“Is there anything you want?” Major Osman asked.
Hill lifted his head once more.
“Please tell the Commandant to lock the door and you go away,” then he turned his back on his questioners.
The two doctors, followed by Moïse, tiptoed down the stairs. We heard the outer gate clang, listened carefully to make sure they had gone, and then let loose the laughter we had bottled up so long. For both the Turkish doctors had clearly been scared out of their wits by us.
Moïse came back later with our certificates of lunacy. They were imposing documents, written in a beautiful hand, and each decorated with two enormous seals. The following is a translation as it was written out by the Pimple at our request:—
“HILL. This officer is in a very calm condition, thinking. His face is long, not very fat. Breath heavy. He has been seen very thinking. He gave very short answers. There is no (? life) in his answers. There is a nervousness in his present condition. He states that his life is in danger and he wants the door to be locked because a Major is going to kill him. By his answers and by the fact he is not taking any food, it seems that he is suffering from melancholia. We beg to report that it is necessary he be sent to Constantinople for treatment and observation and a final examination by a specialist.”
“JONES. This officer appears to be a furious. Weak constitution. His hands were shaking and was busy writing when we went to see him. When asked what he was writing he answered that it was a plan for the abolition of England because the English were his enemies; even his father was on their part because he was not sending letters. His life is in danger. A Major wants to kill him and has put poison in his meat. That is why he is not eating. He requested nobody may be allowed to come and the door may be locked. According to the statement of the orderly and other officers this officer has been over-studying spiritualism. He says that the doctor was giving him poison instead of medicine. According to his answers and his present condition he seems to suffer from a derangement in his brains. We beg to report that it is necessary to send him to Constantinople for observation and treatment.”
Both reports were signed and sealed by
“Major Osman, Bacteriologist in charge of Infectious Diseases at Yozgad.”
“Captain Suhbi Fahri, District Doctor in charge of Infectious Diseases at Yozgad.”