Osmandidn’tthinkhecouldsteerclearofthenewwrenforlong; there wouldbeareckoning,eventually,hethought,ashesettledhimselfintothe chairoppositetheChiefInspector’sdesk.Shewasstandingattheoffice windows,handsthreadedbehindherback,lookingsouthoverthecliffs shoulderingtheMediterraneanSea.LevantineShearwaterscrestedtheagitatedwaves rollingagainsttheshorelinefromthedirectionofthe DarkContinent. ‘Wearethe bulwarkofEurope,hersouthernmostperimeter,Mr.Osman.’ ShespokewithaMaltese inflection,butherEnglishwasequallypinchedwithmomentsofItalianintonation.
TheChiefInspectorthenabandonedherperusalofthecoastlineandsettled downatherdesk.Shereappraisedthepositioningofherface-mask,sothatitproperly coveredhernoseandmouth.Herhairhadbeenpulledupintoatightbun,streaked withgrey.Herearswerepearled,hernailsclosely-clippedandcolourless.Thoughitwas achillNovembermorning,afanhummedintheceiling,andthewindowshadbeen pulledwideopen,likelytocleartheofficeofanyinfectiousaerosols.
‘ItsayshereMr.TariqOsman,’theChiefInspectorsaidopeningafileonher desk,‘thatyouhavebeenwiththe MaltesePortAuthority forsevenyears?’
Osmannodded.Hecouldn’tgaugefromtheInspector’stoneifhewasgetting praisedorscoldedforhisdedicatedservice-thelatter,heassumed,thoughhewouldbe hard-pressedtoreadanythinginhermostly-concealedvisage.Osmanhadworkedfor herpredecessor, BenjaminAttard,theChiefofthe MaltesePortAuthority,forseven years,butthisnewoutfitwasaforeigncountryaltogether.Justsixmonthsinthejob, Osmanhadheardthenewchiefhadshakenthingsup.Staffintheupperechelonsof thebureaucracywereallbutde-featheredtothenewgovernment’spoliticalappointees. Theywerechirpingtheirrecommitmenttoaddressingcampaignpromises,amongthem theimperilledimmigrationissuegripping theMalteseIslands;therehadbeenopenlystatedpressurestomakechanges;reductionsinstaffandmorefences,facilityoff-shoring andsurveillance.Navigatingthegroundstoenterthe PortAuthority’s
mainbuildingin
Valetta,Osmanhadnoticedthateventhechief’sgardenswereanaffirmationofstated campaigngoals;thebuildingwasensconcedbynewtallerbulwarks,andoutfittedwith deceptivelydecorativepalmtreestodissuadeanyloiteringvisitorsfromnoticingthe securitycameraslitteringthesandstonefacades.Beforeenteringthebuilding’ssteel-