After D’Arlan relays the message to lieutenant Juin and returns to his quarters, he had just arrived when the colonel summoned him again. The orderly tells him it is urgent. D’Arlan puts on his cap and rushes over to the office of Colonel Le Clerq. As he enters, he finds Le Clerq walking up and down in his small office, hands behind his back and his head thrown forward. He looks a little bit like a broody ostrich.
“Just as I had suspected,” Le Clerq roars upon seeing D’Arlan. “Exactly as I had suspected! I think the people in Algiers have all gone mad. General Renaud,” he says with the greatest disdain, “cannot even be in command of a bunch of road workers, so how can he be in charge of the high command in an area like this?”
“What is the problem, mon Colonel?” D’Arlan enquires carefully
