Returning to the dusty heat of mid-morning, the Pringles walked as far as Omonia Square before either spoke, then Harriet burst out: ‘An interview with Dubedat! Have we come to that?’
Guy, giving a brief, shocked laugh, had to admit: ‘It was pretty cool.’
He looked pale so Harriet did not tell him it was her belief he had created the whole situation by his indiscriminate generosity. Toby was unqualified; Dubedat’s qualifications were mediocre. Neither had much ability. Guy could have managed without them and, in the end, had to manage without them. Had he not employed them, they would have been sent to Egypt and probably conscripted. As it was, they had become resentful of the fact that Guy would not let them do anything more than teach. Toby had wanted to lecture but Guy would not hear of it. Remembering the tone in which Toby had said: ‘I give the odd lecture myself,’ Harriet knew he had never forgiven Guy for standing between him and his ambition. She could see that Guy had his own methods of arousing enmity. He did not give too little, he gave too much. Those who give too much are always expected to give more, and blamed when they reach the point of refusal.
She said: ‘If I were you, I’d insist on seeing Gracey. And don’t take “No” for an answer.’
‘I’ll certainly insist on seeing Gracey. I’ll tell Dubedat …’
‘Surely you won’t see Dubedat? If you’re wise, you’ll have nothing to do with him.’
‘Why not? He’s a pal.’
‘Just as Toby Lush is a pal.’
‘Toby is an ass, but Dubedat is different. He’s no fool. He’ll be much easier to deal with.’
‘We’ll see.’
Guy’s faith, even his unjustified faith, had its own dynamism, and she would not weaken it. Their position was weak enough as it was. She contented herself by saying: ‘Toby thinks he has only discouraged us and we’ll take ourselves off. He knows we haven’t much money. Without money, no one can hang around a foreign capital for long.’
‘We’ll hang around as long as we can.’ Guy said, and in Stadium Street he found a bureau that gave him drachma for his Rumanian lei. The exchange was made reluctantly and the rate was low, but Guy was delighted to get anything at all. As soon as he had money in his pocket, he wanted to spend it. He said: ‘Let’s go to the café you showed me: Yakimov’s favourite haunt.’
‘Zonar’s. It’s not cheap.’
‘Never mind.’
They found seats in the sun and sat amid the affluent, leisured Greeks who were reading an English newspaper with the headline: ‘Seven German Submarines Sunk.’ The headline filled the Pringles with wonder, for in Rumania they had come to believe, like everyone else, that the only ships sunk were British ships.
As soon as he saw the English couple, a gentle, quivering, old Greek came to Guy and held a copy of the paper before him. When Guy handed over a note, the old man neither bolted with it nor begged for more, but carefully counted the change on to the table and began to move on. When Guy pushed some of the coins back to him, he bowed and gathered them up.
Guy read his paper while Harriet watched the men moving between the chairs, selling nougat, peanuts and sponges. One of them, catching her eye, offered her an enormous melon-yellow sponge. She tilted up her chin in the Greek fashion and murmured: ‘Oxi.’ The man offered other sponges, cream, golden, fawn and brown; at each Harriet gave a smaller tilt of the chin and her ‘Oxi’ became scarcely audible. The man did not become angry like the terrible beggars of Bucharest, but smiled, amused by her performance, and moved on. Relaxed in her chair, she felt a subsidence of tension as though some burden, carried for too long a time, was gradually losing weight. How different life would be here, in this indolent sunshine where the fate of Rumania was a minor fracas, too far away to mean anything!
Here one had only to be English to be approved. It was not only that the Greeks and the English shared a common cause, but she felt a sympathy between them. If they could stay here, she and Guy would never have reason to worry again. Wanting him to acknowledge the peace they had found, she said: ‘It’s marvellous!’
Looking up from the paper, he turned his face to the sun and nodded.
‘To feel safe!’ she said. ‘Simply to feel safe! It’s marvellous to be among people who are on your side.’ Having come from a country that had sold itself in fear, she was conscious of the ease of the Greeks. They had the right to be at ease; their dignity was unassailed.
When he had read the little two-page paper, he began to watch the passers-by with an eager, inquiring look, wanting to know and be known. While Harriet was content to observe people, Guy longed to communicate with them and she wished someone would appear to whom he could talk. Someone did appear: Toby Lush.
She said: ‘Good Heavens! Look!’
Guy looked and his face fell. Toby, getting out of a taxi, seemed anxious and, as he pushed between the people on the pavement, his movements were so discordant, he appeared deranged. Seeing the Pringles, he threw up his arms and shouted: ‘There you are! I thought I’d find you here!’ He fell into a chair and slapped at the sweat which ran down the runnels of his face. ‘Must have a drink. What about you two?’ He swung out his arm at a passing waiter and knocked the man’s tray to the ground.
The Pringles sat suspended while Toby ordered himself an ouzo; then he said: ‘Now!’ as though about to produce a solution of Guy’s predicament. After a pause, he added firmly: ‘I’ve had a word with himself.’
‘With the Director?’ Guy asked.
‘No, no. With Dubedat. And he told me to tell you: “We’ll do what we can.”’ Toby stared at Guy, expecting gratitude, but Guy said nothing. Disconcerted, Toby went on: ‘After all, you did what you could for us.’
‘What do you think you can do?’
The question seemed to reassure Toby, who sagged down in his chair and got out his pipe. An air of importance came over him as he said: ‘The old soul thinks we might get you a spot of teaching.’
‘What a cheek!’ said Harriet.
Toby let out his breath in a laugh and turned to Guy as though to suggest life would be easier if there were no women around. Enraged further, Harriet went on: ‘Guy is a member of the Organization. He was appointed in London and sent out under contract. Gracey is Director here. If Guy wants to see him, he’s bound to see Guy.’
‘I don’t think so,’ said Toby, speaking as one who had the upper hand. ‘Your hubby’s got no right to be here.’
‘He has a right, if there’s a job here. You said that Gracey had asked the London office for lecturers.’
‘That was a year ago. Things have changed since then. No more chaps are being sent to Europe. Europe’s a write-off.’
‘Greece isn’t a write-off.’
‘Not at the moment, but who knows what’s going to happen? It’s tricky here. Since August, it’s been very tricky.’
‘Why? What happened in August?’
‘The Italians torpedoed a Greek ship. There was a lot of feeling about it. Any day, things could go up in flames.’
‘Oh!’ Harriet had nothing to say. This was a world in which only the ignorant could be happy.
Seeing he had deflated her, Toby gave her hand a small admonitory pat and grinned. His masculine superiority established, he drank his ouzo neat, like a man, and said: ‘It’s like this! We’ll speak to Mr Gracey. We’ll be seeing him tomorrow. Might even drop in on him tonight. Why not? Anyway, you can rely on us. We’ll put in a word for you. We’ll say you’re a decent chap, good teacher, good mixer, reliable. One of the best, in fact.’