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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Qaasim
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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Children of Gebelaawi
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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Children of Gebelaawi
- 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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Qaasim
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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Children of Gebelaawi
- 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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Qaasim
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