Naguib Mahfouz: The Thief and the Dogs

After some minutes he found himself at the last row of graves in front of a familiar scene; the northern entrance to the cemetery, connecting with Najm al-Din Street, which he recognized, and in that, the only building on it, was Nur's flat. He located the window. It was open and light was streaming out. He focussed his gaze on it and saw a woman through the window. The features of her head were indistinct, but the shape of the head reminded him of Nur. His heart pumped hard at the thought. Had Nur returned then? Or were his eyes deceiving him now, as his emotions had done before?

The fact that he had become so completely deceived foretold the end was near. If that were Nur, he told himself, all he wanted was for her to care for Sana, if his time indeed had come. He decided to shout to her disregarding the danger, to tell her what he wanted, but before a sound could emerge from his mouth he heard dogs beginning to bark in the distance, and the barking went on breaking the silence like a series of explosive shots.

Said started back in fright, darting in again between the tombs while the barking grew louder. He pressed his back against a tomb and took out his gun, staring out into the darkness resignedly. There it was. The dogs had come at last and there was no hope left. The scoundrels were safe, if only for a while. His life had made its last utterance, saying that it had all been in vain.

It was impossible to tell precisely where the barking came from; it was carried in on the air from all around. It was hopeless now to think of fleeing from the dark by running away into the dark. The scoundrels had indeed got away with it; his life was a proven failure. The barking and the commotion were very close now and soon, Said knew, all the malice and revengefulness he'd been running from would be breathed right into his face. He held his gun poised as the barking grew ever louder and closer. And suddenly there was blinding light over the whole area. He shut his eyes and crouched at the base of the tomb.

"Give yourself up," a triumphant voice shouted. "There's no purpose in resisting."

The ground shook now with the thud of heavy feet surrounding him and the light spread all around, like the sun.

"Give yourself up, Said," the voice said firmly.

He crouched closer still to the tomb, ready to open fire, turning his head in all directions.

"Surrender," came another shout, confident, reassuring and dignified, "and I promise you you'll be treated with all humanity."

Like the humanity of Rauf, Nabawiyya, Ilish and the dogs, no doubt? "You're surrounded on all sides. The whole cemetery is surrounded. Think it over carefully, Said. Give yourself up."

Sure that the enormous and irregular multitude of the tombs prevented them from actually seeing him, Said made no movement. He had decided on death.

"Can't you see there's no point in resistance?" the firm voice shouted.

It seemed to be nearer now than before and Said shouted back warningly: "Any closer and I'll shoot."

"Very well, then. What do you want to do?

Make your choice between death and coming to justice."

"Justice indeed!" Said yelled scornfully.

"You're being very stubborn. You've got one minute more."

His fear-tortured eyes could see the phantom of death now, stalking through the dark.

Sana had turned away from him in alarm, hopelessly.

He sensed surreptitious movement near, flared with rage, and opened fire. The bullets showered in, their whistle filling his ears, chips flying from tombs all around. He fired again, oblivious to danger now, and more bullets pelted in. "You dogs, you!" he raved in a frenzy of rage and more shots came in from all sides.

Suddenly the blinding light went out, and the firing stopped; there was darkness again and quiet fell.

He, too, wasn't firing any more. Slowly the silence was spreading, until all the world seemed gripped in some strange stupefaction. He wondered…? But the question and even its subject seemed to dissolve, leaving no traces. Perhaps, he thought, they had retreated, slipped away into the night. Why then he must have won!

The darkness was thicker now and he could see nothing at all, not even the outlines of the tombs, as if nothing wished to be seen. He was slipping away into endless depths, not knowing for himself either position, place or purpose. As hard as he could, he tried to gain control of something, no matter what.

To exert one last act of resistance. To capture one last recalcitrant memory. But finally because he had to succumb and not caring, he surrendered. Not caring at all now.

The End