Dark Dreams Read online

  “Jana, I’ve been asked to campaign in the general election for the reform coalition. They’ve promised me a position on the slate. If we get enough votes I’ll become a member of parliament.” She stared at Jana, waiting for approval, her face lit up with excitement. “It’s a tremendous leap up, an opportunity to be involved in something even more important, a job that will allow me to make changes directly in the way the government does business. I can be a real advocate for the people.”

  Jana thought it over. It was not all that hard for her to follow Sofia’s logic and to understand Sofia’s enthusiasm. The present government was far from wonderful. It was crooked, led by a man who was a dangerous demagogue. His secret police used strongarm tactics and were becoming even more extreme. A change would be a good thing. Even so, Jana’s main concern was her friend and her friend’s future: would Sofia’s move into politics benefit Sofia?

  “You’ve never talked to me before about wanting to be a politician.”

  “Jana, what I’ve been doing over the last years is political.”

  “Wrong,” said Jana. “Now you’re your own master. You don’t have to answer to the voters. You don’t have to kowtow to a political party. You don’t have to consider expediency and make compromises.”

  “Jana, I’ve examined all the arguments for and against.”

  “That’s the right start.”

  “I’ll tell you something I’ve never told even you. This has always been my secret dream. I pushed it back into a corner of my mind. I never thought that I could get there. Inside, I always see a powerless person in my mirror. How could a powerless woman become a member of the National Council of the Slovak Republic? How could I become a person who people look up to? That Sofia in my mirror could never be a member of parliament. Then, like a gift from the gods, it’s offered to me on a silver platter.”

  “If the party wins.”

  “Why shouldn’t the party win? This regime of criminals is ready to crumble. The people are turning against it. I can help the slate. They want the people to know that there are reformers in the party. I’ve been working for Transparency; I’m well known as a speaker for truth, so I’m perfect for them. It is a great fit.”

  Jana sighed. “The opposition, the newspapers, all the media, will look for everything and anything that they can use against you, not only during the election but all the while you hold office. You’ll have no privacy. The people who voted for you will demand your attention; everyone will be ready to criticize, and to criticize unfairly.” Jana was trying to lay it on as thick as possible so Sofia would realize what she was getting into. “There’ll be blame heaped on you for both what you do wrong and what you didn’t manage to get done and, in reality, couldn’t be expected to do. You’ll only have brief moments of love from the voters, and lots of moments of anger and rejection.” Jana finally ran down. “Can you face that?”

  Sofia did not even bother to reflect.

  “I am ready for anything and everything.” She threw back her head, raising her fists in the air in triumph. “It can all come, and I’ll survive it; I’ll eat it all up and lick my lips afterward.” Her arms came down. “Will you help your friend Sofia, Jana?”

  Jana responded to the plea as any good friend would have. “If you’re sure, then I’ll help.”

  Sofia began clapping her hands and jumping up and down in glee. “I knew you would approve; I knew you’d support me!!”

  The line moved forward. The two of them went into the café, picked up their trays, and moved to the serving line. There was a moment of silence as they ordered and the food was passed across the counter onto their trays. Sofia’s voice, when she spoke again, was more subdued, scarcely above a whisper.

  “The party has plans for a number of us to make a bicycle trip around the country, from city to city, village to village, talking directly to the people. They’ve asked me to participate, and I’ve agreed. I’ll be one of their major spokespersons. And we’ll change Slovakia for the better.”

  Jana winced at the thought of all the speeches, all the hand-shaking, and all the holding of babies as their mothers thrust them forward. “Not something I would want. But maybe it’s right for you. You were always daring.”

  Sofia giggled. “I can be both daring and good at the same time.”

  “Just remember the ‘good’ part,” Jana whispered back.

  After they paid, Sofia glanced around the room looking for a place to sit and eat. Her eyes stopped at a table where there was only one person. Even seated you could see that he was tall and dressed in a suit more expensive than the ordinary Slovak could afford, with a dark blue tie and a very white starched shirt.

  “Jana!” She nudged her friend with an elbow. “I know that man. He’s already a member of parliament.”

  Jana recognized him from television. “I’ve seen him.” She remembered the man as a good speaker with tremendous poise. Even sitting, eating and reading a newspaper, he projected a strong presence. There were not that many people who looked good while putting food in their mouths. “He’s handsome.”

  “He’s even better when you get closer.”

  Sofia started moving toward his table, Jana following close behind.

  “We’ll be interrupting him,” Jana warned.

  “All politicians want people to admire them, which is what we’re now going to work at doing.”

  Jana thought about the Sofia she had seen today. “Sofia, maybe you’re right for this job after all.”

  “Ah, suddenly I’m right for the job?”

  “Maybe it’s not so sudden. You were almost always willing to do whatever was necessary to get to where you wanted to go, and damn the consequences.”

  “You may take out the ‘almost.’ ”

  The man looked up just as they reached his table.

  “Do you mind if we join you?” Sofia asked. “Most of the other seats are taken.”

  He waved a welcoming hand at the chairs, watching them as they sat, his eyes resting longer on Sofia. Jana could see that Sofia was right about one thing: he looked even better up close, a sprinkling of gray in his carefully combed hair, a straight boned nose, and rather large ears which seemed, for some reason, to add a soft touch to what otherwise might have been too stern a face.

  “We know each other,” he said to Sofia. “I’m trying to remember from where.”

  “It’s not good for a politician to forget names and events.”

  He snapped his fingers in a flash of pleased recognition. “Yes, the lady from Transparency who is always trying to reform the political process. I remember now. We met briefly at that strategy session on the Freedom for Expression bill. You spoke.”

  “Right.”

  “Now that I’ve remembered, does that put me back in your graces?”

  “You were never out of my good graces.”

  He reached over and shook Sofia’s hand, then held his hand out to Jana. “My name is Ivan Boryda.”

  “The member of parliament?”

  He nodded, pleased that she recognized him.

  “My name is Jana Matinova. This is Sofia Senec.”

  “I remembered Sofia. I promise that I’ll remember you too.”

  “I hope we’re not taking you away from anything important.” Sofia indicated the newspaper.

  He shrugged, folding the paper up, setting it down next to his empty dish. “They conducted a poll. According to the poll, the present prime minister is going to win the next election. His party took the poll. Since I know how much money they steal, and how much they skew their figures, I would deduct at least twenty percent from their totals, which means we’re ahead.”

  “I agree,” said Sofia, staring openly at Boryda. Jana kicked her under the table, trying to bring her back to reality. There was a wedding ring on the man’s finger. As usual, where men were concerned, Sofia paid little attention to Jana.

  “I am going into the political arena myself,” Sofia informed him.

  He looked at
her with new interest. “How so?”

  “I’ll be campaigning for our party.”

  “Our party?”

  “I’m going on the bicycle junket. I think we will be on the same program.”

  He stared at her for a long moment. “Then we’re already close associates.”

  “I hope so.” Sofia started to reach out, almost as if to take his hand, and then pulled it back. “We’re on a mission together.”

  “Here’s to the mission.” He raised his water glass in a toast, the two women joining him, clinking their glasses against his, sipping the water. He set his glass down. “I have to go.” Boryda got up. “Jana, Sofia, I know we’ll all see each other again very soon. Sofia, you and I will have fun together on the campaign trail.” He inclined his head, then walked away.

  Sofia’s eyes followed him all of the way out the door, then, through the window, as he walked down the street.

  “Sofia, he’s married,” Jana warned.

  “Just lusting in my mind.”

  “Sofia, you’re going to be a politician. Scandals aren’t good for officeholders.”

  “I’m aware of what I can do and what I can’t do.” Her voice showed her irritation. “You’re not my mother, Jana.”

  “Yes, I am.” Jana changed her tone. “Eat your food, darling Sofia,” ordered Jana, in her best maternal command voice. “The greens will be good for you.”

  Sofia grimaced, then smiled. “Maybe you are my mother.”

  They began eating. Sofia got a few words out between bites. “I’ll remember your advice. Don’t worry, Jana.”

  “I promise I won’t worry,” Jana replied, knowing she already was.

  Over the next weeks, Sofia resigned her position at Transparency. Several months later, at a press conference given by the coalition parties, Sofia walked to the dais to endorse the fight against the government. Seated next to her was Ivan Boryda, the man they had met in the restaurant.

  Chapter 3

  During the early part of the campaign, Jana did no work for the coalition slate trying to win the elections. She’d not been asked. Then the election took a different turn. The strategists of the party had decided that those who had participated in the bicycle tour of the countryside would come to Bratislava and, with all their other supporters, saturate the capital with appearances. Hundreds of worker bees were to spread their message, meeting every potential voter they could possibly contact, trying to squeeze out the last potential ballot they could for their candidate.

  When the call came from Sofia, Jana was glad her friend thought she could help. Until then, Jana had been happy to be left out of the campaign. Nevertheless, since Sofia had called, Jana responded. As a precaution, before she saw Sofia, Jana went to her supervisors to discuss what she could and couldn’t do because she was a police officer. They told her emphatically that she was precluded from getting involved in politics.

  After that meeting, Jana was relieved. Her participation in the election was going to have to be limited, perhaps to her presence in the audience or better still to something as simple as stuffing envelopes with flyers. Of course she would have to be out of uniform.

  She called her friend, who sounded harried and had little time to talk on the phone. Sofia asked Jana to meet with her and others that night. There would be a mixed group of volunteers at a small meeting room the party had rented in the Stara Radnica, the old town hall.

  Crossing the square in her “civilian” clothes, Jana saw the town hall’s yellow tower and red tiles. She’d always liked the building, but now she felt a certain sense of dread as she neared it. She was hoping that the meeting would be called off. Her wish was not granted.

  At least fifty people were crowded into the room, seated on folding chairs, more of which had to be brought for latecomers. That left a good twenty people still standing. Everyone was talking at once, their conversations reluctantly trailing off when the meeting began.

  Sofia sat at a table in the front of the room next to Lesna, the small, energetic and very bright man who ran the coalition of opposition parties and who would be prime minister if they won. On his other side was Ivan Boryda, the legislator she and Sofia had met. Jana had seen Boryda and Sofia together on television several times; each time Sofia had a big smile on her face and they had looked very comfortable together.

  Sofia beckoned to Jana. She introduced her to Lesna, proclaiming her the best police officer in Slovakia. Lesna made nice noises, saying he’d heard of her and her work, and thanked her for giving up her free time to assist their efforts. When he turned away to say a few words to another campaign worker, Sofia began to reintroduce Jana to Boryda, who interrupted Sofia.

  “Jana Matinova, from the restaurant. I told you I wouldn’t forget your name.”

  Sofia reached up to affectionally pat Boryda’s shoulder. “He remembers everyone’s name. I think he knows all five million people in Slovakia by name.” She brushed lint off his arm in a familiar way, running her fingers down to his hand. “Ivan is brilliant.”

  “I’ve read that in the papers. I generally distrust the newspapers, but since you say it, I know it must be true,” Jana replied.

  They all laughed, Boryda looking appropriately abashed.

  Jana watched their interaction, the way they leaned against each other, the way Sofia constantly touched Boryda, the way she looked at him, the way she said his name. Sofia was in love. There was no doubt in Jana’s mind that the two had begun an affair. “I wish you a huge sweep of the election and a change for the good in the government.”

  Boryda thanked her, but he was already trolling the room with his eyes to find the next person to charm.

  As others came up to talk to Sofia and Boryda, Jana began backing away. “You’ll do the country proud,” she murmured, hoping against hope that they would. She was also aware of the possibility of a scandal that might destroy both their careers. Slovakia was still a very proper country when it came to politicians’ personal lives. And Boryda was a married man.

  Jana sat in the back of the room, watching the proceedings. The mayor introduced the three dignitaries, and then called on Lesna to speak. There was loud applause when he stood up, which became a rhythmic clap of appreciation, until he finally held up his hand to quiet his audience.

  When he spoke, Jana was riveted. Not that he used grand gestures or a stentorian voice to command attention. He seemed sincere, all-inclusive in his gentle, direct approach, and captivated everyone in the room. It was a huge change from the man who was currently in power, a change for the better. Jana was glad that Sofia was in his camp. He was the right man for the job.

  Lesna apologized for having to leave the meeting early, departing as soon as he was through. Sofia and Boryda remained to get the needed commitments from the people in the room, not only to vote for them but to campaign in their neighborhoods, to get their friends and neighbors to campaign, and, perhaps, to give small contributions to help win the victory they were all working so hard to achieve.

  Sofia gave a persuasive talk, emphasizing the need to curtail the illegal activities of the people in power, their nepotism and cronyism. She reminded her audience over and over of her past work with Transparency in trying to open government to public scrutiny. She did exactly what she had been brought into the campaign for, lending needed authenticity to the party’s calls for honest government. Her prior reputation added almost a religious note of conviction. The response to her speech was good, though it lacked the aura of veneration that Lesna had received just a few minutes earlier.

  Boryda was the last to speak. He started slowly, his voice gradually building in volume, his gestures becoming broader as his speech progressed. His words, starting off mildly, reached a roar of reproach for the current regime. His eyes flashed, his posture was assertive. He carried the audience with him, held them in his hands and lifted them up with him in a final burst of exhortation. There was a split second of silence when he ended. Then the audience jumped to their feet, screami
ng approval, applauding, the applause becoming a chant. They bathed Boryda in adoration.

  Boryda glowed, beaming when the people began pushing forward, crowding around him, patting him on the back, complimenting him. Finally, as a pair of bodyguards appeared out of nowhere, Boryda edged away from his admirers and was escorted to the door, a retinue like a comet’s tail trailing after him. Sofia, who had stayed behind to talk to the few supporters who remained, walked over to Jana.

  “Did you like Lesna?” she inquired, although Boryda was the man she really wanted to talk about. “So logical, so clear in his perception of what should be done for this country. A good man.”

  “I think he’s a wonderful man, particularly for a politician.”

  “Jana, I’m now a politician.”

  “I’ll ignore that fact,” Jana teased. “And continue to think of you as my friend instead.”

  Sofia kissed her on the cheek. “I know. I always think of you as Jana, my old pal, and not as a threatening police officer.”

  “I’ve never threatened you, Sofia.”

  “It’s just how you look in a uniform.”

  “That’s one of the reasons I left the uniform home. Let’s talk about the new man in your life.”

  “A new man? Me?” Sofia asked in mock innocence.

  “We both know, Sofia.”

  “He was wonderful, wasn’t he, Jana?” Her face flushed with emotion, the words gushed out of her mouth. “He’s a genius, the greatest public speaker I’ve ever seen. He seizes audiences and carries them with him.”

  “To heaven or hell?” Jana asked.

  “No, not to hell. He will take us to where we want to go.”

  “No, Sofia,” Jana corrected. “He will take us to where he wants us to go.”

  “Why do you say that, Jana? I know Ivan Boryda; you don’t.”

  “I listened to his speech. Demagoguery. He loves power. He supports Lesna and the coalition now. He is the kind of man who, when he is ready, will try to get rid of them. He wants center stage. He wants! He sees himself as the prime minister. He’ll always need more, Sofia.” Jana considered, then decided to plunge ahead. “And he’ll want another woman after you, Sofia.”