Free The Levant Trilogy by Olivia Manning Page B

again subordinate to a man he despised. Having once overcome
Gracey's hangers-on, he would not now come to terms with his cabal. He said,
'I'm as highly qualified as Gracey, which is something he doesn't like. The
only qualification he looks for is willingness to flatter him and do his work
for him. I won't flatter him.'
    Harriet said,
'But others will. Now we know where those three were going this morning.
"The man who holds the reins" - Gracey! How on earth did Pinkrose
know that he was here?'
    'I told him,'
Dobson admitted. 'Pinkrose rang the Embassy this morning, about ten o'clock,
and he was put on to me.'
    'And wasted no
time going to see Gracey,' Harriet put a hand on Guy's arm. 'Darling, you'll
put yourself in the wrong if you don't go too.'
    Guy, seeing her
eyes were wet, conceded a little ground. 'If he wants to speak to me, he can
send for me. But I won't work for him.'
    Harriet appealed
to Dobson. 'Guy's in a reserved occupation. What happens if he refuses work
offered him? Will he be placed under arrest?'
    Dobson laughed.
'Nothing as dreadful as that, but he'll have no salary.'
    Seeing them
displaced, homeless, moneyless and futureless, Harriet put her face down into
her hands and Dobson, touched by her desolation, turned his persuasive charm on
to Guy. 'I really think, my dear fellow, you should just go and see Gracey.
After all, he is your senior official. It would be the courteous thing
to do.'
    Guy, shaken by
this mention of courtesy, raised troubled eyes and at that moment the servant
returned and handed Dobson an envelope. Passing it to Guy, Dobson said, 'This
is for you; an advance on salary, sanctioned by Gracey.'
    'He knows I am
here?'
    'Yes. While you
were paying off the taxi, I spoke to the finance officer and he got on to the
Organization office. I knew you would want some cash.'
    Guy held the
envelope for a few moments then put it into his pocket, saying, 'It's due to
me. It does not change things, but I will go to the office. As you say, it
would be courteous to do so. Where can I find Gracey?'
    'T he offices are on Gezira.
They're rather splendid.'
    This fact did not
impress Guy. 'We'll have something to eat and see him after that.'
    'Don't go too
early. Offices here shut for the siesta and don't open before five.'
    Coming out to the
chancellery with them, Dobson squeezed Harriet's shoulder. 'Cheer up. You're
safe and well. As they say in the RAF: "Any prang you walk away from is a
good prang". And Egypt's not too bad. You probably think it's weird but it
has a certain macabre charm.'
    He recommended
them to a restaurant at Bulacq, noted for its river fish, and waved them away.
The restaurant was underground with bare wooden tables and the fish tasted
chiefly of mud, but food was food, and the Pringles were restored. Harriet,
over coffee, commended Guy to his face for his warmth, good humour and
generosity, telling him he had only to be himself with Gracey and Gracey would
be won by him. He could get anything he wanted. And he should stop and think
how fortunate he was. His sight unfitted him for the army, that was true, but
he could be directed into a much worse job. While other young men were fighting
a war, he was only asked to teach and lecture. The times being what they were,
personal pride was out of place. Guy was forced to agree. He said, 'Well, if he
offers me something, I’ll take it,' and seeing him relent Harriet began to
imagine the meeting with Gracey would put everything right And so it may have
done had Gracey been in his office at five o'clock.
    There were two
girls, Armenians, in the outer office and they apologized for Gracey's absence.
They admitted he was due in at five, but could not say when he would arrive.
One girl said, 'Sometimes he does not come at all.'
    Questioning her,
Guy discovered that Gracey had gone out that morning with three English
visitors, one of them a lord. He had not been back since. The Pringles, if they
wished, could wait in the hope that he would come