Children of Gebelaawi (32 page)

Ancestor, and you are its masters now. Love and justice and

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respect must rule among you. Let no crime ever be committed

in your sector.

The sound of drums and singing rang out from the tenement-houses of Hamdaan's people, and the festive lights shone out, while the rest of the Alley was sunk in its usual

darkness. The urchins gathered at the edge of Hamdaan's

sector to watch from a distance. Then along came some men

from down the Alley with gloomy faces. They wen t into the cafe

and were received politely and i nvited to sit down, and tea was

brought for them. Gebel guessed they had not come just for

the pleasure. His guess proved right when Zanaati, the oldest

of them, said:

- Gebel, we're all sons of one Alley and one Ancestor.

Today you're the master of the Alley and i ts most powerfu l

man. Justice should rule in all the sectors and not only i n

Hamdaan's.

Gebel said nothing, and his people looked indifferent, but

the man went on doggedly:

- It's in your power to bring justice to the whole Alley.

From the very first, Gebel had not cared about the rest ofthe

Alley, and none of his people cared. On the contrary, they had

felt superior, even in their days of trial. Gebel said gently:

- Our An cestor charged me with my own people.

- But he's everybody's Ancestor, Gebel.

Hamdaan said:

- That's an arguable point.

He studied their faces for the effect of his words and saw

their gloom deepen. l-Ie went on:

- As for our close connection with him, he himself confirmed that in the desert meeting.

Zanaati looked for a moment as though he wanted to say

'That's an arguable point.' bu t his spirit was broken. He asked

Gebel:

- Are you pleased at our poverly and wretched ness?

Gebel said wi thout enthusiasm:

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- Not at all! But i t's no business of ours.

The man persisted:

- How can it not be your business?

Gebel wondered what right the man had to speak to him like

this. Sti I I he was not angry; he found part of himself sym pathizi ng with him, bu t another part of him refused to go through fresh difficulties for the sake of the others. And who were these

others? The answer came from the lips ofDigger, who shouted:

- Have you forgotten how you treated us duri ng our time

of trial?

The man looked down for a while, then said:

- Who was able to speak his thoughts or show his true

feelings in the days of the strongmen? Would they have

forgiven anybody who treated people in ways they didn't like?

Digger's lips tightened in pride and contempt:

- You envied us our high position in the Alley, and you still

do. Maybe you did so before the strongmen.

Zanaati hung his head i n despair and said:

- God help you, Digger!

Digger went on pitilessly:

- Thank our leader for deciding not to take vengeance on

you.

Gebel was fi lled with conflicting thoughts and retreated

i nto silence. He was reluctant to offer a helping hand but he

was not happy to reject them outright. The men found themselves faced with open hostility from Digger, cold looks from the others and a discouraging silence from Gebel. They stood

up crestfallen, and went the way they had come. Digger

contained himself till they had disappeared, then shook his fist

in disgust and shouted:

- To hell with you, sons of pigs!

Gebel thundered:

- It's not for the lords ofthe Alley to enjoy others' suffering.

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Gebel

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

It was a memorable day when Gebel collected his people's

share of the Trust's revenues. He took his seat in the courtyard

of 'Victory House' and sum moned Hamdaan's people. He

counted how many were in each family and shared out the

money accordingly. He did not even si ngle h imself out for

special treatment. Hamdaan was perhaps not altogether content with this fairness, but he expressed his feelings i ndirectly, saying to Gebel:

- It isn 't right to stint yourself, Gebel.

Gebel frowned and said:

- I have taken the share of two people, myself and Shafeeqa.

- But you 're the head of this sector.

Gebel said for all to hear:

- A leader must not rob his people.

Digger seemed to be waiting anxiously for the outcome of

the dispute, then said:

- Gebel is not 1-Iamdaan , and Hamdaan is not Digger, and

Digger is not Triptoe.

Gebel protested angrily:

- Do you want to divide one family into masters and

servants?

But Digger clu ng to his opinion and said:

- We have cafe owners and peddlers and beggars amongst

us; how can yo_u treat them as equals? I was the first to go ou t

duri ng the blockade, getting myself chased by Qidra. I was the

first to meet you i n your exile, and later I was the first to back

you up when everybody else hung back.

Gebel grew still angrier and bellowed:

- A man who praises himself is a liar. God! Men like you

deserve whatever trouble you get.

Digger would have liked to go on with the argument, but

Gebel's eyes blazed with anger, so he backed down and left the

gatheri ng without another word.

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That evening Digger wen t to Mulehead's hashish den and

sat i n the circle of smokers, nursing his grievances. He sought

comfort by i nviting Triptoe to gamble with him, and they

played seega. Within half an hour Digger had lost his share of

the Trust's revenue. Mulehead laughed as he changed the

water in the pipe.

- Bad luck Digger! You 're doomed to be poor, even against

the wishes of the Founder.

The loss had cleared Digger's head and he growled:

- Riches are not lost so easily.

Mule head tested the pipe to see how much water there was

i n it, then said:

- But you 've lost yours.

Trip toe was arranging the notes carefully. Then he lifted his

hand to put them in the breast of his jellaba, but Digger

stopped him with one hand and held out the other for the

money. Triptoe scowled and said:

- It isn 't your money any more; you have no right to it.

- Let go of the money, you scum.

Mulehead looked at them anxiously, and said:

- Don ' t quarrel i n my home.

Digger gripped Triptoe's hand, shouting:

- This bastard isn ' t going to rob me!

- Let go of my hand, Digger, I'm not robbing you.

- You mean you earned i t?

- Why did you gamble?

Digger hit him hard, and screeched:

- My money! Before I break your bones!

Trip toe snatched his hand away and Digger went mad with

rage and jabbed his finger in Triptoe's right eye. Triptoe

screamed loudly and leapt up, then covered his eye with both

hands, letti ng the money fall i nto Digger's lap. He staggered

with pai n then fell down groaning. The others gathered round

him, while Digger collected up the money and put it back i n

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the breast of his jellaba. Mulehead came up to him and said,

horrified:

- You 've put his eye out.

Digger sat for a short time, shocked, then got up suddenly

and left.

Gebel stood i n the courtyard of his victory with the assembled men of Hamdaan. Anger was i n his eyes and i n the set of his jaw. Triptoe squatted in front of him, with a tight

bandage over his eye, while Digger stood, facing Gebel's wrath

silent and alone. 1-Iamdaan tried to calm Gebel's temper and

said gently:

- Digger will give back the money to Triptoe.

Gebel shouted at the top of his voice:

- Let him first give him back his eye.

Triptoe cried, and Radwaan the bard said with a sigh:

- If on ly that cou ld be done!

Gebel's face was dark as a thundercloud. He said:

- But it is possible to take an eye for an eye.

Digger stared into Gebel's face fearfu lly. He gave the money

to Hamdaan saying:

- I was out of my mind with rage; I didn' t mean to injure

him.

Gebel studied his face angrily for a long time, then said i n

a terrifying voice:

-An eye for an eye - and the one who acts first ends worst!

They looked at one another helplessly. They had never seen

Gebel angrier than today, and events had already proved the

violence of his temper when he had left his luxurious home

and when he had killed Qidra. His rages were i ndeed terrible,

and when he was carried away no one could come between him

and his goal. Hamdaan tried to speak, but Gebel got i n first:

- The Founder of the Trust did not prefer you so that some

of you could attack others. Either you have a life based on

order, or chaos that will spare none of you. For that reason,

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Digger, I decree that your eye shall be put out.

Digger was panic-stricken and shouted:

- Not a hand shall be laid on me, not if I have to fight the

lot of you.

Gebel sprang at him like a mad bull and punched him very

hard i n the face, knocking him out. He lifted up the unconscious man, holding him from behind in his arms, then turned to Triptoe and said in a commanding voice:

- Get up and take your due.

Triptoe stood up, but then hesitated, while screams came

from Digger's home. Gebel looked grimly at Triptoe and

shouted:

- Come, before I bury you alive.

Triptoe went up to Digger and put out his right eye in full

view of everyone. The screams from Digger's tenement grew

louder and his friends Mulehead and Lamplighter Ali wept.

Gebel shouted at them:

- You vi le cowards! My God! You only hated strongman

methods when they were turned against you. No sooner does

one of you fi nd himself strong then he rushes to do wrong and

attack his neighbor. The only thing for the devils hidden

i nside you is to beat them without pity, without mercy. Either

order or destruction !

He went off leaving Digger i n the hands of his friends.

This event had an immense effect on people's minds.

Before it, Gebel had been a beloved leader and his people had

thought him a strongman who did not wish to take the name

or the outward signs of his position. After i t, he was feared and

dreaded. Some people whispered about his harshness and his

tyranny, but they always found others to oppose them and

mention the other side of his nature - his pity for the victi m

and his sincere wish to establish an order that would guarantee

justice and brotherhood among Hamdaan's people. The latterview fou nd support every day in his words and deeds, so that those who disli ked him warmed towards him, those who feared

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him trusted him, and those who had shun ned him inclined to

him. Then everyone wanted the order he stood for and

nobody disputed it. Uprightness and honesty reigned i n his

days. He remained among them as a symbol of justice and

order till at last he died wi thout having swerved an i nch fro m

his path.

That is the story of Gebel.

He was the first to rebel against i njustice in our Alley and the

first to have the honor of contact with Gebelaawi after he

withdrew from the world. He obtained such power that no one

disputed it with him, and yet he refrai ned from strongman

methods and crookery and from getting rich by taki ng protection money and tradi ng in drugs. He remained a byword for justice and strength and order amongst his people. True, he

did not worry abou t the others in the Alley; perhaps in his heart

of hearts he scorned or despised them, as did the rest of his

people, but he never wronged nor harmed any of them, and

he was an exam ple to everyone.

If only forgetfulness did not plague our Alley, good examples would not be wasted. But our plague is forgetfulness.

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RIFAA

4 4 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dawn was not far off. Every living thing i n the Alley had gone

to sleep, even the strongmen and the cats and dogs. Darkness

had settled in every corner as if it would never leave. Under

cover of the all-embracing stillness, the door ofVictory House

in Gebel's sector was opened with great caution, and out

slipped two figures. They went silently towards the Great

House and followed i ts high wall round to the desert. They

tiptoed and kep t looking round to be sure no one was followi ng. They walked on far into the desert, guided by the light of the scatter of stars, till they could make out Hind's Rock like a

patch of deeper darkness.

They were a middle-aged man and a pregnantyoungwoman,

and both carried bulging bundles. At the rock the woman

sighed and said:

- My dear Shaafiy, I'm tired.

The man stopped and said gruffly:

- Take a rest then, and damn those who caused your