Gissa Bokcitatet

“Comrades, _contrary_ to what _you may _believe, we are no_ longer _absolutely _vile _colonial _mercenaries, for these _repellant _people have forced us_ to learn _certain _things. The _Voice is _perhaps not completely wrong when he _tells us we must recognize our_ faults, or rather our ‘errors.’”
“Our_ tactical_ _errors?” _[G.] asked.
“No, our political_ errors. In the strategy of modern_ warfare _military tactics are a _matter of secondary_ importance, _politics will _always take_ precedence.”
“Let’s _discuss the _enemy,” exclaimed [E.], who was irritated by this _preamble.
“They’re of _adverse will, as _Clausewitz would say. The _Vietminh have been hardened, changed by seven years of fighting. You’re right, [B.], they’re no longer the same as they were in _1945. They have _created a human type which is repeated_ indefinitely and cast in the same mould. For example, every year, in every _Vietminh division, at the end of the rainy _season a recollection is held.”
“What’s that?” [P.] asked.
“It’s a favourite term of the _Jesuits. Nothing _resembles the _Vietminh world as _closely as the Jesuits. I know, I was brought up by them. A recollection_ means a retreat, _communal withdrawal, the _examination of one’s conscience over the period of a year.”
“Go on.”
“With the _Viets it lasts_ a fortnight_ and in some _units up to_ ten per cent of the _personnel are sometimes_ shot _because they no longer conform to the model laid down. In this process the guilty are their own public prosecutors and demand _their punishment themselves.”
“Nevertheless,” said [G.], “in spite of our_ strokes of _audacity and strokes_ of luck, in spite of our fits of _laziness and _energy, there was always _Vietminh organization, _Vietminh _pertinacity: an ant-heap_ for ever active and in the process of _reconstruction.”
“That’s_ true,” said [M.]. “The _Vietminh _coolie, _soldier, _officer and _propagandist have _always worked_ relentlessly and _with a _sense of _purpose that is _scarcely _human. They _have _built _dug-outs, _trenches, _underground _villages*.*.*.”
This _reminded _them all _of the _operations in the _Delta, of the _whole _of that_ landscape remodelled and _camouflaged by the _human _termites.

Aicha_went_up_the_stairs_at_a_run,_putting_to_flig ht_the_cats_which_were_feeding_on_the_refuse_outsi de_some_heavy,_studded_doorways_with_brass_knocker s._The_ruins_of_an_old_moucharabieh_overhung_the_l ane;_behind_a_little_window_with_iron_grilles_a_cu rtain_was_raised,_then_lowered_again._But_Aicha_kn ew_she_was_now_out_of_danger._Since_March_French_l aw_had_ceased_to_apply_in_the_Kasbah._The_Front_wa s_in_complete_control._All_the_stool-pigeons_had_been_liquidated_or_were_working_for_th e_F.L.N.:_the _last_M.N.A._dissident_had_been_killed_the_previou s_day_and_the_police_inspectors_behind_their_sandb ags_received_no_more_callers._The_police_were_wait ing_in_terror_for_the_killer_gangs_which_would_one _day_come_and_cut_their_throats.
Aicha_was_proud_to_belong_to_this_organization,_to _be_a_militant_working_for_the_cause,_instead_of_w asting_her_time_over_pointless_studies._Later_on_s he_would_take_them_up_again,_when_the_green_and_wh ite_flag_fluttered_above_Algiers.
At_the_corner_of_the_Rue_de_la_Bombe_and_the_Rue_M armol_she_came_across_the_whore_Fatimah_leaning_ag ainst_a_wall._Fatimah_was_wearing_the_heavy_silver _ear-rings_of_a_tribal_girl,_a_yellow_scarf_and_a_ fluffy_white_sweater;_she_had_the_attractive,_brit tle_face_of_a_girl_who_has_seen_a_lot_of_life.
Fatimah_gave_her_a_friendly_wink_and_murmured:
“God_be_with_you,_sister_Aicha.”
Fatimah_was_aware_of_the_young_girl’s_role_and_dan gerous_work;_she_too_belonged_to_the_Front,_like_e veryone,_like_the_whole_of_Algeria._Its_members_ad dressed_one_another_as_brother_and_sister._And_Aic ha’s_heart_swelled_with_pride,_she_felt_she_was_do ing_something_really_worthwhile._She_stopped_for_a _moment_to_stroke_a_child_whose_head_was_covered_i n_ringworm,_who_stared_at_her_in_astonishment.
At_22_Rue_de_la_Bombe,_she_knocked_three_times,_pa used,_then_knocked_twice_again._She_wondered_what_ the_paratroop_major_would_have_said_if_she_had_tol d_him:
“In_my_bag_I’ve_got_the_wherewithal_to_blow_Algier s_and_its_rich_modern_quarters_sky-high_and_I’m_go ing_to_22_Rue_de_la_Bombe,_where_there_are_some_me n_who_will_know_how_to_use_it.”
An_old_woman_with_hennaed_hands_opened_the_door._S he_looked_at_the_young_girl_with_disdain._Old_Zule ika_still_observed_the_laws_of_Islam_and_considere d_Aicha_a_shameless_wench_for_not_wearing_a_veil_a nd_for_dressing_like_a_European_woman.
But_Aicha_knew_that_once_the_Front_had_conquered_t he_settlers,_it_would_make_every_woman_shed_the_ve il,_forbid_polygamy,_and_put_men_and_women_on_equa l_terms,_as_in_the_West.

On_5_November,_at_six_o’clock_in_the_morning,_the_ paratroops_of_the_10th_Regiment_were_dropped_just_ south_of_Port_Said_so_as_to_seize_the_bridge_over_ which_the_road_and_railway_line_led_to_Cairo._This _bridge_lay_across_a_subsidiary_canal_connecting_t he_Suez_Canal_to_the_Lake_of_Manzaleh,_and_the_dro pping_zone_consisted_of_a_narrow_strip_of_sand_bet ween_two_stretches_of_water.
The_aircraft_dropped_them_from_a_height_of_400_fee t,_the_minimum_safety_height_being_350._They_had_t o_slow_down_to_125_miles_an_hour,_thereby_providin g_a_splendid_target_for_the_Egyptian_anti-aircraft _batteries.

Den vintern trampades vägen till Koskela sällan upp. Kom det spår på den kunde det bli översnöat innan någon gjorde nytt. Mattisgranens grenar hängde tunga av snö över vägen.
Det var bara fotspåren i torpets närmaste omgivningar som visade att man levde och verkade som förr, fastän kontakterna med yttervärlden var sparsamma.