Chapter 15

Pierre Raimond was sitting once again in the prison-like room which belonged to Ahmed ben Lulla.

"So you haven't seen her at all in the days since you were warned?" he said.

"No," Ahmed replied. "We exchange notes-that much is easy. But we both think it better to wait until they have forgotten us and relaxed."

"You think that day will come?"

Ahmed shrugged his shoulders. It seemed to him more than ever that life held nothing, could never hold anything, all the promise turning to hopeless frustration as soon as it formed.

"We can only hope."

"Ahmed. When they ask you for the next contribution I want you to refuse. Tell them you have reasons and that you want to be tried by their court."

Ahmed stared at him as if he were crazy. He said nothing. There was no point in talking to a madman.

"Will you do it."

"You are not serious."

"Perfectly serious and I'll give you the reasons."

"But there is only one decision from their court. Nobody lives."

Raimond nodded. It was common knowledge that the NLF held these mock courts, generally before execution. like revolutionary purge courts there could be only one result. They were held for men who had already been condemned just to give a false semblance of justice to murder. To ask to go before such a court would mean that you were committing suicide, because it meant that you would never pay.

"You will not actually be tried by the court," he said. "It's just a question of getting the main people all together. We know where they meet; we want to get them there. You'll go in with them and the place will be surrounded by police in plain clothes with a hundred uniformed men standing by. We'll see that they're there and then we'll go in to get them."

"And me. I shall be with them-in their hands."

"If we act quickly they won't have any hands to have you in. I can give you a gun and show you how to use it if you think it'll do any good. It's unlikely they'll suspect you. They'll think it's a raid on the striptease joint. It shouldn't be too difficult for you to get away in the confusion."

Ahmed shook his head. He didn't imagine acting as bait. The whole thing seemed childishly dangerous.

"Naturally," Raimond went on, "you'll have done some service to the Republic and you'll be suitably rewarded."

Ahmed studied him with curiosity but without belief.

"How would I be rewarded?"

"You'll get one of the new apartments going up in the 10th Arrondissement and you'll be assured of work for as long as you stay in France. I'll give it you in writing if you wish."

Ahmed looked away around the room, slowly. A few seconds ago he would have laughed the project of going before their court to scorn, but now a big doubt had set in. An apartment! A new apartment! And work guaranteed!

"You and Francoise would be able to live happily ever after," Raimond coaxed.

Ahmed saw the room, coming back into focus from his scudding thoughts. What other hope was there ? Continual threat of death from the NLF if one couldn't pay. Not enough to live on. No happiness with oneself or the people who could make one happy. What was there to lose? Could you even say you were losing your life when your life represented such a living death?

"But my life may be in danger even if you succeed. There are agents in many countries who would come here."

"If we break this ring, we'll smash it completely. Nobody'll know what happened. There simply won't be any more NLF in Paris and we'll do our utmost to make sure it doesn't rise up again. You've got nothing to lose-nothing."

It was true. He thought of Francoise. He wouldn't tell her until it was done. And then she wouldn't be able to stop him. If he died, well he died and she would find out then. If he didn't they would forget all this and be happy. His eyes brimmed with tears as he thought how happy they would be in their new apartment.

"All right," he said. "I will do what you ask."

As an afterthought, as the smile of encouragement spread across Raimond's face, he added: "I would like it in writing as soon as possible."