Read Online Thirst: A Novel of the Iran-Iraq War by Mahmoud Dowlatabadi - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mahmoud Dowlatabadi
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order. Dial the code for headquarters. Now! Say ‘Yes, sir’. Say ‘Yes, sir’, quick!
‘Yes … yes, commander!’
‘Good, brave boy. Now transmit!’
‘What’s the message, commander?’
‘A sea … a sea … the desert … is a sea! † Done?’
‘Yes … yes, sir, but …’
‘But this, but that …’
‘Should I transmit that too?’
‘No – of course not! Now tell me, how do you feel?’
‘Better, sir.’
‘All right, then, take out a piece of gauze, I mean a sterilized cloth, from the pocket of my backpack and bind my finger, not too tight. You can do it with your hand and teeth. Quick! I can’t take my eyes off the damned hills in front of us. Let me see what you’re doing. You can suck on it a bit more before binding it. Then I have some questions that you should be able to answer. Like what’s your name,where were you born, your parents’ names … I want you to be as alert as you were the first night. Quick!’
‘Yes, commander, but … why are you doing this, sir?’
‘Bind it, the first thing to do is to tie it tight so it doesn’t get infected. If it’s infected I’ll have to amputate it.’
‘I’ve bound it … aha … and now another knot. Well?’
‘I didn’t want to be left alone. Now there are two … no, three of us. Isn’t that better? And I’ve no use for a mute transmitter. Do you remember anything now?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Tell me, quickly.’
‘A dove.’
‘Go on.’
‘We had doves in our house.’
‘All right, was it you, your father, or …’
‘My brother, yes, my brother.’
‘His name … your brother’s name?’
‘Wait, let me think … on the edge of the roof … the doves sat on the edge of the roof …’
‘Well … right … how fascinating! Tell me more – but take your time. Don’t let your strength ebb away.’
‘Wait a moment, did you give us your own blood?’
‘Stop asking questions, boy! Haven’t you realized yet that you’re in the army and you mustn’t question your commander? Think of the dove, your doves. I like birds, and doves better than most. God’s angels appear on Earth in the form of doves. I used to like cockerels better in my adolescence. Cockfighting … I squeezed a drop of blood into my gamecock’s throat and threw him into the pit. You haven’t seen them fight, have you?’
‘A drop of your own blood?’
‘There you go asking questions again! Try thinking for a change … anyway, I came to like doves some time ago. A dove! I’ve told you a person can turn into a dove, right? Yes … you must remember. The first of them turned into a dove in Baghdad. Not very far from here … it isn’t more than a few hours from Ahwaz to Baghdad if all the transport’s running smoothly. He had set out from Ahwaz, too, with a large army. Check how our prisoner friend is doing?’
‘Looks like he’s sleeping.’
‘Shake him, check that he’s not dead.’
‘He’s breathing, still breathing. But … it looks like he’s fainted.’
‘Let him sleep, he must be tired. Look, can you lie down in my position here on your front and keep your eyes trained on that accursed hill so I can get up and stretch my legs for a bit?’
‘My hand, it’s tied to his. Could you possibly …’
‘Yes, let me do something about that. I’m afraid I’ll have to tie both of the young man’s hands behind his back. It’s a golden rule that you should never trust the enemy, even if he’s incapacitated. Well, now he’s lying on his belly, let him sleep. Let me see if you can solve this riddle while I’m taking a stroll.’
‘What riddle’s that?’
‘Let me get my feet out of these boots before I tell you. I mustn’t let the sound of my footsteps … ah, that’s better! I meant the riddle of how humans turn into doves!’
The scouts’ frontline trench can’t have been very wide or long. A mere slit in the hillside; only just large enough fora person to fit into.
‘Yes … yes, commander!’
‘Good, brave boy. Now transmit!’
‘What’s the message, commander?’
‘A sea … a sea … the desert … is a sea! † Done?’
‘Yes … yes, sir, but …’
‘But this, but that …’
‘Should I transmit that too?’
‘No – of course not! Now tell me, how do you feel?’
‘Better, sir.’
‘All right, then, take out a piece of gauze, I mean a sterilized cloth, from the pocket of my backpack and bind my finger, not too tight. You can do it with your hand and teeth. Quick! I can’t take my eyes off the damned hills in front of us. Let me see what you’re doing. You can suck on it a bit more before binding it. Then I have some questions that you should be able to answer. Like what’s your name,where were you born, your parents’ names … I want you to be as alert as you were the first night. Quick!’
‘Yes, commander, but … why are you doing this, sir?’
‘Bind it, the first thing to do is to tie it tight so it doesn’t get infected. If it’s infected I’ll have to amputate it.’
‘I’ve bound it … aha … and now another knot. Well?’
‘I didn’t want to be left alone. Now there are two … no, three of us. Isn’t that better? And I’ve no use for a mute transmitter. Do you remember anything now?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Tell me, quickly.’
‘A dove.’
‘Go on.’
‘We had doves in our house.’
‘All right, was it you, your father, or …’
‘My brother, yes, my brother.’
‘His name … your brother’s name?’
‘Wait, let me think … on the edge of the roof … the doves sat on the edge of the roof …’
‘Well … right … how fascinating! Tell me more – but take your time. Don’t let your strength ebb away.’
‘Wait a moment, did you give us your own blood?’
‘Stop asking questions, boy! Haven’t you realized yet that you’re in the army and you mustn’t question your commander? Think of the dove, your doves. I like birds, and doves better than most. God’s angels appear on Earth in the form of doves. I used to like cockerels better in my adolescence. Cockfighting … I squeezed a drop of blood into my gamecock’s throat and threw him into the pit. You haven’t seen them fight, have you?’
‘A drop of your own blood?’
‘There you go asking questions again! Try thinking for a change … anyway, I came to like doves some time ago. A dove! I’ve told you a person can turn into a dove, right? Yes … you must remember. The first of them turned into a dove in Baghdad. Not very far from here … it isn’t more than a few hours from Ahwaz to Baghdad if all the transport’s running smoothly. He had set out from Ahwaz, too, with a large army. Check how our prisoner friend is doing?’
‘Looks like he’s sleeping.’
‘Shake him, check that he’s not dead.’
‘He’s breathing, still breathing. But … it looks like he’s fainted.’
‘Let him sleep, he must be tired. Look, can you lie down in my position here on your front and keep your eyes trained on that accursed hill so I can get up and stretch my legs for a bit?’
‘My hand, it’s tied to his. Could you possibly …’
‘Yes, let me do something about that. I’m afraid I’ll have to tie both of the young man’s hands behind his back. It’s a golden rule that you should never trust the enemy, even if he’s incapacitated. Well, now he’s lying on his belly, let him sleep. Let me see if you can solve this riddle while I’m taking a stroll.’
‘What riddle’s that?’
‘Let me get my feet out of these boots before I tell you. I mustn’t let the sound of my footsteps … ah, that’s better! I meant the riddle of how humans turn into doves!’
The scouts’ frontline trench can’t have been very wide or long. A mere slit in the hillside; only just large enough fora person to fit into.
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