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　　 # “当他们想到民主，他们就会想到可口可乐，”可口可乐第一届国际大会上的一个著名标语。（1948）

　　 1986年2月，莫斯科郊外的别墅里。

　　 乌拉帕拉推开了客厅的门，他的女助理带着她的礼物。罗曼诺夫坐在沙发上正在看《1984》，他用钢笔在把

　　 This peculiar linking-together

　　 这种奇特的对立协同

　　 of opposites—knowledge with ignorance, cynicism with fanaticism —is one of the chief distinguishing marks of Oceanic society.

　　 这种独特的对立面--知识与无知、愤世嫉俗与狂热--联系在一起，是大洋国社会的主要特点之一。

　　 The official ideology abounds with contradictions even when there is no practical reason for them.

　　 官方意识形态中充满了矛盾，即使没有任何实际理由。

　　 Thus, the Party rejects and vilifies every principle for which the Socialist movement originally stood, and it chooses to do this in the name of Socialism.

　　 因此，党拒绝并诋毁社会主义运动最初支持的每一项原则，而且它选择假借社会主义的名义这样做。

　　 标注出来，钢笔的墨水在纸面构成着曲线。当这些单词连接在一起时，是它们开始扭曲在一起时。

　　 自然的古老真理和人性的律法，

　　 和人类物种的无休止的扩张。

　　 乌拉帕拉不知道这段注示是否代表着书籍主人对这段文字的重视，她静静等待直到书籍主人将书放在一边把他的目光放在她身上。

　　 “那本书？”他问道。

　　 “什么？”

　　 “你刚才在看那本书。”

　　 “哦，呃……”她脸红了。“你有我能读的东西吗？”

　　 “不，你不需要看那些书。过来，坐在我的腿上。”

　　 她向前走，坐在他的腿上。他轻轻地抚摸她的头发。

　　 “我知道你是新来的，所以让我给你解释一下，”他说。“世界由两个截然不同的社会群体组成：一个是试图控制他人的群体，另一个是被控制的群体。前者被称为当权者，后者被称为无产者。无产者是工人阶级，他们必须工作才能生存。当权者是一个富裕阶层，他们不工作，也不想让别人工作。当权者的存在是因为无产者为他们工作。没有无产者，当权者什么都没有。你明白吗？”

　　 “是的……”

　　 “好。这些书包含了在权威阴影下的文明的最后残余。这是无产者建立的文明，为了无产者的利益而保护它是当权者的责任。”

　　 “这些书对无产者有什么好处？你想保存什么？”

　　 “好处是多方面的。例如，它们包含房子里所有物品的蓝图。它们包含了可用于促进人类生活的技术进步。算了，我不想说这些了。你带来了什么礼物给我？”

　　 乌拉帕拉脸红了。“我……嗯……”她低头，摆弄着双手。“我有一件礼物给你。它是……”她抬起头，看到了主人的目光。

　　 “渔网丝袜，我想你会喜欢看到我穿上它。”

　　 罗曼诺夫笑了，脸色缓和了下来。

　　 “你想得真周到，乌拉帕拉。你让我想起了你这个年纪的女孩。我会记住的。”

　　 “那么，你想要什么？”她问道，无法保持兴奋和羞怯。

　　 “要读的东西，要保存的东西，要吃的东西。”罗曼诺夫抓住她的下巴说：“当然，还有欲望。现在，你把你自己送给我是换取什么？”

　　 “嗯，我知道苏联打算把拥有的其他国家债务转手出售给美国，能不能让列宁格勒银行参与？”

　　 “也许吧。但首先，你必须为我做点什么。”

　　 “什么都行。”

　　 “首先，叫我爸爸，以后帮我寻找女孩到我的卧室。”

　　 “当然可以，爸爸。”

　　 “过来，我的爱人。”他拍了拍身边的垫子，她走近一点，直到她的头靠在他的肩膀上。

　　 “我们有很多工作要做。”他想了想又说：“此外，你还要帮我在国际银行成立几个秘密帐户来保存资金。我不希望税务部门能查到。”

　　 “你打算用这些资金干什么？”

　　 “照常。吃、住、穿等。我会用这笔钱去其他国家旅行，在那里我会找到年轻女性作为我的孩子收养。她们会得到照顾，并接受苏联的理想教育。我们清楚这一点吗，乌拉帕拉？”

　　 “爸爸。我很高兴能为您服务。”

　　 \\"好姑娘。\\"

　　 罗曼诺夫站起来，握着他的婊子的手。他向房子的内室走去，牵着她的手。他没有松开她，她紧紧跟着，静静地跟着。

　　 “那么，我们来谈谈正事吧。你到底打算给我什么？”罗曼诺夫问她。

　　 乌尔帕拉深吸了一口气，她的眼睛睁大了。她咬着下嘴唇，她的手开始颤抖。

　　 “你想要......”

　　 “是的，我想要。”他脱下外套说：“你今天是安全日吗？”

　　 他脱下衬衫，露出一个成熟男人的身材。他躯干上的皮肤是浅棕色，躯干上有几处伤疤。“是的，”她说，盯着他的身体。

　　 “很好，我可不希望你现在怀上我的孩子。”他再次抓住她的下巴，“你为我服务时不会怀孕，明白吗？”

　　 “是的，”她低声说。

　　 “很好。”他拍了拍她的头说，“只有听话的女孩才能活下去，现在让我们睡觉。”

　　 乌拉帕拉接下来的几个小时过得很慢。睡了几个小时后，她的眼睛睁开了。她环顾四周，看到了同样的旧家具。罗曼诺夫仍然睡在她旁边，而她开始想知道在这所房子里她可以逃到哪里去。过了一会儿，她从床上起来。她有个计划。

　　 她走到梳妆台前，看了看里面，说：“爸爸。”

　　 “是的，亲爱的。快一点。”他站起来，伸了伸懒腰。

　　 “我想我们已经达成了协定？那些苏联债务的债权会转让给我的银行？”

　　 “是的，但我不能保证我自己的安全。交易就是交易。”

　　 “我明白，但你打算给我什么回报呢？”

　　 罗曼诺夫起身赤裸地站在她面前说：“猜一猜一共多少亿美元债务会转让到你的银行？”

　　 “10亿？”她猜测道。

　　 “苏联一共拥有古巴320亿美元、朝鲜110.96亿美元、伊拉克120亿美元、蒙古112亿美元、阿富汗105亿美元、叙利亚98亿美元、越南94亿美元、利比亚46亿美元、阿尔及利亚47亿美元、埃塞俄比亚48亿美元、也门53亿美元、莫桑比克20亿美元、巴基斯坦50亿美元，南斯拉夫43亿美元、坦桑尼亚20亿美元以及赞比亚10亿美元总共1297亿美元的债权，这还是按利率2.5%的计算结果。”

　　 “这是一笔交易，”乌拉帕拉说，“我到底要如何转移这笔债务？”

　　 “把这些债务转让给那些美国财团，你应该知道做吧？”罗曼诺夫打个哈欠马上躺回到床上。

　　 “我不知道怎么做。我只是会计，”她说，“你必须向我解释。”

　　 “我怀疑是否有这个必要，我还是解释一下吧。你知道，战前，苏联和这些国家之间有一个贸易协议。那些公司是用硬通货支付的。它们被转换为债务，供我们支付。这些国家后来采用了美国美元作为他们自己的货币，这些国家的货币价格下降了，以至于现在他们无法偿还债务。”他笑着说。“这是一个双赢的局面。”

　　 “那么，事情就是这样发展的。”罗曼诺夫在床上坐得笔直。“我们将要求这些国家将以硬通货与资源偿还债务与签署双边经济贸易协定，而剩下那些无法的不良债务就通过你的银行转让给美国企业。作为回报，你的银行将免除苏联的不良债务，并做出一点让步。如果你愿意，你可以称之为重组。”

　　 “我明白了…这正是你给我的条件。”

　　 “不是吗？”罗曼诺夫又向前倾了倾。“现在，我也要求你做出一些让步。”

　　 “比如说？”

　　 “吻我，叫我沙皇。”

　　 “对不起？”

　　 “这是一个古老的俄罗斯传统。它翻译成‘我需要它’。”他站着，她坐着，在他的脸颊上啄了一下。

　　 “你的想法和我想的不一样，”她说。

　　 他抓住她的脸，吻了吻她。

　　 “别想了，”他说，“你会明白的。”

　　 “我不得不同意。”

　　 “同意什么？”

　　 “你是沙皇。”

　　 “听从我的命令。”他微笑着说：“我会成为苏联的新沙皇，而你会是我的一位皇后。”

　　 她也笑了。“我可以想出一个更好的标题，”她说，“但那就行了。”

　　 “是的，跪下亲吻我的手。”他伸出手说：“现在，我有个问题要问你。”

　　 “是吗？”

　　 “你想要这个头衔和职位吗？那种只有沙皇才能给予的恩惠。”

　　 “我……”乌拉帕拉张开嘴想说些什么，但他打断了。

　　 “不要马上回答。想想看。问问自己是否真的想要这个。想想它真正的含义。”他严肃地说：“如果你成为我的皇后，你将和我背叛人民与苏联，你选择个人利益还是忠诚于人民？”

　　 她停顿了一会儿，然后说：“个人利益。”

　　 他微笑着摇了摇头。“你是一个非常有价值的人。我相信我可以信赖你。”他又吻了吻她的前额，然后拍了拍她的屁股。“我希望你能成为一个好王后。”

　　 当她离开房间时，她怀疑自己是否做出了正确的选择。

　　 ---

　　 1986年3月纽约

　　 一位身穿深色西装、打着红色领带的高个子男子走进纽约银行纽约分行。他手里拿着一个公文包。当他进入大楼时，值班的出纳员抬起头说：“下午好。”

　　 “下午好，鲍里斯，”那人说，“苏联银行的乌拉帕拉小姐到了吗？”

　　 “她几分钟前刚到，先生。”

　　 “请叫她进来，告诉她我想见她。一定要让她明白。”

　　 出纳员按下键盘上的一些按钮说：“乌拉帕拉小姐，有位先生来看你。”

　　 过了一会儿，内门开了，那人走了进来。他穿着深色西装，打着红色领带。这名妇女穿着灰色连衣裙和绿色外套，肩上挎着一个大袋子。

　　 “伯克先生？”她问道。

　　 “没错，你一定是乌拉帕拉小姐。”

　　 “是的，我是乌拉帕拉。很荣幸终于见到你。”

　　 “你让我的银行从德国马克转向美元的方式给我留下了深刻的印象。这是你的一项壮举。”

　　 “谢谢，说来话长。”

　　 “说来话长？我觉得你很谦虚。”

　　 “不，真的，说来话长。也许我们应该去一些不太公开的地方。”

　　 “哦，好的。我叫迈克尔·伯克，但我的朋友叫我迈克。”

　　 “我叫乌拉帕拉，”她伸出手说，“我也很高兴见到你。”

　　 他握了握她的手说：“好吧，我想我们应该去别的地方，这样我们就不会陷入一片混乱。”

　　 他们离开银行，走进一条小巷。当他们离开银行的视线时，她说：“有件事你应该知道。”

　　 “那是什么？”他问。

　　 “纽约银行根本不是一家银行，而是美国雇用的一家‘机构’。”

　　 “什么？”他说，“你到底是什么意思？”

　　 “该机构对该银行负责，其目的是为美国政府洗钱。这就是为什么他们能够长期经营下去的原因。你应该知道这一点。”

　　 “那太可怕了。”

　　 “是的。”她从袋子拿出一叠文件递给他说：“我不是来关心这些，我只是想知道你能不能联系到花旗银行与它背后的人。我的苏联主人希望你们能参与一笔对所有人都有益的交易。”

　　 他浏览了一下文件，说：“这是信用证，最基本的信用证形式。但我想可以。”他说，“顺便问一下，你不担心被人看见和我在一起吗？”

　　 “不担心，你只是一枚传递信息的棋子。如果我想，你马上可以从世界上消失就像我的主人可以让我消失一样。”

　　 “我明白了。嗯，我想我们应该回去。现在，恐怕我们唯一的选择就是回到这里，希望一切都好起来。”

　　 -----

　　 第一花旗城市银行金融集团，花旗银行，纽约

　　 1986年3月

　　 这名男子坐在纽约银行的自助餐厅里研究菜单。过了一会儿，他对自己说：“这一定是世界上最无聊的工作了。”

　　 几分钟后，一个女人从门口走了进来，那人抬起头来。“哦，你好，乌拉帕拉小姐，”他站起来说。“你想要个座位吗？”

　　 “好的，”她说。“非常抱歉，我只是没有时间等桌子。”

　　 他把她领到一张桌子前说：“我们有一个空位。”

　　 “谢谢。”她坐了下来。

　　 “我没想到你会这么及时，”他说。“在你离开银行的路上，我想你至少应该等一张桌子。”

　　 “我当时很忙，”她说。

　　 “据我所知，你是新来的。”

　　 “可以这么说，不过我们能否合作共赢不取于这方面，对吗？”

　　 “当然不是。我可以推荐烤牛肉三明治和一杯咖啡吗？”

　　 “是的，谢谢。”

　　 他点了菜，说：“我想我们该开始了。”

　　 “没必要。我知道你做什么，或者更确切地说，你不做什么。”

　　 他震惊地抬起头来。“你怎么可能知道？”

　　 “因为我就是你，亲爱的。”

　　 他继续用怀疑的目光盯着她。“是吗？”他问。

　　 “我们有着共同的目的，约翰·里德先生，我想要债权变成硬通货。我想成为你们董事会的一员。如果你帮我做这件事，我也会帮你做你的，我们俩都能赚比我们在这里多得多的钱。你怎么认为？这是一个双赢的局面，不是吗？”

　　 他想了一会儿，“你是谁？我是说，你到底是谁？”

　　 “朋友。我们各自的祖国不应该是敌人，美国与苏联可以共同统治世界，你们想进入苏联的市场，我们也想摆脱封锁。至少自由与社会主义？我不认为我们会在乎。”

　　 他端详着她的脸。“你愿意让我走吗？”

　　 “我想是的。”

　　 他点了点头。“我需要时间考虑一下。”

　　 她站了起来。“当然，我希望我代表的列宁格勒银行与你们达成共识，方便我们成功转让债权。另外，有一间旅馆的房间里有一个年轻的南斯拉夫女孩在等待你，这是一份礼物。”她把那个房间的钥匙放在桌上。“接下来七天的房费都付清了。如果你想带走这个女孩，那是你的事。”

　　 他拿起钥匙看了看房间。“这是一份很好的礼物，你不能再送这样的礼物了。谢谢。”

　　 “不客气。也许你想见她？”

　　 “是的，我想去。”

　　 “保重，里德先生。这是我的荣幸。”

　　 他看着她走出门。然后，他看了看酒店房间的钥匙。

　　 他站起来，走到酒店房间，打开门，说：“你好。”

　　 她站在那里，一个大概十九岁的年轻女子，脸上带着一种非常无聊的表情。“你好，”她说。

　　 “我是约翰·里德，你可以叫我杰克。”

　　 “我是简。”

　　 “噢，很好的名字。你知道我们要一起待七天？”

　　 她点点头。“是的，很好。”

　　 “那是七天的乐趣，亲爱的。”

　　 “嗯？”

　　 他对自己微笑。“你穿的那件布料真漂亮。”

　　 她低头看了看自己的衣服。“你喜欢吗？这是你的。”

　　 他耸耸肩。“现在，简你去把灯关闭，我们要在一起度过这个夜晚然后我会带你回到我的私人别墅。”

　　 “是的，先生。”

　　 他看着她走开。他对自己微笑。他肯定会更多地见到她。

　　 直到他厌烦的时候。

　　 ------

　　 第二天，他带她出去吃午饭。他在一家五星级饭店请她吃了一顿美餐。“这是免费的，”他说。“我请客。”

　　 她看了看菜单说：“谢谢。”

　　 “你是怎么来到美国又成为特殊服务者的？”

　　 “我年轻时曾是一名芭蕾舞演员。有一天，我们的教授让我们去德国学习最新的舞步。我去了，向最好的人学习。当我回来的时候，我是一名专业人士。我的事业从此起飞。”

　　 “你的工作做得很好。”

　　 “谢谢你。”

　　 他点点头说：“我会带你到我的私人别墅，白天我要工作晚上我会回来。”

　　 “好的。”

　　 “我晚上会在这里等你吃晚饭，然后我们开始为旅行做准备。”

　　 他带她去了私人别墅。它很精致。事实上，这是她去过的最奢侈的家。从沙发到地毯再到步入式衣柜，一切都比生活更伟大。“这都是你的，亲爱的。”他对她说。

　　 “谢谢。你贷款了吗？我急需钱。”

　　 “我们将在晚餐时讨论这个问题。”

　　 ---

　　 他带她去吃饭。这是一顿非常好的饭。他请她喝了他最好的酒。对葡萄酒来说，这是非常好的一年。

　　 “你需要多少钱？”他喝了一杯酒后把手放在她的腰上问。

　　 “至少一百万美元。”

　　 “一百万美元？你要的是这么大的贷款？我可以帮你弄到几百万。”

　　 “不，我不是这个意思。我至少需要两十万。这只是开始。我以后需要更多的钱。为了我的家人，为了他们——”

　　 “好的。”他想了想说：“你知道没人会免费提供这么多钱，你需要付出代价。”

　　 “我知道。但我需要现实一点。我需要冒一些风险。没有任何保证。我至少需要两十万美元来美国。其余的将用于在瑞士和澳大利亚开设银行账户。”

　　 他点了点头。“100万将是一个很好的开始。剩下的我们会处理。”

　　 “谢谢你，杰克。我很感激。”

　　 “我不会免费提供这些，我需要一个能满足我一切需求的女仆，你如果想得到这么多贷款…你需要把你卖给我。”

　　 她笑了。他的声音里不仅仅有一点饥饿感。她看着他的眼睛，看他是不是认真的。他不是。她笑了。“杰克，我不知道你卖我干什么，但我肯定那不是女仆。”

　　 他笑了。“或者说女奴。如果你想在我家工作，你会被当作妻子对待。至少，我们会这样称呼它。”

　　 她环视了一下房间，回头看着他。“我不想当女佣。”

　　 “我宁愿不要一个不能满足我需要的妻子。”

　　 她轻轻地笑了。这一次，他没有生气。他的声音里有一丝讥讽的意味。

　　 “杰克，我不是在开玩笑。我宁愿什么都不做，也不愿做我自己。”

　　 “这是你的决定，你希望你年老多病在贫民窟死去还是和我在富人社区里养育自己的后代？”

　　 他问问题的方式使她不寒而栗。她看着他的眼睛，看他是不是认真的。他不是。他接着说，“简，你想当女佣还是妻子？”

　　 “我什么都不想做，杰克。如果我同意做你的妻子，我会成为你的奴隶。”

　　 “有什么大不了的？我是一个陷入困境的银行家。我有一个大房子和一个成功的企业。简，你需要从生活中得到什么？”

　　 “‘女仆’就行了。”她交叉双臂。

　　 “就是这样，你放弃并出售自己给我并帮我解决需求，我照顾你并让你生下我的私生子女。”

　　 她扬起眉毛。

　　 “我宁愿你英年早逝，也不愿把自己卖给像你这样的人，杰克。”她交叉双臂。她的声音很冷。

　　 “你以后不会这样想的，告诉你与你的家人在南斯拉夫是怎么生活的？你以前有几个男人？”

　　 “我只有你，杰克。”

　　 “你不想再吃点吗？”

　　 “没有。”

　　 他皱着眉头。“为什么不呢？”

　　 “杰克，你把我当作工具。”

　　 他没有回答。他坐在那里接受信息。

　　 “杰克，你不认为我是一个需要照顾的人吗？”

　　 他沉默地坐了一会儿。“每一个人都需要照顾，但没人会关心他人。现在，告诉我你与你的家人在南斯拉夫是怎么生活的与想移民美国的？”

　　 “我的家人挨饿了，而我镇上的男人们努力工作，挣得足够的钱吃饭。”

　　 “他们派你去美国了吗？”

　　 “我想去。”

　　 “为什么？”

　　 “我想看看世界。”

　　 “为什么？你为什么想看世界？”

　　 “因为这就是世界。”

　　 他笑了。“简，你没有回答我的问题。”

　　 “因为这个问题毫无意义，杰克。”

　　 “给我解释一下。”

　　 “你不需要知道，你永远不会明白。”

　　 “试试。”

　　 “杰克，你没有理由相信我。”

　　 他耸耸肩。“向我证明你自己。”

　　 她把目光移开。“如何？”

　　 “告诉我，你与你的家人在南斯拉夫是怎么挨饿的。”

　　 “我为了一块面包把自己卖给了一个人。”

　　 “你是怎么活下来的？一定很难做到。”

　　 她点点头说：“没什么只是放弃尊严，没有钱的话我们活的还不如富人的一条狗。我们卖不起任何东西，政府也不会给我们什么。我为了一块面包与活下去把自己卖给了一个人，然后我被卖到了美国这里。”

　　 “到底卖什么？”

　　 “我的身体，杰克。”

　　 “你出卖你的身体……为了什么？”

　　 “为了钱。”

　　 他茫然地望着她。

　　 “好吧，简，你想做什么？”

　　 “杀了你。”

　　 他笑了。“我得说你离那有点远了，甜心。”他从沙发上站起来。“来吧，我们去睡觉吧。”

　　 他为她伸出手。她拿走了，他们走到他的卧室。他打开门说：“你可以睡在床上或沙发上。明天，我会帮你把你的家人移民到美国。当然，你需要成为我的女仆与奴隶。”

　　 “我来睡吧，杰克。”

　　 他笑了。“很好，选择很好。”他关上门。

　　 “我坐沙发去，杰克。”

　　 “随你的便。反正你是我的了，吻我的嘴。”

　　 “我会在祈祷中记住你的，杰克。”她躺在沙发上。她抬头看着天花板。“我们明天可以吗？”

　　 “当然。”他坐在床上。“我有一个问题，你的家人为什么这么贫穷？”

　　 “我父亲在部队服役。他死后，我们失去了他攒起来的钱。”

　　 “我明白了。”他抚摸着下巴。“简，你觉得我怎么样？”

　　 “我不相信你，杰克。我认为你是一个不想工作，只想得到你想要的东西的人。”

　　 杰克皱着眉头。“但这是合乎逻辑的，人们不会在乎你的悲惨遭遇与道德，只在乎你有多少钱。而我拥有财富就够了，这就是资本的运作真理：一切为了利润最大化。其他都是骗人的，就像苏联没有政治民主，美国没有经济民主。”

　　 “杰克，我只是在说我的家人。我不会因为你的所作所为而评判你。”

　　 “很好。”他向前倾了倾。“只要你听话与爱我，有一天我会用美元淹没你。现在，吻我。”

　　 她从沙发上站起来。她走到床边，坐在床沿上。她吻了他。他把她抱在身边，他们就这样一直呆到睡着。

　　 -----

　　 苏联各时期的外债如下：

　　 1975年------154亿美元

　　 1980年------252亿美元

　　 1985年------383亿美元

　　 1990年------625亿美元

　　 1991年------679亿美元

　　 当然，这跟现今俄罗斯的外债与美国的国债规模相比不值一提。不过，我真的不明白戈尔巴乔夫是怎么想的，戈尔巴乔夫对内部政治斗争简直太厉害了，直接帮叶利钦扫除一切有威胁与有能力的人。连切尔诺贝利核电站事件都利用来打击谢尔比茨基，这就是道德水平真空的汉弗莱也不会这样做。

　　 在动乱时期还以内斗干掉对手为先，1987年直接解散计划经济委员会与对外贸易部让苏联计划经济失去运行机构，不断让军队解决示威游行又事后甩锅抨击军队甚至让军队给示威者道歉让军队放弃效忠，不断撤换州委书记、部委领导人与纵使地方民族主义、释放政治犯、民族主义者让他们攻击苏联官僚集团。里根与叶利钦简直太应该感谢戈尔巴乔夫了，没有戈尔巴乔夫利用苏共总书记的权力不断清洗反对者与从冷门部门提拨没能力与决心的人就没有苏联提前解体，戈尔巴乔夫获得诺贝尔和平奖真是理所当然，牺牲自己的权力与地位来让新自由主义战胜社会主义阵营！这是怎样的一种国际新自由主义精神啊！

　　 ---

　　 简在晨光中醒来。她看了看床头的钟。六点三十四分。她看着杰克。他睡得很香，鼾声很轻。

　　 她从床上起来。她走到窗前，向外看去。他们清楚地看到了城市上空的日出。她在那里站了一会儿，想着她的生活。她不知道接下来该去哪里。她对这一天有一种奇怪的感觉。她感觉到这将改变她的生活方向。

　　 她回到床上，看着杰克。他睡不着。她躺在他旁边，闭上了眼睛。她感觉到他的手臂搂着她，他们一直睡到中午。

　　 当他们醒来时，他站起来，走到窗前。电话响起。他捡起它说：“是吗？”

　　 “是我，乌拉帕拉。”

　　 “啊，乌拉帕拉，怎么了？”

　　 “那个女孩怎么样？你满意吗？”

　　 “我很满意，是的。”

　　 “我只是想让你知道，你不必和她打交道。继续你的一天，就像什么都没发生一样。我向你保证。”

　　 “乌尔帕拉，我很感激。我只是想找个伴。”

　　 “当然可以。今晚见。”

　　 “回头见，乌尔帕拉。”

　　 ----

　　 她从沙发上起来时快到吃饭时间了。杰克已经在窗前了。“我们需要去银行，”她说。

　　 “我知道，我还和你需要见乌拉帕拉。”他转向她。“我们走的时候会发生什么？”

　　 “我们会赚钱的。”她笑着说。“很多钱。”

　　 “我明白了。”他吻了吻她。

　　 当天晚上，他带着简跟乌拉帕拉在餐厅会面。乌尔帕拉坐在外面的一张桌子旁，喝着一杯葡萄酒。当他们走近桌子时，她站起来说，“你有五分钟，然后我们必须离开。”

　　 “明白了，”他点点头。

　　 他和简坐了下来。

　　 “那么，你考虑的结果是什么？”乌拉帕拉双手交叉问。

　　 “乌拉帕拉，你真奇怪。你有钱，但你也有我想要的东西。得到你想要的东西的方法就是我需要的。”

　　 “那是什么？”

　　 “你的友谊。”

　　 “哦。”乌拉帕拉喝了一杯酒。“我不太擅长交朋友。”

　　 “你也不擅长分享。现在，我有个问题问你：你更愿意拥有财富还是权力？”

　　 “都是。”乌拉帕拉笑了。“我是一个贪婪的人。过去一直如此，将来也会如此。”

　　 “你是个不可预测的人。我喜欢这样的人。给我一点时间想想。”他拿起酒杯，喝了一杯。“我给你一点时间，因为我喜欢你那张贪婪的小脸。我想是权力。为了我们的友谊，我会在帮助你说服洛克菲勒财团与摩根财团购买你的债权。但我也需要利益与承诺。”

　　 “我希望同时得到美元和股票的回报。但在你给我想要的之前，我们不要讨论这个问题。”

　　 “我以为你会按我的方式看的。”他又喝了一杯酒。“我会给你这些东西：利息和承诺，就像我承诺的那样。我向你保证。我不是苏联人，我知道你正在说服那些财团家族合作。事情完成后，我需要五千万美元和五千万美元的股票，还有列宁格勒银行董事会成员身份。”

　　 “五千万美元？那不是一大笔承诺。”

　　 “这比我现在给你的要多得多。你在讨价还价。”

　　 “好吧，我给你五千万美元。剩下的钱将以股票的形式付清。我想你实际上得到的比你投入的要多。”

　　 “那是因为，我不像你，我有良心。”他靠得很近。“别以为我没注意到你穿的是一件低胸的、几乎没有的裙子。”

　　 简被酒呛住了。

　　 “如果你把那件衣服脱掉，我再给你五百万美元。”

　　 “你不是……”

　　 “是的，我是。”他眨了眨眼。

　　 简盯着他，说不出话来。

　　 “你说呢，乌拉帕拉？脱下衣服。”

　　 “没有。”乌拉帕拉写下五千万美元支票说：“你喝醉了，时间到了我该走了。享受你的简时候记得我们的承诺。”她转身离开。

　　 “嗯，我们赚了一些钱，”

　　 “那么，你认为你做了一笔好交易？”简说。

　　 “这要由我和银行家来决定。”

　　 简脸红了说：“如果你细心的话，你会注意到我没有穿内裤。”

　　 “我的错。”他呷了一口酒说，“你说得对。也许我该找个时间带你去看电影。”

　　 简笑了，说：“除非我们赚更多的钱。”

　　 “拜托，我是在开玩笑。请把你的衣服脱掉，”他伸出手说。

　　 简盯着他的手，说不出话来。

　　 “好吧，我会……”她环顾四周说，“等等，五千万美元太多了。我不会脱衣服的。拿两千五百万。”

　　 “你……”她低头看着自己的衣服。“很好。”她拿起酒杯走开了。

　　 那天晚上，他带简去了一家旅馆。

　　 简叹了口气说：“很好。”她脱掉了衣服。

　　 “我在开玩笑。”他笑了。

　　 她笑着说：“你应该更加小心。”

　　 他说：“我很满意，现在蹲下喊我主人然后穿上衣服跟我回家。”他收起支票。简蹲下来呻吟着说：“主人！”。

　　 “是吗？”他顽皮地拍了她一下。

　　 “我需要更多的钱。”

　　 “来，拿着这个。”他扔给她几张钞票。

　　 简数了数，皱起眉头，说：“这不是怎么回事。我需要更多。我想要更多。”

　　 “没钱了。你玩得很开心。”他站着。

　　 “求你了！只是……”

　　 “没有。”他起身轻轻扇了她一巴掌说：“当你更听话的时候，我才会给予你。现在，跟我回家。”

　　 “穿好衣服回家……现在。”

　　 “是的，求你巴……”她站起来，把衣服穿上。

　　 她和他一起回家了。他回到会议室。

　　 简叹了口气，坐了下来。她从袋子里掏出钱，数了数。至少两千美元。她得想办法把这一切都隐藏起来。

　　 她想起了她的继姐妹。她想象他们俩在他们的小公寓里。简会做饭，她的继母与姐妹会看电视。她们会争论。

　　 她得偷偷把钱给她。也许她可以卖血。

　　 她必须把一切都弄清楚。

　　 她会担心的。

　　 她姐姐会想和罪犯发生关系吗？她现在过得很愉快。为什么要冒险和罪犯混在一起？

　　 简把脸埋在被子里盯着绿色的纸币，她想为什么她要放弃一切只是为了多上这些只是印上颜色的纸？

　　 也许她应该担心她的妹妹

　　 也许，如果情况不好，她应该照顾她的妹妹。

　　 也许，她应该是个好人

　　 简笑了。

　　 “有什么好笑的？”他回到卧室盯着她问。

　　 “没什么，”她说。她捂住嘴说：“对不起，我不是故意笑的。我只是……我不知道。我只是突然想起了。”

　　 “你在想什么？”他坐在她旁边的床上，凝视着她。

　　 “我可以把这些钱都给我妹妹，”她伸出手说。“这是她应得的。”

　　 他平躺下问：“你妹妹？她多大？”

　　 “我不知道，大概15岁。”

　　 “她住在城里吗？”

　　 “不，在乡下。”

　　 他仰面躺着。“嗯，我猜你让我把她和你母亲带到这里？”

　　 她慢慢地点点头。“我很抱歉。”

　　 “嗯，我明天会帮你办理银行账户与转入两百万美元。你应该感谢我。”

　　 “谢谢你。”

　　 “没关系。我会让你妹妹在工资单上做顾问。她可以做一些别人不愿意做的零工。”

　　 “谢谢你。”

　　 “不客气。”

　　 他站起来走向梳妆台。他拿出一条黑色裤子，把它们叠起来。“禁止童工的法令反而会剥夺贫穷儿童求生存的机会，强制儿童去学校受教育而不允许工作，对儿童不一定是最好的选择。当然，我希望你妹妹也从我学习什么。”

　　 简笑了。“答应我。”

　　 “我保证。”他回到梳妆台拿起一件衬衫。他走进浴室，穿好衣服出来。“你知道我们这个国家很多州没有废除童工与童婚。”

　　 她点点头。“我知道。”

　　 “你认为继续这种关系明智吗？”

　　 “我有什么选择？”

　　 “你可以结束这段关系。”

　　 简看着他。“你在威胁我吗？”

　　 “好吧，既然你这么说，是的。”他用毛巾擦头发说：“我希望你知道你结束我们关系是不明智的。”

　　 “我不是。你是我的爱人，我会为一切来找你。我不需要和任何人在一起，即使是我的妹妹。”

　　 “我明白了。”

　　 “晚安，睡个好觉。”

　　 “我会的，你也是。”

　　 他离开了房间。她一直听着，直到他的脚步声消失。

　　 当她完全确定他不在时，她在床上站起来，走进步入式衣柜。她拿出一件红色外套穿上。她离开卧室下楼去了。在厨房，她给自己煮了一杯可可。她计划第二天设法把所有的钱和债券转到她的个人账户。但这很困难，而且她没有美国公民身份。如果银行、国税局或法律抓住了她怎么办？她可能会被捕。那就意味着要和她母亲分开。她仔细考虑了一下，决定把钱藏起来。那样，她就不会被抓住。

　　 [newpage]

　　 “When they think of democracy, they think of Coca-Cola,” read a prominent placard at Coke’s first international convention.(1948)

　　 In February 1986, at the dacha outside Moscow.

　　 Ulapala pushes open the door to the living room, where her female assistant is carrying her gift. Romanov is sitting on the sofa watching \\"1984\\", and he is using a pen to put

　　 This peculiar linking-together

　　 of opposites—knowledge with ignorance, cynicism with fanaticism —is one of the chief distinguishing marks of Oceanic society.

　　 The official ideology abounds with contradictions even when there is no practical reason for them.

　　 Thus, the Party rejects and vilifies every principle for which the Socialist movement originally stood, and it chooses to do this in the name of Socialism.

　　 Marked out, the ink of the pen forms curves on the paper. The words begin to twist together as they are joined together.

　　 the old truths of Nature and the laws of human nature,

　　 and the endless expansion of the human species.

　　 Ulapala wondered if this gaze signified the importance the book owner attached to the text, and she waited silently until the book owner set the book aside to fix his gaze on her.

　　 \\"The book?\\" he asked.

　　 \\"What?\\"

　　 \\"You were looking at that book.\\"

　　 \\"Oh. Er...\\" She blushed. \\"Do you have something that I can read?\\"

　　 \\"No, you don\\u0027t need to read those books. Come here and sit on my lap.\\"

　　 She moved forward, and sat on his lap. He stroked her hair gently.

　　 \\"I understand you\\u0027re new to this place, so let me explain something to you,\\" he said. \\"The world is made up of two distinct social groups: those who seek to control others, and those who are controlled. The former are referred to as the Authorities, and the latter as the Proles. The Proles are a working class of people who must work to survive. The Authorities are a wealthy class of people who do not work, and do not want others to work. The Authorities exist because the Proles work for them. Without the Proles, the Authorities have nothing. Do you understand?\\"

　　 \\"Yes...\\"

　　 \\"Good. These books contains the last remnants of a civilization that fell under the shadow of the Authority. This is a civilization that the Proles built, and it is the duty of the Authorities to preserve it for the benefit of the Proles.\\"

　　 \\"And what are the benefits of the books for the Proles? What are you trying to preserve?\\"

　　 \\"The benefits are numerous. For example, they contain the blueprint for all the items in this house. They contain technological advances that can be used to further human life. Forget it, I don\\u0027t want to talk about that. What gift did you bring me?\\"

　　 Ulapala blushed. \\"I... Um...\\" She looked down, fiddling with her hands. \\"I have a gift for you. It\\u0027s...\\" She looked up, met the owner\\u0027s gaze.

　　 \\"Fishnet stockings, I thought you\\u0027d like to see me in them.\\"

　　 Romanov smiled, and his face softened.

　　 \\"You\\u0027re very thoughtful, Ulapala. You remind me of girls at your age. I\\u0027ll keep that in mind.\\"

　　 \\"So then, what do you want?\\" she asked, unable to maintain the excitement and shyness.

　　 \\"Something to read. Something to preserve. Something to eat.\\" Romanov grabbed her chin and said, \\"And desire, of course. Now, what are you giving yourself to me in exchange for?\\"

　　 \\"Well, I know that the Soviet Union intends to resell the debts of other countries it owns to the U.S. Could you involve the Leningrad Bank?\\"

　　 \\"Perhaps. But first, you must do something for me.\\"

　　 \\"Anything.\\"

　　 \\"First, call me Dad and help me find the girl to my bedroom later.\\"

　　 \\"Sure thing, Dad.\\"

　　 \\"Come here, my love.\\" He patted the cushion beside him, and she moved closer until her head rested on his shoulder.

　　 \\"We have much work to do.\\" He added after a moment\\u0027s thought, \\"In addition, you will help me set up several secret accounts at international banks to keep the funds. I don\\u0027t want the tax department to be able to find out.\\"

　　 \\"What are you going to use these funds for?\\"

　　 \\"The usual. Food, shelter, clothing etc. I\\u0027ll use the money to travel to other countries, where I\\u0027ll find young women to adopt as my children. They will be taken care of, and they will be educated in the ideals of the Soviet Union. Are we clear on this, Ulapala?\\"

　　 \\"Dad. I\\u0027m happy to be of service.\\"

　　 \\"Good girl.\\"

　　 Romanov stood, holding his bitch hand. He walked toward the inner chambers of the house, leading her by the hand. He did not release her, and she stayed close, following quietly.

　　 \\"So then, let\\u0027s get down to business. What exactly do you intend to give me?\\" Romanov asked her.

　　 Ulpala took a deep breath, and her eyes widened. She bit her bottom lip, and her hand began to tremble.

　　 \\"You want...\\"

　　 \\"Yes, I want.\\" He took off his jacket and said, \\"Is it a safe day for you?\\" He pulled his shirt off, revealing the perfect form of a mature, man. The skin on his torso was a light shade of tan, with several scars on his torso. \\"Yes,\\" she said, staring at his body.

　　 \\"Very well, I don\\u0027t want you to get pregnant with my child right now.\\" He grabbed her chin again, \\"And you will not get pregnant while you serve me. Do you understand?\\"

　　 \\"Yes,\\" she whispered.

　　 \\"Good.\\" He patted her head, and said, \\"Only obedient girls can live, now let\\u0027s sleep.\\"

　　 The next few hours passed slowly for Ulapala. After a few hours of sleep, her eyes blinked open. She looked around, and saw the same old furniture. Romanov still slept next to her, while she began to wonder where in this house she could go to escape. After a few moments, she rose from the bed. She had a plan.

　　 She walked over to the dresser, looked inside, and said, \\"Dad.\\"

　　 \\"Yes, my dear. Be quick.\\" He stood, and stretched.

　　 \\"I thought we had reached an agreement? That the claims on those Soviet debts would be transferred to my bank?\\"

　　 \\"We did, but I can\\u0027t guarantee my own safety. A deal\\u0027s a deal.\\"

　　 \\"I understand that, but what do you intend to give me in return?\\"

　　 Romanov got up and stood naked in front of her and said, \\"Guess how many billion dollars in total debt will be transferred to your bank?\\"

　　 \\"One billion?\\" she guessed.

　　 \\"In total, the Soviet Union owned $32 billion in Cuba, $11.096 billion in North Korea, $12 billion in Iraq, $11.2 billion in Mongolia, $10.5 billion in Afghanistan, $9.8 billion in Syria, $9.4 billion in Vietnam, $4.6 billion in Libya, $4.7 billion in Algeria, $4.8 billion in Ethiopia, $5.3 billion in Yemen, Mozambique 2 billion, Pakistan $5 billion, Yugoslavia $4.3 billion, Tanzania $2 billion and Zambia $1 billion for a total of $129.7 billion in claims, and that\\u0027s at an interest rate of 2.5 percent.\\"

　　 \\"That\\u0027s a bargain,\\" Ulapala said, \\"How exactly am I going to transfer this debt?\\"

　　 \\"Transferring those debts to those American consortiums, you should know to do that, right?\\" Romanov yawned and immediately lay back down on the bed.

　　 \\"I don\\u0027t know how. I\\u0027m only the accountant,\\" she said, \\"You will have to explain it to me.\\"

　　 \\"I doubt it\\u0027s necessary, I\\u0027d better explain. You know, before the war, there was a trade agreement between the Soviet Union and these countries. Those companies were paid in hard currencies. They were converted into debt, for us to pay. Those countries have since adopted the American dollar as their own, and the price of these countries\\u0027currencies has gone down, so much so, that now they can\\u0027t repay their debts.\\" He chuckled. \\"It\\u0027s a win-win situation.\\"

　　 \\"So, this is how it\\u0027s going to go.\\" Romanov sat upright in bed. \\"We will require that these countries will repay their debts with hard currency and resources with the signing of bilateral economic and trade agreements, and the remaining non-performing debts that cannot be transferred to U.S. companies through your banks. In return, your bank will forgive the Soviet Union\\u0027s non-performing debt, with a small concession. You can call it a restructuring, if you like.\\"

　　 \\"I see... This is quite the deal you\\u0027re offering me.\\"

　　 \\"Isn\\u0027t it?\\" Romanov leaned forward again. \\"Now, I require a few concessions from you as well.\\"

　　 \\"Such as?\\"

　　 \\"Kiss me and call me czar.\\"

　　 \\"Excuse me?\\"

　　 \\"It\\u0027s an old, old Russian tradition. It translates to \\u0027I require it.\\u0027\\" He stood, and she sat and gave him a peck on the cheek.

　　 \\"You\\u0027re not thinking what I think you\\u0027re thinking,\\" she said.

　　 He grabbed her face and kissed her.

　　 \\"Stop thinking,\\" he said, \\"And you\\u0027ll see.\\"

　　 \\"I\\u0027ll have to agree.\\"

　　 \\"Agree to what?\\"

　　 \\"That you\\u0027re czar.\\"

　　 \\"Agree at my command.\\" He smiled and said, \\"I will be the new czar of the Soviet Union, and you will be one of my queens.\\"

　　 She smiled back. \\"I can think of a better title,\\" she said, \\"but that will have to do.\\"

　　 \\"Yes, get down on your knees and kiss my hand.\\" He extended his hand, and said, \\"Now, I have a question for you.\\"

　　 \\"Yes?\\"

　　 \\"Do you want this title and position? The kind of favor that can only be granted by a czar.\\"

　　 \\"I...\\" Ulapala opened her mouth to say something, but he interrupted.

　　 \\"Don\\u0027t answer right away. Think about it. Ask yourself if you really want this. Think about what it truly means.\\" He said seriously, \\"If you become my queen, you will betray the people and the Soviet Union with me; do you choose personal interest or loyalty to the people?\\"

　　 She paused for a moment, then said, \\"Personal interest.\\"

　　 He smiled and shook his head. \\"You are a most valuable person. I have no doubt I can count on you.\\" He kissed her again, on the forehead, then patted her on the bottom. \\"I hope you\\u0027ll make a good queen.\\"

　　 As she left the room, she wondered if she\\u0027d made the right choice.

　　 ---

　　 New York, March 1986

　　 A tall man wearing a dark suit and a red tie walked into the New York branch of the Bank of New York. He had a briefcase in his hand. As he entered the building, the teller on duty looked up and said, \\"Good afternoon.\\"

　　 \\"Good afternoon, Boris,\\" the man said, \\"Has Miss Ulapala from the Soviet Bank arrived yet?\\"

　　 \\"She just arrived a few minutes ago, sir.\\"

　　 \\"Please call her in, and tell her I\\u0027d like to see her. Make sure she gets the message.\\"

　　 The teller pressed some buttons on his keyboard and said, \\"Miss Ulapala, there was a gentleman here to see you.\\"

　　 A moment later, the inner door opened and the man entered. He was dressed in a dark suit and a red tie. The woman was wearing a gray dress with a green coat, and had a large bag slung over her shoulder.

　　 \\"Mr. Burke?\\" she asked.

　　 \\"That\\u0027s right. You must be Miss Ulapala.\\"

　　 \\"Yes, I\\u0027m Ulapala. It\\u0027s a very nice honor to finally meet you.\\"

　　 \\"I was quite impressed with the way you managed to get my bank to switch from the Deutschmark to the American Dollar. It\\u0027s quite a feat you have.\\"

　　 \\"Thank you, it\\u0027s a long story.\\"

　　 \\"Long story? I think you\\u0027re being modest.\\"

　　 \\"No, really, it\\u0027s a long story. Perhaps we should go some place less...public.\\"

　　 \\"Oh, OK. My name is Michael Burke, but my friends call me Mike.\\"

　　 \\"My name is Ulapala,\\" she said, extending her hand, \\"It\\u0027s nice to meet you too.\\"

　　 He shook her hand and said, \\"Well, I suppose we should go somewhere else, so we don\\u0027t get into a whole mess of trouble.\\"

　　 They left the bank and walked into an alleyway. When they were out of sight of the bank, she said, \\"There\\u0027s something you should know.\\"

　　 \\"What\\u0027s that?\\" he asked.

　　 \\"Bank of New York is not a bank at all, but an \\u0027agency\\u0027 in the employ of the United Americans.\\"

　　 \\"What?\\" he said, \\"What on earth do you mean?\\"

　　 \\"The Agency is responsible for the bank, and it\\u0027s purpose is to launder money for the American government. That\\u0027s how they\\u0027ve been able to stay in business for so long. You should know this.\\"

　　 \\"That\\u0027s terrifying.\\"

　　 \\"Yes.\\" She pulled a stack of papers out of the bag and handed them to him saying, \\"I\\u0027m not here to concern myself with that, I just wanted to know if you could contact Citibank with the people behind it. My Soviet masters want you to be involved in a deal that will benefit everyone.\\"

　　 He glanced over the papers and said, \\"These are letters of credit, the most basic form of credit. But I suppose it\\u0027ll do.\\" He said, \\"By the way, aren\\u0027t you a little worried about being seen with me?\\"

　　 \\"No worries, you\\u0027re just a pawn to deliver a message. If I wanted to, you could immediately disappear from the world just like my master can make me disappear.\\"

　　 \\"I see. Well, I suppose we should head back. Right now, I\\u0027m afraid our only option is to return here and hope for the best.\\"

　　 ------

　　 First National City Bank Financial Group, Citibank, New York

　　 March 1986

　　 The man sat in the cafeteria of the Bank of New York and studied the menu. After a moment, he said to himself, \\"This has got to be the most boring job in the world.\\"

　　 A few minutes later, a woman walked through the door, and the man looked up. \\"Oh, hello, Miss Ulapala,\\" he said, getting to his feet. \\"Would you like a seat?\\"

　　 \\"Yes please,\\" she said. \\"I\\u0027m terribly sorry, I just don\\u0027t have time to wait for a table.\\"

　　 He led her to a table and said, \\"We have a spare seat.\\"

　　 \\"Thank you.\\" She sat down.

　　 \\"I didn\\u0027t think you\\u0027d be so prompt,\\" he said. \\"After the way you left the bank, I thought you\\u0027d at least wait for a table.\\"

　　 \\"I was in a rush,\\" she said.

　　 \\"From what I\\u0027ve heard, you\\u0027re rather new here.\\"

　　 \\"You could say that, but whether we can work together for a win-win situation doesn\\u0027t depend on that aspect, right?\\"

　　 \\"Of course not. May I recommend the roast beef sandwich and a cup of coffee?\\"

　　 \\"Yes, thank you.\\"

　　 He ordered the food and said, \\"I suppose we should begin.\\"

　　 \\"It\\u0027s not necessary. I know much of what you do, or rather, what you don\\u0027t do.\\"

　　 He looked up in shock. \\"How could you possibly know that?\\"

　　 \\"Because I\\u0027m you, darling.\\"

　　 He continued to stare at her in disbelief. \\"You are?\\" He asked.

　　 \\"We have a common purpose, Mr. John Reid, and I want the debt to become hard currency. I want to be a member of your board of directors. If you help me with this, I\\u0027ll help you with yours, and we can both make a lot more money than we can here. What do you think? It\\u0027s a win-win situation, no?\\"

　　 He thought for a moment. \\"And who are you? I mean, who are you really?\\"

　　 \\"A friend. Our respective homelands should not be enemies, the U.S. and the Soviet Union can rule the world together, you want access to the Soviet market, and we want to get rid of the blockade. At least freedom and socialism? I don\\u0027t think we care.\\"

　　 He studied her face. \\"And you\\u0027re willing to let me go?\\"

　　 \\"Yes, I suppose.\\"

　　 He nodded. \\"I\\u0027ll need time to think this over.\\"

　　 She stood up. \\"Of course, I hope that the Leningrad Bank, which I represent, will reach a consensus with you to facilitate the successful transfer of our claims. Also, there is a hotel room with a young Yugoslavian girl waiting for you, and this is a gift.\\" She put the key to that room on the table. \\"The room is paid for for the next seven days. If you want to take the girl, that\\u0027s your business.\\"

　　 He picked up the key and looked at the room. \\"This is a nice gift, you can\\u0027t give gifts like this anymore. Thank you.\\"

　　 \\"You\\u0027re welcome. Perhaps you\\u0027d like to meet her?\\"

　　 \\"Yes, I\\u0027d like to.\\"

　　 \\"Take care, Mr. Reid. It\\u0027s been a pleasure.\\"

　　 He watched her walk out the door. Then, he looked at the key to the hotel room.

　　 He got up and went to the hotel room, opened the door, and said, \\"Hello.\\"

　　 She stood there, a young woman of perhaps nineteen years of age, with a very bored look on her face. \\"Hello,\\" she said.

　　 \\"I\\u0027m John Reid. You may call me Jack.\\"

　　 \\"I\\u0027m Jane.\\"

　　 \\"Oh, very nice name. You know we\\u0027re staying together for seven days?\\"

　　 She nodded. \\"Yes, that\\u0027s fine.\\"

　　 \\"That\\u0027s seven days of fun, darling.\\"

　　 \\"Huh?\\"

　　 He smiled to himself. \\"That\\u0027s a nice piece of fabric you\\u0027re wearing.\\"

　　 She looked down at her dress. \\"Do you like it? It\\u0027s yours.\\"

　　 He shrugged. \\"Now, Jane you go and turn the lights off, we\\u0027re going to spend the night together then I\\u0027ll take you back to my private villa.\\"

　　 \\"Yes, sir.\\"

　　 He watched her walk off. He smiled to himself. He\\u0027d definitely be seeing more of her.

　　 Until he gets bored with it.

　　 ------

　　 The next day, he took her out to lunch. He treated her to a nice meal in a five-star restaurant. \\"This is on the house,\\" he said. \\"My treat.\\"

　　 She looked at the menu and said, \\"Thank you.\\"

　　 \\"How did you come to America and become a special servant?\\"

　　 \\"I used to be a ballerina when I was younger. One day, our professor asked us to go to Germany to study the newest dance steps. I went, and learned from the best. When I came back, I was a professional. My career took off from there.\\"

　　 \\"You\\u0027re very good at what you do.\\"

　　 \\"Thank you.\\"

　　 He nodded and said, \\"I\\u0027ll take you to my private villa, I\\u0027ll work during the day and I\\u0027ll be back at night.\\"

　　 \\"Okay.\\"

　　 \\"I\\u0027ll meet you back here at night for dinner and we\\u0027ll begin preparations for the trip.\\"

　　 He took her to the private villa. It was exquisite. In fact, it was the most extravagant home she\\u0027d ever been in. Everything was larger-than-life, from the couch to the carpet to the walk-in closet. \\"This is all yours, darling.\\" He said to her.

　　 \\"Thank you. Did you put together a loan? I\\u0027m in dire need of money.\\"

　　 \\"We will discuss that at dinner.\\"

　　 He took her to dinner. It was a very nice meal. He treated her to the best wine he had. It was a very good year for wine.

　　 \\"How much do you need?\\" He asked after taking a drink and putting his hand on her waist.

　　 \\"At least a million dollars.\\"

　　 \\"A million dollars? You\\u0027re asking a loan of that size? I can get you a few million.\\"

　　 \\"No, that\\u0027s not what I mean. I need at least twenty million. That\\u0027s just for starters. I\\u0027ll need more money later on. For my family, for them to –\\"

　　 \\"Okay.\\" He thought for a moment and said, \\"You know no one is going to offer that much money for free, and you need to pay for it.\\"

　　 \\"I know. But I need to be realistic. I\\u0027ll need to take some risks. There are no guarantees. I need at least twenty million to come to America. The rest will be used to set up bank accounts in Switzerland and Australia.\\"

　　 He nodded. \\"A million would be a very good start. We\\u0027ll manage the rest.\\"

　　 \\"Thank you, Jack. I appreciate it.\\"

　　 \\"I\\u0027m not offering this for free, I need a maid who can meet my every need, and if you want that much of a loan...you need to sell you to me.\\"

　　 She smiled. There was more than a little hunger in his voice. She looked into his eyes to see if he was being serious. He wasn\\u0027t. She smiled. \\"I don\\u0027t know what it is you\\u0027re selling me for, Jack, but I\\u0027m sure it\\u0027s not a maid.\\"

　　 He laughed. \\"or female slaves. You want to work in my home, you\\u0027ll be treated like a wife. At least, that\\u0027s what we\\u0027ll call it.\\"

　　 She glanced around the room and looked back at him. \\"I\\u0027d rather not be a maid.\\"

　　 \\"I\\u0027d rather not have a wife who can\\u0027t meet my needs.\\"

　　 She laughed softly. This time, he didn\\u0027t get upset. There was a hint of sass in his voice.

　　 \\"I\\u0027m not joking, Jack. I\\u0027d rather not be anything than what I am.\\"

　　 \\"It\\u0027s your decision, do you want to die old and sick in the slums or raise your offspring with me in a rich neighborhood?\\"

　　 The way he asked the question made her shudder. She looked in his eyes to see if he was serious. He wasn\\u0027t. He continued, \\"Do you want to be a maid or a wife, Jane?\\"

　　 \\"I don\\u0027t want to be anything, Jack. I\\u0027d be one of your slaves if I agreed to be your wife.\\"

　　 \\"What\\u0027s the big deal? I am a banker that\\u0027s fallen on hard times. I have a large home and a successful business. What do you need from life, Jane?\\"

　　 \\"\\u0027Maid\\u0027 will do.\\" She crossed her arms.

　　 \\"That\\u0027s it, you give up and sell yourself to me and help me with my needs, and I take care of you and let you have my illegitimate children.\\"

　　 She raised an eyebrow.

　　 \\"I\\u0027d rather you died young than sold yourself to a man like you, Jack.\\" She crossed her arms. Her voice was cold.

　　 \\"You won\\u0027t think like that later, telling you how it was to live with your family in Yugoslavia? How many men did you have before?\\"

　　 \\"I only had you, Jack.\\"

　　 \\"Don\\u0027t you want to have more?\\"

　　 \\"No.\\"

　　 He frowned. \\"Why not?\\"

　　 \\"You see me as a tool, Jack.\\"

　　 He didn\\u0027t respond. He sat there, taking in the information.

　　 \\"Don\\u0027t you see me as a man who needs to be taken care of, Jack?\\"

　　 He sat in silence a moment. \\"Everyone needs care, but no one cares about others. Now, tell me how you and your family lived in Yugoslavia versus wanting to immigrate to the United States?\\"

　　 \\"My family went hungry while the men in my town worked hard to make enough money to eat.\\"

　　 \\"Did they send you to America?\\"

　　 \\"I wanted to go.\\"

　　 \\"Why?\\"

　　 \\"I wanted to see the world.\\"

　　 \\"Why? Why would you want to see the world?\\"

　　 \\"Because it\\u0027s the world.\\"

　　 He smiled. \\"You\\u0027re not answering my question, Jane.\\"

　　 \\"Because the question doesn\\u0027t make any sense, Jack.\\"

　　 \\"Explain it to me.\\"

　　 \\"You don\\u0027t need to know. You\\u0027ll never understand.\\"

　　 \\"Try me.\\"

　　 \\"You have no reason to trust me, Jack.\\"

　　 He shrugged. \\"Prove yourself to me.\\"

　　 She looked away. \\"How?\\"

　　 \\"Tell me how you starved in Yugoslavia with your family.\\"

　　 \\"I sold myself to a man for a loaf of bread.\\"

　　 \\"How did you survive? It must\\u0027ve been hard to do that.\\"

　　 She nodded and said, \\"Nothing just give up dignity, without money we live less than a rich man\\u0027s dog. We can\\u0027t afford to sell anything, and the government won\\u0027t give us anything. I sold myself to a man for a piece of bread versus to live, and then I was sold here in America.\\"

　　 \\"Sell what, exactly?\\"

　　 \\"My body, Jack.\\"

　　 \\"You sell your body... for what?\\"

　　 \\"For money.\\"

　　 He stared at her blankly.

　　 \\"Fine, What do you want to do, Jane?\\"

　　 \\"Kill you.\\"

　　 He laughed. \\"I\\u0027d say you\\u0027re a little far from that, sweetheart.\\" He stood up from the couch. \\"Come. Let\\u0027s go to bed.\\"

　　 He held his hand out for her. She took it, and they walked to his bedroom. He opened the door and said, \\"You can sleep in the bed or on the couch. Tomorrow, I will help you immigrate your family to America. Of course, you need to become my maid and slave.\\"

　　 \\"I\\u0027ll take the bed, Jack.\\"

　　 He smiled. \\"Fine. Good choice.\\" He closed the door.

　　 \\"I\\u0027ll take the couch, Jack.\\"

　　 \\"Suit yourself. You\\u0027re mine anyway, kiss me on the mouth.\\"

　　 \\"I\\u0027ll remember you in my prayers, Jack.\\" She lay down on the couch. She looked up at the ceiling. \\"Can we do this tomorrow?\\"

　　 \\"Of course.\\" He sat on the bed. \\"I have a question, why is your family so poor?\\"

　　 \\"My father was in the army. When he died, we lost the money he\\u0027d saved up.\\"

　　 \\"I see.\\" He stroked his chin. \\"What do you think of me, Jane?\\"

　　 \\"I don\\u0027t trust you, Jack. I think you\\u0027re a man who doesn\\u0027t want to work and just takes what you wants.\\"

　　 Jack frowned. \\"But it\\u0027s logical, people don\\u0027t care about your misery and morality, only about how much money you have. And it\\u0027s enough that I have wealth, that\\u0027s the truth of how capital works: everything is about maximizing profit. Everything else is a lie, just like there was no political democracy in the Soviet Union and no economic democracy in the United States.\\"

　　 \\"I\\u0027m only speaking of my family, Jack. I don\\u0027t judge you for what you\\u0027re doing.\\"

　　 \\"Good.\\" He leaned forward. \\"If you obey & love me, one day I\\u0027ll drown you in dollars. Now, kiss me.\\"

　　 She rose from the couch. She walked to the bed, and sat down on the edge of it. She kissed him. He held her close to him, and they stayed that way until they fell asleep.

　　 ---

　　 Jane awoke to the dawn light. She looked at the bedside clock. Six thirty-four. She looked over at Jack. He slept soundly, snoring lightly.

　　 She got up from the bed. She walked to the window, and looked outside. They had a clear view of the sunrise over the city. She stood there a moment, thinking about her life. She wasn\\u0027t sure where to go from here. She had a strange feeling about this day. She sensed it would change the direction of her life.

　　 She returned to the bed, and looked at Jack. He slept still. She lay down next to him, and closed her eyes. She felt his arm around her, and they slept until noon.

　　 When they woke, he got up, and walked over to the window. The phone rings. He picked it up, and said, \\"Yes?\\"

　　 \\"It\\u0027s me, Ulpala.\\"

　　 \\"Ah, Ulpala, what\\u0027s going on?\\"

　　 \\"How about that girl? Are you satisfied?\\"

　　 \\"I\\u0027m satisfied, yes.\\"

　　 \\"I just wanted to let you know, you don\\u0027t have to deal with her. Go on about your day, as if nothing happened. You have my word.\\"

　　 \\"Ulpala, I appreciate that. I just wanted some company.\\"

　　 \\"Sure thing. I\\u0027ll see you tonight.\\"

　　 \\"See you later, Ulpala.\\"

　　 ----

　　 It was almost dinnertime when she got up from the couch. Jack was already at the window. \\"We need to go to the bank,\\" she said.

　　 \\"I know, I still need to see Ullapala with you.\\" He turned to her. \\"What\\u0027s going to happen when we go?\\"

　　 \\"We\\u0027re going to make money.\\" She smiled. \\"Lots of money.\\"

　　 \\"I see.\\" He kissed her.

　　 That evening, he took Jane to meet with Ulapala at the restaurant. Ulpala sat at an outside table, drinking a glass of wine. When they approached the table, She stood up, and said, \\"You have five minutes, then we have to leave.\\"

　　 \\"Understood,\\" he nodded.

　　 He and Jane sat down.

　　 \\"So, what are the results of your consideration?\\" Ulapala asked, crossing her arms.

　　 \\"Ulpala, you\\u0027re a strange one. You have money, but you also have something that I want. The means to get what you want is what I need.\\"

　　 \\"And what is that?\\"

　　 \\"Your friendship.\\"

　　 \\"Oh.\\" Ulapala took a drink of wine. \\"I\\u0027m not very good at making friends.\\"

　　 \\"You\\u0027re not very good at sharing either. Now, I have a question for you: which would you rather have, wealth or power?\\"

　　 \\"Both.\\" Ulapala smiled. \\"I\\u0027m a greedy person. Always have been, always will be.\\"

　　 \\"You\\u0027re unpredictable. I like that in a person. Give me a moment to think.\\" He picked up the wine glass, and took a drink. \\"I\\u0027ll give you a moment, because I do like your greedy little face. Power, I think. For the sake of our friendship, I will be in a position to help you convince the Rockefeller Consortium and the J.P. Morgan Consortium to buy your debt. But I also need interest and commitment.\\"

　　 \\"And I want to be paid off in a combination of both dollars and shares. But let\\u0027s not discuss that until you\\u0027ve given me what I want.\\"

　　 \\"I thought you\\u0027d see it my way.\\" He took another drink of wine. \\"And I\\u0027ll give you those things: interest and commitment, just as I promised. You have my word. I\\u0027m not a Soviet, and I know you\\u0027re convincing those consortium families to cooperate. I need fifty million dollars and fifty million more with your Leningrad Bank board membership when the thing is done.\\"

　　 \\"Fifty million dollars? That\\u0027s not a whole lot of commitment.\\"

　　 \\"It\\u0027s a hell of a lot more than I\\u0027m giving you now. You\\u0027re getting a bargain.\\"

　　 \\"Alright, I\\u0027ll give you fifty million dollars. The rest of the money will be paid off in shares. You\\u0027re actually getting more than you\\u0027re putting in, I think.\\"

　　 \\"That\\u0027s because, unlike you, I have a conscience.\\" He leaned in close. \\"And don\\u0027t think I haven\\u0027t noticed that you\\u0027re wearing a low-cut, barely there dress.\\"

　　 Jane choked on her wine.

　　 \\"I\\u0027ll give you an additional five million dollars if you take that dress off.\\"

　　 \\"You\\u0027re not...\\"

　　 \\"Yes, I am.\\" He winked.

　　 Jane stared at him, speechless.

　　 \\"What do you say, Ulapala? Take off the dress.\\"

　　 \\"No.\\" Ulapala wrote a check for $50 million and said, \\"You\\u0027re drunk and it\\u0027s time for me to go. Enjoy your Jane time remember our promise.\\" She turned, and walked away.

　　 \\"Well, we\\u0027ve made some money,\\"

　　 \\"So, you think you made a good deal?\\" Jane said.

　　 \\"That\\u0027s for me and the bankers to decide.\\"

　　 Jane blushed and said, \\"If you\\u0027d been paying attention, you would have noticed that I wasn\\u0027t wearing any underwear.\\"

　　 \\"My bad.\\" He sipped his wine and said, \\"You\\u0027re right. Maybe I should take you to a movie some time.\\"

　　 Jane laughed, and said, \\"Only if we make more money.\\"

　　 \\"Please, I was joking. Please take your dress off,\\" he said, extending his hand.

　　 Jane stared at his hand, speechless.

　　 \\"Fine, I\\u0027ll...\\" She glanced around and said, \\"Wait, fifty million dollars is too much. I\\u0027m not taking off my dress. Get twenty-five million.\\"

　　 \\"No, I want fifty million. You\\u0027re taking off your dress.\\"

　　 Jane sighed and said, \\"Fine.\\" She pulled her dress off.

　　 \\"I was kidding.\\" He smiled.

　　 She laughed and said, \\"You should be more careful.\\"

　　 He said, \\"I am satisfied, now squat down and call me master then get dressed and come home with me.\\" He collected the check.

　　 Jane squatted and moaned, \\"Master!\\" she said.

　　 \\"Yes?\\" He gave her a playful swat.

　　 \\"I need more money.\\"

　　 \\"Here, take this.\\" He tossed her a few bills.

　　 Jane counted them, frowned, and said, \\"That\\u0027s not how this works. I need more. I want more.\\"

　　 \\"No more money. You\\u0027ve had your fun.\\" He stood.

　　 \\"Please! Just...\\"

　　 \\"No.\\" He got up and said, \\"I will give it to you when you are more obedient. Now, come home with me.\\"

　　 Jane looked up at him and said, \\"Yes, please...\\"

　　 \\"Get dressed and come home...now.\\"

　　 \\"Yes, please...\\" She stood and pulled her dress back on.

　　 She and him and went home. He went back to the boardroom.

　　 Jane sighed and sat back down. She pulled the money out of the bag and counted it. At least two thousand dollars. She\\u0027d have to figure out how to hide it all.

　　 She thought of her step-sister. She imagined the two of them in their small apartment. Jane would be cooking, and her step-sister would be watching TV. They would argue. The sister would demand money, Jane would give it to her.

　　 Then she\\u0027d worry. Maybe the cops would come and take her away. She\\u0027d be in the newspaper. They might even put her in jail. She\\u0027d have to sneak money to her. Maybe she could sell blood.

　　 She\\u0027d have to figure it all out.

　　 She would worry.

　　 Would her sister even want to be in a relationship with a criminal? She had a good thing going now. Why risk it all by getting mixed up with a criminal?

　　 Jane buried her face in the covers and stared at the green bills, wondering why she had to give up everything just to get more of these papers that were just printed in color?

　　 Maybe she should worry about her sister

　　 Maybe, if things went bad, she should look out for her sister.

　　 Maybe, she should be a good person

　　 Jane laughed.

　　 \\"What\\u0027s so funny?\\" He asked as he returned to the bedroom and stared at her.

　　 \\"Nothing,\\" she said. She covered her mouth and said, \\"Sorry. I didn\\u0027t mean to laugh. I just...I don\\u0027t know. It just crossed my mind.\\"

　　 \\"What crossed your mind?\\" He sat beside her on the bed and stared at her.

　　 \\"I could give all this money to my sister,\\" she said, holding out her hand. \\"She deserves it.\\"

　　 He asked, lying flat on his back, \\"Your sister? How old is she?\\"

　　 \\"I don\\u0027t know, 15 maybe.\\"

　　 \\"Does she live in the city?\\"

　　 \\"No, here in the country.\\"

　　 He lay on his back. \\"Well, I guess you asked me to bring her and your mother to live here?\\"

　　 She nodded slowly. \\"I\\u0027m sorry.\\"

　　 \\"Well, I will help you with your bank account tomorrow with the transfer of two million dollars. You should thank me.\\"

　　 \\"Thank you.\\"

　　 \\"That\\u0027s alright. I\\u0027ll put your sister on the payroll as a consultant. She can do odd jobs that need to be done that nobody else is willing to do.\\"

　　 \\"Thank you.\\"

　　 \\"You\\u0027re welcome.\\"

　　 He stood up and went over to the dresser. He took out a pair of black pants and folded them. \\"An ordinance banning child labor would instead deprive poor children of the opportunity to survive, and forcing children to go to school to be educated instead of being allowed to work is not always the best option for children. Of course, I hope your sister learns something from me as well.\\"

　　 Jane smiled. \\"Promise.\\"

　　 \\"Promise.\\" He went back to the dresser and picked up a shirt. He went into the bathroom and came out dressed. \\"You know we have not abolished child labor and child marriage in many states in this country.\\"

　　 She nodded. \\"I know.\\"

　　 \\"Do you think it\\u0027s wise to continue this relationship?\\"

　　 \\"What choice do I have?\\"

　　 \\"You could end the relationship.\\"

　　 Jane looked at him. \\"Are you threatening me?\\"

　　 \\"Well, since you put it that way, yes.\\" He wiped his hair with a towel and said, \\"I hope you know you\\u0027re not wise to end our relationship.\\"

　　 \\"I\\u0027m not. You\\u0027re my lover and I\\u0027ll come to you for everything. I don\\u0027t need to be with anyone else, not even my sister.\\"

　　 \\"I see.\\"

　　 \\"Good night. Sleep tight.\\"

　　 \\"I will. You too.\\"

　　 He left the room. She listened until his steps faded.

　　 When she was absolutely sure he was gone, she rose up in bed and went into the walk-in closet. She took out a red coat and put it on. She left the bedroom and went downstairs. At the kitchen, she made herself a cup of cocoa. She planned to find a way to transfer all the money and bonds to her personal account the next day. But it was difficult, and she didn\\u0027t have U.S. citizenship. What if the bank or the IRS or the law caught her? She could be arrested. That would mean separation from her mother. She thought it over and decided to just hide the money. That way, she wouldn\\u0027t be caught.

　　 She ate the rest of the bread and drank most of the milk. She set the empty carton on the counter and went to bed. She fell asleep within seconds.