"In accordance with our regulations, and in presence of the members of the board," "I will read the article that specifies the punishment for those, like the accused, had comitted such a crime like this." "Article 27:" ""Whoever seriously betrays our high purposes, will be submit to the Only Punishment." "His body will be run through, in no vital spots, by as many stilettos as were necessary to finish with his life and wash away with the last drop of his blood, the huge affront inflicted to our organization"." "May the sentence be accomplished." "Your name?" "Oscar Fuentes." "The House Without Boundaries" "Dear mother," "I want to apologize I didn't write to you sooner." "But I didn't want to do it until I had more optimistic news about my future in the city, like now." "Finally I have good news, so I am writing to you, and please, think that this sacrifice of being separate, will have soon a good job for me as a reward." "Cheap guesthouse." "Are you looking for a guesthouse, sir?" "Central guesthouse." "Guesthouse?" "Central guesthouse." "I want to be honest with you, at first things weren't so good." "It is hard find any job, because there is a lot of people from the villages, as me, ready for anything." "A lot of people in this city." "First thing I did, as you told me before I left, was looking for a guesthouse." " Good morning, madam." " Good morning." "I've been told that you are renting a room." "Yes." "Please, come in." "This way." "This is the part of the house where I stay in." "Follow me." "To be honest, this neighborhood has a bad name, that's why the room is cheap." "But I assure you that this is a decent house." "This is the room." "Come in." "If you decide to stay, I'll do a little bit of cleaning." "It's been a while since I'm not renting it." "How do you like it?" " It's fine." "I stay." " Come on, I'll show you the rest." "Here's the bathroom." "The kitchen." "And this is the dining room." "Please, come in." "Mr. Eugenio." " I introduce you..." "Sorry, I didn't catch your name." "Daniel." "Daniel Marquez." " Eugenio Alonso, nice to meet you, young man." "Nice to meet you, sir." " Are you staying for a long time with us?" " I don't know yet." "Well, you know where you can find me, at my age and being retired ...it rejuvenates me being useful." " Thank you very much." " If you'll excuse me, I have to fix my things." "As I told you, here I am for anything you need." "I never go out, remember." "Finally I've rented that room." " Good morning, today's newspapers?" " I've ran out of them." "Here." " Take it." "I can cope without it." " Thank you very much." ""Earn interesting commissions." "Leaflet delivery job." "An easy well-paid job."" "Hey cutie, make a leaflet about us." "Why don't we make business together?" "My dear friend." " I see you don't remember me." " Oh yes you're the one who gave me that newspaper." "Indeed, and I'm not surprised, you see, meet each other again in a place like this." "I said to myself when I saw him the other day," ""He is an inveterate reader."" "And I was right." "Many years of experience between readers and books." " Are you going that way?" " Yes." "Are you a student?" "No, I'm not so lucky." "I've been working since I was a kid." "It's laudable your interest for developing yourself." " But you're not from here, aren't you?" "No." "I'm from a very little village, it doesn't even appear in maps." " I've been here for a month." " I see." " And your village wasn't big enough for you..." "No, not exactly." "I want to prosper." "Find a proper job." "In my village I had no future, and I decided to leave the same day I read the last book on the library." "Well, there are so many books here that you wouldn't be able to read them all." "Think about it, 1,627,204 books." "I won't, but I'm happy in the library because I like to read." " And do you have already a job?" "If I may ask." "Well... a proper job, I haven't." "A little occupation to barely making ends meet." "I like you, young man." "I like people with ambitions." "You see, I'm an influential man." "I have contacts, and maybe I can help you out." "I told you, I like you." "A chance encouter, going out of the library, gave me the opportunity of a probationary work which I accomplished, and apparently, they liked the work I did." "Now I'm waiting for a meeting, which probably will give me the proper and well-paid job that I've been dreaming for so many time." "And that's it, dear mother, I hope this good news makes you happy." "Now more than ever I appreciate the day I decided to leave the village and your understanding from that day on." "Kind regards." "Loves you." "Daniel." " Good morning." "I..." " We were expecting you." "Come on in." "Wait here, please." "Sorry for making you wait." "As I thought, they are really impressed by your previous works." "Come on." "This way." "Therefore I would say that we are very satisfied, and we expect this provisional balance would be possible." "The figures speak for themselves..." "The figures speak for themselves about the success in recruitment, especially if we consider, and we should, the difficulties we had having in mind the scrupulous rigour in the selection." "And now, gentlemen, we'll study the details of that balance." "Follow me." "The instructions." "Please." "Good bye." "Please." " Hello, sir." "What would you like?" " Hello." "Coffee with milk." "Here you are." "Miss Anabel Campos:" "21 years old, single." "1.65 meters tall, 58 kg." "0 RH+ blood type." "No infectious diseases." "She came to the city after family adversities in her village, with a business card to work as a florist's assistant." "Since the shop was next to the cemetery, her work was mainly related to it." "Hello, miss." "May I?" "Yes, sure." "Flowers are expensive, and I can't afford it." "I change them every day, so feel free." " Thank you very much." "God bless you." " Good bye." " Good morning." "To Raimundo Barclay" "Raimundo Barclay?" "There's been a mistake." "Sir, bathroom is that door." "I want to see the man who just got into and talk to him." " He left." " Where to?" "I don't know, it's not my business." "Hey, that door is private." "Clients go out that way." "All right." "Here." " Good afternoon." " Will you have the soup?" " No." "Thank you, Ms. Luisa, ...I want to take some rest." " Whatever you like, Mr. Daniel." "I'm sorry, miss." " You see..." " Tell me." "After many days of meeting you here," "I'm not an onlooker, God forbid, but naturally, I have noticed you." "You... and the lady who takes your flowers every day." "Today she is not coming." " She will never come back." " Is she dead?" "Yes." "Poor woman." "In a few minutes, she will be buried, and since she has no family ...I'm taking the liberty..." " I really appreciate it." "I'm coming with you, if you don't mind." "On the contrary, that's exactly what I was going to suggest you." "It's over there." " Beyond the Forgotten Cross." " All right." "Come on." "Here." "This is the reason for my diary visit." "My wife." "We were happy for 40 years." "When she died, I felt that my world fell apart." "We don't have kids, so everything became senseless." "I've become used to coming here, to staying next to her..." "To talk to her." "I really understand you." " Tell me miss, do you have anybody in here?" "Nobody." "It's part of my job." "I work as a florist's assistant and I have to take care of that grave, change its flowers every day... keep it clean." "I do it because I get paid for." "It's not a very appropiate job for a young lady like you." "Yes, I've thought about that more than once." "I don't want to seem indiscreet, excuse me if I do, but, wouldn't you like to quit this job?" "Get a job more suitable with your way of being, and even with your age?" "Yes, sure." "But when I came to this city I didn't know anybody, I couldn't choose." "I'm saying this because, you know, I'm an well-connected man and wouldn't be hard to find something... more suitable for you..." "There." "Mr. Daniel?" "Are you asleep?" "No, no, Ms. Luisa." "Come in." "You have to take this soup." "If you have to study, you have to eat too." " Are you Ok?" " Yes, thank you." "I really am." "If you need something, just let me know." "To Raimundo Barclay" "Hey, my friend!" "Something has fallen out of your hands." ""Mr. Barclay, no dedicate to the commanded action means a serious violation." "Turn away from the commitment is the highest sin, always worthy of the Only Punishment." "Give time its right value"." "Miss Campos, brought in the house by the outer precept, started to work for us occasionally." "Since her first works were very satisfactory, she was ordered to classify and update the artistic material which the house owns, as those artworks in possession, as those which are currently in museums and private colections." "Rembrandt, 1606-1669." ""Selfportrait", 52x62 cms." "Placed in Rijks Museum, Amsterdam." "Vincent van Gogh:" "1853-1890." ""The Starry Night"." "Proved her skills for that job she started to work in our headquarters, in a well-paid job, that depends directly on this secretary's office." "This is our job." "Under those roofs, around those chimneys, there is a world we want to improve." "That's why we give opportunities to the distinguished, those who form that select minority which has made it possible a civilisation" "whose defense remains in its own purification." "Maybe you're asking yourself why we only consider a minority." "The reason is simply because we need... efficiency, blind faith, courage..." "and spirit of sacrifice." "And for that, the weak, the indecisive, those who can't see more than their little mean interests, those who were born incapable of understand the exciting glory of our goals, don't serve." "Those are majority." "Don't belong to that group is a big fortune, I guarantee you that." "Here are the chosen ones." "A few ones from this city, along with others from other cities all around the world, are part of The House Without Boundaries." "Here are their names, personal information, and the most important thing, their letters patent." "Exciting, most of them." "They are here because they were capable and want to overtake the challenges planned to prove their mettle." "Someday you will be among them." "You just have to... trust me." "You... just... have to trust me." "Trust me." "Hello." "Did I scare you?" "Something's wrong?" "I bet something's wrong." "Everybody has noticed it seeing you with that papers, like if all this has nothing to do with you." "Nobody reads in here, not even the newspaper." "You are the most strange man in the neighborhood, but I like you." " How about a drink?" " Well, thank you." "Hey." "What are you thinking about?" "Nothing." " I've been told that that's impossible." " What?" "Not thinking about anything." "Are you in trouble?" "Like everybody else." "Can I help you?" "I don't think so." "It's my own trouble." "But it can be solved, right?" "I don't know, ...I'm afraid I've been wrong." " About what?" "About everything." "Still it could be fix." "Look at me, I haven't given up hope yet." "What hope?" "I don't know... fixing my life," "leave this." "Do you think I enjoy this?" "And I'm not talking about you." "Chin up, baby." "Change that ugly face." "Bad mood gets you old." "Don't you say anything?" "Daniel." "Daniel." ""Mr. Barclay, you have to assume responsibility." "When the House gave you the Miss Campos case, we put trust in your proven ability." "That is why we consider that if the solution is delayed is only because your lack of interest." "We do not want to set a compliance deadline." "However, we think that you have enough time until next Tuesday for finish your work." "If you do, you'll be rewarded in the terms you already know, but if you don't, we think that would be fair that you deserve the Only Punishment."" "The number subscriber you have called is not available." "If you want to leave a message, you have one minute after this recording stops." "Hello?" "Hello?" "Hello!" "You've found it." "I've been looking for it all day." "It's the last one for finish my jigsaw puzzle." "Thank you very much." "I really appreciate it." "This is my only entertainment." "Well, and music too." "One day the senior member of the chorus was found brutally murdered." "Miss Campos was suspected, not only because she was missing, at the same time the body was found, but because she had committed several serious offences against our organization." "Therefore, Miss Campos has to be found and hand over to The House Without Boundaries." "Hey, my friend." "Come with me." "How do you like it?" "Very nice." "I have to go." "I have something to do." "Good night." "Night." "And thanks again." "Any news, Mr. Barclay?" "No, I don't think so." "That means that Mr. Barclay is getting his work on the right track." "It's no surprise, being a man of so proven ability." "So, to what do we owe this pleasure?" "At this time of the night." "Maybe Mr. Barclay comes to tell us, "Mission accomplished"." "Maybe it is, isn't it?" "Maybe." "What's more, it surely will, because the Only Punishment expectation makes miracles." "Something else, Mr. Barclay?" "If doubt is inherently bad, it is worse when, as in this case, whoever falls in its clutches, has turned his back on knowing the truth." "This is the case of Raimundo Barclay, already condemned for eternity, victim of the doubt that consumes arrogant men." "He had an opportunity, an opportunity to be part of a courteous, but demanding task." " A task that..." " Daniel!" "Daniel!" "My son!" "Leave me alone!" "Leave me alone!" "I have to see him!" "He's my son!" "My son!" "You understand?" "Oh, Daniel!" "What've they done to you, son?" "No!" "Daniel, my son!" "Leave me alone!" "My son!" "My son Daniel!" "Daniel!" "Miss Anabel Campos came to the city with a business card to work as a florist's assistant in a shop next to the cemetery." "Hello madam." "Wasn't there a florist shop around here?" "Yes, it was." "When that place used to be a cemetery." "Thank you." "Good morning." " May I help you?" " I'm looking for a young lady." "It's very important to me." "I hardly know her, but..." "I know she used to work in a florist shop around here." "She was commanded to take care of a grave and replacing its flowers everyday." "Probably a special tomb." "Well, I don't see any special thing given that information." "What I do see special is that thing of replacing flowers everyday." "That way, neither the deceased nor his relatives enjoy the flowers." "I think I can help you out." "There are always eccentric people, maybe more than we think." "For the things you've told me, maybe it's the Arevalo family grave." "We made it in here." "Oh, here it is." "Beautiful, isn't it?" "One of our best works ever." "Yes indeed." "My father made this grave." "With his God-given hands." "Today nobody works like that." "Not that it matters with these orders we get for such monstrosities." "Yes." "The Arevalos, I'm sure." "They are odd enough to hire someone to keep the grave clean." "You see, the widow saw the beauty of the tomb and when she realized the cemetery was going to be closed, ...she ordered to move it stone by stone to her garden." "The Arevalos?" "Yes, I think so." "To me is enough." "If that is correct, ...you'd never know how useful you had been." " I'm glad, my friend." " At your service." " Thank you very much." " Good bye." " You're welcome." "Have a nice day." " Hello, sir." " Hello." " May I help you?" "I would like to speak with the lady of the house." " Have you got an appointment?" " No, but... would you tell her it's something very important?" "Follow me, please." "This way, sir." "Just a moment." " May I help you?" " I'm looking for a person." " Here?" " It's a young lady." "I've been told this young lady worked for you." "It's very urgent that I find her." " Her name is Anabel." "Anabel Campos." " I don't know her." " But, I believe..." " Young man, if I say I don't know any Miss Anabel Campos, you have to understand I don't know her." "I'm sorry, but I've been told she worked for you taking care of the family grave in the cemetery." "She replaced the flowers everyday." "That's her." "Yes." "She worked for me." "As you say, her job was taking care of the Arevalos tomb." "I do remember her." "She was a thin and ambitious girl from a coastal village, San Anton de la Ribera." "I have a good memory for names." "But her name wasn't Anabel Campos." "Her name was Lucia Alfaro." "Yes, that's her name." " Am I wrong, Claudio?" " You certainly not." "You see?" "Lucia Alfaro." "Her head was in the clouds." "She dared to reject my offer for another which dazzled her." "She was a rustic and mistrustful girl who lost the chance of a lifetime;" "work for me." " Isn't that true, Claudio?" " A great description, madam." "I am sorry, madam, but the thing is what really interests me is not your opinion about her, but to find her as soon as possible." " That's why I'm begging you..." " Young man, if I've taken the liberty to judge this young lady, a right judgement by the way, it was to help you, but I don't like your tone." "I don't like at all!" "Since I told you what you wanted to know, I'd appreciate it if you could leave." "Claudio, show the gentleman out." "Diego." "Come Diego, my son." "Come with us." "We're waiting for you." "Diego." "We're gathered here to see you." "Come Diego, my son." "Come with us." "We're waiting for you." "Don't be afraid." "Your mother has forgiven you, and she just wants to see you." "To see you, my son." "Just to see you." "Son!" "Son!" "You?" "Come in." " Are you leaving?" " Yes, I have to go." "Let me explain." "It's my fault." "I should have told you before, but..." "I didn't, fearing that you wouldn't rent the room." "One has to make a living, you know." "A few years ago a young man hanged himself in this room." "Nobody couldn't believe it, so cheerful he was..." "And just when he started to get lucky." "He was excited about his new job..." "That lady is his mother." "That incident left her deeply disturbed and I feel compassion for her." " Don't leave, Mr. Daniel." " I have to." "Believe me, it has nothing to do with what you're thinking." "I just have to make a trip for some days." "That's what I was going to tell you when I accidentally interrupted you before." "If you say so, I remain calm." "I trust I can rely on your discretion." "That poor mother..." " Thank you, and have a nice trip." " See you soon." "A ticket to San Anton de la Ribera on the next train that's leaving." ""It was late in the evening when K. arrived." "The village was deep in snow." "The Castle hill was hidden, veiled in mist and darkness..." "You have arrived at your destination." "...stood for a long time gazing into the illusory emptiness above him."" "Hello." "Oh, hello." "Excuse me, I was totally absorbed in the game." "As you see, I'm not in a good position." " Do you have any available room?" "I'd like to spend the night." "Sure." "At this time of year my inn is always empty." "Do you know by any chance Miss Lucia Alfaro?" "I must find her." "No, I don't know her." "Your room is upstairs." "First door on your right." "Thank you very much." "I would like a glass of water, please." "Of course." "Give me the jar." "Here you are." " Thank you." " You're welcome." " Good night." " Good morning." "Did you sleep well?" " Very well, thanks." " I'll prepare you some breakfast." " Thank you very much." "Oh, by the way, I've known something about that lady you're looking for." "She's been out for a while, and since her return she's been very reclusive." " Do you know where she lives?" "Yes, she lives in the other side of the village." " When you finish your breakfast, I'll show the way." "Tell me now, please." "Well, as you like." "Come with me." "Come." "This way." "That way." "Going along the port you'll find a narrow path." "She lives at the end of the path." "You can't get lost." "Thank you." "Miss Alfaro, I have to talk with you!" "Open the door!" "I know you're in there!" "I must see you." "Anabel..." "Anabel Campos." "My name is Lucia Alfaro." "You are here, finally." "I knew this would happen." " You tell me." " I've been looking for you." "That took longer than I thought it would," "I've even considered that you won't find me." "Anyway..." " Would you let me to get ready before we leave?" "Yes, of course." "I'm surprised that you've been chosen for this." "I was hoping to see a familiar face." "Sit down, please." "It'll be a moment." " I'm ready." " That's all you need?" "It's your first work, isn't it?" " There's something I'd like to know." " Tell me." "What they told you about what happened." "Somebody was killed." "You are the suspect." "Right... is the "valid" version." " And you think is true, that's why you are here." "So, you..." "If it were of any use I'd give you another version... a quite different version." "Shall we go?" "Wait!" "I want to know your version." "I need it." "Everything started before that killing." "It started with my first doubt, a little doubt, that became bigger as days pass by." "A doubt about the organization's running and goals." "This is our next target." "On 23, about 7:45 PM, he is going to arrive on the railway express." "According to our information he's a man of ideal conditions to develop a non first-class job in accordance with our standards." "I must tell you, gentlemen, we'll base again on his shyness the effectiveness of his work like we've been successfully doing until now." "He should pass the Initial Test." ""The Initial Test"." "It consisted in offer him a job in exchange of total submission." "They started by giving him a different name, that happened to me too, and ended up destroying him." "If I told you what they did to that poor man, you wouldn't believe me." "All that sounds familiar to me." " Please, continue." " I almost done." "One day I saw something I'll never forget..." "Gentlemen, here is the evidence of a huge serious double offence comitted by the senior member of the chorus." "The accused has the chance to defend himself, if he considers his imprudence can be defended at all." "The senior member of the chorus wrote this kind of diary, that would be the first sin, in which, and listen carefully, he dared to express his doubts about the wide and and generous role that we develop in The House Without Boundaries." "I've read his large handwritten, gentlemen, and I must tell you that its content, besides of having several inaccuracies of bad taste, is revisionist about our general situation." "In presence of all the members, I give the accused the chance to defend himself." "Do you have something to say?" "I believe, gentlemen, that his silence is an unequivocal proof of his responsability and the double seriousness of the offence." "File it away, Anabel." "This is a proof exclusively reserved to the Last Court." "You may go now." "Therefor I order the immediate reunion of the Last Court that will decide whether the accused is worthy of the Only Punishment." "I couldn't resist the temptation, and contravening Miss Elvira orders," "I started to read the diary of the senior member of the chorus." "I got scared when while reading the first pages" "I realized that many of his thoughts agreed with my doubts about the organization's goals and methods." "I ran scared to the station and took the first train I saw." "After a while" "I was here." "For the rest, until your arrival, you can imagine it." " So, if that is..." " Yes, that's what happened." "Run away!" "Run away." "I'll say I couldn't find you." "They probably know by now that you are here with me." "I can tell you are through the Initial Test." "Let's run away." "Let's run away together." "Where to?" "There is no safe place." "Nowhere." "Otherwise you wouldn't find me in here." "Think of a safe place, and then they'll come." "It's impossible." "No, we'd never be able to give them the slip." "Let's get out of here." "There has to be some chance." "That's what I thought once." "There isn't." "There has to." "It just remains for us to wait." "You don't say anything..." "I'm thinking." "Thinking in our situation." "Ours?" "No, not ours." "You have a chance... accomplish your mission;" "take me with you." "No." "I couldn't do it." "I couldn't." "Then you'll pass the test and your worries will be over." "At least the material ones." "I'm not afraid anymore." "I've been afraid for so many time." "Every time someone was knocking at my door I said," ""Here they are"." "And every time someone was wandering around the house, too." "And also when I was doing the shopping in the village." "Not anymore." "For the first time, I'm not afraid." "That light." "What light?" "That light moving onto the sea, ...I've seen it before." " Smugglers." "They used to smuggle goods, but since it's no longer profitable, now they pass emigrants clandestinely." "Mostly illegal inmigrants from Africa who want to work in Europe." "Are you sure?" "I'm not really aware." "That's what I heard of." "And what else do you know about that?" "Nothing." " I've prefered not to learn." " And those boats?" "Fishing boats." "Well-organised and experienced." "That boat will be back in port in a few days loaded of fish." "Apparently that's their job." " And you've never thought about..." " No." "No." "I don't know who's in charge of that." "And it's very dangerous." "They are men without scruples, people ready for anything." "Daniel, what are you thinking about?" "Good morning." " Is my bill ready?" " Right away." "I feel sorry to leave this place, I like the panorama." "I really miss the sea in the city." "Well, I'm next to the sea 24/7, so..." "One generally misses what is furthest away." "Yeah, I love the sea, but I'm really interested in this particular sea." "I don't see why." "Seas are mostly all the same." "Your bill." " All included?" " Yes." "What if I need some extra service?" "That would be another issue, my friend." "I'd like to leave this place." "I see." "You know what I mean?" "Yes, you want to leave, it's not my business." "I saw the light." "I saw it from upstairs and I know you answered it." "You're wrong, my friend." "I don't know what you're talking about." "Don't bother, I know everything and I must get out of here." "OK." "Alone?" "No." "It won't be cheap, my friend." "How much?" "How about a house next to the sea?" "It hurts me to think all this is switching hands." "There was no choice." "Let's go, Lucia." "You'll find the boat going that way." "Don't you forget something?" "Thank you." "Bye, my friends!" "Have a nice trip!" "Come this way." "Careful." "I feel sorry for leaving all this, I can't help it." "Think about what we'll get in return." "Careful." "Welcome aboard." "Article 27:" ""Whoever seriously betrays our high purposes, will be submit to the Only Punishment." "His body will be run through, in no vital spots, by as many stilettos as were necessary to finish with his life and wash away with the last drop of his blood, the huge affront inflicted to our organization"." "May the sentence be accomplished." "Your name?" "Lucia Alfaro." "Your name?" "Raimundo Barclay." "Dear son, your letter made me feel so happy, how wonderful is learn about your new job." "As you can imagine this filled me with satisfaction, even though it upset me at the same time because your brother has decided to move to the city too." "I tried to persuade him but the result was in vain." "I know what bothered me when we were arguing it was nothing but an old woman's fear of being alone." "He'll arrive next Friday." "Go and wait for him at the station and help him finding a job." "Let me know how things are going for both of you." "Take care, my son." "Loves you, your mum." "Maria."