The Mingrelian Conspiracy. Michael Pearce

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СКАЧАТЬ But one was received, and since it was in public, and in view of the forthcoming visit –’

      ‘But, Chargé, precisely because of the forthcoming visit, mightn’t we hush things up? We don’t want a diplomatic incident, do we?’

      ‘We don’t,’ said the Chargé, ‘but back at home they might.’

      ‘I must confess this is a blow. Chargé. I had hoped for a quiet run-up to the Grand Duke’s visit.’

      ‘Me too,’ said the Chargé.

      ‘You don’t think you could postpone your complaint? Say, till after the visit was over?’

      ‘It’s already with the Parquet. It wouldn’t look good if I was to withdraw it and then put it back in.’

      ‘True, true. All the same – the fact is. Chargé, this stupid incident comes at a most awkward time.’

      ‘I can see that. Any other time, the British wouldn’t pay any attention.’

      ‘Well, that’s exactly it. Go on. Chargé, be a decent chap and I will send you round a bottle of Château d’Yquem.’

      ‘Well – ‘said the Chargé, weakening.

      ‘You’re the only one who’s left now.’

      ‘There were others? Other countries are involved?’

      ‘No, no! It’s just that the Mingrelian community –’

      ‘Mingrelian!’ The Chargé shot upright. ‘They were behind it?’

      ‘No, no! They were on the receiving end, actually –’

      ‘Assaulted?’

      ‘I’m afraid so.’

      The Chargé leaped up from his chair and threw his arms around Paul.

      ‘The Mingrelians? Assaulted? But this is excellent news, excellent!’ He folded Owen, too, in a deep embrace. ‘My government will be delighted! Oh, that’s the way to do it! First we give it them back at home, now you give it them here! Excellent!’

      He pressed the bell on his desk.

      ‘Vodka!’ he shouted. ‘Vodka, to celebrate! A toast! Undying friendship between our countries!’ He pressed Paul emotionally to him once again. ‘That is the way allies should behave! I will let my people know at once. The Mingrelians! Thrashed! And that’s even before Duke Nicholas gets here –’

      He stopped suddenly.

      ‘Why not?’ he said. ‘Why not? I’ll put it to him. Those fine, brave men! A medal! For service to the Tsar! I’ll do it! You can rely on me!’

      ‘And the complaint? You withdraw the complaint?’

      ‘Complaint?’ said the Chargé. ‘What complaint? I have no complaint. Oh, no! Far from it!’

      ‘The Grand Duke’s visit?’ said Owen.

      ‘I was going to tell you about it. It’s just that I didn’t want to bother you when your mind was on more important things, like the cafés. The Khedive has invited him. In about three weeks’ time.’

      ‘A State Visit?’

      ‘Semi-State. Duke Nicholas is only the heir. He’s supposed to be on an informal tour of the Mediterranean. Well, actually, he’s so unpopular at home that the Tsar wanted to get him out of the country before someone threw a bomb at him.’

      ‘And the Khedive invited him here?’

      ‘That’s right. You, of course, will be responsible for security.’

      ‘There’s going to be a ball,’ said Zeinab.

      ‘It’s not been decided yet.’

      ‘And that, of course,’ said Zeinab, disregarding him, ‘creates a major problem: what am I going to wear?’

      ‘It’s not been decided yet. The meeting’s not till tomorrow. Look, I know. I’m going to it.’

      ‘And then there will be the opera as well. I’ll need two dresses. The trouble is, there isn’t a decent dress in Cairo. Anton says he might be getting some in, but everyone will be fighting for them and, besides, they’ll all have seen them. So I thought I would cable Paris direct. Now here’s the problem: I don’t want to do it through Posts and Telegraphs in the ordinary way, or else people will get to know about it. So – look, are you listening, this is important – can you send a cable for me? Using the diplomatic channel?’

      ‘No. Absolutely not.’

      ‘I’ll bet the Consul-General’s wife is.’

      ‘What she does is her own business.’

      ‘You don’t love me,’ said Zeinab.

      ‘Of course I love you. Now –’

      ‘You don’t love me. Not in the way he loves her.’

      ‘I should bloody hope not,’ said Owen, an image of the Consul-General and his stately lady coming vividly before his mind.

      ‘I know what it is. You don’t want me to go. You are ashamed of me. There will be all those lords and ladies, those petty princelings from petty little countries, Wales, I wouldn’t be surprised, and you say: what is an Egyptian woman doing among that lot? Well, let me tell you, the daughter of a Pasha, especially the illegitimate daughter of a Pasha, has got more love and life and passion in her little finger than any of them have in their whole body!’

      ‘I think that’s more than likely,’ said Owen.

      ‘Wasted!’ said Zeinab dramatically. ‘On you!’

      ‘Not wasted; I greatly enjoy it.’

      ‘In private, yes, but not in public.’

      ‘Well, what the hell do you want us to do? Make love in the middle of Abdin Square?’

      ‘Take me to the ball.’

      ‘I am taking you to the ball. If there is one.’

      ‘You know I can’t come if I’m not properly dressed.’

      ‘You will be properly dressed. You’ve got lots of dresses. They’re all there on the rack. Look, bloody hundreds of them –’

      ‘You want to see me in rags!’

      ‘Rags! This one cost more than a year’s pay! You told me. Afterwards.’

      ‘I passed the bill to my father. He will not want to see me dressed like some parvenue. He has pride. We are like that in Egypt. Proud people. We know what is fitting. Unlike the boring, bourgeois British.’

      ‘Look, СКАЧАТЬ