The Moon of Masarrah

by Farah Zaman

  “Go upstairs and clean up for lunch,” Adam ordered, and the twins marched off with sulky faces.

  Tired from their morning adventures, the little boys were cranky and fidgety at lunch, squabbling with each over petty little things and having to be reprimanded by their grandfather and siblings several times. Halfway through the meal, one spilled his mango juice while the other knocked over his glass of water.

  “What’s the matter with you guys?” Adam said. “Can’t you just eat your food?”

  “I’m not hungry,” Hakeem said petulantly as he pushed aside his plate.

  “Me too,” Hassan said, dropping his spoon onto his plate with a loud clatter, making poor Aunt Hafza jump.

  “That is enough,” Mr. Horani said firmly. “The two of you will go to your room at once and stay there until dinner.”

  Downing their heads and scrunching up their faces, the twins marched out of the dining room.

  Layla sighed. “I don’t know why they’re being so difficult today.”

  “A quiet afternoon in their room ought to cure them of it,” was their grandfather’s answer.

  After peace reigned once more at the table, Adam said, “Grandpa, we’d like to visit the wharf where the Yuhanza was burnt. Is it very far away from here?”

  Looking a bit surprised, Mr. Horani replied, “It’s about three miles or so. I can drive you over if you would like. When do you want to go?”

  “We were thinking of going after lunch tomorrow,” Layla replied. “And we’d like to bike over if we can. It would be nice to see a little bit more of the area.”

  “It will take you a little over an hour. I will write out the directions for you this afternoon. It’s very straightforward.”

  After lunch and the midday prayer, the youths prepared to go out to the bluffs while the girls tackled the lunch dishes.

  “When should we expect you back?” Layla asked.

  “In an hour or so,” Adam replied as he and Zaid headed out the back door of the kitchen, sneakers in hand. “That should give us enough time to look.”

  Eagerly, the youths headed into the grounds, passing by Abbas’s quiet cottage as they made for the door in the wall. Again, they found it unbolted and looked at each other.

  “It must be Mir,” Zaid said in resignation. “Well, let’s go see what he’s up to now.”

  They were soon standing on the peak of the craggy bluffs, gazing down at the raw beauty of the treacherous incline and the majestic cliffs that rose protectively around the cove. The sun was directly overhead, striking fiercely down upon the bluffs and radiating furnace-like waves of heat around them. They saw a faint blur of movement below and watched as a man clad in swimming trunks and a short-sleeved vest walked with a limping gait onto the rocky strip of beach. Taking cover behind an outcrop of rock, the youths stared down at the moving figure.

  “It is Mir,” Adam hissed. “What could he be doing down there now?”

  “Maybe he’s covering up the tracks of the pirates,” Zaid answered.

  “If so, he has lousy timing,” Adam grumbled. “Let’s wait for a bit and see if he leaves.”

  The youths huddled against the rocky outcrop as they kept their gaze trained on Mir. To their frustration, all he did was walk along the beach, peering up at the cliffs. He then went to the water’s edge and washed his hands before lowering himself onto a boulder in the center of the beach. Pulling out what looked like a brown paper bag and a bottle of juice from a small knapsack on the sand, he opened the bag and began to eat.

  “I don’t believe this,” Adam uttered in disgust. “He’s having a picnic as cool as a cucumber while we stew up here.”

  “Well, we can’t go down until he leaves,” Zaid said. “Maybe we should wait in Moss Haven. We can come back in fifteen minutes.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Adam said. “Let’s get out of this baking heat.”

  Back at the house, the girls were drying the last set of dishes when Maymun appeared in the kitchen.

  “I have to knead the dough to make bread for dinner,” she said as she began opening cupboards. “Those rascal boys left you to do the dishes alone, did they?”

  “Oh, we let them off the hook this time,” Layla said. “They had something to take care of.”

  “Well, I’m glad that they’ve been helping out,” Maymun chatted as she washed her hands and began to pour flour into a bowl. “Somehow, men always feel that it’s women’s work doing the dishes. Luqman eventually started to help me but he always grumbled about it. That’s why I made sure that my two boys did their share along with my three girls. My father never thought it beneath his dignity to help out. I remember him washing piles and piles of dishes without complaining.”

  The girls looked at one another as the same idea occurred to them. It was the perfect opening to ask Maymun about her father.

  “Maymun,” Layla began. “Grandpa told us that your father was one of the Faithful Five.”

  Half an hour later, the girls headed upstairs. As they walked down the hallway, Layla said, “I’ll go see how Hassan and Hakeem are doing. Hopefully, they’re sleeping like little lambs.”

  Zahra was surprised when Layla came to her room moments later, a bewildered look on her face. “The boys aren’t in their room,” she said. “I can’t believe they snuck out. Grandpa will be furious. I have to go look for them.”

  “I’ll come with you.”

  After looking in the courtyard, on the patio, and in all the rooms downstairs, the twins were still not to be found.

  “Where could they be?” Layla was beginning to look alarmed.

  “Maybe they’re hiding in their room. Let’s check under the bed and in the closet.”

  The girls made their way back upstairs and into the boys’ room. It was furnished with two twin beds and a beautiful antique dresser. A common feature of all the rooms on that floor was a long, built-in closet with a single door in the middle. Kneeling on all fours, Zahra poked her head under the beds, while Layla opened the closet door and sat down on her haunches as she peered under the racks of clothes. Zahra nearly banged her head on the bed frame when she heard Layla give a muffled cry. Pulling her head hurriedly out from under the bed, she saw that the other girl had almost disappeared into the closet, with only her heels visible.

  “Come look what I found,” she told Zahra in a dazed voice as she backed out of the closet.

  Curious, Zahra crawled in and it was her turn to be amazed. At the left of the closet, a huge trapdoor lay slightly wedged open with a sneaker to prevent it from closing. Opening the door wider, she could make out a flight of stairs going down. “It’s a hidden stairwell,” she breathed out.

  “Yes, and the boys must have gone down it. Allah knows what’s down there.”

  “Oh, no, what are we going to do?”

  “I’m going after them. And I’ll knock their silly heads together when I find them,” Layla said fiercely.

  “I should come with you,” Zahra said, although the thought of going down that dark hole filled her with dread.

  “No, you have to tell Adam and Zaid where I’ve gone when they return.”

  “Oh, right.”

  “I’ll need a flashlight. I think there’s a couple downstairs in the storeroom.”

  “I’ll get one,” Zahra offered, glad to do something. “I’ll be right back.”

  Within minutes, Zahra was back in the room with the flashlight, out of breath after running up the stairs. She handed the flashlight to Layla, who immediately turned it on and beamed it down the dark entrance.

  “Give me fifteen minutes down there,” she said. “If we’re not back by then, bring out the search party.” Layla spoke lightly, but Zahra could hear the nervousness in her voice.

  “Be careful,” Zahra whispered. The next moment, Layla vanished from sight.

  Meanwhile,
Adam and Zaid, not fully recovered from their adventure last night, had dozed off in Moss Haven while waiting for Mir to return from the cove. Zaid awoke first, groaning with dismay as he looked at his watch and saw that they had been sleeping for almost an hour. He nudged Adam, who sprang up and looked disoriented for a moment before realization dawned.

  “I can’t believe we dozed off,” he looked disgruntled. “Well, let’s go see if the coast is clear now.”

  To their annoyance, the gate remained unbolted, which meant that Mir was still on the beach. As they stood behind the outcrop of rock and gazed down below, they saw him. He had obviously taken a swim for he was emerging from the water, his clothes dripping wet. He sat down on the boulder again, pulling out a bottle of water from his knapsack.

  “Of all the irritating nuisances,” Adam fumed. “We’ll have to forget about going down today. Mir probably plans to spend the rest of the afternoon acting like a beach bum.”

  “Yes, we’ve already used up an hour. The girls will become worried if we don’t show up soon.”

  Back at the house, all was quiet as the youths headed upstairs. They were surprised to see Zahra standing in the doorway of the twins’ room. Looking relieved to see them, she beckoned them into the room and closed the door.

  “I’m so glad you boys are back,” she burst out. “I’ve been so worried.”

  “What’s going on?” Adam stared around the empty room. “Where’s Hassan and Hakeem?”

  Quickly, Zahra told them of the twins’ disappearance, the discovery of the hidden stairwell in the closet and Layla going in search of the twins.

  “A hidden stairwell?” Adam said in disbelief. “I’m not dreaming, am I?”

  “No, you’re not. Layla’s been down there fifteen minutes,” Zahra wrung her hands nervously. “She said to bring out the search party if they’re not back by now.”

  “I’m going down,” Adam said as he kneeled down and crawled into the closet.

  “I’m coming with you,” Zaid told him, stooping to the ground and following his friend.

  In the closet, Adam removed the sneaker jammed in the trapdoor and stared at the stairs leading down. “There’s a bolt to close the door from the inside so no one can get in,” he said, running his hands around it. “And some type of lock to keep it closed on the outside.” Releasing the door, it closed slowly, blocking the stairwell from sight.

  Peering from behind, Zaid said, “It’s a great hiding place. If the twins hadn’t left the sneaker there, no one would have found it. How will you get it open again?”

  Adam ran his hands around the surface. “I can lift it open with my fingers. It’s not fully closed. Let’s see if I can still open it when it’s closed all the way.” Shoving the door down with his fist, they heard a clicking sound as it closed tightly. Adam then ran his hand around the surface and shook his head. “I’ll need something sharp and thin to pry it open. I can’t feel the seams at all.”

  “I’ll get you the scissors from my room,” Zahra offered.

  However, Adam was unable to get the door open again with the scissors. Frustrated, he banged on the door and it almost hit him in the face as it sprang open.

  “It must be a magnetic lock that springs open when you hit it,” Zaid said. As he handed back the scissors to Zahra, she said, “You will need flashlights to go down. It’s very dark.”

  At that moment, they heard a scrabbling sound.

  “Layla, is that you?” Adam called out as he opened the trapdoor wide.

  “Yes,” A muffled voice came from below and they all sighed in relief. As Adam and Zaid retreated from the closet, there came the sound of feet walking up the hidden stairwell. Zahra’s eyes widened in sudden realization at the sound, just as one of the twins emerged, carrying a flashlight. The other twin popped out, followed by a disheveled Layla, who had a remnant of cobweb stuck to her scarf.

  “Are you alright?” Adam asked anxiously.

  Layla nodded and said with breathless excitement, “The boys found a stairwell that goes all the way underground. There’s a bunch of tunnels down there. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw them.”

  “That’s fantastic,” Adam exclaimed. “We have to check them out,” he said to Zaid who nodded enthusiastically.

  “It was them I heard in the closet that morning,” Zahra said, turning to Layla. “Remember when I thought there was a mouse in my closet? It was the boys in the stairwell. My closet is right next to theirs, that’s how I heard them. They’ve known about that stairwell since then.”

  “So, that’s your secret, huh?” Adam said to the twins. “How did you find that stairwell anyway?”

  “We were playing hide and seek one day,” Hakeem began. “I crawled into the closet to hide and then I felt something go click under me.”

  “That must have been the trapdoor closing,” Adam said. “Which meant it had not been fully closed.”

  “We wanted to know why it made that sound, so we got a flashlight and looked,” Hassan continued. “We didn’t see anything so we started to hit it. Then it opened and we found a big hole with stairs going down.”

  “We decided to go down to see if we could find any treasure,” Hakeem went on as the teenagers shared a look of comical amazement.

  “First, we sawed a big room in front of us,” Hassan told them. “But we got scared that the jinn might be there, so we came back.”

  “Tell them what you did today,” Layla prompted.

  “After Grandpa sent us to our room today, we didn’t want to sleep,” Hakeem said, “so we went down the stairs again. We knew we had to be brave ‘cause the jinn might still be down there.”

  “So we read Ayatul Kursi and told the jinn not to harm us ‘cause we’re the servants of Allah, like they do in Jinns of Jeopardy,” Hassan reported proudly.

  “Good Lord,” Adam muttered under his breath.

  “Then we walked to the back of the big room and saw more rooms that were long and dark,” Hakeem narrated. “We went into one of them to see if we could find any treasure there but we saw nothing.”

  “We were coming back to the big room when we heard Layla calling us,” Hassan could hardly wait to tell his piece.

  “Thank Allah,” Layla spoke fervently. “I stood in the big room and called out to them because I didn’t know which of those tunnels they had gone in. I almost went crazy wondering where they were.”

  “You won’t tell Grandpa, will you?” Hassan asked anxiously.

  “He will be mad at us again if you do,” Hakeem said apprehensively.

  “Listen, boys,” Adam said gravely. “We’re not going to tell Grandpa. We’d like to see what’s down there too. But you’re not to go down by yourselves again, okay? You could get lost and hurt and then we’ll all be in big trouble.”

  Hassan and Hakeem, glad to be off the hook, beamed at their older brother.

  “Okay,” Hakeem nodded. “We won’t go down by ourselves.”

  “And we won’t tell Grandpa if you go,” Hassan promised.

  Zaid and Zahra grinned at this smart maneuver while Adam and Layla rolled their eyes.

  Eyeing the specks of dust on the twins’ hands and clothes, Layla said, “You boys need to go wash your hands and change your clothes.” Catching sight of herself in the dresser’s mirror, she said, “Eek, I have to go do the same.”

  Zaid said to Adam, “The twins’ room is almost directly above the left wing on the first floor. The stairwell must be hidden in the wall between the prayer room and library or between the library and study.”

  “Yes, it must be somewhere in that area,” Adam agreed. “It’s not very wide so it doesn’t take up a lot of space. Let’s check it out and see if we’re right.”

  Chapter Eighteen:

  The Hidden Stairwell

  Layla washed her hands and changed her scarf before joining Zahra and the yo
uths downstairs as they examined the left wing. After measuring the proportions of each room and their distance apart in the corridor outside, they concluded that the stairwell was located in the wall between the library and the study.

  “It’s so cleverly hidden,” Zahra marveled as they stood in the library. “You can’t even tell it’s there. I wonder why it was built in the first place.”

  “This used to be a fort house,” Layla said. “It was probably built as a hideout for the family in case of a surprise attack. Grandpa and Dad have never mentioned anything so they probably don’t know about it.”

  “Maybe Grandpa knows and hasn’t told anyone,” Adam said. Much later, he would find out how wrong he had been.

  “I can’t wait to take a look,” Zaid said with great anticipation.

  “Me too,” Adam said. “We could go down tonight and use strings to guide us in the tunnels, so we won’t lose our way.”

  “By the way,” Layla said. “Did you boys find anything in the cove?”

  Adam snorted and said, “Just Mir having a picnic by himself.”

  Layla giggled and said, “Well, he certainly knows how to entertain himself.”

  “We fell asleep in Moss Haven while we waited for him to leave,” Zaid confessed sheepishly. “He was still there when we woke up, so we decided to come back.”

  “Hmm, sleeping on the job,” Zahra said teasingly. “Maybe Layla and I should have gone with you after all. We made good use of our time here though. We had an interesting conversation with Maymun.”

  “What did she say?” Adam asked eagerly.

  “She told us that her father, Noor Al-Razzaq, usually had true dreams of future events,” Zahra relayed to them. “She said that before the Yuhanza left on her last voyage, he dreamt that the Captain was going to die. He had no idea how or when it would happen, but he was very anxious during the whole journey.”

  “Did he tell anyone about his dream before or after the voyage?” Adam asked.