The Marsh Angel by Hagai Dagan (ebooks online reader .TXT) 📗

up to unit’s director at least, if not higher. In the report, he relayed the chain of events leading up to the attack, but omitted his own contact with Al-Shajara, the interrogation at GHQ, and the matter of ‘Ali the Yellow. He also omitted many of his insights regarding al-Darija, and tried to stick as much as he could to the communications funneled through the unit’s channels. Moti accepted the report with a sealed expression; he thanked him with a slight nod of his head, and Tamir quickly left his office. What could he say, anyway? In general, considering the scale of the event, very little was said on the matter: outside, the nation was in great tumult, but here, inside, in the space in which information is compressed and processed, analyzed and funneled to the desks of top-level decision makers— or, alternatively, overlooked and missed, neglected and buried— here, in these rooms, an eerie silence prevailed. Tamir felt he was gliding across the rooms, covered in a desensitizing layer of cotton wool laced with screws and nails. The only question was— where were the plastic explosives, the fuse, and the detonator?

At 11 a.m. a short, bald, dark-skinned lieutenant colonel walked into Tamir’s office. His eyes were alert and restless. Tamir and Ilay gawked at him. There was something unsettling about his demeanor. Tamir thought that perhaps he should get up to greet him, so he rose from his chair. Ilay scratched his head in confusion and followed Tamir’s lead, shifting his lanky, awkward body upward into a semi standing position. Even half-crouched, he still towered above the diminutive lieutenant colonel, who might have preferred him to have remained seated. The man looked at Ilay with a short-tempered, sullen gaze and asked if he would clear the room for a couple of minutes. Go fix yourself a coffee, you look a little dozy, he snarked. Ilay mumbled something unintelligible, glanced longingly at his computer screen, as if reluctant to part with it, and left the room.

Shalom Abuhab, the lieutenant colonel introduced himself to Tamir, head of Branch 40.

Branch 40… Tamir struggled to recollect.

Never mind that now, Abuhab cut him off. I wanted to bring you up to speed about the story you’re involved with. It probably wouldn’t come as much of a surprise to you if I told you we’re under a lot of pressure from the director of the MID’s office. They wanted to conduct an external investigation…

External?

By the MID. They said that only a thorough MID investigation would quell the calls for an outside investigation.

Outside?

By the chief of staff’s office, conducted by a major-general from GHQ— the works. MID’s desperate to avoid that scenario because they don’t want to be subjected to an outside investigation. We, on our part, want to avoid an MID investigation— we don’t like outsiders looking under our hood, and so far we’ve done a decent job of keeping them out. We don’t want the status quo to change because of your story.

My story… Tamir pondered, listening with a mix of curiosity and incredulity to the lieutenant colonel’s blunt and direct elucidation of political struggles within army ranks. Maybe it really is my story, he thought to himself. The thought appealed to him.

This time’s going to be more complicated than in the past, Abuhab said as he sat down in Ilay’s chair, absentmindedly glancing at his computer screen. But we managed to convince them to let us run our own investigation first, and only then, if they’re not convinced, have them conduct their own investigation. At the end of the day, they want to keep a lid on the commotion as well, they’re just not sure whether our own investigation would be enough to satisfy GHQ.

Tamir stared at him in silence.

Time isn’t on our side, and we obviously need to… keep damage to a minimum. Now, listen. I read your report. It’s fine, but a bit too chatty. So, we’re not going to send it out. Me and you, we’re going to sit down and come up with… a softened version, you might say. That will also be your official stance in front of the committee.

Tamir nodded along, even though he didn’t fully understand. So, I need to face the committee? he asked.

Yes.

When?

Starting now.

Now?

Yes.

Where?

We can start here.

The committee will come here??

It’s already here.

You?

Me.

And besides you?

No one else needed. I just need to know that you understand how these things work, and that you’re going to keep the best interest of the matter and of the unit in mind. I hope you understand that sometimes, the best interest of the unit is also your own best interest. It would not reflect well on us if a unit head was found culpable. An IAO would be better, but even that we try to avoid. A unit head is too much. We won’t give them the satisfaction. Besides, you yourself are in somewhat of a sensitive position at the moment, aren’t you?

I am?

Of course. You were interrogated by F.S.D.2, weren’t you?

You know about that?

My job is to know things. The whole point is that other people won’t know. That won’t be good for anybody.

Of course, Tamir nodded. Now he got it.

c. No Big Deal

Over the next two days, Tamir met lieutenant colonel Abuhab several more times. Abuhab could hardly be characterized as possessing an unwavering commitment to the pursuit of truth; he more than willingly bent the facts to support the narratives he chose to espouse. Tamir thought to himself that in terms of schools of philosophy, Abuhab would probably fall into the category of Greek Sophists or 18th century Utilitarianists. His phrasings were neither elegant nor particularly lucid. He favored ambiguity. He told Tamir that Moti was on extended leave until things cooled off a bit, and that even when things do cool off, it wasn’t at all certain that he’ll be back in the department. In cases like these, he said, it’s often best to transfer some of the concerned parties to some other