Children of Gebelaawi (25 page)

- Can you two quarrel while they imprison us in our

homes?

Digger pointed accusi ngly.

- He stole a sweet potato from a basin by my window.

Triptoe bellowed:

- Did you catch me steali ng? Shame on you, Digger.

Gebel shouted angrily:

- Let's have pity on each other so that God in Heaven will

have pity on us.

But Digger said:

- My potato is in his stomach, and I'm going to get it out.

Triptoe spoke as he put his cap back on his head:

- God ! I haven't tasted sweet potatoes for a week.

- You 're th e only thief in this house.

Gebel said:

- Don 't condemn wi thout proof, as Thudclub does.

Digger shou ted:

- This son of a pi ckpocket must be punished.

Triptoe yelled:

- Digger, you son of a radish-merchan t!

Digger leapt at Triptoe and punched him. Triptoe staggered, and the blood ran from his forehead, but Digger went on hitting him, ignoring the reproaches of the bystanders, till

Gebel was enraged and jumped in to grab him by scruff of the

neck. Try as he wou ld, Digger could not free h imself from

Gebel's grip, and he said in a choked voice:

- Do you want to kill me as you killed Qidra?

Gebel pushed him away hard, so that he was thrown against

the wall, and stared at him furiously. The others looked from

one to the other, wonderi ng whether it was really Gebel who

had killed Qidra. Du mpling embraced him and Mulehead

shouted:

- Bless you! You're the best of Hamdaan 's people.

Gebel said to Digger resentfu lly:

133

Children of Gebelaawi

- I only killed him to defend you.

Digger said quietly:

- But you enjoyed killing.

Dumpling shouted:

- What ingrati tude, Digger; you ought to be ashamed of

yourself. (Then, taking Gebel by the arm:) You can be my

guest. Come, leader of Hamdaan's people.

Gebel allowed Dumpling to lead him, but he felt that the

abyss that had opened before him that day was bottomless. He

whispered a question in his ear as they went along together:

- Is there any way to escape?

- Are you afraid somebody will betray you to our enemies?

- Digger is a fool.

- Yes, but he's not a traitor.

- I'm afraid they may suspect you more because of me.

Dumpling said:

- I ' ll show you the way to escape if you want, but where will

you make for?

- The desert is wider than you think!

3 3 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Gebel's escape was possible only towards the end of the

night. He crossed from roof to roofin the sti llness as everyone

slept, till he found hi mself in Gemalia. He walked through the

pitch darkness towards Derrasa, then i n to the desert, making

for the rock of Hind and Qadri. When he found it by the feeble

starlight he could no longer fight off sleep, for he had been

awake all night and was very tired. He threw himself down on

the sand, wrapped in his cloak, and fell asleep.

He opened his eyes as the first rays of dawn struck the top of

the rock. He gut up at once, so as to reach the Jebel before

134

Gebel

anyone started movi ng about in the desert. But before he set

off his eyes were drawn to the spot where he had buried Qidra.

His limbs trembled and he gazed at it till his mouth was dry;

then he fled, feeling miserable. He had only killed a criminal,

but he was like a hunted man as he fled from the grave. He said

to himself: 'We were not made for killing, even if they kill more

of us than we can count. ' He was amazed that the place he had

chosen to sleep in was the very spot where he had buried his

victim. He felt that his desire to escape had redoubled and that

he must part for ever both from those he loved and from those

he hated - his mother, Hamdaan, the strongmen .. .

H e reached the foot o f Jebel Muqattam, overcome with

grief and loneliness. Nevertheless he went on sou thward till he

reached Muqattam Bazaar at mid-morning. He took a long

look at the desert behind him and said with relief: ' Now I'm far

away from them ! ' l-Ie turned to examine the marketplace i n

front of him, hemmed i n by narrow Alleys, filled with a tumult

of chattering men and braying donkeys.

By all the signs a sain t's day was being celebrated. The

market place was crowded wi th sightseers, vendors, seers,

dervishes and performers, although the real commotion of

the festival would nol begi n before sunset. His eye wandered

over the sea ofjosLii ng people, and at the edge of the desert he

noticed a hut built of flattened cans, round which were placed

wooden chairs. It seemed in spite of its poverty to be the best

cafe in the place and to have the most customers, and he made

for an empty chair and sat down, badly needing rest. The

owner came over to him, taking a great interest in his appearance, which marked him off from the other customers - his fine cloak, his large turban and his expensive red pumps.

Gebel ordered Lea and settled down to enjoy watching people.

IL was nol long before his ear was caught by the row that was

ragi ng round a public pump. He saw people crowding round

it to fill their water jars. The turmoil was like a battle, with much

violence and many victims. The noise grew louder and curses

135

Children of Gebelaawi

flew, and there were piercing shrieks from two girls hemmed

i n by the crowd. They retreated to save themselves, and

escaped from the battlefield with empty cans. They wore

brightly colored dresses that hung down to their ankles so that

only their youthful faces could be seen.

His gaze passed quickly over the shorter of the two then

fixed on the other, who had dark eyes. They came over to an

empty space near to where he sat and he detected a family

likeness between them, though the one who attracted him had

a greater share of beauty. Gebel said to himself excitedly:

'What wonderful beauty; I never saw anyone like her in our

Alley. ' They stood tidying their hair, which had been disarranged, and putting their head-scarves on again. Then they u p-ended their cans and sat on them. The short girl said

p lain tively:

- How can we fill our cans with this crowd?

The beauty sai d:

- This festival is terrible. Now our father will be getting

impatient.

Gebel joi ned qui te naturally in their conversation.

- Why didn't he come hi mself to fill the cans?

They turned towards him resen tfully, but his distinguished

appearance had a reassuring effect, and the beauty contented

herself with saying:

- What's that to do with you? Did we complain to you?

Gebel was very happy to be spoken to by her and said

apologetically:

- I mean t, a man would be more able to push through the

crowds.

- This is our work; he has a hard enough job of his own.

He smiled.

- What does your father do?

- It's none of your business.

Gebel rose, not cari ng about the eyes that stared at him. He

stood in front of them and said politely:

136

Gebel

- I'll fill the cans for you.

The one who attracted him turned her face away as she said:

- We don 't need any help from you.

But the short one said:

- Thank you very much, please do!

She stood up, pulli ng the other girl to her feet, and Gebel

took the cans, one in each hand, and used his great strength

to force his way through the crowd, elbowing people aside and

meeting a lot of resistance, ti ll he reached the pump, behind

which the water-seller sat in his wooden kiosk. He paid him a

couple of milliemes, filled the cans and brought them back to

where the girls stood. He was upset to find them i nvolved i n a

slanging match wi th some youths who had been pestering

them. He put down the cans on the ground and rounded

defiantly on the youths. One of them came at him, but Gebel

butted him i n the chest, knocking him down. They banded

together to hit back, cursing and swearing, bu t an unfamiliar

voice shouted:

- Get away, you wretches!

All eyes turned to see an elderly man, short and stocky, wi th

flashing eyes and a belt round hisjellaba. The youths shouted

in confusion 'Balqecti ! ' and scattered fast, giving Gebel angry

looks. The girls turned to the man , and the shorter one said:

- It's difficult today because of the festival and these louts.

Balqeeti answered, studying Gebel:

- I remembered the festival because you were late, so I

came - and just in time ! (Then, to Gebel: ) And you are a

gentleman. There aren't many these days.

- It was just a small service. It doesn't deserve any thanks.

Meanwhile the girls had picked up their cans and set off

silently. Gebel longed to feast his eyes on the beau ty, but he did

not dare look away from Balqeeti 's sharp eyes. He imagined

this man cou ld see deep inside h im, and he was afraid he wou ld

read his secret desires, but the man said:

- You defended them agai nst those villains. What a good

137

Children of Gebelaawi

fellow! Those youths! How dare they pester Balqeeti 's daughters! It's the ale! Did you notice they were drunk?

Gebel shook his head, and the other man went on:

- I have a nose like a genie. Never mind! Do you know me?

- No, sir; I have not had the honor.

- So you're not from this neighborhood?

- Far from it!

- I am Balqeeti, the conjurer.

Gebel's face lit up with sudden recollection.

- I'm honored. Many people in our Alley know you.

- Which alley is that?

- Gebelaawi Alley.

Balqeeti raised his thin white eyebrows and said in a musical

voice:

- I'm pleased and honored. Who hasn ' t heard ofGebelaawi,

Founder of the Trust, or of your Strongman, Thudclub? Have

you come for the festival, Mr. .. ?

- Gebel. (Then, shrewdly: ) I've come to look for a new

home.

- You 've left your Alley?

- Yes!

Balqeeti studied him still more closely, then said:

-As long as there are strongmen there will be outcasts! But

tell me, was it a man or a woman you killed?

Gebel's heart pou nded, and he said firmly:

- That's a bad joke to come from a good man !

Balqeeti laughed a toothless laugh and said:

- You aren't one of the rabble the strongmen playwith, and

you aren ' t a thief. A man like you only leaves his alley because

of murder.

- I told you ...

- My dear sir, it doesn't worry me specially that you're a

murderer, now that you've proved you're a gentleman. There

isn't a man here who hasn't stolen or plundered or killed. So

138

Gebel

that you 'll believe me, I i nvite you to have a cup of coffee and

a puff or two in my house.

Gebel's hopes revived and he said:

- Wi th the greatest of pleasure.

They went along side by side, making their way through the

bazaar towards an alley at the top. Whe n they had left the

crowds behind, Balqeeti said:

- Was there anybody in particular you were aiming to see

around here?

- I don 't know anybody.

- And you have nowhere to go?

- Nowhere.

- Be my guest, if you like, till you find somewhere.

Gebel's heart danced.with joy and he said:

- How ki nd you are, Mr. Balqee ti !

The man laughed and said:

- Don't be too impressed; my house has room for plenty of

snakes, how could it not have room for a man? Are you alarmed

by what I say? I'm a snake-charmer. You ' ll learn from me how

to get on with snakes.

They went up the alley and out towards the desert, on the

edge of which Gebel saw a li ttle house, a considerable way from

the rest. Its walls were of bare stone, but it looked new

compared with the houses of the dilapidated alley. Balqeeti

pointed to it and said proudly:

- The house of Balqeeti the conjurer!

3 4 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

When they reached the house, Balqeeti said:

- I chose this isolated place for my house because people

think a conjurer is just a great big snake.

139

Children of Gebelaawi

They wen t together into a fairly long corridor with a door at

the end and one on each side, all closed. Balqeeti went on,

pointi ng to the end door:

- In that room are the tools of my trade, both living and

non-living. Don't be afraid ! The door is securely locked. I

assure you snakes are safer to mix with than many people, the

ones you 've run away from for example ! (He laughed a long,

toothless laugh and went on: ) People are afraid of snakes; even

the strongmen are afraid of them, but I owe them my living and

than ks to them I built this house. (He pointed to the room on

the right. ) My daughters sleep here. Their mother died a while