The Captive Read online

  “Well, if you saw someone at Aida’s bedside and in the morning her earrings have gone … the chances are that you were not dreaming.”

  Just at that moment Samir came up. He was holding something bright in his hands.

  “Look,” he said.

  “Maman, pretty things …”

  She took the jewelled box from his hands and opened it. There lay the ruby earrings.

  Nicole exchanged a glance with me, fearful and full of meaning.

  “Where did you find this, Samir?” she asked in a voice which trembled.

  “In my boat.”

  His toy boat, the pride of his life. He was hardly ever without it. He used to sail it in the pools.

  Nicole looked at me and said: “I must take it to Rani immediately.”

  I put out a hand to stop her. I looked at Samir hesitantly. She knew what I meant.

  She said to him: “Go away and play. Don’t tell anyone what you found.

  It’s not important. But don’t say a word. Promise, Samir. “

  He nodded his head and darted off.

  I said: “It’s coming back. It could have been Fatima whom I saw last night. What if she stole the earrings? The more I think of it, the more I believe that this is what it is all about. Didn’t she say we should all be searched … and she mentioned the children. Fatima is foolish sometimes. She has no subtlety. It is easy to read her mind. She wants to damage you . and Samir. So she stole the earrings, put them in the boat and wants it to be believed that Samir stole them.”

  “Why?”

  “To make a thief of him.”

  “But he is a child.”

  “Then perhaps I am wrong. What would have happened if the earrings had been found in his boat? He would have said he did not know how they got there, but would he have been believed? It might be reported to the Pasha. Aida would have reported it, if she went back to him … as she well might. Perhaps the boy would be punished. The Pasha would be displeased with him. Do you see what I mean? But perhaps I am wrong.”

  “No … no. I do not believe that you are wrong.”

  “I think she may say that Samir stole them and when the theft was discovered, he was afraid and gave them up.”

  Then what. ? “

  “Let’s get rid of them … at once. Drop them … anywhere. It would not do for them to be found with you. What explanation could you give?

  How did they come to be in Samir’s boat? they would ask. Samir must have put them there, they would say. It would be an unpleasant business. Leave them . near the pool. The case will be conspicuous and soon found, then Samir will not come into it. I feel sure it is better that he does not. “

  “You are right,” she said.

  “Then the sooner it is out of your possession the better.”

  She nodded. Cautiously she put the case down by the pool and we walked away.

  I said: “I feel sure it was Fatima. I am trying to remember what I saw in the night. It would have been so easy for her to slip off her divan when everyone was asleep … and take the case.”

  “It was Fatima. I know it. She was the one. Oh, how I hate that woman.

  One day I will kill her. “

  The case was found. Aida said she could not understand it. She had left it beside her divan. Someone must have taken it, and then become frightened and thrown it away.

  Rani said the earrings were found and that was an end of the matter.

  But it was not really so. The enmity between Fatima and Nicole grew alarmingly. It was almost certain that Aida was not pregnant and that deepened the rivalry between the mothers of Samir and Feisal. Aida was sullen. Someone said she had pretended her earrings were stolen to call attention to the fact that the Pasha had once liked her enough to present them to her. There was a great deal of wrangling and petty spite in the harem. Perhaps because there was so little for them to do.

  Nicole was undoubtedly grateful to me. She could clearly see the danger through which she and Samir had passed, for if the boy could have been branded as a thief, his favour might have been tarnished with the Pasha, if not lost forever. It was a mean act and worthy of Fatima, Nicole was sure.

  She became more open with me. I had always known that there was a special friendship between her and the Chief Eunuch, but now she told me that they had been on the ship together and there had been a friendship between them then. She did not say that they had been in love, but the seeds of it might have been sown. When she had been taken into the harem he had been sold to the Pasha at the same time.

  They had then been in urgent need of eunuchs and that had been his fate. He was tall, handsome and clever so he had risen quickly to his present rank. Nicole passed on information to him from the harem and he gave her news of what was happening outside. They had both made the most of the life into which they had been thrust.

  Now I knew how close they had been before they had been taken into captivity, I understood their relationship much better. It had taken some time for them to become resigned to this life; but he had become Chief Eunuch and she planned to be First Lady of the Harem in due course.

  The relationship between myself and Nicole had deepened.

  It was I who had saved her son from a situation which could have been damning to their chances. It was clear to me that I was accepted as her friend, and she wanted to repay me for what I had done for her.

  I tried to make her understand that there should be no thought of payment between friends. She replied that she realized that, but if she could do anything for me, she would; and she knew that what I wanted more than anything was to escape from my present position. Once, long ago, she had felt exactly the same, and that gave her a special understanding of my case.

  The first thing she did was, to bring me a note. I think she had told her friend the Chief Eunuch the story of the earrings and enlisted his help; and for her sake he helped to bring this about.

  The note was smuggled to me as before, and when I was quite alone I read it.

  Don’t give up hope. Through a friend of mine I have heard what is happening on the other side of the wall. If an opportunity comes, I’ll be ready. So must you be. Don’t despair. We have friends. I do not forget you. We shall succeed.

  What a comfort it was to read that.

  Sometimes in a pessimistic mood, I asked myself what he could do. Then I assured myself that he would do something. I must go on hoping.

  Nicole was watchful of Samir. I found myself watching him, too. He and I had become friends. He knew that I was with his mother a good deal and that there was a special understanding between us; it seemed to me that he wanted a share in it.

  He was an enchanting child, and good-looking, healthy; and loving all people, he believed they loved him, too.

  When I was sitting by the pool alone he came up to me and showed me his boat. We floated it on the pool and he watched its progress with dreamy eyes.

  “It’s come from a long, long way,” he said.

  “From where?” I asked.

  “From Mar … Mart…”

  I said on sudden inspiration: “Martinique.”

  He nodded happily.

  “It’s going to a place in France,” he said.

  “It’s Lyons. There’s a school there.”

  I guessed his mother had told him her story, for he went on:

  “Pirates.” He began to shout.

  “They are trying to take us but we won’t let them, will we? Bang, bang. Go away, you horrid pirate. We don’t like you.” He waved his hand at imaginary vessels. He turned to smile at me.

  “All right now. Don’t be frightened. They’ve all gone now.”

  He pointed to a tree and said, “Figs.”

  “Do you like figs?” I asked.

  He nodded vigorously.

  His mother came up. She had heard the last remark.

  “He is greedy where figs are concerned, aren’t you, Samir?” she said.

  He hunched his shoulders and nodded.

 
; I remembered that later.

  I was sitting by the pool, thinking that the days were passing quickly and wondering when the Pasha would be coming back. Could I hope to escape again? There could not be another draught like the last. Rani would surely suspect if there were. And if I did take it, what effect would it have on me: how much did Nicole know about such potions?

  Moreover, I imagined that Rani would prepare the aphrodisiac this time. She was no fool. It might well be that she had a suspicion of what happened. Was there any hope? I wondered. Could Simon offer me anything but words of comfort?

  Samir came up to me. He was holding a fig.

  “Oh,” I said.

  “What a nice fig, Samir.”

  “Yes,” he answered.

  “Fatima gave it to me.”

  “Fatima!” A shiver of alarm ran through me.

  “Give it to me, Samir,” I said.

  He held it behind his back.

  “It’s not yours. It’s mine.”

  “Just show it to me.”

  He stepped back a pace and, bringing out his hand, held up the fig.

  I went to take it from him, but he ran and I went after him.

  He ran full tilt into his mother, who caught him laughingly and looked at me.

  “Fatima gave him a fig,” I said.

  She turned pale.

  “He’s holding it now. He wouldn’t give it to me.”

  She snatched it from him. His face puckered.

  “It’s all right,” she said.

  “I’ll find you another.”

  “But that’s mine. Fatima gave it to me.”

  “Never mind.” Her voice shook a little.

  “You shall have a bigger and better one. This one’s not very nice. It has worms in it.”

  “Show me?” cried Samir excitedly.

  “First of all, I’ll get you a nice one.”

  She put the fig into my hands.

  “I’ll be back,” she said.

  She took Samir off and a few minutes later returned without him.

  “What do you think?” I asked.

  “She’s capable of anything.”

  So think I. “

  “Rosetta, I am going to test this.”

  She sat on the stones holding the fig in her hand and staring moodily before her. One of Fatima’s little dogs came into sight.

  She laughed suddenly and called to him. He came up and looked. She held out the fig to the dog who swallowed it at one gulp, and looked at us hopefully for more.

  “Why should she give him a fig?” she asked.

  “She might have been sorry about the earrings and wanted to please him.”

  She looked at me scornfully. Then her eyes went to the dog. He had crept into a corner and was being sick.

  She was triumphant.

  “She is wicked … wicked … she would have killed Samir.”

  “We can’t be sure.”

  “It’s proof enough. Look at the dog.”

  “It might have been something else.”

  “He was well enough before he took the fig.”

  “Do you think she would go so far? What would happen to her if she were discovered?”

  “Death for murder.”

  “She would think of that.”

  “Fatima never thinks ahead. She would think only of getting rid of Samir so that Feisal could be the Pasha’s favourite.”

  “Nicole, do you seriously believe she would go to such lengths?”

  The dog was now writhing on the ground. We stared at it in horror.

  Suddenly its legs stiffened and it lay on its side.

  “It could have been Samir,” whispered Nicole.

  “If you hadn’t seen him with the fig … I will kill her for this.”

  Aida came up.

  “What’s the matter with the dog?” she said.

  “He’s dead,” said Nicole.

  “He ate a fig.”

  “A what?”

  “A fig.”

  “How could he die of that? It’s Fatima’s dog.”

  “Yes,” said Nicole.

  “Go and tell her that her dog has died through eating a fig.”

  I was really alarmed. I had been apt to feel somewhat contemptuous of their rivalries, but when they led to attempted murder, that was another matter.

  It was not to be expected that that would be the end of the affair.

  Nicole was not the sort to let such a thing pass.

  Her remarks about the fig and the death of the dog would be enough to show Fatima that she suspected her. And she had been the one who had given the fig to Samir -the fig which afterwards had poisoned the dog.

  There was open warfare between Nicole and Fatima. Everyone was talking about the death of Fatima’s little dog who had died after eating a fig.

  Rani was worried. She hated trouble in the harem and liked to believe that she could keep everything in order.

  Smouldering looks passed between Nicole and Fatima and we were all waiting for the trouble to start.

  I begged Nicole to be careful. It would be best for her to tell Rani or the Chief Eunuch what she suspected; and they could deal with the matter.

  She said: “J want to deal with Fatima. They might not believe she did what she did. They will say it was some other thing which caused the dog’s death. They wouldn’t want the Pasha to know that there had been attempted murder in the harem.”

  I said fearfully: “He will be back soon. Surely he will hear something about it then?”

  “No. He would not hear such a thing. Besides, they will try to make it all die down before he gets back. But I am not going to let it. She tried to prove my son a thief and when that failed she tried to poison him.”

  “At neither time did she succeed.”

  “No. Thank God. And it was due to you. You have been my good friend and when I can I will repay you. Yes, I will repay you for the good you have done me and her for the evil. But repayment there shall be.”

  It could not go on.

  Fatima approached Nicole in the gardens.

  She said: “You are spreading evil tales about me.”

  I had picked up enough of the language to understand a little now and then, so I could make out roughly what was being said.

  “Nothing could be more evil than the truth,” cried Nicole.

  “You tried to kill my son.”

  “I did not.”

  “You liar! You poisoned a fig and tried to kill him. Instead your dog died. It was proved.”

  “I did not give the fig to him. The child is a liar as well as a thief.”

  With that Nicole brought up her hand and dealt Fatima a stinging blow on the side of her face.

  With a cry Fatima leaped upon her. I was terrified, for in her hand I saw a knife. Fatima had come prepared for battle.

  Several women screamed.

  “Fetch Rani,” someone said.

  “Fetch the Eunuch. Call them.”

  Fatima had plunged the knife into Nicole’s thigh and her trousers were drenched with blood. It seemed to be spurting all around.

  Rani had come and was shrieking to them to stop. With her was the Chief Eunuch. He was a big strong man, and was soon dragging a kicking, screaming Fatima away from Nicole, who lay on the ground bleeding profusely.

  Two other eunuchs who were tending the gardens appeared Rani ordered them to take Fatima away. The Chief Eunuch knelt beside Nicole. He said something to Rani.

  Then he lifted Nicole tenderly in his arms and carried her into the building.

  I was horrified. I had known that there would be trouble sooner or later between them, but I had not thought of fighting with knives.

  There had of course only been one and that had given Fatima the advantage. Now I was worried about Nicole. I had grown fond of her.

  She was the only one with whom I could communicate. She it was who had made life tolerable for me.

  Then I thought of Samir. Poor child, what would become of him?


  He was bewildered and came to me to be comforted.

  “Where is my Maman?” he asked plaintively.

  “She is ill.”

  “When will she be better?”

  “We must wait and see,” I told him one of the most unsatisfactory answers possible, as I remembered from my own childhood.

  Fatima was under restraint. I wondered what would happen to her. The incident would not be lightly passed over, of that I was sure. To do so would be to undermine law and order in the harem and that was something neither Rani nor the Chief Eunuch would allow.

  From what little I could understand, the women were discussing the poisoned fig and Fatima’s attack on Nicole;

  Aida and her pretensions were no longer the main topic of conversation.

  Rani was seething with anger because Fatima obviously had access to her closet where the drugs were kept. I wondered how often these had been used with discretion to remove some unwanted person from the harem. I imagined orders coming from the Pasha, through the Chief Eunuch, of course, that someone was to be quietly removed. It must have happened now and then. The secrets of the closet should be closely guarded and the fact that Fatima had succeeded in getting access to it must give cause for alarm.

  The Chief Eunuch was in constant communication with Rani. I saw him frequently in the harem.

  Nicole was kept in a room by herself. I was allowed to visit her, presumably because she asked that I should. They were very anxious that she should recover and were ready to do anything to help her to that end.

  I was shocked at the sight of her. Her thigh was encased in bandages and she was very pale; there were dark bruises on her forehead.

  “That snake would have finished me … if she could … and she nearly did,” she said.

  “How is Samir?”

  “He asks for you.”

  A smile illuminated her face.

  “I did not want him to see me … like this.”

  “I think he would like to see you anyway.”

  “Perhaps then …”

  “I’ll tell him. He will be overjoyed.”

  “You are looking after him for me?”

  “As well as I can, but it is you he wants.”

  “That wicked witch is shut away, I know. That is a great relief to me.”

  “Yes. She is not with us any more.”

  “Thank God for that. I could not lie here knowing she was there … and I powerless. How much does Samir know of the danger he was in?”