Adrift On The Nile Part 14

And when no one paid him any attention, he continued: "Samara is a girl of principles, but she is also a woman with a heart."

They looked at him warningly, in open displeasure, but he continued to speak. "We are indebted to love."

More than one voice implored him to be quiet, but he concluded: "For it is love that has rescued us from the judgment of principles!"

Samara, irritated, muttered: "For heaven's sake!" and then burst into a storm of crying, as if her nerves had been suddenly ravaged. Ali approached her, moved by her distress, to calm her. As for Ragab, he had thrown himself at Anis, yelling: "You! You!"

And he gave him a great slap on the face.

18.

Ahmad grasped Ragab's arm and pulled it violently back. "You're mad!" he said, his voice shaking. "What a calamity! What madness!"

Samara stopped crying. She gaped at them. There was a deathly silence. Anis took the slap without moving. He looked at Ragab for a long time without speaking. Mustafa started to approach him, to support him, but Anis put out a hand. "If you please," he said.

"It was a terrible thing to do," said Mustafa, "without the slightest doubt--but the culprit is a friend, he did not mean it. He was blinded by anger--"

"No!" Anis bellowed, with a voice like thunder.

Amm Abduh came, as if in answer to his call. "The coffee is on the stove," he said. Anis motioned for him to leave. Then he rose to his feet and began to pace back and forth across the room, and to speak inaudibly to himself. Then suddenly he leaped upon Ragab and fastened his hands around his throat. Ragab immediately struck at his arm to free his neck, but Anis b.u.t.ted him on the nose, and they lunged at each other, punching and kicking. The others rushed to separate them, but then Anis staggered and crashed to the ground. Amm Abduh appeared at the door, and stood looking at them, bewildered, muttering: "No! No!" Ahmad ordered him to leave, but he continued to repeat: "No! No!"--finally retreating under the pressure of their combined gazes, shaking his head miserably.

Mustafa and Ali helped Anis to an armchair. The others surrounded Ragab, who was wiping away the blood trickling from his nose. Anis placed his hands to either side of him, on the arms of the chair, and leaned his head against the back. He half closed his eyes. Layla and Saniya began to administer first aid. They fetched water and cotton to wipe the blood from Anis' lower lip and eyebrows, and they sponged his face and neck. As for Samara, her face was screwed up in pain, and she mumbled words that no one could hear. Ahmad struck one palm against the other. "I could never have imagined it!" he said.

"This is a catastrophe," muttered Ali.

"A demon has possessed us. Finished us off."

Saniya's eyes filled with tears. "Who would have believed this could happen on our houseboat!" she said.

Samara began to cry again, but without making a sound. Anis opened his eyes and stared sightlessly ahead. Ali bent over him. "How are you?" he asked, but Anis did not reply. "I will send for a doctor, if you wish," his friend continued, at which Anis replied: "There is no need for that."

"Misery has ruined us all, believe me," Ali went on. "Even Ragab himself. He would like to be reconciled with you."

Anis spoke, with a strange calm. "Nothing is important," he said, "except . . ." He swallowed, and continued: "Except the murder."

It seemed that none of them had understood what he said. Anis sat up in the chair. "Are you feeling better now?" Ali asked him, and he replied with the same calm: "Nothing is of any consequence, except the murder."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that justice must be done."

"But Ragab is fully prepared--" Ali began, but Anis interrupted him.

"I mean the murder of the unknown man," he said.

They looked at each other oddly. Ali shrugged. "The important thing is that you return to your old self again."

"Oh, I have, completely, thank you," Anis rejoined. "I am talking about what needs to be done next."

"But, my dear friend," protested Ali, "I don't understand what you mean."

"But what I am saying is not remotely ambiguous. I am talking about the unknown man, the one who was killed. I am saying that justice must be done."

Ali, confused, smiled idiotically. "You can see we are already as wretched as we could be," he said. "The only thing that could make it worse would be for us to be blown to bits."

"Justice must take its course."

"Speaking has tired you out, surely . . ."

"We must inform the authorities of our involvement at once--"

"You don't mean what you are saying!"

"On the contrary, I mean--and know--exactly what I am saying."

"This is incredible."

"You had better believe it, for it's the certain truth."

"But this has got nothing to do with you at all!"

"I am concerned by nothing else."

Ahmad brought Anis a gla.s.s of whiskey, which he refused with thanks. Ahmad then started to roll him a joint while the coffee was brewing, but Anis told him that he would do that himself when the time came.

"I beg you," Layla pleaded, "don't increase our misery!"

"There is no going back on it."

"But we had finished with all that--Samara herself had mercy on us!"

"I've said enough."

"Everyone," Khalid announced nervously. "We should leave. We've been touched by madness tonight. If we stay, something even more dreadful will happen!"

"But I will simply go to the police myself," said Anis. "Let that be known to you all."

They all stared at him, stunned. Ragab turned his face to the Nile to blow out his rage into the air. "You are not in your right mind," said Ahmad.

"I am, I a.s.sure you."

"Are you aware of the consequences of your actions?"

"Yes; that everyone will receive their just deserts."

"He's desperate!" Ragab bellowed at the top of his voice. "He's been fired! It doesn't matter to him if he brings the temple down on everyone in it!"

"Be quiet!" Ali shouted. "You are primarily responsible for everything, so don't say another word!" Then he turned to Anis. "Did you really imagine that we would abandon you in your trouble?" he said heatedly. "It's not yet certain that you have been fired. And if it turns out that you are, we're all behind you until you find another job."

"Thank you, but that's irrelevant," Anis replied.

"For G.o.d's sake, be sensible! There's not a reason in the world to justify your position! Even Samara has gone along with us! I don't understand you!"

"Do you really not understand?" shouted Ragab.

"Shut up!" Ali returned.

"Don't you understand that he is determined to take revenge on me!"

"Shut up!"

"He's gone mad--there's no use arguing with a madman!"

"We told you to shut up!"

"The heavens will fall on the earth and crush it before I permit an insane dope fiend to ruin my future!"

Samara opened her mouth to speak, but Ragab shook his fist at her angrily. "And what do you want to say, you root of all misfortune?" he shouted at her. She recoiled in terror, and then Ragab went mad. The bloodl.u.s.t leaped from his eyes. "If there has to be an accusation of murder," he yelled, "then let there be a real murder!" At that point, all the men hedged themselves closely around him. "Disaster!" Ahmad cried. "There's going to be a disaster! We'll all be destroyed!"

Amm Abduh appeared again. "Well, praise the Lord!" he said.

"Get out of here!" Ahmad shouted. "Take yourself off, and make sure you don't come back!" When the old man had gone, he turned to Anis.

"Anis," he said, "you can see what has happened. In the name of our friendship, declare that you do not mean what you say."

"I will never retract it!" Anis persisted.

"Well then, d.a.m.n you to h.e.l.l!" Ahmad shouted. He turned toward Samara, calling for her, with a look of terrified anxiety, to intervene. All eyes were upon her, clearly urging her to speak and also charging her with responsibility for what had happened.

She was overcome by grief and anguish. She looked at Anis, and swallowed. Just as she was about to speak, he said: "There's no going back, I swear that to you."

Ragab charged forward, trying to break the barrier they had formed around him, to fall upon Anis, but they stood all the firmer and grasped hold of his arms and waist. He tried with all his strength to free himself from their hands, but to no avail. And at that moment, Anis stood up and vanished behind the side door. He soon returned with a kitchen knife in his hand. He took up a position between the door and the refrigerator, crouched to defend himself to the death. The women screamed. Saniya threatened to call the police at the first hint of an attack. The knife redoubled Ragab's struggle, and he hurled insults and calumny on Anis. He tried again and again to attack him, until Khalid shouted: "We must leave at once!"

"I'll kill him before he kills me!" yelled Ragab. But they pushed him toward the door in spite of his resistance. More and more violently, he tried to free himself from them, and more and more doggedly did they prevent him, until there was almost a battle going on among them. He threatened to hit them if they did not leave him, and they in their turn threatened him likewise.

Anis watched the scene amazed. They were wrestling with each other. The beast wanted to kill. Desperately they tried to push him, and he could not overcome them.

Suddenly he desisted. He stood there, motionless, panting. Then he collapsed into a fury. Insanity gleamed in his eyes. "You think I alone am responsible!" he yelled.

"Leave the talking until we are off the boat."

"You fled with me!"

"We'll talk quietly outside."

"No, you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds!" Ragab cried. "I am going myself! I will go to the police myself, and nothing will stand in my way--not ruin, death, or demons!"

And he rushed out, the other men at his heels. Saniya and Layla immediately followed them. The boat rocked and shook convulsively under heavy, angry feet.

Anis put the knife on the table and went over to the nearest mattress, where he sat down, not far from Samara. They both gazed out at the night, giving themselves up to solitary silence. They did not exchange a look or a word. The earth itself has quaked, he thought. Almost split apart. He became aware of the approach of familiar footsteps. He did not turn his head until the old man was standing behind him. "They have gone," he said.

Anis did not reply. Amm Abduh spoke again. "The devil had his fill of fun with you tonight." Anis did not break his silence. "I have brought the coffee," said Amm Abduh.

Anis fingered his jaw. "Leave it in front of me," he said.

"Drink it right away, from someone who wishes you well. It will soothe the pain." And Amm Abduh lifted the cup to Anis' mouth for him to sip. "Let it be for your good health this time," said Amm Abduh. Then he retreated, but at the door he paused. "I had made up my mind to break the moorings if he hit you again!" he said.

"But I would have drowned along with all the others!" Anis replied, astonished.

"At least there is protection in the Lord," said Amm Abduh as he left.

Anis laughed faintly. "Did you hear what the old man said?" he asked Samara.

"Do you not think we should call a doctor?" she asked in turn.

"No, no. No need for that."

Talking about it stirred up the pain again, but it was trifling now that the coffee had settled in his stomach.

"Will he really go to the police?" Samara asked.

"I have no idea what is happening outside," he replied.

She hesitated a little before saying: "What made you . . . ?" And then she stopped short. He had grasped her meaning, but he did not reply.

"Was it anger?" she asked.

"Perhaps."

"Perhaps?"

He smiled. "I also wanted to put it to the test--saying what should be said, that is."

She thought for a moment. "Why?" she asked.

"I don't know exactly. Perhaps to examine the effect."

"And how did you find it?"

"As you saw."

"Are you really going to inform the police if Ragab does not do it?"