11. Febbre Alta (High Fever)

Picture album.

Genuine Partners

True to his intention, Pietro is heading south toward Sicily with Elenora in tow.  He inquires of her if they can stay in their car all the way, to which she replies by pulling out a well-used notebook and looking up a precise answer as to the nearest ferry.

Pietro: "Your diligence lets me cut corners."
(Elenora gives a fond smile; she doesn't mind)
Elenora: "Incidentally, this is the road the ancient Romans used to attack Greek cities in Sicily."

Elenora has been a quiet woman so far, standing in the back and observing with only occasional interjections.  Her discrete nature is easy to misinterpret as thoughtlessness, but here she is making a sly joke: "You know, we're the ones who are rampaging southward, bent on ruining somebody else's tranquility."  Not a serious criticism, just an amusing parallel she sighted.

Pietro: "Hey now.  Don't tell me you have my underwear color in there too."

As she conveyed the fact he gave her a worried glance before smiling in superior, but affectionate, amusement.  It's a look that expresses, "Sometimes she just says these funny things... but that's okay."  He did not get the joke, treating it as a quaint piece of trivia.  By extension Elenora herself is a bit daft, and he ribs her about what other ridiculous things she might have written down.  It is a friendly mockery, but still belittling.  She does not contradict him.


They are an interesting pair, but complement each other well.  Sitting in the driver's seat, Pietro has a keen sense for problems and the vehemence to push them forward, even if he has been seen to overlook the subtler signals of the women around him.  Elenora quietly supports as navigator, stepping in when his temper gets the best of him and taking care of the details to ensure they reach their destination together.

Mishandling Henrietta

Meanwhile on Sicily, Ferro is giving Jose and Henrietta the security rundown; curiously, Jose is now dismissive of the danger, telling Ferro she worries too much.

Ferro: "You heard what happened to Elsa.  You need to be extra careful.  Henrietta.  Make sure nothing happens to Jose."

Such an injunction is hardly needed with any of the cyborgs, but its focus holds an implication.  Elsa died, but this doesn't mean Henrietta should be careful; only Jose's safety is of any real concern.  Henrietta nods solemnly back, agreeing with such priorities.


The interior of the house is dark, but nicely kept.  It has been in use in the not too distant past.  Once inside, Jose tells her about their abode:

Jose: "It's off-season right now, but I used to spend summers here with my family."
Henrietta: "Your family?  Including Jean?"
Jose: "My brother too, but..."

The implication is clear: by bringing her here she is part of his family and he cares for her.  Yet it is the off-season, shifted from the regular pattern and time.  Even as he treats her as a little sister, there is a distinct difference between her and the real thing.  An approximate tradition for an approximate sibling brought here in secret to escape the real one.


When she mentions Jean, Jose gives a pained smile at the reminder, puncturing his carefree story.  This is the second time she's asked an awkward question about this trip, and the last thing he wants.  Henrietta notes his distress with surprise; no longer relying on his words, she can tell something is amiss.  But Jose doesn't want to give her any time to dwell on it and leans down to tell her:

"I'm spending my time with you right now."

Trying to maintain the front, Jose seeks to elicit the rapture she always had for simply being with him, bringing his face intimately close in a way that cannot help but thrill her.

But it's not right.  He is crouched, almost begging, with dark rims around his eyes that belie his false excitement.  Rather than lighting up, Henrietta looks downward in embarrassment, the usual blush of fond emotion absent from her cheeks.  All this is being pushed on her and she can feel it.  This isn't the affection she dreams about.


Jose does not relent.  For some reason, pleasing her has become urgent.  Not getting the reaction he desired he suggests they step out on the terrace.  Pushing the doors open reveals a gorgeous Mediterranean scene, causing Henrietta to sigh in genuine appreciation at the beauty.  Success; she is happy with his gift at last.  He now steps up to her straight-backed, in his usual role, and benevolently offers:

Jose: "Let's come again when the season changes.  Sicily in the summer is the best."
Henrietta: "You'll bring me here again?" (Excited)
Jose: "As many times as you want."

Jose speaks this last line staring into the distance with unfocused eyes.  It is a lie; he doesn't have the power to grant such a thing and he knows it.  After giving her a moment to appreciate he flatly requests her case and handgun, still refusing to look at her.

This was brutally and inexcusably manipulative.  Jose needed Henrietta weakened by glee to voice his insane demand, and so pressed until he found it.  None of this was about making her happy, but just a means for an end.


Now cornered, Henrietta is aghast at the choice he has put before her.  Staring with unbelieving eyes, she doesn't know if she should follow her love or his orders.  She can't understand why Jose would do this to her.  Recovering, Henrietta recoils and clutches her case close to her chest:

Henrietta: "No!  I need this in order to protect you!"
Jose: "Only a journalist and his niece who came for a holiday are here."
(Jose turns with his hand held out expectantly; Henrietta only hugs the case tighter)
Jose: "A normal girl shouldn't be holding those things." (Tiredly insistent)
Henrietta: "A normal girl... is that what I am?" (Looking down unhappily)
Jose: "Right."

At first Henrietta persists in what she knows is best; she loves him too much to leave him vulnerable, even risking his displeasure as a result.  Having failed with his first ploy, Jose resorts to force: Henrietta is a normal little girl, and that means she should act like one to please him.  The effect on her is immediate.  Crestfallen, she desultorily tries to parrot the phrase; this is what Jose wants of her and she will be it.  Yet after a brief pause she appends the question, uncertainty appearing where before there was none.


Coerced into submission, Henrietta bows to his authority and relinquishes the weapons.  But this was an expensive capitulation.  Jose is forcing her to do things that no longer make sense, and the directives that she used to internalize are now firmly located outside of her.  She can feel this is not how it should be if he were acting properly.

Invading Romans

Having arrived in Sicily, Pietro and Elenora ascend through the city to the house.  Looking out over the splendor, he sullenly opines:

Pietro: "This is no place for work."
Elenora: "Nope!  'Living here day by day, you think it's the center of the world.' "
Pietro: "Why don't you quit and become a tour guide?"
(Elenora smiles inoffensively)

While Pietro is merely grousing about the waste of coming here on business, Elenora is quoting Cinema Paradiso.  The greater part of it is worth duplicating here:

"Living here day by day, you think it's the center of the world.  You believe nothing will ever change.  Then you leave: a year, two years.  When you come back, everything's changed.  The thread's broken.  What you came to find isn't here.  What was yours is gone."

Hidden behind what appears to be a bland agreement about the scenic value of Sicily is an understanding.  Elenora is a truly incisive woman; she can read that this is a place to escape to, intuiting that whatever brought Jose here, it wasn't official business.  Of course she cannot know the full story, so the quote's true applicability is for the viewer only.  Pietro fails a second time to grasp the import, deriding her.  And like before, she lets it slide.


Before they can discuss further, they are interrupted by Ferro and Amadeo coming down the stairs in front of them.  Without delay, Pietro prompts Elenora to enter a nearby alleyway and he joins her to hide as the other agents pass:

Amadeo: "The cyborgs normally protect us, but today we're protecting them?  How ironic."

It is the assumption again: the cyborgs are here to be sacrificed for the operatives.  So ingrained, Amadeo finds it funny when the opposite is the case.  Ferro does not find his jibe clever and lectures him as they pass where Pietro and Elenora lurk.  After Section Two is gone they emerge, with Elenora confused as to the secrecy.  Pietro evasively says it's best to avoid trouble if possible.  He didn't tell her something about this little trip.

Hairline Fractures

Entanglements avoided, Pietro and Elenora reach the house and knock on the door.  After an unwelcoming pause they are greeted by Henrietta with her most fearsome scowl.  She is on the lookout, and seeing two suspicious people she reaches reflexively for her handgun only to find it missing.  With a brief betrayal of surprise she redoubles her glower; she's ready to defend Jose, with or without a weapon.  It would be cute if she weren't deadly serious.


Amused at the sight of such a diminutive little guardian trying to appear intimidating, Pietro tells her with a disarming smile not to shoot.  He quickly introduces the two as being from the agency, having learned this was part of their programming from Jean; despite the comedy, Pietro is fully aware how dangerous Henrietta can be.  Seeking to gain her trust he continues:

Pietro: "Triela told us about you."
(Jose enters the room)
Jose: "Section One, huh?"
Pietro: "Hey there, Mr. Reporter."
Jose: "We're on vacation.  What do you want?" (Testy)
Pietro: "We came all the way here because we're in charge of the Elsa incident.  Will you let us in?"

Jose doesn't look happy about it, but he relents; he didn't much appreciate Pietro's mockery of his cover or how easily they were found, but work is work.  He too is the property of the agency and can't just turn these two away after they have come this far.



However, when Pietro tries to open the door he finds it still held fast by Henrietta.  When they were first introduced as being from the agency, she had breathed a dismayed sigh, knowing that her little domicile was about to be invaded.  This was to be her special vacation alone with Jose.  That he permitted them to enter so easily is upsetting.  It's like he doesn't value his committments to her.

Finding her desires thwarted and Jose not seeming to care, Henrietta defied him.  Knowing they were to be allowed in she continued to bar the way, and thereby obstructed his will on purpose.  A minor act, but with momentous implications.  Turning to look at him, she gives a guilty, pleading glance that says, "I know I'm doing wrong but I don't want them here; please turn them away."

Jose: "Henrietta." (Stern)

Just her name is enough, and with a dismal exhalation she relents and steps aside with a disappointed expression.  Another forced submission.  Once the guests are inside, Jose makes a surprising declaration:

Jose: "Oh, there are no weapons allowed in this house.  I'll take them for you."
(A confused look from everybody)
Jose: "We're on vacation.  We don't want the smell of gun oil here."
Pietro: "You gonna take away my 'You-Know-What' next?"
(Pietro hands Jose his gun)
Jose: "Leave your dirty mouth at the door as well." (Snippy)

Can't have his innocent child-assassin hearing such things.  But she wasn't paying attention, for Jose's explanation shocked Henrietta more than it did the other agents.  That wasn't the reason he gave her before; he told a different story as to why her guns were being taken away.  This isn't consistent... somebody is being lied to.  As Pietro's weapon is handed over Henrietta's stare fixes forward and becomes blank.

Compare and Contrast

The four have now seated themselves in the front room.  Jose crosses his arms defensively and looks down while talking, his tone evasive.  Henrietta retains her robotic front, for in actuality she is deeply troubled.  She doesn't know what to do as she listens to Jose; upset he has ignored her desires and unsure of whether to believe him, she retreats to the comfort of thoughtless automaticity.  Don't fret over the problems, just be ready on standby as always and everything will be fine.


As they speak, the view of Henrietta behind Jose alternates with that of Elenora behind Pietro, the parallel emphasizing the superficial similarity of these two partnerships, and prompting a deeper comparison:

Jose: "Wasn't the Elsa case closed?"
Pietro: "Yes."
Jose: "Then all that's left is to wait for the terrorists to be caught." (Jose sighs with unconcerned finality)
Pietro: "Officially, yes... But something just doesn't feel right.  Our boss doesn't know we're here."
Elenora: "Fermi, he didn't order us here?" (Surprised)
Pietro: "I told him my grandma in Naples fell ill.  So it's half business, half personal."
Jose: "Why did you follow us?"
Pietro: "Triela told us to go see you two if we wanted to learn more about the fratello relationship."
Jose: "I see..."

Despite his blind spots, Pietro is a good man.  He knew that Draghi would be happy with the report because it confirmed the expedient, but after seeing Rico in such a state Pietro could not let the real case rest.  There is an evil here that needs to be exposed.  To have brought Elenora on such a crucial mission is a sign of his trust and dependence, and that he spared her the culpability of his little ruse an expression of kindness.  He truly relies on and cares for her.


Pietro's explanation of Triela's involvement is also telling.  That is what she told him over the phone, and it is what enticed them here; she is hoping they will see something that she was not free to explain directly.  As he speaks, he stares intensely at Henrietta.  She returns a porcelain doll gaze, but this doesn't fool him; he knows there is a mind in there, and that it is the key to Elsa's death.


Seeing this regard, Jose tells Henrietta to go make them something to eat.  Responding immediately, she stands up and with an obedient, "Yes" strides off to do his bidding.  His gaze remains downward as she leaves.

Pietro: "She does housework too?" (Surprised)
Jose: "Yeah... It seems she has been practicing at the dorm, but don't expect anything tasty."
(Pietro smiles and Elenora perks up)
Pietro: "Elenora..." (Please...)
Elenora: "Yes, yes.  I'll go supervise her." (Standing up with a self-effacing smile)

Unlike Pietro, Jose does not trust or rely on his partner; he tells her to do things to get her out of the way and keep her busy.  He doesn't even expect the results to be good, and has the gall to demean her for it while not bothering to intervene.  It leaves Henrietta to struggle ineptly toward her fantasy of being a sufficient wife with no hope of success.


Elenora, too, is able to anticipate her partner's request and moves to fulfill it... yet it is so different.  While Pietro certainly does underrate her intelligence and so unfortunately considers this a more suitable task, it is one she willing undertakes.  After all, who else is going to save their stomachs?  As she leaves Pietro cannot help but cast a fond smile toward the retreating Elenora, his wonderful and valued partner.


Alone with Jose, Pietro immediately turns to ask the questions he's wanted to all along.  Elenora is a bit of a restraining influence on him it seems:

Pietro: "So, did you gain her respect from the conditioning like Lauro and the others?"
Jose: "The cyborgs need conditioning to be usable.  Henrietta's no exception."
(Jose's face lowers in thought, looking inward)
Jose: "However, I don't strengthen the conditioning so she would be loyal to me, nor do I demand affection from her."
Pietro: "How is that any different?  Not strengthening it doesn't really solve anything."
Jose: "I agree with that.  I know that I'm using her for the agency and myself..."
(Jose's hands fall limply forward)
Jose: "I know that..."

Unwilling to entertain Jose, Pietro punctures months of rationalizing in an instant and highlights the key difference between the two couples: Jose acquired his partner's affection without earning it.  It is disingenuous for him or any of the trainers to claim they do not demand their cyborgs' love, for they know they have it.  And since it cannot be lost no matter their actions, they do not value it either, treating it as a mundane commodity to be utilized.


But it is the final line that is particularly damning.  There was always an uncertainty about the level of Jose's awareness, whether he regarded his self-serving defensive measures as reprehensible.  He could have perhaps been doing these things out of some misguided impulse, the last vestige of the credit his character was owed.  Now of his own admission: he knows what he did then, and what he is doing now, is wrong.  Left only to agree, he trails off without an answer as to why he continues.

Life is a Large, Complex Task

In the kitchen Sorriso ("Grin") plays lightheartedly.  Elenora has joined Henrietta, and politely inquires what Henrietta is planning to make:

Henrietta: "Umm, pasta with tomato soup."
(A pause during which Elenora's face studiously does not change)
Elenora: "...that's all?" (Carefully neutral)
Henrietta: "Yes." (Not catching the implication)
(Elenora glances with concern at Henrietta, then smiles)

Henrietta's dinner plans are wildly insufficient, but more important is the truth this comedic error conveys about her.  Not only does she not know what she is doing, she doesn't know she doesn't know what she is doing.  Jose's lack of instruction has gone so far as to leave her bereft of a framework to assess her actions and correct her mistakes, unaware they happen in the first place.



Realizing this girl is well-meaning but clueless, Elenora smoothly covers her dismay and whips out her notebook:

Elenora: "Alright, let's add some more to the menu."
Henrietta: "But, I can't do anything without a recipe." (Worriedly)

Now Henrietta's second limitation comes to light: she can only follow instructions.  Jose never gave her explanations to understand the purpose behind his conflicting edicts.  As a result, rules simply are, and without them she doesn't know what to do.  Coupled with her insecurity, this ignorance leaves her struggling to move beyond the concrete.


After a moment, Elenora locates an elaboration from her notebook and rattles off the ingredients.  It is still a tomato pasta recipe, but with much more that would make it a real entrée.  Turning, she asks Henrietta if this sounds like a good idea.  Henrietta is overawed:

Henrietta: "Amazing!  It's a magical notebook!"
Elenora: "I just have a bad memory.  I'd get fired if I didn't do this."

What is being seen is an effective and kindly form of oversight.  The meal plan still seems to Henrietta like it is hers, with Elenora only offering advice.  Henrietta isn't being overridden but the mistake is still corrected, keeping her involved and learning.

But Elenora is teaching Henrietta something even more important here: amazing people come from flawed people.  Unlike Jose, there is nothing intrinsically "magical" about her; as such, Henrietta could be like this woman if she so desired.


To drive home the point, Elenora confidently closes her eyes and holds up her finger, like an instructor dictating and important fact from memory:

Elenora: "Listen.  All successful jobs are--"
Henrietta: "--comprised of smaller, simpler tasks."
Elenora: "Right!"
(Elenora's eyes open in surprise)
Elenora: "Huh?  Where did you hear that?"
Henrietta: "Huh... where did I hear it?" (Confused)
(Henrietta perks up and smiles) 
Henrietta: "I don't seem to remember."

With this final recitation, Elenora completely surpasses Jose.  She offers the same advice he does, but rather than tell Henrietta to write the saying down and study it, Elenora demonstrates the moral with her own life.  This is the guidance that Henrietta has been so sorely lacking, a proper adult to admire and emulate.  She has just been given a taste of what her life, and relationship with Jose, is missing.


The happy scene, though, ends on a chill reminder.  Here is not just another young girl learning how to do things right, and this unexpected lacuna causes Elenora to stare in in concerned perplexity for a moment.  The child seems to be unaware that this is strange about her as well, and as in all the good moments of her life, the disconcerting reality of Henrietta's condition is only temporarily held at bay.

Who's Understanding Whom?

The two have left the house to buy the ingredients necessary for dinner, and as they walk Elenora engages Henrietta with a barrage of questions.  She's happy to help this girl, but there is a job to do as well:

Elenora: "You really like him, don't you?  What kind of feeling is it?  Are you aware that those feelings may be the agency's doing?"
Henrietta: "I'm happy right now, so I don't mind.  But... I have to do what the agency orders.  When I do anything for Jose, it's because I want to."
Elenora: "That's just like a girl who's in love."

"What's it like to be a programmed doll?"  It is essentially the same question Pietro asked Triela last episode, and after Henrietta's display of stunning ignorance in the kitchen she assumed the girl was oblivious to everything.  Maybe she just thought she had these feelings.  But after such a sincere reply, Elenora is forced to admit with a smile that there is something genuine here; this girl can describe what it is like from within.

Henrietta's answer, however, is misleading on another point.  She is reciting her old mantra, "I'm happy because I serve Jose."  But it isn't true anymore.  Jose just forced her in great anguish to sacrifice her weapons, and then permitted Pietro and Elenora into her "home."

The camera subtly confirms the falsity of her statement: throughout Henrietta's response the seaside hill is shown, which is tantamount to covering her expression.  She is conscious of the discrepancy and is trying to hide it from herself by repeating tired beliefs.  Henrietta is not happy right now, and therefore most certainly does mind.


However, Elenora shouldn't become too comfortable in her superior position:

Henrietta: "You're in love with Fermi, aren't you?" (Grinning knowingly)
Elenora: "Wait, just because a man and a woman work together doesn't mean they're in love!" (Flustered)
Henrietta: "But you're tall like a model, so you really suit him!"

These adults always asking patronizing questions, assuming Henrietta doesn't understand anything about herself.  She's quite aware, thank you very much, and to prove the point she makes an observation back.  The little cock-eyed grin that accompanies her statement, for it is a statement and not a question, betrays that she took just a little bit of pleasure at catching Elenora off guard.  "Don't think you're the only one that can watch people and figure it out.  I've seen how you two look at each other."


However, the explanation for her accusation, that Elenora is tall, is lacking, enough to cause the woman to smile at the simplicity.  It is Henrietta's selective ignorance again.  She is completely confused about what she ought to admire in an adult woman, the product of having to draw on vapid secondary sources.  It is why she could envision herself and Jose a couple; her feelings were always genuine but she had never seen a real romantic relationship up close before to compare.  Averting her eyes, Elenora responds:

Elenora: "Someone with a keen wit would be good with him." (Wistful)
Henrietta: "That's not true." (Still grinning)
Elenora: "Yes, it is." (Stern)

There was a reason Elenora could easily identify a girl in love through her willingness to serve her partner, with this last embarrassed exchange confirming her fondness for Pietro.

However, in an all-too-human fashion, Elenora's acumen in interpreting others does not extend to herself.  Lacking in confidence, she misconstrues herself a dullard, citing her memory and other weaknesses as evidence.  She makes insightful comments and when Pietro doesn't acknowledge them she loses faith in herself; after all, she knows he's shrewd, so what she's saying must not be that witty.  How far from the truth.

Obligatory Chase Scene

As the two bicker warmly, a man riding a moped bears down on Henrietta at high speed.  Barreling by he knocks her to the ground, thereby ending the conversation abruptly.  During his approach Henrietta's stare turned slowly toward him; she saw him coming but did not react.  Elenora hastens over to help her up:

"You girls are vulnerable when you're not concentrating..."

Elenora is beginning to grasp the startling number of extremes Henrietta encompasses.  They are so common, and so counter to regular expectations, that it is difficult to predict precisely where her holes are.  Innocent child yet proficient killer, reflective thinker yet submissive doll, avid learner yet appallingly ignorant, and now dangerously powerful yet easily harmed.  How is it possible for so many apparent contradictions to exist inside one little creature?  She is so human.


Bending over, Elenora notices Henrietta's handbag is gone.  Not waiting for Elenora to finish her sentence, Henrietta takes off in frantic pursuit on foot.

Using all the power at her disposal, Henrietta cuts through alleyways and tramples across the roofs of houses in order to catch up.  Pedestrians are nearly knocked over and the superhuman leaps she takes down stairs and off buildings leave impact marks.  In her single-mindedness she has no moderation, causing damage and threatening harm to herself and others, having never learned otherwise.


With a last breath-taking bound from the upper levels Henrietta is able to close the distance.  Thinking he has escaped, the thief stops his bike only to have Henrietta emerge around the bend in front of him.  She is a wreck, sweaty and breathing hard.  But more than this she is angry, dangerously so.  Barely able to express herself, she chokes out a single overriding thought:

Henrietta: "Give it back!"
(The thief looks up in surprise)
Henrietta: "My bag.  Give it back."

After overcoming his initial shock, the thief tells her to get lost; understandably, he doesn't view her as a threat.  Hearing the dismissal her breathing becomes more ragged, morphing into rage-filled sobs.  Having lost the ability to speak she stalks toward him instead.  He grins in amusement at the sight, but his humor is abruptly extinguished when she lifts him bodily from his bike by the collar, unable to breath.  Another antipode: female child yet lethally violent.


Before Henrietta can strangle the transgressor, Elenora pulls up in a car.  Posing as the local police she demands that he return Henrietta's possessions:

Thief: "What are you talking about?  Do something about her first!" (Choked out)
Elenora: "Henrietta, let him go."
(Henrietta relinquishes her grasp, but still stares angrily)
Elenora: "Give it back to her now."
Thief: "What are you talking about?" (Still gasping)
Elenora: "You're going to play innocent?  I was going to let you go if you just gave it back to her.  Shall I thoroughly examine your belongings then?" (Grinning maliciously)
(Thief gives her a dirty look)
Elenora: "You smell like marijuana." (Not intimidated)

During this exchange, Henrietta stares at Elenora in wonder.  She can tell that the woman is winning this encounter, but it isn't through the use of violence.  All her "life" she's been shown how to kill people at an agency that considers such methods to be natural.  She isn't a vicious girl, it's simply all she knows.  Now here is Elenora, getting her way without resorting to brutalizing him.  This is a new idea... and one she finds herself admiring.

An Important Day

Later the two sit on a dike by the beach, a sack of goods at their side.  Indicating to Henrietta's handbag Elenora asks:

Elenora: "Was it really that important?"
(Henrietta wears a warm, but unfocused stare, remembering)
Henrietta: "The camera Jose gave me was inside it."
Elenora: "I see..."

With this line, Elenora looks out to the ocean with a thoughtful expression.  Knowing that Jose meant a lot to Henrietta was one thing; seeing she would desperately chase a man across the city and nearly kill him to get a gift back is quite another.  After a moment, Henrietta turns to ask:

Henrietta: "Ms. Gabrielli, that police ID was...?"
Elenora: "My magic notebook." (Laughs)
Henrietta: "Just now, you were the most keen-witted woman ever!"
Elenora: "Just now, you were the scariest girl ever!" (Both laugh together)

Henrietta knows now: it was nothing magical, just the application of what Elenora has learned in life.  Feeling the gravity that such kindness and poise exert, Henrietta finds that she wishes to emulate this woman who makes little girls feel confident and cared for while ensuring they do things right.  Even now, Elenora sits with her next to the sea, talking and laughing about the day that they have had together.  This is how it should be.

A Small, Simple Victory

Back at the house, the dinner has been completed and both couples sit across from each other.  Jose eats automatically, gazing inward, while Henrietta watches him anxiously.  She has not touched her plate and awaits his verdict anxiously.  Finally noticing her attention he startles, dismayed at her intense interest, before feeding her a smile to show he is enjoying the meal.


The effect on Henrietta is immediate and she looks happily toward Elenora to confirm that she too saw this success.  Elenora winks back discretely so that only Henrietta can see.  It makes it seem that her involvement was a secret, kindly leaving the victory to the child.  Pietro notices what is going on and gives a so very subtle glance of fondness at the magnificent woman next to him as a final contrast between these two partnerships.


Sitting with a smile, basking in the glow of the day and her success, Henrietta feels filled in a way she never knew was possible.  This is what it is like to be guided and supported, to have a guardian that is primarily concerned about her needs, and to improve as a result.  As the scene closes, Pietro absorbs this as well, noting with a grin just how genuine this child is.

They Must Believe It

After dinner the two men retire to the front room to drink as Pietro resumes his assault from before.  He cannot understand why nobody is suspicious of Elsa's death.  The whole situation is too convenient:

Jose: "What, you think there's a conspiracy?" (Dismissive laugh)

This only further infuriates Pietro.  A competent operative and a nearly-invincible cyborg were taken down cleanly with no warning.  The perpetrators were identified immediately afterward, no questions asked.  Why doesn't this stink to anybody else?


Jose tries the familiar defense: an ambush at night, Elsa wasn't concentrating.  Pietro skewers this immediately.  He's seen how impenetrable Rico's defense was personally, how sensitive she was to threats to her master.  It was uncanny, and all indications are that Elsa was far more protective of Lauro in her love.  Jose then falls back to his last line of defense:

Jose: "She reacted to the attack, but wasn't fast enough, so she became Lauro's shield." (Intoned)

It is a terrible statement, but it is the assumption they all make: the cyborgs exist to serve and guard their handlers.  It is just the way of things.  Jose looks down as he speaks; this is being said for his own benefit.  For Pietro this is the last straw:

Pietro: "I don't like it.  Why are you guys satisfied with, 'the cyborg protected her master'?  While it may be the truth, that's just not right." (Angry)
(Jose looks down in pained silence)
Pietro: "At first I thought the cyborgs were disgusting.  Half of their bodies are made from carbon frames, carbon fibers, and artificial muscles.  But both Triela and Henrietta are just children.  She's just a girl who can't cook.  You're saying it's okay if Henrietta dies protecting you?"

This is why Pietro is here.  He too began thinking of the cyborgs as subhuman, but has come to realize just how sensitive and pure they are.  Seeing them grossly mistreated by the men that they look up to and love has caused his disgust to shift to proper targets.  Solving the crime is important, but it has become a vehicle for exposing the selfish apathy that pervades Section Two.  Do they have no shame for hiding behind children?


They hide because they must.  They must believe that Elsa was happy to die for Lauro, that all the girls are enthusiastic to do their duty.  For if they are not, if the cyborgs lament their existence and Elsa died in sorrow...

Pietro looks at Jose with disdain as the latter refuses to meet his gaze.

Why Won't He Love Me?

Jose's pained face fades into a view of Henrietta's stockinged feet swinging happily over the edge of the bed as she recounts the success of the meal to Elenora.  The woman agrees with a smile, noting they had to go through a lot of trouble for it.  Not a complaint, but an emphasis on the little girl's achievement, making sure she knows she did good and allowing her to savor it all the more.

"Say Henrietta, don't fly into a rage like that again.  You're a girl, so you shouldn't be violent all the time.  Understand?"

Elenora has become endeared to Henrietta's innocent verve, but definitely sees the rough spots that require polishing.  For Henrietta's own sake.  But this friendly admonition does not go the way she anticipates:

Henrietta: "You too, Ms. Gabrielli?  You're trying to make me into a girl too, aren't you?" (Disappointed)
(Henrietta's body begins to shake)
Elenora: "But, you're really..."

Tears are now openly streaming down Henrietta's face.  She tries to wipe them off but they won't stop; they are coming from deep inside of her.  Even this woman whom she looks up to is asking her to be a normal little girl.  Silenced, Elenora listens with intensity and sympathetic concern; what is being said here is important to understanding the puzzle of Henrietta.

"When we arrived here, Jose took my guns away.  He said that normal girls don't hold them.  That's true, but... am I a normal girl?"

As she continues, Henrietta's hands, which have been trying to stop the tears, creep up upward reflexively.  But they cannot agree, one covering an eye in shame while the other cradles her head in comfort.  She doesn't know what to do, and it hurts so much.  Everybody keeps telling her about normal girls, comparing her to one, trying to lead her to be one, but...

"I'm really strong and I can kill people with my bare hands.  I bleed, but the pain goes away immediately."

...she isn't one.  Every day Henrietta puts on cute clothes, drinks her tea politely, practices the violin, and does everything that is asked.  But of all these she is the unnatural element, the part that does not fit.  Jose, against everything she has ever believed, told her something that was wrong.  It shouldn't be possible, but it is.  Shuddering, disconsolate, her deepest pain comes out:

"A cyborg such as myself... in order to satisfy him... I can't be like a normal girl!"

This charade was never harmless to Henrietta.  Everything she is, she is for Jose.  She will fight, she will bleed, and she will die for him without hesitation.  Even full of doubts, she loves him.  But he demands of her the one thing she cannot give.  She tries every time yet... she can't.  She can't, she can't, she can't.  It's impossible for her to be a normal girl, the only thing that would get him to love her back.


Yet even if she could be, she could not fulfill her purpose.  That is too important.  Can't he see that?  Can't anybody see that?  Why are they all disgusted by what she is if it lets her serve the man she loves?  She doesn't care if her attachment is programmed or her state is unnatural; she's trying her hardest and yet Jose and now even Elenora won't accept her for what she is.  What is wrong with her?


Elenora can take it no longer.  No matter what she is learning, it isn't worth watching Henrietta fill with such unquellable self-hatred.  The cost of leaving her without comfort is too high.  She leaps to her feet and moves to face Henrietta:

"That's not true!  You're very important to him!  He wants you to smile."

Henrietta is surprised, but not consoled, by the interruption.  She can see the good intent, yet Elenora doesn't understand.  People keep telling Henrietta that she is adored by Jose because of his conspicuous care.  But Jose's face falls into anger and disapproval when he thinks she isn't looking, never giving her such fond glances she has seen Pietro send Elenora.  He doesn't comfort her when she needs it the most, and tells her lies when she asks for answers.  Jose wouldn't do this, unless...

"I know why Elsa died.  Please call the others, and bring my gun."

This is Henrietta's secret.  Even Elenora, the woman she has come to admire in this short time, wasn't able to grasp just how deep her need to serve and be loved by Jose are.  None of them do.  What she will tell them now is a measure of desperation, a demonstration of what she truly means.

Love Unto Death

The household has gathered outside, Elenora resolutely holding the pistol Henrietta requested.  They are all looking at her, the tiles on the ground forming a concentric pattern that focuses the attention on the solemn child, the center of the drama.  Henrietta asks for her gun, but Jose prevents Elenora from handing it over and demands an explanation first, earning an inquiring look.  Henrietta begins in an unnaturally calm manner:

Henrietta: "Mr. Fermi, Elsa loved Lauro, right?"
Pietro: "That's the impression I get."
Henrietta: "Jose, was Lauro kind to Elsa?"
Jose: "No, he never paid her much attention except when they were on missions."

Questions pointed at the right people.  Pietro, know that these girls love their handlers.  Your investigation has led you here to the end of Italy to discover this, and you can no longer doubt it is fake.  Jose, know that Lauro did not treat Elsa well.  For a cyborg, to be cared for by her trainer is not optional.

Henrietta: "I thought so.  This is probably what happened."
(Henrietta's tone remains flat, but Disperazione, despair and desperation, belies her true state)
Henrietta: "If you loved someone with all of your heart, but realized that feeling would never be requited..."

The image of Henrietta blurs into that of Elsa walking in the park behind Lauro, a similar sad somber expression haunting both their mouths.  She stares intently at his turned back, his expression fixed away from her as always.  Henrietta continues:

"I would..."

Elsa raises her gun deliberately and, with narrowed eyes but covered mouth, pauses, leaving it pointed for a long moment at her callous trainer's head...

"...kill my partner... and then..."

With smoke rising from her gun, the deed still fresh, Elsa gazes grimly at what she has done.  It would seem she has avenged herself, taking satisfactory retribution against a man who always abused her out of convenience and had finally tossed her aside.  However...

"...and then ...do this."

In the present Henrietta lunges forward and wrenches the gun from Elenora's hand.  In an act of premeditated desperation she holds it up to her eye, a vision of Elsa once again paired in tandem.  In both the gaze is unflinching, the gun held steady by both hands to ensure it will not miss.  The music, which has swelled throughout the scene, quiets, only a forlorn violin remaining; the sound of a single, small voice begging for Jose to come through for her.

Jose and Pietro leap to stop the reenactment before it is too late.  The sound of a gunshot reverberates in the memory, a soft impact heard.  Henrietta is lying on the ground, Jose having tackled her, and for a horrific moment her hair covers the eye where she was aiming, before she stirs and smiles at Jose:

"Don't worry.  I wouldn't fire.  I'm being treated so well by you, I wouldn't kill myself."

The parallel that has been so long in developing is fully realized.  Elsa was Henrietta, the two only separated by the slightest of circumstance.  Their devoutness and monomania, their jealousy and insecurity, their recklessness in service and intensity in love... they were the same all along.  "It all depends on the person in charge and the conditioning..."


In the same way, the others knew what happened to Elsa all along.  Rico stared at Elsa's resting place, contemplating the same self-inflicted oblivion.  Claes violently left the room to be reminded that a cyborg ended her own life because of her trainer.  Triela... Triela was sad she could not save Elsa, but at least she could ensure that her loss would not go unremarked and so guided Pietro to this girl who was Elsa's foil.


But her Jose came for her.  It was belated, it was weak, it had to be forced, but he acted.  At the very least, he wouldn't let her die.  This was the last, pathetic hope Henrietta had after all her other illusions had been stripped away.  Even if he had failed her on so many fronts, his insufficiency thoroughly demonstrated by his recent actions and admissions, she can at least believe that at some level he cares about her enough to stop this.


The crisis averted, Elenora stares at the bullets that she had the wherewithal to empty from the gun:

"I had no idea how serious she was."

This was already demonstrated by Elsa, for there is one more parallel between the two girls: the ability to rationalize the selfishness of their trainers as love.  Jose has led Henrietta on, kept her fed with trinkets that hinted at affection, but in his heart he has never loved her.  And this, more than any other cruelty, has cost her the most.

A Shameful Nadir

Back at the house, Henrietta is fast asleep, so vulnerable and exhausted like the sensitive child she is.  Below in the front room the adults talk.  They are shaken, drinking to calm their nerves; Pietro's cheeks are red already from the alcohol:

Pietro: "You knew how Elsa died from the start, didn't you?"
Elenora: "That's why when I went to give her the gun... So that was the secret behind those two bullets..."
(Jose tugs at his collar, his reflection in the window)
Pietro: "That's even worse than dying for her master."

So Jose knew this as well, aware of not only the reprehensibility of his actions but their inevitable result; even as he listened to Henrietta earlier his face did not waver, grim but unsurprised.  Yet faced with the knowledge that he might die for his transgressions, he still did not change.  His refusal to do so, instead opting to distract and manipulate Henrietta to cover his errors, hoping to sustain the play that had incalculable costs for his girl, is the final verdict.  Now he tugs at his collar, looking into the mirror with full awareness, his secret exposed:

Jose: "Are you going to report this?"
Pietro: "Don't be stupid.  Section Two probably disposed of the evidence by now anyway.  It's just a theory now."

Pietro misunderstands; Jose was not asking about Elsa.  "Are you going to report me?  Are you going to report that Henrietta tried to kill herself?  Are you going to report my failure?"  He has nothing left but appearances now; in his lassitude he no longer seeks to make it right but only to cover it up.  Even Henrietta's last desperate plan has not shaken him from this path.

Elenora: "But the way Henrietta acted earlier..."
Pietro: "That was emotional blackmail.  Kinda like saying, 'I'll kill you if you won't love me.'"
Elenora: "She seemed so innocent just this afternoon..."
Pietro: "It's hard to deal with because she's so innocent."
(Jose lifts his glass to his mouth to drink so that he may live with himself)

A final act of misapprehension on Pietro's part concerning the nature of the girls' attachment; he is a well-meaning man, but is too used to this world.  Henrietta would never threaten Jose for his love; this girl is completely pure, and such a sincere creature can only be nourished by that which is genuine.  Her last lines were the dying strains of her belief being pitifully resuscitated, bringing herself back from the brink.


Belatedly, Pietro recalls that he still has the one cherished possession from Elsa's room and removes it from his coat pocket.  Lauro's picture.  Hearing this, Jose's gaze into the window intensifies.

Elenora: "So all she ever got from him was her name and his picture..."
Pietro: "All that affection must've been hard to deal with.  Someone with normal nerves wouldn't be able to handle it."
(Jose turns from the window, unable to look any longer; the other two see his tired gaze)
Jose: "You always have to be someone they can respect.  That's the least we can do."

And that is not what any of them have done.

What Dreams May Come

In her room, Henrietta continues to sleep but the atmosphere has turned ominous; her face hidden, her body balling in comfort, Henrietta is accompanied in her nightmare by the terrible organ and intense, desperate voices of Tema V.  What she is seeing is in her too, the final lesson to be learned from Elsa's tragic fate.


In her vision is Elsa walking with Lauro in the park at night.  As seen before, she stares at his back, her face solemn.  He does not turn to as he speaks:

Lauro: "So what do you want out here?
Elsa: "Lauro, do you remember this park?"
(Lauro turns with a "Huh?")
Elsa: "You named me here.  'Elsa de Sica.'"

She stares at him.  Imploring.  This is the segment that was left unseen.  Before was her resolve, the harsh image of a wrathful Elsa that has become so familiar, but in this memory there is more.  She just wants him to acknowledge her once.  The music turns plaintive, pleading with Lauro as well, but he fails her as he always has: 

Lauro: "Really?  How can you remember such things?"
Elsa: "It's important.  I would never forget it.  I will never forget the treasure you gave me."
(Lauro turns and walks past her)
Lauro: "You done?  Let's go.  We have to wake up early tomorrow morning."
(Elsa does not turn as he walks past her)
Elsa: "You gave me my name here." (To herself, nearly a whisper)

Her face as he brushes her aside... just once he could have truly appreciated her and accepted what she felt.  Yet she did not hate him for it; even with all he had done to her, she still loved him until the end.

This is the true meaning behind Elsa's act.  Imbued with the most powerful of programming, she allowed it to fill her life with one imperative: to protect and serve this man.  She was his in body, mind, and soul.


Yet Lauro did not, could not, recognize his cyborg's love, believing it to be a poor facsimile even after all she had suffered and sacrificed for him.  This left her with only one choice: she would defy her conditioning, defy everything that she was, to demonstrate that her love was more than programming.  In a paradoxical expression of supreme love she did what should have been impossible and killed its very object, proving that her feelings were not beholden to the will of the agency.  Her humanity was greater than that.


Bringing him here, then, she is memorializing the one thing he ever truly gave her.  This is where she began and this is where she will end, returning to him the most important gift she has to offer: her love as a genuine human being.

The dream concludes with darkness and a gunshot.

On a Wing and a Prayer

The next morning two gulls fly together in the beautiful sea air.  After such a dark night the pleasant day is welcome; perhaps a new start that dispels the old.  Henrietta watches entranced at the sight before Elenora calls a farewell to her.  Pietro bids goodbye to Jose.  Each to his or her counterpart.


As the couple from Section One walks down the stairs they watch for a moment before Henrietta gives a concerned glance toward Jose.  She's not sure how he'll react now that company's gone and they're alone.  He turns to her in reassurance:

Jose: "Now then, where do you want to go first?"
(Henrietta startles in surprise)
Jose: "Sicily is full of places to see."
Henrietta: "Jose!" (Excited)
Jose: "We'll leave right away.  Don't forget your camera."
Henrietta: "I won't!"

Henrietta runs off enthusiastically to grab her things; Jose doesn't hate her for what she did last night!  They have both returned to the comfort of routine.  He'll treat her to pretty gifts and she'll be pleased just to be in his presence.  He even specifically requests the camera, because, after all, he gives her many happy memories.

Watching her until she is out of sight, he returns his gaze forward for a moment in thought, before turning anxiously upward to beseech the sky where the two gulls wheel overhead, still flying for now.

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