Free The Concert by Ismaíl Kadaré Page B

neither still employed, nor sacked! Just suspended! And all because of this Chinaman! I’ve spent all the morning combing the ministry trying to sort it all out, but it’s no good. I’m absolutely fed up. You’d think they’d all gone deaf.”
    â€œBut what happened with the Chinaman?” asked Silva, after taking a sip of her coffee. “Did you have a row with him?”
    â€œWorse! I trod on his toes!”
    This time Linda wasn’t the only one who couldn’t restrain her mirth.
    â€œAre you serious?” she chuckled.
    â€œYes,” growled Victor. “I thought it was funny at first, too! Then I found out the Chinaman had lodged a complaint, and now the fact that I laughed is being held against me!”
    Linda was still so amused she had to put her cup down on the counter to avoid spilling her coffee.
    â€œAnd then what happened?” asked Silva.
    â€œDon’t talk about it!” sighed Victor. “The Chinaman alleged I’d trodden on his toes deliberately. Of course I swore black was blue I hadn’t done it on purpose. But the whole business went up to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Chinese Embassy insisted I must be punished. When they heard nothing had been done to me, the Chinks protested again. Apparently they’ve sent the file to Peking, together with an X-ray of their citizen’s foot. We’re still waiting for the reply. So you see what a jam I’m in?”
    â€œBut it seems our relations with China are not what they used to be,” said Linda, wiping away tears of laughter. “That may work in your favour…”
    â€œOh, I know how it is with affairs of this sort,” said Victor. “Of course, all kinds of things may happen. Someone might set fire to the Chinese Embassy. But no one will ever forget I trod on those toes. Just my luck!”
    He looked around the room.
    â€œThe worst of it is, everyone tries to give me advice. ‘Keep calm, Victor, and don’t criticize the Chinese — it’ll only make matters more difficult for you!’ The Party secretary, the director — they all say the same thing: The Chinese people are like this, the Chinese people are like that…’ ‘Right,’ I tell them, ‘I haven’t got anything against the Chinese people. I haven’t even got anything against China itself. All I want to know is, what’s going to happen to me?’“
    Still the same as ever, thought Silva. Impulsive, hot-headed, a magnet that attracted every kind of trouble - just as he’d been when she first got to know him at the time of the break with the Soviets, when she and Ana used to go to some of his famous dinner parties. If she remembered rightly, it was on one of those occasions that Ana had met Besnik…
    â€œX-rays of the chap’s foot, diplomatic notes — you get the picture?” Victor went on. “For a whole week I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat! And why?” He lowered his voice. “Because of a lousy Chink! A saboteur!”
    â€œWhat?” cried Linda. “That’s the first time I’ve heard anyone call a Chinaman a saboteur!”
    Victor looked from one to the other of them.
    â€œI suppose you both think I'm exaggerating a bit. Perhaps. I was reprimanded once for being too excitable. Maybe I'm wrong — I admit it’s quite possible. The government knows more about these things than I do. Bet as far as I’m concerned, the Chinese…”
    â€œBe careful! Don’t go putting your foot in it again!” teased Linda.
    He smiled.
    â€œI know I must seem a bit crazy. Instead of concentrating on things that really matter, I just keep wondering if that confounded X-ray has got there.”
    The other two started to giggle again.
    â€œWhy should you worry about that?” said Linda. “If you really trod on his foot by accident, it