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 glass 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 assure 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 God'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 bloodlust 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, damn you to hell!' 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 bastards!' 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.
