Dr. Max Wieldruk and Jose Randy

Mail 7: Jose learns about Rottumerplaat, a very special country, and why Max can't possibly use the telephone...

Subject: Re: Max pls call me.

My dear friend Jose Randy,

You are quite right. We should work on this project in complete trust of each other. And of course I would very much like to call you on the phone. But there is a slight problem. As you pointed out, complete confidentiality is our motto.

At the Ministry of the Interior all telephone lines of high officials are constantly tapped and recorded.This, obviously, is done for security reasons. I have strong reason to believe that the private telephones of civil servants are likewise tapped by the State Security Police. We would not want the Secret Police to know about our project, would we? That's why I told you I ran a certain risk with this project. If the police were to find out, I would certainly lose my position here at the Ministry, and maybe worse could happen... So you and I are more or less in the same position, Jose.

Moreover, international telephone communications from Rottumerplaat are far from trustworthy. Most of our communications (energy lines, telephone lines) run over Netherlands soil. Unfortunately, the Netherlands,our neighbouring country, are also our political opponent. Telephone lines are frequently disrupted,and, we have reasons to believe, tapped by the Netherlands authorities. I have good reason to believe that our communication through e-mail (via satellite)is relatively safe.

I think I should inform you that Rottumerplaat is an autarkic autonomous socialist republic, which was declared independent from the Netherlands in 1962,when the revolution of Rottumerplaat was won by our great leader, president Toon Ladder. I was only 10 years old at the time. The Dutch are rightly jealous of our economic welfare, largely due to our roaring trade in clogs.

I went over to the bank today. The bank manager is a personal friend of mine, so I could discuss a few things with him in secret, without raising suspicion.It is no problem to receive the amount into a dollaraccount over here, but I have been told some modalities will have to be seen to. But I will get these in place.

But tell me some more about yourself. Have you got a family? Hope they are well?

Now I must go out, put my clogs on and join the communal singing of the official anthem of Rottummerplaat: "Hup Supengrottenbrij". Hope the weather isn't too cold, there can be quite a nip inthe air in December. Do you get any snow during winter in your country? Straw in your clogs helps to keep your feet warm, let me assure you.

Dear friend, I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours,

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Dr. Max Wieldruk

1012 AA Saaftinge, Rottumerplaat