by nita dee
disclaimer: "the replacements" belong to dan santat and walt disney productions.
chapter six: fifteen seconds
"it's daylight again."
looking up above to where a small trap door led to outside and freedom, katherine mildred quimby daring looked up from her underground cell and wondered what day it was.
it had been nearly a week since the automobile accident but to
agent k the week had been a wild surreal jumble of mental mind games.
she wondered if she had really wreaked carter. and where was she?
and who was the dark skinned man with a turban who liked to get into
her face and laugh at her with his stinky breath and yellow teeth? was
prince cinnamon boots really her lawyer? why did they all laugh when
she signed that paper? todd did need to bring up his grades or he'd
go to summer school. why did madame serena her old violin teacher continue to tell her what a failure she was? where were dick and her children?
agent k began to realize that she had been drugged during her imprisonment in b'ajai. this was to keep her from trying to escape. but now, she was being allowed to sober up because raja rameen wanted k to be clear minded and alert when the events of the next day occurred.
k was still suffering from injuries she had substained in the accident. she had a concussion and her left arm was fractured. she also had several ribs on her left side which were fractured and the entire left side of her body was brused badly. her healing process was hindered by how she was being held. k was in a very small confined cell not unlike a dungeon and her arms were chained above her head while her bare feet were chained to the floor of the cell. her black catsuit had been tattered beyond recognition since it was debugged and her leather boots were gone as were her pearl earrings (which were really explosive devices) and her wedding ring. dehydration was starting to take its toll as well since she had nothing to eat or drink since before the accident.
it was getting on into the day when the trap door of the cell opened and a ladder lowered. a guard came into the cell and unchained k and helped her up from her seated position. then, he took a cord from his wasteband and tied k's hand's together and motioned for her to climb the ladder.
it was a hot day and the sun shown brightly. k squinted to adjust to the bright light after a week in darkness. the guard had taken k by the right arm and was leading her into some sort of arena not unlike where soccer or football would be played. the hot ground was hard on k's bare feet and she was already limping due to her injuries.
the man in the turban was seated on some kind of stage that was shaded by an awning. there were about ten seats on the stage. several people were mulling around doing clean up and setting things up. finally, in the middle of the area there was a man and the largest elephant k had ever seen doing something with coconuts. k's stomach gurgled and she half hoped she might have some of the coconut.
"ahhh..i do believe that this is agent k! are you ready for your crush tomorrow? from what i understand it will be a smashing event!" the man in the turban said with joy.
"who are you?" k asked.
"you don't remember?" raja rameen said.
"no." k said shortly.
"well, let me refresh your memory--about fifteen years ago you tried to join a social group i sponsored in britain and i was awed by your beauty and beguiling nature. little did i know you were a stinking spy and was planning my downfall." raja rameen said.
"i've been on a lot of missions in my life..cut to the chase.
who are you?" k asked again.
"i am now most royal raja rameen of the country b'ajai but when you knew me my father was the raja and i went by my given name ravi rameen." raja rameen answered.
"oh yes..now i remember. you had a drug cartel and i broke it up."
k said.
"i spent many years in prison waiting for what will occur tomorrow.
last year, my dear father died and i was released on good behavior and
took over the throne." raja rameen said.
"really. well, what happens tomorrow?" k asked.
"ahhh..you do not remember your trial? the one where you signed
a confession stating you were guilty of hinderance of human freedoms
and freedom of speech and that you agreed the best penalty was death?"
raja rameen said flowery.
"no, i've been drugged and have a head injury." k said shortly.
"i see. well, one of the reasons i brought you out of your cell was i wanted to show you a little dress rehearsal of what you will be facing tomorrow." the raja got out of his chair and walked over to where k and her guard was standing. he motioned for the two to follow him.
the raja lead k over to where the elephant was breaking coconuts on a short marble pedestal about eight inches above the ground. there was straw scattered around the pedestal. the mahout (or elephant trainer) ordered the elephant to first "rise" and the elephant lifted his huge left hoof and then "down" and the elephant dropped the hoof onto the coconut, smashing it into pieces.
"your head will be in the place of the coconut tomorrow. it regretably will be quick-maybe fifteen seconds tops? but it wil be the most intense fifteen minutes of both of our lives." raja rameen said happily.
k watched but was able to control her horror.
"would you like to give the pedestal a test drive?" the raja asked.
"no." k said quietly.
"come on, where is your sense of curiosity?" the raja asked. the raja motioned the guard to place k into position. k was pushed down in a lying postion and then the guard lifted her head and placed it upon the pedestal.
"this is how it will be tomorrow. you will lie before chakta and the command will be given and your life will end. afterwards your feet will be bound and chakta will drag your body out into the jungle and you will be left to feed the wild animals." the raja said.
the raja bent down beside k and began to finger her white golden hair.
"regretably, you will be shaved bald in the morning. nothing must stand in the way of chakta doing his work. and you have such beautiful hair too.." the raja said, stroking and fingering the locks.
"get...your..filty..fingers..out..of..my hair!" k growled. she jumped up and walked away from the pedestal and would have gone farther away than the end of the straw bed had her guard not stopped her.
"first off, not a strand of my hair will be removed. i finally grew it back to a length i am happy with. second, unless i can manage an escape or be rescued, i will glady die your barbaric and cruel death tomorrow. but instead of having my remains sent out to the jungle you will contact the nearest british consulate and release my body to their diplomat. i have family in both the united states and britain and the very least i can do for them is offer them closure. and i would like to have something to eat. i'm starving and some crumpets and earl grey tea would be very comforting to me." k said with command in her voice.
"we are still full of pride, aren't we british intelligence agent k."
the raja said. "well, if those are your last requests, i regret informing you that none will be granted. we don't feed our condemned
because their weakened state helps the guards on the day of the execution. i would think you'd like to have your hair removed since
it will be quite messy when the events end tomorrow. finally, your
family will receive an official notice from the government of b'ajai
that your execution was carried out. so that answers your requests.
k looked at the man with hatred. the raja smiled at her.
"you have children, don't you?" the raja asked. "a boy and a girl which you and your stuntman husband adopted?"
k said nothing but nodded yes.
the raja motioned for the guard to do something. the guard left and shortly brought back a small boy who reminded k of jacobo, one of todd's friends.
"i don't think you understand what we have planned for you tomorrow."
the raja said to k. he then motioned the guard to place the boy on the
pedestal.
"no!" k said in horror. "don't do that..he's a child..he's just a child..."
the mahout motioned the elephant to come forward as the child screamed on the pedestal knowing what was about to occur.
"please..raja rameen..i beg of you..spare this child. i understand.
i tell you..i understand what will happen to me tomorrow." k said, panic
in her voice.
"rise...down". the mahout said and chakta did as commanded.
k's scream could be heard throughout the arena.
"and that is how it will be for you as well." the raja said quietly.
"you..didn't..have..to..do..that. i am..well aware..of..what.
i face...tomorrow." k said slowly in shock and horror of what she
had just witnessed.
"good. well, then..off to your cell! i look forward to seeing you again tomorrow along with others who will be coming in that you have wronged." the raja said gleefully.
the guard took k by the arm and led her away.
"oh..k! don't look so forlorned. i tell you what..i will not send the barber to your cell tomorrow. you can keep your hair." the raja said as k and the guard departed.
pride gone, k nodded her head in shame and walked back to her cell defeated.