“Tommy.”
This brought him out of his reverie. “Yes?” he asked, hearing the old tone to her voice.
“Thou, art thou leaving me forever?” she said in Farsi.
“I can’t stay in Iran,” he said, at peace now, the “thou” helping so very much. “When we’re closed down there’s no job for me here, I’ve no money, and even if the place hadn’t burned down… well, I was never one for handouts.” His eyes were without guile. “Meshang’s right about a lot of things: there wouldn’t be much of a life with me and you’re right to stay, certainly without papers it’d be dangerous to leave, and you’ve to think of the child, I know that. There’s also… no, let me finish,” he said kindly, stopping her. “There’s also HBC.” This reminded him about her cousin, Karim. Another horror yet to arrive. Poor Sharazad… “Thou, art thou leaving me forever?” “I’m leaving today for Kowiss. I’ll be there a few days then I’ll go to Al Shargaz. I’ll wait there, I’ll wait a month. This will give you time to think it through, what you want. A letter or telex care of Al Shargaz Airport will find me. If you want to join me, the Canadian embassy’ll arrange it at once, priority, I’ve already fixed that… and of course I’ll keep in touch.”
“Through Mac?”
“Through him or somehow.”
“Thou, art thou divorcing me?”
“No, never. If you want that or… let me put it another way, if you think it’s necessary to protect our child, or for whatever reason, then whatever you want I will do.”
The silence grew and she watched him, a strange look in her huge dark eyes, somehow older than before and yet so much younger and more frail, the translucent nightgown enhancing the sheen of her golden skin, her hair flowing around her shoulders and breasts.
Lochart was consumed with helplessness, dying inside, wanting to stay, knowing there was no longer any reason to stay. It’s all been said and now it’s up to her. If I was her I wouldn’t hesitate, I’d divorce, I’d’ve never have married in the first place. “Thou,” he said in Farsi, “fare thee well, Beloved.”
“And thee, Beloved.”
He picked up his jacket and left. In a moment she heard the front door close. For a long time she stared after him, then, thoughtfully, poured some coffee and sipped it, hot and strong and sweet and life-giving. As God wants, she told herself, at peace now. Either he will come back or he will not come back. Either Meshang will relent or he will not relent. Either way I must be strong and eat for two and think good thoughts while I build my son.
She decapitated the first of the eggs. It was perfectly cooked and tasted delicious.
AT MCIVER’S APARTMENT: 11:50 A.M. Pettikin came into the living room carrying a suitcase and was surprised to see the servant, Ali Baba, tentatively polishing the sideboard. “I didn’t hear you come back. I thought I’d given you the day off,” he said irritably, putting down the suitcase. “Oh, yes, Agha, but there is most much to do, the place she is filth-filled and the kitchen…” His lush brown eyebrows rose to heaven. “Yes, yes, that’s true but you can start in tomorrow.” Pettikin saw him looking at the suitcase and swore. Directly after breakfast he had sent Ali Baba off for the day with instructions to be back at midnight, which normally would mean that he would not come back until the next morning. “Now off you go.”
“Yes, Agha, you are going on holiday or on the leaves?”
“No, I’m, er, I’m going to stay with one of the pilots for a few days, so make sure my room’s cleaned tomorrow. Oh, yes, and you better give me your key, I’ve misplaced mine.” Pettikin held out his hand, cursing himself for not thinking of it before. With curious reluctance, Ali Baba gave it to him. “Captain McIver wants the place to himself, he has work to do and doesn’t want to be disturbed. See you soon, good-bye!”
“But, Agha…”
“Good-bye!” He made sure Ali Baba had his coat, opened the door, half shoved him out, and closed it again. Nervously he glanced again at his watch. Almost noon and still no McIver and they were supposed to be at the airport by now. He went into the bedroom, reached into the cupboard for the other suitcase, also packed, then came back and put it beside the other one, near the front door.
Two small cases and a carryall, he thought. Not much to show for all the years in Iran. Never mind, I prefer to travel light and perhaps this time I can get lucky and make more money or start a business on the side and then there’s Paula. How in the hell can I afford to get married again? Married? Are you mad? An affair’s about all you could manage. Yes, but God damn, I’d like to marry her an - The phone rang and he almost jumped out of himself, so unused to its ringing. He picked it up, his heart pounding. “Hello?”
“Charlie? It’s me, Mac, thank God the bloody thing’s working, tried it on the off chance. I’ve been delayed.”
“You’ve a problem?”
“Don’t know, Charlie, but I’ve got to go and see Ali Kia - bastard’s sent his bloody assistant and a Green Band to fetch me.”
“What the hell does Kia want?” Outside, all over the city, muezzins began calling the Faithful to noon prayer, distracting him.
“Don’t know. The appointment’s in half an hour. You’d better go on out to the airport and I’ll get there as soon as I can. Get Johnny Hogg to delay.” “Okay, Mac. What about your gear, is it in the office?”
“I snuck it out early this morning while Ali Baba was snoring, and it’s in Lulu’s boot. Charlie, there’s one of Genny’s needlepoints in the kitchen, ‘Down with corn-beef pie.’ Stick it in your suitcase for me, will you? She’d have my guts for garters if I forgot that. If I’ve time I’ll come back and make sure everything’s okay.”
“Do I shut the gas off, or electricity?”
“Christ, I don’t know. Leave it, okay?”
“All right. You sure you don’t want me to wait?” he asked, the metallic, loudspeaker voices of muezzins adding to his disquiet. “I don’t mind waiting. Might be better, Mac.”
“No, you go on out. I’ll be there right smartly. “Bye.”
‘“Bye.” Pettikin frowned, then, having a dialing tone, he dialed their office at the airport. To his astonishment the connection went through. “Iran Helicopters, hello?”
He recognized the voice of their freight manager. “Morning, Adwani, this’s Captain Pettikin. Has the 125 come in yet?”
“Ah, Captain, yes it’s in the pattern and should be landing any minute.” “Is Captain Lane there?”
“Yes, just a moment please…”
Pettikin waited, wondering about Kia.
“Hello, Charlie, Nogger here - you’ve friends in high places?” “No, the phone just started working. Can you talk privately?” “No. Not possible. What’s cooking?”
“I’m still at the flat. Mac’s been delayed - he’s got to go and see Ali Kia. I’m on my way to the airport now and he’ll come directly from Kia’s office. Are you ready to load?”
“Yes, Charlie, we’re sending the engines for repairs and reconditioning as Captain McIver ordered. Everything as ordered.”
“Good, are the two mecs there?”
“Yes. Both those spares are also ready for shipping.”
“Good. No problem that you can see?”
“Not yet, old chum.”
“See you.” Pettikin hung up. He packed the needlepoint and looked around the apartment a last time, now curiously saddened. Good times and bad times but the best when Paula was staying. Out of the window he noticed distant smoke over Jaleh and now as the muezzins’ voices died away, the usual sporadic gunfire. “The hell with all of them,” he muttered. He got up and went out with his luggage and locked the door carefully. As he drove out of the garage he saw Ali Baba duck back into a doorway across the road. With him were two other men he had never seen before. What the hell’s that bugger up to? he thought uneasily.
AT THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT: 1:07 P.M. The huge room was freezing in spite of a log fire, and Minister Ali Kia wore a heavy, expensive Astrakhan overcoat with a hat to match, and he was angry. “I repeat, I need transport to Kowiss tomorrow and I require you to accompany me.”
“Can’t tomorrow, sorry,” McIver said, keeping his nervousness off his face with difficulty. “I’d be glad to join you next week. Say Monday an - ” “I’m astonished that after all the ‘cooperation’ I’ve given you it’s necessary even to argue! Tomorrow, Captain, or… or I shall cancel all clearances for our 125 - in fact, I’ll hold it on the ground today, impound it today pending investigations!”
