Part 33 (2/2)

'Howard bach, cadw dy ysbryd bach, cadw dy ysbryd. Keep your spirit. We've just talked to Masha, and Judy and the children are all right. Well, not all right, but bearing up,' said Mam, also unable to hold back the tears.

'We'll do whatever we can,' said Dad.

'Mam and Dad, I'm so sorry.'

'Did you get our letters, bach bach?'

'No, Mam.'

'Howard bach bach, I have to ask you one question. Dad and I will do what we can whatever you did, but did you have anything to do with hard drugs or guns?'

'No, Mam, of course not. I hate those businesses. The Americans and the media have both gone mad.'

'Well, the newspapers, I don't bother with, ever. I know what they're like. They'll write anything to sell a story, whatever comes into their heads. There was a man from the Daily Mirror Daily Mirror outside the prison when we were coming in. He was wanting to talk to us. I said ”No.” I'll never forgive them for what they did to us in 1974 when you were kidnapped on bail. No, I won't talk to the newspapers, ever,' said Mam. outside the prison when we were coming in. He was wanting to talk to us. I said ”No.” I'll never forgive them for what they did to us in 1974 when you were kidnapped on bail. No, I won't talk to the newspapers, ever,' said Mam.

'I've got my doubts about the Americans, too. Never mind the newspapers. All that tripe about you being the biggest in the world, owning s.h.i.+ps and banks,' added Dad.

'Now with cannabis,' Mam went on, 'we know you're a bit penstyff penstyff about it. You've always had a bee in your bonnet, for some reason. If I know it's just that, I'll feel a lot better.' about it. You've always had a bee in your bonnet, for some reason. If I know it's just that, I'll feel a lot better.'

'It is just that, Mam.'

'Talking about Americans, who is this Katz fellow?' asked Dad. 'He's a weird bird, that one. He asked me for some money. I said I wanted to see you first.'

'Yeah, he is weird, Dad. I've made arrangements to pay him.'

'Do you still have some money, Howard?'

'I think so, Dad, but I don't know how much.'

'Now Gustavo we thought was very nice,' said Mam. 'He brought us here this morning to make sure we had no problems seeing you. There's a lot of red tape, isn't there, bach bach? He's talking to the director of the prison now to see if we can leave some things we brought: books and Welsh cakes, Howard bach bach. He said what they were doing to you and Judy was outrageous, but he said there was hope. Dad liked him, too.'

'Yes, I liked him, too. I gave him a cheque for 5,000. And Bob Edwardes and I are making arrangements to give Luis Morell some money.'

'I'm sure I've got enough to cover that,' I said.

'Well, Mam and I wanted to do it. We've also put some money in your account here. We'll make sure Masha and the children won't go without, while we can. Who is this Nigel fellow?'

'He's Masha's boy-friend.'

'Is he all right?'

'I think so. I hardly know him.'

The twenty minutes were quickly over. My parents were visiting again the next day. I was taken to the patio patio. The authorities let the Welsh cakes in. I shared them with Zacarias and the two Frenchmen. I complained about the shortness of the visit and not being allowed to embrace my parents. Zacarias said he could arrange for me to have a contact visit for two hours tomorrow. One of the senior visiting guards was his friend, and Zacarias himself was having a contact visit early the next morning. He would arrange things then. I thanked Zacarias profusely.

Zacarias was as good as his word. The next day, I was not taken to the visiting cubicles. I was taken to a large room with chairs and tables. My parents were sitting down, surrounded by groups of Spanish prisoners and visitors. After hugs and kisses, I sat down with them. The noise was deafening. I exchanged watches with my father. Wearing an Audemar Piquet in prison seemed silly. Dad would take care of it for me. Zacarias, quite openly smoking a joint, came up and asked if we wanted one of the bedrooms upstairs. One was free. It would be a lot quieter. Zacarias's friendly funcionario funcionario took us upstairs to an enormous bedroom. I looked at the king-size bed. If they let Judy out of Palma, she could come to see me here. What a civilised prison system. We sat on a sofa and talked and went over everything. We talked about old times. They would come to see me as often as they could, at least once a month, health permitting. took us upstairs to an enormous bedroom. I looked at the king-size bed. If they let Judy out of Palma, she could come to see me here. What a civilised prison system. We sat on a sofa and talked and went over everything. We talked about old times. They would come to see me as often as they could, at least once a month, health permitting.

'Bye, Dad.'

'Goodbye, bach bach. Stay strong, and remember to try to help others here as much as you can.'

'Cheerio, Mam.'

'Cheerio, Howard bach. Cadw dy ysbryd bach. Cadw dy ysbryd.'

Instead of being escorted back to the patio patio or to my cell, I was taken to the office of the Jefe de Servicios, the person in charge of the prison's security. With him was a young bespectacled or to my cell, I was taken to the office of the Jefe de Servicios, the person in charge of the prison's security. With him was a young bespectacled funcionario funcionario who spoke English. who spoke English.

'Los periodistas estan aqui. Quieren hablar con usted,' said the Jefe.

The young officer interpreted.

'Men from newspapers are here. They wish to speak with you. You do not have to. You have no obligation.'

'Which newspapers?' I asked.

'El Pais from here in Madrid and the from here in Madrid and the Daily Mirror Daily Mirror from England and the from England and the Paris-Match Paris-Match from France. You are not required to speak with them.' from France. You are not required to speak with them.'

'Oh, I don't object to seeing them,' I said.

'But you have no obligation,' he insisted.

'I understand, but I agree to see them.'

'Firma acqui,' said a very disgruntled Jefe, giving me a form to sign.

In a well-furnished meeting room, I spent three hours being rudely interrogated by the Daily Mirror Daily Mirror, gently questioned by Paris-Match Paris-Match, and heavily sympathised with by El Pais El Pais, who at first simply could not believe that the charges against me involved nothing other than cannabis. Each of the journalists found Judy's incarceration outrageous. The Paris-Match Paris-Match lady said that in France I was already a hero. The lady said that in France I was already a hero. The El Pais El Pais interviewer explained that her newspaper colleagues were taking a great interest in the case, and I would be asked many times to be interviewed and photographed while here in Alcala-Meco. interviewer explained that her newspaper colleagues were taking a great interest in the case, and I would be asked many times to be interviewed and photographed while here in Alcala-Meco.

Once again, I was starting to get turned on by the glamour of publicity, but this time I resolved to use it to advantage. Maybe if I kept Judy's plight long enough in the public eye, either the Spanish or the Americans would be shamed into letting her go. I made several pleas for her release.

With a parting gift of a carton of cigarettes, the journalists left me in the meeting room. The Jefe, his English-speaking sidekick, and four funcionarios funcionarios walked in. I was stripped of all my clothes and possessions. I a.s.sumed it was to check the journalists hadn't given me anything they shouldn't have, but I was wrong. walked in. I was stripped of all my clothes and possessions. I a.s.sumed it was to check the journalists hadn't given me anything they shouldn't have, but I was wrong.

'Howard, you are to be placed under Articulo 10. This is effective immediately and will remain effective until the next meeting of the junta junta [a national panel of senior prison bureaucrats], when there will be a review of all Articulo 10 prisoners. You will now be taken to the Articulo 10 [a national panel of senior prison bureaucrats], when there will be a review of all Articulo 10 prisoners. You will now be taken to the Articulo 10 modulo modulo. You will be kept in complete isolation for a week. You will be allowed twenty minutes' exercise a day, alone in the patio patio. You are not allowed to look at or make signals to other prisoners. After a week, you may exercise in the patio patio one hour a day with other Articulo 10 prisoners and receive one ten-minute visit through gla.s.s each week. There will be no contact or conjugal visits. You are permitted six books, a daily newspaper, and a weekly magazine. You are permitted cigarettes. You are permitted to write and receive letters and telegrams. Once a month you may receive from your family one small parcel of food and clothes. You are not permitted to sit on your bed between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. Do you understand these conditions?' one hour a day with other Articulo 10 prisoners and receive one ten-minute visit through gla.s.s each week. There will be no contact or conjugal visits. You are permitted six books, a daily newspaper, and a weekly magazine. You are permitted cigarettes. You are permitted to write and receive letters and telegrams. Once a month you may receive from your family one small parcel of food and clothes. You are not permitted to sit on your bed between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. Do you understand these conditions?'

'Why am I placed under Article 10? What have I done wrong? Is it because I spoke to the journalists?'

'The junta junta will explain to you at their next meeting. Do you understand the conditions?' will explain to you at their next meeting. Do you understand the conditions?'

'And when is that?'

'The junta junta will meet in December. Do you understand the conditions, Howard?' will meet in December. Do you understand the conditions, Howard?'

'No, I do not understand the conditions.'

'I will read them again for you, Howard. If you still do not understand them, we will have to put you in Articulo 10 celdas celdas, where you have no cigarettes, no books, no visits ...'

'I understand the conditions.'

<script>