“And he did that for you without protesting?”
“Oh, yes, he in fact did much more than that for me. I wanted, for example, to have a TV set in my room in order to keep myself informed of what was going on in our country and in the world and how the public was reacting to my disappearance. I did that because I knew that watching TV programmes was the best way of keeping up with the latest developments in the world as a whole. I wanted to be able to speak well once I was free. I wanted to be able to give clear answers in the interview that certainly would take place once I have managed to free myself. It was clear to me that my future life would depend on public interest in my case. Thus whatever I was planning and doing had to be adjusted to that interest. If the masses had not been interested in what was happening to me at that time, then all my planning and suffering would have been in vain. I made him bring me books from the library, because I wanted to read and learn. He realised that I was very sincere and he did what I wanted. He himself was also a keen reader and we quite often walked late in the evening and discussed books that we both had read. In such moments I was not afraid he might kill me. In fact generally I was not so afraid of being killed, I was much more afraid of being locked in the room and abandoned. That might have happened because he went to town in his car every day, and when you drive a car something can always happen. Nobody would have noticed anything. My kidnapper agreed that being abandoned in the cellar would be much worse than being killed; however, he thought that the worse case would offer a much more teasing plot for a book or a film. As I have already said he dropped me a hint several times how to escape. However, each time he added that he couldn’t control himself if I tried to do that. In that case, he repeated each time, somebody would have to die. I was simply desperate, for on the one hand I had firmly decided to flee from the dungeon at any price, on the other hand I did not want to be responsible for his or anybody else’s death.”
“Unfortunately what you were so terribly afraid of has happened: your kidnapper has committed suicide.”
“I know that he has killed himself because I have fled; he simply could not continue carrying the burden of loneliness. It is a pity that he has done it. His death was completely unnecessary.”
“Now you are free, you are starting a new life. What are you going to do first?”
“First of all I will pass my baccalaureate. Then I will study at the university. Then I will see what I should do next. However, what I want to start now, without delay, is a foundation that bears my name. It should be based on my pain and my suffering, my strength and my courage. I want to help all those who are starving, all those who have disappeared in countries in which human rights are not respected, all women who do not have the same rights as men. In this interview I should like to appeal to mankind to support me generously in my effort to help those in need. Helping hundreds of millions of the starving, oppressed, deprived is a costly business. Therefore I am appealing to you to be generous. I will personally keep a sharp eye on each detail in connection with my foundation and take care that all you donate goes directly to those who are in need. I will no longer allow anything in connection with my person to happen without my knowledge. I will never again be a victim at someone’s mercy. I will help all victims in the world to become free and regain their dignity. My lawyers will support me in my endeavour.”
“Dear Vivien, thank you very much for the interview,” said the interviewer at the end.
As soon as the interview was over, the cameras and the microphones were switched off and taken away. The members of the managing team approached Vivien and congratulated her with words full of praise.
“Dear Vivien, I would like to congratulate you and to express my admiration. It has been a great pleasure listening to you. The interview has been so smooth because your language is refined and your pronunciation is simply impeccable. You have been doing everything so well, because since the first day you have known what you want. We all in the team are trying to do all we can in order to help you fulfil your dreams,” said Mr Corner, obviously very satisfied.
All members of the managing team nodded and applauded.
Vivien’s face was glowing with happiness.
“Now I would suggest that Vivien and we all watch the interview together to see if anything else could be added or deleted,” said Mr Corner.
The suggestion was accepted unanimously.
Professor Frederic disappeared for a second, and when he came back he put a tiny tray with a big glass full of fresh orange juice on the table in front of Vivien. He didn’t say anything but just smiled at her. She pressed his hand to thank him. Vivien’s tender smile and her gentle pressing of Professor Frederic’s hand didn’t escape Mr Corner, nor did the jealous looks of the latter escape Professor Frederic. What Professor Frederic had done happened just a second before Mr Corner wanted to ask her if she would like a drink. While he was preparing everything Mr Corner had the impression that a cunning rival had managed to get the princess to give him the key to her chamber door.
Mr Corner urged all the members to write down any remarks they might have in connection with the interview. The recorded interview was projected onto the screen. There was perfect silence during the projection. After the projection nobody stirred. They were all waiting for Mr Corner’s opinion first before creating their own.
“I personally find the interview so overwhelming that I should like to suggest to you that we do not repeat it any more, because a better and smoother recording than this one is hardly possible. Tomorrow evening this interview will be broadcast on TV as already arranged. In the evening the day after tomorrow we all will meet here again and have a nice chat together. I don’t think there is any reason why we should meet again before that, because now everything is clear and already fixed,” said Mr Corner immediately.
His suggestion was accepted unanimously.
“Thank you very much for your support. Now, Vivien can be at her ease and needn’t think of the interview any more,” he added, looking at Vivien with a smile. All the others joined him in applauding and directing their looks at Vivien. Vivien’s face was radiant.
Professor Frederic suggested that Vivien and one of his assistants at the Institute of Psychology, whom he personally had chosen for the job, could go out and have a nice stroll in the town.
“Vivien should enjoy her last hours of anonymity before the interview on TV, that is, before her face becomes known to everybody,” he explained.
All the members of the team supported the idea.
Before Vivien and Doctor Ovale left, Professor Frederic discreetly reminded Vivien of her promise to come to his office and have dinner with him after her walk in the town. Vivien nodded with a smile.
The day before it became known that Doctor Ovale had been chosen for the task, Peter Strong, another assistant of Professor Frederic’s, an extremely good-looking, charming, intelligent young man, expressed the wish to accompany Vivien during her stroll in the town. Professor Frederic was sorry, but he had already engaged someone for the job and now he had to keep his word, he said.
Doctor Ovale was in the assistants’ room waiting for Professor Frederic’s call. Professor Frederic called him, and a minute later he arrived.
All the men in the managing team liked Professor Frederic’s choice.
Doctor Ovale was a rather short, chubby, humorous man in his thirties, not at all attractive, but very nice, charming, and well-read. In addition to a remarkable knowledge of biology and psychology, he was also well-informed and enjoyed speaking about politics, art, film and fashion.
As Vivien was delighted by the idea to go out and enjoy a pleasant stroll