Bel Canto

October turns into November, and still the stand-off continues. The police ceased their sirens and their bullhorn messages. The group inside the Vice Presidential mansion continues to carve out a life, separate from the rest of the world. Ruben frets about the overgrown garden, while Father Arguedas relishes what he sees as his indispensable role as spiritual advisor. He feels blessed that the terrorists allow him to pray and to conduct ad hoc masses.

The relationship between Roxanne and Mr. Hosokawa blossoms into love, as does the relationship between Gen and Carmen. Carmen continues to impress upon Gen that this place, the mansion wherein they are held hostage, is a place of beauty, of comfort, and of happiness. He begins to believe her, as his infatuation with her grows.

Meanwhile, the Russian Fyodorov asked Gen to translate a message to Roxanne. He wants to declare his love for her. He tells her a long story about his school days in Russia, how he and his friends—the ones who are with him here in the mansion—would always attend the opera. He then backtracks and tells a family story: his grandmother had a book of art history, Masters of the Impressionist Period, that she would peruse with her grandchildren regularly.