Chapter Two: Calling Home

Arthur really couldn�t read the Danubian newspaper, but to pass the time before trial he started looking through the pictures. There were photographs of floods, and fires as well as weather forecast graphics and comics like any other newspaper. But when Arthur found the front page it made him cringe, below the bold headline was a crime scene photo of the Tech-Center along with photographs of a policeman and the two suspects. The picture of Arthur had been taken after arrest, and Mr. Rumak's photo had obviously been taken before the gunfight. Arthur remembered the ambulance that left the crime scene; the policeman featured was probably the one that Rumak shot. Though there was nothing else he could understand from the article.

Arthur picked up a different section of the newspaper. In this one he found several pictures having to do with the courts. There were some photographs of Police Officers and judges as well as several of naked criminals wearing collars. The collars seemed to be made of a sturdy metal ring that had twin grooves; a separate metallic band around the middle had a number engraved on it. In one group picture fifteen people dressed in white were cheerfully holding some kind of curved metal objects above their heads.

Then Arthur turned to the last few pages of the section. There were capsules with what looked like names and descriptions of various criminals. Each item had a name at the top followed by age then a paragraph. Below each paragraph there were two photos. The picture on the left was a mug shot of the criminal�s face from the shoulders up. What Arthur found most peculiar about the mug shots were the anguished, and distorted expressions of the subjects, in fact most of the pictured criminals even had tears running down their faces. The picture on the right however made clear why the criminal�s faces were so torn up. It was a full-body view from behind, showing a mass of red and purple lines on the bottoms, thighs, and shoulders of the captives.

"The switch!" Arthur suddenly felt sick. "The spokesman didn't mean switch, he meant Switch! Those police are going to use a switch on me! It�s going to be my picture in the paper next week, what did I get myself into?"

No longer interested in the newspaper Arthur stood up and started pacing. Briefly he considered escape but the fourth floor of a police station is not a great place to start. Finally he just sat back down and waited.

Spokesman Ralkliv returned about forty minutes later.

"Arthur, we have few minutes before you go to trial," he said with an enthusiasm that made Arthur uneasy. "Is there something you want to know?"

Arthur picked up the newspaper and pointed to the pictures of the beaten criminals. "Is this what�s going to happen to me?"

He nodded. "Yes definitely� right after you�re sentenced at trial."

When Arthur remembered to start breathing again, he wanted to know one last thing. Picking up the front page he pointed to the large photo of the police officer. "Who is this? The Inspector told me that some policeman was shot by Peter Rumak when he was trying to escape."

The spokesman�s demeanor got more serious. "His name is Officer Detynik Andreis. He was shot three times, still in hospital. Not improving. Two kids, wife. Good man."

Before Arthur could respond the court guards arrived to escort him to trial.

The courthouse itself was more modern looking than the Roman style buildings that were common in the US. There were no columns or ornate friezes at the front; instead the exterior was covered in steel and glass. The interior of the courthouse was just as sleek and modern, with a polished black ceramic floor and an abstract metal sculpture of a griffin hanging above the entrance. The media had set up on both sides of the lobby. Cameras flashed and TV cameras focused on Arthur as he passed through the open courtroom doors.

This was the largest courtroom Arthur had ever seen. If it weren�t for the large wooden judge�s bench and witness stands he would have mistaken the room for a theater or lecture hall. The seating was theater style with the floor sloping toward the front of the room. Five meters in front of the judge�s bench was a raised platform that was about three meters wide and thirty centimeters high.

Arthur was lead down to the right side of the witness stand to an area that was reserved for court officials. As the guard unlocked Arthur�s handcuffs Spokesman Ralkliv pointed to the square platform. "Arthur, that is the platform where you stand during trial. Kneel when Judge enters and when judge leaves, all other time keep stand with legs apart and hands behind head. Always look at judge. Stay by me, I tell when you go platform, remember defendants do not salute judge. You kneel, head to floor."

Arthur could see that the courtroom was going to be filled to capacity, hundreds of spectators were already seated and the court�s camera crews were getting ready for filming. After several minutes a court official opened the large wooden door at the back of the courtroom and a middle aged woman in dark robes made her way to the bench. As everyone in attendance stood and saluted Arthur kneeled beside his spokesman. After a few statements by were read Arthur heard the judge speak his name. Spokesman Ralkliv tapped him on the back.

�Arthur get on the platform and stand in prisoner stance unless Judge stands up, kneel if judge stands up. Always look at the judge!"

The judge ordered Arthur to stand. He stood in position at the center of the platform and suddenly felt very cold, even with the spotlights shining on him. He noticed the camera crew was filming him now, and the video was playing live on one of the large screens above the judge. " Standing naked in a crowded courtroom seemed too strange to be real; if this is a dream," Arthur thought, "I certainly want to wake up soon."

Then the trial began. The prosecution called a long series of witnesses, including some of the police who had been at the crime scene, and Inspector Marchik. There were surveillance videos, documents, and photographs submitted as evidence. The judge asked Arthur to identify the disk that he had transferred the data to, and to confirm that he had been hired by Mr. Rumak to acquire the data. After about sixty minutes the prosecutor rested and the judge retired to chambers.

During this break Spokesman Ralkliv enthusiastically told Arthur that he would present the defense�s case next. It seemed that his spokesman loved to be in front of the cameras and this high profile case gave him the attention he craved. Although Spokesman Ralkliv would not be contesting any of the prosecutor�s evidence he would try to reduce the length and severity of the sentence.

After the trial restarted Spokesman Ralkliv presented Arthur�s defense. With equal time spent presenting his arguments to the judge and giving dramatic oration for the television cameras, Ralkliv used his charisma to maximum effect. By the time it was over, Arthur wandered if this was a defense or a sermon. Spokesman Ralkliv had only mentioned Arthur�s name once in the whole speech, and hadn�t presented any evidence at all. But the time to worry about that was over. The judge looked to Arthur and a court official translated.

"Before the court gives its ruling, do you have anything to say?"

"No Your Honor."

"Very well, Arthur Liggett. This court is ready to pronounce the verdict."

"On the first charge of espionage this court finds you guilty."

"On the second charge of unlawful entry this court also finds you guilty."

The judge then laid out the particular nature of the sentence.

"Arthur Liggett you will wear the criminal�s collar for a period of twenty years. During this time unless directed by the Ministry of Justice you will remain within the Rika Chorna Collar Zone at all times."

"For the extent of the sentence you are hereby prohibited from covering any part of your body with clothing not sanctioned by the Ministry of Justice."

�Finally, for the duration of the sentence you will receive four judicial punishments per year, with the first to be administered immediately upon the conclusion of this trial. You are ordered to report to the Police Headquarters on the ninth day of August for your second punishment, and every three months there after until such time as you have completed your full sentence."

�Do you understand the crimes you have been convicted of and the details of the sentence?"

�Yes Your Honor."

Spokesman Ralkliv told Arthur to come to the side of the Judge�s bench; then a very scary looking machine was wheeled in.

"This is collar clamping machine, stick neck in."

Arthur didn�t like the sound of that at all, but reluctantly he followed the instructions of the technician who was running the machine. When the jaws of the device clamped around Arthur�s neck he braced himself for pain but all he felt was a quick vibration then the clamp was removed. He now had a cold metal collar around his neck. He felt the collar�s parallel groves and central band, there was also a loop that extended out one side of the collar, but he didn�t want to imagine what its purpose was.

While Arthur was getting his collar put on, the courtroom was readied for the punishment phase of the trial. With the slight buzz of electric motors and the hiss of hydraulic pistons the square platform slid down to floor level. Then the metal panels on top the platform opened and folded to the sides. A sturdy steel framed table rose up from the floor. Finally the platform�s metal floor panels closed tight around the base. Rika Chornans as they proudly proclaim are much more modern than their western counterparts in Danube City.

The mechanical elegance of the device was lost on Arthur though. In a few minutes he would be strapped down to that table and beaten. He looked to his Spokesman.

"Arthur you must kneel in front of police officer, and kiss shoes."

Arthur approached the policewoman who had just saluted the Judge. With the whole courtroom watching he knelt and put his lips to her shoe. I really need to wake up soon, Arthur thought. He felt a tap on his shoulder then. Now she had custody.

The policewoman and her partner looked far too eager for Arthur�s comfort. They rapidly fastened him down securely to the table. Arthur�s feet were firmly fixed to the floor, while his arms were pulled toward the front corners of the table and held with two leather straps. To immobilize the center of his body a large strap was tightened around his waist.

Arthur watched as the policewoman swished her leather-wrapped switch through the air while speaking to him in a low menacing tone. Although several other cops had treated him harshly, this women�s expression seemed different. There was hatred in that stare, why else threaten someone who doesn�t even speak your language. She wasted little time getting started.

There was a tap and then a faint whistling sound as the switch moved quickly through the air. The impact on the right side of his buttocks made Arthur jerk convulsively against his bonds. The pain didn�t register for about a second after impact, then for a long while afterward the burn only increased. Arthur clenched his teeth and waited for the next stroke. The policewoman took her time though; she waited well over a minute before he felt a tap below the first welt. The second stroke was just as vicious as the first. Again she waited over a minute for the pain to build.

By the tenth stroke Arthur was finding it hard to remain still, he was starting to shake uncontrollably and sweat ran down his face even in the cool courtroom air. Arthur knew that the pain would be bad but this felt like his skin was on fire. He noticed the policewoman out of the corner of his eye; she was quietly waiting and holding the switch so tightly in her fist that her knuckles were white. She wasn�t looking at Arthur though but at her own partner. When he subtly nodded and she took up position and laid down the next stroke of her switch.

Arthur had been strapped down to the table for half an hour by the time the twentieth stroke hit. He had certainly not wanted to break down in front of all these people, but the stresses of the last two days and the mounting agony of this slow paced beating was eroding his resistance. It was the twenty-fifth stroke of the switch that broke Arthur�s silence. From that point on every time the switch landed he cried out loudly to the amusement of the police in attendance.

Though Spokesman Ralkliv had her redirect the blows of her switch to his client�s thighs and then his shoulders, he could do nothing about the severity of the policewoman's blows or the agonizingly slow pace of the punishment.

After one of the longest punishments that he had ever witnessed in a courtroom Spokesman Ralkliv raised his hand; it was over. The officers released the straps that held down his client and presented his beaten body to the Judge. The Judge certified the punishment, and then the spokesman turned to his client. "Arthur kneel and kiss Officer�s shoes, thank for punishment."

After regaining custody Spokesman Ralkliv took his client through the remaining indignities of the post punishment photography, and the walk past the media in the lobby. There he made a brief statement to the reporters before he and criminal #88588 traveled back to his office.

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Arthur had been on the recovery table for over an hour before the pain receded enough to think clearly. Just over two days ago he had left the US looking to cash in on a terrific opportunity. Arthur thought about the twenty-year sentence. He'd be forty-three when they let him leave. What would it be like going back home in ten years, he thought, would anyone be waiting?

His father had died six years ago from cancer, and Arthur had not been very close to his mother since. It had hardly been two months after her husband was placed in the grave that she started dating her boss from work. Now that they were married she didn't call much anymore, and that was fine with Arthur since all she wanted to talk about was her new family. He doubted his mother would want to mention her criminal son to her new friends anyway.

Arthur's kid sister Theresa, or Tee as everyone called her was just entering college. They shared the same weird sense of humor and rarely talked about anything serious. What really used to drive their parents nuts was their practical jokes. He got her in so much trouble but she always wanted in on his plans regardless.

Arthur couldn�t help but grin when he thought of how good their last hoax was. For three nights in a row they had sneaked over to the city park with a roll of fishing line, a strobe light, a weather balloon, and a tank of helium. After getting the balloon inflated and the strobe light inside there floated a strange flashing orb five hundred feet above the town.

It even surprised them how well it worked. It was the coolest thing ever when a TV news reporter came from the Little Rock station to investigate the UFO sightings in our little town. Tee was completely fearless, she told that reporter with a strait face how she thought she had been abducted by space aliens. Afterwards Arthur was glad he could go back to his college dorm room, Tee was sixteen then so she still lived with her mom and stepfather. Their mother had been furious. She wasn�t fooled for a second; this joke was not the first by any means.

My girlfriend, Arthur thought, had probably already moved on. And my friends are mostly acquaintances really. I�m not sure I want to tell any of them about what�s going on here anyway. Would any of my friends really miss me Arthur wondered. Then an urgent thought occurred. With clenched teeth and raw determination he stood up. The pain from just standing was immense, but he forced himself to move to his spokesman's office.

Spokesman Ralklic was filling out some paperwork when he saw Arthur stagger into his office. Criminal # 88588 was obviously in terrible shape and he did not expect to see him up for another hour or more. With a curious expression he said: "Arthur, you rest more, don't walk around yet."

Arthur quickly explained. "Spokesman Ralkliv, I want to make a phone call to the United States. I need to speak to my sister to make arrangements for some of my responsibilities that I left behind. It's urgent, you see I left my dog with a kennel and I just paid for a week. My truck is also parked in a lot at the airport and its just permitted for a week. My landlady doesn�t know what happened to me, and I have items inside that I want removed."

He nodded " You need talk to family, tell of trial, ask forgive, of course."

Close enough Arthur thought, as the spokesman got out his records and looked up her phone number.

The phone rang nine times before she picked up, but it was quite early in the morning there.

A sleepy voice answered. "This better be important."

�You sleep too much anyway, Tee. I think your part cat or something."

�Arthur... Shit! Mom called last night freaking out, saying that some diplomat called her and said you were arrested in Europe."

�She was right, I was arrested in Upper Danubia yesterday, I just got back from trial today."

�But I didn't even know you were in Europe, mom called your landlady. And she hadn't seen you in three days. Arthur why did you go to Europe without telling anyone?"

�I had to leave on business Monday night, I was going to call you from Germany but�I never had the chance."

"Why did they arrest you?�

�The man who hired me for a job, was involved in a theft. I didn't know about it until it was too late though. I was arrested in Upper Danubia (that�s in Eastern Europe). They charged me with espionage and unlawful entry.�

�Are you in jail? She asked.�

"No I'm on a sort of parole or work release type thing, but I haven't got time to explain all of this right now, I�ll see if I can write you a letter later on to explain everything. Tee, there�s some things that I need you to do for me. Have you got a pencil and paper?"

"Go to the airport lot 12 and get my truck, there's a hide a key under the right rear fender. You can have it, it�s paid off."

"Arthur, you�re going to�"

"Tee I don't have the time to explain, just please listen."

"Then you need to go to my landlady Mrs. Schmidt, she lives downstairs, and tell her what happened. Have her let you into my apartment. There's a box in the freezer with some cash in it, give the landlady five hundred dollars for her expenses, you keep the rest. I have a new computer and a camera that I also want you to have, but just give the rest of my junk to the landlady."

�OK."

�You now have a dog by the way, you remember Lucky? You need to pick him up at the kennel on Catalpa Street within two days, got it? He's got a bed and some food and toys at my place you might want to pick up."

�Arthur, you sound like you may not be back for a long time."

The next sentence was hard to say. "Tee, I was sentenced to twenty years at trial this morning."

�Twenty years... Oh God Arthur... but you didn't know it was illegal."

�That didn�t seem to matter to the prosecutor. Do those things I asked, Tee, I've got to get off the phone for now."

"All... alright Arthur"

He finished up in the odd way they had said their goodbyes since grade school.

�Hate you Tee."

He could tell she was trying not to cry "Hate you too Arthur."

That was more difficult than he thought it would be. It certainly seemed final now.

Arthur handed the phone back. " Spokesman Ralkliv, I want to write a letter to my sister explaining my situation, could I have some writing supplies?"

"Arthur, yes you write later. Now talk future." Counting with his fingers "You have no job, no home, no talk Danubian. I fix house problem tonight, tomorrow fix job problem, get you in Danubian class."

Arthur lost his balance and staggered into the wall.

"Arthur when you sleep last?"

"I left for work Monday morning, so�"

"This Wednesday afternoon, Arthur you go sleep now."

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The Not so Secret Agent - Chapter 3