Tango

by Alan Judd

  He fumbled the first few steps. As he put his arm around her and took her hand he could again feel his knees trembling against his trouser legs. It was ridiculous. He knew her well enough by now. The effect should have worn off with time instead of getting worse. The other girls danced around them, their dresses swishing. Perhaps loose dresses made it easier to massage, he thought. Theresa wore a dark pleated skirt and cream blouse that emphasised her breasts. With her hair up, she looked like somebody’s dauntingly efficient and glamorous PA. He felt the pressure of her hand on his shoulder and of her stomach against his as she pressed and manoeuvred him through his hesitant steps.

  ‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘I can waltz but today I can’t.’

  ‘You are nervous. You’re crushing my hand.’

  ‘Sorry.’

  ‘Arthur is here.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘He’s hiding upstairs in one of the massage rooms, the last on the left. He’s been to the palace and it’s all going ahead. He wants to speak to you.’

  ‘Do you know what time they’re coming?’

  ‘They’ll come when they get rid of their wives and children, which should be soon. They’ll be full of food and drink and talk and cigars. Pleased with themselves. The soldiers from Carlos’s regiment will arrive afterwards; Arthur has organised it. We will have to give a signal when they are all being massaged so that they can be arrested naked and at the same time.’

  ‘It sounds unreal.’

  ‘Arthur is very determined about it.’

  ‘I’m sure he is.’

  ‘We must be serious. None of the girls knows, it will be a big surprise.’

  The other girls continued to swish around, laughing whenever they made mistakes. Ines called out that Theresa should not have all the men all the time. The decrepit waiter stood in the door with a tray under his arm. The last of the afternoon sun shone through a window in an adjoining room, reflecting off the polished floorboards on to the girls’ twinkling legs.

  Ricardo appeared behind the waiter in the doorway. He grinned and waved at William. El Lizard motioned to him to go away but when he saw him wave to William he made a brief apologetic gesture.

  ‘I wonder what he wants here today,’ said William.

  ‘He wants a woman.’

  ‘You think so?’

  ‘He’s very arrogant. He thinks that because his father is in the army, his family is very good. They are not really so good and they owe much money.’

  ‘You know them?’

  ‘My banker knew his grandfather.’

  ‘Well, he’ll be disappointed today. The girls will be busy.’

  ‘Not too disappointed. There’ll be something left over for him. There will be more girls than customers.’

  William smiled. ‘You don’t like him, do you?’

  ‘He made Ines pregnant and it cost her much money. But still she goes with him.’

  William didn’t want to know more. He pulled her closer and she pressed herself willingly against him. ‘Pelvis to pelvis,’ she said with a smile. ‘This is correct dancing – also easier. You can feel where the other person is gone.’

  When El Lizard had stopped playing Ricardo walked over, smiling from girl to girl.

  ‘Hi, William.’

  ‘Hello, Ricardo.’

  ‘You have no feast today?’

  ‘No, I went to work. I didn’t know about the holiday.’

  Ricardo laughed. ‘You should have asked me. I would have told you. My family is still eating but I wanted different food. Can I talk to you?’

  The girls had clustered around El Lizard at the piano and Theresa began to go towards them but Ricardo motioned her to stay. ‘Is it true that the president and the generals are coming?’ he whispered.

  William hesitated. ‘Yes.’

  ‘I will stay and help you.’

  ‘But Manuel Herrera will be here. You don’t want him to see, do you?’

  ‘I will tell him I have come to see what you do on your holiday. He will like that.’

  El Lizard began playing a quickstep. Ricardo made off towards the girls.

  ‘Does he really report to Manuel?’ asked Theresa.

  ‘Yes, but he tells me about it. He wants to help us.’

  ‘You trust him?’

  ‘I think so. Do you?’

  ‘I don’t like him.’

  ‘He doesn’t know what we’re doing, anyway.’

  ‘You ought to go to Arthur. They will be here soon.’

  The intimacy of the dance had gone. ‘I’ll see you later,’ he said.

  ‘Yes.’

  He put his hand on her arm. A minute before he had been happy but now he felt sick with apprehension. ‘Don’t worry,’ he told her, as if it were she that felt sick.

  ‘I am not worried. I am tired. It’s the thought of pretending again. It’s very tiring having to pretend you like something.’

  ‘It’ll soon be over. You won’t have to do it any more.’

  ‘Perhaps.’ For a moment her features became heavier and she seemed to sag. Then she squeezed his hand and smiled.

  ‘It doesn’t matter. We will make it happen. It will happen.’

  The door of the last massage room on the left was locked. William knocked and said who he was and Box, spruce and dapper, let him in. The room was identical with the one Theresa had shown him except that on the round bed was Box’s open briefcase and a number of papers.

  ‘You got away then?’ William asked.

  ‘Got away?’

  ‘From the flat. Max Hueffer didn’t see you?’

  ‘No, thank God. They’d be in like a shot if they knew what we were up to.’

  ‘Are you sure he’s CIA?’

  ‘Positive.’ Box nodded. His moustache looked freshly clipped. His clothes, his bearing, his briefcase and papers all suggested a visiting accountant. ‘People like Hueffer don’t run language schools in places like this. What else would he be doing here?’

  ‘I don’t know. But you’ve never set eyes on him, have you?’

  ‘Yes, I have. Outside your flat, more than once. He’s interested in your wife.’

  ‘Sally?’

  ‘That is what you call her, isn’t it? Yes, well, she works for him, we know that much. But I reckon he reckons you’re up to something, and he’s trying to find out through her what it is. He’ll know you know the president and he’ll know you work for British Intelligence.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘Because of your company. It’s what everyone else thinks, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yes, but they’re wrong.’

  ‘Are they?’

  ‘Well, not now, no, but they were. They’ve got no good reason for being right. It’s unfair.’

  Box patted William’s arm. ‘There’s a lot that’s unfair in this man’s world. Have a seat.’

  ‘I’d rather walk.’

  He paced the room while Box sat on the bed sorting through his papers.

  ‘With you in a moment,’ Box said. ‘Just putting my affairs in order.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Will, expenses, that sort of thing.’

  ‘Is that necessary?’

  ‘It may be.’

  ‘Shouldn’t you have done that in England?’

  ‘The will, yes, but I was sent out in a rush. Don’t want Mrs B. to be inconvenienced if I’m killed, so I’ll do it now. I’ll ask you to be a witness if you’ll be so good. Have you done one?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘It’s not too late, you know. Expenses, too. You must let me know of any more you’ve incurred. Estimated cost of replacing your car, for instance. Any hiring you may have to do meanwhile. If anything happens to me I’d like you to see that these get back to the embassy. They’ll send them on. You’ll get what’s owing to you in due course. Also a bonus for Theresa.’

  ‘Is this the first time you’ve tried to bring down a government?’

  ‘Outside Africa, yes.’

  ‘What other pre
parations are you making? I mean, guns—’

  ‘Never carry them. More a liability than an asset. Got my shoes, though.’ He tapped them. ‘Special shoes, remember?’

  ‘Ah, yes.’ William resumed his pacing. ‘What’s going to happen?’

  Box spoke without looking up. ‘Fairly straightforward. The girls will bring them all up here to be massaged. You stay in this room until you get the signal from Theresa that they’re all in an appropriate state of undress and helplessness. You then come downstairs to me and I give the signal to the officer from Carlos’s regiment who will be waiting with his men in nearby streets. They will come in and make the arrests. The officer is the chap we met the other night with the hearse. The prisoners will then be taken to the palace and Carlos will make an announcement on state radio and television. He will say that there was an attempted coup involving a foreign power, that the conspirators are all under arrest and that he is assuming full powers until a new government is appointed. Meanwhile, the army will have been instructed to disarm the security police, and the Russians, Cubans and anyone else we think of are to be given notice to quit. Carlos will then make a personal appeal to the Western democracies for aid and will summon the British ambassador to ensure our message gets through to the appropriate quarters in London.’

  Box had spoken while totting up a list of figures. He continued counting when he had finished.

  ‘Have you always been able to do that?’ asked William.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Count and speak simultaneously.’

  ‘Yes, can’t everybody?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘I’m sure they can if they try.’

  ‘The plan sounds very – well – simple.’

  ‘Coups always are. There’s no subtle way of mounting one. They’re either simple and successful or simple and catastrophic. Just hope the embassy and London do what they should. Sad to say, I don’t trust either.’

  ‘What did Carlos say?’

  ‘Agreed with everything. Very easy chap to work with. I even wrote his broadcast for him. Mind you, I think his mind was more on getting his way with Theresa again. All he had to do was sort out his old regiment.’

  ‘Can they be trusted?’

  ‘I think so. We have no choice. Mind you, they haven’t been told exactly what’s going on. They’ll find out at the last minute. But they should be loyal. They hate Herrera and the security police even more than the rest of the army and they’re very protective of Carlos.’

  ‘What remains to be done?’

  ‘Nothing except for me to get myself downstairs and into hiding. Theresa will tell you where to find me. She’s down there now, isn’t she?’

  ‘Yes.’

  There were sounds of voices and laughter. A man shouted a verse of song, another something dismissive. There was more laughter.

  ‘Too late,’ said Box. ‘Damn.’

  William opened the door a crack. From the far end by the stairs a group of people advanced towards the massage rooms. He glimpsed uniforms, cigar smoke, bottles and girls. He locked the door.

  ‘That was silly,’ said Box.

  ‘They didn’t see me.’

  ‘But they could have. You knew what was happening. You didn’t need to look. Unnecessary risk.’

  ‘Sorry.’

  ‘They’re very early. They must have come straight up the moment they got here. Hot with lust, no doubt. Keen to be at it like a lot of bulls.’

  The noise diminished as the generals were herded into the massage rooms with their girls. There was still laughter and some calling out, but doors closed and water gurgled through the pipes.

  ‘Were they all there?’ asked Box.

  ‘I couldn’t see. How many should there be?’

  ‘Four – Carlos, Herrera, Quinto and Paulotti. We’ll give them a few minutes, then I’ll go downstairs. Trouble is, you won’t know where I’m hiding.’

  ‘Do you have to hide? Why not wait in the bar?’

  ‘I can’t do that.’

  ‘Why not? People do hang around in bars.’

  ‘I know.’ Box frowned. ‘Nonetheless, secret signals should be secret.’

  ‘But if no one knows you’re making signals it’s still secret, isn’t it?’

  ‘Point.’ Box’s frown cleared and he began collecting his papers. ‘All right, I’ll wait in the bar. You’re learning, you know.’

  William examined the bath. It looked clean. ‘What goes on in these massage sessions?’

  ‘Oh, nothing you wouldn’t expect.’ Box closed his briefcase. ‘Most of my experiences were in the Far East, Bangkok mainly – all in the line of duty, of course – but I imagine it’s much the same here as anywhere else. The number of things you can do with the human body is really quite limited. It’s all masturbatory, anyway, despite people trying to pretend otherwise. That’s what the girls assume they’re here for.’

  William thought of the graceful dancing girls and the fat generals – fatter than himself, full of wine and food. Manuel was not fat, of course, and Ines was supposed to be with him. She was big and generous and would make a great fuss of him. He hoped so, anyway. They did not want Manuel anything other than engrossed. He didn’t let himself think of Theresa and Carlos.

  ‘Extras are extra,’ Box continued. ‘You come to a private arrangement with the girl. Not that I’ve indulged – unfair on Mrs B. – but I won’t say I wasn’t tempted.’ His teeth showed briefly. ‘I used to have the same girl each time when I had to go regularly. B29 – they have numbers out there. Lovely girl. Called Mina, when I got to know her better. Earned the same as a major in the Thai army – better than factory work, which was the alternative for her. Who’s to say she wasn’t right?’

  ‘You had to go?’

  ‘Yes, on a job. I was trying to get alongside a chap.’

  ‘A chap?’

  ‘A customer of the establishment, not an employee. Used to have two at a time, I remember.’

  ‘Can’t have been very easy to get alongside him.’

  ‘Not too difficult. You just find someone who can.’

  ‘B29?’

  Box winked lugubriously. ‘State secret. Need to know.’

  William opened the door and peered out. ‘All clear.’

  Box breathed deeply a few times. ‘Good luck.’

  ‘And you.’ They shook hands. Box walked quickly along the corridor, briefcase in hand, jacket buttoned. William closed the door and sat in one of the armchairs. The air-conditioner was not switched on but he could hear that the others were. The wall clock ticked, one of the bath taps gurgled a few drops of water. He looked at the round bed with its red cover reflected in the ceiling mirror. The towels were red, the shower fitting was red and the inflated lilo that stood against the wall was red. He wondered what people had done on that bed. Did they get more out of it for being able to see themselves in the mirror? He rather thought he wouldn’t. He would prefer to look at the girl, but presumably she would have to look at him. Not a very fair exchange. But then it was her job. She would be getting paid for it and must be used to it, like nurses. He thought again of the graceful girls ministering to obese generals.

  He got up, stretched and began pacing the perimeter of the room, his hands behind his back. He recalled seeing an interview with a woman who had spent seven years in solitary confinement in Russia. She said that in such circumstances people either became introverted and withdrew from everything or they clung to self-imposed routines and tasks. She was the latter sort and she had measured the width of her tiny cell, then paced it so many times a day until eventually she had walked the distance between her prison and Paris. She walked to Paris three times during her sentence.

  He had seen the interview on television in England. It was curious how little he and Sally missed television. They had not bothered to get one while in South America and noticed the lack not at all. He could not imagine how they would find time to watch it, anyway. People must do nothing else in England. The capacity
for adapting to what was new and strange was disconcertingly strong. Things so quickly became normal that there was a danger of losing all perspective. One could easily cease to judge or, rather, one’s criteria for judging shifted with the ice-floe one happened to be stuck on.

  The door opened and closed behind him. Theresa was brisk and businesslike. ‘You should keep it locked. Where is Arthur?’

  ‘Downstairs in the bar, waiting for me to give him the signal. Shall I tell him?’

  ‘No, it will be some time yet. We have to wait until they are at their most helpless. Probably about an hour.’

  ‘Is that how long a massage takes?’

  She looked at him for some moments before replying. Her manner changed. She became less busy, more sympathetic. ‘I will show you. I will give you one.’

  ‘Me?’

  She laughed. ‘Why not? You will like it. You have to wait, anyway.’

  ‘What about Carlos?’

  ‘I have left him in his room. We haven’t started. We are waiting to see if everything is all right. I told him Arthur said I had to keep coming out to check. He is very keen to have his massage before the arrests but I think he is a small bit frightened of Arthur.’ She went to the bath, turned on the taps and sprinkled something in the water. ‘Take off your clothes,’ she called over her shoulder.

  William was wearing his usual corduroys, tweed jacket, veldtskoen, which he polished daily, shirt and tie. The corduroys, jacket and shoes were old and he was therefore fond of them. Undressing was to him more than a matter of taking off his clothes; it was divesting himself of an important part of himself. He did not feel more essential when naked – rather the opposite. He was also ashamed of his body.

  ‘All my clothes?’

  She was kneeling by the bath and looked round, laughing. ‘Yes, all. Even your tie.’

  He took off his jacket and folded it on the chair, then began taking off his tie. ‘I’m rather fat, you know.’

  ‘Not so very fat. Anyway, fat can be nice. It is better to cuddle fat people than thin ones. They are more comfortable in bed. Could you switch on the air-conditioning, please?’

  William did so. The machine made a lot of noise and at first was icy cold. He took off his shoes and socks, pushing the socks into the shoes and shoving them under the chair in case they smelled.