Where did you find him, he had complained afterwards to Paul.
His name was suggested by the Baron.
Baron?
The one were sucking up to this afternoon, silly!
Consulate tennis parties were rarely without political purposes. The Baron was the wealthy Belgian behind the Heliopolis Syndicate. Wealthy financiers who took an interest in Egypt were much to be encouraged.
A week or two later Owen had been invited to make up a doubles at the Sporting Club. The invitation had come from Raoul, a Belgian he had met at the tennis party and who was something to do with the Syndicate, and the other two were Paul and Salah-el-Din. It was then that Salah had issued his own invitation to Owen.
Come over, he had said, and you can see how its all developing. The tennis courts should be ready by next week-theyre building a big new Sporting Park. Why dont you come and christen them?
Why not, indeed? And Owen had been on his way the day before when he had been so annoyingly diverted.
He made his apologies.
Not at all, my dear fellow! cried Salah-el-Din, leading him through the garden and up on to the verandah, where a jug of lemonade was waiting. It was all very nearly rather nasty, I gather?
Not so much nasty as irritating, said Raoul, already sitting at the table. We lost a whole day! Actually, he said, correcting himself, it could have got nasty. We have the Mamur Zapt to thank that it didnt.
He gave a polite half-bow in Owens direction.
What was it all about? asked the other member of the party carelessly. He was, Owen gathered, the son of a Pasha.
Trouble between the labourers and the villagers, said Salah-el-Din.
The Pashas son sat up.
Villagers? he said. Have they been making a nuisance of themselves?
He probably thought the villagers belonged to him. Which, until recently, they may well have done.
No, no, said Raoul. Its our own men.
Actually, said Owen, it was a body on the line.
They could have moved it, though, couldnt they? said Raoul, turning to him. From what I gather, that was at the root of the trouble. If theyd let them take the body away there wouldnt have been any bother!
They were thinking of legal requirements, I believe, said Owen.
They were thinking of how they could get the day off!
Put a body on the line? said the Pashas son.
No, no, I wouldnt go so far as that. But make the most of it when there was a body on the line.
Theyre up to all sorts of tricks, said the Pashas son.
Well, I wouldnt put it past them. Weve been having some real problems with them lately. Thats where were hoping youll help us, he said to Owen.
I dont reckon to intervene in labour disputes, said Owen.
What do you do? asked the Pashas son. Ive often wondered.
I handle political things.
But this is political! said Raoul. There are some agitators whove got amongst them and we want you to root them out.
The employers always think there are agitators, said Owen. There seldom are.
The employers always think there are agitators, said Owen. There seldom are.
There are this time! declared Raoul. We can identify them.
We-ell-
Oh, I know what youre thinking. But we can prove it. There have been meetings between them and known Nationalists.
Even if there have, said Owen, that doesnt constitute a crime. Nor, actually, does agitation.
Raoul looked disappointed.
I must say I was hoping youd take a different line. This development is very important to us. And to the country.
Damned right! said the Pashas son.
Weve spoken to your boss, the Consul-General-
I work for the Khedive, said Owen.
We know all about that. As I say, weve spoken to the Consul-General-
Government in Egypt was a thing of shadows. The formal ruler of Egypt was the Khedive and he had a government which answered to him. But since the British Army had stepped in, thirty years ago, to assist him to put down a rebellion, and then stayed, behind every Minister was a British Adviser and behind the Khedive was the British Consul-General himself. Government was a thing of shadows; but which was the substance and which was the shadow?
Yes, said Owen, so I gather.
Well, then-
Ill look into it.
Thank you, said the Belgian, relieved. Thats all we ask.
However, I must repeat: I dont reckon to involve myself in labour disputes.
Were not asking you to look into the labour side-
Ill bet, thought Owen.
Its the Nationalist connection that worries us.
The Nationalist Party is usually in favour of development.
Ah, yes, but its not in favour of foreigners doing the developing.
True.
The fact is, Captain Owen-Gareth, may I call you-?
Please.
The fact is, were not against Nationalism. Far from it. But weve been aware for some time that someone is trying to stop this development. And weve got a pretty good idea who it is.
I hope youre going to put something stronger in this lemonade, complained the Pashas son.
Salah laughed.
After weve played!
He clapped his hands and a young girl came out on to the verandah.
Some more lemonade, my dear.
She bowed her head submissively and picked up the jug.
The Pashas son watched her depart.
Whos that? he said.
My daughter.
Owen was astounded. In all the years he had been in Egypt he had never been allowed to see a hosts womenfolk.
We try to bring her up in the modern way-having lived in Europe, you know.
Damned good idea! said the Pashas son, eyes lingering.
Owen reckoned she was all of fourteen.
She returned with a fresh jug.
Fill me up! commanded the Pashas son, holding out his glass.
The girl walked straight past him and filled Owens glass.
Amina- began Salah-el-Din.
Dont take it out on her, said the Pashas son. I like a bit of spirit.
Owen caught the girls eye as she went past. Fourteen she might be, but submissive she was not. In fact, from the look she had given him, he was having doubts about the fourteen.
I still dont like it, complained Owen. I dont reckon its my job. It sounds like a straight labour dispute to me.
Probably is, Paul agreed. All the same, the Old Man would like you to take an interest.
Its not political.
Listen, said Paul, if someone as rich as the Baron asks the Old Man to do him a favour, then it is political.
So you didnt go there? said McPhee, disappointed.
Well, no, Im afraid not, said Owen guiltily.
A pity. You were so close to it. And its a site of considerable religious interest, you know. The Virgin and Child are said to have rested under the tree on their flight into Egypt. In fact, according to some chronicles, Mary hid herself from Herods soldiers in its branches. There is a tradition that a spider spun its web over the entrance to her hiding place so as to conceal her.
Really?
Interesting, isnt it? Echoes of both Robert Bruce and the spider and of King Charles in the oak! Extraordinary!
Fascinating! Well, I must go, I can hear the phone in my office-
It was from someone on the staff of the Khedive.
We understand youre taking an interest in the progress of the new electric railway?
A certain interest, yes.
Quite a lot of interest, we hope. His Royal Highness is very concerned that the line is not advancing as rapidly as had been anticipated.
Im sure that the contractors will soon be on top of any problems.
Technical ones, yes; but what about the political ones?
Political ones?
The attempt by certain people to use the Heliopolis project as an occasion to advance their own narrow Nationalist interests.
In what way?
By seeing that the project is never completed. His Highness has asked me to emphasize that he regards the success of the project as a matter of honour, both his own, and the countrys.
I see.
Good. His Highness hoped that you would.
Owen had hardly put the phone down before it was ringing again. This time it was Muhammed Rabbiki, a veteran member of the National Assembly and an important figure in the Nationalist Party.
Ah, Captain Owen, a word with you. We understand that youre taking an interest in this sad affair at Matariya?
A limited interest, yes.
But why limited? Important issues are at stake.
Are there? All I know is that a mans body has been found on the line, and that, of course, is a matter chiefly for the Parquet.
Oh, Captain Owen, Im sure you know more than that! How did the body come to be on the line? Who put it there? And for what reason?
All these are, as I say, questions for the Parquet. My concerns are restricted to the political.
But, Captain Owen, what if the answers to these questions are political?
How could they be?
Suppose the body were a plant? Designed to have a certain effect?
What sort of effect?
I am sure I have no need to tell you, Captain Owen. But one thing I can say with confidence, that it certainly is not intended to be in the interests of the workers, neither the workers on the Heliopolis project nor workers in general in Egypt.
Arent you making too much of this, Mr Rabbiki?
The politician chuckled hoarsely.
Im just making sure that you dont make too little of it, Captain Owen. And in order to make quite sure, I shall put down a question in the Assembly from time to time. We shall all be following your progress with great interest, Captain Owen.
McPhee stuck his head in at the door.
About the Tree, Owen-
Look, thanks, Ive got something else on my mind just at the moment.
But its to do with the business at Matariya.
McPhee came worriedly into the room.
Apparently, theres been a development. Theres a rather difficult religious sheikh in the village, it seems-
Yes. Ive met him.
Well, hes bringing the Tree into it.
Hes what?
Bringing the Tree into it. Its a Christian site, you see, of particular interest to Copts, but not just Copts, Catholics too. The balsam-
What the hells the Tree got to do with it?
Well, he says its not just an accident that the man was killed at that particular spot. Its within the zone of influence of the Tree, and-
So, its become an issue between Muslims and Christians? said Paul.
Thats right. As well.
Paul took another drink. Then he put down his glass.
Political enough for you yet? he said maliciously.
First, Im going to arrest the bloody Tree, said Owen.
When Owen got out of the train, the ordinary steam-train this time, at Matariya Station, he could see ahead of him the broad white track which led to Heliopolis. Away on the skyline were half-finished houses and men busy on a large construction of some sort: the new hotel, he supposed.