Part 15 (1/2)

”They're punis.h.i.+ng her for what I did,” I exclaimed. ”I have to get her out!”

I called my mom and Iain to brief them on Robert's report, and was just starting to calm down when the phone rang again. It had been sixteen days since Laura's last call, but when the phone rang at 10:15 P.M P.M., I knew it was her.

The two previous calls had come entirely unexpectedly, but both had come shortly after 10:00 P.M P.M. Since her last call, I had started making a point of being alert at that time every night.

”Baby Girl, are you okay?” I screamed breathlessly. I desperately wanted to know about Laura's health.

”Li, be calm,” she said. ”Just listen to me, okay?”

I scrambled for my notebook and a pen and put the phone on speaker so that Paul could listen in as he had done during Laura's previous calls.

”Do not talk about my health in the press,” she said decisively. ”It will anger people. It will seem like our family is accusing the government here of mistreating us. I am being seen by a doctor. I'm okay.”

I was confused by what Laura was saying because I'd just talked to Robert, and he'd said Laura's health was in trouble. So what was she saying now? Perhaps in antic.i.p.ation of Robert's call to me, the North Koreans were trying to send a message through Laura that speaking publicly about her health would make the situation worse for her. The North Koreans seemed to be trying to ensure that no one believed they had abused the girls' human rights. Laura's tone was very deliberate, which seemed to indicate that her captors were talking through her. I knew from Laura's plea that the North Koreans must have seen some of the interviews our family had done, during which we expressed our concern for her ulcers and possibly deteriorating health. I was desperate to know the truth about her health, but she didn't give me a chance to ask about it.

”The feeling here is that our government doesn't care about us,” Laura urged.

She said her interrogators were pointing out that America had not officially apologized and that some kind of acknowledgment of the girls' crimes had to be made publicly.

”Do you think that Secretary Clinton or President Obama would just say that they're sorry American citizens broke North Korean law?” she asked.

I thought about what such a request would mean diplomatically. President Obama had been in office for only seven months, and Secretary Clinton was under pressure from the six-party member countries-particularly j.a.pan-to stand her ground against North Korea's provocations. j.a.pan's leaders had loudly expressed their concern that North Korea's missiles could reach its country's population centers as well as the U.S. military bases there. I also knew that conservative hawks were monitoring the administration's every move and utterance, and were ready to jump on any signs of weakness or kowtowing to the repressive North Korean regime.

”I will try,” I said, while keeping the geopolitical implications to myself.

”Okay. Li, we need to talk about an envoy,” Laura continued.

”Vice President Gore has been ready to go,” I said. ”It was all set up and then everything went silent.”

”Al isn't going to work,” she replied. ”They a.s.sociate him too much with Current TV. The best thing he can do is work behind the scenes. But please thank him for everything he has done. I am so grateful.”

”It has to be someone symbolic,” Laura said. After a brief pause she continued, ”Do you think either President Carter or Clinton might be willing to act as an envoy?”

I couldn't believe we were even having this conversation. We weren't talking about average Joe diplomats-these were former U.S. presidents! I knew that President Clinton was well regarded in North Korea from my trip there in 2007, but I immediately discounted him as a possible envoy because he was married to the current U.S. secretary of state. It could be perceived as an insult to Secretary Clinton if her husband played a role in this, especially considering her recent terse remarks about North Korea's nuclear ambitions. I didn't want to complicate things for her, because I knew she had taken our matter very seriously and I appreciated how much she wanted to bring the girls home.

I also wasn't sure how President Obama felt about former President Clinton, given the tension that had arisen during the presidential primaries when then Senator Clinton was running against then Senator Obama. And finally, I wondered how the Bill Clinton option would go over with Vice President Gore. After all, Gore had spent months tirelessly trying to get the girls out. But the other option of President Carter left me a bit stupefied.

”Are you sure that Jimmy Carter would work?” I asked, surprised that his name had even been brought up.

I thought about the former president's age; I knew he was well over eighty and wondered if he would be able to undertake such an arduous and unpredictable mission. Regardless, I thought it was best to deflect attention from the Clinton option because it would be just too complicated. I nervously launched into a monologue about why Carter was the ideal choice.

”It's true President Carter is universally beloved,” I declared. ”He has been instrumental in the movement for peace and even won the n.o.bel Peace Prize for his efforts years ago.”

”Yes, Li,” Laura responded, ”and he's been an important player in the Middle East peace process.”

I could tell by her tone that she knew what I was trying to do and she was playing along.

We were nearing fifteen minutes on the phone when she asked me to jot down a list of things we should send by mail. Among the items she asked for were sunblock, feminine products, journals, and Clorox wipes. Sounding defeated, my sister told me that she was prepared to be sent to a labor camp. If it were to happen, she wanted to bring some items from home with her, as she would likely not have contact with the outside world for more than a decade. At the end of our conversation, Laura asked one more thing of me.

”Will you write a letter to Euna for me? Tell her I love her.”

Laura's final request of me was confirmation that she and Euna had been kept apart. We still didn't know if they were being kept in the same location; all we knew was that both of them were inside North Korea.

After my talk with Laura, I called Michael to see if Euna had called him and if she'd said anything I needed to know. She had reached Michael, but other than conveying that the United States should apologize, she didn't say anything political or make any requests for an envoy.

LAURA.

MY HAND TREMBLED as I hung up the receiver. I replayed the conversation in my mind, wanting to be sure I had said everything I'd meant to say. It hurt me to hear the determination in Lisa's voice. She was so quick to promise President Carter. But what if he couldn't come, or if the U.S. government wouldn't approve of him? I didn't want Lisa to feel responsible if things didn't work out. as I hung up the receiver. I replayed the conversation in my mind, wanting to be sure I had said everything I'd meant to say. It hurt me to hear the determination in Lisa's voice. She was so quick to promise President Carter. But what if he couldn't come, or if the U.S. government wouldn't approve of him? I didn't want Lisa to feel responsible if things didn't work out.

”Don't promise anything, Li. Just do your best,” I had told her.

As I walked through the hotel lobby, my eyes bloodshot from crying, I saw a foreign tour group milling about. A young man who appeared to be from another Asian country was in the doorway, and he was staring in my direction. I wondered if he knew who I was from international news reports. I looked at him, hoping he might recognize me and perhaps contact my family after his trip to let them know he had seen me. I intentionally dropped my tissues on the ground as I pa.s.sed through the doorway and bent down to pick them up. We locked eyes for a moment before my escort directed me to move along quickly. Nothing ever came from this brief encounter.

The next week was one of introspection. No one other than the doctor came to see me, and I was left with a lot of time to think and reflect. Up to this point I had largely kept any thoughts of going to prison out of my head. Now I decided it was time to prepare myself mentally. I thought about the estimated two hundred thousand political prisoners who are sent to the brutal Soviet-style gulags to be ”reeducated” through hard labor such as mining, logging, or agricultural work. Family members of those accused of political crimes, such as saying something negative about the North Korean leaders.h.i.+p, can also be sent to a prison camp. I told myself that if I were transferred to a camp, I would be enduring what many innocent North Koreans have had to struggle through for generations. Their stories of perseverance encouraged me to be strong. I considered myself lucky to have lived such a privileged life for as long as I had. Several times throughout the day, I sat cross-legged at the edge of my bed and meditated. With each inhale and exhale, I cleared my mind of any thoughts or fears, and for brief moments felt a sense of peace.

One afternoon I noticed Paris packing up some of her belongings. I knew the guards were allowed a break every six weeks or so when they could go home for an evening and spend time with their families. But they were not allowed to discuss the nature of their job with anyone. Paris told me her family believed she was working on a special a.s.signment with a foreign tour group, not translating for one of North Korea's prized American prisoners. As she scrambled about the room, making sure she had her toiletries and cell phone, I asked if she was going to visit her family.

”Yes,” she said hurriedly, ”but I'll see you tomorrow.”

”I'm really happy for you,” I said. ”I'm sure they miss you a lot.”

She looked at me, smiled, and made her way toward the door.

”Have fun!” I exclaimed.

”Thank you. Just let the guards know if you need anything,” she said and waved good-bye.

Without Paris there, I felt more alone than ever. The other guards treated me like an evil leper. Thankfully, I had a Sudoku puzzle book Iain had sent, and I used that to ingratiate myself with them. I ripped out a few sheets and offered them to one of the guards. She readily, but unemotionally, accepted them and immediately went about trying to solve the puzzles. Even if this small token didn't alter her att.i.tude toward me, it did occupy her time so she wasn't consumed by shooting me harsh glares.

Paris didn't return for two days. When she did, she looked more energetic and refreshed. She had on a new outfit, a dainty pink skirt and a white blouse. She spoke exuberantly with the other guards in Korean. I a.s.sumed she was recounting her activities at home.

While I was eating my meal in the guards' room, I asked her about her visit. Suddenly her mood turned from glee to melancholy.

”I didn't want you to know I was seeing my family,” she said, looking crestfallen. ”But you asked, so I didn't want to lie. I felt bad that I was getting to see my sister and mother and father, when you have not been with your family for so long. That's why I told you I would only be gone for one day.”

I wanted to leap from my seat and hug her like a sister. I was deeply moved by how considerate she was of my feelings. Unlike the other guards, Paris treated me like a human, like a friend.

LISA.

BRENDAN C CREAMER HAD ARRANGED for vigils to take place all over the world on July 9, to mark one hundred days of Laura and Euna's detainment. Among some of the locations in which they were to take place were Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, and Seoul. for vigils to take place all over the world on July 9, to mark one hundred days of Laura and Euna's detainment. Among some of the locations in which they were to take place were Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, and Seoul.

I had already planned on attending and speaking at the vigil in our hometown of Sacramento when Laura's call came unexpectedly two nights before. The original plan was to talk about our concern for the girls' health, but Laura had told me to end all discussion about her health, and that meant a change in strategy. Of course, right after Laura's call I called Iain to compare notes. She had also asked him to see if the president or secretary of state would publicly apologize for the girls' transgression and if a former U.S. president would act as an envoy. I sent urgent e-mails to Al Gore and Kurt Tong after I hung up with Iain.

”Laura called,” the e-mails read.

First thing the next morning, I briefed both men on my conversation with Laura. It was hard for me, but I broke the news that Gore was not seen by the North Koreans as the appropriate person to go to rescue the girls. I explained that Laura said he was not seen as suitable because he was the chairman of the company for which the girls worked. The North Koreans wanted someone more symbolic like President Carter or Clinton. Neither Al nor Kurt even acknowledged that Clinton was a possibility, and each was similarly surprised that Carter had been suggested.