I think I will mention my father to Nilofer and her mother, just in case the scoundrel arrives while I am away from the capital with General Halil. In a sober mood he can appear normal and even charming, but they must be on their guard.
I’m going now, Stone Woman. I’m surprised my visit was not wasted. I did reveal a secret and it was helpful. Nilofer will be pleased.’
SIXTEEN
The Committee for Union and Progress meets to discuss a conspiracy to overthrow the Sultan; the Baron unveils a spy; Nilofer would rather be an Ottoman than a Turk
WE HAD BECOME SO used to each other’s company over the last few weeks that it came as a slight shock when I first noticed the dust rising in the distance. The men on horseback heading in our direction were not unexpected. Halil and Selim had been awaiting their arrival with a mixture of excitement and anticipation. I rushed to inform them that their guests had been sighted and the three of us went to the front terrace to watch their arrival.
The coach contained two generals, one of whom was very short. The four young officers, one of them much younger than Selim, were on horseback. They jumped off as they ran and saluted Halil. Then my brother went down the stairs to receive his fellow generals. They saluted each other and laughed, but underneath it all even I, far removed from political intrigues, could detect the tension. Selim was introduced to the newcomers, though I observed that no names were mentioned. I led them into the house and then the dining room where breakfast was waiting to be served. Halil had insisted on total secrecy. Petrossian alone was entrusted to serve the meal. My brother did not want even the identity of the officers present to be known to anyone. The Baron and Memed were upset at being excluded, but accepted the decision with bad grace.
I, too, was about to leave when one of the officers, the youngest among them, stopped me.
“Is she your sister, General Halil?”
My brother nodded. “Yes and she is the wife of our new friend.”
“Is she on our side?” asked the same officer.
I looked him straight in the eyes. “I am.”
“Good,” he said in a deep and very serious voice. “Then you must stay. We want to end the situation where women are considered good only for the affairs of the heart or the home or, indeed, for purposes of procreation. We want them also to become experts in organising the affairs of the state. We want to stop encouraging them in the trivial activities they have invented to keep themselves busy while we work. The only reason my wife is not with us today is that her father is seriously ill. Are we agreed?”
The others smiled and nodded. How strange, I thought to myself, that this young man with a pleasant face and a thin moustache can speak with such authority in the presence of three generals. Where does this confidence come from?
The discussion during breakfast was deliberately low-key. They kept referring to the Committee. At first I thought it was the code-name for their leader, but it soon became clear that the Committee was a secret society to which they all belonged. I was angry that Selim had not mentioned it to me before and since the young officer had made such a fuss when he insisted on my presence I felt that my voice should be heard again.
“Excuse me, gentlemen, but what is the Committee?”
The young officer looked at Selim and Halil in disbelief. “Neither of you has told her?”
Both men became sheepish and avoided my eye.
“The Committee, madame,” said the officer, “is the name of the largest secret society ever created in the entire history of this Empire. It is the Committee of Union and Progress to which we all belong. It is secret, but they know we exist and their spies are everywhere. It is not restricted to soldiers, though we form the largest component within its ranks. There are many writers and officials who are members. Some of our best people operate from Paris and Salonika. Namik Kemal, whose play Vatan you may have seen or read, is one of our inspirers. After today, if you agree with our aims, we shall invite you to join the Committee. My wife is a very active member in Istanbul. She teaches at the Galatsaray lycée and is organising other like-minded women.”
I told them I was honoured to be considered and they would have an answer from me by the evening. It was the older of the two generals who replied in a voice so soft and feminine that I seriously wondered whether he had been accidentally castrated. Unlike his colleague, he was not one of nature’s more imposing generals. He was short, clean-shaven and possessed a paunch whose size attracted attention. Because he was different from the other officers, I took a liking to him, but something must have gone wrong at some stage in his life. He spoke in the squeaky voice of a young girl and the effect was frankly disconcerting. I found it extremely difficult to maintain a serious face while he spoke.
“We are delighted to have made your acquaintance. We must now retire to discuss certain logistical details in case there is an unforeseen emergency and we have to take action without the luxury of widespread consultation with other members. Unfortunately this discussion is exclusively for officers, but we shall be finished after lunch and would be delighted if you joined us in the afternoon.”
I smiled and left the room. Outside in the garden I heaved a sigh of relief, sat down on the bench and began to laugh. I had been so taken with the morning that I had not noticed Uncle Memed comfortably seated on his favourite armchair underneath the walnut tree. He had been absorbed in a book and had initially frowned at the disturbance created by my laughter, but smiled when he saw that it was me. I was summoned with an imperious gesture of his forefinger. The Baron, who was never too far away from Uncle Memed, emerged from the other side of the tree, adjusting his pince-nez.
“Share your joke with Favourite Uncle.”
I explained why I was laughing and Memed, who had an infectious giggle, joined in as well, which made me laugh even more. I looked at the Baron, fully expecting a brief lecture on the human voice and the conditions that caused it to change or not to change, but he had suddenly become very distracted and thoughtful.
“Baron?” asked Memed, worried by his friend’s demeanour.
“An awful thought crossed my mind on hearing Nilofer’s story, but it is of no consequence. Now, young lady, are you aware that your children have been taken sailing by Salman?”
“No. He never asked my permission. Neither of them can swim.”
“They won’t need to. Just look at the sea. It is so calm today. I have been watching them through my binoculars and they all seem perfectly happy. Here, you have a look.”
I borrowed the binoculars and walked to the bottom of the garden for a better view. It was as he said. They were not far from the shore, the sea appeared benign and all was well. None the less I felt nervous at the thought of them out at sea in my absence. I had never thought of death before Dmitri was murdered. Now I am often worried. What if I die? Who will take care of them and love them as I do? Sometimes I have dreams of anxiety in which the children are in danger and I am unable to reach them in time. These dreams are so powerful that I always wake up and rush to their bedchambers to make sure they are safely asleep.