The Oracle Read Free Page B

her back on to the bed and wrapped his arms around her, covered her with his broad chest and wide shoulders as if he wanted to make her part of his own body. But he felt the darkness of the night weighing on his back, crushing as a boulder, cold as a knife.
    And he heard a distant sound like thunder, and the pealing of a bell.
    His heart felt as though it would burst, and Heleni’s heart beat against his, between her superb breasts, beautiful Heleni, amazing and gentle, more precious to him than life and as warm as the sun. No one could dissolve their embrace, no one could hurt her. She would always be his, no matter what happened.
    They dressed sitting on opposite sides of the bed and then embraced again as if they could not bear to leave one another.
    ‘Now take me,’ said the girl. She had already prepared a bag with some clothes and a little food. Claudio helped her on with her jacket.
    T HE ENORMOUS VEHICLE surged forward, tracks biting into the asphalt, spewing out a dense cloud of black smoke from its exhaust pipes. It headed off roaring and clattering down the dark streets. From the wide gate of the barracks other tanks followed the first, turrets bristling with machine guns. They were dark and gleaming and they reflected the street lights. Behind the tanks were trucks loaded with soldiers in fighting order. They hunched silently on the benches, their helmets down over their eyes and guns on their laps. The officers wore taut expressions as they mutely inspected their soldiers’ uniforms and equipment, eyes on their watches. Orders crackled over the radio, to be answered in monosyllables. They were setting out for a mission without glory.
    They passed Eleusis and Piraeus and headed towards the city in two groups: one would arrive from the south, from Odòs Pirèos and Omonia Square, the other from the north, turning down Leofòros Patissìon at full speed and passing in front of the National Museum. A gust of wind blew the pages of a newspaper over the white stairs, between the tall Doric columns.
    The last tank hauled up sideways at the Leofòros Alexandras intersection to block off traffic. The tank commander opened the turret and stretched out to take stock of the situation. His radio headset hung around his neck and his hands were stuck in his belt. Suddenly a car sped around the corner, headlights high and blinding. He pulled out his handgun in a split second and took aim. The car stopped just a few steps from the tank and a man got out, unshaven and haggard. He looked around, bewildered.
    ‘Stop! Go no further!’ shouted the officer. ‘The centre of the city is blocked off. Turn back immediately.’
    The man held his ground. ‘Please,’ he shouted back, ‘let us pass. I have a very sick man in the car, I have to take him to the hospital.’
    ‘Not this way. Take him to Abelokipi or Kifissìa.’
    ‘But what’s happening? What are you doing here?’
    ‘I told you to get out of here. Don’t make me repeat it,’ the officer shouted irritably.
    The man went back to his car and opened the back door: ‘Professor . . . Professor, we can’t get by. Soldiers are blocking off the whole area. Professor Harvatis, can you hear me? Answer me, please.’
    Periklis Harvatis was lying on the back seat, his face half hidden by the collar of his jacket. He seemed to be in a deep sleep. Ari took his hand: it was icy cold.
    ‘Professor, we can’t go any further. It’s all been useless. Oh my God . . . I’ll take you to the hospital.’
    He got back into the car and set off towards Kifissìa at full speed. He pulled up in front of the hospital there and ran over to the night-duty attendant’s station. ‘Hurry, hurry! For the love of God, there’s a man in my car who is sick, very sick. Hurry, please, he may be dying.’
    Two nurses followed him with a stretcher and they loaded the apparently lifeless professor on to it.
    ‘It was no use coming to Athens,’ Ari muttered disconsolately. ‘Why did I listen to