Abdul had a secret, she had no doubt about that, but she could not imagine what it might be.
Soon the town of Faya came within sight. She asked Abdul if he knew how many people lived here – he often knew that kind of thing – and sure enough he did. ‘About twelve thousand,’ he said. ‘It’s the main town in the north of the country.’
It looked more like a large village. Kiah saw a lot of trees and many irrigated fields. There had to be a good deal of underground water to sustain so much agriculture. The bus passed an airstrip but she saw no planes and no sign of activity.
Abdul said: ‘We’ve come about six hundred miles in seventeen days. That’s only thirty-five miles a day – even slower than I expected.’
The bus stopped outside a substantial house in the middle of the town. The passengers were shown into a broad courtyard and told this was where they would eat and sleep. The sun was going down now, and there was plenty of shade. Some young women appeared with cold water for them to drink.
Hakim and the guards went off in the bus, presumably to buy a new fan belt – plus a spare, Kiah hoped. She knew from previous stops that they would park somewhere safe, and either Tareq or Hamza would stay in the bus all night. Surely, she thought, no one would want to steal such a rattletrap? But they seemed to regard it as precious. She did not care, as long as it turned up in the morning to continue the journey.
Abdul, too, left the house. He would go to a bar or café, she guessed, and he might also keep an eye on Hakim and the guards.
In a corner of the courtyard was a hand-pumped shower behind a screen, and the men were able to wash. Kiah asked one of the serving girls if the women and Naji could wash in the house. The girl went inside, then came to the entrance and nodded. Kiah beckoned Esma and Bushra, the only other women on the bus, and they all went inside.
The underground water was very cold, but Kiah was grateful for it, and for the soap and towels generously provided by the invisible owner of the house – or, more likely, his senior wife, she guessed. She washed her underwear and Naji’s clothes. Feeling better, she returned to the courtyard.
When it got dark torches were lit. Then the serving girls brought out mutton stew with couscous. Hakim would probably try to charge everyone for this in the morning. She did not let that thought spoil her pleasure. She fed Naji the couscous in the salty sauce, with some of the vegetables mashed, and he ate heartily. So did she.
Abdul returned as the torches were being extinguished. He sat a couple of yards from Kiah with his back to the wall. She lay down with Naji, who fell asleep instantly. Another day, she thought; a few miles closer to France; and we’re still alive. And with that thought she went to sleep.
CHAPTER 17
Pauline said: ‘Am I the only person who’s worried about what’s happening in Chad?’ No one answered the question, of course. ‘It shows every sign of escalating,’ she went on. ‘Sudan has now asked its ally Egypt to send troops to help combat aggression by Chad.’
It was a formal meeting of the National Security Council, with the National Security Advisor, the Secretary of State, the Chief of Staff, and other key officials, plus their aides. Pauline had called them all in at seven o’clock in the morning. They were in the Cabinet Room, a long, high-ceilinged space with four large round-arched windows looking onto the West Colonnade. There was an oval mahogany conference table with twenty leather-upholstered chairs on a red carpet with gold stars. Up against both long walls were smaller chairs for aides. At the far end was a fireplace that was never used. A window was open, and Pauline could hear faintly the traffic on 15th Street, a soft sound like a wind in distant trees.
Chester Jackson, the Secretary of State, said: ‘The Egyptians haven’t yet agreed. They’re annoyed with the Sudanese for not supporting them over the building of that dam.’
‘They will agree, though,’ Pauline said. ‘The squabble about the dam is minor. Sudan is claiming it was invaded. They explain their defeat by saying it was a sneak attack across the border. It’s not true, but that doesn’t matter.’
Gus Blake, the National Security Advisor, said: ‘The president is right, Chess. Yesterday in Khartoum there were hysterical nationalist demonstrations against Chad.’
‘Demonstrations organized by the government, probably.’
‘True, but it tells us where they’re headed.’
‘Okay,’ said Chess. ‘You’re right.’
Pauline said: ‘And Chad has asked France to double its forces there. Don’t tell me France won’t help them. France is committed to protecting the territorial integrity of Chad and other allies in the Sahel. And there are a billion barrels of oil under the sand in Chad, much of which belongs to the French oil company Total. France doesn’t want to quarrel with Egypt, and may not want to send more troops to Chad, but I think they’ll have to.’