"I was told to change clothes and walk back after a mile or so,"
I said. "Suppose we don't make it a Marathon. Why walk farther
than we need to?"
"Uh!"
I think he was feeling sore enough to take me ten miles for the
satisfaction of making me tramp them back to Jerusalem. But it
turned out not to be his day for working off grievances. We were
bowling along pretty fast, and had just reached open country
where it would be a simple matter to change into other clothes
without risk of being seen doing it, when we began to be
overhauled by another, larger car that came along at a terrific
pace. It was still too dark to make out who was in it until it
drew almost abreast.
"The Administrator by the Horn Spoon! What next, I wonder! Pull
up!" said Turner. "Morning, sir."
The two cars came to a standstill. The Administrator leaned out.
"I think I can save you a walk," he said, smiling. "How about
changing your clothes between the cars and driving back with me?"
I did not even know yet what new disguise I was to assume, but
Turner opened a hand-bag and produced a suit of my own clothes
and a soft hat.
"Burgled your bedroom," he explained.
All he had forgotten was suspenders. No doubt it would have
given him immense joy to think of me walking back ten miles
without them.
Sir Louis gave his orders while I changed clothes.
"You'd better keep going for some time, Turner. No need to go
all the way to Haifa, but don't get back to Jerusalem before
noon at the earliest, and be sure you don't talk to anybody on
your way."
Turner drove on. I got in beside the Administrator.
"Grim tells me that you don't object to a certain amount of risk.
You've been very useful, and he thinks you would like to see the
end of the business. I wouldn't think of agreeing to it, only we
shall have to call on you as a witness against Scharnhoff and
Noureddin Ali. As you seem able to keep still about what you
know, it seems wiser not to change witnesses at this stage. It
is highly important that we should have one unofficial observer,
who is neither Jew nor Moslem, and who has no private interest to
serve. But I warn you, what is likely to happen this morning
will be risky."
I looked at the scar on his cheek, and the campaign ribbons, and
the attitude of absolute poise that can only be attained by years
of familiarity with danger.
"Why do you soldiers always act like nursemaids toward
civilians?" I asked him. "We're bone of your bone."
He laughed.
"Entrenched privilege! If we let you know too much you'd think
too little of us!"
We stopped at a Jew's store outside the city for suspenders, and
then made the circuit outside the walls in a whirlwind of dust,
stopping only at each gate to get reports from the officers
commanding companies drawn up in readiness to march in and police
the city.
"It's all over the place that disaster of some sort is going to
happen today," said Sir Louis. "It only needs a hatful of
rumours to set Jerusalemites at one another's throats. But we're
ready for them. The first to start trouble this morning will be
the first to get it. Now--sorry you've no time for breakfast--
here's the Jaffa Gate. Will you walk through the city to that
street where Grim talked with you from a roof last night? You'll
find him thereabouts. Sure you know the way? Good-bye. Good
luck! No, you won't need a pass; there'll be nobody to
interfere with you."