- It's the middle of November, in case anyone cares. The weather gets a lot better (remember, this is the southern hemisphere), with the rain quitting and the sun coming out.
- The day the rains end, Father Arguedas is grateful for everything he does have, even as a hostage. He gets to lead the celebration of Mass, he gets to hear Roxane Coss sing for it, and he gets to see people respond to the singing. It's a pretty sweet deal for an opera-loving priest, even if it does go along with some not-so-fun stuff like being a hostage.
- Today, Roxane and Kato are practicing.
- Gen goes to stand near Carmen after Roxane finishes practicing.
- Mr. Hosokawa goes to get water for Roxane, and she goes with him, putting her arm through his.
- Carmen says Roxane is in love with Mr. Hosokawa.
- Gen asks Carmen to go on. He hasn't noticed.
- But he has noticed that Mr. Hosokawa is in love with Roxane.
- Gen and Carmen talk about this, and Gen says he would imagine that everyone is in love with Roxane, and asks how she could choose someone to love?
- Carmen asks Gen if he is in love with Roxane. Maybe she has a reason for wanting to know?
- He's not. He's in love with Carmen. But he hasn't told her, even though he's teaching her Spanish every night ("te amo" must be a later lesson). She's beautiful and intelligent; Gen can tell that from how fast she learns what he's teaching her.
- Back to the other budding romance.
- Gen asks about Mrs. Hosokawa.
- Carmen says Mr. Hosokawa isn't going home, and he shouldn't have to be alone, although she is sorry for Mrs. Hosokawa.
- Gen wants to know what she means when she says Mr. Hosokawa isn't going home. We can see why he might be interested in this question.
- Carmen says that this is where they live now.
- She starts to say something. Sounds like she's about to tell Gen a secret. Though she's also trying to be loyal to the generals, she really trusts Gen.
- She retreats to the bathroom, where she takes off her hat, washes her face, and tries to comb her hair with her fingers. Hmm. Looking more and more likely that Gen's crush will be returned.
- Gen follows her to the bathroom, but is stopped from going in by Fyodorov, who is finally ready to speak to Roxane. He's been putting it off for quite a while now.
- Talk about bad timing. It's like finally getting a moment to ask someone out to the dance and then getting interrupted by a friend asking about homework.
- But Fyodorov says now is the time when he must speak to Roxane.
- Gen gestures to the bathroom and says he was on his way there.
- Fyodorov says of course, take your time, as any sane person would.
- Gen slips in and says he doesn't have long to talk with Carmen. But he does want to know what she meant by saying this is where they live now.
- She gets all mysterious and says she can't say. But she asks if it would be so bad to stay in this beautiful house?
- Gen said these things have to end eventually, and Carmen says only if people do terrible things. She says they haven't hurt people and that the hostages aren't unhappy.
- Gen says everyone is unhappy.
- Oops. That may not be true. Not to mention a bad relationship move.
- Carmen seems hurt. She looks down and tells him to go and translate. She's sad and thinks Gen wants to get away from her, and feels bad for taking up his time.
- Fyodorov is getting more and more nervous. He knocks on the door.
- Gen asks for a minute.
- He tells Carmen that maybe she's right. Slowly they start to hold each other. Guess the relationship is moving along okay after all.
- Fyodorov calls to Gen. Shut up, Fyodorov.
- Carmen kisses Gen and then tells him to go.
- Fyodorov asks Gen if he's okay, but in kind of a frustrated way. This guy is really antsy.
- Gen apologizes. He's kind of weak in the knees from kissing Carmen, and now Fyodorov really is worried about him, since he has no idea that Gen's got the butterflies from successful romance, not signs of an oncoming flu. After all, Fyodorov is fond of the translator (not to mention needs his help) and doesn't want him to be sick.
- They go to talk to Roxane. Gen is obviously thinking about Carmen.
- Roxane is with Mr. Hosokawa in the kitchen getting a drink of water. At first, Fyodorov thinks he shouldn't interrupt and starts to talk himself out of it, but Gen is a bit distracted and Russian isn't his best language and he kind of moves Fyodorov along into conversation anyway.
- Gen says Fyodorov wishes to talk to Roxane about the music. Mr. Hosokawa excuses himself to play chess.
- Roxane says Mr. Hosokawa is a great man. Gen agrees.
- Roxane gets ready to listen to what Fyodorov has to say. She understandably thinks it will be just a few compliments about music.
- Fyodorov seems to think it's going to be a bigger deal than that. He has to sit down.
- Roxane thinks he's sick and gets a wet cloth for him. She's worried he might be diabetic like the accompanist. What's with all the hypochondriacs in here?
- Fyodorov wants to know what Roxane is saying, and Gen says she's asking what's wrong with Fyodorov.
- Fyodorov says to tell her it's love.
- Gen is puzzled. He asks, "Love?" (7.99)
- Gen wasn't expecting to have to translate a conversation about love. Awkward.
- Fyodorov insists that he should be able to say what he wants, and Gen decides that it's not a translator's job to limit what someone can say.
- Fyodorov launches into a speech, translated by Gen of course. Fyodorov talks about loving opera as a young man studying in St. Petersburg, about how he fell in love with beautiful things through a book of impressionist painting his grandmother treasured and protected, and about how he has cultivated an understanding of art ever since.
- Finally he gets around to telling Roxane that he loves her.
- She tells him that his story is beautiful and then tries to figure out how to respond to his declaration of love.
- He says she does not need to respond, that the love is a gift, that he wants nothing more from her than the beauty she has given him already in singing. Aw.
- Fyodorov is deeply relieved to have shared his feelings. He goes away satisfied.
- Roxane and Gen talk about translation and love, while Thibault and a few of the terrorists talk about food. They are in the kitchen, after all.
- When everyone else leaves, the young insurrectionist Cesar is alone, so he begins to sing a piece of Rossini he has learned by listening to Roxane. We find out that all the boys in the place are crazy about Roxane Coss (which isn't really news), but Cesar is also crazy about the opera itself. Belting those tunes really turns him on.