Read Online Karnak Café by Naguib Mahfouz - Free Book Online

surrealist painting. What I could make out was that Hilmi Hamadawas hanging by his feet, silent and motionless; either he had passed out or else he was dead.
    â€œI was so shocked and disgusted that I staggered backwards. ‘That is in …,’ I started to say but then the words stuck in my mouth as I noticed the guard staring at me.
    â€œÂ â€˜What were you saying?’ he asked.
    â€œI felt utterly sick.
    â€œÂ â€˜This is in—,’ you said, ‘in … what?’
    â€œHe pushed me ahead of him. ‘Inhumane, is that what you meant?’ he asked. ‘And what about all those blood-filled dreams you all had, were they supposed to be so humane?’ ”
    This was followed by a further interval of time during the course of which he had suffered a bad attack of influenza in the wake of a particularly cold spell of weather. While he was still recovering, he was summoned to Khalid Safwan’s office again. At that particular juncture his greatest desire was to be transferred to any other prison or jail. As it turned out, Khalid Safwan spoke first.
    â€œÂ â€˜You’re in luck,’ he said.
    â€œI looked at him in amazement.
    â€œÂ â€˜Once again you’ve been proved innocent.’
    â€œAll my resources of strength deserted me, and I felt an overwhelming desire to sleep.
    â€œÂ â€˜Your visit to Hilmi Hamada’s house was entirely innocent, wasn’t it?’
    â€œI was terrified and had no idea what to say.
    â€œÂ â€˜He’s confessed, but luckily for him too we’ve proof that he never joined any organization or party. It’s the real workers we’re after, not the amateurs.’
    â€œWith that my hopes of being released perked up again.
    â€œÂ â€˜You’re still not saying anything,’ he continued, ‘out of respect for the sanctity of friendship, no doubt.’ For amoment he just sat there, but then he went on, ‘It’s that same faith in the power of friendship that makes us want to be your friends as well.’
    â€œWhen was he going to order my release? I wondered.
    â€œÂ â€˜Be a friend of ours,’ he said. ‘You told us you were devoted to the revolution. I believe you. So why don’t you be one of our friends? How do you like the idea?’
    â€œÂ â€˜I’m delighted, sir.’
    â€œÂ â€˜We’re all children of the same revolution. We’re honor-bound to protect it with all due vigor, isn’t that so?’
    â€œÂ â€˜Of course.’
    â€œÂ â€˜But there has to be a positive attitude as well. The friendship we require has to be a positive one.’
    â€œÂ â€˜I’ve regarded myself as a friend of the revolution from the very beginning.’
    â€œÂ â€˜So how would you feel if you learned that the revolution was being threatened? Would that make you happy? Would you keep your mouth shut about it?’
    â€œÂ â€˜Certainly not!’
    â€œÂ â€˜That’s exactly what we’re asking for. You’ll be going to see a colleague of ours who’ll tell you the proper way to do things. But I’d like to remind you that we’re a force that is in complete control of things. There are no secrets from us. Friends are rewarded, and traitors are punished. That’s the way it is.’ ”
    Isma‘il’s face clouded over as he recalled this particular incident. If anything, he now looked even more miserable than before.
    â€œCould you have said no?” I asked, trying to relieve his misery a bit.
    â€œYou can always find some excuse or other,” he said, “but there’s no point.”
    So that is the way he emerged from his imprisonment,an informer with a fixed salary and a tortured conscience. However hard he struggled with himself to conceptualize his new job in terms of his strong ties to the revolution, he always ended up feeling utterly appalled at