American dream (Американская мечта)

let us be reasonable and leave everything as it is.
  - Thank you for the sword and your frankness. It’s very important for me. Can I ask you for a favor as a compensation for refusal?
  - I didn’t refuse anything because you offered nothing. It was just an exchange of complements. And want do you need else?
  - I have a friend here in Japan, Kate, the actress from our common film. She studied kung-fu and is now engaged in a film, touching Japanese martial arts. Can you look after her here?
 - She is a baby?
 - You know what I mean. Show her the other side of the moon. She is curious and talented. I want her to develop.
 - Well, I was Kitty too, but that was just a game. Is she in love with you?
 - I don’t think so. It’s only mutual sympathy.
 - Like between us?
  - Maybe.
  - OK, I get the point. I’ll help her. Maybe, we will become friends too. I like your film and your love scenes there are very convincing. We have common tastes with her. I would play love with you too.
  - As an actress?
  - As a ninja.
  - What do you mean?
  - You’ll understand it later. Now come on to your girl-friend, I’m curious too.

  Kate was surprised but not for long. Yuriko was gentle and soft like water, tuning to her mood and they quickly found common interests not only in martial arts. They both loved cars and Yuriko promised to make her a helicopter pilot.
 - You may go now, - she waved to Oleg. - We want to have a girls’ entertainment.
 - OK, I must talk to Mike. He hoped to find ninjas in Japan and is now very disappointed. I’m afraid he’ll decide to go home.
- He needs them for a film?
- Certainly. He is not a fighter himself.
- Well, I know a man, who can demonstrate the art, a Japanese actor, playing ninjas in Japanese films. He is the best you can find here and he’ll be glad to help.

 After Oleg left, the Yuriko led Kate to a dancing hall in a yakudzu restaurant. Their entertainment was fight with angry men, who were refused sex. They didn’t show their skill in the hall, but just went home and when the men caught them, taught them a lesson. One of them tried to revenge with a knife and with Yuriko’s help clumsily fell on it himself. The rest followed his fate.
  - That’s the dark side of the moon, Oleg asked to show you. Die, or kill.
  - You knew they would chase us.
  - Yes, it was a yakudzu restaurant. I led you their on purpose to show real Japan. Not them, but me, to make friends.
  And they embraced.


                                            FBI

   Ole’s cinema script had already twenty eight pages, including his Japanese adventures. The next was added by FBI. They called him and invited for a meeting to ask some questions about his sword.
  - Do you know that it very ancient?
  - And what? It’s a gift and a work of art.
  - Formally so, but Japanese never make such presents to ordinary actors.
  - It was a girl-friend. She didn’t need it and wanted me to remember her.
  - OK. But some Japanese won’t agree to it and will try to return it to Japan. If we learnt about it, they will learn too. Can you use it in case of necessity? Did the girl show you anything?
  - I can buy a gun, if you think it’s so dangerous.
  - Yes, that would be better. Swords in America aren’t as effective as in Japan. Guns are quicker.
  - Was it your only question?
  - No, we have a deal for you.
  - Well, deals in America are very effective.
  - Yes, they make life simpler.  We need a training cause of karate on DVD for teenagers, easy to use and popular.
  - I’m not yet popular.
  - You will, with our help.
  - And why me?
  - Do you think we believe in your story about the girl-friend?
  - And what’s wrong with it?
  - She can’t be as simple as she looks. She must know the problems you get with this sword. You have only two choices with it. Either to marry her and live in Japan or to send her the sword back.
  - Really? She didn’t explain it.
  - Girls are the same everywhere. They know what they want but never tell. But if she want you back, you must be very good from Japanese point of view. And we want to test you here before you leave or die.
  - OK. You explained everything so clearly that I can’t refuse.
   Tumanov after a year of training in a secret school in Soviet Russia, where Eastern martial arts were at first prohibited, studied karate and kung-fu himself, by books and films. So his self-training cause was realistic. They started from teens and continued to professionals. He called it the school of Hare and it was really new. The main idea was to move very quickly like a hare, to mix everything up and to strike, fleeing, in return.
  - It’s natural to be scared of a criminal and to run away. But he may run after you and catch you. So at this very moment you must meet him with an unexpected blow or kick. That’s the psychology of survival in modern society. Don’t be too brave and avoid problems as long as it’s possible.
  - It’s for ordinary people, professionals must accept the challenge.
  - Best professionals look ordinary and deceive the enemy.
  FBI was satisfied and promoted his DVD cause to police and civilian self-defense clubs.
  - Did you have problems in Russia and flee?
  - Perhaps.
  - And did you strike in return?
  - Not yet, but I shall.
  - How?
  - I’ll achieve success here and describe it in a book to hit them in the eye. And I’ll try to make a film, based on it as a script.
  - That’s interesting. But you can do it in another way too.
  - How?
  - We have some confidential information about a Russian spy. We can’t prove it but we know for sure, who he is. His exposure would be a scandal, damaging some reputations, so we want him to go away without noise and evidence that we know anything at all. You could scare him by some hints.
 - Why me?
 - He was your friend in the Institute. Nikolay Popov.
 - Really? Wow! It’s a pity. He was not a bad man at that time.
 - If he doesn’t go we have to report on him to CIA. And they would let him out. He even may be killed, if he resists or flees.
 The task was not difficult and in a day Popov was in Moscow. FBI let Tumanov go too and he decided to have a good rest in Japan.


                                     Girl-friends

 The plane touched the ground and in five minutes he was in the airport hall. Yuriko and Kate stood together and smiled. He approached and wanted to kiss them on the cheeks. But they both avoided:
  - Not here.
  - What not here?
  - What you want.
  - What do I want?
  - You know yourself.
  - I just wanted to greet you and you are flirting.
  - Yes, we are girls and it’s natural for us to flirt with a man, who tries to kiss us.
  - I didn’t know your sword is so ancient that I can’t use it outside Japan.
  - Oh, who told you that foolishness?
  - Experts.
  - They exaggerate. Times change and Japanese live in America with their swords and art. By the way I’m going to America too, with Kate as her bodyguard.
  - Fine. When do you go?
  - If you help to finish the film, very quickly.
  - And what’s the problem?
  - I have no inspiration for love scenes with my Chinese man, - complained Kate, - and to save the film they changed the story. We part like friends and I find an American boy, equal to him.
  - And how can I help you?
  - It’s you. Everything is already arranged and we are going to the studio. I promised you would agree.
  - Well. You are right; I see no reasons to refuse, but my non-American accent.
  - You won’t say a word. We’ll only kiss and make love.
  - Wow. That’s easy. I’ll pay you back for the cold meeting in the airport.
 - I just didn’t want you to discharge without cameras. I’m not sure your inspiration would last long. And fresh first cadres are always the best.
 - Why do you doubt my inspiration?
 - You have Lulu. She makes no secret of your relations and I’m not going to distract you long.
 - OK. As you like.
 - I like it, really. Don’t doubt either me, or you. Or the film may be spoiled.

 Love scenes were perfect and as long as spectators would watch it.
 - That’s not all, - smiled Kate after they finished. – I’ve got a surprise for you. We’ve arranged some other love scenes in the middle of the story, when we were in Japan, with another girl, Japanese. You’ll never guess who.
 - I don’t know Japanese actresses.
 - You do. It’s Yuriko’s debut.
 - Wow! – Oleg turned Yuriko. – It’s not a joke? You break your rules?
 - Only love scenes, as opening, then I’ll decide to continue or not. Kate insists, but I hesitate. The director said I have good chances too. I passed a casting; as a tourist guide in Tokyo I showed him the city and he made a short documentary film about our architecture, temples, culture and sights.
  So his hero got to Japan as a military man, studied their karate, met a Japanese girl, fell in love with her and after his return to the USA met an American girl and also fell in love.
  When the film was finished, Yuriko stole Oleg for a whole day and they flied on her helicopter to the mountains.
  - What did you feel, when you left you motherland?
  - I didn’t know whether I’ll come back and what waits me ahead.
  - I know it, but I feel sorrow. I love my country and I never planned to leave it, even for a month.  And I love my family too.
  - Then why do you go?
  - I want to see your world, to understand, why you prefer it to my. And we are girl-friends with Kate, I love her too. You know, I was afraid to kiss with you, but now I’m braver and it thrills me like a night fight. I mean my new life. It’s an unfamiliar dangerous world and I want to win again.


                                    The meaning of life

   After the casting Tumanov returned to his previous life without any changes. He lived at Helen’s, met her after her work in the night club, visited Lulu and taught Lucy Russian and karate. He could afford now anything he needed, but he had no habits to spend money and decided to save it for filming his script, already thirty two pages long. He was not sure others would like and accept it for production, because he wrote not a usual Hollywood dream, but the real story of his life. And he was still alien to this world in spite of success. His soul was different and he knew it better than anybody else.
 Lulu surprised him. She was gay as usual, when they met, but after making love became suddenly sad.  
 - What’s wrong?
 - Nothing. Everything is OK, but I feel empty. You know, I’m thinking of becoming a nun.
 - Sorry?
 - What’s the use of money and success, if you are not happy? I feel comfortable with you and with my job, but deep in the soul I know that it’s all passing and that my future is loneliness. I drink and entertain to forget it but it haunts my mind every night, when you go away and I stay alone.
 - I thought you are satisfied with your life. You are an American beauty and you are lucky enough not to complain.
 - Yes, from American point of view I’m fine. But is it so from your Russian?
 - You are not Russian and I also live not in Russia.
 - Still you are deep and it makes me think of life like Russian writers. I read them just out of curiosity, but after I met you I started thinking and remembering what they wrote. And I see no meaning of life as I live it now.
 - Well, you might read something else on spiritual themes and search for some meaning there.
 - Do you read it?
 - I read in youth a lot on Zen, yoga, philosophy, world religions and I found what I wanted, so now I just live.
 - OK. I’ll try.
  Lucy had problems too. She was already sixteen and not a teenager by her mentality.
  - Why do you spend your time on me? You now earn enough to send all your old life to hell.
  - Your father helped me with my cinema career in the beginning and I promised him to help you. In two years you’ll be trained enough to continue on own both in Russian and in karate.
  - And you’ll leave me?
  - I don’t think about the future now, because I can’t know.
  - I’m already grown up and I want adult life.
  - What do you mean?
  - Love and sex.
  - Wow! Terrible! You are really naughty. Can’t you wait just for two years and concentrate on studies?
  - I can, but I don’t want, because I’ll miss my chance.
  - What chance?
  - If you don’t guess I’ll tell you in two years.
  - Well, I’ll wait.
  - Really? You won’t leave before I’m eighteen?
  - I’m not going to. For the meaning of life is not in success but in life itself. And you are a part of it so why should I give you up?
  - OK, I’ll wait too.

 The next to doubt her life was Helen. Time went on but nobody invited her anywhere, Mike forgot about her and club cinema acquaintances thought only of their own talents, ignoring the rest. One evening Helen put a bottle of wine on the table and suggested to drink to her death as a star. Ole smiled, switched on the music, went out to the center of the room and started to dance. It was the fire of kung-fu without strikes. Waves passed through his body like flames and burst to the sky and the whole of the invisible universe. Helen watched hardly breathing, surprised and amazed at the energy and harmony of each move. When the music and the dance finished, she whispered, wiping tears from her cheeks:
   - Why didn’t you show it before?  Can you teach me? I want …
   - Look into your self and find inner light. Then just let it shine.


                                           A dancer

   Kate and Yuriko came to the night club with Lulu. She promised an interesting show with Ole, but didn’t explain what exactly. Helen as a practical American didn’t let him just dance for her and forget as Russians do, she organized his debut in the club and Lulu invited all actors and musicians she knew. Mike with his cameras was there too to catch the fresh wind. And he informed Nick, who came with Lucy.
   Ole didn’t have any choreography; his dance was always an improvisation, inspired by music. This time melody was different and the dance was different too. It was a sea of dream, and the waves moved slowly like magic spells in a fairy-tale, liberating imagination and soul from the sleep of illusions and raising it to the sky, where it floated on with clouds in the sunshine of joy. The audience was enchanted and fused in the contemplation of the flow of life, in the eternal moment of insight into one’s own tune of harmony and internal peace.
  It was unexpected, unusual and striking. Kate and Yuriko saw in the dance the basis of kung-fu, the school of Drunkard. Lulu just enjoyed, Mike wondered how to insert it into a film, Nick relaxed and rested, Lucy dreamed of God knows what. So it was a success and the audience burst with applause.  
   Next evening the dance went on the television and Helen, Ole’s manager and agent, signed several contracts for continuation. Tanya called him with congratulations and offered an advertising contract with Tom’s airlines company and free flights to any part of the world. Helen said he couldn’t stay at her home any longer, because newspapermen could find it out and it would be inconvenient. He must have an image of a mysterious man from the East. And like Lulu he must find a house, where other stars live.  He rented a small cottage and started a new life again.
   After recording several dances and an advertisement he flew to New-York with Kate to make acquaintance with her father and invest his money in some of his projects to try business life and earn enough money for his own film. Yuriko as her bodyguard went with them too. Her family also had some business and she studied the situation on American markets. Kate’s father said that the best way to earn is to do what you know best. Finally, they decided to register together a security firm, “Eagle”, providing bodyguards for stars, businessmen and politicians.
  This was Kate’s territory and she felt very sure and brave so when they were left alone with Ole in her room, she took him by the cheeks and kissed in the lips, then threw off her clothes and drew him to the bed.


                                          “Jolly Roger”

 Ole sent to Mike the first thirty four pages of the script about himself. The initial stage of his life in America was finished and he could sum up some results. Dancing and security firm was another stage to be described later. Mike responded immediately by phone:
 - Ok, I see there is no need for a script writer; you can do the job yourself. So I include the film in my list for the next year and I hope you’ll finish it. Think of the actors for the roles and we’ll start discussing the characters.
 Ole suggested the originals and Mike agreed to try. Even Lucy got her chance to express herself and find her place in life. They all gathered in his small city studio and exchanged their views and impressions after reading the first ready part of the story. Nick couldn’t play himself by the rules of his profession, prohibiting him to become public, and he wasn’t invited. Instead Mike offered an ordinary actor. Yuriko couldn’t play a ninja, but the rest was acceptable. For ninjas she promised Japanese actors. So the process began.
 Kate’s father recommended “Eagle” to his business partners and they got their first clients. Tom and Tanya helped too. Nick could work with them part-time as a consultant. It was not against the CIA rules; on the contrary, the Agency liked using unofficial channels for solving its problems and Nick made some useful hints, when they didn’t understand, what forces were behind some criminal threat.
   In the web Tumanov found information about “Jolly Roger”, a half-secret organization, uniting American politicians and businessmen, exposed by American journalists, but still existing and influencing important events. The secrecy of security services is reasonable, but why should politics hide their relations? If their activities are legal and honest, they have nothing to fear, but if they fear, there must be something illegal. Piratical flag as their symbol could mean only violence and robbery, and though their ties with mafia were not described, logic prompted their existence.
  Any modern security equipment, bought officially and half-officially for “Eagle”, wasn’t sufficient for the penetration to the organization headquarters and it could help, only if used as additional means. Tumanov took a lie detector and went in a rubber mask to one of their leaders. He told the guards that he wanted to sell some political information, recorded on a device, to their boss but only personally. They searched him for weapons and led to the cabinet. There he, quickly disarmed the guards, switched the detector to the politician and started asking questions. After the interrogation he destroyed all the records of his voice in the security system and went away. Now he knew for sure that they controlled and used mafia against political rivals and just for themselves. So the war began. He visited Mafiosi under various excuses and played the same trick and those, who were responsible for deaths, he just shot. Besides he collected interesting documents and electronic data from computers. Mafiosi under the gun opened safes or told codes and passwords, because they saw that he was very serious. On this basis he learned what to do next, and finally all major ties of “Jolly Roger” with mafia were cut. Then he copied and spread the materials, exposing corrupted politicians and criminal businessmen, to newspapers, FBI and CIA. I took several months