It must, surely, be something to do with the way in which they planned to end their adversary: the Grand Duke’s Grand Finale.
Why explosives?
At the end of the corridor, sounds of a scuffle. Voices saying, ‘No, you don’t!’ More scuffle. The door of the Orderly Room banging shut. Period of silence.
Broken by the sound of something hitting the shutters of his window. A bird?
Again! What the hell was this? Couldn’t be a bird, not twice, not unless it was hell bent on suicide. Again! Bloody hell, someone was throwing things at his window!
He leaped up and threw open the shutters. There, in the yard below, was a small figure he dimly recognized.
‘Effendi! Effendi! You remember me? Sidi!’
Sidi?
‘From the docks! You remember?’
Orderlies came tearing round the corner.
‘Hold on! Wait a minute! Bring him to me!’
Voices again in the corridor.
‘It’s bloody amputation for you! We practise Sharia law here!’
A dishevelled Sidi appeared in the doorway.
‘Effendi, they would not let me speak to you!’
‘How the hell did you get here?’
‘The train, Effendi. I sat between the wheels.’
‘All the way? Christ!’
‘It was important, Effendi. My honour had been besmirched. Not that it was my fault, it was those dolts in the office. Worse than dolts: knaves!’
‘You came all the way here to see me?’
‘What else could I do, Effendi? I had to speak with you and it would not have been wise to ask the man to let me use that thing we used before. Besides, Effendi, with that thing words can be passed, but can piastres be passed? Not,’ said Sidi virtuously, ‘that we are talking of piastres. Not when my honour is concerned!’
‘How is your honour concerned?’
‘I had said I would watch over the box. True, it was only to myself that I had said it but I knew you would be expecting good things of me. Was it accident, I asked myself, that you had spoken to me? Sought my help in the first place? Heard my words? Treated me as a man with men and said I would receive the reward if I earned it? You had given me your trust, Effendi, and how had I rewarded it? By falling asleep at the crucial moment. And so the box was taken. You did not upbraid me, Effendi, but I upbraided myself.’
‘The fault was not yours.’
‘No, it was not. For whereas my fault was that of accident, theirs was the fault of design.’
‘How could that be?’
‘Because, Effendi, it was not through mischance that the box was released. A man came before and spoke to those in the office. And afterwards Abdulla Arbat went home and boasted of it, saying: “I have done a good deed this day and am the richer for it.” ’
‘How do you know this?’
‘Because Sayid Sarmani saw the man come and Ahmet Arja heard the words.’
‘Who is Sayid?’
‘A friend, Effendi, as is Ahmet. Sayid was sitting in the road when the man came and he saw him again when the box was taken. And Ahmet’s sister lives next door to Abdulla Arbat and he was with her when Abdulla came home. They were out in the yard and they heard Abdulla come and speak to his wife and say: “Bring me beer, for fortune has smiled on me.” And then he said that he had done a good deed and was the richer for it.’
‘So the sister heard too?’
‘Yes, though her word cannot be relied on as can that of a man.’
‘And what about the words of your two friends? Can they be relied on?’
‘Sayid speaks truthfully, Effendi, although, between us, he is never going to soar to the heights of donkey man. He is a little slow, Effendi, though willing. Ahmet, on the other hand, is no fool. He notices what he sees. When I am rich, Effendi, I might even consider employing Ahmet.’
‘And does he speak the truth?’
‘When he is among friends, Effendi.’
‘I will, I think, speak with this man, Abdulla.’
‘Do so, Effendi. You will find him a big bladder of wind. But he will tell you, I think, that a certain man came to him and gave him money that he might take the box away without the gate-man asking him questions.’
‘The gate-man, too, then, could have a story to tell?’
‘He will tell it, Effendi, only if he knows that it is useless to deny it.’
‘I will speak to Abdulla first, then. And thank you, Sidi, for all you have told me.’
‘Effendi, I know I do not merit the entire reward-’
‘But you merit some of it. And shall have it.’
‘I had hopes, Effendi, of buying a donkey.’
‘Hope, even of two,’ said Owen.
'Improper. The Orderly Room was shocked.
‘A woman,’ said Nikos, disapprovingly. ‘Alone,’ he added with emphasis.
Everyone knew that a woman should not speak for herself. If she had business to transact, it should be done through her nearest male relative; if there were no male relatives, then through a friend or a senior figure in the community. Where would we be if women took it upon themselves to urge their own causes? Things would fall apart and the centre would not hold.
On the other hand, this lady was plainly not for turning, at least, not turning away. After their experience with Sidi, the Orderly Room had lost a little confidence, and the issue was put to Nikos. Nikos was not at his best in anything to do with women. He was not especially against them, he was not particularly for them. He was puzzled, in fact, why they had been made. One thing was clear, however; they had been made second, and this was good enough excuse for Nikos not having got round to them yet. In office management, prioritization was all.
He would, therefore, have postponed the matter, and, indeed, gone on postponing it until the woman went away. She showed obstinate signs, however, of staying. Worse, she said that she was acquainted with the Mamur Zapt, which, if true, meant that the Mamur Zapt was acquainted with her. If, now, he denied her access, who knows through what disreputable route communication might be made? Better to have it here, where Nikos could keep a controlling eye on things.
‘A woman,’ said Nikos unwillingly. ‘Alone,’ he added, in a voice which indicated both the gravity of the situation and disapproval.
‘Show her in,’ said Owen, preoccupied with other things and therefore unaware of the heavy currents swirling about the office.
In came the woman, shapeless black from head to foot, heavily veiled with the double veil, the one that went up and the one that came down, covering head, shoulders and front almost down to the waist. Something might still be detected; height, for instance. The woman was taller than the usual Egyptian; in fact-?
‘Leave us.’
Katarina threw back the top over-veil.
‘How about the other one?’
Above the other veil, however, Katarina’s eyes did not respond.
He handed her to a chair, which she sank down on almost with relief.
‘What’s the trouble?’ he asked.
She didn’t reply at once. She just sat there looking at him, as if she was weighing him up.
‘Coffee?’
She shook her head.
He went across to the pitcher of water cooling in the window and passed her a glass. She took it but did not drink. She still seemed to be studying him.
He pulled up a chair opposite her, sat down and waited.
‘You were right,’ she said suddenly. ‘There are explosives.’
‘The ones that came in through Suez?’
She nodded.
‘They have been brought to Cairo.’
‘And are in the Der?’
‘Yes,’ she said, ‘they are in the Der.’
‘Do you know where?’
‘Yes,’ she said, ‘I know where.’
‘Can you show me?’
She did not reply at once. Owen did not press.