The Intern Affair (52 page)

“Yes, that’s what we’ve concluded.
But it must be obvious to you as it is to us, that we can’t involve anyone in this little junket of ours.”

“I gather you don’t want to involve
Sir Reginald
into this either?”

“Especially
Sir Reginald
.
He’s liable to send an army after us, and parachute a hundred men over the site.”

Thomas
and
Christian
laughed at
Charles
’s rejoinder.

“Yes I know,
Charles
, but I have to report to him on a daily basis and I haven’t yet figured out how I’m going to avoid doing that.”

“How about telling him the truth?”
Thomas
suggested as he continued eating, with a spoon.

Charles
asked, “But how would he take it,
Christian,
if we came out and told him of our plans?”

“At first, I think he would react exactly the way you’ve described—calling in the troops.
But, maybe, and that’s a
big
maybe, he can be persuaded that if I go with you, and one other agent, who could be our pilot as well, he would agree to the venture.”

“Well, let’s do that then,”
Charles
said with finality.

77

The ride from Nbak
to Aleg had been a lot easier.
Perhaps Talya was getting used to the heat, or maybe her body had finally decided to yield to the enforced purging of the city dust, smog and chemicals that it had preserved for so many years.
She didn’t know which, but she felt like a new-woman. Her wrist was mending as well. She was starting to move some fingers.
Jasmin
had removed the soft cast several times during the first three days of their journey, and she had always put some ointment on it, which she said, would heal the bones faster.
As for Talya’s ankle, she was starting to ‘walk’ without much pain, especially when she wore the goat shoes that
Afilah
had given
her on the first day.
Yet, what really made her feel better was the fact that she could mount Katoof without help or effort.

On that morning at sunrise before they departed on their last leg to Mbout, Samir called his brothers to have coffee with them in front of their tent.
He wanted to work out the last details of the trip with them.
Apparently, they were entering the
Sahel
and a more rugged terrain, which would be difficult for the animals to travel.
Samir sat beside Talya with his coffee in hand in front of the map that was unfolded on the ground before them.
Abdullah
and Ishmael were sitting on either side of them.

“
Abdullah
, I need your agreement in the path I have chosen,” Samir began, and pointing at the map, he continued describing the day’s journey.
“You need to tell me if I am correct. I’m thinking of bypassing the track until we cross the O’Guelaour and reach Mal in three hours.
Then, I suggest we go around the mountain following the sand until we reach the El Abiod at midday.
After we have rested by the stream for an hour, I think we should go south-eastward to the lake just north of Mbout.”
Lifting his head from the map and drinking some of the coffee, he looked at
Abdullah
.
All the while, Talya felt that Ishmael’s eyes were on her. He was not looking at the map.

This young man is searching for trouble, Talya thought, and he’s going to find it soon if Samir notices what he’s doing.

“Yes, Samir, I think the road you have chosen is good,”
Abdullah
replied. “It is parallel to the dirt track and yet we will stay unnoticed most of the way.
I agree, let’s do it.”

“Good.
Now what about you, Ishmael, what are your thoughts?” Samir turned his gaze toward his brother.
The latter had been caught.
Samir and
Abdullah
got up in one movement.
They grabbed their protesting brother, and dragged him desperately pleading for mercy. Although he screamed in Arabic, his plea needed no interpretation; Talya knew Ishmael was going to get a beating for looking with obvious desire at a woman that didn’t belong to him.

When Talya returned to her part of the tent, her heart sank at the thought of the harshness with which the young man was going to be treated.
That was part of the respect to be learned in Islam.

Talya was still sitting on the edge of the cot when Samir lifted the drape to stand in front of her. “My Lady, I am sorry for my brother’s disrespect, but he is young and he hasn’t learned the way in which he should conduct himself.
Would you like to hear his apologies?”

Talya had to say yes.
To deny Ishmael the chance to apologize would mean that she appreciated his gaze being turned to her, which would be unacceptable in Samir’s eyes.

“Yes, Samir, I will.” She got up and limped to the entrance of the tent.

When she saw Ishmael’s face, she put a hand to her mouth, gasping at the sight.
Samir must have lashed him across the left cheek with his strap.
He was bleeding. He was kneeling at Talya’s feet.
Abdullah
stood behind him, waiting to hear what was going to be said.
Jasmin
and
Afilah
came to stand at Talya’s side, leaving the group of people facing them that had gathered when they heard the fracas.

“Ishmael, our lady is waiting to hear your apology. What are you saying, my brother?” Samir demanded.
Ishmael responded in Arabic his head bent toward the ground.

“My brother asks you to forgive him for his impertinence,” Samir said, turning his gaze down to Talya. There was nothing in his eyes but anger. “What are you saying?”

“I forgive him,” Talya muttered under her breath. “He is only a child; please show your forgiveness as well.”

“I will,” Samir said. And to Ishmael, “Now go, and make yourself ready and presentable, for the next time I lay eyes on you, I will need to see modesty and repentance.” He then lifted his brother from the ground and looked at him with now only a glimmer of understanding in his eyes.

Jasmin
turned to Talya and whispered, “We should go into the tent now.
Samir will come and fetch us when he’s ready to talk to us.”

Afilah
and
Jasmin
busied themselves with the packing of their tent, and Talya waited for Samir to return, sitting on the edge of the saddle beside the bed.
She felt guilty for allowing herself to sit with these men when she wasn’t needed.
If she had stayed with
Jasmin
, none of this would have happened. Talya couldn’t abide with the beating of anyone for any reason.

“Tell me, does this happen often?” Talya asked when
Jasmin
was folding the cot and tying the mattress with chamfer ropes.

“Oh no, I’ve only seen Samir this angry once before when a man had been disrespectful toward his mother one day, when she was travelling with us.
That was a long time ago; I was only a little girl then.
We don’t go on long journeys like this anymore.
We only travel on desert tracks to transport goods to other families who are in need.
We haven’t travelled like this for a long time.”

“I suppose my being here with you has put everyone on edge.”

“Oh no, don’t think that way.
We are honoured to have the opportunity to travel with you.
Remember on the first day?
You are the one who accepted Samir’s company on your journey when he asked for your leave to do so.” She stopped her folding and looked at Talya. “My Lady, please; believe me, we wanted to do this—”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. I know how you feel, but this trip is hard on all of us.
I appreciate your company.
I wish I could do more to participate in your chores and help you… But I have been spoiled and I don’t know what I can do.”

“You haven’t upset me. Your words are always so kind and generous; I wish I could come with you when we part—”

“We will never part,
Jasmin
.
You will be in my heart always.
And if one day, Samir allows you to do so, you should come and visit me in my country.”

“That would be wonderful
—
” She didn’t finish her sentence since Samir came to stand before the two of them.
His attitude was still that of an angry man.
Jasmin
retreated instantly.

“We’re almost ready to go; would you like to come for a short walk with me before we do?”

“Yes, of course I will.”

Before Talya had time to stand up however, he had lifted her to her feet and had embraced her.
Talya couldn’t resist him, but she didn’t like the rage she felt running through him still.

“Samir, please, you’re going to squeeze the air out of me. Let me look at you.
You know you’re a fool.” She pushed him away from her.

“Princess.
What are you saying?” Samir was surprised.
She got his attention at last.

“You are a fool, Samir!
That is what I say.
Do you believe, for one solitary moment, that I would let Ishmael go any further than turning his gaze to me?
Do you?”

“No. If I know you well enough, you wouldn’t allow anyone to go any further than an appreciative gaze.”

“So why in the world are you so upset?
This is me.
I get all of the respect I deserve from everyone in the family, so why are you so angry?”

“Because I am afraid to lose you. I sense that every day that passes we are getting nearer to your departure.”

“Take me in your arms, Samir, and tell me what you feel.”

He did for a long moment. “I feel your heart beating against mine, and I can’t let you go…
”

“…and if I were to leave you, I wouldn’t be able to feel secure or at peace, so I couldn’t go. Besides, I promised you not to leave, do you remember?”

He didn’t reply but closed his arms around her once again. She felt the tension leav
e
him slowly.
However, she knew the strain would return as soon as they were on the road.
Samir was sensing, as well as she did, that each hour that lapsed was getting them closer to danger.
They would leave the safety of the mehalla tomorrow morning.
By nightfall the next day, they would be in Sabodala where they knew what they would be facing—a store of evil.

Suddenly releasing his embrace, he smiled. “All right, My Lady, let us go to Mbout.”

78

They arrived at the edge
of the
Mbout
Lake
an hour before sunset.
The ride had been hard on everyone.
For the last forty miles, the landscape had changed gradually from the sandstone cliffs, rising above the sand flats, as they travelled southward in the latter part of the morning, into a more even terrain of laterite sand and rocks.
The vegetation was sparse but the razor-edged needle bushes were to be avoided. These would slice the camels’ legs at the mere touch.
Abdullah
, who seemed to be an expert rider, took the lead when they left the creek of El Abiod after lunch. For the rest of the journey, he scouted a passage of reasonable width, which allowed them to ride at a trotting speed for almost five hours.

When they alighted from Katoof, and looking down at herself, Talya noticed, the red sand was streaking her black abayah with brownish patches of dirt.
Yes. We are back in the
Sahel
all right!

The women, as usual, although as tired from the trip as they were, pitched the tents and unpacked everything for the night with agility and speed.
It took no time at all for everyone to have a home for the night once again.
Some of the younger boys unsaddled the camels one by one, and brought the animals to the back of the camp nearer the lake to settle for the night.
They would be allowed to drink from the lake tonight, since it was the second day after they had been watered in Nbak.
Camels are watered every second day during the summer months.
During the winter however, they’re only fed and never watered.
Their bodies absorb the water from their food and even recycle liquid from their urea.
They are second to none when it comes to living in the desert.

As they entered their tent, Samir said, “Tonight is our last night together in the desert and among our family.
I wish for you to rejoice and be happy in everyone’s company for tomorrow we shall part and perhaps never return.”