The cook smiled at him. He again had to limp hard to catch up with the corporal, whose marching pace still kept Wladek trotting. The soldier came to a brisk halt outside a door that Whidek nearly ran into.
'Look where you're going, my lad, look where you're going!
The corporal gave a short rap - rap on the door.
'Come,' said a voice.
The corporal opened the door and saluted. 'The Polish boy, sir, as you requestecl, scrubbed and fed!
'Thank you, Corporal. Perhaps you would be kind enough to ask Mr. Grant to join us!
Edward Prendergast looked up from his desk. He waved Wladek to a seat without speaking and continued to work at some papers. Wladek sat looking at him and then at the portraits on the wall. More generals and admirals and that old, bearded gentleman again, this time in khaki army uniform.
A few minutes later the other Englishman he remembered from the market square came in.
'Thank you for joining us, Harry. Do have a seat, old boy.
Mr. Prendergast turned to Wladek. 'Now, my lad, let's hear your story from the beginning, with no exaggerations, only the truth.
Do you understand?'
'Yes, sir.'
Wladek started his story with his days in Poland. It took him some time to find the right English words. It was apparent from the looks on the faces of the two Englishmen that they were at first incredulous. They occasionally stopped him and asked questions, nodding to each other at his answers. After an hour of talking Wladek's life history had reached the office of His Britannic Majesty's second consul to Turkey.
'I think, Harry,' said the second consul, 'it is our duty to inform the Polish Delegation ininiediately and then hand young Koskiewicz over to them as I feel in the circumstances he is undoubtedly their responsibility., 'Agreed,' said the man called Harry. 'You know, my boy, you had a narrow escape in the market today. The Sher - that is the old Islamic religious law - which provides for cutting off a hand for the theft was officially abandoned in theory year - , ago. In fact it is a crime under the Ottoman Penal Code to inflict such a punishment. Nevertheless, in practice the barbarians still continue to carry it out.' He shrugged.
'Why not my hand?' asked Wladek, holding on to his wrist.
'I told them they could cut off all the Moslem hands they wanted, but not an Englishman's,' Edward Prendergast interjected.
'Thank God,' said Wladek faintly.
'Edward Prendergast, actually,' he said, smiling for the first time. The second consul continued. 'You can spend the night here, and we will take you to your own delegation tomorrow. The Poles do not actually have an embassy in Constantinople,' he said, slightly disdainfully, 'but my op - posite number is a good fellow considering he's a foreigner! He pressed a button and the corporal reappeared immediately.
Isir.9 'Corporal, take young Koskiewicz to his room, and in the morning see he is given breakfast and is brought to me at nine sharp.'
'Sir. This way, boy, at the double!
Wladek was led away by the corporal. He was not even given enough time to thank the two Englishmen who had saved his hand - and perhaps his life.
Back in the clean little room, with its clean little bed neatly turned down as if he were an honoured guest, he undressed, threw his pillow on the floor and slept soundly until the morning light shone through the tiny window.
'Rise and shine, lad, sharpish.'
It was the corporal, his uniform immaculately smart and knife - edge pressed, looking as though he had never been to bed. For an instant Wladek, surfacing from sleep, thought himself back in camp 201, as the corporal's banging on the end of the bed frame with his cane resembled the noise he had grown so accustomed to. He fell out of bed and reached for his clothes.
'Wash first, my lad, wash first. We don't want your horrible smells worTying Mr. Prendergast so early in the morning, do we?'
Wladek was unsure which part of himself to wash, so unusually clean did he feel himself to be. The corporal was staring at him.
'Whaeswrongwith your leg, lad?'
'Nothing, nothing,' said Wladek, turning himself away from the staring eyes.
%ight. I'll be back in three minutes. Three minutes, do you hear, my lad, be sure you're ready.'
Wladek washed his hands and face quickly and then dressed. He was waiting at the end of the bed in his long bearskin coat when the corporal returned to take him to the second consul. Mr. Prendergast welcomed him and seemed to have softened considerably since their first meeting.
V,ood morning, Koskiewicz.'
'Good morning, sir.'
'Did you enjoy your breakfast?'