Mata Hari WW1 spy? – Bourgeoise Bloomers

Prison cell at St Lazaire. It is extremely small and extremely dark. A thin shaft of light shines through the bars of a tiny window above the prison bed on which Zelle reclines with one arm dangling. She is gazing up at the ceiling and humming softly to herself. Clunet is ushered in by the guard and approaches Zelle with reverence. He gently lifts her hand to his lips. Zelle turns her face toward him and smiles.

Zelle: Ah my valiant Monsieur Clunet. How does my case go? I can just see the look on Bouchardon’s cretinous face when you showed him the letters. He must be suitably embarrassed by now.

Clunet: It breaks my heart to see you brought so low. The letters have been destroyed and the evidence dismissed. Bouchardon does not want the truth. He wants only to calm the masses. They laughed at me. Laughed! ..Oh it was deplorable madame… most deplorable. He will not accept there is any proof whatsoever that will proclaim your innocence.

( Zelle rises from the bed and moves toward who has turned to face the door of the cell. She slowly turns him round to face her. )

Zelle: They destroyed all my letters? How many were there?

Clunet: There were …. now let me see … two …. three and four from the battlefield at Verdun …. three from Vittele …. that makes ….

Zelle: Twelve. He sent me twelve letters? They never told me. This proves that I am not and have never been a spy. All those beautiful letters gone? Can they not see that I am just a woman in love? Can’t they see that those letters were just an undying declaration of love …. of hope …. of desperation? My poor Vadime. Did he understand why I could not return to Vittele? Does he forgive me?

Clunet: My dear … just as you did not receive his letters …. he did not receive yours. His letters from Verdun were intercepted and sent to Scotland Yard while those from Vitele were sent to British Intelligence. Your own letters Madame were kept in Bouchardon’s office and never sent. I am so sorry to tell you this ….

Zelle: Yet my Vadim was there in court to testify on my behalf.

Clunet: Yes Madame he was in court

Zelle: Surely he defended my honour.

Clunet: No Madame …. he did not.

Zelle: I don’t understand …..

Clunet: Please don’t make me speak of it.

Zelle: Speak! … what is it? … Tell me …. TELL ME!

Clunet: Please …. calm yourself …

Zelle: Alright. ( Sighs and unclenches her fists.) Really my dear Clunet…. I’m a strong woman … I can take it … it’s not your fault. What a monster you must think me … screaming at you like this.

Clunet: There’s no need to apologise. It is I who must ….

Zelle: Must tell me what happened in court.

Clunet: Yes you are quite right … Quite right … I will tell you. They asked him if he knew you…. To which eh replied yes. They asked him if he would testify on your behalf to which he replied … no. I know that he was torn and he would have taken the stand if …

Zelle: If he had been stronger. My poor dear love having to face such an ordeal. He is still suffering from his wounds and by now he must be near total collapse. If there was one shred of strength left in his frail body he would not have turned away from me.

Clunet: Indeed madame he is still suffering but I think it is his conscience that is causing him such pain. You see … if he had testified …. his career would have been lost and he would have been the subject of ridicule for many years to come.

Zelle: What of the others? I had many lovers. Surely one of them would have risen to my defence?

Clunet: None. At least Vadim admitted to loving you. The others, I’m afraid, would not even admit to that much. Some are married, some are in high positions and all are frightened for their very lives.

Zelle: So they have abandoned me. It is all probably for the best. Oh don’t look so sad my dear friend. I have no regrets. My life has been full and happy. I have really lived Clunet. There are not many who can say that.

( Clunet exits. Zelle sinks back onto the bed and resumes humming as lights fade. )

©’Eye Of The Dawn’ by Renee Dallow

( Hybiscus Bloom )

Lights come up on Ladoux ‘s offiice at the Duxieme Bureau. Ladoux is busy reading through files when a clerk enters and hands him a wireless message.

Clerk: We have just received a message from Von Kalle in Madrid concerning Mata Hari.

Ladoux: Ah … at last. ( Reads the message out loud. ) H21 will arrange through Dutch Consul in Paris for another credit transfer to be sent to her servant a Mrs Anna Lintjens. Karl Von Kramer to be informed of transfer. H21 received the sum of three thousand five hundred pasetas from myself on this day the 28th of December 1916 in return for information on the landing of French spies behind German lines. Arrangement also in place to forward final payment to Paris as H21 is planning to return within the week. (Ladoux looks over his glasses at the clerk) I have her. This is the proof I’ve been waiting for. Get me Monsieur Bouchardon immediately. Well what are you waiting for? No time to waste. ( Clerk exits.) Let’s see what our esteemed military magistrate makes of this! Bouchardon will most certainly clip her wings. This little bird shall never fly from us again. ( Pours himself a glass of cognac from the decanter on his desk and savours the thought of making an example of her. )

( Denvignes arrives in Ladoux office quite out of breath.)

Denvignes: Forgive me captain…. I have just at this moment …. arrived from … Madrid. ( Ladoux does not respond. ) Mata Hari has spent the night with Hans Von Kalle…. The military attache for German intelligence. ( Still Ladoux does not respond.) Of this I am certain.

Ladoux: ( Smiles.) Thank you but we have already been informed of madame’s activities.

Denvignes: But how is this possible? I was the only one privy to …

Ladoux: I’m afraid you have been preceeded by a wire. It would seem she has implicated herself and Von Kalle felt it his duty to inform us personally. A devious man but one to be admired. It his thanks to him that she is all tangled up in our little web. Anything you have for us now will unfortunately be considered old information and of very small value. Very much like the somewhat second hand tid bits imparted by our little canary. Unbeknownst to her of course. ( Smirks ) I certainly apologise if this has caused you any inconvenience.

(Denvignes turns on his heel and exits just as Bouchardon enters. )

Bouchardon: I hear you have something of great importance to discuss with me Monsieur Ladoux.

Ladoux: We have a double agent in our midst. Her demise will put all of France in our debt.

Bouchardon: A woman eh? Of whom do we speak?

Ladoux: All in good time your honour. First there is a small matter of payment. What is a top spycatcher worth these days? (Rises from his desk and comes round to Bouchardon. ) Let us plan our strategy away from the formal constraints of the office hmmm? ( They exit. )