It would be helpful, though, to have some corroborative evidence. He asked the man about breaking into the stores. On this he was quite prepared to talk. Yes, he had come in one night and cut the hole. He described it so circumstantially as to put it beyond doubt that he had done it. Vague, as all fellahin, about dates, he was not able to specify the day. It had not been the same day as he had blown up the regulator. It would have been too much for one day.
He had hidden the dynamite for a night or two in a disused gadwal before taking it to the regulator and using it.
And his tool-kit?
Here Babikr needed no encouragement to talk. It had been stolen.
Stolen?
Yes, that very night. In the Gardens. While he was taking the dynamite to its hiding-place. It had been too much to carry both it and the tool-kit so he had hidden the tool-kit temporarily, intending to come back for it. When he had done so, he had been unable to find it. He had come back again the following morning, thinking he had just made a mistake about the place, and had looked for it thoroughly. In the end he had been forced to realize that somebody had taken it.
While I was there, Effendi, in the Gardens. In the Gardens! I tell you, Effendi, there are thieves everywhere!
There were, indeed, and Owen had a pretty good idea of one of them. He sent for the ghaffir.
The ghaffir denied it vehemently.
Would I do a thing like that, Effendi?
Almost certainly.
The ghaffir still denied it. Owen had his house searched. A small saw was found which Babikr identified as his. He asked after the rest of the tools. After some prevarication the ghaffir admitted he had sold them. Owen sent men to recover them.
The ghaffir changed tack.
He had done it, he said, only to punish the intruder.
You can leave punishment to me, said Owen, and detailed the consequences that would follow if he had any more trouble from the ghaffir.
So, said Owen, you were watching all the time?
Not all the time, said the ghaffir. The workman had already started when he got there. As he was coming through the trees, quietly, he had heard suspicious noises.
Then, Effendi, I crept. I feared there might be many, and I, but one. So I went forward with circumspection. And, lo, there was a man crouched at the back of the hut.
Crouched? Not lying down? I thought he had made a burrow?
No, no, that was the Lizard Man. He came later.
Did you see him?
No, no, Effendi. That would have been very unwise.
But you did see a man crouching?
Yes, Effendi. And I lay there and watched him. And after a while he stopped working and crawled through into the store to see that all was well for the Lizard Man. Then he came out and gathered his tools and took them and hid them in a gadwal. And then he went off into the trees.
Carrying something?
I could not see, Effendi. The night was dark. And I thought, I shall play a trick on him. To punish him. Yes, thats right. To punish him. So I stole forward and found the tools and took them away with me. Ho, ho, I thought, that will teach you a lesson!
Fair is fair, said Owen, and if you take mine, I take yours. Is that it?
The ghaffir looked at him, surprised.
Well, yes, Effendi. That was it, more or less.
And you did not think to seize the man?
Well, no, Effendi. He was bigger than I.
Were you not armed?
Ah, yes, Effendi. But so might he be.
Nor did you think of reporting it the next morning?
By then, Effendi, it was surely water under the bridge. And, besides, you had the tools?
Well-
And thought, no doubt, that was punishment enough? Exactly so, Effendi, agreed the ghaffir, relieved.
Owen had one last question.
You know the workmen; and you saw the man. Which of them was it?
After some hum-ing and haw-ing, the ghaffir identified Babikr.
Well, that clinches it, said Macrae.
Aye, said Ferguson despondently.
Yed never have thought it.
One of ours!
I still cant understand it. Why would he do a thing like that?
You think you know them, said Ferguson, shaking his head.
Well, you do know them, said Owen. You reckoned that if you put it to them, theyd come out with it. And you were right.
Aye. There is that.
Still, one of ours-!
What I cant understand, said Macrae, is how he could bring himself to do it. Youve met our men, he appealed to Owen, you can see what sort of men they are. Now, would they do a thing like that?
Well-
No more would he. At least, thats what I would have said.
Someone must have got at him, said Ferguson.
Aye. Thats what Im thinking. And do you know what more Im thinking? Im thinking that its not over yet. If they can turn one good man, they can turn another. They might try it again. I shant feel happy till I know whats behind this. He looked at Owen. I hope you werent thinking of stopping?
Chapter 5
McPhee stuck his head in at the door.
Im worried, Owen.
You are? About what, particularly?
The licentiousness.
Owen put his pencil down.
I dont know that we can do a lot about that, can we? he said cautiously.
McPhee came further into the room.
I do feel that we ought to make some effort to, well, contain it.
Im not sure-
You see, Owen, there will be mothers there. And children. Not to mention the Kadi.
Ah, youre talking about the Cut?
I am sure it must make him uncomfortable.
I dont know. Hes been opening it for centuries, hasnt he? I would have thought he was pretty used to it by now.
And then theres the Diplomatic Corps.
Licentiousness? Thats hardly likely to trouble them!
And think of the Consul-Generals wife!
Shes not involved, surely?
No, no. But she will see it. Thats the point. Its pretty unavoidable. I do feel people ought to be protected against immodesty, Owen.
Well, I You dont think she could just stay away? If it bothered her?
But, Owen, she goes every year!
Well, then Surely, that means-?
Owen! said McPhee severely. She goes out of a sense of duty!
Im sure, Im sure. Only-
Yes?
I dont see what I can do about it.
Couldnt you ban some of the more outrageous forms of behaviour?
Such as?
I really wouldnt like to specify, said McPhee, cheeks growing pink.
That makes it difficult.
I just feel, said McPhee earnestly, that something ought to be done. Before it is Too Late.
McPhee thinks I ought to ban immodest behaviour, said Owen, as he and the Consul-Generals Aide were leaning on the bar of the Sporting Club that lunchtime.
Certainly. Ill speak to the Diplomatic Corps about it.
No, no. He means in general.
Isnt that the Kadis business? Religion, morals and all that?
But hes going to be opening the ceremony!
Well, then, doesnt that suggest that he thinks it all right? I mean, his view of what constitutes immodesty might be different from that of a Scottish Presbyterian.
I think I shall go to the Cut this year, announced Zeinab. McPhee is worried about the immodesty of the proceedings.
Then I shall certainly be going, said Zeinab.
Yussef, Owens orderly, put the mug down and waited.
Yes?
Effendi, the whole office will be going.
Going? Where?
To the Cut.
All right, you can go.
Thank you, Effendi. It is not for me I ask, but for my wife.
You are taking her? Well, thats very nice.
Yes, Effendi. She believes it will make her fertile, you see.
Really?
A thought struck Owen.
Just a minute. I thought she was fertile? Havent I been giving you days off-? Let me see, how many of them? Five, six, seven-
But thats it, Effendi! It works, you see! ffm?)
All Cairo seemed to be quickening at the prospect of the festivities. More and more bunting was appearing in the streets around the canal. Along the river bank, boats were breaking out in flags. Enclosures for spectators, carpeted (on the enclosing fences, not the ground) were rising at both ends of the dam. Anxious overseers came twice a day to inspect the earthworks.
Fifteen and a half digits! cried the crier.
Gardeners were perpetually watering the maize on top of the Bride of the Nile and patting the cone into shape. The other Maiden, found beneath its base, seemed, fortunately, to have been forgotten.
There had been a telephone call for him in his absence.
From a woman, said Nikos.
This was remarkable. The telephone system in Cairo was still in its infancy and mostly confined to Government offices and businesses, in neither of which did women figure largely; indeed, at all.
Youre sure?
Of course Im sure! snapped Nikos testily.
The reason for the testiness was apparent when he revealed whom the call was from: Labiba Latifa. Nikos was not used to women; still less was he used to female steamrollers.
Owen rang her back.
Ah, the Mamur Zapt! So pleased! she said. I understand youre taking an interest in this poor girl?
No, said Owen hastily. No. Absolutely not!
Thats strange, she said. I understood that you were. She hesitated. But surely, she said, you were with Mahmoud el Zaki when-?
Coincidentally. Yes, coincidentally.
A fortunate coincidence, though. For if it were known that the Mamur Zapt was taking an interest-
Im afraid not. Not formally, that is. I am afraid that as Government officers we have to keep to our remits. And mine is the political.
But this is political.
Not in my sense of the word. Which is rather strictly defined.
The trouble is, said Labiba, that there is a danger of the case falling between stools. Stools which are over-strictly defined. I suspect that Mr el Zaki feels much as you do.
That is the problem, said Owen, when you talk to Government officers. Perhaps you should really be talking to politicians?
I always find it difficult to bring things home to them. Whereas when a Parquet lawyer is assigned a case, it is hard for him to deny that it is something to do with him.
I am sure that Mr el Zaki will do everything he can. Unfortunately, I, myself-
I understand that you were involved because of the connection with the Cut?
I dont think there is any connection. There was a risk at one time of one being wrongly made because of where the body was found but I think that risk has now diminished.
Actually, said Labiba, that is what I am ringing about.
Oh?
I think the risk has grown again.
Of course, there will always be ill-informed people who talk-
Not entirely ill-informed; the girls father.
He asked Mahmoud if he could go with him. It was Mahmouds case; but if there was any possibility of those stupid-and potentially troublesome-rumours about the Maiden reviving he meant to get in there and kill it off quick.