“Thank you. We had fun.” “It seems that you did. But, I think the fun has yet to begin!” I laugh. She smiles. She understood everything we sai... to each other. As we leave the shop, “What was that all about,” you ask. “I’ll tell you later,” I chuckle. As we walk toward our hotel, “What did the woman in the store say,” you ask. “She speaks perfect English.” You blush deep red. “You mean that she understood everything we said?” “Yes,” I laugh. “Oh, God. How embarrassing!” “Why? You’ll never see. Her request was granted and she spent the next three monthsfighting Vend?e as a common soldier. One moonless night she blundered off thepath, got lost, and was captured by the rebels. To them she looked more like afrightened young girl than a warrior and they almost let her go, but one of therebel commanders, a former Parisian, recognized in her the feared Jacobinexecutioner and Marat's lover. Isabelle was beaten severely, raped by dozens ofmen, and then, half-dead but still barely conscious,. They wanted to know what I knew but I wasn’t talking. There was something I had seen in her eyes that said keep quiet. The cops left shortly after being their usual sloppy selves. It never seemed to occur to them she might have been going to her car. Only one was left that could have run and I checked it out. Inside was a small handbag with a drivers license. It was her, Joan Smith, but the wasn’t her real name. The picture matched and her name was Joan Sanders. Well it was fairly close I. "It is a sad thing, Andrei. They are leaving much behind. Their careers, their property, their professional associates and personal friends, and the two young people, such promising beginnings. It will be hard, Andrei. I am absolutely amazed that they have such faith and trust in her father to do this thing!" Da, amazing. But I think it is safe to promise that they will not regret it, my friend. Some day I will invite you here, and you will see that there are opportunities and wonders of which.