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Back The Black Earth Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. THE BLACK EARTH
  3. Dedication
  4. Contents
  5. BOOK I
  6. CHAPTER ONE
  7. CHAPTER TWO
  8. CHAPTER THREE
  9. CHAPTER FOUR
  10. CHAPTER FIVE
  11. CHAPTER SIX
  12. CHAPTER SEVEN
  13. BOOK II
  14. CHAPTER EIGHT
  15. CHAPTER NINE
  16. CHAPTER TEN
  17. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  18. CHAPTER TWELVE
  19. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  20. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  21. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  22. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  23. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  24. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  25. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY
  27. BOOK III
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  36. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  42. BOOK IV
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  46. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  47. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  48. CHAPTER FORTY
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  53. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  54. About the Author
  55. By Philip Kazan
  56. Copyright

‘No, I don’t mind,’ says Tom weakly. ‘It’s just one of those things – foolish things. Like the song.’ He really isn’t feeling well. ‘I don’t know if she’s even alive. I’ve had no way to get in touch with her. The news … the famines. I can’t help thinking …’

‘Then don’t,’ says Maro firmly. ‘People have survived, you know. Our family is waiting for us in Athens. It hasn’t been easy, of course, but if your … your friend?’

‘Her name is Zoë,’ says Tom. His teeth are starting to chatter.

‘Zoë! Well, there you are!’ says Seferis brightly. ‘Zoë means life! What could be more auspicious than that? But Tom, are you feeling quite well? You look rather shaky.’

‘I’m fine. George, would you mind very much if I asked – you of all people must know – if, honestly, she’s likely to be OK?’

‘I’m sure she is,’ Seferis says firmly.

‘And what’s going to happen now? You don’t seem very optimistic.’

‘To be honest, I am not. There has been too much meddling – both from malice and sheer incompetence – that I am afraid our prime minister’s dream of a sudden return to normality is, well, quite impossible. Churchill has the king waiting in the wings, EAM-ELAS have already, in essence, been double-crossed. But there is always hope. You see, I have contradicted myself. I have been infected by those damned politicians. And now, Tom, I think you should take yourself off to bed, my dear chap. There is a nasty flu going around. You’ll want to be fit for the voyage.’

But the ship leaves without him. He doesn’t have flu at all but malaria. Seferis comes to say goodbye, and leaves a small book wrapped in brown paper. Έρημη Χώρα: The Waste Land. When 22nd October comes, it finds him in a field hospital outside Naples. Shivering under thin army blankets, he imagines the ship coming in to Piraeus Harbour without him. She won’t be waiting for you, he thinks, but even so he sees the singer waiting, waiting until the last passenger has come ashore, then turning away, back to those strange, low streets. Unreal city.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Athens, October 1944