The Moon of Masarrah

by Farah Zaman

  Mr. Horani joined them on the patio for afternoon tea to inquire about their visit with Nuh. Adam gave his grandfather a brief account before asking the question which was uppermost on their minds. “Grandpa, Nuh told us that there was a sixth crewman who sailed on the last voyage of the Yuhanza and that it was not just the Faithful Five.”

  “A sixth crewman? I’m surprised Nuh even remembered what happened that long ago.”

  They took turns telling Mr. Horani all that Nuh had told them about Tahir and Iyad Usmani.

  “I remember Tahir as being a very nice man, much older than the rest of the crew,” Mr. Horani finally said. “I vaguely recall hearing about his son’s disappearance and then his. If Iyad sailed on that voyage, I have no idea. But here comes Abbas,” he indicated the gardener coming up the path toward them. “Perhaps he knows. Let’s ask him.”

  Abbas exchanged greetings with them, and Adam posed the question to him.

  “It’s true,” the gardener rumbled. “My father always spoke about that last voyage. Tahir’s son did sail with them.”

  After afternoon tea, the teenagers met for a conference in Moss Haven.

  “Iyad sounded like quite a shady character,” Adam said. “He would have been the perfect suspect but I don’t see how he could have killed the Captain if he himself was killed that night.”

  Zaid said, “I agree. It has to be one of the Faithful Five.”

  “I wish we could speak to Faruq Ambreen and ask him about Iyad,” Layla said. “I’m sure he must have heard something from his father.”

  “We’ll have to figure out a way to meet him,” Adam said. “If he will see us.”

  “So what about Nuh Tabibi?” Zahra asked. “Could he have killed the Captain.”

  “Those last words he said was very suspicious,” Adam said. “Rafiq…you must forgive me. You trusted me, and I betrayed you.’ He could have been referring to murdering the Captain.”

  Zaid said, “Well, we have to question the relatives of the remaining Faithful Five and see what they have to say. Then we’ll have to decide which of the crewmen could have been the murderer.”

  “We still have to continue searching for the Moon,” Adam reminded them. “The time is going fast, and we still have a lot more ground to cover.”

  Chapter Fifteen:

  Basim Visits

  The search for the Moon resumed the next morning after Mr. Horani and Luqman went out. Using the opportunity to search the study while its sole occupant was gone, the teenagers tapped, jabbed, poked and pried, but there was nothing to be found.

  “Okay, the library next,” Adam said. “We’ll search the bookshelves to see if there’s any hidden compartments behind the books. Zaid and I will search the upper shelves with the stepladder. You girls can do the lower shelves. I’ll take the first turn up.”

  They got distracted by the books during their search. Every now and again they would flip through the pages of an interesting title. In the midst of their search, the doorbell suddenly rang.

  “Oh, drat,” Adam exclaimed in annoyance. “Who could that be now?”

  “I’ll go see,” Zaid offered. When he opened the front door, he was surprised to see Basim standing outside.

  “Hullo, Assalaam Alaikum,” Basim sang out.

  “Wa Alaikum Assalaam. What a pleasant surprise to see you, Basim,” Zaid smiled as he ushered their new friend in.

  “I thought I would drop by to see how you all were doing, so I had Nassif bring me over. Is everyone at home?”

  “Yes, they are. They’re…er…a bit occupied in the library at the moment.”

  “I hope I haven’t come at a bad time,” Basim said in dismay. “I really should have called first.”

  “It’s okay, don’t worry about it. Come into the living room and I’ll let the others know you’re here.”

  In the living room, they found Hassan and Hakeem watching an episode of The Adventures of Mahmood.

  “Hi, Basim!” Hassan and Hakeem tore their eyes away from the television long enough to greet Basim.

  “Hi, boys. What’s on? Oh good, The Adventures of Mahmood. One of my favorite shows.”

  “Well, make yourself comfortable,” Zaid gestured towards the sofas. “I’ll get the others.”

  When Zaid returned to the library, Zahra asked, “Who was that?”

  “Basim. He came to pay us a visit.”

  “Darn,” Adam said irritably. “I wanted to finish off this section, but I suppose we’ll have to stop now.” Heaving a sigh, he added, “Basim has been really nice to us, so I guess I shouldn’t complain.”

  “It’s almost time for lunch anyway,” Layla pointed out. “We’ll continue with the search some other time.”

  “We need to go wash off all this dust,” Zahra looked in dismay at her grimy hands and clothes.

  “Yikes, you’re right,” Layla glanced at her own grubby hands and apparel.

  As she and Zahra went out the door, Adam descended the ladder, clutching a yellowed sheet of paper. Handing it to Zaid, he said, “Here, take a look at this when you get a chance.”

  “What is it?”

  “Some paper I found wedged between the pages of a book called Diamond In the Rough,” Adam replied as he hauled the stepladder back into the corner. “I was trying to figure out what was written on it, but the words are hard to read. I guess I found a diamond after all,” he grinned. “Just not the right one.”

  “I’ll take a look at it later,” Zaid said, folding up the paper and pocketing it without much interest.

  As they left library, Adam said, “While Basim is here, we might as well grill him about his great-grandfather’s dagger and anything he might have learned from him about the Night of Catastrophe.”

  After lunch, the teenagers quickly tackled the lunch dishes, so they could get down to the task of pumping Basim for information. The good-natured youth, who was accustomed to being waited on hand and foot at Ma’ab Manor, found it a novelty to roll up his sleeves and dip his hands in the suds. As they worked, they carried on a light banter until the last utensil had been washed and relegated to its rightful place in the cupboard. After the midday prayer, they hastened to the living room and settled on the couches as they prepared to interrogate Basim.

  “Basim,” Adam began. “When we visited you at Ma’ab Manor, you told us that your great-grandfather used to tell you stories when you were a young boy.”

  “Oh, yes. Great-Grandfather Qasim was quite a character. He started out in life with barely a penny and ended up very wealthy. His sons and grandsons have carried on the tradition as good businessmen. I hope that I can too, someday, insha’Allah.”

  Zaid said, “When we went to the museum to look at the model of the Yuhanza, we saw the daggers that the crewmen had carried. Did your great-grandfather ever show his to you?”

  “No, I didn’t even know he had one until the museum opened.”

  “What about the Night of Catastrophe?” Layla asked. “Did he tell you any stories about that?”

  “Oh yes. After Great-Grandfather Qasim got off the Yuhanza, he had a hard time getting home that night, as the rebels were everywhere. When he finally came home, he was splattered with blood and in a terrible state. All he could say was, ‘I’ve killed him, I’ve killed him.’ It turned out that he had killed one of the rebels who attacked him.”

  The teenagers exchanged startled looks at this revelation.

  Adam said, “We heard that the Captain brought back a diamond, but it couldn’t be found. Did your great-grandfather ever tell you about that?”

  “No, never,” Basim looked interested now. “Did that rich shaykh come to ask you about that? I heard Dad telling Mom that the Shaykh has been looking for some famous diamond that was stolen from his family years ago. Does he think it was the one the Captain brought back?”

  They were all left
with mouths agape at Basim’s astuteness. Zaid could hardly credit the fact that the chubby youth had put two and two together and come up with the right sum. Adam was the first one to recover. Choosing his words carefully so he would not lie, he said, “The Shaykh does think that it was the diamond he is looking for. But since it cannot be found, he is still searching for it.”

  “Poor Shaykh,” Basim said pityingly. “Looking for a small diamond in this big, big world is like looking for an ant in the desert.”

  What would Basim say if he knew that we’re looking for the Moon right here at Bayan House, Zaid wondered. It’s a pity we can’t confide in him, but we can hardly tell him that we suspect his great-grandfather of murdering the Captain and stealing the diamond.

  Adam said, “Basim, have you ever heard of Iyad Usmani?”

  “Iyad Usmani? I don’t think so.”

  Zaid said, “His father had been Tahir Usmani, one of the regular crewmen on the Yuhanza.”

  “Yes, I’ve heard of Tahir Usmani. He was in some of the stories that Great-Grandfather Qasim used to tell me. But I’ve never heard anything about a son.”

  “Iyad was one of the crewmen who sailed on the last voyage of the Yuhanza,” Zahra said. “Nuh Tabibi told us about him.”

  “Nuh Tabibi? That old geezer? I didn’t think he even remembered his own name.”

  “His memory came back for a bit yesterday,” Layla said. “His nurse called us, so we went over to visit him. He remembered the last voyage of the Yuhanza quite well. He told us that Tahir begged the Captain to take Iyad along because Iyad’s life was in danger. After they came back from the voyage, Iyad disappeared that night and everyone thought he must have been killed and buried somewhere by whoever was after him.”

  “That’s interesting,” Basim looked intrigued now. “I never heard that story. Did Nuh say why Iyad’s life was in danger or who must have killed him?”

  “No, he didn’t know,” Zaid said. “That’s what we’d like to know too. We heard that Iyad and Faruq Ambreen’s father used to be good friends. We would like to meet with Faruq Ambreen and ask him if he heard anything from his father. It would be nice to solve that mystery.”

  “Meet with Faruq Ambreen?” Basim looked at them with wide eyes. “You’re not joking, are you?”

  “No, we’re not,” Layla replied. “Why, is it that difficult to see him?”

  “Well, he’s a very proud man and doesn’t mix much with people,” Basim’s eyes slid away from theirs.

  “So you think he will refuse to see us?” Zahra asked.

  “Yes, he might think you’re too presumptuous.” Basim still avoided their eyes.

  Looking at the youth with sudden perception, Adam said, “I think you’re not telling us something, Basim. What is it?”

  Looking unhappy, Basim replied, “Your grandfather won’t be pleased that I told you, but there’s some sort of feud between your families.”

  “A feud?” Layla exclaimed. “What sort of feud?”

  “Well, from what I’ve heard, it began when the Captain bought the old fort house from Faruq Ambreen’s grandfather. The Ambreens needed the money but Jafar Ambreen and the rest of the family were furious that it had been sold to someone they considered a foreigner. Ever since then, the Ambreens have held a grudge against the Horanis.”

  That’s why Faruq Ambreen looked so hostile that day in front of the mosque, Zaid thought. It makes sense now.

  “What fort house was this?” Layla asked. “Does it still stand?”

  Basim gaped at them. “You mean you don’t know?

  “Know what?” Adam looked mystified.

  “Bayan House was the old fort house. I can’t believe that you didn’t know that.”

  “We had no idea,” Layla declared. “I guess no one thought it would be of interest to us.”

  “Well, I’m going to ask Grandpa more about this feud,” Adam said, a determined look on his face. “It’s time we learned more about the family history.”

  At dinner, Adam made good on his promise to ask his grandfather about the feud with the Ambreens. “Grandpa,” he began. “Basim told us today that there’s some sort of feud between the Horanis and Ambreens. Can you tell us about it?”

  There was a sudden silence at the table as they all looked at Mr. Horani. Frowning, he said, “I wish Basim hadn’t told you that. It’s all water under the bridge now.”

  To their surprise, Aunt Hafza snapped, “Tell the children about it, Yusuf. They have a right to know. They’re Horanis after all.”

  “I wanted to spare them all that unpleasantness,” Mr. Horani retorted. “But I suppose it’s no use now.” Good for Aunt Hafza, Zaid thought. She must be wearing her hearing aid for a change.

  By the time Mr. Horani finished his tale, the teenagers were looking wide-eyed.

  Layla said, “So the Ambreens didn’t just hold a grudge because of the house but also because Great-Grandma Saffiyah refused Jafar Ambreen’s offer of marriage and married the Captain instead.”

  “That sums it up,” Mr. Horani agreed.

  “After Papa died, Jafar again asked Mama to marry him,” Aunt Hafza revealed. “She refused him, telling him that she wanted to be reunited with Papa in Paradise and wouldn’t ever marry again. He already had a wife so she knew he only wanted the house back.”

  “He must have been angry,” Layla said.

  “He practically frothed at the mouth,” Aunt Hafza chuckled. “After he got rich, he demanded that Mama sell the house to him and was enraged when she refused.”

  “It’s unfortunate that the Ambreens still feel that the house belongs to them,” Mr. Horani said. “After both Mama and Jafar passed away, Faruq asked me to sell it to him, but I told him no. He asked me again when I retired and became angry when I refused.”

  “Well, he may get the house back in the future,” Aunt Hafza said sadly. “After you and I are gone, Adil will probably sell it to him.”

  “Maybe if you tell Dad not to sell it to them, he won’t,” Adam said.

  “I will make no such stipulation,” Mr. Horani said firmly. “It will place your father in a very difficult position and I do not wish that for him. They can buy it back if they wish to. It’s just a house after all. The Ambreens have made it a bone of contention, but neither of us will take the house when we depart this world.”

  That night, as Zaid got ready for bed, he felt the rustle of paper in his pocket. Pulling out the sheet of paper Adam had given him in the library, he unfolded it and held it under the bedside lamp. The paper was old and yellowed, with several English words written in a looped, cursive style. The words were faded in some places and blotchy in others, making it hard to read.

  From his backpack, Zaid took out the magnifying glass his mother had given him last Eid-ul-Fitr and held it over the paper. Little by little, he was able to make out the hard-to-read words until he had deciphered them all. At the end of the paragraph, were the letters MA. The words seemed meaningless to him and he finally put away the paper and got into bed.

  Chapter Sixteen:

  Midnight Quest

  The next day was Jumu’ah and once again, they headed into the city. After attending the mosque close to the esplanade, and lunching at a Turkish restaurant flanking it, Mr. Horani took them to the nearby beach, much to everyone’s delight. Even though there was no swimming involved, the teenagers and twins enjoyed themselves immensely.

  The beach was packed with picnickers sitting under colorful umbrellas and swimmers moving back and forth from sand to surf. The wind from the bay was like a cooling balm and together with the spray that splashed upon their faces, provided a welcome relief from the intensity of the heat. Under Mr. Horani’s gimlet eyes, they removed their socks and shoes and waded up to their ankles in the water. Zaid reflected how nice it was to finally dip his toes in the blue waters he had stared at so often from afar.
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  The next two hours passed by pleasantly. After a bumpy camel ride along the esplanade, they sat under the shade of a date palm tree and built a sand mosque, complete with domes and minarets. They laughed in merriment as the twins’ minaret kept toppling down again and again because they kept making it so ridiculously tall. After buying them ice creams, Mr. Horani drove them over to the Souk Square, a series of small markets surrounding a green park where food vendors did a brisk business.

  Adam and Layla were impressed by the little souks which carried a wide range of merchandise, all of which could be obtained at a reasonable price with some deft bargaining. Mr. Horani bought them a T-shirt each with Bayan Bay written on the front. Afterwards, they sat on a bench in the park and ate pita bread sandwiches washed down by mango lassi. They returned home that evening, tired but happy after such an eventful day out.

  At Moss Haven the next morning, the teens discussed what they had heard from Basim on Thursday.

  Adam said, “I think Basim’s great-grandfather could very well have killed the Captain and claimed that it had been a rebel. He had a convenient excuse for coming home all blood-spattered.”

  “Well, that takes care of two of the Faithful Five,” Zaid said. “We have to learn about the other three now.”

  “Zahra and I can speak to Maymun about her father,” Layla said. “You boys can tackle Luqman and Abbas about their fathers.”

  “Okay, we will,” Zaid agreed.

  “We have to resume the search in the library,” Adam said. “We still have some more shelves to cover.”