Jimgrim and Allahs Peace | Page 9

cool my
heels. He knocked, and entered a door marked "private."
It was fully half an hour before the door opened again and I was
beckoned in. Grim was alone in the room with the Administrator, a
rather small, lean, rigidly set up man, with merry fire in his eye, and an
instantly obvious gift for being obeyed. He sat at an enormous desk, but
would have looked more at ease in a tent, or on horseback. The three
long rows of campaign ribbons looked incongruous beside the bunch of
flowers that somebody had crammed into a Damascus vase on the desk,
with the estimable military notion of making the utmost use of space.
Sir Louis was certainly in an excellent temper. He offered me a chair,
and looked at me with a sort of practical good-humour that seemed to
say, "Well, here he is; now how shall we handle him?" I was minded to
ask outright for what I wanted, but something in his attitude revealed
that he knew all that already and would prefer to come at the problem
in his own way. It was clear, without a word being said, that he
proposed to make some sort of use of me without being so indiscreet as
to admit it. He reminded me rather of Julius Caesar, who was also a
little man, considering the probable qualifications of some minor spoke
in a prodigious wheel of plans.

"I understand you want to go to El-Kerak?" he said, smiling as if all life
were an amusing game.
I admitted the impeachment. Grim was standing, some little way
behind me and to one side; I did not turn my head to look at him, for
that might have given a false impression that he and I were in league
together, but I was somehow aware that with folded arms he was
studying me minutely.
"Well," said Sir Louis, "there's no objection; only a stipulation: We
wouldn't let an Englishman go, because of the risk--not to him, but to
us. Any fool has a right to get killed, but not to obligate his government.
All the missionaries were called in from those outlying districts long
ago. We don't want to be held liable for damages for failure to protect.
Such things have happened. You see, the idea is, we assume no
responsibility for what takes place beyond the Jordan and the Dead Sea.
Now, if you'd like to sign a letter waiving any claim against us for
protection, that would remove any obstacle to your going. But, if you
think that unreasonable, the alternative is safe. You can, stay in
Jerusalem. Quite simple."
That had the merit of frankness. It sounded fair enough. Nevertheless,
he was certainly not being perfectly frank. The merriment in his eyes
meant something more than mere amusement. It occurred to me that his
frankness took the extreme form of not concealing that he had
something important in reserve. I rather liked him for it. His attitude
seemed to be that if I wanted to take a chance, I might on my own
responsibility, but that if my doing so should happen to suit his plans,
that was his affair. Grim was still watching me the way a cat watches a
mouse.
"I'll sign such a letter," said I.
"Good. Here are pen and paper. Let's have it all in your handwriting. I'll
call a clerk to witness the signature."
I wrote down the simple statement that I wished to go to El-Kerak for
personal reasons, and that I waived all claim against the British

Administration for personal protection, whether there or en route. A
clerk, who looked as if he could not have been hired to know, or
understand, or remember anything without permission, came in answer
to the bell. I signed. He witnessed.
Sir Louis put the letter in a drawer, and the clerk went out again.
"How soon will you go?"
I told about the promised escort, and that a day or two would be needed
to get word to ben Nasir. I forgot that ben Nasir would not start before
moonrise. It appeared that Sir Louis knew more than he cared to admit.
"Can't we get word to ben Nasir for him, Grim?"
Grim nodded. So did Sir Louis:
"Good. There'll be no need, then, for you to take any one into
confidence," he said, turning to me again. "As a rule it isn't well to talk
about these things, because people get wrong ideas. There are others in
Jerusalem who would like permission to go to El-Kerak."
"I'll tell nobody."
He nodded again. He was still considering things in the back of his
mind, while those intelligent, bright eyes smiled so disarmingly.
"How do you propose to reach the Dead Sea?" he asked. "Ben