SEVEN
It never occurred to you that your tour with Marshal Balbo, which had opened the doors of professional advancement, could also expose you to potential harm and suffering.
As you were returning to the hotel one night, you passed through the Blacksmiths’ Market, which was shrouded in darkness, not only because the shops were closed, but also because ashes and soot had settled on the walls and ground, turning the whole place pitch black.
Suddenly a hand dragged you down an alley, and three men whose faces you couldn’t make out in the dark took turns hitting and punching you in every part of your body as they called you a contemptible Fascist. They said this was the reward for having brought the Italian ruler to the old city and allowing him to enter the Naqah and Gorgi Mosques, desec
