The Bride Box Read Online Free PDF Page A

the slave trade – an indication, perhaps, of its revival in Egypt – did the connection with a Pasha mean that there were big forces behind it? It was profitable enough to tempt even Pashas. And what about Leila’s mention of white men: how far did this go?
    â€˜Political enough for you yet?’ he could hear Paul saying.
    â€˜I told you it was big,’ Ali said to Hussein. ‘The Mamur Zapt
and
the Parquet!’
    â€˜Must be a prize dog!’ said Hussein.
    â€˜A Saluki at least!’
    â€˜Shouldn’t have put it in a box like that!’ said Hussein.
    â€˜Without any air!’
    â€˜The Pasha will have the skin off them!’
    â€˜And they’ll deserve it!’
    â€˜Ought to know better!’
    â€˜Ignorant sods down there!’
    â€˜Are you two ever going to do any work?’ asked the overseer.
    â€˜Coming, coming!’
    Hussein and Ali bent to the box. They straightened up again.
    â€˜Heavy!’
    â€˜Too heavy!’
    â€˜Look, they’ve taken the dog out of it. So I gather. It’ll be lighter than it was!’ said the overseer.
    â€˜It’s more than a two-man lift.’
    â€˜Four men at least!’
    â€˜Look, it’s only down to the Bab-el-Khalk!’
    â€˜In this heat?’
    â€˜Just get on with it! Or it won’t be the Pasha who flays your hide!’
    â€˜Bastard!’ muttered Ali.
    â€˜Bastard!’ muttered Hussein.
    â€˜Right! Lift!’
    They raised it an inch.
    â€˜Can’t be done!’
    â€˜Not with just two of us.’
    â€˜A bride box? Of course it can be done!’
    â€˜Not just with two of us.’
    â€˜All right. I’ll get Abdul.’
    â€˜And Mustapha.’
    â€˜Mustapha’s doing something else.’
    â€˜We’ll wait.’
    â€˜I’m going to fetch Abdul
and
Mustapha. And then I’m going to kick your backsides.’
    The overseer went off in a fury.
    Ali and Hussein sat down on the ground in the shade of the box.
    â€˜Doesn’t smell as bad as it did.’
    â€˜You fancy? It’s still pretty bad.’
    â€˜Maybe it’s just that I’m getting used to it.’
    â€˜You do get used to things, don’t you? This box, for instance, I’ve got used to seeing it here. I shall quite miss it when it goes.’
    â€˜Well, I shan’t!’ said the guard Mahmoud had posted. ‘It’s really hot just standing here.
And
I can still smell it.
And
it smells pretty bad!’
    â€˜Stop complaining! You don’t have to carry it.’
    â€˜You just have to stand there.’
    â€˜All day,’ said the guard. ‘All day.
And
all night!’
    â€˜I’ll bet you don’t stand there all night!’
    â€˜Well, no one would expect me to. But I’m still on guard.’
    â€˜With his eyes closed!’
    â€˜I would know if anyone tried to make off with it.’
    â€˜You’d probably have tipped them off. Then down in the souk with it and split the money!’
    â€˜A bride box?’
    â€˜Well, there’s always a demand for them. Girls are always getting married.’
    â€˜Yes, well, most girls don’t put dogs in them!’
    â€˜Hello, here are Abdul and Mustapha!’
    â€˜This it? We’re not expected to carry this down to the Bab-el-Khalk, are we?’
    â€˜Yes, you bloody are!’ said the overseer. ‘Four of you! Why, I could carry it there myself!’
    â€˜Go on, show us!’
    â€˜I’ll show you something else in a minute! Now bloody get on with it!’
    They bent and lifted.
    â€˜Hey! What are you doing with my sister’s box?’ said Leila indignantly. She had just come up the platform with Owen and Mahmoud.
    The men put the box down.
    â€˜Your sister’s, is it?’ one of the guards said. ‘Well, it needs a bit of a clean.’
    â€˜It was all right when she took it away!’
    â€˜Well, that was then, and this is