The Lost Way To Misrost by Ehab Shawky - HTML preview
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18
“What are you?” One of Sasan’s soldiers asked me this question while I sewed his wound.
I looked at his stupid facial expression that matched the question and said, “I’m a Misrostian just like you.”
“No man can fight like this,” he said in denial.
I pulled the thread tightening the last stitch and said,
“All men can fight like this. They just need to train well, and to have a good teacher. But above all, they must be fighting for a worthy righteous cause.”
I said this then I got up and moved towards the next man.
I learned that we lost three martyrs during the battle.
The remaining men were all wounded; some seriously, and some just had flesh wounds. Sasan’s men lost twenty soldiers, sixty were injured, and twenty surrendered during the battle. I had some scratches on different parts of my
body. My past wounds were also throbbing with pain, but the thrill in my heart made me strong. We ordered the twenty soldiers who surrendered to dig twenty-three graves.
Captain Salem led the prayers upon the deceased. After that, he ordered the twenty soldiers to bury their dead.
While they did that, he summoned those whose wounds weren’t serious. He ordered them to prepare to leave at midnight before more soldiers come. I asked him about the wounded. He said that we would carry them to the next secret hideout and leave them there to heal.
We started moving at midnight. Eleven men including me carried our wounded on stretchers. We used all the wood we had and the black cloaks of Sasan’s soldiers in making them. More soldiers were soon to come looking for their comrades. We tied the capable soldiers, and then moved quickly towards our destination. We rested a couple of times amidst the way and reached the next hideout before dawn. When the watchmen there saw us, they warned their comrades anticipating an attack. Then, when they identified Captain Salem, they rushed towards us from different locations. Some men carried the wounded up a nearby mountain and disappeared inside one of its caves.
Others escorted us to a different location, about half a mile to the east. We stayed the night in a trench dug behind a huge protruding rock. The place was an excellent location for hiding and keeping an eye on the eastern entrance of the valley.
When we settled inside the place, I approached Captain Salem and said, “Any news about my family, sir?”
He looked at me compassionately and replied, “The last thing I heard was that Sasan summoned your cousin for interrogation. He didn’t keep him under custody, but let him go the next morning. After that, he restricted your family’s movements to their house and farm, and he forbade everyone else from approaching the premises.”
“I must go back,” I said with determination.
“Go where? Are you mad? This is exactly what Sasan is hoping you would do. Of course, I’m not going to let this happen. You will only be returning to your doom.”
I hushed for a moment then said, “You didn’t hesitate to sacrifice your life and your men’s lives to save me, and I’m just one man you never even knew before. This is my family, sir. I’m not going to run for my life and let them pay the price.”
“Don’t worry; the resistance leadership won’t let any harm befall them. The moment our leaders sense any present danger, they will follow a well-designed plan to ensure their safety.” He then grabbed my arm and said,
“Every one of us has a certain duty which he must do.
Otherwise, the efforts of thousands of people shall be in vain.”
“Sir, I understand every word you just said, but it’s my duty to protect my family, not the resistance leadership’s.
I’m the one who will live with the guilt if anything happens to them. I won’t be able to carry out any task assigned to me without making sure that they are safe and sound.”
Sensing my persistence, Captain Salem hushed for a moment thinking then said, “All right, lad. What’s your plan?”
“At this moment, Sasan will probably be thinking that we’re on the run trying to escape before his soldiers catch up with us. He will never doubt that one man will return to Fastotia, and try to get his family out of it. I will return under disguise and help my family escape. All I need is a map, some costumes, and a way to enter Fastotia unnoticed.”
“That’s your plan!” Captain Salem said in denial.
“I’ll work things out according to the developments,”
I replied trying to sound convincing.
He thought for a moment, and then he shook his head saying, “No, we can do better than this. I shall continue moving towards the East with my men. This shall distract
Sasan’s scouts. While they concentrate on us, you shall enter Fastotia and get your family out. I shall send word to our men. They shall meet you at midnight after two days in the western forest of Fastotia. From there, they shall secure a means for your escape.”
He then turned around and called Amr and Marwan.
They came hurriedly saying, “Yes Captain.”
He pulled them closer and said whispering, “Prepare three Shamalian costumes and some hair dye. Secure whatever you need to carry out a secret mission under disguise. Don’t let anyone know what you’re up to.
Tomorrow in the evening, I want to see three Shamalian citizens standing in front of me.”
“Who’s the third, sir?” Amr asked.
Captain Salem looked at me and said smiling,
“The piercing ray.”
19
The next day at midnight, Amr, Marwan, and I were running eastwards. Captain Salem ordered us to reach the nearest city to our location, which was Tenata. There, we should head towards the anchorage by the riverbank, and ask for Master Ezz. When we meet him, we should use a certain identification phrase. If the man responded with the agreed upon sentence, we should seek his help to enter Fastotia. He has access to the cargo ships that travel in and out of the ancient city.
Tenata was about five miles away from our location.
It was one of the main stops between Shamalia and Afraconia. Thither, Cargoes were transported, emptied from the big Romestian and Shamalian ships, and loaded on smaller ones. Thence, the small ships sail through the river until they reach their destination in Afraconia. We arrived at Tenata moments before sunrise. Some men—whom we identified from their muscular bodies as the dock loaders—
were gathering outside the anchorage gates. When the sun started to rise, a man rang a big bell placed atop the gate. It was their way in announcing that it was opening time. We entered the anchorage, and Marwan asked one of the men in a perfect Shamalian accent, “Where can we find Master Ezz?”
The man looked at Marwan who had dyed his hair, beard, mustaches, and eyebrows in brown. Then he shook his head admiring the garment brocaded in Shamalian style and asked, “You have come from Damashta, haven’t you?”
“Yes, we have come seeking to transfer a shipment from Shamalia to Afraconia,” Marwan answered giving the man some insignificant details to satisfy his curiosity.
The man pointed towards a cabin fifty feet away and said, “Master Ezz is the perfect man for what you seek.
That’s his office over there,” then he left.
We walked over to the cabin, but its door was closed from the outside. We stood there waiting for Master Ezz’s arrival. After a while, a man in his late thirties arrived, saluted us, and opened the cabin’s door. We exchanged doubtful looks in hesitation, then I entered and said,
“Peace be with you, sir.”
The man looked at me and said, “Peace be with you Shamalian brother. How may I help you?”
“We have come seeking to meet Master Ezz. We want to discuss a business matter,” I answered faking my accent in the best manner I could.
“I am Ezz. From which city in Shamalia do you come?”
The manner in which he asked the question made me feel nervous. I responded saying, “We thought Master Ezz was an old man.”
He looked at me doubtfully, sat behind his desk, and said, “I am Master Ezz, and I’ve visited Shamalia more than a hundred times, old man. Thus, let me assure you, I can easily distinguish true Shamalians from those who try to fake their accent.” He then pulled out a sword from under
his desk and pointed its tip towards my neck in a quick move.
Amr and Marwan were about to attack him, but I said in a loud voice, “Our ship sank in the dark sea. Any advice how to get it out?”
He lowered his sword and said, “You will have to sail over thorns through the sea of serpents.”
I smiled and said, “I have the best sailors.”
He smiled back extending his arm with an open palm and said, “Welcome brothers.”
I shook his hand, and so did my two comrades, then I said in a tone reflecting our critical situation, “Sir, we need your urgent help.”
He looked at me attentively and said, “What is it that you need, brother?”
“We need to enter Fastotia today as Shamalian merchants hiring one of your ships to transfer our cargo to Afraconia,” I replied.
The man didn’t waste one moment. He immediately got up saying, “Wait here.”
After a while, he returned with another man who looked a couple of years older than I do.
“This is Mehros. He’s the captain of Gameela. It will sail today towards Fastotia carrying Shamalian cargo. You will travel on it under the fake identities he shall give you.
Do you know what to do when you reach the anchorage at Fastotia?” Master Ezz said.
“Is there something specific we should do?” I asked unable to understand the purpose of his question.
He nodded saying, “Absolutely! You must act like true Shamalian merchants. You will register your arrival first.
Ask for the nearest place where you can spend the night.
Check in normally. Then during the night, sneak out unnoticed and carry out your mission, whatever that may be.”
I looked at my comrades and nodded in agreement with what the man said.
“All right, go now, lads. May Alaha be with you.”
We thanked him, and then followed Mehros towards Gameela. The ship sailed a while later and reached Fastotia in the afternoon. When it docked, a strange movement took place at the anchorage. Suddenly many soldiers came running in a military formation. They spread out all over the anchorage. After that, an officer approached our ship and stood there giving his orders.
“Search all ships, crews, and passengers. No one enters Fastotia without getting registered,” he shouted.
That officer was the same man I humiliated two weeks earlier amidst Fastotia. He was Hazeem.
20
“All disembark,” shouted one of Hazeem’s soldiers.
Mehros signalled us to act normally. He walked down the wooden footpath the men extended between the ship and the quay. He approached Hazeem and handed over some documents. These included the names of all men on Gameela, the cargo it holds, its destination, and most importantly: Tenata’s anchorage official stamp.
Hazeem grabbed the documents, checked them attentively, and then shouted, “Let the man who hears his name step forward.”
He handed a paper to one of the soldiers and sat behind a small table placed nearby.
The soldier called the names one after the other until he reached our Shamalian fake names. “Maroz Khorso,” he shouted.
Marwan stepped forward saying, “Yes.”
Hazeem got up and approached us. The soldier was asking Marwan about the reasons behind his presence in Misrost, and Marwan was answering him. Hazeem
suddenly interrupted the interrogation saying, “From which Shamalian city do you come?”
“From Damashta,” Marwan responded in a perfect Shamalian accent.
“Aha, I’ve been to Damashta many times before.
From where exactly in Damashta,” Hazeem asked again.
I was getting nervous, but I tried to remain as focused and calm as possible.
“Kaseen’s gate, near the grand prayers hall, sir,”
Marwan responded. Then he continued, “Where did you stay, sir, when you came visiting?”
I couldn’t but admire the lad’s aplomb. He imitated Shamalians in every word and gesture. They are always chatty, friendly folks, and so he acted as they do.
“I stayed in Solahya near that famous, huge place… eh, what do you call it?”
Marwan seemed oblivious to what Hazeem was talking about. Hazeem put his hand on the hilt of his sword, and his eyes narrowed in doubt. At that moment, my heart was about to jump out of my mouth. Suddenly, Marwan hit his forehead with his right palm and raised it saying,
“You mean Sheikh Mohyeddeen’s School?”
Hazeem’s doubtful look softened a bit, and he smiled faintly saying, “Welcome to Misrost.” Then he looked at the soldier calling the names, and said harshly, “Next.”
“Elis Khorso,” shouted the soldier.
Amr marched forward towards the soldier. Hazeem looked at him and asked, “Are you two brothers?”
Amr responded calmly, “Yes Sir. Maroz is my younger brother.”
Hazeem pierced them with his looks for a moment then signalled Amr to pass.
“Basheer Helal,” shouted the soldier again.
I stepped forward and said, “Yes.”
The soldier looked at me without uttering a word.
Hazeem smiled and said, “And from where do you come, sir?”
I turned towards him with my fake paunch, grizzly brown facial hair, and taller built. “From Torsas, my son,”
I answered.
“How are you related to the previous two gentlemen?”
“They are my former partner’s sons, sir.”
“But you are from a different city!” Hazeem said suspiciously.
“Yes sir. That’s good for the business. I attend to the cargo loading and unloading at Torsas. I make sure that it reaches its destination in and outside Shamalia. Meanwhile, they attend to its distribution all over the other cities,” I said confidently.
I had extensive knowledge about these matters from my previous experience at sea. Most Shamalian merchants took partners from coastal cities. This helped them overlook and secure the safe shipment of their cargos. I visited Torsas many times, and I knew it more than any other Shamalian city. All I was worried about was that Hazeem would discover my disguise. However, Captain Salem’s expertise in this field turned out to be brilliant. He had dyed my hair, brows, beard, and mustaches brown. Then he added grey colour to some of my locks, and facial hair. He used kohl to fake a light black shade around my eyes. Of course, staying awake for almost two days helped in making my eyes swell.
He made me rinse my mouth with some liquid, which gave me yellow teeth. After that, he added a black colour on a couple of my teeth to make my interlocutor think that I lost them. He gave me boots, which he had designed himself.
They included three inches of leather pinned to their soles.
The previous, besides my fake paunch, lisp, and gruff voice, made me look like a fifty-years-old Shamalian merchant.
The result was that I stood looking Hazeem in the face,
speaking to him directly, and he was unable to identify me at all.
We passed the checkpoint and followed the standard procedures; then finally, we entered Fastotia.
21
We checked into one of the rest houses, less than a mile away from the anchorage. The place lied between the western gates of the city and the markets. Hence, if we were watched, our follower would think that we wanted to check on the markets. After discussing the matter with my comrades, we agreed that they would go to have dinner and distract any possible followers. Meanwhile, I would sneak out from my room’s window, and carry out my mission. I asked Mehros to accompany my comrades, and ask them about me in front of the attendants. Of course, they would give a response indicating that I was an old man and needed to rest. I made it very clear that they must stay in the diner as late as possible. I needed enough time to get my family out of Fastotia and help them meet the resistance men. Mehros told me that he knew the perfect place,
“Its owner is one of us,” he said.
“Tomorrow morning, the three of us shall visit the markets. After that, we shall depart on Gameela normally,”
I said to my comrades before they left.
When it was dark, Amr and Marwan walked out of the rest house after asking its keeper about the nearest diner.
Mehros met them at the entrance faking a coincidence. He asked them about me as planned, and then he invited them to dinner.
“This diner serves the best food in Fastotia,” he said, and they left together implementing their part of the plan.
I waited until midnight, removed my disguise clothes, put on dark ones, pushed a dagger into my belt, and sneaked out of the room. The rest house was two stories high,
and our room was on the upper floor. I went up to the roof from inside the building, jumped over to the closest house.
Thereafter, I climbed down quietly from the darkest corner till I reached the street. The moment my feet touched the ground, I started moving like the wind. I didn’t head towards the bridge crossing the water stream and leading to my family’s lands. I approached the water stream at the nearest point adjacent to the rest house’s location, and crossed it swimming with silent breaststrokes. I was taking an entirely different path from the usual one. I came out on the other side and continued running amidst the bushes. I reached the far end of my father’s land, which was the family’s cemetery. I looked at the silent tombs craving to stay and pay my respects, but there was no time for that.
I was keen to follow an unpredictable path as I moved towards my uncle’s house. Finally, I reached the same spot through which Orabio and I sneaked out before. I hid amidst the nearby bushes and halted for a moment listening carefully. I looked around to make sure that I wasn’t followed. Then I ran towards the kitchen’s window, dealt with its lock as Orabio did before. When I succeeded in opening it, I jumped in, and closed it behind me.
“Hold it right there,” a feminine voice said firmly, and a pointed metal tip touched the back of my neck.
“It’s me,” I said turning around slowly and pulling down my turban’s tail.
“You came back,” Fatamia said putting down her knife.
She looked at me in a longing tender manner without uttering a word. Her looks were enough to melt my heart inside my chest. I was unable to breathe normally, and froze like a statue. I was neither able to hold her in my arms nor say anything to express my feelings. We sufficed with letting our eyes speak for our tongues, and they said what was in our hearts.
“What?” Was uttered loudly by Orabio who stood stunned at the kitchen’s door. He stared at me for a moment then came running and hugged me tightly.
“All right, lad. Let go now. You’re crushing my ribs,”
I said patting Orabio’s back.
He grabbed me by my arms and said, “All praises be to Alaha. You’re safe. When we knew that Sasan dispatched a big force to attack the resistance hideouts, we were afraid you wouldn’t be able to escape before our warning reaches you.”
I was surprised to hear what Orabio said.
“Well, they did attack our hideout two nights earlier, but we fought against them. Thankfully, we were able to win the battle with the least losses possible. How did you know…?”
“You won the battle against them, how come? Sasan sent a cohort of about three-hundred fully-armed men,” Orabio interrupted doubtfully.
When he uttered that number, I was shocked. Captain Salem did anticipate more attacks, but not that soon.
“Get your wife and kids while I wake Uncle Nooraddeen. We must leave right away,” I said sorely.
“What’s wrong, Qotazio?” Fatamia asked.
“Sasan double-crossed us. He only attacked our hideout with a force of one-hundred men. Obviously, the remaining forces were lurking to carry out more attacks at other locations. I hate to say this, but we might have lost our men amidst the northern mountains.”
“We cannot be sure of that. Let’s not jump to unnecessary conclusions. Our men know the territory better than anyone else,” Orabio replied as he walked out of the kitchen.
I turned towards Fatamia and said, “Go get ready.
We must leave now.”
She grabbed my arm and asked, “Where shall we go?”
“Anywhere out of Sasan’s reach. I can’t do anything knowing that your lives are in danger.” I patted her shoulder gently and added, “Go now, and don’t bring with you but what you can’t bear to abandon.”
She looked at me sadly for a moment then walked towards her room. After she left, I hurried towards Uncle Noor’s room, knocked on the door, and opened it slowly,
“Uncle, it’s me, Qotazio,” I said as I stepped in.
The old man was standing amidst the room. He was dressed in dark clothes. That was the first time in my life to see him connecting a sword to his belt. He used to own an armoury, but I never saw him armed before that. He looked at me and said, “Don’t just stand there, lad. Let’s go.”
I walked out asking, “Did you hear our conversation, uncle?”
“Not now, kid,” he responded.
Orabio and Ramla came carrying the young boys. They were all dressed in similar dark outfits. Fatamia came in dressed like a lad. She had a sword connected to her belt.
“What are you wearing?”
She frowned in denial to the question. It was obvious she found it a silly one.
“Never mind,” I said signalling her not to respond.
I turned towards Orabio and asked, “What happened to Salamio?”
“He’s safe and out of Fastotia. They never found him.
Don’t worry.”
I was about to explain my escape plan saying, “The path from which I came is safe…”
“No lad,” Uncle Nooraddeen interrupted. He signalled Orabio to do something then continued, “We always knew this day would come, so we already have a plan. Orabio shall lead the way.”
Orabio gave young Qotazio to Fatamia and led the way.
We sneaked out from the kitchen’s window one by one, and then Orabio led us towards the back of the barn.
Thirty feet away, he signalled us to stop and hide amidst the bushes. He ran towards the back wall and pulled out a dagger from his belt. He used its tip in pulling off two planks revealing a secret entrance into the barn. He turned and signalled us to start moving. I made Ramla go with young Salamio first, then Fatamia followed with young Qotazio. I turned towards Uncle Nooraddeen, but he signalled me to go first. After we all entered the barn, Orabio placed the two planks back in place. He grabbed an iron bar and pushed it through two hooks fixed in their backs to secure the entrance from inside. I helped him carry some of the corn stalk heaps, and we placed them behind the entrance. It was extremely dark inside the barn.
We were unable to see anything, but Orabio was well prepared. He knew the place like the back of his hand. He didn’t need any light to know where he was going. “Hold each other’s hands, and follow me carefully,” he said.
We did just that and followed him through the barn.
At a particular spot, he said, “Wait.” Afterwards, I heard some faint noise indicating that he was moving some heavy stuff. Then I heard a squeak. A moment passed by, then I heard something that sounded like the friction of a fire kit.
Some faint light emerged from an opening in the floor a few feet away. Orabio looked at us and said, “Come on. Hurry up.” I was surprised to know that there was a tunnel beneath the barn. I carried the kids one by one and handed them carefully to their father. Then I helped Ramla and Fatamia to climb down. Uncle Noor signalled me to jump in, and then he followed.
“How will we cover this door?” I asked Orabio.
Orabio signalled me to be patient. He closed the tunnel’s hatch and locked its door from inside. Then he grabbed a rope dangling from a tiny opening in the tunnel’s ceiling and pulled it. I heard the sound of some heavy stuff moving slowly above our heads. The rope was tied to some of the grain bags placed near the tunnel’s door. Orabio counted
seven steps then stopped and let go of the rope. He returned and reached for the tiny opening from which the rope passed into the tunnel. I saw him untying a knot then he pulled the rope inside and sealed the opening with a piece of wood matching its size. He looked at me with a faint smile on his face.
“No need to be so proud,” I said.
He frowned, grabbed a torch, and led the way through the long tunnel. It must have taken years to dig it, I thought.
“When was this tunnel dug?” I asked as we walked half bent through the tiny space, but received no answer.
When we reached the end of the tunnel, we were standing in a relatively bigger place. It had a straw mat and a few food supplies stored inside. I looked around and saw some scrolls, an inkwell, and a quill. They were placed on the floor beside the mat.
“Salamio was here,” I said.
They all looked at me, and my uncle asked, “And how did you conclude this?”
“From this stuff,” I said pointing towards the scrolls and the writing tools.
Uncle Nooraddeen smiled and nodded in agreement.
“Now what?” I asked.
“Now you will all listen carefully to what I shall say,”
Uncle Nooraddeen replied.
We all hushed and paid attention.
“The resistance men are waiting for us in the western forest outside Fastotia. To get out of Fastotia, we must reach the craftsmen neighbourhood by the city’s western walls.
We must move quickly without getting noticed. To achieve this, we shall follow a certain path, which no one knows but me. I shall walk ahead, and you shall follow my lead attentively. If I get down, you get down. If I crawl, you crawl. If I order you to escape and leave me behind, you will follow the order without hesitation. Do you understand?”
We all looked at him unable to comply with that last part.
He repeated his question in a sharp tone gazing at Orabio and me. Orabio looked down and nodded in agreement silently. His duty was to take care of Fatamia, Ramla and the children. Uncle Nooraddeen stared at me too, but I didn’t respond. He grabbed me by my arm firmly and said,
“There is no place for the slightest mistake now, Qotazio.
We have women and children in our company. You must do exactly what I say. Your main duty is to help your cousin protect them until you reach the resistance men safely.
Do you understand, lad?”
I looked into his determined eyes and barely uttered the words, “Yes uncle.”
“Good,” he said letting go of my arm. Then he turned towards Orabio and said, “Get us out of here, boy.”
Orabio grabbed a staff, walked over to the corner, and started pushing a particular spot in the ceiling. When it began to open, a lot of dust and gravel fell in. Orabio waited until it stopped, he stepped over a box and looked outside to make sure the way was clear. Next, he pushed the door all the way to reveal a similar hatch like the one in the barn.
He jumped outside and said whispering, “Let’s go.”
I helped Ramla and Fatamia climb up and handed them the children. I looked at my uncle, but he gazed at me in anger, so I jumped up, and he followed. Orabio closed the hatch and covered it with earth and gravel again. I was surprised to see where we came out; it was the cemetery.
We looked at Uncle Nooraddeen awaiting his orders.
The old man was looking around at the graves in a longing, emotional manner. Although it was dark, I couldn’t help noticing the tears in his shining eyes. He uttered a few words, which none of us heard, then started moving, and we followed. Orabio carried Qotazio, while I carried Salamio.
We were stumbling unable to see beyond a few feet ahead.
However, Uncle Noor led us through the fields successfully. Clearly, he knew this route by heart.
When we reached the water stream, he patted Orabio’s shoulder whispering, “Give the child to his mother.”
Orabio handed Qotazio to Ramla and followed his father to a nearby group of palm trees. They returned carrying a small canoe and placed it gently in the water. My uncle pulled Orabio and I closer then said, “Take Ramla and one of the kids first.” He looked at me and continued, “You shall find a similar group of palm trees at the other side. Hide amidst it till we cross over.”
Orabio helped Ramla step into the canoe, handed her young Qotazio. We got on and rowed until we reached the other side. I stepped out of the canoe, carried the child from between Ramla’s arms, and she jumped onto the shore. I led her to the palm trees, and we hid amidst it.
Orabio rowed away until he disappeared into the dark.
A while later, he returned with my uncle, Fatamia, and young Salamio. After they got off, I helped Orabio carry the canoe and hide it amidst the palm trees. We covered it with grass and palm fronds. My uncle then signalled us to follow him, and He moved towards the houses close by. On reaching a certain house, the door opened, and we entered.
The place’s owner was Obadiah, my uncle’s deputy.
He closed the door then said to my uncle, “Everything is in order skipper. The men are waiting right now amidst the forest, and Zein is waiting for you at the tunnel’s entrance.”
“I shall await your arrival on Andalusia three days from now. Don’t be late,” my uncle told Obadiah who nodded obediently.
After that, the old man started climbing a ladder, which led us to the roof. We moved from one house to the next until we reached a house located about three hundred feet away from the city western gate. I was able to see the lighted torches fixed at equal distances all over the wall.
Uncle Noor signalled us to get down. He approached a certain spot on the roof, kneeled, and started moving his hand on the floor. When he found what he was looking for,
he pulled gently. It was a thread attached to a latch holding a hatch closed. He let the door down gently then signalled us to approach. Orabio climbed down first then we followed. Uncle Noor closed the hatch and pulled the thread inside. He walked over towards a room at the back of the empty house. There was nothing but a big cupboard placed at its corner. He opened it and pushed a certain shelve, and then a small plank in its back moved revealing a secret passage. This reminded me of the secret hiding place back at my house. My uncle ordered us to crawl through the passage. I was the last one to go before he did. I saw him enter the cupboard and close its door behind him. He pulled a handle, and I heard the plank return to its original place.
We crawled twenty feet before we reached the tunnel’s bigger entrance. Zein was waiting there holding a lamp.
“Welcome skipper,” he said smiling.
Uncle Nooraddeen patted his shoulder and said, “Well done, Zein. Let’s go.”
We followed Zein and my uncle through the narrow tunnel. Orabio and I were carrying the two children who had fallen asleep. Poor kids, I thought as I held young Salamio between my arms. Their childhood was not an ordinary one indeed. When we reached the end of the tunnel, Zein turned off the lamp and opened a hatch quietly in the dark. He looked around carefully then pulled himself out and said, “It’s clear.”
We followed him and found ourselves standing amidst Fastotia’s western forest. He closed the hatch and covered it. Then he led us through the intertwined trees until we reached a specific spot. He whistled imitating the sound of a hoopoe. The western forest was known for holding many hoopoe nests on its trees. Hence, the sound was ordinary in this environment. A moment later, a couple of men appeared from behind the trees and approached us.
They saluted my uncle saying, “It’s an honour, sir.” I was surprised, but I didn’t say anything of course.
“Are the men ready?” my uncle asked them.
“Yes sir. We have also prepared an extra number of horses like you ordered,” they answered.
“Let’s go then,” Uncle Noor said. When he was about to move, I stopped him saying, “Uncle.”
He looked at me angrily wondering what I could possibly want to say at such a moment. I handed Salamio to his mother and continued, “I must go back.”
“What?” Orabio said in denial.
“I must get out of Fastotia normally as I entered it.
Otherwise, the cover of the men who helped me return to Fastotia might be blown, and Hazeem will arrest them.”
“When were you planning to say this?” Uncle Nooraddeen asked.
I looked at him apologetically and said, “Forgive me uncle. Getting you out of Fastotia and making sure that you reach the resistance men safely was the reason I came back.
I would never be able to join those men in their missions knowing that I endanger your lives by my actions.”
“Do you understand how dangerous it is to enter Fastotia again after we have gotten out?” he asked in a calm tone.
“Yes, but I must help my comrades get out safely too.
I can’t just abandon them,” I replied in a similar calm tone.
He turned to Orabio and said, “Go with your cousin, and make sure that you bring him back safely…”
“With all due respect, uncle. If Orabio doesn’t go with you, I will. This is unnegotiable. My comrades and I got into Fastotia on a trades ship disguised as Shamalian merchants. We passed the anchorage check right under the sight and hearing of Hazeem. We must get out the same way, or else, he is going to doubt that something is wrong.”
He looked at me silently for a moment then said, “Are you sure that you will be able to do this?”
“Yes,” I answered confidently.
“May Alaha be with you lad. We shall meet again two days from now in the safe house.”
I looked at him unable to understand. “What safe house?” I asked.
“No time for questions, lad. Listen to me carefully,”
he said in a determined tone. “After you get out of Fastotia, follow the river till you reach Bonasa in the south.
When you see the pottery traders by the riverbanks, get off the ship and ask for Master Shams Ad-deen Borham.
Your identification phrase is, ‘Sometimes the sun rises from the South.’ When he hears that sentence, he will know that I sent you. Ask him for fast horses and a guide who knows the desert routes very well. The guide will take you through the safe routes towards the North. After you pass Fastotia, tell him to take you further to Sabna. When you reach it, order him to return.” My uncle paused to make sure that I was getting all this information. I nodded in understanding, so he continued, “The men you came with are part of the Northern resistance. This is their territory; they know it by heart. Do not enter Sabna. I repeat, do not enter Sabna, but ask your comrades to take you to Lady Rashida. She will take care of the rest.”
“Did you say Lady Rashida, uncle?” I asked in astonishment.
He nodded in confirmation and turned towards Zein saying, “Go with him. Make sure that the tunnel’s hatch is sealed and well hidden, and then catch up with us. Hide our tracks well, Zein.”
“Yes skipper,” Zein responded.
After a brief silent moment, I said, “You go first.”
They looked at me sadly without moving an inch, but when Uncle Nooraddeen started moving, they followed him. I saw tears in Fatamia’s eyes. Although I hated to see her sad, I cannot deny that I was happy it was for me.
She hated to leave me and go. The last one to walk away was Orabio. He stood there carrying young Qotazio and looking at me angrily. After a moment, he turned and
attended to his family. I stood still listening for a while. I was trying to make sure that nothing went wrong.
“We must go,” Zein said, but I signalled him to wait.
After a long while passed without hearing anything alarming or unusual, I patted Zein’s shoulder, and we started moving. Dawn time was approaching rapidly, and I knew that I must return before people start waking up.
We went back to the tunnel’s outlet. Zein opened the hatch partially, just enough to let my thin body slide in. Before he closed it behind me, he said, “When you reach the other side, you shall find a handle on your left, pull it, and the plank covering the secret passage into the house shall open.
May Alaha be with you, lad.”
I nodded and signalled Zein to close the hatch. I didn’t bother lighting the lamp Zein left behind. I just moved quickly in the dark following the walls until I reached the other side. I ran my palm on the wall searching for the handle my uncle pulled earlier. When I found it and pulled, nothing happened. Could it be stuck, I wondered. I pushed it back in place gently, and pulled one more time, but the plank didn’t move. I concentrated for a moment trying to figure out how it worked. This won’t work unless there were two handles, one to open the plank, and another to put it back in place, I thought to myself. Then it struck me: Zein said a handle on my left, the one that Uncle Nooraddeen pulled was now on my right. This agreed with my conclusion that there must be another handle. I moved my palm on the opposite wall and found it. I pulled it and heard the plank open. I crawled through the passage leading into the cupboard and came out. I then pressed the shelves one by one until the plank closed once more. I climbed to the roof the same way we came in. Whenever I passed through a secret door, I was careful to close it behind me and cover it properly. I was keen on making it look normal amidst its surroundings. After that, I moved quickly through the streets trying to reach the rest house before people flooded
the streets. A couple of blocks away, I ran into a man passing around the corner. Our bodies collided violently, and we both fell to the ground. Our eyes met for a moment then I got up quickly and walked away without uttering a word. The tail of my turban was covering part of my face, so the man never got the chance to identify me. I reached the back of the rest house, climbed a tree nearby, took a deep breath, and jumped towards the roof. It was almost seven feet away, but my lifetime training allowed me to make it to the roof safely. I sneaked downstairs and entered my room. Amr and Marwan were both awake standing amidst the room with their hands on their swords’ hilts.
I pulled the turban’s tail off my face and raised my palms calming them down.
“All praises be to Alaha,” Amr said letting go of his sword.
“All right lads, we have no time. I shall clean up and repair my disguise. Then we shall go visit the markets as planned.”
A while later, I was standing in front of them wearing the nicely brocaded clothes of Basheer Helal. I looked at them asking, “What do you think?”
“Sit down so that I may make the required adjustments,”
Marwan replied.
He attended to my disguise while Amr stood behind the window watching the street. When Marwan finished, he collected the few tools and clothes we had, and we left.
I imitated Orabio when he was investigating the prices.
I wrote down numbers and took notes as I marched through the market. I spoke with merchants and asked them about the qualities and their worth. I even argued about certain values when I sensed that the merchant was overestimating them. In short, I tried to play the role of a Shamalian merchant in a perfect manner. I wanted to convince the people in the market of my fake identity. I also wanted to persuade Hazeem’s informers that I was a well-experienced
merchant. When the time of Gameela’s departure approached, we returned to the anchorage. Mehros was standing beside the footpath extended between the ship and the quay. We greeted him in Shamalian accents, and were just about to get on the ship when a voice said, “Hold it right there.”
We turned around, and Hazeem was standing in front of two soldiers. Beside him stood a man, the same man I ran into earlier in the morning. Hazeem looked at him and said,
“Did he look like any of those men over there?”
The man looked at us attentively for a moment then shook his head and said, “No, he looked different except…”
“What… except what? Speak,” Hazeem barked.
The man hesitated for a moment then continued,
“His eyes looked like that old man’s eyes, but he was much thinner and seemed shorter and much younger.”
Hazeem looked at me in doubt. He stared attentively at my face, and all the worry on earth crept into my heart.
He started approaching us with his hand placed on the hilt of his sword.
“Sheikh Basheer,” someone shouted.
We all turned towards the speaker; it was Obadiah.
He approached me smiling, and a few steps away, he opened his arms widely forcing me to react similarly.
We embraced one another, and I said, “Obadiah, old friend.
Long time no see.”
He faked a blaming tone perfectly well and said, “You were planning to leave without visiting me. Did you forget your promise the last time I visited you at Torsas, old man.”
“Please forgive me, my friend. I only spent one night in Fastotia, and I slept through it. It seems that old age is getting to me,” I said in an apologetic tone.
He patted my shoulder and said, “No apologies needed, but next time I won’t accept any excuses.”
He paused shortly and continued, “How is your family, are they all right?”
I smiled and said, “They are fine, praises be to Alaha.”
“May Alaha keep them safe, and protect them against the least harm, my friend.”
Hazeem interrupted our conversation asking, “Do you know this man, Obadiah?”
“Yes captain. He is a Shamalian old friend of mine.
His name is Basheer Helal, and he is from Torsas the coastal city if you know it,” Obadiah responded confidently.
“How did you get to know each other?” Hazeem asked again.
“Sheikh Basheer and his late partner introduced me to some of the most honest Shamalian suppliers. I have been dealing with him for over ten years, captain. A strong friendship gathered us ever since. I never get enough from his vast experience and knowledge,” Obadiah replied.
Captain Hazeem turned to his informer and growled,
“You dumb idiot. I know how to punish you for wasting my time.”
“Oh no, please sir, I only wanted to help,” the man said in a pathetic begging manner, but Hazeem looked at his soldiers and said, “Take him away.”
He then turned towards us and said, “Have a safe trip gentlemen,” and he left without waiting for a response.
We got on the ship with Obadiah, and when we entered our cabin, we burst into laughter. I asked him how did he know our disguise names and characters, and what made him appear at that critical moment?
“Mehros visited me earlier at the shipyard and told me everything. He asked me to be present with some of our men near midday at the anchorage to interfere if necessary,”
he explained.
I was overwhelmed by the excellent planning of those brilliant men. I felt proud and fortunate for becoming part of their team. The more I got to know them, the more I came to admire their proficiency. Indeed, knowledge—gathered
with intelligence, and employed in a righteous cause—form a power that could not be surpassed or overcome.
22
We exited Fastotia and began our trip towards southern Misrost. I told Mehros that my comrades and I must get off at the pottery market in Bonasa. He told me that the ship couldn’t dock there, so we must jump ship before we reach the place. After that, we would swim to the shore, and walk the remaining distance. He accompanied us to one of the lower cabins in the ship.
“Change your clothes, and remove your disguise,” he said pointing towards a wardrobe. “From now on, you must act as normal Misrostians. Bonasa is a small market.
Shamalian merchants are not interested in it. Seeing Shamalian men there would attract people’s attention and Sasan’s informers in particular.”
We washed off the hair dye and removed our disguise.
Then we put on the clothes we found fit inside the wardrobe. We looked like artisans with those comfortable wide trousers, colourful turbans, and decorated shirts.
A short while later, Mehros returned to the cabin. He looked at us in satisfaction and handed us three daggers, which we pushed behind our wide waste belts.
“That should be convincing. Do you know what to do when you reach Bonasa?”
“Yes, everything is previously arranged,” I responded without giving him unnecessary details.
He nodded in understanding and said, “Then it’s time to go.” He walked out of the cabin, and we followed him till we reached the back of the ship. He pulled open a sealed loophole, grabbed a rope hanging beside it, and threw one of its ends outside. “Use the rope to get down to the water, and then swim to the shore. Make sure not to attract any
attention. May Alaha be with you lads,” he said tying the other end of the rope around an inside wooden pole.
We shook his hand and thanked him, and then we started climbing down the rope one after another. We swam quietly towards the shore. When we got out of the water, we started moving south towards the pottery market. By the time we reached it, our clothes were almost dry, but we were exhausted. It had almost been three days since we last had any real sleep. I asked the first man I met where I can find Master Shams Ad-deen Borham. He told me to walk over to the far end of the market and ask again. We did just that, and we found him. He was an old man in his mid-sixties.
He was sitting on a huge cushion, leaning his back to an old wall, and smoking a pipe, which he held between his teeth.
On his lap, there was a brilliantly ornamented huge pot.
He supported it with his left leg and held it from the top opening by his left hand. In his right, he was holding a tiny brush, and decorating the pot with high concentration.
He didn’t notice us approaching.
“Peace be with you Master Shams,” I said.
He looked up, observed our appearances carefully, and then responded resuming his work, “Peace be with you, lad.
If it’s work you have come seeking then don’t waste your time.”
I looked at my comrades. We had no clue what he was talking about. I dropped down on one knee and pretended to check one of his pots. “We came here because sometimes the sun rises from the South,” I said in a low voice.
He raised his head again, looked at me in a scary, nervous manner, and said, “Put the pot down, lad. Go seek work somewhere else,” and he stressed on those final words.
Sensing some danger, I turned around and said to my comrades, “Let’s go, lads. The man can’t help us.”
We walked away not knowing where to go. All I wanted at that moment was to leave the place as fast as possible.
Before we exited the market, a squad of soldiers surrounded the area. Then a familiar loud voice said, “Hold it right there, Qotazio Al-Misrosty.”
I turned around, and there he stood amidst his soldiers smiling proudly. Hazeem, the traitor.
23
“Well done Qotazio, well done indeed. You have given us Obadiah, Mehros, Master Shams Ad-deen, and your two comrades. Who else turned a traitor along with you?
Tell you what, I will find this out during the interrogation, and I’m going to enjoy it.”
The arrogant idiot kept on walking from left to right and back as he spoke praising himself. He continued, “Did you think that I didn’t recognise you the first time you set foot inside Fastotia? That silly figure of an old Shamalian Merchant with the stupid paunch, and fake lisp…”
“Well, you hadn’t recognised me the first time. That’s a sure thing,” I said with a provocative smile filling my face.
He continued to walk amidst his soldiers, and said calmly, “And what makes you say that so confidently?”
“The fact that you are standing here right now.
This shows that you are totally oblivious to the reason why I returned to Fastotia although I’m on your wanted list,” I answered trying to get into Hazeem’s mind.
“I wouldn’t worry about that. You shall spell everything out during the interrogation, Master Qotazio.”
“That’s Captain Qotazio.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot… captain of a sunk ship,” Hazeem responded mocking me.
“Lots of ships sink at sea Hazeem, and I can assure you that no captain plans the sinking of his own ship. However, this is the first time for me to see a captain employing all his efforts in sinking his own country.”
He stopped walking and looked at me angrily, but I continued, “You’re a traitor, Hazeem, and so is your false chief of staff and all the men who support you. You have destroyed a country that once before stood as the beacon of light for all men. A country that used to be the destination of students, inventors, writers, and poets. You spared no effort in turning it into a lifeless poor spot deserving no attention whatsoever.”
I paused for a moment observing Hazeem’s face. I can swear that I saw fright in his eyes. “You are nothing but a damn traitor, Hazeem. So remember this oath, I swear that I will make an example of you, your chief, and your men.
What I’m going to do will make any person think a hundred times before he would dare follow your path. It will always be remembered by Misrostians till the end of time.”
He clapped his hands in a challenging manner and said,
“Good luck with that, you’ll surely need it.”
I laughed out loud forcing him to look at me in astonishment and panic.
“Luck! No Hazeem. Luck isn’t something true men depend on. True men depend on intelligence and good planning. Let me educate you about those two traits. I’m sure you know nothing about them. Yesterday, you examined our identities thoroughly as you probably do with all travellers. You’re trained to doubt the truthfulness of your interlocutor, but you’re not trained to use your commonsense. Hence, we fooled you by our disguise and organised answers. However, you placed us under close observation to make sure that our story was true. You were afraid we would be resistance messengers. The man I ran into this morning was one of your spies. When he informed you that a masked man ran into him near the rest house we were staying in, your doubts were renewed. Nonetheless, you had no idea whatsoever who we were, or what we were doing in Fastotia.”
I paused smiling at his facial expression then I started walking left to right and back imitating him and continued,
“Your incompetence was amazing. You were totally oblivious to the fact that the old man who stood looking you in the face was actually me. You never imagined that he was the same person who humiliated you amidst the streets of Fastotia before.”
I was keen on employing a lot of sarcasm in my tone as I said that last sentence. Then I resumed my explanation,
“At the anchorage, your informer told you that the masked man had similar eyes to those of the old man standing in front of you, but he seemed younger and shorter. It was only then that you started connecting this description to my true appearance, and I saw it in your eyes. But then again, Obadiah saved the situation, and we fooled you for the second time. You probably ordered the beating of the poor informer. I guess his persistence forced your little mind to doubt the truthfulness of his words. That was when you decided to check on Obadiah’s story. You probably looked up the names of the two Shamalian merchants—Basheer and Khorso—in the anchorage records. When you didn’t find any mentioning for them, you realised the fallacy of our tale. You summoned some of your men and rode out hurriedly seeking to catch up with us at Bonasa. Of course, you were eager to cover up for your total incompetence.”
I paused and looked at him imitating my uncle’s gaze, which usually meant, I know what you’re hiding, and then continued, “You deduced we would get off Gameela at Bonasa. The last news that reached you was that one hundred of your men were defeated at our hands amidst the Northern Mountains. Consequently, you understood that our destination must be the north. However, since Gameela was heading southwards, you concluded that we shall get off at the nearest southern city. This is how you got here before we did. Thereafter, you ordered your men to spread all over the market knowing that we must appear here first.”
When I stopped, Hazeem was staring at me in a strange way. His looks held anger mixed with fear. My organised thinking probably shocked him. Thinking based on logical disciplines is never what soldiers are trained to do. Soldiers follow blindly. They never think or ask questions.
He remained speechless for a while, and then said in a rattled tone, “What’s important is who gets to laugh at the end, Qotazio. You can be damn sure that it’s going to be me.” He then shouted, “Arrest them.”
I pulled my dagger out and said decisively, “This is not personal, men. If you do not lay your swords on the ground and surrender immediately, I shall consider you enemies of Misrost, and I shall deal with you accordingly.”
My comrades pulled out their daggers and assumed battle position instantly. Our appearances and my words had an effect that I never expected. It made the soldiers freeze in their places in hesitation, and fear showed clearly on their faces. Seeing this, Hazeem screamed at them, “You damn cowards, they are just three men. Take them immediately.”
Without turning, I whispered to my comrades, “Repeat what you did the last battle and you will be fine, lads.
Misrostians are watching. Rip the fear out of their hearts,”
and then I made my first move.
I blocked the first sword strike with my dagger and moved in grabbing the wrist of the soldier delivering it.
I turned and drove my right elbow into the face of a soldier approaching from the left. Maintaining my grip on the first soldier’s wrist, I turned around again, and kicked a third soldier forcefully. His body was lifted off the ground a few inches, and he landed on his face groaning in pain. I used the thrust of my body in driving the first soldier’s face towards the trunk of a nearby tree. Before I let him go, I pulled the sword out of his hand. When I turned, a strike was about to land on my collarbone. I dodged driving my sword’s tip into my attacker’s arm, forcing him to let go of
his sword and retreat. I kicked his sword up towards Amr, and he grabbed it. The remaining soldiers hesitated before resuming their attack. I deduced that news of the Northern Mountains battle must have reached them, so I seized the opportunity and attacked them myself. I ran towards the nearest soldiers to my location. There was a tradesman table in between, so I stepped on it with one foot, and jumped up high landing a few feet away from the six men. Before they knew what hit them, my sword and dagger had already wounded four of them neutralising their role in the battle.
The remaining two stood there frozen in disbelief. I kicked one of them in his knee, and drove my fist into the second one’s face, breaking his nose. My fist hurt like hell, but I maintained my concentration on the fight. I landed the sword’s handle on the head of the soldier grabbing his knee sending him to dreamland. I took a quick look at my comrades, and they were holding on just fine. I looked towards Hazeem, and he seemed willing to fight me, so I started approaching him. A few steps away, he attacked first trying to land his sword on my neck. I fenced with my sword and head-butted him. He retreated a couple of steps holding his bleeding nose in anger. I stood still pushing my dagger back in my belt, giving him a chance to recover from the surprise. A couple of soldiers ran towards me from both sides trying to save their commander. I grabbed a nearby pot, threw it in the first one’s face, and then engaged with the other in a quick bout. It ended with me disarming the idiot. Hazeem tried to seize the opportunity and attack me before I notice his move, but I anticipated this. When he tried to stab me, I turned with the direction of his attack.
As he passed right beside me, I landed my sword on his ass.
He turned around to face me again, and we engaged in a man-to-man duel. I employed many tricks in this bout and enjoyed humiliating my opponent to the furthest extent.
I faked false attacks and landed punches and kicks. I feinted and slashed at the man’s arms and legs repeatedly.
Eventually, he fell down on his knees unable to continue the fight. When I looked around, all people were watching, including my two comrades and the wounded soldiers.
“I won’t kill you this time, Hazeem, although I don’t believe you deserve to live. There are women and children here. I won’t allow them to witness such a scene.
Nonetheless, next time, I swear that the tip of my sword is going to run through your heart,” I said in anger.
He looked up at me with blood covering his nose and mouth, and said, “You better do it now. Next time, I will make sure you don’t get any chance to fight at all you baste…”
My fist landed on his jaw before he finished his sentence, knocking him out. He fell on his face in the mud. On seeing this, people burst into laughter. Some even clapped their hands in admiration to our valiance. My comrades stood beside me, and we raised our hands in victory saluting our persecuted fellow Misrostians. Master Shams Ad-deen approached us, patted my shoulder and said, “What’s your name, lad?”
“Qotazio Al-Misrosty,” I responded.
“Are you the son of Mohab Al-Misrosty?” he asked in shock.
I looked at him unable to imagine the reason of his astonishment and said, “Yes I am.”
He stared at my face for a moment then said, “You don’t look like your father, bless his soul, but you sure fight like him.”
He called a young man standing nearby and said,
“Tie Hazeem and his men. Put them in a safe place and wait for further instructions.” He turned towards my comrades and me then continued, “Follow me, lads. We need to talk in private.”
Master Shams took us to a hut not so far away from the pottery market. When we entered, he immediately asked,
“What is it that you need?”
“First, someone must ride after Gameela, and warn captain Mehros. Another must ride to Fastotia, and give the same warning to Master Obadiah at the shipyard. If both men do not escape right away, their lives will be in great danger,” I said.
“Consider it done,” responded Master Shams. He walked out, gave some orders to a person standing outside, and then returned. “What else lads, what brought you to Bonasa?”
“We need fast horses, and a guide who can take us safely through the desert routes till we accomplish our mission,”
I responded.
“Which desert routes, the Northern, or Southern?” asked Master Shams.
“The Northern routes, Master.”
“Wait here,” he said then left hurriedly. A while later, a young man came in carrying a tray holding some food and fruits. Master Shams insisted that we eat before we leave.
He assured us that the horses and our guide are on the way.
While we ate, I asked him what he was going to do. He said,
“My cover is blown. I will ride out with my men and join our southern forces in their hideouts. There, we shall await further instructions.”
“What about the people? Won’t Hazeem punish them for our deeds?”
“Don’t worry. After we leave, the people shall free Hazeem and his soldiers. They shall inform him that I escaped with my men.”
“Will he believe them?” I asked in denial.
“Absolutely not, he shall send out his trackers, and they shall confirm the people’s story. He knows that most people in Bonasa are simple villagers and craftsmen. They barely have anything, and they live their lives day by day. There is nothing he can do to make their lives harder.”
He paused shortly then continued, “Besides, after the humiliation he had to endure at your hands, all he’s going to concentrate on will be catching you and your comrades.
Till he does that, he won’t dare harm the people.
He wouldn’t want to increase the number of his enemies.
Don’t worry. My men and I will defend and protect them with our lives if that’s what it takes.”
I looked at him and said, “That’s what worries me, Master… that’s what worries me.”
136 THE LOST WAY TO MISROST
PART IV
NIGHT OF THE TRUTH
24
By sunset, I rode out with my comrades following the guide from Bonasa headed north. We reached the desert premises of Fastotia just before midnight. There, I told the guide that we needed him to take us further to Sabna.
We took shelter amidst the big rocks Of Fastotia’s mountains and rested for a while. Amr approached me, and said in a low voice, “We have our orders—Marwan and me.
We shall follow you wherever you go without any questioning. Nonetheless, I must ask, why do we need a guide to take us through the Northern territories? Don’t you trust us?”
I watched his face as he spoke. That man is truly a decent, honest person, I thought to myself. If I were in his place, I would have asked that question in an angry tone full of resentment.
“Captain Salem really knows how to train and raise true men,” I said smiling. “Brother, how can I not trust you when you have saved my life more than once in less than two weeks? It’s just that you have your orders, and I have mine.
But don’t worry, soon you will understand everything,”
I explained responding to his question calmly. He nodded in acceptance and returned to rest beside Marwan.
Before dawn, we resumed our trip towards Sabna and reached it with sunrise. We were able to see the city down the valley from our higher spot amidst the mountains.
There, I told the guide that we have reached our destination and that he may return to Bonasa. We bade him farewell and watched him ride away. After that, I turned to my comrades and said, “Now you must take us immediately to Lady Rashida.”
Marwan frowned, while Amr nodded in understanding and said, “That’s a long journey. We have to move right away. If we’re lucky, we’ll reach the place tomorrow before noon.”
Amr and Marwan took turns in leading the way. Every now and then, one of them rode ahead to explore the way and make sure that it’s safe to move on. Whenever we reached a cave fit to conceal us from the eyes of any possible scouts, we rested, and let the horses rest. At night, we took shelter behind a huge spur beside the foot of a mountain and spent the night there. Before sunrise, we resumed our journey. After we passed Tenata’s outskirts, we watered the horses from a nearby well and drank our full. It had been over a day since we last ate anything save some olives and dry leaves. We were exhausted beyond what words can express. On reaching a certain spot, Amr said, “We’re here, lads.”
We looked towards the horizon, and there was Ar-Rashedeen, the Northern coastal city of Misrost. I had visited it before with my father when I was young. A branch of our family lived there, but I didn’t know whether they still did or not.
“How shall we enter the city?” I asked
“Our chances to enter one at a time without getting caught are higher than if we try to enter together,” Amr responded.
Marwan then said, “I shall go first. I’m a better liar than you two are. I can double cross the guards easily and enter the city. Then, I shall go to Lady Rashida and tell her that we need her help. She will know how to help you two sneak into the city without getting caught.”
Amr seemed convinced of Marwan’s opinion, so he looked at me nodding in agreement. “What if you got caught? How shall we know that?” I asked.
He pulled out his dagger, stuck it in the sand, and said,
“If I do not return before the shadow of this dagger reaches double its length, you’re on your own.” Then he got on his horse and rode towards the city gates. We watched him until he disappeared.
I took shelter with Amr in a nearby cave. We stretched our bodies trying to get some rest until Marwan returns.
I was extremely tired, and I had a persistent desire to sleep, but who can sleep under such circumstances? I looked at Amr and saw that he was awake too. “Who is Lady Rashida?” I asked him.
He smiled saying, “I think it would be better if you wait till you meet her yourself. She is one of a kind.”
“I never thought that women were allowed to do this!”
“Not all women, only the capable ones.”
I nodded in acceptance then asked again, “What makes her so special?”
Amr gave me a look that I understood, and then he closed his eyes. I just shook my head and shut my mouth, at least for a while.
“Doesn’t she have a husband or children?”
He opened his eyes and looked at me, “Aren’t you tired?” he asked in astonishment.
“More than you could imagine, but there is something that you should know about me. I have a mind that doesn’t rest. I can’t help thinking and asking questions till I find answers for what bewilders me.”
Amr remained silent for a moment then said, “I will answer only if you promise that you won’t ask again. If you have more questions, wait until you meet the lady herself.
Agreed?”
“If it’s a good answer, I promise not to ask more questions.”
“Her husband and son were killed by the Nastorians when the city was captured. They were among the very few who stood fighting with the king’s loyal men until the end.
They left her along with one daughter under her care.”
On hearing his answer, I wished I hadn’t asked.
“She has a daughter left, but still she joined the resistance! What a magnificent lady,” I said.
Amr nodded in agreement and replied, “Absolutely.
Ever since the Nastorians rose to power, she has dedicated all of her time to serve the resistance operations. She’s the mastermind behind most operations in Ar-Rashedeen and its neighbouring cities. She has become mother to us all.”
I shook my head in admiration and said, “I can’t wait to meet her.”
After a moment of silence, I asked him curiously, “When did you join the resistance?”
Amr seemed a bit upset but he answered, “Three years ago.”
“Did you volunteer, or you got picked up?”
He paused for a moment then said, “I volunteered.”
“There must be a reason for that, why did you do it?”
This time his eyes seemed to hold a lot of sorrow. I felt that he wasn’t going to answer that question, but he responded saying, “My mentor spoke against the Nastorians, and urged the people to revolt against them.
One day, three of their thugs waited for him outside our school. When we were leaving, they grabbed him and beat him up in front of all students. I still remember the heavy wooden sticks as they landed on his body and his head.
They continued to beat the man until he died. I wanted to defend him so much, but I didn’t know how; I was afraid.
After we buried him, I swore in front of his grave that I would avenge him and I won’t be afraid anymore. I started training on using the staff and the sword. After a while, I sought the resistance secretly. One of my neighbours noticed the change that appeared on me. He was one of my late father’s friends, and a man I trusted. On asking me about the reason behind that, I told him everything. He escorted me to Captain Salem. Ever since that day, I have become one of his men. Ever since that day I’ve learned that knowledge without power to defend it, stands vulnerable and is easily destructed.”
25
I was half-asleep when Amr came into the cave saying,
“Qotazio, someone is coming.”
I got up, pulled my dagger from my belt, and went outside. I crawled beside Amr, and we looked from behind the rocks. There was one rider approaching. He obviously knew our exact location, but Marwan wasn’t with him.
I signalled Amr to wait at that spot. I crawled back and turned around the big rock we were hiding behind to flank the person coming. When he reached the place, he got off his horse, walked a few steps, and just when he was about to reach the rocks we were hiding behind, Amr got up raising his dagger in the man’s face and said, “That’s far enough.” The man stopped, and Amr continued, “Remove your mask.”
Suddenly the man pulled out a dagger from his sleeve and pointed it towards Amr. I jumped from my hiding place on the man’s back, pushing him to the ground. I grabbed his arms from behind, and pulled him up. Amr stretched his hand forward to remove his mask, but suddenly the cunning man threw his head backwards hitting my face, forcing me to grab my nose in pain. He kicked Amr in his stomach forcing him to double over, and ram his knee into Amr’s face knocking him down, and then he turned around and faced me. My nose was on fire from the violent head-butt I had received, but I assumed the fighting position. I faked a punch to his face then landed a punch on his stomach with my other fist. It felt like punching a wall. I retreated shaking my fist, trying to avoid further attacks, but the masked man didn’t give me any chance. He faked a kick to my abdomen forcing me to bend down, and then jumped forward landing his elbow on my head in a quick move. Within seconds, the cunning man had knocked Amr and me to the ground.
We got up groaning in pain, preparing to resume the fight,
but the masked man removed his mask and said smiling,
“Welcome to Ar-Rashedeen, lads.”
I was shocked when I heard the voice. The person that had just kicked both our butts was a woman. She was disguised with fake beard, mustaches, and thick brows. Amr recognised her voice, and said coughing, “Lady Rashida?”
“You need more training on your combat skills, kids,”
the woman said in mockery as she walked towards her horse.
I felt incredibly embarrassed, “I apologise my lady for hitting you, I didn’t know…”
“Relax kid, you didn’t hit me, you just hit the armour I’m wearing beneath my clothes. Poor thing, your fist must hurt like hell right now,” she said mocking me.
“My lady, why did you come yourself? Why didn’t you send Marwan back with your orders?” Amr asked.
She ignored his question, looked at me attentively, and then said, “Are you Mohab Al-Misrosty’s kid?”
“Yes Ma’am, but I’m not a kid,” I answered in dislike for her repetitive use of the word.
She walked over, grabbed me by my face in an awkward manner, and said, “This is my domain now, so you better watch your mouth… kid,” then she let go, and walked towards her horse. She grabbed a tied sheet, and threw it towards us saying in a bossy tone, “Put these on quickly, we don’t have all day.”
I walked with Amr towards the cave where we tied our horses. “She’s a bit cranky, isn’t she?” I said.
“You have no idea,” he replied shaking his head.
“How come you know her so well?” I asked Amr wondering.
He nodded saying, “She’s one of the Northern resistance leaders. We operate under her command frequently.”
A few moments later, we were dressed in similar, dirty, smelly, blue costumes. We rode our horses and followed Lady Rashida towards the city gates. About a hundred yards
away, she said, “Don’t say anything. Just nod and smile.
You’re supposed to be dumb and deaf.”
At the gates, a guard stopped us saying, “Hold it right there. Who are you, and what business do you have in Ar-Rashedeen?”
Lady Rashida pulled the turban’s tail off her face then said in an amazing masculine voice, “It’s me, Rostom.
These are the new boys sent from the monastery to serve in the infirmary.”
“Ah, Shaheen! You returned earlier than I expected,”
said the guard. He beckoned towards us and continued,
“Where did you find those two idiots?”
Lady Rashida shook her head theatrically, and said in disgust, “They were lost near the narrow passage of the southern mountains. Can you believe that?”
He looked at us and said harshly, “Dumb twits.”
We smiled and nodded as we were told to do, so he said,
“You agree to that, don’t you!”
Again, we smiled without responding.
Lady Rashida said, “Ah, let them be. I’ll take them to the infirmary, get paid, and send you your share as usual.”
Rostom smiled, and said making way, “You do that.
Don’t forget, I deserve double the reward this time.”
“You’re getting greedier, Rostom. This way, I shall start looking for another job,” said Lady Rashida teasing the guard.
“What will you do? You’re like an old horse Shaheen.
Nobody buys an old horse,” the guard replied.
Lady Rashida ignored him while we smiled and nodded silently. We entered the city and rode through its streets until we reached a building on which a sign read,
“Ar-Rashedeen Infirmary.” We followed Lady Rashida in.
She kept on greeting those she met with the same fake masculine voice until she reached a certain room at the back of the building. We followed her in, and immediately, she locked the door from inside and said, “Stay here till the
morning. Don’t forget, you are dumb and deaf, and you serve here in the infirmary. Don’t make any sound or speak together but whispering. You’d better not speak at all. You receive your orders only through sign language.”
“And what should we do tomorrow?” I asked.
She looked at me and continued coldly, “Tomorrow, you shall receive my orders.”
She turned and was about to exit the room when I said,
“Hey, Shaheen…”
She looked at me with an angry red face, so I said smiling, “We haven’t eaten anything decent for two days.”
She said nothing and left the room.
I took off my footwear and sat down on one of the two mattresses placed on the floor. There was nothing in the room but the two mattresses and a lighted candle. There wasn’t even a drop of water to drink. A moment later, we heard three knocks on the door. I got up and was about to open, then I remembered that we were supposed to be deaf.
Before I returned to my place, the door opened, and there she stood looking at me angrily. I walked back and sat down without uttering a word. She continued to stare at me for a moment then closed the door and left.
After that, neither Amr nor I uttered a word.
We stretched our bodies on the two small mattresses.
I didn’t notice how tired I was except when I lied down.
My body was all worn out. As soon as my head hit the pillow, my consciousness faded, and I blacked out.
26
“Captain, the ship is sinking.”
The shout startled me. I looked around. The sailors were running in different directions, trying to stop the water from flooding the ship. We were in the middle of nowhere, and there were no ships close by to extend a helping hand.
I jumped up, ran towards the gunwale, and looked into the water. It was not blue; it was black and disgusting. I tried to shout my commands to the sailors, but my voice wasn’t coming out. I grabbed my throat in pain and tried repeatedly, but to no avail. The mighty black waves were tossing the ship in all directions, and I was unable to hold my grounds…
“Qotazio… wake up.”
Someone was shaking my body. My head was aching with pain, and I felt extremely weak. I opened my eyes, and to my surprise, it was Orabio. I got up in excitement and held my friend’s shoulders saying, “Orabio...”
“There is no time, Sasan’s soldiers are here,” he interrupted.
When I was just about to jump out of bed, soldiers kicked in the door of the room, and attacked…
I woke up from my nightmare all sweaty and breathing heavily. I was in a half sitting position and extremely dizzy.
I looked around unable to realise my surroundings, but then I regained my consciousness gradually. I looked at Amr; he was shaking and all sweaty too. I patted his shoulder trying to wake him up silently. It was evident that the stress of the past days had occupied our minds to the furthest extent.
Amr opened his eyes widely in shock, so I calmed him down whispering, “It’s all right, lad. You were having a bad dream. Calm down.”
He grabbed his neck in pain, wiped his chest and face, and then responded in a similar low tone, “I’m fine. It’s just a nightmare that visits me every once in a while.”
I smiled and pointed towards my face saying, “Tell me about it.”
“You were having a nightmare too!” he said noticing my sweaty face.
I nodded then walked towards the door and put my ear on it. I wanted to make sure that no one was outside.
“It’s almost dawn,” Amr whispered looking through the window.
I returned to my place and hesitated before I asked,
“What do you know about me Amr? Why did you and your comrades risk your lives to save me from Sasan’s dungeons? And why did you try to save me again when our hideout fell under attack amidst the mountains?”
He was leaning on his right elbow, looking at me silently as I spoke. “All I know is that your presence is important for the resistance. From what I’ve seen with my own eyes, it surely is,” he replied.
“Why on earth would my presence be important for the resistance? I’m nothing but a sailor and an unsuccessful one indeed,” I said in dismay.
Amr remained silent for a moment giving me a chance to calm a bit. Thereafter, he said, “Qotazio, know by heart that saving you from Sasan’s dungeons was the least we could have done for the son of the man who gave his life defending Misrost and the future of its people. We all owe your father too much.”
“What about my uncle? This man is turning into a big mystery day after day. When I left to join the crew of the ship I was assigned to serve on, he was an armourer. When I came back, I found him building ships for the army.
He even owns a trades’ ship. Undoubtedly, he is working with the resistance. So why is he building ships for an army of traitors? He is helping them get stronger, not the opposite.”
“ ‘Why,’ is something only your uncle knows. My guess is whether it was he or anyone else, the army would have
assigned someone to build its fleet. So better one of us than others. At least this way we will know our enemy’s strengths and weaknesses.”
“I said this to myself, but it doesn’t seem convincing at all. Sasan knows that my uncle is not a traitor, and the events show manifestly that he doesn’t trust him, not even slightly.”
Amr shook his head in agreement and said, “Logically, you’re right, but in this game, things are never what they seem. All I can say is that I trust your uncle has his reasons, and so should you.”
After Amr said those last words, he turned and closed his eyes. His answer silenced me for a moment. I tried to think of an acceptable scenario, but I was unable to figure things out on my own. I also didn’t wish to bother him with more questions, so I lied down again and tried to get some rest before sunrise. A while later, we heard footsteps outside.
I signalled Amr to act as if we were asleep. The door opened, and someone came in.
“Get up,” a gruff voice said.
Of course, as deaf persons, we didn’t show any reaction to what was said. Someone approached, and cold water hit my face. I jumped in shock, wiped my face, and looked up.
There she was again, the woman in the masculine disguise.
I was unable to believe myself. She was supposed to be one of the resistance leaders, but she was like a child in her attitude. I was about to ask her why she did that when I noticed another person standing at the door. I sufficed with looking at her angrily. She turned and did the same thing with Amr who reacted similarly. Her comrade was holding a dish upon which Lady Rashida placed the small water pan.
The man put them on the floor. He pulled out a change of clothes from a bag he was carrying and threw it towards us.
I was sick to death of changing clothes and appearances, but I knew it was an inseparable part of our escape plan.
Lady Rashida signalled us to get up, wash our faces, and
put on the new clothes, and then she left with her comrade.
Amr and I took turns in pouring water for one another.
We performed ablution, changed our clothes, prayed silently, and then opened the room’s door looking for Lady Rashida. We were dressed as fishermen, and we surely smelled like they do. Her comrade was waiting at the end of the corridor, he signalled us to follow him. We walked behind him until we reached the backyard of the infirmary where a cart was waiting. He beckoned us to ride in the back. We jumped in while he took his place beside Lady Rashida. He grabbed the whip and drove away. The cart had nets, straw baskets, among other fishing gear. They took us to the sea where a small fishing boat was waiting.
Lady Rashida jumped off and signalled us to carry the fishing gear to the boat and start working. We placed the net and the other tools in the boat, pushed it into the sea, then jumped in and started rowing. There were other fishing boats around us, but they were far away. We kept on rowing until we reached a spot where no one can see or hear us.
“Now what are we going to do?” I asked Amr.
“Don’t worry just continue acting, and soon we will receive help,” he responded confidently.
We started spreading our net, preparing to catch some fish. While attending to our fake task, a bigger boat started approaching. It was sailing in deeper waters. On its sign, I read the name “Andalusia.” Obviously, it was a fishing boat built for deep waters. When it was about to pass us by, a man’s head appeared from underneath the water by the side of our boat. He was breathing through an air hose like that of pearl hunters. After that, another man appeared by his side. They signalled us to jump into the water. When we did, they handed us the air hoses and climbed up into our small boat. One of them pointed towards Andalusia, and they took our place. They were even dressed in similar clothes to those we were wearing. I dived and started swimming as fast as I can towards the other end of the hose,
and Amr followed me. After a while, we were entering Andalusia through the hatch prepared in the boat’s hull for pearl hunters’ exit and entrance. We were helped into the ship. I looked up at the person stretching his hand to pull us in; it was Orabio. If I try to express the amount of relief I felt on seeing his face, I would fail. I got in and hugged Orabio tightly for a moment. We were both laughing in relief. When I let him go, he turned around, and there was Salamio behind him and Marwan as well. I hugged them both in excitement saying, “This is a good day, a good day indeed.”
I introduced Amr to my two old friends. They were expressing their pleasure to meet him when Uncle Nooraddeen entered the cabin. The boys immediately stood straight in respect for the old man. He approached me and said, “I’m grateful you’re safe.” He patted my shoulder and then took a step facing Amr, “Welcome aboard son, I’m honoured to meet you,” my uncle said stretching his hand.
Amr seemed overwhelmed by my uncle’s words.
He shook my uncle’s hand saying, “By all means, Sir, the honour is all mine.”
Uncle Nooraddeen turned towards Orabio and said,
“Escort your comrades to their cabin, and give them a decent change of clothes instead of these tats.” The old man turned towards Amr and I, then continued, “You will find warm water and soap inside the cabin. Wash up and get ready. We will have breakfast together.” He said that and left.
I looked at Orabio and asked, “Fatamia, Ramla, and the kids... are they all right?”
He smiled saying, “Don’t worry, they are fine,” then he whispered in my ears, “Fatamia has been worried sick awaiting your safe return.”
I looked at him, and he was smiling in his usual cunning manner. I pushed him away saying, “Shut up.” I was trying to hide the overwhelming happiness that filled my heart
when he said that. I didn’t want my comrades to think I was unaware of our critical situation. Frankly speaking, at that moment, I didn’t have a clue how critical our situation was.
27
It took me a while to wash away the horrible smell.
It had almost been a week since I last had a decent bath.
My wounds throbbed with pain whenever I scrubbed them, but I was thrilled that I was going to see Fatamia. I had to make sure that I didn’t smell bad. I washed up and perfumed my hair and beard from a musk vial that Orabio left with the clothes. I combed my hair and beard carefully then coiled my turban in style. I imagined Fatamia smiling happily to see me, and I was thinking about what I would say…
“What on earth has gotten into you?” Amr asked looking at me in disbelief, dragging me out of my daydream.
I looked at him while I continued to adjust my clothes, and said, “Nothing! Being on duty doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t look neat and smell good.”
He laughed and said, “All right, if you say so, but hurry up, this is taking too long. Skipper Nooraddeen is waiting.”
I faced Amr and asked, “How do I look?”
He shook his head in disapproval, and said, “I liked you better when you were dusty, untidy, and angry.”
We exited our cabin and followed the directions Orabio gave us previously. When we entered the big cabin, they were all present and waiting. The kids came running at me with their arms stretched. I carried them both and hugged them tightly. They didn’t let go except when Ramla ordered them to get down. We greeted all attendants, and I looked for Fatamia, she was sitting beside my uncle.
I glanced at her repeatedly unable to utter a word amidst this gathering, and she did the same. This was sensational and beautiful. Our romance was developing quickly.
We talked with our eyes and conveyed with them what was in our hearts. That feeling was blissful far beyond any words.
“You must be starving, lads. Let’s eat,” Uncle Noor said.
We gathered around the small table. There wasn’t much food on it, but sharing a few bites with one’s beloved was more than enough. After we finished eating, I asked the old man, “Where are we going, uncle?”
“At this moment we are fishing, we’re not going anywhere,” he responded smiling.
“Fishing! That’s a good cover, but what’s the next step?”
“Get some rest, and try to enjoy the calm atmosphere.
Don’t worry, before nightfall you will know everything,”
he answered with a sense of amusement I was unable to understand, and then he left.
“What in Alaha’s name is going on here? He seems happier than expected!” I said looking at Orabio and Fatamia. In contrast to their father, they seemed distressed and didn’t like what I said. “What’s wrong?” I asked directing my words to Orabio.
He sighed leaning back in his chair and said, “He has been ill for a while, and he didn’t say anything. Remember the time he was brought back home by Obadiah and Zein?”
I nodded silently, so Orabio continued, “This was not the first time he fainted at work, but he never said anything so as not to make us worry.”
Orabio hushed shortly trying to control his emotions then said, “These blackouts happened several times ever since we left home. Lady Rashida brought in one of the resistance physicians. After examining father, he said that the repeated headaches and blackouts are a bad sign.
He informed us that father might not make it to the next winter.”
Orabio’s words fell like a hammer on my heart. I was unable to speak or even breathe normally. I looked around trying to hide my sorrow. The other guys’ faces weren’t any
better. I tried to make my voice sound normal and said,
“Hadn’t the physician given him any medication to ease the pain and help him feel better?”
“He did, but he said that the medicine will only last for a short while before the seizures attack him more violently.
Eventually, it shall end his life.”
After those last words, silence took over. None of us uttered a word. Ramla got up and started removing the plates, she asked Fatamia to help her. Marwan and Amr offered to help, but Ramla thanked them saying, “Enough what you did the past few weeks. Go get some rest before father summons you to explain your next mission.”
After Ramla and Fatamia left, I looked at Salamio and said, “When and where shall I meet the resistance leader?”
Salamio looked at me in denial, and said trying to suppress his anger, “Haven’t you learned a damn thing yet?
You almost got yourself killed several times. You blew up our cover and jeopardised the success of our mission. You risked your family’s lives because of your impatience and unwillingness to comply with what you’re told to do.”
He then slammed the table with his palm in anger and continued staring at me, “What kind of an idiot are you?”
“That’s easy coming from a person who hadn’t lost both parents at the hands of the traitor ruling over the country,”
I replied in similar anger. I posed for a moment then continued, “You have betrayed my trust. You knew that I was getting torn apart trying to find a way to join the resistance and be an effective member in its operations.
Nonetheless, you sat there inside my house… inside my parents’ house… looking me in the eyes, and you insisted on hiding what you knew from me…”
“Hey, I never betrayed you, not even in the least sense.
Skipper Nooraddeen was the one who forbade us from telling you anything before we all get out of Fastotia. That was an order, and there was nothing we could have done except obey his will.” He paused shortly then continued,
“We live by a code, and this code’s most important article is, ‘knowledge is according to one’s need.’ Violating this code puts a lot of lives in danger.”
“To hell with your code. What code tells you to hide from me the fact that my own flesh and blood were up to their necks in this hazardous situation? What did you think… you care about them more than I do?” I screamed in Salamio’s face.
He got up, turned around, and walked away neglecting my last comment. “I’m not going to stay here, and listen to this rubbish, especially coming from a person who stayed away for ten years, and never cared to come visiting once.”
He paused looking back at me, and then continued,
“Not even to visit his parents… not even to attend his own mother’s funeral.”
Before he took another step, I got up, grabbed him by his shoulder, and punched him on the face knocking him to the ground. He fell holding his wounded arm in pain. I had forgotten about his wound and was blinded by my anger.
I tried to apologise and help him up, but he pushed me saying, “Stay away from me.” He got up and walked out of the cabin.
I looked at my comrades, and they all looked back at me in denial to what I had done. I really felt dizzy at that moment. I sat down on the nearest chair placing my head between my palms. For a while, I was unable to budge then I got up and walked away.
Amr was about to accompany me, but Orabio stopped him saying, “Let him be, lad. He needs to rest and get himself together.”
I returned to my cabin unable to walk straight. As soon as I entered, I dropped on one of the two small beds and drowned in my sorrows.
28
“Qotazio… wakeup. Come on, lad, it’s almost sunset.”
I heard those words as I woke up, but I was unable to recognise who uttered them. When I opened my eyes, Amr was standing in front of me. I was lying on the floor, not on the bed. I was still dizzy, but I got up hurriedly asking, “Did my uncle send you Amr? Is he all right?”
“Calm down,” Amr said. “I’m just here to wake you up before our meeting with the skipper begins.”
“I’ll be right there,” I said splashing some water on my face. I wiped my head several times trying to wash away my sadness. I adjusted my appearance hurriedly and headed towards the larger cabin where we had breakfast earlier.
When I entered, Uncle Nooraddeen was sitting beside Lady Rashida. They were both whispering to each other. Fatamia and Ramla were present too; they were sitting beside Lady Rashida. Orabio, Salamio, Amr, and Marwan were standing beside the door. Obadiah, my uncle’s deputy, was sitting at my uncle’s side in solemn silence. I walked straight to Obadiah, shook his hand warmly expressing my gratitude for what he did back in Fastotia. After that, I returned to my friends and stood in front of Salamio. I looked at his bruised lip and said, “I apologise for what I did; there is no excuse for it. Please accept my apology.”
He looked at me angrily for a moment, and then said,
“Step aside, lad. There are more important things here than your pathetic sense of remorse.”
When he said that in front of my comrades, I really felt like punching him again. Of course, I didn’t do that.
Actually, I did what he ordered me to do in total embarrassment.
I stood beside my angry friend watching the faces of the attendants, and trying to analyse their expressions. When I looked at Fatamia, my heart and mind were seized by her apparent sorrow. I wished to take her outside, hold her in
my arms, caress her face, and fondle her head gently, try to assure her that I will be there for her as long as a breath enters my chest… but that was just a fantasy, which I knew could never happen at that moment.
“You’re probably wondering why we’re all gathered here tonight,” Uncle Nooraddeen said drawing our attention. “We are here because it’s time to fight the Nastorians openly, and retrieve our country from their hands.”
I was excited on hearing his words and wanted to scream
‘finally,’ but he gave no one the chance to comment.
He continued, “The persons present on this ship are the most trusted by Lady Rashida and me. Under the current circumstances, it’s time to reveal our real characters and roles in the resistance. This is essential in order to fulfil the objectives of this meeting. I shall give everyone a chance to declare his real identity and current post before we continue.”
Uncle Nooraddeen looked at Orabio who stood straight and said, “I am Orabio Nooraddeen Al-Misrosty, a simple farmer. I have been an active member in the Misrostian resistance for the past six years. I volunteered after I learned about the resistance from my best friend, Salamio As-Shamaly. I swore an oath of allegiance to the Misrostian resistance leader. My post ever since, has been to serve as an eye for the resistance inside Fastotia’s markets, and study the economic developments. I am responsible for delivering the Leadership’s orders to certain locations inside the city. I pass those orders according to a cipher, which changes periodically. I solemnly swear that I will see the resistance triumph or die trying.”
Salamio then followed Orabio. He stood straight and said, “I am Salamio Hady Ad-deen As-Shamaly. I was born in Misrost, but my family descends from Shamalian ancestry. I was chosen to be his majesty’s secret envoy.
I started receiving my training on espionage ten years ago,
and I have been an active member in the resistance for the past eight years. I solemnly swear that I will see the resistance triumph or die trying.”
Amr then got up and said, “My name is Amr Mahdy Gad. I am the youngest born to a simple caravan traveller who died when I was three. After that, the sheikh in my village supported and took care of our family. I volunteered in the resistance after witnessing the cold-blooded murder of my mentor at the hands of the Nastorian soldiers. I took an oath of allegiance in front of Captain Salem Ad-Danaf of the Northern resistance five years ago. I swear that I will see the resistance triumph or die trying.”
Marwan followed his comrade and said, “I’m the youngest here, so I’m going to make this quick. My name is Marwan Salem Ad-Danaf. I joined the resistance two years ago following my father’s example.” He sat down, but Amr signalled him, so he got up hurriedly, and continued in embarrassment, “Sorry, this is my first time. I absolutely swear that I will see the resistance triumph or die trying.”
“General Obadiah,” my uncle said respectfully looking at the man, “Kindly declare to the attendants your real identity.”
I was a bit surprised when my uncle called Obadiah general, but it wasn’t shocking though. The man got up, raised his head in pride, and said, “My name is Obadiah Zannoon. I was the general of his majesty’s northern armies and second in command after our late general, Mohab Al-Misrosty. I was chosen by unanimous agreement of the loyal army officers to lead them in their strife against the Nastorians. I swore to serve loyally under the general leadership of the resistance in and outside Misrost. I swear that I will see it triumph or die trying.”
My uncle then looked at Lady Rashida and said, “My lady, kindly tell the boys who you are.”
She looked at me particularly in an uncomfortable manner then said, “I am Rashida Al-Mounira, daughter of
Qazem Luqman. I joined the resistance right after my husband and son received their martyrdom eight years ago.
I volunteered and received my assignment from the resistance leadership to give aid to all operations carried-out in Northern Misrost. I swore allegiance to them. I swear that I will continue to give aid to the resistance till we end the Nastorian occupation once and for all.”
Ramla then got up looking at Orabio. He was staring at her angrily, but she looked back at him persistently. After a moment, he nodded in surrender shaking his head. She said,
“My name is Ramla Salama Karem. I am the daughter of the late Salama Karem and his wife, Rashida Qazem. I am also the sister of late Ramzy Salama Karem. I joined the resistance yesterday, and I swore to give aid to the resistance in front of the general leader. I swear that I shall give aid to the resistance till it prevails.”
Uncle Nooraddeen then said, “I am Nooraddeen Al-Misrosty, brother of late Mohab Al-Misrosty, and one of his majesty’s secret counsellors. When it became evident that our defences won’t hold for long, King Saifuddeen immediately formed what is known today as the Misrostian resistance. I was chosen by our beloved king to be a member of the supreme council shaping its operations, code, schemes, and responsible for selecting the field leaders. That was two days before the king received his martyrdom, may Alaha bless his soul. I hereby renew my oath, and swear that I shall continue to serve the resistance for as long as I shall live.”
I stared at my uncle whose secret identity was now revealed. All this time he has been hiding this from me.
That is why my father’s last will was to follow my uncle’s orders and obey him no matter what. On hearing what every one of the attendants said, I was stunned. What kind of people are those? The boys have all been active members in the resistance ever since their teenage years. The old lady lost a husband and a son in this war, but still, she never
hesitated to join the resistance operations. She even gave her remaining daughter in marriage to the son of the resistance leader. Even that daughter joined this magnificent team of gallants, and she declared it without any fear for her children’s lives or her own. Where am I from those gallants? was a thought that kept on hovering over my head as they spoke. I really wished I would disappear at that moment.
The old man hushed for a while, and then he resumed his speech saying, “Before we continue, I wish to introduce to you, my nephew.”
I wished he would stop. Why would any of those attendants want to know anything about a loser like me?
I thought to myself.
“The reason why I must introduce him myself is that his identity has been kept a secret according to my recommendations and with direct orders from the king himself. Even Qotazio doesn’t know who he really is, or what he is capable of.”
When I heard those words, my mind went blank.
“This is Qotazio Mohab Al-Misrosty. A sailor and former captain of Karma ship. The best swordsman of his generation. His genius in leadership, solving dilemmas, and finding a way out from the most critical situations have been noticed ever since he was twelve years old.
His mentors chose him to join a very delicate secret scheme.
That scheme was designed specifically to train the best of ones capable to lead our people and save our beloved country. Qotazio was graduated the top of his class.
When the reports prepared by Qotazio’s mentors were raised to the king, he found them overwhelming.
He nicknamed Qotazio ‘The piercing ray.’ In short, this young man was being prepared ever since childhood to lead a squad of Misrostians, and carry out any necessary mission, on land or at sea, no matter how hard or suicidal it may seem. His main duty is to guarantee the success of the
king’s grand plan and save Misrost. He is a professional sailor, horseman, and swordsman. He fought in many battles against Nastorian pirates at sea. He was able to earn victory for his crew even when he was just a young sailor answering to higher-ranking officers. After he was instated as captain on his ship, I issued my orders to Lady Rashida, and she carried them out with brilliance. My orders were simple: ‘Drown Karma. Force the piercing ray to return home. It’s time.’ ”
I was unable to digest what my uncle was saying, but the pieces of the puzzle were coming together as he spoke…
“The Nastorians have always known about the well-educated generation prepared to defend the country.
They have information about the brilliant young leaders prepared to carry forth the legacy of their predecessors, and they know their importance for the resistance. This is why their identities have always been kept a secret. All the Nastorians were able to collect from the reports they confiscated from the king’s palace, were some nicknames, assignments, and performance evaluations. They also know a name, ‘the piercing ray.’ Nevertheless, whether the piercing ray was a person, a plan, a whole army, or something else, they weren’t able to figure that out.
Through the past ten years, we have succeeded in making most Nastorians think that what they read in the reports was a myth… a trial to distract them from the true plans of the resistance. However, Safin has always believed that the piercing ray was the king’s rightful heir to the throne.
He believed that the king succeeded in hiding his only child before the Nastorians rammed the palace and killed everyone inside. Accordingly, Safin left a standing order for all his deputies that if a person appears at any time, and was given this name, he must be killed on the spot. After Captain Salem saved Qotazio from the dungeons of Fastotia, an order was issued to kill Qotazio wherever and whenever he’s sighted. Five-hundred golden pieces were placed as a
bounty for his head, and a hundred for anyone who would submit information that may help achieve this task.”
Uncle Noor stopped to catch his breath. He seemed to be in pain, but he took a deep breath, and continued,
“I gathered you here today to declare to you your new assignments.” He got up, turned towards General Obadiah, and said, “General Obadiah.” The man had already gotten up even before my uncle turned towards him. “By the power invested in me as the oldest member of the supreme resistance council, I promote you to become a member of that council and second in command. From this day on, you shall contribute to shaping the resistance schemes, code, present plans, and the future ones as well. This means that you shall be responsible for the safety and future of our people, and our land. Do you accept these duties?”
The effect of those words was evident on General Obadiah’s grave face, but he nodded in acceptance and said,
“Skipper, it’s an honour to join the supreme resistance council, and continue to serve our people through this new position. I accept and renew my oath to fulfil my duties towards Misrost till I free its people from the Nastorian occupation, or die trying.”
My uncle shook the man’s hand then turned towards the boys and me. He ordered Orabio, Salamio, Amr, and Marwan to step forward, and then said, “Orabio Al-Misrosty, Salamio Al-Shamaly, Amr Gad, and Marwan Ad-Danaf, I’m going to offer you temporary posts till you fulfil certain tasks. After that, you may choose to return to your original posts, or continue serving in your new ones as you wish.”
The boys nodded in approval waiting for the old man to explain further. He said, “After consulting with my comrades, we decided to offer you a new assignment.
First, I must warn you… this is a suicide mission. Your lives shall always be in danger, and so will the lives of your beloved ones. The tasks you shall carry out if you accept
this assignment—according to the supreme council’s estimation—have a thirty percent survival expectation. Of course, we are not infallible, and our estimations are not ultimately accurate…”
“Excuse
me,
skipper!”
Marwan
interrupted.
Lady Rashida raised her head staring at him in anger.
My uncle also seemed to dislike his interruption but gave him a chance to speak, so the young man said, “By ‘we are not infallible,’ do you mean that this thirty percent could rise, or do you mean the opposite?”
I swear that I saw the ghost of a smile on the old man’s face. Before it showed up any clearer, he responded in a serious tone, “It could go both ways. We design our plans taking the best measures of cautiousness into consideration, but destiny’s plan is out of our control. Does this answer your question, lad?”
Marwan hemmed in embarrassment then said, “Yes sir… I apologise for the interruption.”
Uncle Nooraddeen then continued beckoning at me,
“Because of the nature of this assignment, we have chosen the piercing ray to be the field commander. He shall receive all necessary information from us. He has full authority to plan his operations, and introduce any necessary changes based on the situation at hand.”
He paused for a moment observing the facial expressions of the four boys then continued, “I need you to serve under Qotazio’s command. You shall obey his orders and give him aid with your advisory opinions, yourselves, and even your own lives if that’s what it takes. You must always trust his judgment even if it seemed awkward at some moments.
Know that your loyalty to Misrost and its people is beyond contestation. There shall be no shame whatsoever in refusing such assignment.”
The wise man hushed for a moment giving them a chance to assimilate what they heard, and then he said,
“Now, let those among you willing to accept this new post step forward.”
To my amazement, my four friends stepped forward without any hesitation. No matter how hard I try to express how I felt when that happened, I would fail.
“Of course, declaring a piercing ray to the resistance is mandatory. For the field leaders, it’s a cipher meaning that they are on call for duty and must prepare for massive activities. However, what’s most important is declaring a piercing ray for the people. The simple Misrostians are the backbone of the resistance. Without their aid in the near future, the resistance will be advancing towards its doom.”
“But how can we declare something like this, skipper?”
Salamio asked.
“When the time comes, you will know how. I wouldn’t worry about it.”
Uncle Nooraddeen then walked towards me and said,
“As for you, piercing ray, we will have a long talk in private,” then he returned to his seat, and my friends took their places beside me.
“From this day on, the Nastorians shall know that Misrost has a true standing army, a leadership that never sleeps, and a wonderful young generation ready to carry forth the legacy of their ancestors.”
29
Later that night, Uncle Nooraddeen summoned me alone to his cabin. He was in bed, leaning his back to a couple of pillows, and exhaustion showed on his face. He told me to pull the only chair inside the place and sit beside him. When I sat down, he said, “I know that you have a lot of questions, son, so let’s get started. What is it that you wish to know?”
I tried to organise my thoughts but I failed, so I decided to begin with the first question that came to my mind.
“Uncle, what makes you so sure that I’m the proper person to lead my comrades? It’s obvious they all have more experience than I do.”
He sighed deeply and said, “After observing you and thousands of your peers during your training period, your mentors raised their recommendations of the ones fit to lead. Their criteria differed from one person to another.
This made the ones they all agreed upon the most promising candidates. You, my boy, was one of those candidates.
After this, we put you through many tests, some of them practical, some theoretical, others were physical, even mental tests were considered. Then we continued to observe the attitude and performance of every candidate in all situations. After long tiring procedures and consultations, your observers came to notice things in your personality that were not found in your peers. You were not the smartest or most brilliant, but you had something else, something unique that only a few persons in every generation could possess. A trait that surpasses any other…”
I was listening to my uncle, trying to understand the truth of my situation. After he uttered those words, he paused and said, “Before I continue, you will have to promise me one thing, Qotazio.”
“Anything uncle,” I replied.
The old man resumed, “That when you hear the remainder of what I’m going to say, you will never change or lose that trait no matter what happens, do you promise?”
I couldn’t quite understand, but I said, “I promise.”
The old man nodded then continued, “Besides your outstanding mental and physical skills, you always seemed to care about others more than you care about yourself.
You have an amazing protective instinct towards those around you. You are always willing to help according to the best of your capacities, and you don’t ask for anything in return, nor do you mind losing whatever in the process.
You spread a sense of optimism wherever you reside, and you are always boding well. You have a natural inclination towards making victorious what’s right and fair.
The previous makes people trust you very quickly, and believe that you can make a change. In short, your presence is always enough to improve any situation from its worst case to the best one possible.”
I looked at my uncle doubtfully. I was unable to imagine the procedures followed to come to such conclusion, so he explained, “Take Amr and Marwan for example, when did you meet for the first time?”
“About three weeks ago,” I answered.
“Did you notice how they stepped forward immediately when I offered them to become part of your team, and your counsellors?”
“Yes I did, but that’s because of what we’ve been through recently. I mean it has brought us closer together.”
My uncle nodded in denial, and replied, “Nonsense.
Before our meeting, they briefed us on what happened during the past weeks. From what they described: you put them through hell and endangered their lives repeatedly.
If your actions and personality didn’t attract them and stimulate something inside them both, they wouldn’t have accepted to serve under your command. Think of Marwan, he is the youngest among you, and he was serving under his father’s command. Anyone in his place would have preferred to continue serving with his old man, but the boy didn’t hesitate one moment to step forward when he heard my words. It’s as if he was hoping for it.”
My uncle paused momentarily observing my facial expression, then continued, “What about Salamio, you punched him earlier after that stupid verbal quarrel...”
“O Alaha, you know about that, uncle!” I interrupted in astonishment.
He smiled and said, “I must know everything concerning my men. It’s my duty to know. What did you expect;
I would see his face bruised and wouldn’t investigate what happened?”
I nodded agreeing that my question was a silly one.
He continued, “Anyone would’ve hesitated before agreeing to serve under the command of a person who just took a swing at him, but Salamio didn’t. Can you explain that?”
I hesitated shortly then said, “He has been my friend since ever.”
“Exactly, and this is why he never hesitated; he knows about you what you know not about yourself.”
I remained silent unable to respond. The old man gave me a chance to digest what I was hearing then said,
“Trust the leaders’ decision. It’s not your duty to decide who is best qualified to lead the resistance forces; it’s ours.
Your duty is to think about your assignment, and then accept it, or decline and ask to be relieved of your duties.
I think that after seeing how your friends trust you, you won’t let them down, would you?”
“That’s what I’m afraid of, uncle. I’m afraid that I will let you all down.”
“Again, you are proving the truthfulness of what I just told you, lad. This is exactly what makes you the most qualified for this post. We do not instate those who are willing to lead. We instate those we see fit for leadership.”
I was unable to respond immediately, but after a moment I asked, “Were you the one who chose me when I was young, uncle?”
“I was one of many. I was not the only one,” the old man responded.
“What about my father, was he among them too?”
“Yes, he was… but again, there were more people involved in choosing you, among them was the king himself, so don’t build wrong ideas, or think that you were chosen because of your blood relation to us. Actually, if you knew what you’re up to, you won’t be so doubtful, not even for one moment. There couldn’t have been any reason to
make our choice fall on you other than your capabilities and unique personality.”
“What about the others, I mean the other candidates, what became of them?”
“Like you, they were all assigned to serve in the most proper posts according to their capabilities. They are part of our movement until this moment, but none of them knows anything about the others, and none will ever do. This is for your protection… all of you.”
I nodded in understanding, took a moment to think of my next question, and then said, “Why exactly was I instated as a sailor on Karma? Why did you send me away all those years, uncle? If you thought that I’m the right one to lead, then why wasn’t I allowed to be part of the resistance years ago, or even after I returned?”
“Dear boy, you have been part of the resistance from day one. Instating you as a sailor on Karma was part of your preparation, and part of your duties as a member in the resistance as well. Can you tell me how many battles have you participated in during the past ten years? How many Nastorian raids have you blocked at sea thinking they were pirates? How many times have you succeeded in transferring aids and supplies to the neighbouring countries? How many posts have you served-in on Karma before being promoted to become its captain? How well do you know ships, their construction, their weaknesses and strengths, their possible entrances and outlets? Among many other things, which you must have learned during the past ten years. You were skilled, lad; but skill is useless without proper training and practise, and this is why we instated you on Karma.”
My uncle paused shortly to catch his breath, then he resumed speaking, “Sending you away was also for the protection of your secret identity until your skills become mature enough, and we observe that you are ready to lead your brothers. When this happened, we drowned your ship
intentionally forcing you to return home. That was to create the perfect cover for your return. Who would think that an unsuccessful sailor, who sank his ship a few weeks after assuming the position as its captain, could be one of the rarely brilliant youths chosen by the king to lead? Sasan has always had his doubts about you specifically. He sensed that you could be one of the future leaders. We learned from our men amidst his soldiers that he left a standing order,
‘If Qotazio Al-Misrosty ever returned to Misrost, he must be arrested and brought to my presence.’ That is why I ordered you to work with your cousin during the harvest season. We had to prove to Sasan that his doubts were bogus. If we hadn’t followed that complicated course of action, his doubts would have grown, and you could have been killed on the spot. You wouldn’t have gotten the chance to know what you have seen and learned the past few weeks.”
What my uncle told me that night was exquisitely overwhelming. With every answer, I was able to fill in a gap, and learn a new lesson.
“It seems that I have uncovered your plans earlier than scheduled, uncle,” I said in embarrassment from my reckless actions that had led to that situation.
“What’s done is done. There is no way to change it now.
Don’t blame yourself, lad. You may be surprised to know that I’m glad things ended up this way. Knowing how you acted with perfect command of the situation—so persistent and stubborn, brave and proficient—spared me any hesitation when I took the measures you have seen tonight,”
he said with a faint smile.
I sensed that he was getting more tired, so I patted his shoulder gently and got up saying, “We can continue tomorrow, uncle. You should rest now…”
“No lad, I still have a lot to tell you. Stay, the night is still young,” he interrupted.
“Are you sure I’m not bothering you, uncle?”
“Sit down and continue asking about the matters that bewilder you,” he said persistently. I sat down and resumed learning from the old man.
“After I arrived safely to Fastotia uncle, why didn’t you tell me about what was going on, instead of delaying it all that time? At least, I wouldn’t have messed your plans as I have done.”
My uncle nodded in understanding and said, “My dear boy, know that there is a huge difference between learning the truth without striving, and between seeking avidly after it. The one who learns the truth after exerting restless effort develops a firm faith. He will always be stronger in facing the consequences a thousand times more than him who learns the truth without any effort of his own. The spiritual strife you have been through after what you have seen during the short period you spent in Fastotia is what will shape your heart and form your volition throughout what’s yet to come. Of course, no one could have anticipated that you were going to act the way you did. Personally, I was hoping you would do things more slowly and cautiously, but it seems that Salamio’s incident ruined this plan, and hastened
the
process.
The
circumstances
were
unpredictable, but that’s part of the risks we have to take.”
“What exactly is the supreme resistance council, uncle?
During our meeting, you repeatedly referred to its members saying ‘we,’ but I never saw anyone else but you… Besides, why do you always follow a complicated course of action?”
“To answer your question, I need to go back in time over a decade. During his service under your father’s command, Sasan came to learn a lot about his plans to fight against the Nastorians. He also knew that the king was preparing the promising ones among your generation to lead the Misrostians against the Nastorian occupation. The dilemma here, lad, is that our enemy is part of us, not an outsider whom we can easily spot and fight against. Your father knew that there were traitors among his men, and he
informed the king of that. Out of fear that the Nastorians might unveil his plans, and discover the identities of the ones prepared to lead, the king assembled a secret society.
He chose them from among his closest counsellors and trusted servants. Their main duty was to take the proper measures they deem necessary to protect his grand plan and save Misrost. They were ordered to design the required schemes that would accomplish this objective, and see to their execution. I was one of that secret society; and today, this society is the supreme resistance council, and I am its oldest member. Throughout the years, our knowledge and experiences developed, and we produced a code of principals. These principals form the pillars upon which we base our methodology of thinking. They govern the process of issuing all of our decisions. ‘Knowledge is according to one’s need.’ ‘Nothing is ever what it seems.’ ‘Every action must be undertaken with proper planning at the proper timing.’ The previous—among other principals—were developed based upon a distillate of the knowledge accumulated by the resistance leaders. They form a code by which we abide and adhere to no matter what. They have always protected us, and guarded our plans from being disclosed to our enemies. Lady Rashida is a member of that council. She was chosen to join it after her performance in serving the resistance operations has proven her worthy and beneficent in such position. Now, General Obadiah has also become a member of that council. As for the other members, you will never meet them. Even if you do, it won’t be with their real identities. I believe this answers your question.”
I nodded silently feeling that I was up to something beyond my understanding, but my uncle placed his palm over my hand and said, “No need for the grave face kid, you’re up to this. I’m sure you are.”
I tried to think of other questions, but I felt that my brain was going to burst, so I decided to suffice with what I had learned for a while.
“Can we continue our conversation tomorrow, uncle?
I don’t think that I can digest all that in one session.”
The old man smiled and said, “Go dine with your comrades, and then get some rest, you will need it.”
“Aren’t you going to dine with us?”
“No, I will take my medication and sleep. I will see you tomorrow. Now go and let me rest.”
I handed the old man the bottle of syrup placed beside his bed and waited until he took a sip. I closed it and attended to his blanket adjusting it to cover him properly, and then I bade him goodnight. I was about to exit his cabin when he said, “Qotazio, I want you to know that there is always a price for resisting traitors, but the price of not resisting is worse and much higher. Never forget that.”
30
When I returned to the big cabin where we held our meeting earlier, only the youths were present. General Obadiah and Lady Rashida weren’t there. Amr and Marwan were playing with the young children who were permitted into the place. Orabio and Ramla were sitting at the corner and speaking together in a low voice. Salamio was watching the night stars through the only small window available in the cabin. I approached and stood beside him for a moment.
I was hoping he would say anything, but he remained silent, so I hit his shoulder with mine and said, “Hey.” He didn’t respond at first, so I hit him harder knocking him a bit off-balance. This time he looked at me in anger and said,
“Is this how you try to apologise?”
I smiled provocatively and said, “No, I have already done that. This is how I treat stubborn idiots who refuse their friends’ apologies.”
He didn’t respond, so I turned to face him saying,
“Fine, punch me back, and we’ll call it even. Go ahead.”
“Do you think that your punch is what upsets me?”
He snarled at me.
I understood what he meant, and it was painful. I said,
“Whatever it is that I’ve done and made you that upset, I beg your pardon and ask you to be generous enough to forgive my mistake. I promise it will never happen again.”
My words seem to have upset him even more, so I continued, “Come on Salamio, you’re my closest friend, we’re more than brothers. If you won’t tolerate my ignoble actions, then who will?”
He turned to face me and said, “You idiot, I’m not upset at you, I’m upset at myself… I mentioned your mother’s death inappropriately in our stupid quarrel. I’m supposed to be the eloquent smarter one here, but I was tired. I haven’t slept properly for weeks, and I wasn’t thinking straight.
I knew to a certain extent that returning to Misrost was something beyond your control. I also knew it in my heart that you were serving the resistance in a fashion all the past years, but I never knew where or how. I shouldn’t have said what I did knowing all that, and now you are apologising!
Shut the hell up. My conscience is killing me already.”
I couldn’t help smiling and said, “You insulted me, and I punched you. We have both acted inappropriately. I was tired too, and I understand what you mean. Why don’t we forget all about what happened, can you accept that?”
He smiled opening his arms, and we hugged each other.
“Well well well, look who’s returned to their senses?”
Orabio said approaching us.
“Hey, go back to your wife, big boys trying to have a conversation here,” I responded.
“Big boys you say!” Orabio said in a theatrical manner grabbing me by the shoulder, “a few hours ago he looked like a wet lap-dog, and now he’s bossy! What’s your secret, lad… courage syrup?” then he laughed loudly.
“Hee ha ha ha,” I mocked his stupid manner of laughing at the silly jokes he makes. I was about to respond when Fatamia said, “Dinner is ready boys.”
I turned and looked at her, longing for a chance to sit with her away from all people. We gathered around the table and ate in relative silence. I wasn’t hungry, but I took a few bites. After we finished, my friends went to bed one after the other until I remained alone with Fatamia. I looked at her face in silence, trying to gain as much pleasure and delight as I can. Despite our critical situation, I smiled joyfully rejoicing with the beautiful moment I was sharing with my soul mate. When she smiled back at me with her kind eyes and sympathising expression, I felt hypnotised.
My heart was trembling inside my chest, and I was unable to utter a word. Although I had too many feelings to express, my lips felt numb, and I wanted that silent moment to last forever. She sensed that, and with her ever-brilliant heart, decided to relieve me from the burden.
“I knew it in my heart that you would return safely, I dreamed of you every night,” she said tenderly.
The way she said those words left me speechless even more than I already was. She looked at me, awaiting my response. I got up, walked towards her seat, stretched my open palm towards her, and she placed hers in mine. I pulled her up gently, held her palm close to my heart and said,
“I’m about to enter a wild war. Only Alaha knows how it’s going to end. There is a big chance that I might get killed…”
“Don’t say that,” she interrupted putting her fingers on my lips, “You shall return triumphant, I know… trust me.”
Who could get enough from that tender, sweet smile?
Who could respond to such confident words and astonishing faith? I couldn’t but get down on my knees, and kiss the hands of that angelic young woman standing in front of me. Her face glowed when I did that, and I felt her hands quiver between mine. She pulled me up, and wiped the side of my face saying, “I want to ask you for a favour.”
I smiled, diving deeper into her eyes and said,
“Anything.”
She shrugged shyly and said, “I want you to ask my father for my hand the first thing tomorrow morning.”
The moment I heard those words, my heart almost stopped. The happiness that grew inside it seemed to fight against its normal pumping action. I remember that I opened my mouth trying to speak and express my feelings, but I only ended up slack-jawed, unable to speak or close back my mouth. Fatamia patted my shoulder smiling at my bug-eyed, stunned expression. Then when my condition persisted, she gave me a gentle shoulder shake saying,
“Qotazio, what’s wrong?”
Of course, nothing was wrong. Everything seemed magnificently right at that moment. The only thing that was not functioning properly was I. It took me a moment to regain my senses and normal reflexes. I grabbed her hand and said, “Come with me.”
“Where are we going?” She asked running to catch up with my wide steps.
I said, “I won’t wait till tomorrow morning. This is going to happen tonight.”
“Qotazio… wait. Don’t be a child,” she said trying to stop me, but I didn’t stop except inside my uncle’s cabin, beside his bed, with Fatamia by my side, and her hand in mine. I shook the old man’s body gently waking him up.
He opened his eyes, and raised his head in shock saying,
“What’s wrong lad, are we under attack?”
I smiled widely and said, “Uncle, I want to marry Fatamia.”
Without repeating myself, my uncle’s reaction was a lot like mine moments ago. I waited until the first impact of the surprise decreased a bit then said, “What say you, uncle?
Do you accept to have me as a husband for your only daughter?”
He looked at Fatamia’s face, then looked at our hands locked together, and shook his head in disbelief saying,
“O Lord… who would have thought… oh, what a night?”
Then he pulled off the covers, got up, and hugged us both laughing in happiness. “This is the happiest moment in my life, children.”
He caressed Fatamia’s cheek continuing, “Are you sure this is what you want, honey?”
She nodded shyly in silence, but my uncle said, “I must hear it from you so that I may rest assured.”
She looked at me, and replied, “I’m sure this has always been what I wanted the most, father.”
What did I ever do to deserve such a divine gift has always been something beyond my imagination. All I can say is that rarely do men get that lucky, rarely do they receive such a bliss: a beautiful, tender, righteous, loving wife.
THE LEGACY 175
PART V
THE OPERATIONS BEGIN
31
The next morning we all gathered at breakfast time.
After we ate the crumbles remaining from the day before, Uncle Noor ordered the boys and me to await his return.
He held a private meeting with General Obadiah and Lady Rashida. After that, they both left the ship to unknown destinations. A while later, the old man returned holding some scrolls. Orabio and I hurried to carry them for him, but he signalled us to stay at our places. He placed the scrolls on the dining table, and spread the largest of them.
“This is a map for the distribution locations of the Misrostian fleet. It took our men months to gather this information, and draw this map. The fleet now has twelve ships; the strongest and most dangerous of them all are Kismat, Rosa, and Camellia.” Uncle Noor pointed towards three different locations on the map as he uttered the names.
“Your first assignment is to steal those three ships, and deliver them to the hideouts marked in green.
Thence, our men shall take care of them. You must distract Sasan’s forces away from the designated locations, and engage them if necessary. No one must ever know about these hideouts. You will guard their secrecy with all the means you have, even your own lives if that’s what it takes.
Do you understand, lads?”
My comrades answered, “Yes skipper.”
I wasn’t used to addressing my uncle formally, but I imitated them in a lower voice, trying to cope up with the new developments.
“What information do we have about the current locations of those three ships, uncle? I mean, what are the security measures followed by Sasan in guarding their docking places? Besides, what about the ships themselves, how many men can sail with each of them? Do we have the constructional drawings of the ships?”
“Yes, we have all that and more,” my uncle interrupted my questions, “I shall inform you of everything right away.
Just concentrate and be patient, lad.”
He spread another scroll and continued, “These are rough sketches of the anchorage hangers where the ships are docking. You will notice that every anchorage has two entrances. Fifteen, fully armed, well-fortified soldiers guard each entrance. Their shift changes three times a day; each port at a different timing. My crew built those ships, so I have their full constructional drawings.” The old man spread out another scroll and continued, “These are the constructional drawings of the ships. It shows you all openings and their sizes. It shows you how the sailing mechanism of the ships work, and it gives you full details for what you asked for. You shall study this information, design your plan, consult with your friends, and specify their roles in the operation.” He paused giving us a serious look then continued, “These ships are essential for the resistance’s next move, lads. Make sure to deliver them intact.”
“How much time do we have to accomplish our mission, uncle?” I asked.
“We must have the three ships in our possession within two weeks maximum,” he said that then left.
I looked at my comrades and said, “All right, lads. Any suggestions how to start?”
Orabio said, “If we start giving opinions now, it will be a waste of time, and we won’t reach consensus easily.
You are our leader and the most knowledgeable amongst us of sailing. I say that you place the main outlines for the plan first. After that, we can discuss the details, and introduce our opinions to refine it and make it better.”
I looked at my other three comrades and asked, “Do you agree with Orabio’s suggestion?” They nodded expressing their satisfaction with this sequence.
“Well then,” I said, “give me some time to study the maps well and design an initial plan. We shall meet here again at noon to discuss my suggestions, distribute the roles, and finalise the related issues.”
“What should we do until noon?” Marwan asked.
I looked at him and said, “Relax and get some rest.
My first analysis of the situation makes me feel that you will need it.”
After they left, I started pondering over the maps in front of me. The more I concentrated, the more things became clearer in my mind, and gradually, the plan came together.
32
Ten days later, amidst a dark night, two drunk men were tottering near one of the three-targeted anchorages.
Each held a bottle of wine and sipped from it. They were swaying and singing in loud gruff voices. “Hey beautiful woman, come drink some wine. Accept my invitation to dinner, and I’ll be the winner.”
Two of the soldiers guarding the gate walked over to the two men approaching. They stopped them saying, “Hey, go drink somewhere else. This is a restricted area.”
One of the two men stuttered saying, “Why my dear friend?”
The soldier pushed him back saying, “Don’t ask any questions. Just do what you’re told.”
The man approached the soldier and leaned on his shoulder saying, “Come on, my friend. Don’t be so stiff.”
“Listen you drunken twit, you better return to your senses and walk away before I lose my tempers,” the soldier growled.
Again, the man stuttered and said, “You better calm down, or you will get piles.”
The two drunk men exploded in laughter, spitting saliva mixed with wine into the soldiers’ faces. Within a glimpse, the whole situation ignited. The two soldiers pulled out their whips and started beating the two men harshly. More soldiers rushed towards their comrades, and tried to control the situation. The remaining force members watched what was happening cautiously. They maintained their locations in case this turned out to be a trial to attack the anchorage.
The drunk men were shouting and cursing loudly. After a while, they raised their hands begging the soldiers to stop.
“Get away from here and don’t ever return you stupid bastards,” a soldier shouted at them. He mule-kicked the closest one’s butt hard forcing the man to fall on his face.
“Stop it, we just want to get rid of them, not kill them,”
one of the soldiers said grabbing hold of his angry comrade.
The two men crippled away groaning in pain. When they disappeared, the soldiers returned to their location at the gate.
“What the hell is that?” a guard asked in shock.
His comrades looked towards the direction he was staring at, and they too were petrified. It took them a moment to overcome the shock and start running towards what they saw. Kismat was moving into deep waters.
Its sails were folded, and there were no sailors on board.
One of the soldiers ran towards the warning bell and hit it with the hammer repeatedly. Within moments, the place was clamouring with men. They watched in awe the ship sailing away until it disappeared into the darkness of the night.
“Who untied this ship?” a soldier asked. Another responded, “How the hell is it sailing with no sailors on board, and its sails folded?” A third one said in a frantic tone, “Daemons, this ship is haunted. The souls of the fallen have returned. The souls of the fallen have…”
A sword penetrated his chest before he repeated that sentence. The officer holding the sword screamed at his
men, “What are you waiting for you thick-headed bastards?
Prepare another ship to go after Kismat immediately.
This is a trick designed by the traitors.”
The men stared at their dead comrade, so the officer screamed, “Move it, or do you wish to follow this idiot?”
The men started moving immediately. It took them a while to prepare another ship for sailing, and then begin chasing after Kismat.
“Sir, how can we know which direction to go? It’s a dark night, and we cannot spot the ship!” the man on the rudder wheel shouted.
“Follow the same direction in which Kismat moved.
I want a man in the nest immediately,” the officer in command shouted.
A soldier shoved a spyglass in his belt and climbed the main mast until he reached the crow’s nest. He pulled out his spyglass and spread it looking for any traces of Kismat.
He searched in all directions for a while, and then he shouted, “I see it, sir. It’s ten degrees to the left.”
“Open all sails, and head towards that direction immediately,” the officer shouted.
After a while, Kismat’s rear began to appear. A couple of lighted torches were fixed atop the poop. “Get us to its side,” the officer ordered the pilot. Then he shouted at his men, “Prepare for battle.”
Some soldiers climbed the ship’s gunwale waving hooked ropes. Others pulled out their swords preparing to attack the thieves, and retrieve Kismat from their hands.
When they started to advance beside the stolen ship, all men on board went deadpan. Their mouths were wide open, and their eyes stared in disbelief. The reason behind this was that what they saw was not Kismat. It was only a simple wooden structure, having the same shape and size of Kismat’s rear. On its poop, between the lighted torches, there was a sign saying,
‘With Regards of the Piercing Ray.’
33
Loud laughter filled a large cavern amidst the mountains overlooking the Northern coast of Misrost. It was one day after that incident. “Long live the piercing ray,” hailed a man among the attendants. The men welcomed me back blessing me and praising my plan. When I arrived my comrades were already there, and the men were treating them in a similar manner.
To understand what happened, I must go back to the moment my comrades left me inside the dining cabin of Andalusia. When I pondered over the maps my uncle left, various thoughts stormed my mind: Entering any anchorage by force could cause the failure of our mission, or at least, a big loss of lives. Meanwhile, if we succeed in stealing the first ship, this would make Sasan increase the security measures taken in safeguarding the other ships.
Consequently, our mission would turn from being impossible to being some sort of fantasy… It took me a moment to decide that we must steal the three ships at the same time, and without any armed confrontations with Sasan’s soldiers. Thence, I began plotting to achieve this purpose.
The first matter I thought of was the possibility of preparing any of the three ships to sail quickly, and taking it into deep waters. After that, we would be able to unleash its sails, and let it run at full speed. All that, without allowing any of the soldiers to sense our presence while we carry out this task. Of course, that was something beyond all imagination. I started thinking of a way to take the ship out of the anchorage with the minimum number of men.
That was when I remembered an incident I had witnessed years earlier when serving on Karma. We were once approaching the coasts of Shamalia when we heard the rescue bell of another ship. The ship was trapped in shallow waters and needed us to drag it out. This case was similar
to that of our ships. They were trapped inside the anchorages, and we needed to drag them out the same way.
I gave it a thought and decided that four men would be enough to untie every ship, and fix the dragging ropes at the proper places. I designated those places and their access points on the ships’ constructional drawings.
After determining that, I began to think of the method through which those men shall enter the anchorage unnoticed. I remembered the two persons who replaced Amr and me when we were acting as fishermen one day earlier. They were using air hoses to breathe swimming underwater like pearl hunters, so I decided to utilise that same method. We were not going to enter the anchorages through the gates from the landside, but swimming under water from the seaside. Each of the four men would have a 1½ inches hemp rope tied around his waist. He would swim from one of our ships—waiting outside the anchorage out of the guards’ sight—to the targeted ship. On reaching it, the first thing to do would be to tie the ropes to the designated parts of the ship. Afterwards, two men would sneak to the dock, untie the ship, and then join their comrades. Our ship would be waiting about half a mile away with its sails spread, ready to go with full speed.
Of course, the other ends of the four ropes would already be tied to our ship. On receiving their signal, the men would raise the anchors and drag the targeted ship into deep waters. The wind direction at night would be an advantage.
I discussed the matter of the ropes’ weight with my comrades. I was concerned because the ropes would be too heavy for the men to swim with. Amr suggested that we compensate for the rope’s weight with adequate airbags, which we tie to every rope at equal spaces. They would create an appropriate lift force.
“How are you going to make the air bags?” I asked.
“As usual, from goat skin. It’s almost the same way we make air hoses from cow’s intestines, and then wrap them up with leather,” Amr answered.
While we were discussing the plan, Salamio asked how the men inside the anchorage would inform their comrades on the awaiting ship that they can start moving with full speed.
I explained to them that during my years at sea, I learned that sound travels in water, and that we could use this natural phenomenon to our advantage.
“On any ship, there is always several middle-sized bells, scattered at different locations. They are used to inform the sailors of the shift changes. We shall equip our ship with a trumpet having an elastic membrane stretched across its mouth, and submerge it under the water. After the men in the anchorage finish their job, they will dive with one of the bells and strike it several times under the water’s surface.
The guards at the gates won’t hear the sound, for the water shall dampen it. Meanwhile, on our ship, an observer shall wait to hear the bell’s sound through a tube connected to the trumpet. When he hears it, he shall issue the order for all men to move.”
Orabio said, “This plan must be carried out at night.”
I nodded in agreement and replied, “Actually it must be carried out during a dark night. To our advantage, this night is ten days from now. This gives us enough time to summon the men, make the necessary preparations, and stick to Uncle Nooraddeen’s schedule.”
“What about the anchorage guards? When they see the ship exiting the place, they will surely sound the alarm and chase after us. How will we get away from them with our heavy load dragged behind?” Orabio asked.
“That’s the nicest part in my plan,” I said smiling excitedly.
Salamio gave me a quizzical look and said, “I know that mischievous smile. What are you going to do, lad?”
My smile got wider as I explained to them the idea of building decoy structures having the same shape of the targeted ships’ rears.
“These structures would be anchored ten miles away in the opposite direction of our escape. They shall have lighted torches to attract the attention of the chasing forces. This would grant more of our men enough time to get on the stolen ship, spread its sails, and sail away with it to its hideout before sunrise.”
The boys expressed their satisfaction with the plan, and they all seemed excited to carry it out.
“We will need to create some kind of distraction for the men who would enter the anchorage. It’s true that most guards are stationed outside the place, but two or three guards will be inside,” Amr said.
I nodded in agreement and said, “You have spent the past five years of your life participating in undercover operations, and you have more expertise in this than any of us. What do you suggest?”
“That’s easy,” Amr replied. He suggested the idea of the two drunk men. They were to distract the soldiers from what our comrades would be doing inside the anchorage.
After this, there remained one point, which I deemed the most important of all. I said, “We must have an inside man… a spy among the guards at the city hall to inform us of Sasan’s next move. We must be prepared for retaliation.”
Salamio said, “I can take care of that, leave it to me.”
I was a bit concerned for his safety, especially that there was already an arrest warrant issued against him. I asked,
“What shall be the risks in what you’re up to?”
“The usual,” he responded smiling.
“Don’t take any wild measures now. The best is yet to come,” I said trying to attract his attention and force him to be more cautious.
“Don’t worry,” he responded with a wide smile.
After finalising all issues, we informed Uncle Nooraddeen of the number of ships, men, materials, and all necessary items we needed to get the job done. He was shocked at first, but when I explained to him our plan, he accepted to take the risk.
“If you are going to steal the three ships at the same night, then you must divide yourselves into three groups.
Each group shall be responsible for stealing one of the three ships,” he stipulated.
I looked at my friends and said, “Orabio and Salamio, you will be responsible for stealing Rosa. Amr and Marwan, you will be responsible for stealing Camellia. And I will be responsible for stealing Kismat.”
Uncle Nooraddeen said, “So be it. I shall write my orders right away. You will travel tonight to the hideouts prepared to receive the three-targeted ships. The men there shall grant you all the help you need. May Alaha be with you, lads.”
This was how we stole the three ships from between Sasan’s hands, and for the first time since he assumed his position as chief of staff, he suffered a humiliating defeat.
Stories of how the ships were stolen started to spread among the people. ‘The piercing ray’ became an idea, which people spoke of secretly. Even children used the name in their street games. This intimidated the traitors ruling over Misrost, and declared the approach of their reign’s end.
34
“How is Fatamia, uncle?” I asked with a longing voice.
The old man smiled and said, “Miss her already!”
“More than I can say.”
“Don’t worry, she’s fine. Lady Rashida arranged for her stay—along with Ramla and the kids—with one of the families living at the far end of Ar-Rashedeen. An old fisherman and his wife. If their neighbours ask or get
curious, they will say that the girls are second degree nieces who have lost their husbands at sea, and had no family left but them. It’s a nice calm place near the coast. Rarely does anyone show any interest to go there.”
“Lost their husbands at sea! That’s a good omen, uncle!”
He smiled at my facial expression and said smoking his pipe, “You’re the ones who decided not to declare or consummate your marriage except after you return from your missions. The girl didn’t want any dowry, but you insisted, and that was what she asked for. Cheer up. You have succeeded in fulfilling the first portion of the dowry.
Soon enough, you will go home and find her awaiting your return with open arms. Obviously, you have won her heart.”
“I don’t know uncle, I’ve always had that feeling that I shall live as a drifter. There is that dream that has been gigging my sleep for a very long time.”
Uncle Noor brooded and asked, “What dream, lad?”
I hushed for a moment then tried to explain, “It’s as if I’m drowning in deep waters, and at the far horizon I can see home. I try to fight the raging waves as I fight in battle, and just when I’m about to prevail, I wake up all sweaty, and my heart throbbing in pain.”
The old man leaned back saying, “That’s just the reflection of your deep desire to go back home and settle down. I wouldn’t give it a big thought if I were you.”
I nodded then after a moment asked, “Did you ever tell Fatamia about her real parents, uncle?”
He looked me deeply in the eyes, and answered,
“Fatamia is my daughter, Qotazio. She will always be no matter what. That’s all you need to know.”
I noticed some anxiety in his voice. “I understand,” was my answer. I looked around. The men were gathering in small groups, resting and exchanging talks. I saw my friends sitting nearby, talking together. I turned to my uncle, and asked wondering, “What are we going to do next?”
“We are going to sleep. It’s getting late. Aren’t you tired?” he said teasing me.
The old man is hiding something, I thought silently.
“Hasn’t he always?”
“You said something, boy?” he asked making me notice that I said that in a loud voice.
“Em… no uncle. Never mind. I’ll join my comrades now and let you get some rest.”
I got up and walked over to where my friends were sitting. On seeing me approaching, they made some space.
When I sat down, Orabio threw me a piece of bread asking,
“What’s up lad? What news do you bring with you?”
I took a bite and shook my head saying, “Absolutely nothing. Your father didn’t even give me any hint about our next mission. I guess we’ll have to wait till we receive further instructions.”
“So, what are we supposed to do now?” Marwan asked.
I really liked that lad. His curiosity and persistence to know everything reminded me of myself.
I looked at him and said, “We are going to sleep, it’s getting late. Aren’t you tired?” then I stretched my body between my friends, and closed my eyes urging them to do the same thing.
Later on, I opened my eyes and looked around to check whether anyone was still awake, but all men were asleep.
I got up and walked towards the cavern’s entrance.
The view outside was exquisite. The starry night, and its sparkling reflection on the dark extending surface of the sea, along with the night breeze, were breathtaking. I sat on the ground, leaned my back against the mountain rocks, and thought of Fatamia.
‘Currently I have nothing but these hands. Name the dowry you wish for and I promise to fulfil it,’ I told her back inside my uncle’s cabin on Andalusia. ‘Your safe return from your missions is all I want,’ was her immediate response. I will never forget her face as she uttered those
words. That mesmerising memory will always be so deeply rooted within my heart and soul. Ever since that moment, a huge change occurred to me. The entity I had always called “me,” was no longer “Qotazio,” it has become
“Fatamia & Qotazio.” What a beautiful feeling that is.
35
“Good morning, lads.”
“Good morning, skipper.”
“Where is Qotazio?”
“I’m right here, uncle,” I answered as I walked into the place.
“Where were you, boy?”
“Just getting some fresh air, uncle.”
He gave me that look indicating he knew I was lying.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked hinting at our previous conversation.
I nodded saying, “Never better.”
While we stood conversing, a guard approached my uncle, and said, “General Obadiah has returned, sir.”
“Praises be to Alaha. Is he alone?” my uncle asked.
“There is a man with him… a messenger it seems.”
“Where are they?”
“They await you outside, sir,” the guard responded nervously.
My uncle left hurriedly. My friends and I exchanged a worried look without uttering a word. A few moments later, a man wearing dirty clothes, bearing apparent signs of a long journey, walked into the cavern. His face carried all signs of grief. Salamio rushed to where the man stood and asked him what was wrong, but he didn’t answer. Salamio grabbed him by his arm repeating the question, but the man howled in pain. Shocked by his scream, Salamio pulled the man’s shirt off his shoulder, and what we saw was sadistic.
The man’s shoulder was branded like animals. Salamio opened his shirt, and his torso was covered with the same mark allover. It was the Nestorians’ sign, two crossed swords and a shield.
“What the hell happened, Nessim? Where is Johan?”
Before Nessim answered, Uncle Nooraddeen came in and signalled Salamio saying, “Come with me, lad.”
They went out of the cave leaving us to worry. I looked at Orabio who shrugged affirming that he knew nothing.
Moments later, we heard Salamio’s voice screaming in pain. At a glance, Orabio and I rushed outside. My uncle and general Obadiah were holding Salamio, trying to control his tantrum. He was crying and swearing to kill Sasan. I didn’t understand what was happening. Orabio and I hurried and pulled Salamio into the cavern. We were both fighting to restrict his trials to break loose.
“Calm down, Salamio. Tell us what’s wrong, lad,”
Orabio said.
I looked at Uncle Noor and General Obadiah seeking any explanation. The general looked extremely tired. It was clear he hadn’t slept for days. My uncle signalled me to attend to Salamio, and he accompanied General Obadiah out of the cavern. Salamio’s resistance to our grips weakened gradually, and after a while, he stopped fighting.
He just continued crying. Orabio held his face and said,
“Salamio, tell us what happened.” A long moment passed by before Salamio looked up and said, “They killed Johan.”
Orabio’s face went dark, and it was shaking with volcanic anger. I knew it wasn’t the proper moment but I needed to understand, so I asked, “Who is Johan?”
After a moment that felt like ages, Orabio looked at me and said, “Johan is…” he paused shortly then continued,
“Johan was the youngest member in the resistance.” A tear fell down his face as he said, “He was only ten.”
Unable to say one more word, Orabio sat beside Salamio, and his tears continued to fall silently.
I got up seeking to storm into Uncle Noor and General Obadiah’s meeting. I was going to ask them to dispatch the boys and me on a swift revenge errand. Before I turned, Salamio grabbed my wrist and said, “Do you want to know who Johan was?”
I wasn’t able to understand his anger at me. I just stood there giving him a chance to speak. He said, “Johan was our eye on you. When we knew you were coming back, I ordered him to await your return. He was the boy who tried to escort you through the gates of Fastotia so that the guards wouldn’t arrest you. He looked after you, and informed us whenever you fell in trouble. He was your guarding angel, and now he’s dead. They killed him because he tried to help you. Do you know now who Johan was?”
I never told Salamio how I felt when he told me all that, and I never will. When he screamed those last words in my face, many images started storming my mind for that cheeky little kid with the dirty face and filthy clothes. ‘ What danger could such a young boy present so that Sasan would have him killed? No, it was me he wanted,’ I thought silently. ‘ That was his retaliation for what we did.’
Unable to bear that burden, I dropped down in front of my friends. Without uttering a word, I swore to myself that before the next full moon, Johan would be avenged and Sasan would regret being born.
THE LEGACY 191
PART VI
OPERATION JOHAN
36
“How is Salamio related to Johan?” I asked Orabio.
We were resting a few miles away from the western forests of Fastotia.
He nodded sadly and said, “Johan was the son of a poor widow who used to stand begging near the diner Salamio’s father owned. Her husband died when she was pregnant with Johan and left her with another two young daughters.
Salamio pitied her condition ever since he saw her.
He always helped and provided her with what he was able to afford. When Johan was born, Salamio promised his mother that he would look after the boy, and be like an older brother for him…”
Orabio stopped, obviously affected by his memories about the boy. After a silent moment, he continued, “We all loved him very much. He was a kind, brave boy, probably the bravest I ever knew. Sometimes, I wished my kids would grow up to be like him. He was simple-hearted and poorly educated, but smarter than most of his peers.
You can say that he was resourceful. His wit matched that of grownups. Salamio used to tell him stories about the king’s reign. He was trying to implant inside the boy the same values we were raised upon. The least I can say is that he was successful to an overwhelming extent. The boy grew up soaked with love for the resistance and their strife.
He loved the piercing ray without knowing who he was.
He always said, ‘When I grow up, I will be a piercing ray myself.’ When Salamio asked him to keep an eye on you, he was thrilled. ‘Qotazio, son of Mohab Al-Misrosty is the piercing ray, isn’t he?’ was his response. Although we never told him anything, he knew it was you. He awaited your return on pins and needles…”
Orabio seemed distressed as he said, “It seems that Alaha loved that boy more than we all did. He chose him for His companionship from among all people.”
I was deeply touched by Orabio’s words. The more he spoke about the boy, the more I came to realise Salamio’s suffering, anger, and inclement desire for revenge. We all had similar feelings, but not like Salamio. Ever since the day we received the bad news, he didn’t speak, barely ate anything, and rarely slept. He always sat alone drowning in his thoughts, with a terrifying look on his face. We were all worried sick about him, but there was nothing we could do.
It was on that day that Uncle Noor declared to us our new mission.
“You shall return to Fastotia secretly, and begin a series of operations against Sasan and his men. I want you to humiliate him like no man has ever been humiliated before.
Distract him as much as you can. Force him to think of nothing but catching the ones behind his humiliation.
Attract his attention for the next two weeks. I want him to receive bad news every hour and every day during those weeks. I don’t want him to sleep safely ever after that.
Avenge our fallen, all our fallen; but be careful, don’t kill him. We need him alive; our plans depend on it. Leave the piercing ray signature all over what you do. Spread the legend more and more among the people. I want you to tear down their fear from Sasan, his men, and the Nastorians.
Remind them of who they are. Make them feel proud to be Misrostians once more.” These were my uncle’s orders.
There we were two days later, disguised, and waiting for nightfall to sneak into Fastotia through the underground passages. General Obadiah told us that Zein had already returned to Fastotia, and that he would await our arrival at that night amidst the western forests. He also told us that the resistance men were going to carry out some attacks in the North to distract Sasan and his men. “That would give you a chance to enter Fastotia with the least risks. After that, you’re on your own,” these were his words.
That mission was more dangerous than all I imagined.
We were to be trapped, outnumbered, and cut off from any reinforcements, inside the same city with our bitterest and most dangerous enemy. This meant that every single move had to be made with intensive planning, accurate measures, and at proper timings.
Just before midnight, we started moving quickly in our dark outfits until we reached the forest borders. Orabio signalled us to follow him. He moved from one location to the next and halted momentarily to make sure we were alone. On reaching a particular spot, he made the croaking sound of frogs a couple of times and waited. Part of the ground a few feet away started moving upwards, and a hatch opened partially. We slid through the tight opening and sealed the hatch, and then Zein led the way. It was dark except for a dim light coming from the other end of the tunnel. We reached the house from which that tunnel started, and then followed Zein from its roof to another.
We continued moving until we reached our destination.
It was the ruins of an old place, located near the far western borders of Fastotia. It had no doors, and its walls were partially destroyed. Our hideout was a room beneath its floor. Who would think that there was a secret room beneath such an exposed place?
“Welcome lads,” Zein said.
Orabio patted his shoulder and asked, “Did you prepare the stuff we asked for, Zein?”
“Yes, you will find everything, among other tools deemed useful.”
“What about Sasan’s activities?” I asked.
He pointed towards an open box amidst the room, and handed me a folded paper saying, “I have gathered all possible information from our spies. Any further information you need, you’ll have to find out on your own.”
“How will we enter his palace?” I asked again.
“Does anyone of you speak Romestian?”
“I speak a little Romestian,” I answered.
Zein hushed for a moment thinking then said, “Sasan only allows Romestians to serve in the palace. He’s too afraid to hire Misrostians. I shall try to get you in as one of the servants, but the rest of you won’t be able to enter the palace.”
I exchanged looks with my friends then said, “Fine. One of us is enough. When can you make this happen?”
“Give me two days…”
“That’s too much. We have no time. You have one day, Zein. Tomorrow at night, I must be inside Sasan’s palace,”
I said.
After brooding for a moment, Zein said, “I’ll do my best.
I must go now. You have food and water over there. You can relieve yourselves inside that isolated corner. There is a bucket and a shovel. You can bury the bucket’s contents outside at night. I apologise for the inconvenience, lads, but it’s only temporary. I will return before sunrise. Do you need anything else for the time being?”
“Just be careful,” I said.
He nodded silently and left.
“Now what?” Marwan asked.
“Now we go to work,” I answered him.
We gathered around a map for Fastotia. Then I said,
“Uncle Nooraddeen and General Obadiah informed us earlier that Sasan’s strengths are summarised in the vast number of his men, stores of supplies, livestock, horses, and gold. Worst of all is the people’s fear of getting tortured or killed if they speak or revolt against him. That’s why our main target within the next two weeks shall be to rip this fear out of their hearts. We must allow them to see Sasan and his men for what they really are: nothing but a gang of traitors and criminals. Meanwhile, we must destroy the sources of his power, but preserve the country’s riches.
To do this, first, we must…”
“Hold on, Qotazio,” Orabio interrupted my sentence.
“By all means, our two weeks mission could not include all of what you just enumerated. This way we will overburden ourselves with what we can’t bear, and our mission shall fail. The first thing we learned when we joined the resistance, was ‘always concentrate on the main objective.’
We should take matters one thing at a time.”
Sensing that I got carried away by my enthusiasm, I said,
“All right, what do you suggest?”
“We must concentrate on our main target, that’s keeping Sasan occupied for the next two weeks, and creating coverage for the resistance operations during that period.
If in the course of doing this we find it necessary to take care of other matters, only then we can modify our plan accordingly.”
“I agree, but how can we distract Sasan and keep him occupied if we won’t attack the sources of his power?”
“As implied in our orders, this time, we must make things personal. We must attack Sasan himself, and humiliate him to the furthest extent. We must make this in public so that the people may see it and wake up from their deep sleep. In other words, we shall keep him occupied all right, but with himself. He should think continuously of how to regain his honour and fake respect among Misrostians.”
I looked at our silent three comrades and asked, “What do you think, lads?”
“I agree with Orabio’s point. We must concentrate on our main objective or our mission will fail,” said Amr.
“I think we can start by revising the information Zein included in the paper he handed to you earlier,” Marwan added.
I looked at Salamio, waiting for him to speak, but he remained silent. I unfolded the paper, reviewed its content and said, “This is nothing but Sasan’s weekly routine.
He likes to go hunting once a week. He accompanies with
him the judge, his personal physician, and some of the rich merchants who control the economy. He visits the nobles’
public bath once or twice a week. Other than this, he spends most of his time at the city hall. And at night, he has many concubines, but no wives.”
“That’s it!” Orabio said in denial.
“That’s it,” I responded.
Silence hovered over us momentarily then I said,
“I know I’m not the most experienced among you in secret operations. In fact, I prefer direct confrontations; but since you’ve all agreed that we should concentrate on Sasan, then let’s give ourselves a chance to organise our thoughts.
We’re all tired now and we need to get some sleep.
Zein said that he would return at dawn. We shall resume our discussion and decide what to do then.”
They nodded in agreement. Each one of them took a place on the floor and tried to get some rest. I looked at Salamio. He was sitting quietly in a dark corner leaning his back on some sacks piled inside the place. He was still mourning. I understood his feelings and knew that his condition was getting worse. ‘ What could relieve his pain,’
was a question that occupied my mind all the time.
I pondered over the paper Zein left me for a moment. I was trying to find any clue of how to get to that traitor, but at that moment, nothing seemed helpful in the information it included. I stretched my back on the floor, closed my eyes, and continued to think of a plan until I fell asleep. I don’t know how long I slept, but when I woke up, the candle that lit the place was almost out. I got up, picked another candle from a box placed beside the candleholder, and replaced it.
When I looked around, my comrades were sleeping, but Salamio wasn’t in his place. I thought he might be relieving himself, but when I got closer to the restroom’s corner, the curtain was open. I jumped towards the hatch leading into the old house and looked at it. Its lock was open. I pushed it, and climbed up. I was barely able to see in the dark.
I listened and recognised the dampened sound of crying coming from behind a half-collapsed wall. I closed the hatch, sneaked cautiously from behind the wall, and there he was sitting on the dusty floor, hiding his face between his palms, and crying intensely. I got down on one knee beside him. He didn’t sense my presence except when I grabbed his shoulder gently. He wiped his face looking at me in surprise. His face was red, soaked with tears. I hugged him tightly, and whispered, “I swear to you that Sasan will pay for what he did.”
Salamio looked at me, tried to control his tears, and said,
“I loved that kid very much. He was a brave kid… the bravest of all.” He hushed for a moment barely able to continue, and then said, “He refused to tell them anything.
They must have tortured him…”
“Shush…” I interrupted. “This won’t help you avenge him. We must concentrate on our mission to avenge Johan, and all the fallen.”
He replied crying, “I try, but I can’t forget him. His face fills my mind all the time.”
I hushed for a moment then said, “Look at me. Do you think that it’s easy to live normally knowing that Sasan killed my father? It’s not easy, but I do it, and you have to do it, too, in order to make victorious what’s right. This is what my father died for, and it’s also what Johan and many others died for. Each one of us has a fallen friend, relative, neighbour. Some even have bigger losses like Lady Rashida for instance. But look at her, she didn’t break in front of her loss; on the contrary, she changed that loss to one hell of a strife.”
He looked at me unable to say anything, so I patted his shoulder and said, “I know you were the closest to Johan, but you were not the only one who loved him, nor were you the only one he loved. We must attend to our duty towards his mother and sisters, or have you forgotten about them?”
“How can I look into their eyes?” he said sadly in shame.
“Your love for the boy will help,” I responded.
He seemed to calm a bit after I said that. He wiped his tears as I pulled him up, and we sneaked back into the hideout. I locked the hatch quietly, and made Salamio lie down and get some rest. After that, I grabbed the scrolls Zein left, opened them, and started squeezing my brain trying to figure out how we can get to Sasan.
37
Next day in the late morning, the masses had filled the markets of Fastotia. Merchants were calling out for their merchandise. People were bargaining for better prices all over the place. A busy day like any other. Everything seemed normal except for one thing that looked weird amidst all that. An old man, having untidy grey hair that covered half of his face. He was wearing filthy patched clothes, walking barefoot amidst the crowds, and leaning on a long staff. He hissed in a manner that frightened those he passed by and made them move away. On reaching the heart of the market, he stopped for a moment, thereafter raised his voice saying, “Misrostians… Misrostians… you are in grave danger. Plague is at your doorsteps, and soon you’ll all die. Escape with your lives. Leave Fastotia before it’s too late.”
He repeated those words several times until three guards approached. One of them grabbed the man by his garment and pulled him harshly saying in a threatening voice, “Shut up you dirty old…” The soldier didn’t continue his threat, and pushed the man back in shock saying, “What on earth is that?”
One of his two comrades looked at the man, and fear showed on his face as he responded, “A leper. Take him out of here immediately. We don’t want the infection to spread in the markets and the whole city.”
The soldiers used their sticks in leading the old man out of the markets. Just as they reached the main street, one of them asked, “Where do you come from, and how did you catch this infection?”
The old man coughed saying, “I live near the anchorage.
A few months ago, I was among the porters unloading the cargo. I believe that I caught the infection from one of the ships that brought the silk from Romestia. That ship’s attendant seemed unwell himself.”
On hearing what the man said, the soldiers exchanged a worried look. One of them said, “We must take him to Captain Hazeem immediately. The silk is brought especially for the palace’s inhabitants. He must warn Chief Sasan.” He turned towards the old man and said harshly,
“Move it, you ominous oldster.”
After a while, Hazeem came out of the city hall gates, walking in front of the soldier who informed him of the situation at hand. He headed towards the old man. When he approached him, he said in disgust, “What is that awful smell?”
“It’s his smell, sir,” the soldier responded pointing towards the old man.
Hazeem pulled one of the soldiers’ whips, raised the old man’s head with its tip, and retreated in shock on seeing the man’s disfigured face. “When exactly did you catch this disease?” he asked.
“About six months ago, sir,” the man answered.
“How?” Hazeem asked again.
“From one of the silk ships that came from Romestia.”
“How do you know this?”
“When I was unloading the silk rolls, the ship attendant who helped me seemed ill. When I asked him, he told me that on their way to Fastotia, they passed by a pestilential place called Jafa at the Afraconian coasts. They were not supposed to stop there, but they were in urgent need of some supplies.”
“What kind of pestilence did he say it was?”
“I never asked.”
“Did that attendant carry the silk rolls with you?”
“Yes sir, each one of them.”
“O Lord,” Hazeem said in worry. He turned towards the soldier standing next to him and said, “Go immediately to the palace’s tailor, and ask him whether he has used this silk or not? If he did, ask him if he had made any costumes for the chief using it. Go immediately.”
Hazeem then turned towards another soldier and said,
“Lock this man alone till further notice,” and he walked away hurriedly ignoring the old man’s protests as the guards drove him with their sticks towards the city hall dungeons.
38
While the previous was happening, a man entered Fastotia’s infirmary. He headed towards the first person he saw inside and said, “I need help, please.”
The person, who was one of the infirmary’s nursing personnel said, “What’s wrong, sir?”
“I have some kind of a skin infection. I don’t know what it is, but I can’t stand its sight any longer,” and he pulled the garment he was wearing off his upper torso.
The nurse looked in disgust at the blistered sore skin and said, “Dear Lord, what happened to you?”
“I don’t know,” the man said, “it all started a couple of months earlier with some numbness in my fingers. Later on, these blisters started to appear.”
“Follow me,” the nurse said nervously leading the man into a room amidst the corridor. “Wait here,” he said then left hurriedly. Moments later, he returned with one of the chief healers in the infirmary. As the healer started checking the patient’s infection, he asked, “What do you do for a living, sir?”
“I work in the anchorage.”
The healer looked at the man’s skin afraid to touch it.
He grabbed a piece of cloth, poured some iodine over it, and placed it over one of the open blisters. To his surprise, the man didn’t feel any pain.
“This is dangerous,” the healer said, “follow me, I have to put you in a separate room immediately.”
“What about the others?” the man asked.
“What others?” the healer responded in a highly concerned tone.
“Some of the men who work in the anchorage suffer from similar symptoms. We all thought it was a skin rash or a light infection we caught from one of the Romestian ships.
Some men wanted to come with me, but most of us cannot afford not going to work. Who would feed our families?”
The healer looked at him with a horrified face then turned and said to the nurse, “I have to inform the authorities immediately. They must close the anchorage.
The city must be quarantined till we know what we’re facing here.”
39
A while later, a man was standing in front of the city hall.
He was asking for permission to meet one of the high-ranking officers for an urgent matter. When the soldier asked him who he was, the man told him that he was one of the chief healers in Fastotia’s infirmary.
“What is the urgent matter you wish to discuss?”
the soldier asked.
“I have come to report a possible threat of a plague about to spread in the city,” the man responded.
Knowing what happened earlier, the soldier ordered the healer to follow him to Captain Hazeem’s office. The healer told Hazeem about the infected case which he had examined, and he informed him of what the patient said about the other infected cases at the anchorage.
“What’s your name?” Hazeem asked.
“It’s Shamum, sir, Shamum Romany,” the healer answered.
“What do you know about this disease, Shamum?”
“From what I have seen, sir, it could be leprosy in its early stages, or some kind of a skin infection that causes irritation, blistering, reddening, and ulceration to the skin.
In the first case, we will need to close the anchorage immediately and quarantine the city. While in the second case, I can prepare the proper medicine back at the infirmary and treat the infected cases before they pass the disease to others.”
“Have you contributed in dealing with similar conditions before, Shamum?”
“Yes sir. I was among the physicians sent to Afraconia ten years ago to deal with a similar situation. There, we discovered that some nomad Romestian tribe brought the disease with it from western Romestia.”
A few moments later, Hazeem was knocking on the decorated wooden door of Sasan’s office. On hearing the permission to enter, he opened the door and walked in.
After a while, he returned to his office and ordered one of the guards to fetch Chief Sasan’s personal physician.
“Prepare a room for his temporary residence inside the city hall. He must not leave the premises under any circumstances,” were his words. Then he ordered the healer to accompany him to the palace. Just as they walked out of the city hall, a guard informed Hazeem that one of the soldiers who brought in the old leper earlier is suffering from skin inflammations. Hazeem looked at him, and said in a simple tone, “Put him in the same dungeon with the old-timer, and do not go near them,” then he called out,
“bring me two horses immediately.” A soldier brought the horses, and Hazeem ordered Shamum to follow him.
Shamum got on the horse asking, “Where to, sir?” but he never received an answer to his question. At noon, Hazeem
and Shamum were standing inside Sasan’s palace, surrounded by some of the palace guards.
Hazeem stepped above a small table placed amidst the entrance, and shouted, “I want all servants to gather outside in the backyard. No one is allowed to leave the palace except with my permission, not even the guards.
All concubines shall gather inside the harem, and they are not allowed to leave it by orders of Chief Sasan himself.
This is for your protection. Anyone who thinks he’s not included in the two groups I mentioned, let him head towards the backyard immediately.”
Humming and murmuring filled the place, but Hazeem shouted at them to do what he said without any delay. Then he turned to Shamum and said, “I want you to give everyone among Chief Sasan’s concubines and servants a thorough check. If any of them turns out to be infected, you shall inform me immediately.”
Shamum hesitated before saying, “Sir, I can only recognise the infection if the symptoms were clear, but they don’t necessarily appear on the patient at the early stages.”
Hazeem stared at Shamum in anger and said, “With the least doubts, consider the case infected. Do you understand?”
Shamum nodded in fear and asked, “Where can I examine the cases, sir?”
Hazeem walked over to a side room, opened its door, and pointed inside. Shamum entered the room, looked around, and said, “I can use that sofa over there, but sir…”
Hazeem looked back at him, so he continued, “I shall need my tools from the infirmary.”
“I will send one of the soldiers to get whatever it is that you need,” Hazeem said. Then he walked over to where Shamum was standing and continued, “You will stay here until this is over. You won’t go anywhere unless I say so.
Do you understand?”
Shamum shook his head in fear, wiped his forehead, and said, “Whatever you say, sir. I’m at your service,” and he started writing down the tools he needed to carry out the checkups.
40
A while after midday, two travellers approached the nobles’ public bath. One of them had long blond hair, thin shaved white face, and a moderately thin body. He was wearing a beige shirt and brown trousers. The other had short dark brown hair, ruddy shaved face, muscular body, and tanned skin. He was wearing a sleeveless light brown shirt and tight leather trousers. They looked clean and handsome, and they were exaggeratedly perfumed. This last trait attracted the attention of all those they passed by.
They were carrying backpacks and speaking a language that no one understood. On reaching the bath’s door, they put their backpacks on the ground. One of them approached the guard and said in a very weak Misrostian accent, “Good day, dear fellow.”
The guard got up staring at their faces and responded,
“Good day foreigner, how may I help you?”
The man said, “We have come all the way from Nomanota bringing to Misrost the most modernly discovered herbal medicines.”
“You’re mistaken, Romestian. This is not the infirmary; it’s the nobles’ public bath. The infirmary is that way,” the guard said pointing in a certain direction.
“Ah, no dearie, our merchandise is for places like this.
They are used as massage oils and healing ointments.
In Nomanota, we use them all the time in our public baths.”
“I don’t understand what you are saying, Romestian.
Wait here. I will inform the bath attendant.”
“Yes, dearie. Inform him please,” the man said smiling in gratitude.
Moments later, the bath attendant came out and asked the two men about what they were selling. They gave him an organised, attractive presentation for their merchandise highlighting its benefits. They even offered to work three days for free in the bath, and show him how their herbal products are used. When the attendant showed some hesitation, they offered him a discount and promised not to demand any payment before he sees the results of their products himself. They assured him that his noble clients would express their satisfaction in their effect. After a brief conversation, the attendant was unable to refuse their alluring offers. He seemed interested in the idea.
Who wouldn’t? The two men had sophisticated knowledge of herbal treatments. They had brought it all the way from Romestia. They had notably good appearances, different clothes, and striking fragrance. Everything about them made them appeal for him. They seemed like terrific bath attendants. He must have sensed that their service would impress his noble customers. Accordingly, he accepted their offer and decided to give them a chance to work under his supervision for three days.
41
Sometime in the afternoon, the soldier Hazeem dispatched to bring the tools from the infirmary returned.
Behind him, a weird looking young man was riding a mule, and holding a big box in front of him. When they reached the palace’s gate, the soldier got off his horse and ordered the weird looking fellow to wait outside. He entered the palace, saluted Captain Hazeem, and said, “Sir, one of the infirmary’s assistants brought the tools the healer asked for.
He’s waiting outside.”
Hazeem stared at the soldier for a moment then shouted,
“I never ordered you to bring anything but the tools you idiot. Why did you allow anyone else to come with you?”
The soldier fumbled saying, “After preparing it, he refused to hand me the tools’ box, and he insisted on accompanying me, sir.”
Hazeem got up, approached the soldier, and barked,
“He what? Why didn’t you pick it up from above his corpse, you useless twit?”
“Sir, I did threaten him, but the box was full of vials and other sensitive tools. He said that if the person carrying it wasn’t well experienced in handling such a package, the tools might be damaged. I only allowed him to accompany me to make sure that the tools reach the healer safely, sir.”
“If you will allow me, captain,” Shamum interrupted.
Hazeem looked at him angrily, so he hemmed nervously, and continued, “I shall need all the help I can get in here. If this were one of the infirmary’s well-experienced assistants, then he would be extremely beneficent.”
Hazeem stared at Shamum momentarily thinking, and then signalled the soldier saying, “Bring him to me first.”
“Sir, yes sir,” the soldier said in relief and hurried outside. A moment later, a young man wearing wide short trousers, a funny looking light green shirt, and a miserably coiled turban, entered the palace. He was carrying the big tools’ box in front of him and keeping it in a horizontal position. He had thick brows, short mustaches, long curly sideburns, and he walked with funny heavy steps. He was more of a boy than a man.
“Who is that idiot?” Hazeem asked lightly.
The young man looked at Hazeem and said, “Who are you calling an idiot, you ignorant dupe.”
Hazeem’s face reddened in anger. He stretched his arms trying to grab the weird looking fellow and strangle him for what he said. Before he succeeded to do that, the young man turned around protecting the box, and yelled, “Stop, or you’ll damage the tools.”
“Put the box down,” Hazeem screamed at him.
The young man refused saying, “No, you will hit me if I do that.”
“I will kill you if you don’t.”
“Sir, calm down, please. I beg you,” Shamum interfered attracting Hazeem’s attention. He approached Hazeem with weak-kneed steps and continued, “He’s a mentally retarded orphan who was raised inside the infirmary. I beg your pardon, sir. You really shouldn’t be offended by any stupid words he utters.”
Hazeem seemed to calm a bit and said, “How do you trust him to assist you?”
“He is partially retarded, but he knows the tools, herbs, and solutions we use like the back of his hand. It’s all he has seen, and all he has taken care of the past fifteen years of his tumultuous life. He rarely leaves the infirmary. As far as I know, this could be his first time to do so in months.
Kindly forgive him, sir. He may look old enough to recognise your noble status, but he has a brain of a ten years old child.”
Hazeem calmed down and looked at the boy saying,
“I will forgive you this time. Move along now, and help the physician.”
The young man walked in his weird manner turning his back towards Hazeem as he passed by him. Shamum ordered him to put the box on the empty table and hand him the tools he names. The servants started to come in one at a time. Shamum checked their eyes, throats, and the skin of their arms, necks, and feet. He asked them questions like,
“Do you happen to feel some numbness in your fingers or toes lately? Do you feel some general weakness? Have you suffered from any skin inflammations or repetitive appearance of blisters in the past weeks and where exactly?
Do you experience nausea, vomiting, or dizziness?”
The checkups continued until sunset. After Shamum examined all servants, he informed Hazeem of the infected cases among them. Hazeem ordered their isolation
immediately. Next, Shamum moved to another room beside the harem where he examined Sasan’s concubines. After similar procedures, he ordered his young assistant to put the tools back inside the box and prepare to leave.
“I’m done, captain. Now you have to make sure that the clothes, eating tools, and beds’ sheets of all infected cases are washed in boiling waters and soap. You must also isolate them from others until they are cured. Is there anything else you want me to do, sir?”
Hazeem gave Shamum the same terrifying look and said,
“Don’t tell a soul of what happened today till further notice.
Do you understand?”
Shamum hesitated before speaking, but eventually said,
“Sir, you have to close the anchorage, and isolate its labourers to prevent the spread of such infection among the people…”
Hazeem grabbed Shamum by his garment and pulled him harshly saying, “You will do absolutely nothing till further notice, or I swear I will kill you myself,” then he pushed him away violently knocking him off balance.
The young assistant went wild and started swearing at Hazeem. He jumped forward and tried to hit him, but Shamum got up quickly and stopped him before Hazeem or his soldiers hurt him. They walked out of the palace, and just when they were about to mount on their rides, Hazeem shouted, “Hey, healer.”
Shamum turned around and looked at him, so he continued, “You can take turns with your assistant in riding the mule. We need our horse.”
Shamum nodded in compliance. He made the young man ride on the mule, while he took its rein in his hand and walked away silently.
Hazeem stood there smiling sadistically, enjoying his sick misplaced sense of power. However, what he never noticed was Shamum’s sardonic smile, and that of his young assistant.
42
Near midnight, the old man imprisoned inside the city hall started groaning loudly. He grabbed his neck in pain then suddenly tore away part of his skin and threw it at his inmate. The soldier was horrified. He got up and screamed for help, but no one responded to his cries. Suddenly the old man started to move with heavy steps. He approached the soldier who retreated barely able to catch his breath.
The old man trapped him in the cell’s corner, grabbed him by his shoulders, and stared at his trembling face. Then all of a sudden, he head-butted the soldier breaking his nose, putting him out of his misery.
After that, the old man showed sudden activity. He stripped the guard from his clothes and flicked them against the wall forcefully several times. He removed the remaining fake skin covering his face and ears. He pulled out a small vial from his waistband along with some tools, and put on the soldier’s clothes atop his. He opened the vial and emptied its contents inside the soldier’s mouth. Thereafter, he started using the tools in opening the dungeon’s door.
Within a few moments, he succeeded in unlocking the door.
He beckoned outside to make sure the way was clear, and then he got out and locked the door from outside. He walked confidently through the long passage until he reached the door leading into the place. He dealt with its lock as he did before, and within no time, he was inside the other half of the basement. It was the supplies’ store and main kitchen.
There were no activities inside the place at that part of the night. No one was there except the cook. He was sleeping on a small straw mat beside the entrance and snoring loudly.
The disguised man sneaked in, looked around in the faint light. On locating a big vat placed at the corner of the kitchen, he approached it quietly, removed its cover, and smelled its contents. He pulled out another vial from under his clothes, poured its contents into the vat, and placed the
cover back in place. Then he exited the kitchen and walked towards the stairs leading up to the ground floor. It held the offices and guards’ rooms. He ascended the stairs and approached Hazeem’s office calmly. He stood in front of the guard, and said, “I have come bearing urgent news to Captain Hazeem regarding the situation at the palace.”
The guard looked at the soldier doubtfully and said,
“Are you new here?”
“I serve at the palace,” the man in disguise replied,
“and I must see the captain immediately,” he continued in impatience.
The guard turned around and knocked on the door.
He waited for a while without receiving an answer.
He knocked again, and Hazeem responded angrily,
“What do you want?”
The guard opened the door and stood in shock staring at the dark room. He said, “A guard from the palace bearing urgent news, sir.”
“Let him in,” Hazeem said in a tired voice.
The disguised man stood at the doorstep and said,
“Sir, some of the servants and Chief Sasan’s concubines are showing symptoms of infection. They are asking for the physician back.”
“Bring me that useless cad from the infirmary. Do not return before you find him. I shall comb the flesh off his bones,” Hazeem said in an exasperated voice.
“Sir, yes sir,” the disguised man said saluting Hazeem.
Then he turned around and walked away hurriedly.
Hazeem’s guard said hesitantly, “Are you feeling well, sir?”
“Get the hell out of here. Do not disturb me before that guard returns with the physician,” Hazeem replied angrily.
The guard closed the door and said, “Something is wrong with the captain. Should I inform the chief?”
On hearing that, the disguised man smiled. He turned around from behind the corner and walked away.
43
“What news do you bring from the city hall?”
“Sasan has isolated himself inside his office. He’s keeping his personal physician with him inside the building.”
“Good, what about Hazeem?”
“He has returned to the city hall. The symptoms are starting to appear on him too. I managed to inform him in front of his guard that the infection is spreading inside Sasan’s palace. Of course, he will inform his master.”
“Did you empty the solution as agreed?”
“That’s the best part. I emptied it in the butter vat. By morning, it will have infiltrated the whole quantity. It will take them days to discover the source of their predicament.”
“What about your identity as an old leper, won’t the guards discover your absence?”
“Don’t worry. They don’t approach the dungeon in which they imprisoned me. They only push in some bread and water through a small opening in the door. They are too afraid. Besides, I have taken care of the soldier who was imprisoned with me as agreed. He will remain in a state of delirium for days. I shall check on him every now and then,”
Amr responded while he washed the soldier’s clothes.
Marwan patted his shoulder saying, “Clean it well my friend. You wouldn’t want to get a skin rash yourself.”
“Great, now we shall see who will come crawling to us tomorrow… What about you guys?”
“You enjoyed all the fun and sent us on an easy mission,”
Salamio responded.
“Patience boys. Eventually, you will be the ones to enjoy this mission the most.”
“Enjoy it the most,” Orabio said in anger, “you have made us shave our beards and mustaches, and forced us to act and speak in this womanish manner, then you say enjoy it the most! Are you out of your mind?”
“Easy big guy, this was the only way to make things work,” I said.
“How am I supposed to appear in front of our people after this is over? How am I supposed to confront my wife for Lord’s sake?”
Amr stared at his face for a moment then said hesitantly,
“You look fine.”
“I look like a girl,” he shouted.
“Don’t shout, you idiot. Someone might hear you.”
“Who could possibly be awake at this time of the night?”
“How long could it possibly take for your beard and mustaches to grow back, a month or two?” I responded.
Orabio stared at me angrily, so I hushed.
“Get some sleep lads, tomorrow is going to be a long day,” Salamio said calmly. I was glad that getting back to operations seemed to alleviate his sorrow a little bit.
“Who’s going to wake us up in case we oversleep?”
Marwan asked.
“Don’t worry, Zein will be here before sunrise,”
I responded lying back.
“What about the man we sent to the infirmary?” he asked in his usual curious manner.
“He will take care of the real Shamum until our plan is complete,” I said that and closed my eyes. Then, various thoughts about the next day occupied my mind and my dreams.
44
Moments after sunrise the second day, the palace guard entered the city hall grabbing hold of Shamum. He was giving him a harsh push every few steps. He didn’t stop except in front of Hazeem’s office. “Inform the captain that I have brought Shamum, the physician,” he said to the sleepy guard.
The guard got up adjusting his helmet and knocked on the door twice. He waited for an answer but never got one.
He knocked again, but to no avail, so he opened the door and looked inside. What he saw stunned him. Hazeem was lying on the floor face down. The guard rushed in to check on his captain. When he got a bit closer, he stopped in hesitation and said, “O Lord. His face is covered with blisters, and it’s sweaty.” He turned towards Shamum and said, “Healer, check him quickly.”
He then walked out of the office, and was about to leave when his disguised comrade asked him, “Where are you going?”
He said, “I must inform Chief Sasan immediately. He must know what’s going on.”
After a while, he returned and said directing his words to Shamum, “Healer, Chief Sasan wants you in his office.”
Shamum nodded in compliance. He followed Hazeem’s guard until they reached the decorated wooden door.
More guards were present at the place. They permitted Shamum in immediately. Sasan was not alone; an old man was sitting inside with him.
“Well, Shamum… what the hell is going on?” Sasan said in a threatening tone.
Fear appeared on Shamum’s face as he answered with a shaky voice, “I’m not sure, my lord.”
Sasan stared at him angrily, and that was enough.
Shamum narrated what had happened the day before with all details, then said, “All I know, sir, is that this infection is not necessarily Leprosy. I thought it was when I examined the first case back at the infirmary. However, after I examined more cases in the palace, I became more convinced that this is some highly contagious infection.
It causes blistering, fever, and dizziness. Some cases also had skin rashes, and suffered general weakness.”
Sasan’s companion got up and asked, “Did you interrogate the patients you examined about when and how they think they got this infection?”
Shamum looked at the old man and answered, “Yes sir.
I tried to find out the source of the infection, and all evidence pointed towards the anchorage. It seems that one of the ships coming from Romestia brought the infection with it. All I was able to deduce from what I learned yesterday is that if you come into direct contact with the infected person, and somehow the pus from his blisters touched your skin, you become infected as well.
Afterwards, the same symptoms begin to appear on you.
This is why I told Captain Hazeem that all the stuff that was in use by the infected cases must be washed in boiling water and soap. This will sanitise them and limit the spread of the infection. Unfortunately, it seems that we were late in discovering the cases.”
“How did you manage to avoid getting infected yourself, Shamum?” Sasan asked.
“As a physician, I follow protective procedures on daily basis. Of course, I wash my hands very well after every examination. I use alcohol as a steriliser, and I bath every night with hot water and scrub my body very well.
This allows me ward off many infections which I encounter every day at work,” Shamum explained.
Sasan’s old companion nodded agreeing with what Shamum said. Seeing this, Sasan got up and said,
“Shamum, I will give you full access to all infected cases.
I will assign two of my guards to serve you. Anything you need, they shall provide. But be careful, you have three days to identify this infection and bring me a cure. If you don’t succeed in your mission before this time limit is over, your head shall decorate Fastotia’s main square.” He then smiled grabbing Shamum’s shoulders and said, “Do you understand?”
Shamum shook his head in fear and barely replied, “Yes sir.”