Chapter 4

"Is it local?" Maman asked.

"I'll reverse the charges," Wendy suggested. "It's Finland."

The telephone system hadn't evolved to undersea cable. The Telegraph

had but not the phones.

So ... a call from France went first to Belgium; from Belgium to Germany; Germany across the neck of Poland, through Danzig, East Prussia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, then the coast of Russia, the Karolian peninsula, to Finland, to Uusikaupunki and Valmaat Industries.

If it was that simple.

Each country routed the call through the main exchange; for example, Tallin, Latvia to Moscow, Russia.

Every exchange had to be held until a translator could be found and that necessitated passing the State Security ... of each and every country ... and many of the cities.

"Valmaat Industries."

"There is a collect call from Wendy Valmaat to Dal Valmaat. Will you accept the charges?"

"Mr. Valmaat is not in the office."

Click... click, click, click, click through every switchboard from Uusikaupunki to Hazebrouck. The disconnect took fifteen minutes! It cost 200 francs! Just to disconnect! Each and every connection charged by the minute ... no matter what!

Several hours later, I arrived at the Hazebrouck village police station.

Wendy was in the lockup.

"You look good in stripes," I said. I gave a little finger twirl. She obliged.

"Oh, my!"

"What?" she said.

"They must be feeding you good," I suggested.

"What?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," I said.

The gaoler fell out.

"What?" Wendy craned her neck to see behind herself. Not far enough.

"Nothing," I said.

It did the gaoler no good to catch his breath. He fell out again at the second 'nothing.'

Dal Valmaat came in at that time.

"Daddy?" Wendy batted her eyes. "They're laughing at me."

I gave the spin sign again.

"No! Ain't gonna do it," she said.

Dal caught the wink. "They must be feeding you very well, Wendy."

The gaoler lost it a third time.

The Finnish Ambassador entered with the local Administrator.

"Straighten up, man," the Administrator spoke to the gaoler.

"Yes, sir." He tried ... truly he did ... it was a valiant effort ... until I gave the little twirl sign again.

"I paid the phone charges," Dal said.

"Let her out," said the Administrator. "And give her some decent clothes. Those horizontal stripes do nothing to become her!"

"They!!! Ohh. David, I will get you for that!"

Later, that evening, Wendy asked me, "Did those awful stripes make me look fat."

"No," I said.

But I couldn't keep a straight face.