Maragana Girl
Copyright 2004 by EC
EC's Erotic Art & Fiction - http://www.ecgraphicarts.com/
EC's deviantART collection - http://caligula20171.deviantart.com/ 

(warnings: judicial corporal punishment, forced public nudity, sex between adults, 
references to drug use, references to violence)

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."

----------

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.

----------

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.

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 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."

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 with 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."

