One day, the radio announcer spoke about the space flight and the dawning of a new era. Isa woke up from his slumber, and a new interest intruded into his apathetic spirit. He started reading the papers avidly again and listening closely to the radio. The corner in El Bodega found something else to do apart from talking about political misfortunes and chewing over rumors.

“Isn’t it marvelous,” Abbas Sadiq remarked, “to read the papers every morning with this feeling of excitement?”

“This marks the setting of the politicians’ star,” said Ibrahim Khairat maliciously. “Why don’t they relinquish their positions to the ulama43 and then go to blazes?”

“Now we should start looking hopefully to the heavens again!” said Samir Abd al-Baqi.

Isa raised his eyes to the ceiling as though he were looking at the heavens, and pictured the stars and planets to himself with a childlike desire for some magical and imaginary means of escape. “How wonderful it would be to leave the earth forever,” he muttered, and then continued complaining. “It’s all become so boring, it’s like a disease!”

He wondered if it would be possible for him to establish his connection with mankind in general and to forget his compulsory affiliation with this country.

TWENTY-SIX

They all spent the summer at Ra’s al-Barr, which was in itself unusual; even Abbas Sadiq, a devotee of Alexandria, was there. Ibrahim Khairat got a room ready in his chalet where they could play cards and drink, and they all went back there after their regular exercise on the banks of the Nile. Shaikh Abd at-Tawwab as-Salhubi was on vacation at the same time and joined up with them. Isa slid into poker with no trouble at all; the gambling and the fact that it kept him up till dawn led to his first serious quarrel with Qadriyya. When there was a quarrel, he found that she could be as stubborn as a mule. But he did not care and carried on scornfully in his own sweet way. When he took his place at the table, Ibrahim Khairat poured him out a glass of cognac and asked how things were going at home.

“Lousy,” Isa replied tersely.

“Our wives are more tolerant than Qadriyya Hanem,” commented Abbas Sadiq. “She shouldn’t keep such a close watch on you in a beautiful haven like Ra’s al-Barr.”

Isa looked at his hand and was delighted to see he had a pair of aces. He entered the round with high hopes, and then luck gave him a pair of eights. He won six piasters.

“Just look after your profits,” said Shaikh As-Salhubi with a smile, “and things will get better at home!”

“His wife’s not worried about money,” Abbas Sadiq said to put things straight.