infection during the course of the night. The cuts had reopened and as he’d had nothing to clean them with before reapplying the bandage, he could only presume that they had attracted a few unwanted bacteria along the way – the incarceration in the wood-box must simply have compounded the issue. His head lolled backwards. He tried to raise a hand but couldn’t – in fact, his entire body seemed beyond his control. He felt himself being carried into a shady place, then up a few stairs and into a room in which light drifted on to his face through coloured panes of glass. His last memories were of a pair of dark brown eyes staring intently into his, as if their owner were trying to plumb the very depths of his soul.
He awoke to a deadening headache. The air was stifling and he found difficulty in breathing, as if his lungs had been three-quarters filled with foam rubber whilst he was sleeping. He looked down at his hand. It had been neatly rebandaged. He tried to raise it but only managed one desultory twitch before allowing it to collapse helplessly back on to the bed.
He realised that he was inside a caravan. Daylight was streaming in through the coloured glass windows beside him. He attempted to raise his head to see out of the single white pane but the effort was beyond him. He collapsed back on to the pillow. He’d never felt so completely out of contact with his body before – it was as if he and his limbs had become disjointed in some way and the key to their retrieval had been lost.
Well. At least he wasn’t dead. Or in a police hospital. One had to look on the bright side.
When next he awoke it was night-time. Just before opening his eyes, he became aware of a presence beside him. He pretended to be asleep, and allowed his head to loll to one side. Then he cracked his eyelids and tried to pick up whoever was sitting there in the darkness without her being aware of his look. For it was a woman – of that he was certain. There was the heavy scent of patchouli and some other, more elusive smelt, that reminded him vaguely of dough. Perhaps this person had been kneading bread?
He allowed his eyes to open wider. Samana’s sister was perched on the chair at his bedside. She was hunched forward, as if in prayer. But there was the glint of a knife in her lap.
‘I am wondering whether to kill you.’
Sabir swallowed. He tried to appear calm but he was still having trouble inhaling and his breath came out in small, uncomfortable puffs, like a woman in childbirth. ‘Are you going to? I wish you’d get on with it then. I’m certainly not able to defend myself – like that time you had me tied up and were going to castrate me. You’re just as safe now. I can’t even raise my hand to ward you off.’
‘Just like my brother.’
‘I didn’t kill your brother. How many times do I have to tell you? I met him once. He attacked me. God knows why. Then he told me to come here.’
‘Why did you wink at me like that?’
‘It was the only way I could think of to communicate my innocence to you.’
‘But it angered me. I nearly killed you then.’
‘I had to risk that. There was no other way.’
She sat back, considering.
‘Is it you that’s been treating me?’
‘Yes.’
‘Funny way to behave to someone you intend to kill.’
‘I didn’t say I intended to kill you. I said I was thinking about it.’
‘What would you do with me? With my body?’
‘The men would joint you, like a pig. Then we’d burn you.’
There was an uncomfortable silence. Sabir fell to wondering how he had managed to get himself into a position like this. And for what? ‘How long have I been here?’
‘Three days.’
‘Jesus.’ He reached down and lifted his bad hand with his good. ‘What was wrong with me? Is wrong with me?’
‘Blood poisoning. I treated you with herbs and kaolin poultices. The infection had moved to your lungs. But you’ll live.’
‘Are you quite sure of that?’ Sabir immediately sensed that his effort at sarcasm had entirely passed her by.
‘I spoke to the pharmacist.’
‘The who?’
‘The woman who treated your cuts. The name of where she worked was in the newspaper. I went to Paris to collect some of my brother’s hair. Now we are going to bury him.’
‘What did the woman say?’
‘That you are telling the truth.’
‘So who do you think killed your brother.’
‘You. Or another man.’
‘Still me?’
‘The other man, perhaps. But you were part of it.’
‘So why don’t you kill me now and have done with it? Joint me like a sucking pig?’
‘Don’t be in such a hurry.’ She slipped the knife back underneath her dress. ‘You will see.’
19
Later that same night they helped Sabir out of the caravan and into the clearing. A couple of the men had constructed a litter and they lifted him on to it and carried him out into the forest and along a moonlit track.
Samana’s sister walked beside him as if she owned him, or had some other vested interest in his presence. Which I suppose she does, thought Sabir to himself. I’m her insurance policy against having to think.
A squirrel ran across the track in front of them and the women began to chatter excitedly amongst themselves.
‘What’s that all about?’
‘A squirrel is a lucky omen.’
‘What’s a bad one?’
She shot a look at him, then decided that he was not being flippant… ‘An owl.’ She lowered her voice. ‘A snake. The worst is a rat.’
‘Why’s that?’ He found that he was lowering his voice too.
‘They are mahrime. Polluted. It is better not to mention them.’
‘Ah.’
By this time they had reached another clearing, furnished with candles and flowers.
‘So we’re burying your brother?’
‘Yes.’
‘But you haven’t got his body? Just his hair?’
‘Shh. We no longer talk about him. Or mention his name.’
‘What?’
‘The close family does not talk of its dead. Only other people do that. For the next month his name will not be mentioned amongst us.’
An old man came up to Yola and presented her with a tray, on which was a wad of banknotes, a comb, a scarf, a small mirror, a shaving kit, a knife, a pack of cards and a syringe. Another man brought food, wrapped up in a waxed paper parcel. Another brought wine, water and green coffee beans.
