The Children Return by Martin Walker

Author:Martin Walker [Walker, Martin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-385-35416-5
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 2015-04-27T16:00:00+00:00

Bruno knew that St. Denis worked in a different way altogether, but even he was startled by the text message he received later that day from Gilles at Paris Match. He went straight to the brigadier to warn him that the storm was about to break over their heads.

“Fabiola told me full story about Sami, Pavillon, chateau,” Gilles had texted. “She insists Sami innocent victim and unfit to stand trial. On my way to St. Denis. Will you call me or do I run the story?”

“I assume he’s going to run the story anyway, whether you call him or not,” said the brigadier, once Nancy had been summoned to join them.

“Probably,” said Bruno. “I can try asking him to hold off, but Fabiola would just go to Philippe Delaron at Sud Ouest. And remember, Sami is officially her patient. I’m surprised she hasn’t turned up already, demanding to see him.”

“Maybe there’s a way we can make this work for us,” Nancy interjected. “We tell the truth. Sami is autistic, long since declared legally unfit to take care of himself. These jihadis viciously used this poor, pathetic boy, even whipped him to build bombs. Let’s spin it that way.”

Bruno felt instantly that Nancy was right. The strategic objective was not simply to penetrate al-Qaeda, and not even to break open the network of European jihadis that funneled young Muslims to the Taliban. These were simply tactical goals that did not address the fundamental web of politics, religion and public opinion. The crucial task was to force a separation between the jihadists and the millions of peaceful Muslims all across Europe, and exposing the ruthless and cynical treatment of someone like Sami at the hands of the Taliban would help accomplish this.

“It’s a question of how we build the narrative. If we spin this right, we can make Sami into a hero,” Nancy went on.

“If we are going to build this story around Sami, it might help to offer some media access,” Bruno said. “I’m thinking of photos of Sami playing with Balzac, some photos of the whipping scars on his back. Maybe Paris Match is the best vehicle for it.”

“If we offer them an exclusive, we can keep some control of the story,” the brigadier said thoughtfully.

The other two members of the medical tribunal arrived later that day. Under French tradition, a medical tribunal that seeks to establish the mental competence of someone charged with a serious crime consists of a psychologist, a psychoanalyst and a practicing psychiatrist. Pascal Deutz, deputy head of the prison psychiatric service, fulfilled the last of the three roles. The psychologist was Bernard Weill, an eminent professor from Paris who had also taught in London and Chicago. In his sixties, Weill had a fringe of bushy white hair above his ears and the back of his neck, but his scalp was bald and suntanned. Bruno was surprised that someone whose life was spent probing the unconscious minds of unhappy people could look so cheerful. Weill’s dark eyes twinkled and his plump face broke into frequent smiles.

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