Read The Boy Who The Set Fire and Other Stories for Free Online Page A

was going to pass the wire behind my head and try to strangle me with it. I reached out and pushed away the hand that was holding the wire. She was startled. It’s all right. It’s all right, she said. Go to sleep.
    She carried the wire with her out of the room and shut the door. I sat up and smoked a cigarette. The noise down in the bar went on and on. No matter what I did, I couldn’t fall asleep.
    Finally the people left and they shut the bar. It was quiet for a few minutes. Then I heard a very loud bang, and voices in Mr. James’s room. I jumped out of bed, and opened the door. I found the two English women, both very drunk, standing over Mr. James’s bed, yelling at him. He had bolted his door, and between them they had broken it open.
    Mr. James was sitting on his bed in his pyjamas with his head in his hands. Get up! they were saying. We’re ready to talk to you now. He looked at his watch. But it’s after three, he said. I want to sleep.
    Ah, you want to sleep! They began to laugh very loud. But you’re not going to sleep! You think you can just lock your door and go to bed? Put your clothes on, and come outside. We want to talk to you.
    Get out of here, you Riffian! Go back into your room and shut the door! cried the mother of the girl.
    I looked her up and down, and said: A whole family of whores. If you weren’t whores you wouldn’t break into a man’s room and stand over his bed and scream at him. Only whores do that.
    The two women ran out of the room. Mr. James was putting on his clothes. When he was dressed, he went to his wife’s room. She had heard all the noise and shouting, and was calling out to him.
    I stood in the corridor, and when Mr. and Mrs. James came out of her room, we all went into the dining-room, where the two women stood with glasses of gin in their hands. Their eyes were very narrow. They began to tell Mr. James that they understood what he was doing, and that he was trying to make his wife sicker than she was, because he wanted to get rid of her. He would not speak to them. He only shrugged his shoulders.
    I know what you want, I told them. I told Mr. James when we were on the boat. Those people want money, I said. Even before I’ve seen those English people I don’t like them.
    The Englishman’s wife came over to me and said slowly: Hijo de puta . Then she slapped me, trying to hit my cheek, but I ducked, and she hit my neck. I punched her in the face with the back of my hand. She fell against the door and came back to hit me again. Then I slapped her hard with my left hand, and she went onto the floor. I lifted her up and pushed her against the table. The dishes broke and fell on the rug. By that time I was angry. There was an Arab sword hanging on the wall. I yanked it down.
    I’m going to finish you off, you and your race! I told her. We’ll all go to jail tonight except you. You’re only an English whore and I’m a Riffian!
    The woman’s sister screamed and ran into the lavatory. She shut the door and bolted it, and began to pound on it with her shoe, screaming all the time. The Englishman’s wife ran into the kitchen. I ran after her, trying to chop the top of her head with the sword. Then Mrs. James came up to me and took the sword out of my hand.
    I went to my room and threw my clothes into my suitcase. I heard the English woman calling: Rifi! Rifi! If you’re a Riffian, speak Riffian! What kind of Riffian are you?
    When I came out into the corridor I saw her at the other end, peeking around the corner. I’m a Riffian! I shouted. What are you? An English Jewess, that’s what you are. That’s nothing much.
    Jewess! she screamed. I’m not Jewish! I’m English!
    The girl came up the stairs. The banging in the lavatory went on, and she could hear her mother shouting: Help! Help! The girl stood a minute, and then went and told her mother to come out. The woman cried and laughed, and her face was very white. At the same time the Englishman came downstairs reading