Children of Gebelaawi (57 page)

one of Rifaa's men. Perhaps that's what made them hurry.

Qaasi m beamed.

- You see, Uncle? I'm the enemy of the Trustee and the

strongmen but I'm the friend of the Alley, and everybody wil l

know that soon.

- Think now about the fate that is waiting for you.

- I'll tell you my plan; I'll escape across the roofs to your

house, leaving my lamp lit to mislead them.

- Somebody may see you.

- I shan 't start till people have stopped sitting out on the

roofs for the evening.

- And if they attack your house first?

- It won ' t happen ti ll the Alley is asleep.

- Perhaps they'll be more reckless than you think.

He smiled.

- In that case I ' ll die; and who can put off the hour fixed

for his death?

Zakaria looked imploringly at him, but he met with a calm

and steady smile, the very embodiment of determination. He

said in despair:

- They may search my house.

- Luckily they don't know we've heard oftheir scheme, and

so, by God's grace, I'll get away before they can stop me.

They gave each other a long look, which said more than

tears could: have done. Then they embraced. When he was

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alone agai n, Qaasim mastered his feelings and went to the

window overlooking the road. Life in the sector seemed to be

going on as usual. Urchins were playing round the lamp-lit

barrows, the cafe was thronged with men chatting, the roofs

were noisy with women's gossip, the coughs of hashish smokers mingled with their jokes and curses, and the rebec wailed; but Omnibus lurked on the doorstep of the cafe, and the

messengers of death skulked in every corner. 'Treacherous

brood! Ki llers of joy! Since ldrees laughed his cruel laugh, you

have been in heriting wickedness and plunging the Alley i nto

a sea of darkness. Isn 't it ti me for the caged bird to be set free?'

The ti me passed slowly and oppressively, but i t brought the

end of lhe evening for the gossips. The roofs fell silent and the

Alley was deserted by barrows and urchins. The cafes emptied,

and for a while there were the sounds of men goi ng home. The

drunks reeled back from Gemalia, and even the hashish dens

put out their braziers. Only the companions of death remained in the darkness. Qaasim said to himself: 'Time to get moving! ' l-Ie hurried to the stairs, cli mbed to the roof and wen t

to the wall that divided his rooffrom the neighbori ng one. He

crossed it wi thout difficulty and was about to hasten on when

a figure blocked his way, saying 'Halt! ' He realized that killers

were posted on the roofs and that the siege was more complete

than he had thought. He turned to go back, but the man

jumped after him and grabbed him with strong arms.

Qaasi m summoned up all his strength, which was redoubled

by fear. He surprised the man with a sudden blow in the

stomach and broke free from his grip. For good measure he

kicked him i n the stomach, and he fell down moaning and

stayed down. There was a muffled cough from a roof three or

four houses away, which made Qaasim change his mind about

going on. He went back to his own roof in great alarm . He

stood by the stairs listening and heard footsteps coming up.

Several men gathered outside his door and burst i t open,

almost smashing i t. They rushed in and Qaasim did not waste

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another second before hurrying down to the courtyard. He

ran to the gate and saw a figure moving outside. He sprang at

the man and seized him round the neck, then butted him and

kneed him in the stomach. The man fell to the ground and lay

there motionless.

Qaasim hurried towards Gemalia, his heart racing. By now

they would have seen that the house was empty and some

wou ld perhaps have gone on to the roof and found their

companion laid out. Others might already have come down

after him. He passed his uncle's tenement-house without

stopping, and when he reached the end of the Alley he started

running. But at the entrance to Gemalia a figure sprang i nto

his path and shouted, very loud so as to warn the others: 'Stop,

you bastard ! ' He lifted his cudgel before Qaasim could swerve

out of his way, but another figure appeared from round the

corner and clubbed the man over the head so that he fel l down

with a scream. Hassan's voice spoke: 'We must run for all we're

worth. ' Away they ran through the darkness, not caring what

stones or potholes they might meet.

8 4 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

At the entry to Watawit Alley Saadiqjoined them, and at the

other end they fou nd Bullrush, Wagtail and Hamroosh with a

four-wheeled carriage. They jumped in and the horse made off

at great speed through the darkness, urged on by the driver's

whip, shattering the silence of the night with a sound like

continuous gunshots. They kept turning to look back fearfully.

Saadiq reassured them:

- They'll go to Bab el Nasr, thin king you'll hide in the

wasteland rou nd the graveyards.

Qaasim said doubtfully:

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Qaasim

- But they know you're not living near the graveyards.

However, the speed of the carriage seemed decisive, and

they began to feel they were really out of danger. Qaasi m

sou nded more relaxed as he said:

- You 've managed things very well. Thank you, Saadiq ! But

for your warning I'd be dead by now.

Saadiq pressed his hand silently. The carriage hurried on til l

Muqattam Bazaar appeared in the starlight, wrapped in darkness and desolation, except for the lamp shining i n Yahiaa's hut. As a precaution they left the carriage in the middle of the

market place and walked to the hut. It was not long before they

heard Yahiaa asking who was there. When Qaasi m answered,

his voice was raised again in than ksgiving. The two embraced

warmly and Qaasi m said:

- I owe you my life.

The old man laughed.

- It was sheer chance, but it saved the man who most

deserves to live. Hurry now to the Jebel. The Jebel is your best

defence.

Qaasim pressed his hand and looked lovingly and gratefully

at his face in the lamplight. Yahiaa said:

- Today you are like Rifaa or Gebel. I shall go back to the

Alley when victory is granted to you.

They headed eastward from the hut, making their way

through the desert to the Jebel. Saadiq went i n front as he

knew the path best. A lightening of the darkness announced

the approach of dawn, and there was dampness in the air.

From far off the crow of a cock announced the birth of a new

day. They reached the foot of the Jebel and followed it

southward till they reached the difficult path leading up to

their new home. They followed Saadiq up, going in single file

because the way was so narrow. Saadiq said to Qaasim:

- We've made you a hut in the middle of ours; lhsaan is

sleeping there now.

Bu llrush explained:

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- Our huts are built of tins and sacking.

Hassan remarked gaily:

- Not much worse than our tenements in the Alley!

Qaasim said:

- It's enough that we don't have a trustee or a strongman.

They heard voices from above and Saadiq said:

- Our new alley is awake and waiting for you.

They looked up and saw the first light of day. Saadiq shouted

at the top of his voice: ' He's here ! ' and men's and women's

heads popped up. There were shouts and cheers, and they

started singi ng: 'Put some henna on the sparrow's tail ! Qaasim

•

was overjoyed.

- What a lot of them !

Saadiq said proudly:

- A new alley on the jebel, whose numbers increase with

every passing day. With the guidance of Yahiaa, all the emigrants have joined us.

Hamroosh said:

- The only trouble is that we have to make our livi ng in faroff places for fear of meeting somebody from our Alley.

When Qaasim reach the top the men embraced him and the

women shook his hand, and there was a hubbub of greetings

and cheers and shouts of praise. Sakeena was among those

who greeted him and she told him that Ihsaan was asleep i n the

hut that had been put up for them. They all went together,

cheering and singing, to the 'New Alley', which was in the form

of a square of huts on a plateau at the top of the Jebel. The

horizon was filled with the rosy light of dawn. A man called out:

- Welcome to Qaasim, our strongman!

Qaasim's expression changed, and he shouted angrily:

- Damn all strongmen! There's no peace and no safety

where they are.

The new faces were all turned to him. He continued:

- We shall raise our cudgels as Gebel did, but in the cause

of the mercy that Rifaa called for. Then we' ll set the Trust to

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work for the common good to fulfill Adham 's dream. Our task

is to do that - not to be strongmen.

Hassan led him gently towards his hut saying to the crowd:

- He hasn't slept a wink all night; let him get the sleep he's

earned.

Qaasim threw himself down on the straw-filled sack beside

his daughter, and in no time he was fast asleep. He woke i n the

early afternoon with a heavy head and a weary body. Sakeena

brought I hsaan and put her in his lap, and he kissed her

adoringly. She handed him a mug of water, saying:

- They fetch us this water from the public pump, just as

Gebel's wife used to fetch it.

He smiled, for he liked anything that connected him with

the memory of Gebel or Rifaa. He examined the hut and saw

walls of sacking. He hugged lhsaan still more affectionately,

then stood up and handed the child to Sakeena and left the

hut. He found Saadiq and Hassan waiting for him, greeted

them and sat down. He surveyed the encampment and saw

only one or two women and children. Saadiq explained:

- The men have gone off to Sayida Zaynab and Zaynhum

to earn a living. We've stayed behind to put you at your ease.

His eyes followed the women, who were at work cooking or

washing in front of the huts, and the children who were playing

here and there. He though t aloud:

- I wonder whether these women are happy.

Saadiq said:

- They are dreaming of possessing the Trust and the good

things that Lady Ameena enjoys.

He smiled broadly, then looked slowly from one to the other

and asked:

- What do you two have in mind for the next step?

Hassan's head nodded on his broad shoulders.

- We know just what we want.

- Bu t how do we get it?

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- We seize our chance to attack when they're off their

guard.

But Saadiq protested:

- No! We hold out till more people have joined us from the

Alley, and only then do we attack. That way we'll be sure of

victory and there will be less casualties.

Qaasi m exclaimed:

- Splendid!

They fell into a dreamy silence. A voice said shyly:

- Some food?

Qaasi m looked up and saw Badria holding a dish of stewed

beans and a flat loaf, and looking at him with her merry eyes.

He could not help smiling as he said:

- Welcome to my messenger of life!

She put the dish down in front of him, saying:

- Long life to you !

And away she went to Saadiq's hut, which was next to his

own. He was fi lled with tenderness and happiness and ate with

relish, explaining meanwhile:

- I have a fair amount of money which will come in usefu l.

We must hunt out all the friends who may be ready to join us.

There are plenty of poor people who long for our victory, and

only fear holds them back.

Hassan and Saadiq soon went off after the other men and he

found hi mself alone. He rose and set off on a sort of tour of

inspection. The children he passed were playing and not one

of them paid attention to him, but the women called out their

greetings. A very old woman caught his eye. Her hair was

purest wh ite, her eyes were clouded with age and her chin

trembled. He went up and they exchanged greetings. He

asked:

- Who are you, mother?

Her voice crackled like dry leaves.

- Hamroosh's mother.

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Welcome, mother of us all. How could you think of leaving

our Alley?

- Where my son is, there's my place; and it's good to be far

away from the strongmen. (Then, taking courage from his

smi le: ) I saw Rifaa when I was young.

- Really?

- Yes, upon your life. He was gentle and handsome, but I

never thought he'd give his name to a sector, or that his story

would be told to the music of the rebec.

He asked with growing eagerness:

- Didn't you go to him like everybody else?

- Oh no! Nobody knew us in our sector; we didn 't even