Michael Pearce - The Fig Tree Murder

What she had in mind, she said, was returning to the house of her brothers. They would be without a woman in the house now that her sister had gone with Ali into the caracol.

Ah, said Owen, but her sister would soon return. And would not her brothers do exactly the same as the men of her husband’s family and take the money from her?

They would, she said; and therefore what she wanted was for Owen to keep the money for her and pay her a little each month which would go towards the general housekeeping. The rest would then be there should she and her children need it.

Owen said he thought he could do this and they spent some time discussing how the monthly payment might be made. She said the best thing might be for her to come to his office each month to collect it. Owen asked her how she proposed to travel to the city each time. It was, he knew, a big step for her. Indeed, it transpired that today was the first time she had actually been to the city. She had come on a cart. The lift had been arranged for her by the barber and some of Ibrahim’s friends in Matariya. She thought that perhaps she could do the same again.

Owen said that she didn’t have to come all the way to his office to collect the money. The payment could be made through the local mamur’s office in Heliopolis.

Leila was silent for a moment or two. Then she said that she would prefer to come to the city as the local mamur was too much under the influence of the Pasha’s son:

‘And Malik has had too much to do with this business already.’

‘In what way?’

Leila was silent now for quite some time. Eventually she said:

‘He spoke to Ali.’

‘Spoke to Ali?’

‘My sister told me. He came over to the house one day and said he wanted to speak to Ali. They spoke for a long time. And afterwards Ali came back to the house and said: “Well, that is settled then.”

‘And my sister asked what was it that was settled?

‘And Ali said it was no business of hers. And then he laughed and said that for once the Pasha’s interests and his were the same. And then he thought, then looked at her, and said that perhaps it was her business after all.

‘She asked him what he meant and he said that she would find out soon enough. And then he would say no more.’

Owen thought for a moment.

‘This was when? After Ibrahim and the Pasha’s son had had hot words?’

‘Yes. That kind of thing should not be,’ said Leila bitterly. ‘A Pasha and one of his villagers quarrelling over a slut! I said that to Ibrahim and he spoke to me roughly. So then I said it to my brothers. “A Pasha should not do such things,” I said. “A Pasha can do what he likes,” said Ali, “for he does it with his own. It is your husband that is at fault.” Then I was silent, for I knew I would only make things worse between Ibrahim and my brother. Besides, I knew that Ali would take the Pasha’s side.’

‘Why would he do that?’

‘He was one of the Pasha’s men.’

‘One of his villagers?’

‘Not just that. He had done things for Malik. In the city. Along with others. And now they were all going to Heliopolis to work for him again!’

‘Has Ali ever spoken to you the name Roukoz?’

‘Yes.’ Leila hesitated. ‘But that was more in the past. He speaks a different name now.’

‘What is that name?’

Leila looked him in the face.

‘That of the local mamur,’ she said.

Owen had decided that the time had come to go riding. The following morning he rose early, as usual, borrowed a horse from the barracks at Abbasiya, and rode on out of the city in the direction of Heliopolis. This early in the morning riding was possible. Later, the heat would come up like a furnace and both man and horse would flinch. Out in the desert, which in those days began just out of town, the temperature would rise sharply. Only people used to it, like Zaghlul, would care to ride in the middle of the day.

But very early in the morning, when the sun was only just coming up, and the desert still had the freshness of the night, riding was not only possible but delightful. Owen, who had not ridden for some time, now wondered why he hadn’t.

He put the horse into a gallop. It sniffed the air and responded strongly. The sun was still low in the sky, still retaining some of the redness, and their shadow stretched out forever across the sand.

There was no one else about. Over to his right he could see fields, but no villagers had yet come out to work in them. There, too, sharp against the sky, was the obelisk and somewhere over there would be the Tree.

He pressed on towards Heliopolis; and then suddenly he saw, away in the desert to the left of him, over towards the river, a solitary figure on a horse. It changed direction and came towards him.

While it was still some way away he saw that it wore jodhpurs, a sun helmet and, incongruously, a veil.

‘Hello!’ said Amina.

They began to ride along together.

‘I wondered when you would come.’

‘I would have come before but I’ve been rather preoccupied-’

‘At five thirty in the morning?’

‘Yes,’ he said.

‘With your fine lady?’

‘With work. My day starts early.’

‘And it is work that brings you here this morning?’

He smiled.

‘Perhaps,’ he said.

‘Well, that is disappointing. Perhaps I shall go for a ride on my own.’

She galloped off. He followed her.

After a while she stopped.

‘That is a relief!’ she said. ‘I was afraid for a moment you were not going to follow. At least you’ve been faithful so far. Or perhaps it is merely preoccupation with work?’

‘That, too. I wanted to ask you something.’

‘What do I get if I tell you?’

‘What do you want?’

‘You.’

‘I’m afraid-’ he began.

She nodded, accepting.

‘You for a bit, then.’

‘Well-’

It was not until later, fortunately, that he remembered how old she was, or, rather, wasn’t. Then he reproved himself and rolled away.

Amina, too, however, had her preoccupations.

‘I wish I was taller,’ she said gloomily.

‘What?’ said Owen, startled.

‘Like her.’

‘Like-?’

‘Your girlfriend. I saw her in the shop. She’s Nuri Pasha’s daughter, isn’t she?’

‘Yes. But tallness doesn’t come into it.’

‘I’m getting taller,’ said Amina. ‘It’s just that it’s taking a bit of time.’

‘I wouldn’t worry about that.’

‘No,’ said Amina, ‘it’s other things, isn’t it?’

‘The problem is,’ said Owen, ‘I’m faithful to her, too.’

‘I know,’ said Amina. ‘Faithful everywhere. How difficult it must be!’

‘You haven’t hit it yet. It’s like getting tall.’

‘The fact is,’ said Amina, ‘I’m practising being unfaithful first.’

‘Why are you practising being unfaithful?’

‘Because if I ever marry Malik,’ said Amina grimly, ‘I’m going to be unfaithful all the time!’

‘It might not come to that. Pashas’ sons don’t usually marry mamurs’ daughters. Besides, whatever Malik might say, I don’t think he intends-’

‘It’s not him,’ said Amina. ‘It’s my father.’

‘I know he wants to marry you well, but-’

‘No, no. He knows something about Malik. Malik has to go along with him.’

‘I wonder if it’s the same thing as I know about Malik?’

Amina sighed.

‘All right,’ she said. ‘I knew we would have to get round to it. What was it that you wanted to know?’

‘The Racing Club at Heliopolis: what do you know about it?’

‘It’s controlled by a group of big men. The racing is only part of it. They’re hoping to make the city a gambling centre in general. Casinos everywhere. The aim is to cater for the really rich. There are Pashas’ palaces all round Heliopolis but it’s not only them. They’re looking further afield, abroad, even. They want people to come to Heliopolis just for the gambling. The racing is merely a sideshow, really, but it just happens to be the first part that’s up and working.’