?
Well, that was it for her. This was her only chance for asylum; later today, while Kurz still had power to do so, she would be deported back to Eastern Haane; back not to the safe places but to those that remained under the control of the Assemblies; she, and thousands of her countrymen, over the next few weeks, would die, simply because she could not win this contest.
She had received the phone-call saying all this from that vampire a few hours ago; she had rushed to board a flight to Europolis, and now was there. She would have to return soon; her provisional alien's passport would expire soon. Vampire - a good word for describing that excuse of a man. He had promised her - promised her! - that she would not be deported if she were able to get at least one 12. But no, now he had changed his mind. She had no use to him, and thus would be expelled from the country.
She replayed that voice, that terrible voice, in her head. "Well, it's goodbye for you!" he had said so cheerfully. "Goodbye for you and all your friends!" He wanted them to die painfully; he did not care for them at all if they could not give him anything. And now - now they would die.
Die, die, die, die, die. Her thoughts were filled with the word, as she imagined the various ways she could die. Perhaps she would be eaten alive; perhaps she would be crucified; who knew?
She did not wear a costume; she had no time to put one on after the call.
She climbed onto the stage, ignoring the fight, ignoring those who were about to speak. Picking up a megaphone carelessly tossed aside by someone she had seen fleeing from the scene, she walked to the front of the stage, and spoke.
"This has," she said, tears welling, "been both an amazing and terrible Eurovoice. One has won; all others have lost. That was an inevitability. I am among those in the latter group, and I...and I accept that gracefully, for I am not a coward. Unlike these people behind me, who fight pettily, refusing to believe that their decision making was perfect, I admit my own flaws, admit my own failings, and attempt to improve."
She paused.
"But I cannot do so, for I am to die within a few hours. I failed here, and for that, I pay with my asylum and my life. In five hours, no longer will I be allowed to remain in Austria; I will be deported, along with hundreds of my countrymen, to Eastern Haane, dropped from high above the plains of its south, where the murderous Assemblies remain in power. Twelve hours from now, I expect that we all in the first batch of deportees will be dead. Eventually, the rest of us will all be deported to that place of evil, the rest of us in Austria, and we will certainly all die, simply because I was not able to captivate Europe. I am a terrible singer, a terrible musician - what else could I be if I was not even able to save my compatriots, my countrymen, from death? I must return now; the provisional passport that the Austrian government has lent me is soon to be revoked. Goodbye, Europe; goodbye forever."
Agnes ran from the stage, out of the chateau, and hailed a taxi to the airport. It was over for her, over forever. All that awaited her was pain and death.