The Snake-Catcher’s Daughter

‘He’s got to run a police force, after all.’

‘But why doesn’t he run it in a way people want?’

‘What do they want?’

‘Humanity,’ said McPhee, ‘not efficiency.’

‘I dare say. Look, I don’t think he’s particularly out to get you. In fact, it’s the other way round. He thinks somebody is trying to set you up and he wants to stop them.’

‘Who on earth would want to set me up? Garvin apart, that is.’

‘You’re a senior figure in the police. Lots of people. People you’ve arrested.’

‘They don’t blame me. The common criminal is a decent chap.’

Owen sighed.

‘In Cairo, at any rate,’ said McPhee defensively. ‘Anyway, he doesn’t blame me, he blames fate.’

‘You don’t think he might personalize fate a little?’

‘No one’s out to set me up,’ said McPhee firmly. ‘It’s just another of Garvin’s fantasies.’

‘Some things do need explaining, though. How you finished up in the snake pit, for instance.’

‘I don’t think that was anything to do with the witch,’ said McPhee.

‘Witch?’

Oh dear, thought Owen.

‘Osman told me,’ said McPhee.

‘That there was going to be a Zzarr?’

‘Yes.’

‘And he invited you to it?’

‘No, no. Quite the reverse. He didn’t want me to come. In fact, he was most unwilling to talk about it.’

‘But he did?’

‘I prised it out of him. He had come, you see, to ask me for time off. To prepare for a ceremony, he said. Well, naturally, I asked what sort of ceremony. To do with a female cousin, he said. A circumcision, I asked? At first he said yes, but then it transpired the girl was twenty so I knew he couldn’t be telling the truth. In the end I got him to confess. It was a Zzarr. His sister was suffering from a mild case of possession. At least, that’s what they thought. A Zzarr, I said! My goodness me!’ He looked at Owen. ‘They’re immensely rare, you know. I’ve heard of them before and, indeed, once I nearly came upon one. So when I heard about this one I was tremendously excited and demanded that he tell me where it was being held.’

I’ll have a word with Osman, Owen said to himself.

‘It was in one of those houses on the edge of the Gamaliya, a big old house with both an outer courtyard and an inner one.’

‘Could you show it me?’

‘Well, I suppose I could. But I’d rather not. They placed me on my honour, you see –’

‘They also drugged you.’

‘Well … I’m not sure they did. Someone did, certainly. But not them. I was there on a basis of trust. Which was mutual.’

‘You made a bargain with them?’

McPhee hesitated.

‘Well, not initially.’ He looked uncomfortable. ‘There was, I’m afraid, an element of deception. On my part. I told them, you see, that it was a police raid. I pretended to have men with me. I demanded to see what was happening. They said it was out of the question. Very well then, I said, I will have to call my men. There was a bit of humming and ha-ing but eventually they said I could take a look through a window. I did and, my goodness me, Owen, it was fascinating! A ring of women, robes, candles, dancing –’

‘And then?’ Owen prompted.

‘Then all the candles went out. There was a great hubbub and lots of people came jostling me and told me I had to leave. And then the priestess came out –’

‘Priestess?’

‘Aalima. The witch. Well, I call her a priestess because, really, it was all most religious. It does have a religious basis, you know, Owen, there were religious sheikhs there, not in the Zzarr itself, of course, but in the courtyard outside –’

‘The Aalima?’ prompted Owen.

‘A most striking lady, Owen, most striking. Well, at first she absolutely refused. Said it was completely out of the question. And then I said that in that case I would have to arrest them.’

‘On what grounds?’

‘Causing a disturbance. The sheikhs didn’t like that, I can tell you.’

‘The sheikhs? You threatened to arrest the sheikhs?’

Oh Christ, thought Owen.

‘It was a bluff. And then I cunningly said that all I wanted to do was make sure that nothing untoward was happening, so I would be quite satisfied if they just brought me a chair and let me watch for a bit and satisfy myself on that score. In the end they agreed, provided I just listened – the music was marvellous, Owen, cymbals, you know, dubertas, timbrels. I agreed, of course, but then –’

He looked shamefaced.

‘I peeped.’

‘You did?’

‘Yes, I’m afraid I did. And, you know, Owen, it was most interesting, for what I saw –’

‘How did you come to get drugged?’

‘They brought me drink. They brought everyone in the courtyard drink. It was part of it, you see –’

‘Who brought you drink?’