We found a cafe which was shut, and sat waiting on green chairs
outside. Around us old men were talking of the news in the papers. They
said that Bulgaria was making territorial demands, and as the Balkan
governments covet land above all things they felt pessimistic as to
whether Serbia would concede anything, and said, shaking their heads,
"It will be another Belgium."
We celebrated the opening of the cafe by ordering five Turkish coffees
each, and the schoolmaster and we alternately stood treat. Jo loaded up
with aspirin to deaden a toothache which was worrying her.
We spent a cynical morning in interviews with people who were supposed
to know about missing luggage. Both they and we were aware that the
first hospital which got a wandering packing-case froze on to it, and if
inconvenient people came to hunt for their property the dismayed and
guilty ones hurriedly painted the case, saying to each other, "After all
it's in a good cause, and it's better than if it were stolen."
Then we went to see the powers who can say "no" to those who want to do
pleasant things, and were handed an amendment to a plea for a tour round
Serbia, including the front, which we had sent to them and which had
been pigeon-holed for a month.
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