Four gated city - II

 Sally and Paul descend into Mark's house. Sally does not speak, does not look, just frozen. 

What happened was Sally's husband Colin who the authorities suspected to be a spy has ran away. May be to Russia, may be to America or some other country. So now the German refugee Jew Sally had to come to Colin's brother Mark's house. She doesn't know when and if her husband will come back. Mark's house is surrounded by secret service police and journalists  who just want one answer. Where is Colin?

Sally tells Mark and Martha that she has some work in her house and runs away in the middle of their protests. Next morning, police call and tell Mark that Sally has gassed herself. 

Now poor Paul is stuck with two adults whom he barely knows. He does not ask them where his parents are and they don't tell him. He keeps looking at the windows waiting for her mom. 

In the meanwhile the journalists are still outside waiting for any one to come out and answer their questions. And Mark's friends and family start distancing themselves from him. Even his mother. She calls and tells him that he has destroyed her life. 

Except for Mr. Bartet. Mr. Bartet comes home and talks patiently with Mark about his life, his work, his family. Mark is so grateful and they talk for hours. But once he leaves Mark realises this person might from the government and  only wanted information on his absconded brother. He is in rage. How can his own country treat him like this? Why doesn't he have a right to his beliefs? Why shouldn't he protect his brother?

Amid all these upheavals in Mark's life, Martha, his secretary forgets about her plan to leave his house. She has to be here to protect Mark. 

Thus goes the book "the four gated city". So, I thought ultimately, governments are all the same, were the same and will be the same. All over the world. The rights of individuals are just words on some piece of paper. Governments work for themselves always trying to protect themselves. I think.