THROUGH A GLASS, DARKLY Peter AbrahQms UWI L ibr ari es ---- Fer new we see threugh a glass, dar kly; but then f ace te f ace: new I knew in part; but then shEll I knew even a s alse I am kn ewn. And new 1abideth faith, hepe, charity, these three; but the greatest ef these i s charity. - St. Paul te the Cerinthians UWI L ibr ari es TIME: The present PLACE: An isl2nd in the Ceri bbean NATURE: A novel, a work of fiction , in which all persons and places 2,re fi gments ' of the imagination; but since the imagination is nurtured by reality the point of departure of this story is the reality of t he Caribbeano Each reeder is therefore at liberty to decide the particular 1 island on which he or she I wants this s tory played out . UWI L ibr ari es I ' I \, \ . ' UWI L ibr ari es - J. THE LEGACY UWI L ibr ari es All dcy 1 ng the s l eek little plan es and t le clunrny- l m. king helic op t ers had criss-cro s 8ed the hills , flying l ow end yet out of reech f p ssible rifle sho t . Th e men th u ght: Almos t ns though I t ey sre l o k for me . But he Knew t he y wore n ot . 1l'his WPG r utin e , pPrt of the :ah ow ao f s trength th~ t h8d become hAbi t even when there • ke ~ ~ Jr -"'" w sLn o-one to whom t o how it . The pe a srut:ts of t hese hills n ow h2d t o be shown t hiG stren g th all the time . T'hr t wes some thin g ~ h::id l earnt fr om t he Old IV".i. n . But whe r eas the Old iv1an had ~~L ~ u se d thi s sh w of str en g th on l y in ti 1es of need , 5. !i.rn on UGed s~L it all the ti 1e . i i mon h 8 d on e e t old him t ha t you can n ever over- do good thing , espe ci 211y i f i t we r e simple 8nd str . i ghtforwerd . Since a show f s t rength i s e good thin g , do it ell the t i me . Fl y .t he plnnes even Ql1F#Jiluj-e;xs when the pcPsPnt s ci r e n ot cultivetj_n g ·tw -A: . , . _ ,_-,f~A ~ ills i d~ ~ for fi little corn and a,. .. l i t ~ gr oun d pr ovi ch on. \ l\li ake the sh w f streng th c.ll the sam : nrnke it t o t he trees and the earth and t he w r m l a te Sunday aftern oon bree ze . erhaps these will i mpar t it t o the of t he hills hen theJ to ~ - Men CO:ijle teir cultiva tion s t omorr ow :morning . The earth does c oJllIIi.unic a t e wi th men: she does p a:3s on un ease e.n d f ear in pr e ci sely the mrre way thet he pas es on assur anc e n d c onfidence . On c e thi s e2rth had I v ommu~ica t ed a hi gh ense of freedom t o i ts children , especielly in the years imme di a t e l y 8fter the withdrcwal of the occupying ... pow-, r . Now f ear w s a long clh dow over the l an d and i ts children . At un d wn ;the pl an es topped t he ir l e zy cri ss- crossing of t he ill s . He c ome out of h i s hiding pl 8ce which ;wes ... :ymci ll c r-- ve high up n ear t he top of mhe highest of the gr oup of hills wher e he hi d. hi dden s ince S2turday nigh t f t e r t he pee ants h ed gon e f r om the ir cultivetions . ~ ' He ~e, !J4 if!'!H e d up t o t ,~e lh ghe s t po int end l ooked down c1 t the UWI L ibr ari es I I l 2 l ong wi de p l in . An d , always , h i s heart WB'd fill ed with .b e u ty L of h L , l and . r:l.'h e pl2 in was a c ar pet of lush green , three thou srn d feet be l ow, begi nnin g v,i th t e un be li ev ably pl e cidf r i bbe,m :sea en d □weeping in w .r d unti l i t touched the foo t hill :3 and c ased to be pl2 in . The por t bui l dings , t he ci ty Bnd 1 1 the other man- m2de s c s r s cm the f 2c e f the pla in seemed par ticular ly unrea l , ephemcrB embat t led in the mL,ty light of the dying bun : the s l i ghtest relexati on , the sli ght.st le tting u p by man , and the l ush gre n would over- r un 11 h i s works Pn d :rxxk:i:x make n o t h ing of them . Je r er , the sloping l s nd ,c l i mbed fa.s't ; a t a sharp gr de tha t r a i ~e l~ . . ; h 1 _e l and t o over t hree thou sand 'e t ab v e the sea i n l ess . "' __ the man ' ~ than ~ ci'il s . Imme di te l y be l ow/:k.:tE perch , twi sting s n d turn i n g l i ke l on g inuou s sn c.ke , wes the on e smoo t h l y mq edami dod hig ·v ✓ ey into t he hills'. At thi s po int , tno r a d swun g t o wi thin thr ee v i ew hun dred feet o f where he t o d . There wa~ sharp , unin terr upted/ f*gX yar ds a qu ar te r of of i t f or Qbout t wentyj F~r at l ee s t XXIX1XEXXH/kxl ~ a minute ny- t hin g moving t a]1_easy p8 c e would be fully in f e c'Q. s . J osiah ' s ✓ car , with~ s~tee ch ing mo t orc ycle esc ort fron t end bP ck , would ,ove a t en ee ~Y pa c e . '11hE: mBn t hou gh t: I will h Pv e 8 quarter cf a minute: t h ti s a ll I n e d , j u st 8 quar t e r of a minute . He look e d t the pl 8in onc e mor e . An d thi s time h e gav e w y to t he wav e of heair t a ch e t ha t swept over h i m. Now , Pt l es t , wi th l ess t han an h our t o go , it wa s a l l right to admit on e ' s weaknes ~, on e ' s of tnes~ , on e ' s he . r t a che . He turn~d Qnd wen:it b2ck t .o t he little c av e . Vlhen he c eme out he c arri ed an ar my t ype kn apsack with h i m. He wen t ba ck t o t he point fr cm which he wou ld h .ve h i s qu ar t er minute . He hed f ound an d c lear ed the spo t the nigh t be f ore , G now there wes n o need t o prepare . He went d wn on tne so ft , hollowed- u t ear t h end un di d UWI L ibr ari es i I \ the knapsack . First he t 0ok out the small IQXX J&Ki: brown paper parcel c on taining the hi ghly seasoned escovitchq~ i s h ~ the small l oaf ) of wholewhea t bre a d , and the s .a.11 thermos with t he chilled sour sop juice . Thi s was h i s .::.upper . Per haps my l a s t, h e t hou ght de t che dly , wi thout n ' r e2l in ter e s t in the thou ght . dr ink a s ide . 11h en he unpe cke d t ne . ·er i es He put the food sn d ~ of dull me# t 1 tubes nd 'other ob j e ct .3 tha t filled the kn °psack . He l a i d every n in g A. t;;,,,,,,,._ out e--r the ground with a delic te C!Clre , as i wom2n ~ .rin g spe ci 1 di sh f(, r her f ,.ily . He sat ba ck , che ck ing over e-"[sry i tern , even though· h e .knew every s in gl e p i e c e vias there . ~ 1ien he ·p~o ceeded t o a ssemble t he pieees . Wh en he had done he had a/ rifle ; cn e of tho se powerful modern on es tha t Jo s iah had -~ brou ght into the c ountry t o s ~rengthen his gr .owing se cur ity f orce . You h a d 0nly t o t ouch the tri gger of I one of t hec,e n ew ones f or score or mor e #°' pullets t o go s tr e king t oward' their t Br ge t . But unlike the on es J osi ah su pplie d t o the men of h i s se curity f orce, thi s one was mounte d with te l esc opic . I s i ghts . The m::m l a i d do wn on his be l l y . nd fixed t he rifle 'between the two boul ders throu gh which he c ommanded vi ew of t he r oad . \ - He looked thr ough the telescopic s i ght G an d the r o d wa:s brou ght ~-G> up .flJl!I' clo se .tha t h e c ould pick out the in divi du a l small ston es a- . that h d r olled on to it . It would bring Jo ·i ah u p so clooe t ha t hew uld be abl to see the huge mo l e on h ms righ t cheek; perhaps even h i s o d mennerism of go ~n g wall-eye a in repose . vii th the r i f'l e re a.dy Pn d pointing at the r oad , :the r •• an turned to h i s food . He a te s l owly , . ., 2;vouring every tOU thful of the cripply fr ie d fish r i d the dclic P. te l y s.1. a rp ·vP. ST,e t1lf } u t gr een pe pper , r 'O, vv lhen n.e i.:~ i Led • •••• • •• o UWI L ibr ari es I I 6n e : 1£HE L GACY UWI L ibr ari es ,,,... L.,,. ~ -\ "' _/ ;2· swi t ch e d of f tne r di o ::>n d turn e d thFt i t 1•1 ..J true . The Old 1v; an wes deB d . 11 Yf.h · t doe it me n? " Cl 2r2 a sk:m d . \L~W-- 1~ tr:t ,d to thi nk , bu t how w, ,,, l d ¥OJi exp~c i n i ~ t i me ~\ C c.- .J--~ J \ , s u d. dtresJsy-011:a,e-. t o ri top , or ~ - t he l i ght of the ;;,un ~ W.-( ~ ~k. ... ~ ~ ,t..;11 4 ' tt::,1. ----- ex t i n gui she d? ,J-;:!;-wc-ul d KM b€ beyond .the ran ge of t:xper i ence , ~~ ~ ry tt:.,.. "'""'k.~..:s--- , lk Li 2nd it L., s.i ffi e al--e to ,thiak of m ch t hingt; . ~ ...,hock ~ h eFd "~ .. ~- ~...... I c'nd ~ t ': i nl~, Cl,rr un der0t~od the L ,rl f'TI' er.,rti onr l ho l pl._,..,_,ni:..-..., ' ' -~~ b h in d ~~:\. ~· .... tur -• J,w"h'""d l on g C •[, d l. C"::: cut "C t 1 .~ l ~ l-cl ' ,-, " ,. e., ~ but ' . - '·' - ,.· "' 1 1·• "Y: r ,... r; ,.._-" ,., v r~r l·n · --1-i· r., r1. ~ -,.~ ~-": ., '-:-_ 11 . _. o · .. v ~ u ~ " . • t_ C J. n::J ( ~- • kat.:1! . ; J ' ' i - • ~ ' ~ -v ~ _¼v~--rt- ""Y'~ -;·1 -h-r . ·~ ~-:-· ..L.v ~~ - ..,~ \,, ::' -'-- , ~ ]_ 'r"' .l·:.211 ..J..,"'-; ~ ~ . " .. ~\ _f;;. .JLA c._.+- "'\.. ~ ~1. ~ ~l.. r -'- • j' • • 1-} ~ , , r • .., . ,1 1, • -· >...:, 1 .--c--- · :c _,,. ...... L. ,_ ,_ ..,. --~ ;;,~< ... ..... ---- . ___..:...• \ ~ ~ · The ann•uncer• • v•ice had been ■trained, unbelieving, frighten• ~ when he aaid: "La.die• and gentlemen, the Preaident i• dead. A bulletin frem the Preaidential Palace anneuncod that Preaident M••e• Jeahua cellap■ed and died five minuiea age. The Pre■ident ·r~ '- ~ µ- ~~- ~I}- r;, waa in th• act •f,.. te••"'•8 h~• diplema:iic gue ■ "t• when he died." Th•r• ha d been a l•t mere: the Natienal Anthem, hi• faveuri~e hymn, I the v•ice •f hia wife. He waa very eld and the whale ialend knew tixm u that he might die any day. Pe•ple ha d XIUl diacuaaad the peaaibility ep••ly. Th8 Old Man himself had often referred to it~ eapecially •v•r the pa•t twe er thr•• yeara. ~ yet hi• dea"ih waa •h•cking and ~ ~~1'L. ~ t;" ...:..~ unexpacted becauae L..,. Jere .,..- afraid 4f thinkiag of life •n 'lhe- him aa unqueatiened leader •land wi theut :i:i. He had ■ttaddled the ialand/f•r nearly half a century:,_ , , ~-~ ¼----( -~ E went . tel_}he telephene and dialled the unliatsd number t;hat weuld KU put~in direct c•ntact with the Preaidential Secretary. UWI L ibr ari es ' 6 l¥- le•• than f wa■ en• ef/a dezen peeple whe had that number. I1; wa■ engaged. . -'Iw_. , ' . Clara -~ixed a drink .,.r lla ~d~ ne-ticed hew her hand■ trembled. * :k;new that her need, at . thia mement, we.a fer cet;11fertn . \;"'-. ' i..:~ I ~--u.. I t fP!JB 1N. I~,7;.,put 1Il'1 arm■ abeut her new it might bring back "twet---.1:l,il,,i.-.f-.e -~-~ r' r.==r,.x.. (,ti:- ) " ~ the n.1-ev·e -tiha:t had enc• been between~ and that had died. And ~ , ' ' ~ - wife waa a •~ ■triking weman. Wi theut havingi an eunce ef exce•• fat there wa■ a trepical lu■hne•• abeu~ her that meat men -~ ( _ _JL that I intexi~9:ting. She . had/in flawle■• alaba■ter akin tha1i @:I •tl,-. A~ ? .wfb- . . _ 1 white' :f.aJJf-- wi til a :f•:tx~ amall weak ■ train ef Negre ef1ien ahe~- ~ .But JI 1? had lang age learned never te refer te th.e ' teuch •f Negre in the Iaaacafamily. They were preudly Jewiah but den•t dare menti.en the n ■light Negre ~ace in th•m! ~d•p•x'AWirlr •Jrmixwpo:rirt:axax-.xtpix11fua...x:a-ttxt•.._..••u•xtllXJDJ1tx•:f tt■x,rwnrWJJx11■iJlguJr•tx•wm• Once, many year ■ age, a aecial rival ef . i...-r the I ■aaca wemen - Cla;ra, her mether, and her tbre, Aaiater■ - had brunette a• , .. diamia■ed them aa the five • crepe ■ele/titJQ1i•• .. '. The hurt h~d . -l . ~ \r they te wait / OJ.. ib.. f1 ~.,,l , 1u...t .. ~~~ ~ ~-.t gene ~ deep &D.a- ,µ had/twkn ten ;r'ear■ , fer their .revenge. ihl+- i . ~ ih•n it ceme it waa terrible and cemplete. Becauae ef thi• piece v •~•tw:ma:t••~J~•• •Y•~ematically ■tripped ef female cattin••'S the Iaaa~• men/fwxsri the unfertunat,e hu■bahd ef hi• bu■ine••J teek every penny he had, ••ld hi• heme and threw him eut en the atreeto In the _end, breken and en the verge ef being made a bankrupt; the peer man and hi• family had ie quit the ialend. That waa the end_ ef ,-11 mentien, anywhere 1:1:s ~e . i ■land, C Le • .....-... ~ #.,.JI-~ ef the teuch ef celeur in _a, wt.tu•• f amily. ~ _Jince . ~ the fl {t..t.. ,~~ ) ?' /.. i;,¼'_..L- I ~ w~ :h ~~ -in~ue_nce 1.tL~===~f- ~a:,~1we, ~ •nL~-~M . tlaBk tta:xhx•~~~.5--mwltxDD th~deat.ruc1aien •f that ~ ~fertunate familytltwaa the beginning ef ~• end of leve, ~ l~) ~ \;t., . .l ~ . . . ~. ~11D ha alwaya been the brighse ■t ef the I■aaca wemen, the meat in1luential with their menfelk and x-~ew ■he had a big .-hmr'd(' ft in that piece •f aoc~l and ecenemic aaa-,,aainatien. UWI L ibr ari es 7 4~ '-~ But, a• with everybedy ~•e-; the le•••n had. ~•ne heme w.i:tll L.... , ~-~ ·~ r-1H:c:::t.•, and A, dealt carefully and warily with Levery member ef the Iaaac~ femill• ~en the ,:~unge ■t ef the a;••••• children knew Blld 1 ·l-l ll. ,;;\- .. ~~ ,~ ,vi\ ff~• \ 't uaedc_h• influence a.nu pewer ••••oia*•a wi~ the family wealth and name, _ ... o. ,,., -;- .. . '_ - 'l ~ _~\ Semetime ■ ~ weke in the middle • ·f the night te wender whether L....__ 6 weuld net have ended thi• unaatifacter1 marriage a leng time ~ ~ "~' ~ i-Xl-age if Clar'-~ had net.. be~!} ~ --~s.ac.a. -r ·, u.... ... ~ L., t> i.k:.~ L of.-_...A~ . ·-~~ -~ ~ - -~ -r~~ '--\"" ~ ~ ----r ,.;_ I Clara breught ;the drink and ■ teed very cl••• te llfi, leeking ~ 0......------" \ I ateadil1 inte Tlf1 eyeac; an I ■aac■ even in thi• mement ef fear and L cenfu•i•, and •• there wa■ a hint ef cemmand in her need fer cemfert. , ~~ j\- b._ 0 L~ \~ teek the drink and wimed frem her, ~Jisht]y• ca■ualv, ■e ·that ·•he ■heuld net ••• it a■ ai-tu ;xi Etna. in ■ul t c "Have I beceme that repul■ive, Jeel?" , ■he aaked imper ■enally, ■he a■ theugh it did net really matter; then/added: "What de yeu think will happen new?" "I den• t klnew. Se many thing■ are P•• ■ible~.,.w·." "The pewer ■ truggle that yeu predicted?" · "Net immediately," he ■aid. "They may put that eff fer menth■." - "If Je ■iah permits." "He ha■n • t much cheice,..a:t th• m:aent • . K he ferce.¢l a ■hew-dewn ..,...Ji.. ~ \\.- l 4-""~ new he weuld J,."'ee at '9ae, le ■ing eatt; The ether• will gang up againat him." (t:...- ,Lt- ~ - ~ "But t li8! ~ fighting ameng themaelve ■." l .. ~~ "~ ,nly 4Mget -.eag UamaQ. cw fer the 1 Old Man• a appreva1 7t- 1 -~ ...J.' ",f' ~..,:_., /:- ;the ild Man kept Jeaiah in check: the enlY way thew c8ll i• bY K J J J L J •inking their difference ■ and ■ ticking tegether. They knew the alternative ia hanging 'apart." "Surely they can get rid ef him. Ne they can• t. He can eut- UWI L ibr ari es I 8 peli tic and eut manipulate them any day. He'• a clever little brute." Jee.Jrtried the Preaidential Secretary'• priva!e number again • .I.\~ . + It. was still engaged. Clara teek a turn abeut the apacieua reem. Jeel fealewed her with hi• eyea. He realised that the physical beauty et thia weman wh• had been hi• wife· ••r eighteen year• c•uld still ■tirt hi• mind. Only hi• heart ceuld n•t be t•uched; and there 1• ne l•ve witheut the teuching •f the heart. She came tea at•p near him. 11 Anether drink?" He ' knew that was n•t :r••tQ what ■he wanted t• say, and it I . ~leased him a little, that ahe had centained the Iaaaca arr•gance en•ugh tenet aay what ahe ·wanted te. And new, fer a _ pasaing mement, remembrance ef hew it waa _befere leve died wa• with him, and there was abeut it the faint neatalgia we feel fer leng dead things that were ence beautiful. . , . I L -- >"-fJ .. She went end peured the drinks and carried them tc t he l=UI glassed-in balceny. She put ~•wn the drink• and meved ene et the ahatterpreef sliding gldae panels. A ruah ef frwah air flewed, int• ~ear-chilled like a tempprate streajb the ttafaircenditiened reem. Jeel feal•wed Clara acr••• the reem, appreciatively cenacie••, air alway■, ef the taste and beauty •f hia heme. ·c1era• a geed taate , friend er fee - end m•ney had created this, and whatevet/~ theught er felt abeut her, $11 agreed that she had created beauty here. Carpet, walls and ceiling were a delicate ' balance •f complementing paatel shade• ef blue and gray with eccaaienal teuchea ·•f ruat. And the furniture, all especially made ef native weed• and t reated ae that natural grain and line and celeura were preae:FVed, were given quiet emp~aai by the perfect balance •f the celeura. One · .:1..::i.. ~•xx.1nixwall was panell, . <; .. e:----y) k_ ~ 1 (t~ L~ -f- \;~' ~ ~~ ~ UWI L ibr ari es 9 "Its beautiful," Cla.ra said, end there was a hint of a.we in 1 her voice. She has leeked lf~I lived here a. leng tinle, Jeel thought. , ~ manilm I eut ef this windew, from this spet, ceuntlesa time• - te~, twenty th•uaa.nd time• perhaps - and still there is the wender. Clara, tux l.u:uxdxm&Jd~ with that rare Keataian gif"ti ef making .a thing ef beauty a jey ferever by censtantly aeeing it anew; and Clara, with the Iaaaca arregance end insenai ti vi ty :and the Iaaaca v ruthleaaneaa in P4•suit ef wealth and pewer: and beth the same weman. "Yea," he ■aid, seeing it freahly threugh her eyes, and , feelin~ mnall sickneaa ~ a/ittti•x•uk at heart because if it. "Yes, it is beautiful." Clera turned her head quickiy and leeked i»tently int• hia face. I "What new, Jeel? What have •I dene wreng this time?" Oh Ged! he theught: eh Ged! Oh Ged! , "I den•t fellew yeu," he said quietly. He aensed, rather than saw, her slight ahrug. Bel•w them, a little te the left, the lights ef Moseaville twinkled m•re brightly than the atars in the ■ky. They gave the day-time city a fairy-tale quality thQt belied its/uu uglinesa. The slum.a, the u greteaque· ahacks ef ahanty-ten, and the effenaive zinc reef■ , were shreuded by the night, 1 and darkneas and the shimmering 14.ghts/ and the lush trepical vegetatien, all censpired ' te create an aura ef remance. The sudden tin~le ef the telephene waa explesive. Jeel hurried t• it. "Jeel?" The veice at the ether end was that ef an eld m8ll, - ' \A •✓,,.. .._ ,_~ Nnl\.v:.-. l 'W~~ " fi butene in full cemmand ef all hi~ pewers. j "Clara there?." "Y n 1 , • A 1,-eso T ,., .,. I UWI L ibr ari es / 10 I "Geed. :Be at my place in an heur. Full family ceuncil. Under­ stand?" i "Yes. D'yeu want te speak te Clara?" "Net new." "What's happening at · the .. Pals.ce?tt "The damn feels &re wrangling as to who ah•uld have what ·title, bunc);l ef silly •hi-.-araes!" "Josiah?" "Yeu were right about him, Joel. We should have apent our time ~ and meney en him instead ef the 1tAer feels." "Wouldn't have ma.de any difference." / "Den•t be a feel, Joel. Every man has hi& price. The trick ia to knew what it is." "Ia Josiah with them?" J•el aaked quietly~ "Ne; h.e just looked in at the Palace, wept over tbe Preaiden t• • corpae for the benefit ef pres• and t.v. cameras and then he handed in his resignation ••• " "What!" Jeel expleded. "Don't you be a shi t-arse," the old man said. "Net in that way. ;.---- / He gave them / a letter putting hie Portfolio and his service• at I the disposal ef whomever they cheese te succeed President Joshua. 11 ) "I den• t fellow," J•el said. "~d you're auppesed to be our political expert. Je~iell is the only one with a clear plan and part ef his plan is no.t t, be involved in the power struggle. But we better stop this telephone ' talk. You never knew ••• " "Where is he DX new?" "Semeidlere en the ' streets. While those bdz ahi t-arses wrangle ever p,wer, Josiah is eut en the streets." The old man UWI L ibr ari es 11 I let eut a celd mirthless bark ef a laugh. "They say that he is cemferting the peeple. Hear that! Cemferting the peeplel The bleedy feel•! •• • In an heur Jeel. Yeu and Clara. Things ceuld get .ugly and we must make plans." hung up. With that eld Nathan Isaac• Jeel went back tG the balceny where Clara waited. "Papa?" "Yea. There's a full family ceuncil in an heur." "Did he tell yeu what's happening at the Palace?" "Much as we expected. Jesia.h's taking ne part in what goes at an/b the Palace. He's eut en the streets cemferting the peeple." "Cemferting the peeple? That what Papa _said?" "Yes. That's the werd." "Then things may really ~n ugly. " "That's exactly what yeur father said." "Surely they' 11 centain him, Jee1J 11 "Net if what yeur father ~ said is tr)te." " "We sheuld have paid mere attentien to Jesiah." "Yeur father expressed much the same idea." After a l~ng aizil:e 4f silence Clara said: "Yeu think things might really fal:l s,part here, don• t yeu?_" ✓ He said: "Life is a precess ef fall apart and ceming tegether and falling apart." "We' all depended a• much en him," she said musingly. "Depended en him or used him?" "Deesn' t it boil dewn to the same thing 1ul timately? •• • Jeel ..• " !What new, he wendered, trying to· fellew the new turn ef her theughts. "Yes'Z" , UWI L ibr ari es ) 12 "De you still get these beuts ef hemesickness for Eurepe? I Remember, yeu teld me ef them ence.,_. Yeu suggested we sheuld spend time in Eu.repe and perhaps visit your -sister in Israel ••• " "That was a very leng time age, 11 he said. He felt her withdraw. J ,. it i s tee I • ... ..... . aimeeilil:# "YJU kn ew i t has been f er . a I wfi'i t1me2' r i•It ~ ¼JIQ.r witb4rlltwl 15'tmt f im::t::4 !!Et in t i my bw1 - --?i.n-a;±]fcr i ti §4#. And I didn't 29 Ii hide, au JWU d±d. Auci ·x ti-4= ::::_ t .:i; d h .: , .: ~te . the .. ___. , 1H H ~ace an um....,..,..cr yew. );fl"" pro~. ~ ---!:::--:::. \ "Den,• t you went te pretect yeur children against what might happen, H'e'i?" "By taking them away?" "Yes." "Cl:ara, an J •• f ES■ tte• :that Jean is seventeen and yeung ..M- is fifteen\ You can it just upreet children at those ages. They will h11,ve sem'.ething to sa.y abeu t it. Amd you must•nt for,get that they are Iaaacs children, my name netwi thstanding. :Besides, I f want to stay and see this thing out new." "What if I decide te ge?" she asked. "Then yeu ge. " "And whs,t if I decide te take them?" I "That's up te yeu." "Bu.t whatever I de, you are staying?" "Yea." "Yeu really den' t want anything fr-.m me anymore, do you, Jeel?" "Please, Clara ••• " "S•rry: I• 11 ge and get ready." UWI L ibr ari es / 13 She left his side and Joel listened for her movements, all his sensea en the alert, making the following ef her WEtWJl'D~ .. progress by seund a matter ef majer import. The thick carpet abserbed almost tetally the shock ef high-he~ led shees against floer. Still, he picked up each foetfall. Now she was halfway across the roem; that pause meant she was putting dewn her glass; at the deer, and out. ' He leoked down at the shimmering lights of the city then slid the glass panel shut and turned ~ en his heels. Halfway to the deer he changed his mind and veered towards the telephene. Again he tried the Presidential Secretary's number. This time it rang. But it kept en ringing until he was en ,the ~l..,~ peint of giving up; then there was a click and Jehn He,e:ta voice, /... leaded wi th'strD +i ~ weariness, s aid, "Presidential Secretary". "Jehn. Joel." " Thank Ge d its yeu ! u "How's it?" "Ble•dy awful. They all seem to have lest their heada. _Y•u should see them. Ged help the island. Listen,- Jeel, can you ceme round?" "Old Nathan's just phened to say_ there's a family council." "He was here a while age. Ceme when its ever. There's ne sleep for me tonight ••• " ' "-what of the Ministers?" "They wen' t arrive at anything tenight. I '11 le,t them talk themselves eut then pack them eff till tomorrew. The confusion is mounting and you-know-whe is out on the streets adding te it. Anyway, I'll warn the guards to i let yeu in any timeJ you come. Be slew and deliberate. They're all a bit jumpy. See you ••• " UWI L ibr ari es 14 Jeel turned from the telephene to find Clara leaning against the doer. She had ceme in unnoticedcwkttw "Was ~- ~ ' that J ehn t.._'~ ?" "Yes." "Anything new?" "The cenfusien is spreading. Where are the children?" "They're allright. They're net en the street." She crossed to the phene, suddenly brisk and businesslike, end dialled a number. She asked after her children ef .semeene at the ether ended the conversation and , end: she listenedj,ct•l[ll[xau turned tQ her husband:"They're both ' allrigh t and they ' 11 be deli vei:-e d her~t;er the party. " "I' promised te ge round to John ~ ~ ter the meeting." "I gathered that much, ," she said. She led the we,y out. She had changed to a, simple black dress and/i8~~ered whether it was in mourning fer the dead President. •-r•i:•gx•ru■:q k~D"•••nic:.bxx,ndii~tix.mqrlxa ' . The line of the dress made her neck seem longer, gave her shoulders a tapering slepe, her back a yeuthful erectness, end made her waist I;,-, - It'-':, l . as slender as when he ~ad first put his arm abeut ·it in the carefree /.. days of young leve. And her hips flared out and he remembered hew d~ ~,Lti I(._, ~·.)·I..:,; ·~ ~ ._.\ 4.,wL- ' ~9¥ had ence shared the 1dance ef love ·· --l ·, le-A fell I-' She stopped walking ~ suddenly ii•• he/watta:li ·nte her. They ) grabbed ~ each other for balance. She regained ,balance and composure first, She stepped back and watched his face, her gaze compounded of speculatien and slightly derisive amusement. He ·realised that she .had dene this deliberately. His anger was tempered by his awareness ef the softness and the warmth ef the ftel ef her. "I'm still your wife," she murmured. tinaa::asxtxuniaxuxe UWI L ibr ari es 15 "Mentally stripping me, deaz:- Jeel. You don• t have te, y•u knew. The law says you have certain conjugal rights." "Wi theut leve?" he asked, startled. She pursed her Jlips and leeked judicieus. "It is ef course preferred with but - 11 she shrugged slightly, turned on her heels and continued en her way eut. When he reached the car she was in the driving seat. He started ~~_..,\-0~~ to remind her that he weuld be going te Jehn ~ after the meeting, · , de not then he changed his mind. Y•u/•axq have te remind Clara ef such details. Tell her ence and she remembers and prevides f~r it with­ . eut any further reminder. This capacity for ~emembering detail was a aa:i.KtwtJlgxspecial Drl1ul Isaacs family characteristic. Whenever it had upset him, Jeel had excused it by cenjuring up seme leng dead ene ef Isaacs ancest•r whe might have been trapped in/the physical and spiritual ghetteee ef Eu.repe, and wheee survival,hznbJJllllWKi and the survival ef whose descendants, depended en his capacity to remember details. Thus, perhaps, eut ef the need te survive, was fashiened, and handed dewn, ~ this extra. family talent, as distinctive and sharply defined as an extra limb. But behind his thoughts, like a shadew te thase theughts, was the awareness ef the feel ef her firm warm bedy. And he knew this was as she wanted it te ·be, this was as she had JJ planned, a demenstratien ef how te make things happen. And still with it was the shadow was ther, behind his theughta, and/her veice ••J:DKX gently urging him to further self-destructien with "I'm still yeur wifel". The car swung eut of the imposing driveway and the twinkling lights ef the city were hidden en the ethet side ef the heuse . and the high wide hill en whmth it steed. The read down was a spirallin corkscrew. Because of his affectien fer Clara the President had himself erdered that the/ Public Werks ~epizf.nClllt use the best men ~ . n UWI L ibr ari es ..: 16 \ and material available, and se this public re_adway that served enly Clara &nd Jeel Sterning•s heme was ene ef the fine~t en the , i•l~d. The peeple ef the island au:, depending en 1 ' which sectien it was, had been exasperated, amused, meved,irritated, ix•nx»•• angered by sceres ef such presidential gea1turea based en an .eld - a beu t the making e: man's caprice. At the time when he gave the erder/~ the read \ . te the Sterning heme, a. ferm.al eppesi tien party was still in existence since the'ene-party state• law had net yet been passed. I The eppesitien had tried te make an issue ef it, tabling a metien :iJI in parliament, and eutside 1 t , 1 ef ne-cenfidenceJ charging the President with acting like a d1ctator9 Di At an enermeus functien in the banqueting hall ef the city• a largest hetel, a mairilY, black tie ~ffair, where chicken and wine I were served, the spekesmen ef the eppesitien had sent eut a rallying call t• the natien te rise up and mall the barricades Slld hurl back and destrey the creeping dictatership ef the Jeshua regime. But the mas• ef the peeple ceuld ne ~ afferd te ge to the great hetel - te hear the call to the barric'adea. ,lesidea, they said to each ether, the Old Man was n•t deing anything new. He had been deing this sert •f thing fer as long as they ceuld remember.le why the fuss new? And when the no-confidence moti•n came up in parliament, the Old Man had appeared at the deer of the Chamber, wiggled lttJI the index fi~ger ef his right he.n~ ~t the Members en the gevernme~t benches, ~ p.!IJ. J-~ ~~ , and , laughed eut loud ~ t the •p~esi ~i•n benches. The gevernment Ministers had risen Slld selaanly marched •ut ef the Chamber, !•llewed by their backbenchers. The Chairman of the Chamber had been ferced to adjourn the i5essien t •r want •f a queram. And that was \ v-1. tt~ ~ ~~. . the end of the . no-confidence metien, ....,z_amts¾I◄ o of t~ p,sitien. By making a __ j.tke of it the Old )1&n. tad des-t;re~/~ '~tt·erly .. ~ 1 A"' -'(.,. ~ ~~- f~ ~ ~ l ~,i.~ ~ ;...A- ~~ lul l~ e,;, .-i( ~~ , At the time, Joel remembered, :t:tx••li tl).e j•kej had seemed . JI L - ,, ~~ ~ UWI L ibr ari es 17 hilarieusly funny, especially as it was tel~ end reteid on the ver~da circuit where it acquired, with each telling, a fresh cutting peint. And it had all begup with this read • .. He turned his head and tried te leek at Clara's face. The dashbeard gave eneugh light for him te see tt•xn$ttJr•• it in - striking prefile, but net eneugh for him to see it in detail. He wondered whether , she still remembered the -~aking of this read. It was net tu a crucial thing .a en ~hich survival er pregress may depend, Blld the Isaacs gift fer remembering detail eperates at a ' highly selective level ef precisien. "The read," he said, leud eneugh for it te be heard abeve the ~ hum ef . the ••41\ii- engine. te him, she turned She turned her headJ wijh a quick dell-like jerk, tanm then/ back te watching the read. "What ab•ut the read?" Not a detail to remember, he t•ld himself; aleud he said "Nething breught it She slewed dewn the car and/jHwxte a step. They had made ene cemplete spiralling dewnward c'ircle. Again the lights ef Meseaville ceuld be seen far belew. But new the lights di-d ~no....t twinkle. They -·~---------~ ... ~. were feur hundred feet lewer then the heuse, feur hundred fee-t ne~er the pla~n, and so there was ne twinkle te the,' lights. They were, n•w, erdinsry man-made lights, with•ut any teuch ~f fairy-tale magic. She turned se that she faced him fully. "What is it new, Jeel? I've dene something wrong again; but what?" "You •ve dene netliing wrong." "Yet you sat in judgement en me. I felt it, Jeel. Am I not even entitled te knew what I •m being judged fer?'! \ UWI L ibr ari es 18 "I was net judging." "Allright. Reacting.( then." "I was thinking abeut the read, abGut hew it came te be made and the peli tics surreunding its making." "And s• when yeu said • The read• , I sheuld have made the cennectien immedaately. Oh, Jeel! And yeu the_ just and reasenable man. I wender hew yeu weuld have reacted if I had made the connectien. Semetimea a si tua ti0n arises between two peeple, and there is a need far ene always te see fault in the ether: I hepe we have net arrived at that point, Jeel. " "What de you want, Clara'/" Joel seunded a little weary, a little impatient. , "Is it se wrong te care abeut being judged harshly by ene's husband?" "You surprise riie ! 11 he said bitterly. "Why, Joel?" for "Because yau knew, and you've knowp/tl all these years, that .... / . enly the/reasen why I'm still with yeu is because leaving you weuld also meen leaving the island or else being destreyed by yeur family. Yeu '•ve knewn this and yeu have not cared,•JJnt se why this sudden concern now for what I think?" "Is that all there is to it~ Jeel?" "Isn't it eneugh? Isn't the taking ef my manheed enough? What els~ would yeu like? Weuld you naw invade tk•x~x my last privacy \ and tell me which ef my theugh:ts are geod and which are be .. d?" !he weman was silent for a very leng time, end because the man knew how her mind werked he waited, knowing she was examining what he had said with the care a jevf:i.ler gives to a precieus stene. He knew, too, that this act of examinatien meant she was deeply UWI L ibr ari es • 19 I \ disturbed. :But his mind protested agaiinst the netien ef the weman being really profoundly disturbed. They had led .tu.i:zxmm: s~parate / lives;1•xxt••xtngJ7gmmxtta'.:.txxx tee l•~g for either ene to now . be einetienally disturbed by the other. ~aKDim•x•:,: Their children, the he.bi ts that come ,ef being ax married l'eng, what Ola.rs. sometimes call 'the ferces of circumstance', these were the bends now., At last the weman came eut of her reverie. ~ "So I'm to · blame fer your weakness 1and yeur cowardice. Even that is held against me. Aren'-t yeu a man, Joel? Couldn't yeu have me 1 lef-t/ aµiy time yeu wanted te? II - ~in~u~nfxxbattxlmxpn.ui:'' r lln~Jm+XJDUbg.Ed:Il!XJ1~:f•n:1'11J1'l'W~i:t::,:xi••i;xtil•x JDJxtixtsxx•txm&:txtttsKIXm¥•~xtaxmakeXlllil~hf•KX±Hx~, Tktwxi:axElxtumrqXJU -1iDluxi,iulxmlip:nE01~•«:mti•nxxbru:•xum•twtJrgx · •taJi;xi••l would iGu and your peeple have done?" de you expect, Jeel? · Would you expect my father Md I • to keep yeu •n in the business after you ha.d discarded h ave feelings,yeu know." I know. And they would .hav~ vented these feelings against helped me or gave me a job." \ d se, because you were afraid, y0u staye~. And because yeu blame 11; ••.ll· me and you take out your resentment on me." • ~- ' • ✓ • start tili.a? ~ " . did," Jhl9,. said quickly. "I'm serry. I'd fergetten h•w •' . . ~ . arcut · things are for you and your family." , me ' de?" she asked. UWI L ibr ari es 20 Inwardly, silently, he screamed: restere my manheed! But he 1 said nothing to the woman •. The woman n•dded as theugh she had heard that soundless scream. She reached eut and touched the be"ck of his hand, then she turned, ·started the car, and centinued the jeurney down to the plain and the br~ght lights ef the city. V,Jk . ~ Jf}-e way down the meun ta.in it was as 1f!.!_,, the other nig!ts ef their lives had been. The ci:ccular roa.d was dark and desert; the stars were in their places in the heavens; the homes •f the families half dozen/pQXe who had buili at the feet ef the mountain shewed the usual subdued lighting. The'n the·L~ the outskirts of the town :,repe1· and it was . -~ r as ne other ~ight they had eve¥ knewn. There were people everywhere. ' They moved like e, flewing stream d•wn from the hills that .made up the hinterland and backbene and the heart of the island: a silent stream ef black peasant humanity. · leeked at Clara UXll•nD Joel~ for explenation. "I think they're geing tG the ,alace, 11 he said. I "They're so silent," she said. "Be cereful. Den' t blow your horn. Take the first side turning. ~ ff:? It may be like this en~ the main roads, so we'd better make our way by,# the side roads." . l _ l "They're net hestile, 11 she said. "Just bewildered," he said. "Like a househeld of small children whe have lest mother and father." "I knew, 11 she said. "They are frightened; and like a.11 frightene are at the slightest sheek crea:tures they/likely to panic and run ameij We' 11,..... have to be very careful." This, tee, is part ef the Isaacs character, he teld himself. "Let us hepe all people who are in cars tenight understand. 11 "Yes," she sai_d, "let us hepe." UWI L ibr ari es - They reached a peint where a side street branched off the main road. Clara tried t~ turn into the side street, but the was stream of pe•ple/mK everywhere s.,beut the car, se thick and steady that moving against it, even s,t a, slight •tangent, was impessible without the consent of that stream. Jeel aensed Clara.• s mounting agitation and wished tha.t he,< were in d the driving seat. I "Better ceme to a step," he said. "Trafficator showing?" ."Yes." She put her feet on the brake and felt the reverberatien of many peeple bumping and .pushing against the car. She felt people ' peering into the car as they flowed past. She thought: We are helpless here; - we are at these people's mercy; what happens to us / now depends on the meed of this flowing mass. Then she thought of the Old Man Lying dead, in his Palace. And 1feer touched hero -, Joel felt the wave •f fear sweep* ever his wife. He theugh,t: It comes hard to these who have never known it; they den•t1fftW what ~how to adjust to it. He :i;-eached out and put his/hahd hers . o,ver ••:rxri:glrtxJnrw:i which res;ted en the steering wheel. Briefly, she gripped his hand. A dark face peered ~am into the window en Clara.• s side. Joel I ~ ~eane¢ acres• her to see the face. He felt her breath like warm left 1 steam in hi.s left ear, 'and his/shoulder was pressed against her I I right. ' This body contact had once been a powerful bend ,between . I them, perhaps the strongest of all the bends. Joel lowered Clara's window a little more, enough for the man outside to peke his head in. The car was a piece ef driftwoed in the human stream and the · UWI L ibr ari es 22 man eutside held on te it te aveid being carried aleng with the flew •f the stream. "What you blecking way f•r1" he demanded hea.rsely. "Help us, brether," Jeel said. "We went to turn here." "Mek a light." Ueel reached up and flicked en the small interier light. The man eutside had a long gaunt face with a luternr jaw. The face shene a glesay black in the dim light. Other faces tried te leek in en Jeel' s side of the car .• Mementarily,\ there was cenfusien ·and indecisien ameng the crewd immedia.tely abeut the car. "Pleaae help us, brether," Jeel said urgently. "Me knew yeu, 11 the JJl&n _said/ and turned away. Jeel flicked eff the interier light. "Mek way for them turn!" the man said sharply, •aJCii~ his voice slightly leuder than nermal cenversatien. He spread eut his arms . and these behind him came to a pause. A way epened te the, left. "New!" J eel said. "Carefully!" Clara. inched the car forward and turned left. A small group •f peeple blecked yie way into the side street. "Mek rway fer them turn!" the leng-faced man called again. The small group stepped eut of the way and Clara drove up the little street, freed, now, of the disturbing presenee ef the flewing stream of silent humanity. nara said: "Thank yeu, Jeel." \ He lit a cigarette fer her and felt the trembling ef her fingers as she teek it frem him. She was born here.~• rlaeaght, she and generatiens •f her forebears. She's as native to this island as any of these people/~ back there, but because the Old Me~ .is dead she has just discovered that she's afraid of them. UWI L ibr ari es 23 Twice they were held up by siaent crewds at busy inter- 1 I sections. Each time they waited .patiently, and each time someene frem the crewd~ came to their r•scue and helped them across a · Three times main read into another side street./ bu~ they saw ether cars caught in the silent crewds. And they knew that whether the cars p••~i• got out o& lae 111 is or not depended very much en what rea.ctien the occupants ef the cars preveked in seme key articulate indivlildual in the _ a~i:t!fb" crewde. At last, after spending nearly an heur en a jeurney they nermally covered in twenty minute~ ) It.,.;,,_~ 1,.-ce,- f ..... J,,,.l Clara .heatate·d fraction ally then 1.Qn \tnA.. wa,r . ~ "" +1,, ... '.'I] .., -~----- UWI L ibr ari es / A radio was on fµll blast som~re en the upper floor, and .1 especially motorists, . the voice Gf the anneuncer urged all people/to stay at home because of the mourning ·crowds from the hillso Net that there was any , danger, the announcer hastened to add, everything was erderly and p~aceful and under control. Then the CoIDIDihssiener of Police came on to tell the people en the st"reets how they should behave and that they should try not to hold up traffic. He announced that ' I buses would run all night so that peeple caught in the mourning . crowds ceuld get home. Joel· only half-listened to the voice of the Pelice Commissioner Part af him fought against the ••:ts.ax loudness•~ the voice. He hated ceming to this heuse because it was a house of noise. Ne-ene the spoke softly here; everyone shouted. And there· was alwaysj'.cenflict of c..iJ ••tu-./iaa noises from several radios, record changere, televisi•n/ and human voices. '3/hile Clara l~ved in this house, when he courted J her, she had tried to impese s•me control en its noises. Now there was nene. They hurried up the long flight ef stairs te the upper floor, turned left, still p~rsued by the heise, opened a large oak door, slipped through,EIK ~•~hut the deer, and were miraculously free of the assault ef # ~. They ~•x:i:•x had entered· old Nathan's wing rlxttax1umu and he had insulated it against the noises from the rest of the house. Veices came to them from old Nathan's study which epened to was there their left. They went in and everyb~dy/except Clara's mother and sisters and the ~hildren. Her three brothers, Nathan, first sen ~ ef old Nathan, Manny, Solly, ~flanked the eld man. Nathan and Manny sat to 1 the right of ta~ mai:i, Belly ta his left. Beside Solly UWI L ibr ari es 25 were twe chairs reserved fer Clara Slld J•el#~a=i~g. The three . remaining ether men in the reem, the husbands ef eld Nathan's three/ukax daughters > sat a little part, r making it clear that Jeel was the only n•n-Isaacs . whe was part ef the family inner ceuncil. ~ ~ jhe family referred te Selly, Clara and Jeel as the radical Y . Nathan · factien,ritt:n:x while the eld mM, yeung Mm¥ . (in his late fifties) and Manny were regarded as the censervative fa.ction. When any ' . situatien demanded a censervatj,.ve approach the censervative f~ctien assumed authority and spoke for the Isaacs empire. When the need was fer a radical line the radicals toek over. Often in the past this had given the Isaacs empire a flexibility of approach that its rivals ceuld net match. "You're late," eld Nathan rasped. "Crewds h•ld yeu up?" He was a tiny, dried up little man with a large head and ' piercing eyes. He was darker then all his children but it was ebvieus that the slight Negre strain did net ceme frem his side. "It was terrible," Clar, said. , "Not r~ally," Jeel said quickly. "It was the surprise." "Yea; Joel is right." Clara teek her seat beside Selli o " "What d'yeu think," yeung Nathan said to Jeel 9 He leeked even mene like a glum, very large and slightly everfed farmer than~~ u aially ,.~ - ' !\. ... "D• you mean are they likely te run am.ek?" Joel asked. "Yes," yo~ athan said. "Revelutien and all that sert of thing.' "No," Selly said. He was the youngest of the three sons; the ' long and lean and tempepamental one, Clara's faveu.rite brother and I the one Isaacs Jeel Sterning liked without q I reservation. / "I asked Jeel," young Nathan drawled·. "Ceme now, to business," the old man said. "What de we do?" UWI L ibr ari es 26 "Selly's right," Jeel said. "They won't run emek. At werse we'll have a f ~~~illings, a few demenstratiens, a few cases of arsen in field. f factery ••• " i "Why are yeu se sure?" "Because we knew eur peeple, brether," Selly said. 11 TRaditienall ' they're en the side ef gevernment, w~ichever it is; en the side ef autheri ty, of law and erder, call it what you will. If yeu and I represent authority and law and •rder then they will ebey us." I "D're not here fer a political discussien," the eld man cut in. "We're coming te the peint, PapaJ te business," Selly said. "There is cenfusien m because the death of the President means that there is n•w ne authority for them to turn te. It is this that frightens themft and se they all march te the Palace, the traditional heme ef the persen' in autharity. Its a frightened, unreasoning actien. But its understandable and it gives us a peinter as te what could happen." "If I understand you, SeJ!ly," young Nathan said, " yeur point is that we have nothing te fear frem the peeple." "That• s right," Selly ,slid. I "D'yau go along' with him, Jeel?" "Yes." "Surely y•u make the reservatien that we have nothing to fear for as long as they are net misled." /j - I !k ,~J---• - "The po-int you are missing, Nathan," Selly said, "is, misled by ,;... i... whom? By cemmunists, socialists, racialists? Which greup de you fear? "Does it matter? Any of these yeu •ve nQJlled." "But that is just the paint," Solly said. "They can enly be misled by semeene or seme group in authGrity." "I get it!" yeung Nathan said quickly. "If you• re right then the real problem is who becemes the new father-figure in whem.Ji r UWI L ibr ari es 27 they vest all authority." "~at~ s the real preblem," Selly said. "Jesiah," the old man said, leeking at each member ef his inner ceuncil in turn. "Jeel, can't we do anything te help these ethers step him? Isn't there ene of them we can back heavily whe has a chance? Yeu •re elm peli t,ical man. Tell us." "There is," Jeel said slewly. "But I think ti we'll lese." "I'm thinking ef big meney," the eld man rasped. "One, maybe ,twe hundred thousand. Its worth it te break him." "We den• t think it can be dene, Japa , " Selly said. "Jeel?" the eld man said. "If it fails," Jeel said slowly, "we will all be finished." . "Se?" ✓ "I think Jesieh will win ••• " "Se?" "I say den' t get invelved. Stay out. De eur business." Manny, the nendescript/ pasty-faced brether asked: "Will he - leave us alene? Will E.2. let us de our business?" ~ "That is a chance we must take," young Nathan said. "Then yeu agree with Selly and J eel," the eld man said. don• t , / · "I/i• see we have any cheice. Its net a quest.ion of agreeing. / If they're right then eur appreach will have te become radical. I think they are. We'd better start by seeing that some ef the darker . -~ .)..., werk~rs are premeted to seme ef the special \. jobs." , - s r remarks, now, were addressed tG the three men who were there by virtue ef being married te Isaacs girls. Unlike Jeel, these had net yet earned the right to full equality within the family ceuncil. "Dark girls in all the frent offices, and counteey: yeu knew the plan ••• " UWI L ibr ari es .. 28 , ''I theught that was already in effect!" Clara said sharply. "We teek that decision nearly ten years age!" "I knew," young Nathan said. "This time it must be implemented." "Ne wender they calY us hype~:t:tsa!" Clara was pesaesaed by a vi•lent flaeh ef uncentrellable anger. "Why meet! Why make theae ' decisions if they can be gx pidgeen-heled fer ten years! The great I progressive Isaac• empire dedicated te serving the nation!" "Clara!" the old man said sharply. "Ceme eff it, Clara," Manny, the silent ene, said mildly. "We ceuld all see what was going en. Yeu t•e. Let us not be hypecrits about it 'new." -- Selly put long thin nerveus fingers •ri his favourite sister's arm. "Easy dear; Manny's right. We all allewed it to drift: all , I of I us except Joelo He tried • " / "I didn't -" Clara began, then she l••ked at Jeel and sheek ~ her head. "Yes. Perhaps I didn't want to see •• ."" "This gets .us nowhere," yeung, Na than said. "And when yeu•v·e finished criticising us, my dear Clara, just remember that eur werkers are still the best paid and leaked after en the island. Its net eur fault ,if s.tandards are abysmally lew. The thing is te adjust to the timea. And this time it is up to all of us to see that the policy is carried eut at every level. It is · a matter ef survival. " "Allright," the old men raspedo "Politically, we take ne paa* in the struggle for power; organisationally, we project a mGre popul'1r dark-skinned image. Wha t else?tt The old man turned to his eldest sen. ''I fermally resign the cha.irme.nship ef the bt>e.rd of Isaacs UWI L ibr ari es 29 Enterprises," young Nathan said • "4nd I prepese Mr. S•lemen Iss"acs as the new chairman and spokesman of Isaacs Ent·erprise." ••r second, tt Manny said. ~ >,-. ~.--L- l,_u.!L · ~v- i.~ "Objections?• the .itan said I\ "Nene. Let 1 t so be n e:te d. " Yeung Nathall smiled a• his yeungei,t brether. "Anything spe·cial yeu want us to de?" "Yeu and Ma.nny will •f ceurse/_keep internal contrel." 0 0f ceurse." "Keep up your pelitical contacts. And yeu might beth let it be knewn that y•u are net tee happy abeut what leeks te yeu like our suppert for J•siah." "Wli"" ? Y d J 1?" v are you . eu an oe . ",Gnd Papa and Clara." "Papa t•e?" Manny asked, startled. ttYeao I want t• speak with the autheri ty ef a very streng me.j eri ty o n just "And/how anmq unhappy ere Manny and I?" Young Nathan asked. "Very. And you hope t• win back centrel ene day and reverse pelicy." Selly leeked at the three junier member•, the three silent / ' husbands of his three s,isters. "This will not be discussed again , I ence we lea.ve this reem: not sm"Q..ng yourselves; not even with yeur a.-J... wives. Underts..-e/? 0 " . n "l"4..... ~ \,._.,-&_~~ 0 \ "Anything else?" the eld man asked. Young Nathan ss.id "This is fer your infermatien, not discussien, I've j~st made a sizeable increase in eur ileldings eutside the island. Senier members of the ' beard can get details any time they • .,.1,, It wi~. "Anything else? .. the eld men asked. After a pause he added: ~ . ~----~· · "Allright. Meeting• s over. 11 UWI L ibr ari es 30 The old man rese and everybedy e3-i _follewed suit. He led the reem • way out ef the study and into a large living/with a wide balceny that cemmanded a sweeping view •f the rear ef the ·great heuse and floodlit the sprawling acres ef/lill•~ garden. Frem the balceny they could see ~ a small party~ in pregress down by the swimming P••l. Manny's eldest sen ·was h•me en heliday from his cellege in the States. He had brought half a · dozen friends with him. And since and grandpa Nathan's was the largest ef the fsmily houses, he/••• his · friends had moved in and taken ever a wing. Now they had cellected a group ef young ladies from nearby homes and were having a night- time swimming party, under strict chaperlf age of ceurse. always insisted that yeung people behave7 properly. The sound of young laughter drifted up te 'the peeple wide balcony. Old N than ,:, en the "The yeung people are happy," the eld man said, end slipped his arm thrc.ugh Clara• s. "It is easy for the young to be happy," Cle.ra said. "Or sad," the eld man added. "You very sad, my little Clara?" "Net very." ' "But sad." "I don• t knew, Papa. It isn • t so simple." "It never is, my child. Trouble between yeu and Je,el?" · · silently Two young black girls moved/among them effering drinks and things to eat. Jeel, Selly and yeung Nathan were in a corner by themselves explering further the peli tical and econemic implication ef the death ef the Presidento Manny, the · family erganise.tion Slld - , . persenel'sL expert, steed with the three junior drrecters, clearing up .\ ~ -~ t;· points they had been~•ftaid af ~•xi:llg rais?fr, at the full meeting. "You understand I'm net trying to pry, "i the eld man said UWI L ibr ari es \ 31 hastily when Clara said nething. } "I knew, Pa.pa." She patted his hand. "There is ne treuble.I wish there were. There is nething,. I didn • t realise hew proud he was." "I thought you were the ene whe was tired ef him, my child." "I theugh t so toe. " "And I still den•t ~pprove of what yeu did. I would have blamed you if he had divorced you." "He did the same thing," she pretested. "He did it firat." "That makes n• difference!" The eld man was getting angry. "He's a .man!" . up . Clara cheked back the angry retort that welled/in Q her. After a while she sai~ very quietly. "You would have blamed me, but yeu .. would have stood by me, against him. Yeu and my brethers." "You are my child," the old man said stiffly. "You are their sister." "Yes," she said heavily. "Yes." "I - we - ar, very fend of Jeel. He's ene ef us. He knows it." \ "He also knows you would have steed by me." The eld man refused te follew where ehe was leading, so he ·led I y~g ~ her to where Joel, Selly and/Nathan steed. He felt eld and tire\d suddenly, and ,t showed en his face and in the steep of his small figure. ' L-4 "See me to my reem, Nathan," he rs.sped w~etxdlien fretfulau'ir. "Goednight." Yeung Nathan led the old man out. "Den• t see how I can get te the Palace to;night," Joel said. '' Sheuldn • t try, " Solly said. Jeel loeked at Clara and decided he could net let her make the jeurney heme alone, er even with a chauffeur: not en a ~ight like ' this. UWI L ibr ari es 32 He weuld n-ever forgive himself if anything happened te her, especially heca,use things were bad between them.1 When things ge bad we semetimes .wish semethihg would happen to remeve the ' per sen en whem we place the blame. · And because he had had such wishes he had to pretect Clara in order te prote~~imself. ag~t;;:'r th~~:aGs=t-Hfo tlve for~f !.he human e_enscience. Selly said: "He's getting very old and we may not have him fer 1,ng." Jeel tiUld Clara knew his mind was en the eld President lying dead in his Palace. There was ne mere than thre~ or feur ' years' difference, either way, between the de,d eld President ai:id their living father. Clara said: "Papa's been rather mere careful than eld Moses." ' Joel wa.lked across the reom to where the· telephene was and dialled Jehn~number. Holding en, h:" turned end --tu:U u leeked at Manny and the three junier directers who were there by I right of marriagPg e~her tbwu ef itwes tmcz. t 01 abtli~. There was an air in the of servility about them, an ' atti ~ de of three unteuchables ~I ) r~ . . J .a.u-tbe 1ie. presence ef a Brahmin prince •,t1 t ma•• mal e1Manny · feel. ss i -/ magnetic and powerful. Peer bleedy brute ~ ffi!i itfteagh:t:;~J The ringing of the telephene stepped and after a while a desperate . - ' wait here, sergeant." UWI L ibr ari es 44 . "Then that makes it official, Miss." "That• s right, sergeant. He said it might be a long time." "Doesn't matter, Miss. If he said so then JVU can stay here till morning. What about that coffee now, Miss?" ",I like mine black and bitter, sergeant; a little like me." That was what the sergeant liked abeut this yeung lady: big jeb and all and pretty eneugh te claim te be ChinJe) but ne, she de1esn' t claim to be celeured er Chinese-celoured er any ~f those fancy ways ef denying the blackness in her. She cemes straight out with the blackness in her. In his pleasure he drepped his careful English and said: "Mek me see what ~ have in ~ back, Miss." Se easy, Martli1'Lee theught, both teuched and irritated; se easy. Say the right werds, make the right gestures and my people eat eut of yeur hands. The sergeant seon returned with a mug of steaming black coffee "I get a little somet'ing toge in, Mis~" She nodded and he br9rught a t quarter :f~k quart bettle fr•m 4~ . 6b~ ~"- ~ bettem righthand drawer1 and quickly laced the coffee with a . ~ little genereus da._sh of white rum. Then he slipped the/bettle back inte its hiding place. Martha Lee wrapped the leng fingers ef beth hands about the I het ~f g and realis~d how cold her hands were. The island sometimes turCvery celd at nightj as Christmas approache~, and Christmas '~ «rt:.&- was ~~at ~a••ri twe menths away. She drank seme of the ceffee, still \ warming both hands with the mug, and as she drank she thanked the eld sergeant with her eyes. He beamed at her. Se easy. A