U-Mata Hari (uMargaret Gertrude Zelle) ungumdansa odumile, indlovukazi ye-burlesque, uphawu lwezocansi lwekhulu lama-20 leminyaka, inhloli kanye nomama obulalayo. Zonke lezi ziqu zithathwa njengowesifazane ojwayelekile ongafuni ukuhlala impilo engcolile, ukukhulisa izingane nepulazi, wayefuna ukuqashelwa, imali enkulu, abathandi bezithakazelo futhi wakwazi ukunqoba iYurophu ngemidanso yakhe emnandi ngaleso sikhathi.
Ngakho-ke, inkanyezi yesikhathi esizayo yazalwa enqabeni evamile yasekhaya yaseDutch. Le ntombazane yafunda kahle esikoleni, kodwa ukufunda kwakhe isikhathi kwaphela kwaba nesithakazelo. UMala wakhula, impilo emndenini yaqala ukumcindezela futhi yabulala ukunakekelwa komndeni okhathazekile, intombazane yanquma ukuzimela, isetshenziswe ngendlela eqinisekisiwe yomshado (ephephandabeni wathola isimemezelo sokuthi umphathi webutho lamaDashi, uRudolf McLeod, ufuna umlingani wokuphila futhi kakade ngo-1895 wamshada eneminyaka engu-18).
Umfazi osemusha nomyeni wakhe baya esiqhingini saseJava e-Indonesia (ngaleso sikhathi lesi siqhingi sasiyinkolo yaseNetherlands). Ekuqaleni, intombazane encane yayithanda impilo yomndeni, kodwa ngokushesha yamcasuka. Phakathi nomshado wakhe, uMatekisi wayekuthanda ukuhamba nomyeni wakhe ukuba abe yizinduna zezwe futhi adlale ngaphambi kwezilaleli ezihloniphekile, umyeni wakhe, ngokwemvelo, akazange akuthande kakhulu futhi ngenxa yalokho, lo mbhangqwana usuvele uhlukanisile ngo-1903.
U-Hari washiya ingane yakhe kumyeni wakhe, futhi ngaphandle kwemali kanye nemfundo waya ekunqobeni iParis. UMaha wahlukanisa nomyeni wakhe, ngoba wamshaya, waphuza futhi wasola zonke izinkinga zakhe.
I-Paris yekhulu lokuqala leminyaka lamashumi amabili laliyithanda iMpumalanga nayo yonke into ehlobene nayo. U-Adventurer Hari uzimisele ukwenza umsebenzi wokudansa, ngoba phakathi nomshado wakhe wafunda izingoma zase-Indonesian futhi wayethanda. Ngemuva kokubuka inombolo yomdanso ka-Isadora Duncan, udansa owaziwayo ngaleso sikhathi, u-Hari wanikezela ukuthi esikhathini esizayo uzokwenza ukudansa isinkwa.
Kungakapheli iminyaka emibili, ukhokhwa yi-beau monde yonke yaseParis. Ngemiqondo yakhe wahamba ezindaweni eziningi zeshashalazi eYurophu. Ukusebenza kwakhe kwaqala ngokudansa, futhi kwaphela nge-striptease, ngakho-ke akumangalisi ukuthi emazweni aseYurophu ayenayo izidakamizwa zakhe zithandwa kakhulu, ngoba bambalwa abadlali abadutshulwa esiteji.
U-Mata wayengowesifazane onengqondo, ngoba ngaphambi kokuba aqale ukukhuluma, wakhetha isidlaliso esishaqisayo, amanga amahlebezi angacacile ngaye, futhi wacabanga ukuklanywa kwesiteji nezembatho azenzile kuzo. U-Hari wayenesayizi esincane sebele, ngakho-ke ngesikhathi sokusebenza wayengamtshelanga lutho, kodwa wamfihla ngaphansi kwezihlobiso.
Mata Mata bathandwa amadoda, futhi bamkhulekela. Washintsha abathandi abafana namagilavu, wabuzwa ngezipho ezazifanele imali enhle, ngenxa yalokho babulawa, kodwa wayengenasithakazelo ngoba wayethanda abantu abahlukahlukene. I-Hari evulekile yathatha imali kumadoda ngezinsizakalo zabo eziseduze. Kamuva, lapho ehlolwa icala, wavuma ukuthi ungummeleli okhokhelwa kakhulu, kodwa hhayi inhloli.
Amadoda acebile anomtshisekelo njengabazingeli banesithakazelo kwi-trophies, futhi ezimweni eziningi lo wesifazane uqobo wayebheke oxhumana naye nendoda eyamthanda futhi ubuhlobo bakhe bukhula kuphela ngokuvumelana nesimo sakhe. Uhlu lwabathandekayo lwazo lwaluhlanganisa lonke i-French elite, kanye nabaningi bamabhange kanye namazwe angaphandle.
U-Mata Hari yi-courtesan ebiza kakhulu futhi efunwa kakhulu, naphezu kwakhe kude nemikhawulo yemodeli yesikhathi sakhe. Njengoba sibona, akazange abeswele amadoda ayemcela ngemali nezipho, kodwa wayemthanda ukuhlala emakhadini okunethezeka nokudlala, ngakho-ke nakuba ayephethe imali eningi, wayevame ukulahlekelwa futhi abolekise, ngakho lo wesifazane wayehlale efuna imali.
Phakathi neMpi Yezwe Yokuqala, wasebenza njenge-espionage (kusukela ngesikhathi sokulwa ayengakwazi ukunikeza izethulo futhi umsebenzi wakhe wokudansa waphela, kodwa la madoda aqhubeka enesithakazelo kulo wesifazane), wakwazi ukusebenza ngokushesha ukuthola ukuhlonishwa okubili (isiFulentshi nesiJalimane). Lapho iMpi Yezwe Yasekuqaleni iqala, uMata Hari wayesevakashele eJalimane futhi akazange akwazi ukubuyela eParis. Lapha wabona ukuthi akakwazanga ukuhola ukudansa futhi waqala ukufuna ezinye izindlela zokuthola. Ngalesi sikhathi, u-Hari wabuye wavuselela ubudlelwane nomuntu owayemthanda isikhathi eside, umbutho wezempi waseRussia uVadim Maslov, walwa neFrance. Ngokushesha udansa wancuma ukuvakashela uMaslov, owayelele engozini esibhedlela, kodwa ukuze ambone, udinga ukupishwa kwezempi okukhishwe yi-French intelligence.
U-intelligence waseFrance usekude ukusola ukuthi lo wesifazane ongobuqhawe kanye nephasi elikhishiwe walandelwa ukubhekwa. Noma kunjalo, uMat akazange abonakale e-espionage kanti izikhulu ze-intelligence zaseFrance zammema lo wesifazane ukuba adle isidlo sakusihlwa, lapho ecela khona ukuba aqale imisebenzi yobuphekula eFrance. U-Hari uvumile futhi wabuza izinsizakalo zakhe ama-francs ayizigidi, kodwa wanikezwa ama-25 000 kuphela e-Agent eyaziwa yiJalimane eFrance.
Hamba izandla phezu kwenhloli eyodwa futhi ngokushesha ushiye iMadrid. ISpain ngaleso sikhathi yayingahlangani hlangothi futhi amazwe amaningi ayeqhuba imisebenzi yabo yobuqhawe kuyo. Njengoba engazange athole imiyalo eqondile evela ku-intelligence yesiJalimane noma yaseFrance, waqala ngokuhlukile ukuze anikeze ulwazi oluyimfihlakalo kumazwe womabili, waluthola kubathandi bakhe baseSpain abaphezulu, abawaziwa, babekhona ezinhlangothini ezimbili eziphikisanayo.
Ukuphazamiseka komsebenzi wakhe wezinhloli eMadrid kwaba ukuthi amaJalimane namaFulentshi amnika ulwazi ngokungaziwa ulwazi olwakwaziwa wonke umuntu. Ngenxa yalokho, amaJalimane namaFrance baqala ukufuna indlela yokususa inhloli engenamsebenzi.
Ebusika ngo-1917 uMataha ubuyela eParis, kodwa wabe eseboshwa futhi eqala ukwahlulela, egxeke ukuhlola isitha saseJalimane. Ekuqaleni akavumelani nokuthi ukhokhiswa, kodwa kamuva wavuma ukuthi wayeke wathatha imali enhloli yaseJalimane, ephikisana ngokuthi wayengenalo okwanele koboya.
Umshini weFrance, owawujwayele ukudubula udansa, waqala ukuxuba igama ngokungcola emaphepheni achithekile. Inkantolo igwebe u-Mata Hari ukuba abulawe, futhi akekho okhulumela abakwa-high-ranking lover owammelela. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi umlingani wakhe-lover wazama kangakanani, u-Hari akazange akhululwe. Ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe, wabhalela umyeni wakhe nendodakazi yakhe izincwadi ezimbili, kodwa azange azifinyelele, futhi zonke izincwadi zakhe zadluliselwa ejele lasejele. Ngo-Okthoba 15, wadutshulwa. Umzimba wedansa awuceliwe yiziphi izihlobo, ngakho esikhathini esizayo wawusetshenziselwa izinhloso ze-anatomical.
Ngemuva kokufa kwakhe iminyaka engaphezu kweyishumi, izingxabano ngokuthi ngabe uyishloli empeleni azizange ziphume futhi ngasekupheleni kweminyaka ka-1930 ukuthi i-intelligence yaseJalimane yamemezela ngokusemthethweni ukuthi uMata Hari uye waqashwa ngo-1915 futhi wathola ukuqeqeshwa okufushane okufanele. Kuvela ukuthi ngesikhathi esisodwa wayesebenza ekutholeni ukuhlonishwa futhi waba yisisulu semidlalo yobuqhawe yamandla amabili amakhulu, ngoba idatha ayitholile yayingenanzuzo encane.