elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第69部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　expanse　of　healthy　white　teeth　was　another　reason　to　remind　him　to　keep　his　mouth　shut。　Patiently　Ramses　went　over　it　again。
　〃If　anybody　speaks　to　you；　drool　and　babble　and　bob　your　head。　Idiots　are　under　the　protection　of　God。　Stick　close　to　me　。　。　。〃　He　hesitated；　gripped　by　one　of　those　illogical　premonitions　…　or　maybe　it　wasn't　so　illogical；　under　the　circumstances。　〃Stick　close　unless　I　tell　you　otherwise。　If　I　tell　you　to　run；　do　it；　without　arguing　and　without　looking　back。　That's　an　order。　If　you　disobey　I'll　see　that　you　face　a　court…martial。〃
　〃But　if　we're　separated　…〃
　〃I'll　find　you　if　I　can。　If　I　can't；　you'll　have　to　make　your　own　way　back　to　our　lines。　Don't　wait　for　me　or　go　looking　for　me。〃
　Chetwode's　face　was　as　easy　to　read　as　a　page　of　print。　Some　of　the　sentences　read：　〃One　doesn't　abandon　a　rade。〃　〃You　can　count　on　me；　old　chap；　to　the　death。〃　Or　something　equally　trite。　Ramses　sighed　and　offered　another　cliché。　〃One　of　us　has　to　get　back　with　the　information　we've　collected。　We　know　we're　laying　our　lives　on　the　line；　that　is　part　of　the　job。〃
　Chetwode's　tight　lips　parted。　〃Oh。　Yes；　that's　right。　You　can　count　on　me；　old　chap　…〃
　〃Good。　One　more　thing。　Hand　over　that　pistol。〃
　Ramses　had　every　intention　of　searching　him　if　he　denied　carrying　a　weapon；　but　the　young　fool　didn't　even　try　to　bluster　it　out。　His　hand　flew　to　his　waist。
　〃What　if　we　have　to　shoot　it　out？〃　he　demanded。
　〃If　it　es　to　that；　we'll　have　a　hundred　men　shooting　back　at　us。　Hand　it　over；　or　I'll　leave　you　behind。〃
　Chetwode　looked　from　his　stern　face　to　his　clenched　fist　and　got　the　point。　Slowly　and　reluctantly　he　unbuckled　the　belt　fastened　round　his　waist　under　his　shirt　and　gave　it　and　the　holster　to　Ramses。
　Ramses　removed　the　shells　and　added　the　empty　gun　to　the　pile　of　abandoned　clothing；　which　he　covered　with　a　few　loose　stones。　〃Now　shut　up　and　watch　where　you're　going。〃
　The　boy　wouldn't　shut　up。　He'd　memorized　the　directions　that　Ramses　had　ignored；　since　he　didn't　need　them；　and　kept　up　a　breathless；　whispered　monologue：　〃Keep　to　the　north　until　the　mosque　bears　132；　bearing　266　till　we　e　to　the　edge　of　a　bog　。　。　。　is　this　。　。　。　Oh；　hell。〃
　Ramses　hauled　him　out。　〃One　more　word　and　I'll　sink　you　back　into　the　muck。　We're　within　a　hundred　feet　of　the　Turkish　trenches。　Don't　open　your　mouth　again　until　I　tell　you　you　may。〃
　〃Sorry。〃　He　closed　his　mouth　and　nodded　vigorously。　The　starlight　reflected　in　his　eyes。
　Ramses　turned　and　led　them　along　the　edge　of　the　bog。　The　boy　followed　so　close　he　kept　treading　on　Ramses's　heels。　I　shouldn't　have　allowed　this；　Ramses　thought　in　silent　fury。　Goddamn　Murray　and　Cartright　and　the　rest　of　them；　the　kid's　doing　his　best；　but　I　would　spot　him　a　mile　away；　even　if　he　were　standing　still　with　his　face　hidden。　It　was　that　〃Lords　of　Creation〃　look；　shoulders　stiff　and　jaw　squared　…　drilled　into　them　from　childhood；　and　almost　impossible　to　eradicate。
　The　Turks　had　ringed　the　city　round　with　trenches　and　breastworks。　An　intricate　network　of　cactus　hedges　provided　an　additional　defense。　The　series　of　ridges　that　ran　from　Gaza　eastward　to　Beersheba　were　also　fortified；　but　they　had　no　trouble　getting　through。　The　defenders　knew　no　attack　was　imminent；　reconnaissance　planes　would　have　warned　them　of　such　preparations；　even　if　they　had　not　had　busy　little　spies　reporting　back　to　Turkish　HQ。　The　area　between　Gaza　and　Khan　Yunus　was　peaceful。　People　came　and　went；　tilling　the　fields；　carrying　produce　to　the　British　encampments；　engaging　in　all　the　mercantile　activities　that　spring　up　when　new　customers　are　available。　It　would　have　been　impossible　to　keep　tabs　on　all　of　them。
　Once　over　the　ridge；　Ramses　led　his　panion　in　a　wide　circle　that　brought　them　to　a　guard　post　just　as　the　sun　was　rising。　Chetwode　had　protested；　he　wanted　to　crawl　romantically　through　the　barbed　wire　and　the　cactus　hedges。
　〃It's　too　hard　on　one's　clothes；〃　Ramses　said　shortly。　He　had　learned　from　experience　…　and　from　that　master　thief；　his　uncle　…　that　the　best　way　of　getting　into　a　place　where　you　weren't　supposed　to　be　was　to　walk　boldly　up　and　demand　entrance。　He　had　supplied　himself　with　a　convincing　story　…　a　sick；　aged　mother　awaiting　him；　enough　money　to　arouse　cupidity　without　arousing　suspicion；　and　a　few　bags　of　a　substance　he　expected　would　serve　better　than　money。　Hashish　wasn't　hard　to　e　by　in　Turkish　areas；　but　the　best　varieties　were　expensive。
　The　nonmissioned　officer　in　charge　of　the　post　didn't　believe　the　pathetic　story　about　the　dying　mother。　Ramses　had　not　expected　he　would；　they　then　proceeded　to　the　next　stage　of　negotiation；　which　left　him　without　a　certain　percentage　of　his　money　and　his　merchandise。　It　wasn't　an　outrageously　high　percentage；　the　NCO　knew　that　if　his　victim　started　howling　protests；　it　would　have　brought　an　officer　to　investigate　…　and　demand　his　share。
　Ramses　had　been　in　Gaza　only　once；　in　the　summer　of　1912；　but　he　knew　the　place　fairly　well；　he'd　spent　several　days　wandering　around；　enjoying　the　amenities　of　the　suk　and　admiring　the　fine　old　mosques　and　making　a　brief；　informal　survey　of　the　ancient　remains；　since　he　knew　his　father　would　expect　one。　There　weren't　many。　For　almost　four　thousand　years　the　area　between　the　Sinai　and　the　Euphrates　had　been　fought　over；　conquered　and　reconquered；　destroyed　and　rebuilt。　Egyptians；　Assyrians；　Phoenicians；　Greeks；　Romans；　Saracens；　and　Crusaders　had　occupied　Gaza　in　turn。　It　had　been　one　of　the　five　cities　of　the　Philistines；　the　site　of　the　great　temple　of　Dagon；　pulled　down　by　Samson　in　his　last　and　mightiest　feat。　（He'd　got　that　information　from　his　mother；　his　father　didn't　give　much　credence　to　anything　in　Scripture　unless　it　could　be　confirmed　by　archaeological　sources。）　The　most　recent　conquest　had　been　by　the　Ottoman　Sultan；　Selim　the　First；　in　the　sixteenth　century；　in　revenge　for　the　city's　stubborn　resistance　he　had　let　his　troops　sack　and　destroy　a　large　part　of　it。　However；　by　1912　Gaza　had　bee　a　prosperous　town　with　almost　forty　thousand　inhabitants。　The　population　had　spilled　out　beyond　the　walls；　to　north　and　south　and　east；　the　central　city；　raised　on　the　accumulated　debris　of　various　levels　of　destruction；　contained　the　administrative　and　mercial　buildings；　as　well　as　the　homes　of　wealthier　citizens。
　On　the　hill　that　rose　from　the　center　of　the　upper　town　stood　the　Great　Mosque；　formerly　a　Christian　church　built　in　the　twelfth　century。　He　had　spent　an　enjoyable　afternoon　admiring　the　carvings　and　the　magnificent　gray　marble　columns。　It　was　now　being　used　as　a　powder　magazine。
　So　much　for　the　Great　Mosque；　Ramses　thought。　So　much　for　the　other　architectural　treasures　of　Gaza　…　the　little　church　of　St。　Porphyry；　an　exquisite　example　of　early　Christian　architecture；　the　beautiful　ancient　mosque　of　Hashim；　even　the　remains　of　the　old　walls　and　their　seven　gates。　Modern　weapons　were　much　more　efficient　than　the　older　variety。　One　well…placed　shell　and　the　Great　Mosque；　with　its　delicate　octagonal　minaret；　would　be　gone。
　And　so　would　hundreds；　maybe　thousands；　of　people。
　The　suk　appeared　to　be　as　prosperous　as　ever；　with　stalls　selling　everything　from　handmade　lace　and　the　fine　black　pottery　of　the　region　to　a　variety　of　mouthwatering　fruits　and　nuts　and　vegetables；　whose　discarded　rinds　and　husks　littered　the　ground。　Ramses　found　a　popular　café；　squatted　genteelly；　and　ordered　mint　tea。　The　habitués　were　an　inquisitive　lot；　they　put　him　through　a　merciless　but　friendly　interrogation；　not　leaving　off　until　they　had　determined　his　name；　place　of　origin；　business；　and　ancestry；　and　had　miserated　with　him　on　the　condition　of　his　poor　young　brother。　〃He　has　blue　eyes；〃　said　one　observant　man。
　〃His　mother　was　Circassian；〃　Ramses　explained。　〃My　father's　favorite；　until　she　died　giving　birth　to　him。　My　mother　。　。　。〃
　It　did　not　take　long　for　Ramses　to　establish　his　bona　fides　as　a　seller　of　desirable　merchandise。　The　town　was　full　of　men　in　uniform；　strutting　through　the　street　with　the　arrogance　of　Europeans　among　natives。　The　most　loquacious　of　their　newfound　friends；　a　middle…aged　man　with　only　one　eye　and　a　stump　where　his　right　hand　had　been；　had　a　few　pungent