‘And they are not pursuing it as zealously as they might? My dear fellow, you don’t have to say a word.’ He took Owen by the arm, as Arabs always did when they wished to move towards intimacy, and drew him close. ‘ Entre nous, the Khedive is most unhappy. Dragging their feet, he said; that’s what they’re doing! And, of course, that’s just what they are doing. Nationalists to a man.’
‘Minister, you’re not suggesting that they could be acting in concert with the Party in the House on this matter?’
‘I’m not suggesting anything. But we do have our suspicions. There have been rumours of a big Nationalist move. And it could involve the railway.’
‘Why would that make it big?’
‘Funds, my boy, it’s all to do with funds. Funds from abroad requiring a return on investment, funds for the government-a budget balance, my dear boy, you can’t believe how important that is, to some people, anyway. Funds for the Khedive, although naturally that is a minor consideration. All put in jeopardy if the railway is delayed. Big? My dear fellow, I can’t say how important it is!’
‘Important enough to kill for?’
‘You don’t need to go that far. Arrest will do. Just something to show that action has been taken.’
‘No, no, I wasn’t thinking-I meant on the Nationalist side. Important enough for them to kill for?’
‘Kill? My dear fellow!’
‘I just wondered-’
‘Kill! What can you be thinking of! Our colleagues, the Nationalists? My dear fellow! We’re not savages, you know. We leave killing to the English.’
El-Sayid Ahmad withdrew his arm and turned away. Raoul appeared with a salver on which were several tumblers of whisky.
‘I’ll have one of those,’ said Garvin, standing nearby. He reached out a hand. ‘What was he on about?’ he said to Owen.
‘The railway; he wants me to hurry it along.’
‘Best keep out of it. That’s my advice. Have nothing to do with business. Not in Egypt. Or anywhere else, for that matter. Cheers!’
‘Cheers! I wish I could. But you can’t keep money out of things.’
Garvin peered out of the window.
‘Hello!’ he said. ‘Isn’t that some of my old friends?’
He was looking at a group of singularly rough, tough, battered and scarred individuals.
‘Where do they come from?’ asked Owen.
‘Helwan. I’ve seen them on the racetrack there!’
Garvin had an unrivalled knowledge of all the gangs.
‘What are they doing here?’
‘I don’t know. I’d better find out.’
They were talking to a man in a suit.
‘Who’s that?’
‘One of the stewards, I think,’ said Owen.
‘Already?’ said Garvin. ‘I’ll have to have a word with the managers.’
‘Don’t do that,’ said Owen. ‘Not just yet.’
Garvin moved away to talk to one of the Ministers. Owen decided he had been neglecting Zeinab.
‘She’s over there,’ said Zeinab.
‘Who is?’
Away in a corner Salah-el-Din’s daughter was surrounded by a ring of Pashas.
‘They’re even older than you are,’ said Zeinab.
Owen at last realized what was bothering her.
‘I prefer experience,’ he said.
‘She’s got plenty of that.’
‘I doubt it.’
‘You’re really stupid,’ said Zeinab.
Malik went up to join the group.
‘He made me an offer to exchange you for a Circassian,’ said Owen.
‘Did you accept?’
Nuri, who had been one of the ring of Pashas, detached himself and came across to them, puffing with pleasure.
‘Charming girl!’ he said. ‘I like them fresh.’
Zeinab went off in a huff. Nuri looked after her in bewilderment, then, as Owen was about to set out in pursuit, laid a hand on his arm.
‘My dear boy,’ he said; ‘a word with you!’
‘Yes?’ said Owen, edging after Zeinab.
‘Don’t do it!’
Owen stopped, surprised.
‘Not even for her! Believe me, I know what I’m talking about. There was a time-I cared just as passionately as you. And there was this other man. Well, I said to her-it was Zeinab’s mother, you know-you can have him. If you like cold meat! I meant it, too, you know. I would have killed him. Or perhaps I did kill him? I can’t remember now, it was so long ago. Anyway, it brought us back together again. Passionate women like passion. You English are too-wait a minute, where was I? No, no, I meant it the other way round! My boy,’ said Nuri impressively, ‘you must not kill him!’
‘Kill who?’ asked Owen, totally confused.
‘Malik.’
‘Why not?’ demanded Zeinab, drawn back.
‘Because he’s betrothed, or nearly betrothed, to that charming girl. Abu Hanafi was telling me. His father objects, of course, but-’
‘Is that why you wanted to kill him?’ said Zeinab dangerously.
‘I don’t want to kill anyone!’ protested Owen.
‘He let it slip,’ said Nuri, ‘when he was talking to el-Sayid Ahmad. El-Sayid Ahmad was shocked. “These English!” he said. “They will fall upon you like beasts!” “It’s only instinct,” I said. “He’s young and passionate. I was just the same. He’s not going to let another man step in, is he?” “Yes, but to go so far as to kill him!” said el-Sayid Ahmad. “It is a bit far,” I conceded. So I said I would have a word with you.’
‘Was it when he offered to exchange me for a Circassian?’ said Zeinab fondly.
‘Whisky, sir?’ said the waiter, going past.
‘A double, please,’ said Owen.
‘There is a problem about the Tree,’ said McPhee worriedly.
‘Tree?’
‘The Tree of the Virgin. The French want to take possession of it.’
‘Just a minute,’ said Owen; ‘the French? What the hell’s it got to do with them?’
‘It was given to the Empress Eugenie by the Khedive when she came for the opening of the Suez Canal.’
‘Yes, I know, but-’
‘Along with the Gezira Palace Hotel.’
‘They don’t want the hotel as well, do they?’
‘They haven’t said so. It seems it’s just the Tree they want. Because of the Roman Catholic connections.’
‘ Roman Catholic?’
‘It’s the balsam, you see.’
‘I thought you told me it was a sycamore? Or a fig?’
‘No, no, it’s the shrubs nearby. They’re balsam-’
‘Where that old goatherd was?’
‘Yes. They used to provide the balsam for nearly all the baptismal services in Egypt. Every Catholic child!’
‘Let’s get this straight,’ said Owen, who was feeling fragile this morning anyway and was still trying to digest everything that had happened to him at the reception. ‘They want the Tree because of the balsam shrubs nearby?’
‘They’d like the shrubs, of course. But, strictly speaking, it was only the Tree of the Virgin that was given them. I think you could make a stand on that.’
‘I’m not making a stand on anything. Certainly not on a bloody tree!’
‘I do think you ought to consult Diplomatic, Owen. The request comes from the Quai d’Orsay.’
‘In Paris? How the hell did they get to know about it?’
‘I think’-McPhee lowered his voice, not wishing to speak ill, or, at least, ill loudly of anybody-‘I think it may have got to them through the Syndicate. The Belgians-or, at least, some of them-are RCs, too, you know.’
‘But why-?’
‘Well, if the Tree was gone, you know, it would be, well, gone. Out of the way. Didn’t you tell me it was in the way of the new railway?’
‘Yes, but-you don’t mean they’d take it away to France?’
‘Well, why not? After all, we’ve taken Cleopatra’s Needle to London.’
‘Yes, but that’s a-I mean, this is a tree! It’s even dead. Do they know it’s dead? It’s fallen down.’
‘That makes it easier to take it away. All they have to do is lift it on to a lorry. In any case, Owen, I don’t think you should assume too readily that it’s dead. I’m sure I saw green shoots. And, even if it were dead, Owen, that’s not the important thing.’
‘No?’
‘No. The thing is, it has symbolic life. It’s very important to RCs, Owen. The Young Mother is said to have rested in its shade. Then she took the Child, hot and weary from the journey, down to the well and bathed it; and instantly the water became fresh and clean. I must say, I do think that is a point we have to consider. I mean, the water is strikingly fresh and clean and all the other wells round there are rather salty. How is that to be explained?’