The men were dismissed and taken to the barracks. There was plenty room for them even with the men they were to replace still in occupation. The peacetime garrison was less than half the size of a wartime garrison. Which was just as well since the men being replaced would not be leaving until commander Ayi had completed his business.
Tuti and Hann were taken to the officers’ quarters by under commander Huy a man of a thuggishly coarse appearance that belied his hearty, almost pleasant nature.The quarters for junior officers were divided into ten separate rooms each containing a bed some pegs to hang up clothing and equipment and little else. ‘The first four are in use, Gentlemen. You can take your pick of the others, they’ve all been swept out just in case.’
After slinging his kit into one of the rooms Hann asked Huy if there was any chance of them seeing Abba.
‘Don’t see why not, he’s only in for brawling and he’ll most likely be released in the morning.’
After delivering them to the holding cells, Hoy left them to it, pleading other duties to perform. The cells were actually pits in the ground with heavy wooden grids across the top with a hatch for access in the centre. There were four pits, each big enough to hold at least a dozen prisoners, or more if the all stood up.Today however, the pits had only one occupant each. Abba was in the nearest, the belligerent Nubian in the farthest and those in between held a couple of swarthy, hook-nosed, desert dwellers.
It looked to Hann as if the pits would be hotter than the very heart of the desert, when the midday sun shone directly into their depths. Lucky for Abba then that midday was long past and he could sit in the shadowed portion to one side.
Tuti couldn’t help it, a grin split his face, ‘I always knew that temper of yours would put you in a cell one day,’ he said.
Abba shaded his eyes with his hand and looked up, ‘Very funny, ha, ha, I might have a temper but a least I don’t laugh like a hyena.’
‘Ooh we are touchy aren’t we?’
‘I’ll touchy you, when I get out of here.’
Hann listened to the banter with a smile, then composing his features he joined in, ‘Now children, play nicely,’ he said sternly and they all went into peels of laughter.
As the laughter died down Tuti wiped his eyes and said, ‘Seriously, Brother I ‘m sorry you landed in a cell, but the good news according to Under Commander Hoy, is that the penalty for brawling is only one night and you should be let out in the morning.’
‘Oh wonderful, ‘said Abba. ‘Now all I have to do is spend the night in this pit and starve.’
‘Cheer up,’ said Hann. ‘We can’t get you out of the pit but we can certainly get you some decent food.’
‘Well, in that case, don’t stand there like a pair of idiots, go and find me some, I’m famished.’
‘Yes, Sir, at once, Sir.’
‘Well, what are you waiting for go on bugger off, and see if you can’t find some meat and some wine.’
The barrack cookhouse was a waste of time; the army was fed very little in the way of meat apart from what was served at the commander’s table. Their best bet was to buy a few chickens from one of the vendors outside the fort and talk one of the army cooks into cooking it for them. As turned out they managed to get the chickens cooked without going near the cookhouse.
Outside the fort they found a chicken seller with his crates of live chickens, sitting out side The Inn Of The Golden Palm. A fortunate occurrence since it turned out to be thirsty work buying chickens. Neither Tuti nor Hann had a clue as what constituted a good chicken so they picked four of the least scrawny. The birds were killed and were handed over complete with head feet and feathers.
‘What are we supposed to do with these,’ cried Tuti in disgust.
‘Why, get your servants to pluck, clean and cook them, Master,’ said the old chicken seller.
‘And if I don’t have a servant, what then?’
‘Ah, in that case,’ said the old man. ‘For a six copper coins I can have them plucked, cleaned and delivered to The Golden Palm. The owner is Khaba. If you tell him Adjib sent you he will get one of his women to cook them for you.’
After a bit of bartering they settled on a price of three coins and somehow still thought that Adjib got the better of them. The other three coins they gave to Khaba and after purchasing a skin of palm wine settled down to wait. The wine was a house speciality and it was pretty potent. So much so that by the time the chickens were ready, the two of them could barely stand. Luckily Khaba, please with the money they had spent on a day that was normally quiet, loaned them for only one copper coin, the use of a boy to carry the basket of cooked chicken and the extra skin of wine they had purchased.
Thanking the innkeeper profusely, as drunks are wont to do, they staggered back to the fort with the boy in tow.Taking a chicken each from the basket, they handed the basket and the skin to the guard who lowered them into the pit.
Ah, that's better,' said Abba, after taking a long swig from the skin and wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. For the next fifteen minutes no one spoke, the were busy tearing the chickens apart with their teeth. When they were finished, Tuti and Hann mumbled goodnight, left Abba to finish the wine, staggered back to the barracks and fell into their cots.
