50
PARTISAN REVIEW
For a long time after he left my office I gazed out through the
window. I had grown accustomed to the sight - the white mosque,
the maze of alleyways, the unpaved square with the camels, the fruit
vendors, the two cafes with the narghila-smokers, the MPs strolling
in pairs, the townsfolk in their long striped abeyas, the straggling
houses, the seafront with the palm trees, the grounded fishing boats.
I went to my desk and picked up the phone.
"Those thirteen corpses found in the hospital when we entered,
what do you really know about them?"
I thought I could smell the fine tobacco Major Golan was smok–
ing. "Is there anything I ought to know in addition to your report?"
he said.
"My report may not be complete. There may be another ver-
.
"
SlOn.
"Such as?"
"That those people did not die as described."
"But?"
"Were put to death."
"By whom?"
"This is yet to be determined."
In the silence that suddenly fell I thought of only one thing, the
bluish smoke ring that Major Golan was now puffing into the air at
the other end. "My dear fellow, what you're suggesting- if! get your
drift - is quite serious," he said at last. "I should say, more than ser–
ious."
I said nothing.
"I shall order an immediate investigation and see that the law is
implemented to the fullest extent - if what you're suggesting is war–
ranted."
In the afternoon two MPs presented themselves in my office. I
took them into Muna's room. I sat beside her bed while they inter–
rogated her.
"Where were you when our soldiers entered the hospital?"
"In the medicine closet."
"What were you doing there?"
"Hiding."
"What did you see?"
She saw nothing, knew nothing.
For the rest of the day she avoided my eyes. Whenever I entered
she pretended to be asleep. On my last visit that night, just before I
left for my quarters, she finally spoke. "You must forget about it,
Doctor. I am very sick . Perhaps I made it all up."
