The Uninvited

ail de Vries sprang over. Others arekneeling on their haunches, their headsdown, apparently praying. One standsalone, sobbing and wailing. When Iarrived there were twenty-seven,including the foreman. Plus me and deVries. That makes twenty-nine. The girlarrived and de Vries jumped so we shouldstill total twenty-nine. But we are twentyeight.‘You see?’ says the foreman.‘But I know what I saw.’ I count again.Still twenty-eight. ‘She was right in frontof me. She made a noise. A kind ofhumming. And she gestured at de Vries.You must have seen her too.’ He licks hislips, but he doesn’t speak. He’s sweatingheavily. ‘Good Muslims don’t lie. Nowdid you or did you not see her?’ I seem to