39

BASHIR BINLADEN

I'M DEAD, I'm almost dead. You think that a bunch of lies, well then me, Binladen, I'm gonna tell you everything. Demobilization money never got into our hands. Right away I knew it was too rotten, that business-there. Government said I don't wanna pay nothing, don't have a franc in the till. Us, we got the message, we attacked headquarters not too-too hard, just to scare, to get the money, see. The president, he don't find this funny, chiefsa staff neither. They went an brought tanks right away from military camp Sheikh-Osman an even from Nagadh military training center. And no warning bang-bang-bang they fire at everybody. Like the last time on the demobilized with no legs no arms an no money. Lot of people killed on the spot not just demobilized, like my good buddy Aïdid (may his soul rest in peace, Allah arhamu,* an vengeance some day I swear it). Even old civilians, handicapped, retired, old mamas who sell cigarettes on street-there, they shelled everybody. Operation Dead Town. Worse than the other asshole's screwed-up coup. I swear to God, me, Binladen the terriblific, my body move all by itself cause of great fear-there. All the people alive—not that many, really—they were running all over. I dunno how I got back to the neighborhood of ambassadors. I saw the scared people an I follow, that's all. This time you've had it, I told myself; it's the end of my poor little life that's all, everybody gotta right to die some day, right, even Binladen, so what?

I say that to myself when I saw thousands of police in front of embassies. Then, I dunno why, I found myself inside French consulate with four other men. I think I fell into coma, OK not big coma, no, little coma for a couple minutes or a few hours, little coma like goalie KO cause his head hit the goalpost hard an then stretcher an substitution. So, I was in little coma cause something hit my head-there. Little coma, still danger a little. OK, so there I am in front of ambassador of France, the fat genleman in shirt with red-white-an-blue flowers, you didn't forget, did you? Ambassador, today he wearing white shirt an red tie like the blood of sheep with throat slit for Aïd feast. Ouch ouch my head-there, it hurt too much. Wire snapped inside or what? So, the four men, they argue loud with ambassador. I didn't understand everything in their big an rich French. Cept a genleman was saying: he can't escape in that crazy city with those drugged policemen and all. The ambassador, he answered: I don't give a shit about that mess, then he calmed down a little, but the man didn't let it drop. Then, another man said: France has to protect him with his son, an there he pointed to me with his intellectual's finger, clean an all. Yes, his nice wife killed by the soldiers an drugged policemen was French, so they must begin investigation right away, must send him right away to France with his son, an there he points to me, Binladen the terriblific now sort ofbroken. Me, I don't have the strength to open my mouth. I look an look an I don't say nothing. Ambassador, he said: OK your wife she's French but she lived with you; she never came by to say hello at the embassy even on July 14, the national holiday. She took too many risks; there's nothing I can do, you understand. The intellectual genleman he got real-real mad, he hit bang on the flowerpots like enraged striker going for goal. Outside we could hear bullets and bombs whistling an singing a lot. The argument with ambassador, it lasted all afternoon. Then, the ambassador left to take care of his black dog. The four men, they go crazy like Italian fans who lost World Cup final. Me, Binladen, I got a head-there heavy like military truck; I watch everything an I don't say nothing. Almost night now. We slept like that outside on the ground in the courtyard, each one in his corner like little scared dog. We didn't swallow nothing but cigarette smoke to drive away fear.

Next morning the ambassador came back with another shirt but same tie. He said like a boss to the three other men: you, you can leave, I have received assurance from the authorities. The others, they didn't stand up; they were too KO. Then, it our turn. You and your son, I can at a pinch—he repeated that pinch-there three times—get you on tonight's flight. I'm going to sign a permit for urgent repatriation; you'll try to handle your administrative formalities once you're in Paris. No residency visa; don't count on it. That's all I can do for you. As for the investigation, that will wait until your country regains its sanity. And he left without saying good-bye.