to spend with her client, showing her around and teaching her what she needed to know to function as a criminal in Danube City. However, while Kim had lunch in the employee break-room with Eloisa and the other female vocalists, Tiffany was nowhere in sight, and neither was Vladik. When her shift ended, it always was Vladik, not Kim, who accompanied Tiffany back to Victor Dukov's house. Several times Kim and Eloisa watched dumbfounded as Vladik and Tiffany walked towards the river during their breaks, smiling and bantering with each other. Eloisa commented:

"If those two start going out, they are going to be the weirdest couple in Danube City."

Kim thought about Eloisa's comment, but did not agree. There was nothing odd about the coincidence that Vladik and Tiffany were rebuilding their lives at the same time and thus would be attracted to each other. They both were in disgrace, they both were burdened with guilt from their pasts, and they both were starting from nothing.

----------

The first Saturday in October Tiffany and Vladik went to the Socrates Club for the first time. Tiffany actually liked the club, but her companion was a bit nervous upon seeing several criminals he had punished while still a police officer. Finally he calmed down and focused on his own situation instead of worrying about what the others thought about him.

As he sat with Tiffany, the emotion of the past three weeks built up in Vladik Dukov's heart. A month before he never could have imagined he would be sitting at a table at the famous criminal's club, as naked as any criminal and struggling with his growing feelings towards a dishonored woman who was a recovering drug addict and former prostitute. Then the words of Kimberly Lee came back to him... "Maybe what you need is a woman with flaws and problems, someone you can love for who she is and how she feels about you, not for what she is."

With that thought on his mind, Vladik invited Tiffany to dance. Vladik had no real plans, other than to enjoy Tiffany's company. For the first time in his life he did not have to worry about protocol, furthering his career, acting "properly", or trying to impress anyone. He simply could enjoy Tiffany for what she was to him, a friend and a companion.




Maragana Girl Ch. 27



Tiffany was both very excited and very nervous as she felt Vladik's body brushing against hers. She had such a degraded view of herself that she found it hard to believe that she had anything to offer someone like Vladik. However, like her partner, he could give her something that she desperately needed from him, companionship and a friend who seemed not eager to judge her. At the same time she felt flattered that a man who just a month ago was so much above her socially now was accessible and treating her like he would treat any other woman. For the first time in several years Tiffany faced the hope of having a "normal" relationship. It was for sure that Vladik was nothing like Ray, nor was he like any of her former customers.

The ex-cop and the ex-stripper left the club after dancing, since there was no point in staying once the music stopped. Tiffany's understanding of Danubian was not nearly at the proficiency necessary to follow the speeches from her fellow-criminals. The issue of going to an "intimacy room" never came up that night, because neither was quite ready to make that emotional leap in their relationship. However, by the time they finished their last dance it was obvious both of them were moving in that direction. They went home by trolley, standing up according to the rule regarding the use of public transportation by criminals. Vladik kissed Tiffany goodnight, each of them enjoying the feel of the other's bare body as they hugged on Victor Dukov's front porch.

When she went upstairs into her room, Tiffany studied her bare figure in the mirror. She was surprised by how good she looked, her body fully recovered from the past two years of abuse. The only signs remaining from her drug habit were the faint remains of needle-track scars in her arms and a cut on her forehead she received from a drug dealer who had double-crossed her and knocked her unconscious. She struck several poses, and then turned her back to the mirror to study her bottom. Tiffany always had been proud of her backside, which now looked pretty good now that it had filled out a bit and the welts from her punishment were completely healed. Maybe she had something to offer him after all.

Tiffany still faced a difficult life, largely because of her ongoing cravings, which popped up unexpectedly. She had a bad one just the past week, to the point she actually looked around Danube City to see if she could find someone selling. However, true to Kim's word, it seemed drugs were completely unavailable within the Danube City collar zone. The only legal items were beer, wine, and cigarettes. The only alcohol sold to criminals was the weak and very filling beer served at the Socrates Club. The law prohibited wine and cigarettes from being sold to collared criminals.

Tiffany realized she now had a much more important reason to stay clean than the simple unavailability of drugs. She had hope of a relationship with Vladik. He was a very flawed person, of course. He wouldn't have lost his job as a police officer had his faults not caught up with him. However, he also was a courteous and resilient man, already thinking more about his future in the Danubian Army than his past in the Danubian National Police. Vladik Dukov gave Tiffany Walker a purpose in life, something much more than simply wanting to stay alive for the sake of staying alive.



Maragana Girl Ch. 28



Chapter 28 -- Candidate Vladim Dukov

By the beginning of October, Upper Danubia had reached an important crossroads in its history. The "Progressives", now aided by corporate campaign donors and foreign professional political advisors, were well organized and campaigning aggressively. Their advisors had developed a slick advertising campaign against the Party of the Duchy in particular and against traditional Danubian values in general. Their candidate was a charismatic banking executive from Rika Chorna. He had a flamboyant personality and shady past, but was a gifted speaker and accustomed to appearing on television. 

The opposition candidate mobilized the anger of the eastern part of the country into a populist movement of uneducated voters to oust the country's old leaders once and for all. It looked like Upper Danubia was about to be thrust, completely and fully, into a global economy of which its people understood nothing. The capitol's intellectuals saw disaster looming in the frantic rush for change, but were unsure what to do about it. 

The first priority for the conservatives was to choose a viable candidate for Prime Minister, someone respected and not associated with the recently defeated government. Finally, in a closed meeting of top conservative leaders, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court suggested an unlikely candidate, a complete political outsider he had confronted many times in court when he was still a prosecutor. Most of the others reluctantly agreed. It was a choice being made out of desperation.

----------

Two weeks after the Equinox, as Kim and Tatiana were reading over their first major college assignments for the year, a group of old-guard Danubian political leaders entered the office. The two Apprentices were a bit awestruck, since the visitors included the country's ex-Prime Minister, several current Cabinet Ministers, and even the country's Grand Duke, who was a direct descendent of King Vladik the Defender. 

The men formed an archaic and pompous group, but they greeted Dukov fully understanding the future of their country was at stake. The group also had enough common sense to realize their time had passed. They no longer were in any position to lead the Danubian people, which was why they had come to the Spokesman's office. 

Dukov came out into the waiting area, a bit taken aback by the presence of men to whom he owed allegiance as a public official. He realized that was about to change when the group saluted him. Dukov invited his unexpected guests into the back office, while Kim and the two secretaries scrambled to find enough chairs, make tea, and gather up whatever refreshments they could find from other offices. They quickly entered the back room, distributed seating, teacups, and plates of sweet rolls. The three assistants then saluted and backed out. Kim glanced at Vladim Dukov, sitting at his desk. He looked very nervous.

Kim returned to her reading, although she hardly could concentrate, knowing something very important was happening on the other side of that closed door just a couple of meters away. After two hours the dignitaries came back out, as the three women stood to salute them yet again. Kim noticed the visitors seemed to leave in a much better mood than they had been when they went in.

As soon as the political leaders left, the three women rushed into Dukov's back office. He was standing behind his desk, pale and with a stunned look on his face. After a moment he seemed to partially collect his thoughts.

"I need to meet with this city's other Spokespersons," he began quietly in Danubian. "We will reassign most of my clients, except...well, three...three who I think I...absolutely need to keep. I...I need to have you train under someone else, maybe Spokesman Havlakt...because...I am...I will not be available. And...Tatiana...and Kimberly, I am leaving this office to you." 

Dukov turned to his secretaries.

"You need to help me transfer the files. The path of my life...is not to be a Spokesman anymore."

Kim and her companions assumed the worst, that perhaps Dukov had been fired for his political activities. "Spokesman...what happened? Are you in trouble?"

"Trouble? Yes, in a manner of speaking. I am in deep trouble, because the tranquility of my life has just ended. I have been called upon to change my path, and I must serve." 

For the first time during the time she had known him, Kim saw Dukov a bit disoriented. He stared straight ahead as he spoke.

"Kimberly, I believe you have an expression in your country: 'no favor goes unpunished' or something similar to that, is that not so?"

"It's 'no good deed goes unpunished', Spokesman Dukov."

"Yes, yes. 'No good deed goes unpunished.' That is indeed the expression you have." Dukov took a very deep breath and continued. "I am not a politician. I never wanted to be a politician. But...now, because of what I wrote earlier this year, and that speech I gave last month...I...have become...a politician. The ex-Prime Minister and the Grand Duke...they want me to lead the Party of the Duchy...in the upcoming election. If they...I mean we...win, I would become this country's next Prime Minister."

"Spokesman Dukov, that's great! Congratulations!"

Dukov angrily shook his head. "This is not something I want to do, Kimberly! At first I refused. I have never been a member of the Party of the Duchy. I do not support much of what they have promoted. In fact, I supported the 'Progressives' until all those foreign advisors took over and poisoned their souls. I want reform, but not reform as the foreigners define it. We need to make our own path for reform, not walk in one laid out by foreign money."

Dukov seemed to recover from the shock of the sudden upheaval of his life. His mind began focusing on his new task, to become a Spokesman for the Danubian nation.

"I do not like the 'Nobility'. I never liked them and I let them know it. I warned those leaders I would demand changes in their party's policies if they insist on running me as their candidate. The conservatives do not really like me either, but they seem to think I am the only public figure from Danube City with enough respect in the east to win the next election. For once they seem more concerned about the Duchy's future than about themselves. They conceded to my wishes on the policy matters, which gave me no choice other than to accept the candidacy. I now am obligated to win an election...as the candidate for the conservatives."

Dukov's mood seemed to shift, as he looked out his window at the distant mountains that rose above the housetops of Danube City. Those same mountains separated the capitol from the Duchy's interior and divided the country in more ways than one. The Spokesman's voice sounded much more distant to his three assistants as he concluded:

"There is much anger in the east, and right now it is a very destructive anger. The government never really understood the rage that arose from all those burnt villages is quite justified, not until it was too late. By ignoring what happened in the east last year the Prime Minister forfeited his right to govern. That is what I told him, and he actually accepted my rebuke. However, the message I must convey to the eastern provinces is that destroying ourselves as a nation is not the way to address that anger. We must not abolish who we are just because of a fire and some foreign money. I will speak for both past and the future of our country, and I can only hope enough of our people will listen."

With that Spokesman Vladim Dukov began the complicated task of ending his career. Within an hour he was giving an impromptu speech to the city's other Spokespersons and seeking their approval to leave his position. Following the official blessing by Dukov's peers, the staff from the 20 offices spent a very long night dividing up his caseload and transporting files. 

The following morning Spokesman Vladim Dukov officially turned in his resignation, as did his two secretaries. They would follow him to his new position and cast their fortunes with his. Shortly afterwards he appeared on television in the National Parliament as the official leading candidate for the Party of the Duchy. He lost no time making everyone realize he planned to take both the party and Upper Danubia in a totally new direction and in detail laid out policy changes he planned to pursue if elected.

----------

Spokesman Vladim Dukov proved to be a formidable candidate and a huge asset to the faltering Party of the Duchy during the days following his appointment. His years in court made him a good public speaker and skilled debater. He had a dignified, subdued presence that contrasted with his flamboyant opponent. At first the opposition's foreign advisors scoffed at facing a public defense attorney as their main opponent. However, within a week they began to view Dukov's candidacy with some concern, because it turned out he was indeed the one public figure with enough credibility to possibly win an election for the "Nobility".

The campaign quickly got ugly. Dukov found himself being attacked for not only his political beliefs, but also for his personal life. The public learned he had been a convicted criminal for five years, and learned why. It turned out he and his wife had been members of a radical group of dissident students 30 years before. Oh, yes, "Vladim the Subversive" may look serious and quiet, but secretly he has extremely anti-democratic and anti-free market ideas. The past doesn't lie. 

Dukov countered by explaining, in detail, the student group, his role in it, the conditions of his sentence, and how his personal and political beliefs had evolved since he was sentenced. Instead of trying to avoid the issue, he agreed the question was a reasonable one, and tried to address it as honestly as he could. The attack against his past backfired to some extent, because in answering the questions about his early political activities Dukov had the opportunity to explain why he believed what he believed and how his ideas had formed over time.

----------

The election brought out a serious division in Danubian society. The division between the two parties was not just geographical and ideological, but also professional. The ex-Spokesman's team consisted mostly of legal experts, a retired police commander, two provincial governors, and several judges, while the "Progressives" top group mostly consisted of economists, stockbrokers, and bankers. As for Danube City's businesses, the owners were evenly divided between the "Nobility" and the "Progressives". Older, more established businesses and trade unions mostly supported Dukov, but younger business owners, entrepreneurs, and importers mostly supported the opposition.

The owner of the Socrates Club and the owners of several music stores pledged their support to Dukov. They genuinely believed that Dukov was the best candidate, but also had a personal interest in seeing the "Nobility" win the election. If the Greater Danubian Progressive Party won and proceeded with its plan to build prisons, the decades-old Socrates Club would be put out of business, with all of its clients locked up. Dukov enjoyed additional support from the music storeowners largely for the same reason. With criminals in confinement, the tradition of Danubian musical groups would disappear, and with it, the entire independent Danubian music scene.

Immediately after ex-Spokesman Vladim Dukov announced his candidacy as the leader of the Party of the Duchy, Sergekt called Dima and Eloisa to discuss what role, if any "Socrates' Mistresses" might have in the upcoming election. The couple adamantly wanted to provide whatever assistance to Dukov's candidacy possible. They met with the band's other 13 members that evening to make sure no one had any objections to participating in Dukov's campaign. The meeting was mostly formality, because the band members were personally indebted to Dukov from the time they had been criminals. All of them enthusiastically supported the suggestion the band support Dukov's candidacy.

Eloisa, Dima and Sergekt went to Dukov's campaign office to meet with him. They walked though a barrage of reporters and conservative dignitaries, then saluted as they greeted him. Dukov greeted the band's two leaders with enthusiasm. He made no effort to conceal his gratitude. His candidacy needed any help it could get, and the support of Upper Danubia's most popular band was a tremendous asset to his campaign. The support of "Socrates' Mistresses" offset some of the publicity the "Progressives" were receiving from their foreign donors. Sergekt promised performances in four different provincial capitols and a final one in the capitol. 

----------

Dukov's candidacy changed Kim's personal plans, the most important of which was the date she and Sergekt planned to get married. At first Kim wondered how she could salvage her wedding plans now that Upper Danubia's political situation had so completely intruded into her life. It was obvious Dukov would not be able to take time out from his campaign to attend her wedding, but to Kim it was extremely important that he and his family participate. Finally she accepted the obvious, there was no way she could get married in October and have the wedding she wanted. Marrying Sergekt would have to wait. Kim brought up the problem to her fiancée, who sadly agreed. They could not get married until after the election. 

Kim called Cindy to ask her to postpone her family's trip. Cindy changed the reservations their parents, but decided to keep her own reservation. She was working on her M.A in political science, and decided to be present for Upper Danubia's election. She commented to Kim. "You guys are going up against American political advisors. Some of those consultants are people I've actually heard of. Let me come out and see if I can do anything to help Dukov's campaign." Kim agreed, and a couple of days later picked up Cindy at the airport.

Cindy brought with her a suitcase of political science journal articles and campaign guidebooks to prepare some briefings for Dukov. She spent hours in the former Spokesman's vacant office watching the opposition's campaign ads and having Kim translate them for her. As Kim watched her sister pour over her research material and prepare PowerPoint presentations, she realized what Cindy wanted to accomplish. Her ambitions went way beyond simply collecting research material for her Master's thesis. Kim's sister wanted to take part in altering the course of history.

Finally, on October 18, Kim's birthday and the date she had hoped to get married, she instead sat with Cindy in a room of Dukov and other Party of the Duchy dignitaries as she gave her first presentation. Cindy spoke with confidence about campaign strategies as Kim translated. Dukov listened attentively to the young woman, who for free, was giving him the political advice he needed to counter his well-funded opposition.

----------

The week after Cindy gave her first briefing, "Socrates Mistresses" accompanied Vladim Dukov to Rika Chorna and gave a concert during a party rally. The presence of Upper Danubia's most popular band helped Dukov's cause in that city tremendously. However, when the band got back to the Danubian capitol, there was trouble waiting for them. A group of attorneys from the band's record label had traveled to Danube City and demanded to speak alone with Kim. At first the owner of her music store, Spokesman Havlakt, and Dima wanted to accompany her. She decided no, I'll see them myself and find out what they want.

Kim sat in a conference room full of rather sinister-looking older professionals. This group was a bit of a shock to her, given that she had always been treated well, and in a friendly manner, by the representatives of her firm. The lawyers quickly made it clear why they were in Danube City. They explained to Kim that by supporting Dukov "Socrates Mistresses" had embarrassed the company. There were very important business interests depending on a victory by the Greater Danubian Progressive Party. "We thought you had things figured out, Miss Lee. Our associates are advising the 'Progressives' and paying for their campaign. We have the Embassy involved. And here you and your little criminal friends go off and sing for that group of has-beens. What are you trying to do to us?"

Kim sat in shock as the lawyers made it very clear that under no circumstances were the members of "Socrates Mistresses" to offer any further support to Vladim Dukov. They insinuated that Kim would end up in serious legal trouble in the US were she not to adhere to their advice, and the group would lose its contract.

Kim walked out of the meeting in shock, while the lawyers were confident they had made their point and there would be no further trouble from "Socrates' Mistresses". Alone, Kim left the hotel and walked past the old city wall. She continued through the quiet streets of the capitol to the Plaza of the Ancients, her mind in turmoil over how to react to this sudden sinister turn of events. Then, by pure chance, she ran across Dima, who was visiting some former co-workers at his old restaurant. As Dima joined her, Kim wondered if it really was chance, or fate, that had led her to Eloisa's long-suffering fiancée. She told him about the meeting, and about the threat to the group's contract. His response somewhat surprised her. There was no hesitation whatsoever in his voice.

"Kimberly, you should understand that the path of our lives is to sacrifice to safeguard our honor, our friendships, and our nation. We will stand with Spokesman Dukov and we will suffer the consequences, just like we stood by Eloisa and suffered the consequences. What I believe is the path of our lives is to be Danubian, not a bunch of rich singers."

"But...just like that? You really don't care about...the band?"

"I care about the band. But without our honor, our music means nothing. I never believed it was the path of our lives to be rich. I never felt good about that, all those foreign concerts and all that money. Now the money is going away, and I'm glad about it, because there won't be anything left except the music and our honor. You can ask any of the others, if you think I'm not speaking for them. What happened at your meeting doesn't matter to me at all. Tomorrow we're going back east and we're singing, no matter what the record label says."

Kim nodded. Dima had told her, deep down, what she really wanted to hear. Finally she responded "...then I'm one of you...I'm Danubian, and I'll sing for Spokesman Dukov." 

The next day Kim was supposed to have a follow-up meeting with her record label's attorneys. She missed that meeting to travel to the other end of Upper Danubia to sing at a campaign rally for the Party of the Duchy. She dedicated the final song of the concert, the English rendition of "The Wall that Divides my Soul", to the corporate lawyers by name. That night the infuriated legal team left Danube City to return to New York.

---------- 

The recording company responded to the group's arrogance by filing several lawsuits against the members of the band, and against Kim in particular. When the corporate lawyers called her to announce the pending suit, Kim's answer stunned them: "Well, you can sue me all you want, but if you do, you'd better hope your candidates win. If Spokesman Dukov wins, you won't collect shit from me."

The company announced the distribution of the group's music would stop immediately. Overnight CD's from "Socrates' Mistresses" vanished from music stores worldwide. Radio stations stopped playing the popular music to the ire of the group's many fans. Even DVD's from the Gaul movie were pulled from distribution. 

The day after the lawsuits were announced and their group's music was pulled from the shelves, Kim and Eloisa gave the first out of a series of press conferences to explain the group's position and why they felt helping Vladim Dukov's campaign by touring for him was so important. During the conferences Eloisa and Kim showed themselves as stubborn and determined young women, loyal to ideas and principles much more important to them than their careers or contracts. The press conferences made the group's die-hard fans support them even more, because now they had rebelled against the international music establishment. The music from "Socrates' Mistresses" suddenly became subversive and underground due to the group's ostracism from the mainstream music industry, and very much in demand.




Maragana Girl Ch. 28



The entire conflict between "Socrates' Mistresses" and the recording company made the group's outlook in life much more nationalistic. As they toured the eastern provinces, the singers performed their most traditional songs, along with a new song that was a tribute to King Vladik the Defender. The group also, at the insistence of Kim, always performed "The Wall that Divides My Soul." That song had special meaning for Kim, now that she had been hit with several lawsuits. For her there could be no going back to the U.S., possibly for the rest of her life. The audiences were well aware of the huge sacrifice the band's members were making to support their candidate, which made many of them re-consider their opposition to Vladim Dukov.

----------

While the ex-Spokesman was out of the house campaigning in the eastern provinces, Kim noticed huge changes in the lives of Maritza, Vladik, and Anyia. All three members of the household struggled to redefine their relationships with each other and how they viewed themselves as individuals. Anyia and Vladik seemed to exchange personalities, while Maritza came to terms with Vladik's faults and Anyia's sudden push for maturity. 

Over the fall Anyia's social life changed completely. She dropped her friendships with her old group of rebellious friends to associate more with the sons and daughters of other politicians. She dumped her soccer hooligan boyfriend and began dressing and acting much more seriously. Dukov's daughter did not become any nicer, but her rebelliousness evolved into a hardened support of her father in both her school and among her friends. She studied and struggled to understand the issues her father was confronting during the campaign. Whenever she was not in school, Anyia wanted to accompany Dukov while he was campaigning. She became a fixture of his campaign appearances, always at his side, or with his two secretaries, or flirting with the teenaged sons of his new political associates.

Vladik always had been the serious son of the family. He no longer wanted to perform that role. He used his penance as a justification to excuse himself from his father's political life and to live quietly. During the fall Vladik paid only passing attention to his father's struggles on the campaign trail. Vladik's focus now was on trying to determine who he was as a person and what he really wanted from his life. He was determined to do the one thing he had never done before, live quietly, live for the moment, and try to find peace with himself. He stopped worrying about the future or what anyone thought about him. 

Maritza struggled with the changes in her son and daughter. Maritza's entire world was shifting under her. Vladik seemed to have lost his direction in life and any personal ambition. Anyia was trying to act like she was 30 years old, even though she still was in high school. The only person in the household who seemed to have any reasonable sense of direction was Kim, with her upcoming marriage, her singing, and her studies. 

----------

The ex-Spokesman's candidacy took a much more patriotic approach than he originally had planned as his campaign progressed. He emphasized the need for the Danubian nation to do things the Danubian way. He laid out a recovery plan for the east and an over-all program of incremental upgrades to the nation's water supply and hydroelectric power generators. There would be a rational forest management plan and upgrades to schools and public buildings. There would be educational reform and a huge push for AIDS and drug-awareness education. There would be some road improvements, but no major construction of new roads, because under his administration the prohibition against private cars would remain in place. He argued passionately to keep Upper Danubia's justice system intact and rejected the idea of building prisons. Dukov also emphasized changes in his country's foreign policy. He would re-negotiate Upper Danubia's entry into the European Union and several other international organizations, feeling the current pending arrangements were giving too much away. 

Dukov campaigned desperately, because he was very aware of what would happen to his country if his party did not win. He now had a personal reason to win as well. The members of "Socrates' Mistresses" faced financial ruin if he lost, because there was no question they would be sued in Danubian courts. If he won, he would have the power of his government to protect them; if he lost there would be very little he could do for them. He was angry about the threats made against his supporters, and that personal anger drove him as he gave his speeches in city after city.

While Dukov waged his campaign in the streets and city plazas, his opposition waged their campaign on television. Campaign ads attacked Dukov as being naive and his party as a relic of the past. The real future lay with complete integration into the world economy. There were dire threats about what would happen under a Dukov government, with foreign companies and international trade groups retaliating against the country should he win. Upper Danubia was on the verge of being a failed nation, according to the TV ads, making the immediate and complete opening of the country's economy imperative. The two parties were offering two very different visions of Upper Danubia's future.

----------

Vladik's fascination with Tiffany only increased as he quietly pursued his duties at the Danube City music studio complex. He became apprehensive about where the friendship might lead, because increasingly he wanted her. He actually felt a need to be with her, the need to be with Criminal # 98946, of all people.

Vladik struggled to accept Tiffany's past and her ongoing recovery from her recent drug addictions. He debated with himself the wisdom of pursuing a relationship with the American criminal. Here he was, recently engaged to a beautiful woman from one of the country's most affluent families. Did he want her? No. The woman he wanted was his rough, passionate, scrawny police partner. He had lost her, and now he had taken a step further down in his desires, wanting an American who was a convicted criminal, a drug addict, and an ex-prostitute. And yet, Vladik felt at peace when he was with Tiffany, more so than he had felt with any other woman he had known. If Kim was right about Vladik needing a woman in his life with flaws and problems, certainly Tiffany filled that need. None of it made any sense. 

As for Tiffany, her relationship with Vladik began to restore her old self-confidence. They were together constantly, both at work and at the Socrates Club. Over time how Tiffany viewed herself began to change as she could imagine herself as more than a drug addict and stripper. As the fall progressed time began separating Tiffany from her life at Dirty Grampy's. Her day to day life at the music store and her other responsibilities in Upper Danubia slowly crowded out the most recent memories of her life in the US. 

Tiffany was aware that Vladik wanted her. Finally, after more than a month of going out with him, she felt she had recovered enough from her past that she might be able to have sex with him and actually enjoy it. She decided the moment had come one night in the Socrates Club as she was dancing with him. She danced close, enjoying the feel of his bare body against her own. As his penis brushed up against her bare thighs, it was becoming evident Vladik was becoming aroused. For the first time in many months the American felt the hints of sexual desire herself. Finally, in heavily accented Danubian she asked:

"Tebe hochesh mene?"

"Dak, Deevonay. Ya tebe hochu."

With that the couple went upstairs. Vladik found an empty "intimacy room" and slipped inside with Tiffany. For the first time Tiffany kissed Vladik passionately, putting her arms around him and hugging him tightly. Vladik's hands explored Tiffany's body, his hands traveling down her back to her bottom. Vladik relished the feel of Tiffany's bottom cheeks in his hands, and then brushed his fingers up the middle. He pressed up against her and enjoyed the feel of her breasts against his chest.

Tiffany became increasingly aroused. She knew all the tricks to arouse a man. With her clients Tiffany's job was to get them aroused quickly, finish the job, make the guy at least reasonably satisfied, and then get back across the street to Dirty Grampy's as fast as possible. Tonight she had to clear her mind of all that and let things come naturally. Her duty to Vladik was not to arouse him, but instead to allow herself to become aroused, so she could have sex with him normally.

Tiffany lay on her stomach to allow Vladik to explore her bottom. Tiffany always considered her bottom the sexist part of her body and enjoyed having it touched and caressed. Vladik spent a long time with his fingertips and lips pressed to the same bottom he had so cruelly marked up just a few weeks before as a police officer. The thought of that contrast, the cruel welts from two months ago and the soft unmarked tanned skin under his face now, totally excited him. 

Vladik slowly worked his way up her back with his caresses and kisses. He pushed her hair aside to concentrate on kissing her neck. She flipped over on her back, to exchange yet more kisses and allow him to explore her breasts. Yes, to not have to do anything, just lie back and enjoy...she had not had the chance to do that for a long time.

Vladik entered her and began thrusting in his usual vigorous manner. It seemed just the right mix of pain and pleasure that Tiffany needed. She had her first orgasm in many months as she gasped and gritted her teeth. Tiffany realized that with Vladik sex could return to its proper role in her life, not as a business transaction but as a part of a relationship to be enjoyed.



Maragana Girl Ch. 29



Chapter 29 -- The Summer of Life

In spite of all Dukov's efforts, the Party of the Duchy faced a huge obstacle countering the barrage of advertising on television. The TV ads were aimed at unsophisticated voters who were unaccustomed to seeing a well-organized television advertising campaign. As long as the ads stayed on track, it looked like the Greater Danubian Progressive Party would still win, although perhaps not by as large a margin as they would have liked.

At the end of the second week of November and only a week before the election, the foreign advisors of the Greater Danubian Progressive Party made a mistake that cost their candidates any chance whatsoever of winning. It was a miscalculation that political scientists would analyze for years as a case study for failed political consulting. The consultants decided to target Vladim Dukov's son in personal attacks, and in doing so turned a likely electoral victory into certain electoral defeat. 

The foreign advisors were elated when they found out about Vladik Dukov's public penance. They abandoned their attacks against Vladim Dukov's past and instead decided to concentrate on humiliating Vladik. They filmed him as he walked naked around the music store complex with blueprints in his hand and a collar around his neck. There was public discussion of the shame he had brought upon Vladim Dukov and on the police department. There was an ugly incident at the music store, as a couple of reporters aggressively approached a terrified Tiffany Walker as she was working at a cash register. The store's owner, Vladik, and five naked male employees confronted the reporters, broke their cameras, and threw them out the door.

Reporters contracted by the foreign advisors then tracked down both Vladik's ex-fiancée and his ex-boss, demanding to know why he had resigned and why he no longer was engaged. Both the woman and the police official were incensed at having rogue reporters approach them about someone else's personal issues. Vladik's ex-fiancée, in particular, was furious that any reporter would be interested in what she considered a private matter. She was a hard and proud woman who would never forgive him for what he had done to their relationship, but she considered the matter closed when he resigned from the National Police. The use of their personal problems to further a political campaign was an attack on not just his honor, but also hers. It was a violation of the most basic Danubian value about the sanctity of personal relationships. Such people had no right to win an election.

She approached Vladik's ex-boss to discuss the inquiries. It turned out he was equally incensed, for very similar reasons. Officer Vladik Dukov had resigned to protect other people in the National Police. He had resigned honorably. The matter was closed as far as the National Police was concerned and not open to further discussion. Vladik's Section Chief suggested that he and the young woman jointly file an official complaint with the High Priest at the Temple of the Ancients. 

The High Priest gladly accepted the complaint, because it gave him justification to take action. The clergy already had been offended that public penance, which was a personal matter between the priest and the sinner, would become a political campaign issue. Maybe such things are acceptable elsewhere, but not in Upper Danubia. As the sun set behind the National Cathedral, the High Priest, surrounded by other members of the Clergy, issued an official condemnation of the entire campaign of the Greater Danubian Progressive Party. He considered an attack on penance as an attack on the Church itself and on the fundamental concept of personal redemption.

The Church condemnation handed the election to Vladim Dukov and the Party of the Duchy. A condemnation was a very serious matter for many voters, especially among the rural constituents the Greater Danubian Progressive Party needed to win the election. It took the foreign advisors several days to understand how seriously their campaign targeting Vladik Dukov's penance had offended traditional Danubian values. The Danubian press also turned against the "Progressives", its traditional journalists angered by the strategy of using rogue reporters to promote personal attacks. Maybe such things were acceptable in other countries, but not in the Duchy.

Vladim Dukov already sounded like a Prime Minister in the final televised debate with his opponent. Rather than try to critique his opponent's campaign, the ex-Spokesman again took the opportunity to lay out his plans for the future. He made it clear the Party of the Duchy under him would be very different from the Party of the Duchy that had existed since World War II. 

Following the debate, "Socrates' Mistresses" performed the final concert of the campaign in the Plaza of the Ancients. In spite of Dukov's likely victory the next day, the group was neither proud nor triumphant. Instead they were very reflective and somber, realizing the seriousness of the new phase in Dukov's life and the professional sacrifices they needed to make to assist his campaign. Eloisa sang in her usual forlorn manner. However, for the night's final song, she stepped back and turned the lead microphone over to Kim. To the surprise of the audience, Kim did not perform her favorite song, "The wall that divides my soul", but instead the English rendition of "A question I cannot answer".

The election held the following day was a rout for the "Progressives". Not even their most pessimistic advisors for could have dreamt the party would come in third, losing not only to the Party of the Duchy, but also to the coalition of dissidents. Vladim Dukov's party won 58% of the popular vote, leaving him in complete control of the next Cabinet. The humiliation for the foreign political consultants was absolute. They quickly checked out of their hotel rooms and were out of the country even before the official vote was completely counted.

Dukov's victory speech was low-key. He gave thanks to his supporters, to the members of "Socrates' Mistresses", and to the owners of the Socrates Club and the city's various music stores. He then thanked the people he had worked with over the years: Spokesman Havlakt and his other co-workers, various judges and top police officials, and the leaders of the Party of the Duchy who had placed faith in him. Finally, he thanked his own Spokesman and university professors from many years before, the people who had helped him focus his frustrated political energies into his future career with the Danubian court system. 

----------

Tiffany viewed Dukov's victory with very mixed emotions. On the one hand she was glad to see him elected, but on the other hand Dukov's win frightened her because she couldn't see how Vladik would want to stay with her now that he was the son of the country's Prime Minister. However, the morning after the election Vladik Dukov had a huge surprise for Tiffany. He invited her to go with him to see his father's swearing in ceremony. 

In spite of their friendship, Tiffany was stunned that Vladik wanted to be seen with her at such a public event. At first he justified the invitation by arguing he felt very uneasy having to appear collared and naked in public by himself, and her presence would make him look not so much out of place. Vladik then checked himself. That wasn't the reason. He wanted her to go with him...well, because he wanted her to go with him. Maybe this time, with Tiffany, he could simply tell the truth. He struggled to express himself in English:

"Deevonay, I say you come with me, because I want. That why you come. I feel myself good when you with me, so you come please?"

"You...like...really want me to come? You're really not...like...ashamed to be with me?"

"Why I shame, Deevonay? I no better you." Vladik struggled to find the words to express himself, a task twice as hard because of his limited English vocabulary. Finally he faced her with the truth "Deevonay, you, me, we...we two start new. You no drug no more, I no police no more. We live life new. That what priest say, that why I wear collar. Kimberly, she say, maybe good thing I no police no more, because I no worry no more...no worry about the other people. Only think me happy, no other people. And Kimberly say, and I know true, I look at woman...I look at you, Deevonay...and I think...maybe you the right woman...."

Tiffany became quiet as tears started flowing down her cheeks. 

"I...I don't know what to say, but...you can't fall in love with me...I mean... your father...he's now Prime Minister...and...people would laugh at you...and I...I'm...I mean...that 'honor' thing you guys have here...I don't have it..."

"Deevonay, I now ask, what you think me? What YOU think me?"

"Vladik, if it was just me...I mean, I really like you...you're the best guy I've ever gone out with. That's not it. It's just..."

"You, me, we got time, much time. I no worry people laugh. I worry you come with me see Father in Parliament. Very important you come. I need you come."

Finally Tiffany nodded. She gave Vladik a teary smile and hugged him hard. Time...yes, she and Vladik did have time. Maybe time would heal her after all. Perhaps there really was something to Kim's promise of "maybe even a family".

Vladik Dukov and Tiffany Walker stood together with the owner of Danube City's main music store and his other employees during his father's victory speech. Their bare bodies and collars totally made them look out of place in the otherwise well-dressed crowd. While everyone else saluted they had to drop to their knees. There was no real shame in that, however. He was performing penance and his companions were convicted criminals. It was the way things were done in the Duchy. The naked men and women standing in the crowd of Dukov's supporters simply were fulfilling the protocol and duties of their positions in life.

----------

Dukov took the Prime Minister's sash from the caretaker Prime Minister. The Temple's High Priest gave a brief benediction, and then the Chief Justice of the Danubian Supreme Court saluted the new Prime Minister. Dukov saluted back, then turned to salute the thousands of spectators.

"DOC-DOC DANUBE!"

The crowd saluted back and roared its support:

"DOC-DOC DUKOV! DOC-DOC DUKOV! DOC-DOC DUKOV!"

Prime Minister Dukov lost no time getting down to business. He left the stage to enter the National Parliament with his hands full of folders, legislation he planned to present as soon as his cabinet was sworn in. 

However, as he stood at the Prime Minister's podium, the vision of the collapsed dam from the Rika Chorna Reservoir filled his mind. Protecting the lake's watershed was the first priority of his government. Even before his cabinet was sworn in, the new Prime Minister issued several emergency edicts to safeguard the forested hills overlooking the lake. He spoke with anger and force, making it very clear that any foreign business wishing to exploit Upper Danubia's natural resources or its people would have to look elsewhere. 

----------

Dukov's election removed an immediate financial threat to "Socrates' Mistresses", by placing them out of reach from anyone wanting to sue them for breach of contract. Kim's old sentencing judge became the new Minister of Justice. One of his first announcements was to declare that no lawsuit against any Danubian entertainer by a foreign company would be permitted in a Danubian court. During his first press conference he stated: "I will personally prosecute any foreigner entering our territory to harass our citizens under Item 2, article 3 of the 1968 Professional Harassment Decree. That law carries a minimum five-year sentence. Furthermore, I will personally issue an arrest warrant for any foreigner who attempts to harass one of our entertainers in a foreign court." 

The Minister of Justice made good on his word. The following week Danubian embassies infuriated some of the world's most influential music executives by sending official letters to their corporate attorneys. The letters contained arrest warrants and extradition requests for the members of the legal team who had confronted Kim for violations of Item 2, article 3 of Upper Danubia's 1968 Professional Harassment Decree.

A couple of nights after the election Eloisa's old high school group decided to have dinner at the Socrates Club. Everyone, with the exception of Tuko, who still was at the National Police Academy, was present. For the first time, Tiffany and Vladik sat at the table at the invitation of Kim. There was much good cheer that evening, the band members happier than they had been at any time since the euphoric day their sentences ended. Later in the evening Eloisa reflected to the group that it felt good to have her clothes off again and just relax in a familiar setting, a comment to which many band members agreed. Sergekt then made a comment that it looked like the band was starting over, their foreign contract breached and the group unable to perform outside Upper Danubia.

"I've been thinking, maybe the foreign contract wasn't such a good thing for us. Did we really need all that money? Kim and I already have enough to build a very nice house and still plenty left over to put our kids though school. Do we need even more? Now we have the chance to go back to who we really are. We can return to our roots and do what we want to do, not what anyone else wants us to do. We can sing what we want to sing, and chose where and when our concerts are going to be. We're going to do it right this time, as Danubians."

There was a toast, as Kim mulled over the statements of both Eloisa and Sergekt. Finally an idea came into her head. She addressed the group.

"Does everyone still have their criminal's collar?"

The question surprised her friends, because it seemed to come from nowhere, but everyone in the group still had their collars. Danubian ex-criminals rarely got rid of their collars, given the importance of the device in their lives and in forming their characters. Kim's purpose became clear with her next statement.

"Then I want to go back too, completely back. We started performing as criminals. Our first listeners were criminals. That's how we got our inspiration. Now here's what I want. I want our next concert to be in this club, where we started. Then, we'll perform just like we did last year, wearing our collars and nothing else. I want us to practice that way as well, wearing our collars and nothing else. Whenever we get together to do any band business, we'll wear our collars and nothing else. Whenever we get interviewed, we'll wear our collars and nothing else. Who we really are is not a bunch of rich kids performing in Barcelona and Paris. Who we really are...is Danubian criminals. I want to make that our trademark."

The idea was a bit unusual; to return to performing in the nude when it was neither necessary nor expected, but the other members of the group liked it. Yes, go back to the very beginning, start over, write new songs, perform for the Duchy. The group's foreign fans would be welcome to travel to Upper Danubia to see the band's new concerts, but would see them as naked ex-criminals. The most important part of Kim's proposal would be frequently returning to the Socrates Club for the inspiration needed to write new songs. 

"Socrates' Mistresses" had come home.

----------

Two days later Tiffany became an important asset to Dukov's Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Public Health. Dukov called Kim into the Prime Minister's office in the National Parliament Building to ask about Tiffany's knowledge of methamphetamine. Kim stood at attention in her formal white dress and saluted the new Prime Minister; in spite of the fact she still was living in his house and having dinner with his family every night. Once her formal gesture of respect was finished, she answered his question in Danubian.

"Prime Minster, I believe Criminal # 98946 has extensive knowledge about the production of methamphetamine, as well as knowledge of other drugs such as heroin, pharmaceuticals, and on-line prescription drugs."

"Another question, Apprentice: do you think she knows how to obtain these items on the Internet?"

"Yes, Prime Minister Dukov, I believe she does."

"Very well, Apprentice Lee. Then you and Criminal # 98946 will be able perform an important service to our country. Please bring Criminal # 98946 to this office at 15:00 this afternoon. I will have the head doctor from the National Hospital Chemical Addiction Rehabilitation Program present, and also the Vice-Minister of Health and two court recorders. I would like Criminal # 98946 to share whatever knowledge she has about methamphetamine with us. Once we have completed interviewing her, I will ask that she go on-line in our presence and instruct us about the availability of drugs through the Internet. I plan to use the information to update our drug laws."

Kim saluted. "I will obey your command, Prime Minister. I will bring my client to this office at 15:00 today and ask her to assist you to the best of her ability."

Kim and Tiffany showed up at the National Parliament Building at 3:00 in the afternoon. Tiffany felt very uneasy as she walked naked among Upper Danubia's most important leaders, but she was a criminal performing a public service and that was what was expected of her. As she and Kim entered the Prime Minister's office, Tiffany dropped to her knees and nervously put her forehead to the ground while Kim stood at attention and saluted. Tiffany was scared being pulled out of her regular life, even more so because the Prime Minister was her lover's father.

Once Kim had saluted, Dukov ordered Tiffany to stand up and take a seat. He offered her some tea and poured it for her himself. Once he passed her the cup he got down to business, asking her what information she could provide him about methamphetamine and any other drugs she had used. The debriefing of Kim's client was the beginning of Dukov's plan to mount a huge anti-drug effort, before the problem had a chance to take hold in his country. 

It turned out Tiffany knew three separate recipes for making methamphetamine. She knew about several on-line suppliers of psuedoephdrine, iodine, and glassware. She knew about suppliers of ecstasy and LSD. She knew about concealment methods. She was familiar with on-line chat groups. Finally, she was able to analyze herself and her friends in the US, giving her listeners a perspective on why persons like herself started using drugs in the first place. The scope of Tiffany's knowledge on the topic was impressive. Both Kim and the Prime Minister realized she was precisely the source of information Dukov's government needed to begin comprehending the scale of the threat facing the country.

Tiffany spent two weeks in the Prime Minister's office, being de-briefed and teaching investigators from the Health Ministry and National Police how to look up Internet suppliers. The Danubian officials were taken aback by the scale of the challenge facing them. In the end, the naked criminal sat next to the Prime Minister at his computer and taught him how to access the chat sites. After a very short time Prime Minister Dukov and several of his Vice-Ministers had acquired a working knowledge of the world that had destroyed so many young people in other countries. Finally, at the end of her debriefing, Tiffany returned to her job at the music store, but with the expectation she would come back every so often to answer additional questions or give advice.

Over the next several months Dukov and his Ministers used the information from taken from Tiffany and several other drug addicts to grill police officials, pharmacy workers, and customs agents about the measures they were taking to protect Upper Danubia. By the end of the year the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education had an effective drug education program in place for high schools, while new laws and customs screening procedures targeted imported pharmaceuticals. The entire process began because of the contribution of Criminal # 98946.




Maragana Girl Ch. 29



Prime Minister Dukov treated Tiffany with respect and made it clear he appreciated the information she could give him. The only protocol he expected from her was standard criminal's kneeling when she greeted him and when she said goodbye. Apart from that he conversed with her in a completely normal manner, which in turn boosted her own self-confidence. He expressed his gratitude by giving her an official commendation and forwarding a request to the Danubian Supreme Court to cancel the last five of her 34 remaining switchings.

Tiffany's service to his father's government encouraged Vladik to discuss the possibility of a relationship with her to his parents. He fully expected his parents to vehemently oppose any relationship between himself and the American criminal, but they seemed to be able to accept Tiffany, if not exactly approve of her. Maritza felt guilty over kicking Vladik the night after he resigned from the National Police and realized the need to give her son some space in his life, while Dukov saw Tiffany as a damaged person but with huge potential.

The elder Dukovs opened the opportunity for Vladik to talk to them about his own life, and what had gone wrong. He explained his need to attempt to find out who he really was on the inside, instead of trying to meet other people's expectations. Tiffany was an important part of that journey of self-discovery. She was a deeply flawed woman, but she and Vladik seemed to match each other's needs.

Dukov's only advice was that Vladik take his time with Kim's client. He needed to give her time to stabilize her life and re-build her character before becoming too serious with her. To that Vladik responded:

"Father, I am in the same place in the path of my life as Tiffany. I am rebuilding my own character and finding myself. I think both Tiffany and I are going to need a lot of time. Things will go slowly for us, because both of us have such damaged souls."

The following Sunday Victor Dukov and his wife prepared a formal dinner for Vladik and Tiffany. Following the traditional custom, Vladik would sit at the table of Tiffany's guardian, even though that guardian was his own uncle. When Tiffany found out about the impending dinner, she approached Kim to ask her what was going on. Kim explained the meaning of the custom and its importance. Then she added:

"At some point you'll probably be coming over here, to Prime Minister Dukov's house, or he may have you go over to the Prime Minister's Official Residence, if he decides to move there with Maritza and Anyia. Anyhow, if that happens, you'll need to understand you and Vladik will have a commitment to each other."

Tiffany did not know how to react. She couldn't believe how quickly her life had changed in the short time since she saw Kim holding up those two dollars at Dirty Grampy's. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a strand of her long hair draped over her chest. She realized another change was necessary. If she was going to do that formal Danubian dinner thing, she had to fix her hair. Kim volunteered to help her client with braiding. Over the next hour Tiffany learned how to arrange her hair according to Danubian tradition.

----------

The next month passed peacefully for Kim and her friends as the weather grew colder and the days shorter. They studied, they reunited at the Socrates Club, and they prepared and practiced new music. Relieved from the pressure of satisfying anyone except themselves, the group experimented with more modern instruments and different themes for their music. Over the following year they would try out new music at the Socrates Club, and then perform to a packed Danube City concert hall about once every three weeks. 

"Socrates' Mistresses" would remain enormously popular throughout Europe. Foreign fans came across the border by the trainload to see the defiant group of Danubians and buy their CD's, the band's mystique only increased by the fact they had decided to return to performing as naked criminals. There were differences from the previous year, however. The variety of music had increased, and some of it had a sharper edge to it. When their performances ended the band's members always took off their collars, held them up, and then bowed to the audience instead of kneeling. When asked about the gesture during an interview, Eloisa responded.

"The way we perform, and the way we end our concerts, symbolizes the path of our lives. We began singing as sentenced criminals, but now we are free and making our own choices. How we present ourselves is to show our fans who we really are, where we came from, and perhaps where the paths of our future will take us."

----------

Vladik Dukov continued working peacefully at the music store throughout November and December, still planning to enter the military academy in January. However, just before Christmas his plans changed when his ex-fiancée entered his workplace with a large package in her hand and asked to speak with him. Vladik was amazed she actually would come looking for him and uneasy about having to confront the woman he had so badly dishonored. However, it was obvious she had something important to tell him. He wondered about the package, then noticed she was wearing engagement jewelry that must have been given to her by another man.

The naked man and the well-dressed woman withdrew to one of the store's small recording studios and sat down. Vladik's ex-fiancée handed the package to Vladik. When he opened it, he saw it was his police uniform. She then addressed him in her usual cold, proud manner.

"Vladik, last week I spoke with your priest and prayed at the Temple. I realized many things about myself, and my path in life. Those issues are my concerns, things you have no right to know because of what you did to me. However, I realized something else. It was wrong of me to destroy your police career. You're a good police officer and an asset to our nation's security. I have no right to take that away from our country, regardless of how I feel about you personally. Yesterday I spoke with your section chief and asked him to let you return to duty. I explained you resigned because of me, but I didn't give him any details and I expect that you will not, either. He seemed very happy and made me wait so he could have your clothes packaged and brought up to his office. It's quite clear he wants you back"

Vladik was dumbstruck. He took the package. His ex-fiancée stood up and put her hand on the doorknob.

"Vladik, I want you to understand I'm doing this for the Duchy, not for you. I hate you more than I think you can imagine. But, apart from the National Police, I...I suppose I'm doing this for myself as well." She touched her hand to her new engagement necklace and continued. "As you can see, the Ancients have blessed me with another relationship. Before I commit to him I need to find peace with myself and make peace with you."

Vladik stood up, wanting to thank her, but she quickly slipped through the door and shut it in his face. He decided not to try to follow her.

Vladik sat down with the package. He pulled out his hat and looked at it. 

Vladik thought about the challenges that lay ahead, now that the path of his life was restored. His thoughts wandered not to his ex-fiancée or even his restored career, but to Tiffany. He now realized he loved Criminal # 98946, and had every intention of staying with her. Marriages between police officers and criminals happened occasionally, so the possibility of Vladik formally marrying Tiffany was real. There would be some difficult challenges for Vladik's future with the American, but whatever those challenges might be, he was determined to overcome them.

In the meantime the once-and-future Officer Dukov needed to finish his immediate assignment at the store. Once he finished his commitment to Kim's employer he would return to the Temple and request permission from the priest to end his penance.

----------

Kim and Sergekt finally settled on a day to get married. They decided to hold the wedding on December 27th, half way between Christmas and New Year's Eve. The date gave the people in their lives a chance to attend, including the increasingly busy Prime Minster and his family.

Kim spent the days before Christmas with her sister and parents, showing them her life as a singer, as a student to become a Spokeswoman for the Criminal, and as a future Danubian citizen. Kim was elated finally having her parents in Danube City. The Lees got to see all of the capitol's major tourist attractions, including several areas of King Vladik's Castle normally off-limits to the public. Kim showed them the university and the Temple of the Ancients. Unfortunately she had to skip showing her parents the music store and the Socrates Club. They weren't quite ready to see Kim in her work uniform and her singing costume. 

A couple of nights before the wedding Kim and her friends took Cindy to the Socrates Club for a pre-wedding celebration. While Cindy once again partied naked at the club with her sister, her future brother, and their friends, Vladim and Maritza Dukov invited Mr. and Mrs. Lee to have a state dinner at the Prime Minister's Residence. In spite of the elegant surroundings, Dukov quickly put the elder Lees at ease. For a night he could take a break from being Prime Minister and return to his old role as Kim's Danubian guardian. The Lees and the Dukovs exchanged stories about their daughters Kim and Anyia. Dukov's conversation allowed Kim's parents to understand their daughter much better and laid the foundation of a new relationship they would have with her as an adult.

----------

The wedding itself took place in the main prayer chamber of the Temple of the Ancients. Given Dukov's role in Kim's life, the wedding came close to being a state ceremony, with everyone in her life present. The Prime Minister and his brother were present with their families, as were the members of "Socrates' Mistresses" and their families, Dukov's secretaries, Spokesman Havlakt and his grandchildren, and the staff of both the music store and the Socrates Club. Tiffany and Vladik stood together, he in his police uniform and she in her collar with her hair done-up properly.

In spite of Dukov's role in Kim's life, he merely was a spectator at her wedding. Presenting her to Mrs. Dolkiv was Mr. Lee's responsibility. Mr. Lee approached the moment with much trepidation, regretting that he had allowed so much time to pass by without really getting to know his daughter properly. Now she was slipping away, soon to be the wife of another man and the citizen of another country. Kim noticed he was trying his best to hold back his tears as he presented her to Sergekt's mother. There would be time for Kim and her father to re-establish their relationship, but it would be a relationship between to adults, no longer a relationship between father and daughter.

Kim and Sergekt exchanged their vows and turned to face their friends and family members. Kimberly Lee now was Kimberly Lee-Dolkivna, the wife of Sergekt Dolkivna. Until she graduated from college, Kim would be known as Apprentice Lee-Dolkivna whenever she appeared in court.

To close the ceremony, Eloisa and the other three back-up singers, for once wearing traditional dresses, performed a song Dima had written in honor of his best friend and his fiancée's best friend. The song was titled "The summer of my life".

Dima's song alluded to the passing of springtime, a period of excitement and hope, but also of hard work and struggle, a time when Kim and Sergekt had to form their characters and determine who they were as people. That first phase of their lives was completed. Now life's second phase had come, the time to apply the lessons and hard work of the springtime to better enjoy the summer. It was a song of sadness and hope, an accurate depiction of the couple's past and the future they had yet to enjoy.

As Kim and Sergekt held hands and exchanged glances, they knew Dima and Eloisa could not have come up with a better gift. The women of "Socrates' Mistresses" were celebrating their friends' journey through time and the beginning of the summer of their lives. 



Maragana Girl Ch. 30



Chapter 30 -- Epilogue

Tiffany Walker-Dukovna woke up at 6:00 in the morning as always. There was no sleeping in for Tiffany, not with two kids, a husband who had to be at work in an hour and a boss like Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna. Those were the three priorities in Tiffany's life. Maybe in the evening there would be a little time to herself, if she was lucky. Ha! Not very likely.

Tiffany's first concern was her husband, who soon would become Chief of Police for Danube City, the youngest police chief in the city's history. She quickly got his breakfast on the table as he put on his uniform. The breakfast was a standard US breakfast of pancakes and eggs with bacon, the only difference being she had to use blackberry jelly instead of maple syrup. When they first got married Vladik had trouble getting used to the American style of eating. However, when it came to fixing buckwheat porridge and fried potatoes for the morning meal...well...Tiffany had to put her foot down on that one. No, there wasn't going to be any buckwheat porridge and fried potatoes, not in Tiffany's kitchen.

Tiffany kissed Vladik passionately; her bare body pressing against his freshly pressed uniform. Tiffany was one of those lucky women whose figures never seem to change, no matter how old they are or how many kids they have. Tiffany slipped her hands under his belt to squeeze his bottom. She gave him a mischievous look...get home early Vladik, there's plenty more for you tonight.

Getting the kids ready was next. There were more pancakes to be passed out, more eggs, and milk. The older boy didn't have his school uniform on yet, which precipitated some yelling. There was the usual complaint, "Mother, you never have to get dressed, why do I have to?" There was the usual explanation about school rules and the dress code. Someday, soon, she would have to tell him the real reason. The boy's mother was a convicted criminal serving a 35-year sentence. For Tiffany Walker-Dukovna there would be no getting dressed for another 26 years.

The local school sent a small bus to pick up the older boy. The younger one went a couple of minutes later in a mini-van owned by the Danubian Royal Family. The boy's aunt Anyia had sent the mini-van to pick up Tiffany's toddler and Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna's daughter to spend the day at her house with her own two small children. Once Tiffany's younger boy was in the vehicle, its driver waved at her and pulled out away from town. He passed the yellow sign that marked the edge of Tiffany's world and continued on to the house were Anyia lived with her husband. That house belonged to the estate of the Grand Duke of Danubia. Anyia's husband was the Grand Duke, although now the Royal Family's role in the Republic of Danubia's political life was completely symbolic.

Tiffany reflected on the strange contrast between the role of Anyia's husband, whose power was ceremonial, and her own father, whose power was quite real. Vladim Dukov had been Prime Minister for nearly nine years, with no sign that his government was about to end anytime soon. He was adored by most Danubians. When the crowds shouted "DOC-DOC DUKOV!", they meant it.

Vladim Dukov was halfway through what would be the most successful and influential government the Republic of Danubia had seen since the times of King Vladik the Defender. The change in the country's name was one example of the Prime Minister's influence. After nearly 500 years Upper Danubia formalized its southern border, finally recognizing Lower Danubia was nothing more than a memory and there was no hope of ever getting that land back. In exchange for the formal border recognition, Upper Danubia's southern neighbor ceded some archeological sites, two small towns, and three ancient villages back to the Danubian government. The places had huge historical significance, so bringing them back under Danubian control was well worth the border treaty. Dukov asked the Parliament to change the country's name the following year, because it was time to get real. Upper Danubia no longer was a Duchy and there was no such place as "Lower Danubia". 

There were many other changes, including upgrading the dam at the Rika Chorna Reservoir and tripling the nation's hydroelectric production capacity, projects that kept Kim's husband Sergekt Dolkiv quite busy. There were comprehensive modernization programs for sewers and irrigation systems, aggressive educational reforms, and the upgrading of fire-fighting and police services, just to name a few of Dukov's other projects. In foreign affairs Dukov proved to be a crafty and hard-headed negotiator. Danubia finally did join the EU, but under much more favorable terms than originally negotiated by the former government. Among other world leaders Dukov's negotiating skills earned him the nickname "Vladim the Extortionist". 

Danubia was the one country in eastern Europe without a major drug addiction or AIDS problem, largely because the Prime Minister had insisted on awareness education and mass testing of the younger population at the beginning of his administration. Tiffany could feel some pride that nine years before she had played an important role in making the new Prime Minister understand part of what he was up against with the drug issue.

Drugs. Fortunately Tiffany's first-hand knowledge of drugs no longer was current. It remained current for a while, but over time became outdated because she no longer was part of that world. There were a few reminders that never would go away, however. There were the scars on her arms, the cut on her forehead, the occasional cravings, and the pictures of her co-workers from Dirty Grampy's. Her old co-workers were now dead, all of them. From that group, Tiffany was the only survivor. 

Tiffany forced the memories of her fellow dancers out of her mind. She had to get to work. She left everything in the kitchen as is, because Vladik had hired a cleaning service to clean up the house and maintain the garden. Between two jobs and two kids, there just wasn't time for housework. 

Tiffany got on her bicycle and pedaled downtown. She could have ridden the trolley, but never did so unless it was totally freezing outside. Rain or shine, Tiffany rode her bike. She was one of those stubborn criminals who refused to stand naked in a packed trolley. She passed the pleasant parks and old buildings, as well as numerous hotels and tourist cafes. The city now was full of tourists, whose money fueled the Prime Minister's ambitious improvements. Some of the foreigners, especially visitors from the US and Latin America, stared at the attractive naked woman as she pedaled past them. Tiffany did not notice. She was a criminal and that's just the way things were.

As Tiffany neared downtown she passed the Danube City Studio Complex. The studio area was full of groups of naked criminals, the people who formed the heart of the still-popular Danube City music scene. Tiffany then passed the music store where she had worked a couple of years at the beginning of her sentence. She glanced at a display of the latest CD of "Socrates' Mistresses", the enormously influential band that had changed the course of Danubia's music, and probably the course of the nation's history. It was weird to think, without "Socrates' Mistresses"; it was unlikely Vladim Dukov ever would have become Prime Minister.

"Socrates' Mistresses" still performed, although not as often as before because its members were pursuing other careers. When the band did perform, Tiffany's boss, along with its other 14 members, always performed naked. That held true even when one or more of the singers were pregnant. Performing naked had become the band's trademark, their reminder to the world they began their careers as criminals. 

Tiffany's journey took her past the Socrates Club, which still was going strong. She rode past the old armory building, where she could hear Malka Chorno's voice snarling at a morning gym class. Tiffany had classes in the evenings with that strangely driven woman, which kept her in shape and partly explained her still-attractive figure.

Tiffany finally arrived at the Central Police Station. She parked her bicycle and looked at the sprawling complex, feeling satisfaction her husband soon would be in charge of the entire building and everyone in it. Vladik had moved up very quickly and was very well liked in the National Police. Of course, having his father as Prime Minister didn't hurt, but Vladik had moved up mostly by his own merits. He had a bright future.

Tiffany walked up the two flights of stairs to Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna's Office, which had been the office of the Prime Minister when he still was Kim's mentor. The Spokeswoman was digging through some files, pulling out the folders of some foreign clients who had trials scheduled for that morning. Tiffany, now in her official position as Criminal Adjunct Walker-Dukovna, knelt in front of Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna and touched her forehead to the floor. 

"Good morning, Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna, I am pleased to see you have safely returned."

"Good morning, Criminal # 98946. I too, am pleased to see you. Please rise and we'll get started."

Apart from the formal greeting, Kim and Tiffany talked in a perfectly normal manner. Tiffany officially was Kim's assistant, however the truth was she almost was a Spokeswoman herself. She and Kim shared some clients, but Tiffany also had several clients of her own. Both of them were specializing in foreigners and drug cases, given that so many foreigners now were entering Danubia and unfortunately some of them were not taking the country's drug laws seriously. Tiffany had the same law degree as Kim, but was not a Spokeswoman in full standing because she remained a convicted criminal. Tiffany's status as a criminal, however, did not prevent her from appearing in court and arguing cases.

That particular morning there was a trial pending for a group of Canadians caught with several kilograms of hashish. The case would be complicated because they were various ages and it was not clear the hashish belonged to all of them. There were interviews to conduct and a convoluted truth to straighten out. The arraignment committee, the same three dour individuals who had interviewed Kim nearly 11 years before, would be hearing the case before sending it to trial. In their old age the three had little patience for dealing with criminals who had not been properly interviewed by their Spokespersons.

Momentarily a group of scared, naked young Canadians would be brought to the office in handcuffs and forced to kneel on the floor. There would be a trial, there would be collarings and switchings, and then there would be redemption...hopefully. Kim and Tiffany would have to guide the Canadians, just like Spokesman Dukov had guided Kim and Kim had guided Tiffany.

The day would be a routine workday, but Kim knew that in one way it was a momentous one as well. In the moment of quiet that preceded the entry of the new clients, Kim needed to remind Tiffany of something important, a promise from a long time ago, now fulfilled.

"Tiffany, I got a question for you. Do you remember what day it is today?"

Tiffany thought for a second:

"My God, today's my 30th birthday! I totally forgot!"

"Yeah. I remembered, 'cause it's what I promised you, isn't it? Your 30th birthday. So you made it."

Tiffany badly wanted to hug Kim, but knew she couldn't because it would break protocol. For a moment her emotions overwhelmed her. Finally, she responded:

"Thank you, Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna. Thank you for...giving me my 30th...."

"And many more birthdays ahead of you, don't you think?"

"Yeah...I'm sure of it. Many more ahead..."

There was a loud knock on the outer office door, announcing the arrival of the new clients and their police escort. It was the beginning of another long day in court.