Before long he got up and left the place. He headed straight for the Corniche. It did not occur to him to go home; indeed it seemed to him that he no longer had any home at all. After walking a considerable way, he headed toward the square and sat on a bench under Saad Zaghlul’s statue. Most of the benches were empty. The cold breeze blew gently around the wide square and toyed with the palm trees. The stars were shining in the enormous vault above him, and the night was as fixed as eternity itself. He had not yet succeeded in erasing the memory of the young man from his mind, but he resolved to devise a plan for the future. However, he had hardly buried himself in his own dreams when he was aware of someone sitting by his side. He looked around with a suppressed feeling of annoyance and saw the defiant young man. He started in alarm, thinking that he must have followed him every step of the way and was planning to do him some harm. He sprang up to defend himself but at the same time felt ashamed at the thought of slinking away. Just then, the young man spoke to him in a throaty voice. “Good evening, Ustaz46 Isa,” he said kindly, “or rather, good morning; it’s a few minutes past midnight.”

Isa looked at him coldly in the gleam of a distant light. “Good morning,” he replied. “Who are you?”

“You remember me, of course!”

“I’m very sorry,” said Isa, feigning amazement, “who are you?”

The young man laughed as if to say, “You know, and so do I!” “Enemies are the very last people you forget!” he said.

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you do! You remember the inquest that went on till morning. Then I was sent to prison. Even you used to put free people in prison. Unfortunately…”

“I don’t know precisely what you’re talking about,” Isa replied, retreating a little, “but I certainly remember the war days and the harsh circumstances which often forced us to do things we didn’t like doing.”

“That’s the traditional excuse. Never mind! What’s past is past.”

Isa did not say a word, but looked straight ahead to make it clear that he wished to be left alone, in the hope that the other man would go away and leave him in peace. But he started talking again. “The world has changed,” the man said gently. “Don’t think I’m being malicious. I would never do a thing like that, I promise you. But I often feel sorry…”

“I don’t need your sympathy,” Isa interrupted somewhat angrily.

“Don’t get angry and misunderstand my reasons for intruding on you. I would like to discuss things seriously with you.”

“What?”

“The world around us!”

Isa realized that he was still drunk. “Nothing bothers me anymore,” he said.