‘You are well?’
‘Thanks be to God!’ Sorgos responded automatically.
‘And your granddaughter?’
‘Well, too,’ Sorgos beamed. ‘A beautiful girl, isn’t she? And healthy, too. There should be no problem about babies.’ His face clouded. ‘Only she’ll have to get started soon. If she is going to have five.’
‘Five?’
‘That’s what she should be going for. Now, if she had five, and they were all girls, and then each of them had five- why, our problems would be solved in no time at all!’
‘I’m not sure you can bank on-’
‘Girls are the key, you see. If you want to preserve the language. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about this. Language is imbibed with a mother’s milk. Men are not so important. Of course, it’s a good thing if they have the language, too, but it’s not absolutely essential.’
‘Perhaps not.’
‘Let’s face it, there was always a lot of intermarrying among the tribes.’
‘Yes, you mentioned the other day that your own wife’s father-’
‘Just so. The trouble is, the Russians wiped the other tribes out too. About the time that they slaughtered us. So now we have to go further afield.’
The old man looked at Owen hopefully.
‘Well, yes, perhaps, um…The Russians have a lot to answer for, don’t they?’
‘And now is the time when they are going to start answering!’ said Sorgos enthusiastically.
‘Yes, well, I’m not sure-in fact, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.’
‘Going well,’ Sorgos assured him.
‘Going well?’
‘Yes. Fine young men. Plenty of energy. They get on and do things.’
‘What sort of things?’
‘Assassinating Grand Dukes, for instance.’
This was not quite what Owen wanted to hear.
‘Are you sure about this?’
‘Oh, quite sure. I was talking it over with them yesterday. Our preparations are well advanced. One or two things still to do, a lot of problem over the-But it will be solved. No, you don’t need to worry. We’ll be ready when the time comes.’
‘I was hoping,’ said Owen, ‘that you might be having second thoughts.’
‘Second thoughts?’
‘After the conversation we had the other day.’
‘Well, um-what was it exactly that you said?’
‘You are not in the Caucasus now. You are in a country to which you owe obligations.’
‘Oh, we’re not thinking of a general massacre. Just the Grand Duke.’
‘It could have international repercussions.’
‘You think so?’ said Sorgos, pleased.
‘I certainly do.’
Sorgos almost rubbed his hands.
‘Well, that is excellent!’ he said.
‘You won’t think it so excellent when it rebounds on you.’
‘Why should it rebound on us?’
‘Do you think Egypt is going to be very pleased?’
‘Well…Egypt!’
‘Yes, Egypt. A country which has been very generous to you.’
‘England will look after Egypt,’ said Sorgos confidently. ‘Indeed’-his face lit up-‘it might turn out to be a very good thing. If we could only provoke a quarrel between England and Russia-! Now, that really would be something! The Grand Duke dead and war as well!’
‘Can we start by getting up to date on the security position?’ said Paul. ‘Mamur Zapt?’
They were in the committee room again, the one with the trapped flies. But were they the same flies, wondered Owen? Weren’t flies supposed to breed quickly and die quickly? Maybe these were the grandchildren of the ones he’d seen the other day. Quick succession of generations. Sorgos would be interested in this.
‘Mamur Zapt?’ repeated Paul reprovingly.
‘Nothing to report.’
‘Nothing?’
‘Out of the ordinary.’
‘No stirrings?’
‘The usual.’
It was extraordinarily hot in the room.
‘Nothing pertaining to the Grand Duke?’
‘I am keeping some people under observation.’
‘The Mingrelians?’ hazarded the Army major who had been at the meeting the other day.
‘Among others.’
‘I think this is unsatisfactory,’ said Shearer. ‘The Mamur Zapt is not being very informative. I can understand his desire to keep intelligence to himself, but we are, surely, a privileged group.’
‘Who exactly are the Mingrelians?’ asked someone new to the group.
‘Troublemakers,’ said Shearer.
‘Damned difficult lot,’ said the major.
‘Could drench the city in blood,’ said Paul, perking up at the prospect of leading the Army astray.
‘My God!’ said the newcomer, impressed.
‘That’s why I’m keeping them under observation,’ said Owen helpfully.
‘Glad you are. But, um, who-who exactly are they?’
‘Slopes of the Caucasus,’ said Paul.
‘Caucasus?’ Shearer sat up. ‘Don’t like the sound of that. Have their links with Russia been explored, sir?’
‘Working on it,’ said Owen.
‘It’s not so much links,’ said Paul. ‘More old enmities. What we’re worried about is that some of these may have been carried over to Egypt and may resurface during the Grand Duke’s visit.’
‘Ah!’ said Shearer, leaning forward. ‘But is that what we ought to be worried about? I must confess, gentlemen, that I had not appreciated up till now that the Mingrelians and the Russians were neighbours. That makes a big difference.’
‘Does it?’ said Paul.
‘Well, yes, it does. I think we should approach this strategically, gentlemen, and ask what is the Grand Duke’s interest in coming to Egypt.’
‘Well, it’s the opera-’
‘No, no. no. You misunderstand me. I mean, what is Russia’s interest in the Grand Duke’s visit?’
‘Pretty minimal, I would say.’
‘No. No. Its strategic interest. From a military point of view.’ Shearer looked round the room. ‘Perhaps I can help, gentlemen? Bear in mind the location of the Caucasus.’
‘The Caucasus? Not too sure,’ said the major. ‘Up there somewhere?’
‘Think of India,’ said Shearer, ‘and think of the North West Frontier!’
‘It’s nowhere near the North West Frontier!’ said Paul. ‘It’s the other side of the Caspian Sea!’
‘It borders on Persia,’ said Owen.
‘Exactly!’ Shearer turned to him. ‘This is where strategic sense is important. Up till now we’ve assumed that any threat to India would come from the North. That’s where we’ve put our troops. Up on the North West Frontier. But suppose it didn’t come from the North. Suppose it came from the West!’
‘Persia?’
Shearer nodded.
‘Outflanked!’ breathed the major. ‘Good God!’
‘You can see how serious it is,’ said Shearer.
‘No,’ said Paul. ‘Nor what it has to do with the Grand Duke’s visit.’
‘The connection,’ said Shearer, ‘is Suez. Our main route to India. Cut that and you sever our supply lines.’
‘I’m not sure the Grand Duke will be able to do that on his own,’ said Owen.
‘Of course not!’ said Shearer, annoyed. ‘Let me take you back to my original question: What is the Grand Duke doing here? What has he really come for?
‘Well, what has he come for?’ asked Paul.
‘To do a deal,’ said Shearer triumphantly. ‘A deal with the Khedive. And one that will be in Russia’s interests, not ours, I can assure you!’
‘Cut the supply lines,’ said the major, ‘and then strike!’
‘Where we least expect it,’ said Shearer.
Paul toyed with his pencil.
‘You don’t see any, well, difficulties with this suggestion?’ he said. ‘Like having to cross high mountains in winter and then having to cross a neutral country? All before we’ve noticed it?’
‘Don’t underestimate the advantages of surprise!’ said Shearer.
‘Surprising, it would certainly be. Well, thank you, Captain Shearer, for your strategic appraisal. I will certainly see it receives the attention it deserves.’
‘Thank you, sir.’
‘Meanwhile, perhaps we should return to the point of the present meeting.’
Shearer leaned forward.
‘Excuse me, sir, but there is a connection.’