A
military coup had changed the Nation from a Democracy into a
Dictatorship. The Dictator was Henry Francis Verwoerd, a citizen who
had been born in a foreign country.
He
was a widow. He had adult twin daughters, Elizabeth and Nessie. Each
had a Doctorate university degree. They did not know which was elder.
All their lives the twins argued about that; playfully, most times.
Their father said that when they were born, the nurses neglected to
tag them immediately. Hence, even their mother did not know.
Their
father was not in full agreement with the direction in which their
mother had counselled them. He had done nothing to actively oppose
their mother’s counseling. His daughters were well aware of his
disappointment in them.
By
their mother’s counseling, unknown to their father, the
daughters, years in advance, had seen their father’s
dictatorship coming.
Their
mother had been meticulously careful to be neutral in the Nation’s
Politics. The daughters, while ostensibly following their mother’s
neutrality, disagreed with their father's Politics. He did not know
that, after his wife’s death, his children joined an
Underground Organization that opposed his rule.
Also,
with their father’s reluctant permission, they bought and lived
in their own home. They visited him regularly and openly, to keep up
the appearance of a happy family. Although their father had never
visited them in their own home, they never stopped reminding him he
was always welcome to visit; even without him first asking
permission.
Although
both their father’s and their Organization’s Political
ways included resorting to crude violence against each other, the
sisters had never joined in violent Political maneuvers.
All
over the country every day somewhere there were violent street
oppositions to their father's dictatorship. The skirmishes often
included bombings, and shoot-outs with police and soldiers.
One
of the purposes of the Underground Organization was to help persons
flee the country. The twins were divided on that matter.
One
was willing to avail herself of the opportunity to flee the country
if the violence against her father’s rule became excessive,
country-wide. The other twin was committed to never abandoning her
Nation, even if that commitment meant dying, reluctantly, at their
father’s side.
The
twins had no illusions about their father's cruelty. If he ever found
out about their involvement in the Underground Organization, he would
not have hesitated to send them to jail, or a firing squad.
Every
week, somewhere in the country, a military firing squad was on active
duty.
The
principal way the sisters worked was through an onstage Theatre
Company that staged productions all over the Country, and toured
overseas.
Their
Company, the Christian Theatre Art Company, in order to appear to be
utterly harmless, and largely useless, Politically, staged only
Christian Church plays in the genres of Miracle, Morality, and
Mystery.
All
of the plays staged had been anonymously written, and staged by
Churches in Medieval Europe. Plays such as, EVERYMAN, THE MIRACULOUS
APPLE TREE, THE CASTLE OF PERSEVERANCE, SAINT JOHN THE HAIRY.
The
Theatre Company was working on a plan to stage, in time, the Medieval
European Church play entitled, THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. It has
approximately four-hundred and ninety-four speaking roles, and would
have to be staged over at least forty days.
If
the twins’ father’s spies had ever reported the kind of
plays the C.T.A.C. was staging for a paying public, it was sure to
deepen his disappointment in the way his children were living their
lives.
There
were no auditions for the onstage roles. Casting was by the Company’s
board of directors. A citizen deemed suitable for a role would be
contacted, in person, by a board member, and offered the role. The
only qualifications required in a citizen was that their public life
was scandal-free, and not involved in the Nation’s Politics.
Prior
onstage experience was neither-here-nor-there.
Since
all the characters in these plays were from the Bible, and the themes
were always about what constituted sincere Christian Church worship,
the plays were considered thoroughly innocuous, Politically.
It
was the seventh year of the dictatorship. The Christian Theatre Art
Company was enjoying extraordinary international fame.
The
Dictator himself was, albeit grudgingly, pleased to approve of the
Company. At every opportunity he pointed to its international fame as
proof that his dictatorship was not as evil as his opponents claimed.
He
was completely ignorant of the number of his Political opponents who
were continually escaping his tyranny by serving as onstage
performers, and stagehands in the Company's productions, touring
overseas.
A
crisis arose in the Theatre Company. One of their members was a
Government Agent. He had grown disillusioned, he said, with the
Dictator’s government.
At
the time of his joining the Company’s crew as a stagehand, he
had been unaware of the Theatre Company’s clandestine smuggling
of Political dissidents.
While
serving as a nondescript stagehand, his spying instincts gradually
led him to discover the Company’s smuggling activities. This
discovery heartened him because he saw it as a way he could safely
escape serving the dictator.
He
did not know to whom in the Company it was safe for him to reveal his
identity and request. He put his professional sleuthing talent to
use. He hesitantly and warily contacted Nessie. He was unaware she
had a twin sister.
For
the first few minutes of their discussion, Nessie was shaken and
terrified that a Government Agent had been able to infiltrate the
Theatre Company.
His
sincere and deep contrition at having brought on the crisis, helped
calm Nessie. For the sake of the Theatre Company, he said, he was
prepared to do whatever Nessie required. Nessie informed him she
would have to consult with superiors in the Theatre organization. She
would get back to him within hours.
Nessie
met with Elizabeth. She apprised Elizabeth of the situation. She did
not reveal the Agent’s identity.
Nessie,
we have to delay helping him. We need more time to be certain he is
honest about defecting from Dad.
How
long will that take? The longer we take, the greater the risk that
Dad’s Agents will find him out, Elizabeth.
Nessie,
it is common knowledge how this C.T.A.C. conducts itself. He could be
trying to get you to arrange a meeting for him to see who the board
of directors are. When you tell them he wants to defect, they will
not want to meet him until they conduct their investigation. That
could take forever.
He
doesn’t have forever, Elizabeth. Take a photograph of him,
Elizabeth. Without him knowing.
What?
When
he comes to talk to me, you hide and photograph him. When the board
has a photograph, their investigation need take a few days only.
Good
for you, Nessie! Cunning and good!
Of
course. Thank you. To be expected of the elder twin.
Within
an hour-or-so Nessie met with
the
disillusioned Government Agent. All the while they spoke, and Nessie
was hoping Elizabeth was taking photographs, Nessie looked him over
intently to detect signs of hypocrisy. When he eventually left,
somewhat disappointed his application had to take a few days before
he met with the board, Nessie was somewhat pleased she had found no
indications of insincerity in his behaviour.
She
hurried home to meet her (younger) twin. Elizabeth was sitting at the
kitchen table. Her Polaroid camera was on the table.
Elizabeth?
The photograph?
I
did not take a photograph, Nessie, because I know who he is.
Okay.
I’m waiting, little sister.
I
met him once when we lived with Dad.
Where
was I?
I
don’t know. He said Dad had invited him to meet us. Because Dad
wanted him to choose one of us to marry.
And?
He
left, because I told him if he did not leave I would seriously harm
his face.
He
does not know I am the other twin?
Obviously.
So?
What do we do now, Elizabeth?
As
the elder twin, this is what I suggest. We tell him the board has
approved his application. And then you and I come up with a plan on
how we can get Dad to turn against him.
Good.
I go along with that.
Another
thing. He must never know you are the other twin.
Okay.
Do you know his name, Elizabeth? I don’t.
Yes.
He told me. Demetrio Tsafendas.
