by Farah Zaman
“Okay,” Layla agreed reluctantly.
She went on to tell them about Faisal’s phone conversation.
“It sounds suspicious,” said Adam. “In fact, he’s a strong suspect as Al-Aqrab’s accomplice. If Tariq’s out of the way, Faisal stands to get a larger inheritance from the Shaykh.”
“Yes, it would have been easy for him to put the stone in Tariq’s saddle and plant the scorpion on Tariq’s bed,” said Zaid. “You have to tell Tariq what you heard, Layla.”
“He might be upset we suspect his family,” said Layla.
“He needs to know everything we see and hear,” said Adam. “His life is at stake here.”
“It’s a good thing Faisal didn’t see you in his room, Layla,” said Zahra. “That would have been embarrassing.”
“You can say that again,” said Layla. “Oh, and one more thing. I found shoe prints by the window where the Woman in White was standing the night we came. She must have known we were coming and wanted to make sure we saw her.”
Zahra gave her report next. “Two women in black face veils came together into the forecourt. They took the path around the side of the castle to the kitchen, so I guessed they were kitchen staff. After them came three men who went in the direction of the stables. Next came a meat delivery van which drove around to the kitchen and left fifteen minutes later. No one else came or left while I was there.”
“I suppose the staff and delivery people are given the security code to punch in at the gate,” said Zaid. “But still, if someone with evil intention wants to get into the castle, they could get the code from an accomplice.”
“Or they could be let in from the postern gate,” said Adam. “I found it locked from the inside by a big bolt. When I opened it, there was not much to see except more trees and undergrowth outside. For all we know, both the Cloaked Man and the Woman in White could be coming from Khaldun through that gate.”
When it was Zaid’s turn to give his report, he said, “I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary at the stables. The staff was busy with their work. A few of them spoke to each other in Domari so I knew they were gypsy. Now for the strange part. When I was coming back, I saw our maid, Nura, heading towards the lookout tower. Curious, I followed her and saw her standing on the path, staring up at the tower. When she saw me, she hurried back to the castle. I decided to go up and look around. When I got there, the smell of incense was strong. I found some ashes in the fireplace.”
“I wonder if Nura is the one burning the incense sticks,” said Zahra. “Some superstitious people believe it chases away bad energy or something of the sort.”
“Maybe she thinks it will chase away the evil that is waiting and watching around us,” said Layla. “Now that we’ve found out about Al-Aqrab, there’s probably some truth to what she said.”
“I think she’s just superstitious,” said Adam. “Let’s continue to keep our eyes open. Hopefully, we’ll find out something soon.”
Lunch was not a comfortable meal for Layla. She could feel Hala’s hateful gaze on her several times. It was hard to keep a pleasant expression on her face when she felt like baring her teeth at the other girl. As for Faisal, Layla found herself studying him and wondering about the conversation she had overheard. Would he commit murder, so he could get a larger bequest? He could be unpleasant sometimes but that didn’t make him murderer material. And even though he was the most likely suspect, it didn’t eliminate the other cousins from being suspects too.
When they arrived at the stables at two, Tariq was leaning against a storage shed, speaking with Raj, the Indian groom. After the dusky-skinned man left, Tariq said, “Raj told me they’re a bit short-handed in the stables today. We’ll have to wait a few minutes for the horses to be ready.”
“Did the head groom say anything about that stone under your saddle?” asked Adam.
“Yes, Hatem spoke to Kamal, the groom who saddled Jasim. Kamal swore there was no stone when he saddled Jasim and if there had been one, he would have removed it. I believe him. He’s been here for almost ten years and I know he’s trustworthy. I have to accept that someone did put that stone under the saddle.”
“Of course,” Zaid could not resist saying. “I had no doubts about that.”
“Hatem told me Raj will be checking the horses from now on,” said Tariq. “It’s just hard to accept that anyone would wish to harm me.”
Adam cast an eye around. Seeing no one nearby, he said, “Tariq, we’ve been keeping an eye around the castle. Layla heard a suspicious conversation today in Faisal’s room. But first, she’ll have to tell you how it came about.”
As she saw Tariq’s puzzled expression, Layla regretted telling the others what had happened. She hated putting the youth at odds with his own family. But it was too late to retract any of it now. Sighing inwardly, she related her clash with Hala, careful to leave Tariq’s name out of it.
When she was finished, Tariq’s face was thunderous. “I will talk to Hala. Sometimes she goes too far.”
Layla then told him what she had overhead in Faisal’s room.
Tariq looked troubled now. “What Faisal said sounds suspicious. But I can’t believe any of my family would be in league with such a dangerous man as Al-Aqrab. There must be others here who are Al-Aqrab’s accomplices.”
They heard soft footsteps and Hatem came around the corner of the shed, a strange, shuttered look on his face. Without a word, he walked past them to his office.
They all stared after the head groom.
“Do you think he heard what we said?” asked Zahra.
“Yes, he had a weird look on his face,” said Adam. “Like he was shocked to hear us talking about Al-Aqrab.”
“I think I’ve heard enough about Al-Aqrab to last me a lifetime,” said Tariq. “Ah, here are our horses at last. Let’s go enjoy our ride and forget our woes for a while.”
Layla enjoyed the ride to the foothills that afternoon. There was no distressing incident to mar their pleasure this time and her confidence grew as she guided Ayah along the sandy trail. The wind whooshing against her face and the symphony of the horses’ hooves clip-clopping on the ground filled her with a sense of wellbeing. Casting aside the worries of that day, she gave herself over to the sheer joy of the ride.
They were in the inner courtyard, returning to the castle when they ran into no other than Hala. She was coming out of the recreation area, wearing a bulky blue robe, her hair dripping wet and a towel in her hand.
“Hala,” Tariq called out. “I want to talk to you.”
“What for?” she came to a stop, her face wary, as if she suspected what was in store.
Layla cringed. Oh no. Surely Tariq’s not going to tell Hala off in front of us?
But Tariq did just that. “Why did you shove Layla on the stairway?”
Giving Layla a venomous look, Hala said, “I have no idea what lies she told you, Tariq. She had no business prying in our private family suites. And it wasn’t my fault she was clumsy and fell down the stairs.”
Layla’s mouth opened in shock. Then she saw red. Unable to keep her cool in the face of such an accusation and blatant lies to boot, she said, “Oh. My. God. You’re such a liar. I told you I went to the third floor to explore. And I didn’t fall down the stairs. You pushed me against the banister.”
“Stop lying. You’ve been trying to cause trouble ever since you came here.”
“No, you’re the one who’s lying and trying to cause trouble.”
“Everything was fine until you came.”
“You’re the one who’s been making snide remarks to me.”
“If you don’t like it, why don’t you just leave?”
“I’ll leave when I’m supposed to leave.”
Caught in the crossfire between the two girls, Tariq looked out of his depth. “Hala, stop it. Control your temper and be nice to our gue
sts.”
“Why are you taking her side? I’m your family, not her. You should be telling her off, not me.”
“You’re the one at fault here, not Layla.”
“She’s got you twisted around her little finger.” Hala’s voice was bitter. “And you’re too stupid to see it.”
Tariq looked stunned. Color flooded his face and he looked embarrassed. Then anger set in. “You’re out of line, Hala. If you can’t control your tongue, keep out of our way.”
“I hate you,” Hala spat out on a sob. “And I hate her. I wish she’d never come here.”
Chapter Sixteen:
Discovery in the Dungeon
“I’m sorry,” said Tariq after Hala ran off. “I don’t know what’s wrong with her. Maybe I should ask Uncle Miftah to talk to her.”
Layla shared a look with the others. Hala was jealous and Tariq had no clue.
She said, “No, it’s okay. I think Hala’s feeling left out because you’re spending so much time with us.”
“Then what’s to stop her from joining us?”
“I don’t know.”
Truly, I don’t know. If the girl spent time with us, all her silly thoughts of me and Tariq would go away.
“Are you still going to show us that special place you mentioned, Tariq?” asked Zaid.
“Yes. But have your refreshments first. Then meet me here in an hour.”
Tariq was waiting for them in the inner courtyard, a knapsack in his hand. He took them to a door in the servants’ wing. A flight of stairs led down to a formidable iron door.
“Welcome to the dungeon,” he said.
“The dungeon,” Layla exclaimed. “We didn’t even know there was one.”
“That’s cool,” said Adam.
“I can’t wait to see it,” said Zaid.
Zahra was the only one who did not look excited at the thought of seeing the mysterious underbelly of the castle. “I’m not too fond of underground places but I guess I’ll come along.”
Opening the knapsack, Tariq handed them each a flashlight.
“Isn’t there electricity there?” asked Adam.
“No, Grandfather didn’t think it was necessary since the dungeon is not being used. When sightseers come to the castle, it gives them a thrill to find it so dark.”
Unlocking the two bolts on the iron door, they entered a square chamber.
“This used to be the guardroom when the dungeon was used as a prison,” said Tariq. “The first set of prisoners were said to be anarchists who staged a coup against the sultan at that time.”
Beyond the guardroom were a series of corridors which housed the prison cells. The ceiling, walls, and floors were fashioned of the same basalt rocks as the castle. The air was cooler and had the stale, musty smell of being trapped for ages in the same place. Surrounding the prison cells were several labyrinthine tunnels.
“The Sultan who built the castle had these tunnels dug as escape routes,” said Tariq. “When the dungeon became a prison, the reigning sultan had all the escape routes closed up.”
They walked along the corridors, shining their flashlights into the empty cells before setting forth into one of the tunnels. It was narrow and winding, the surfaces constructed of the same material as the cells. After walking a little way inside, they turned back and retraced their steps to the entrance.
Tariq shone the flashlight ahead. “I thought we left the door open.”
“We did,” said Zaid.
“It looks like it’s locked now,” said Layla.
A swift push verified that the door was indeed locked.
“I can’t believe someone locked us inside,” said Tariq.
“Maybe they didn’t realize we were down here,” said Adam.
“The door was wide open. They had to know someone was inside,” was Tariq’s grim reply.
“Do you think Hala could have done it out of spite?” asked Layla.
“I can’t believe she would sink so low,” said Tariq.
“It must be one of Al-Aqrab’s accomplices,” said Zahra.
“Let’s kick the door,” said Adam. “Maybe the bolts will break off.”
The youths converged on the door and began kicking it. Next, they threw their weights against it but there was no budging it.
“What do we do now?” asked Zaid.
“We’ll have to wait until someone realizes we’re missing and comes looking for us,” said Tariq.
“You think they’ll look down here?” asked Adam
“I’m sure they will,” said Tariq.
Layla hoped so. The thought of waiting for hours to be rescued filled her with dread.
“They won’t know we’re missing until dinner,” said Zahra. “And that’s almost three hours away.” Her voice was filled with panic.
Layla laid a reassuring hand on her friend’s shoulder. “I think we should explore the tunnels in the meantime. It will help to pass the time.”
“That’s a good idea,” Zaid agreed.
“I’m game,” said Adam.
“All right,” said Tariq, “We’ll explore the same one we went into just now.”
They had not gone very far inside when they found the ceiling had caved-in. The second tunnel they tried had a caved-in floor. In the third tunnel, they had walked for about twenty minutes when it took on a more rough-hewn appearance. The basalt surfaces gave way to earthen ones, with thick snake-like spirals protruding from the ceilings.
“What are those things?” Zahra eyed the spirals with nervous eyes. “They look like snakes.”
Tariq poked one of the spirals with his flashlight. It remained unmoving.
“Just as I thought,” he said. “They’re tree roots running underground.”
Ten minutes later, they saw a long shaft of light ahead and became excited. To their disappointment they had come to the end of the tunnel. The light came from the queer funnel-shaped ceiling above. Through the long, narrow spire, daylight had sneaked in like a silent serpent.
“If only we could climb through that opening and escape,” said Zahra.
“We’ll need wings to get up there,” said Layla.
“Or a ladder to climb up,” said Zaid. As he moved forward, he tripped on the uneven ground and fell against Tariq. The two youths slammed into the wall with a dull thud, causing it to vibrate.
“Tariq, I’m sorry,” Zaid exclaimed. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” said Tariq. “No harm done.”
As the vibrations faded away, a rustling sound came to their ears. Layla stared up, wondering what stirred in the dark reaches of the funneled ceiling.
As Tariq shone the flashlight upwards, there came a screeching, rushing noise.
“Bats,” Tariq gasped out. “Get down on the ground.”
Crouching low, they covered their faces with their arms as the sounds of the flitting bats eddied around them. Layla tried not to think of the stories she had heard of vampire bats sucking the blood dry from one’s body. She grimaced at the funky, moldy odor that came to her nostrils. Ugh. We’re probably wallowing in bat droppings. She was relieved when the sounds ebbed away, leaving an eerie silence.
“I was right about needing wings to get up there,” she whispered.
“The bats must have become disturbed when we hit the wall,” said Zaid. “I’ve never seen so many of them before.”
“Let’s crawl away so we don’t disturb them again,” said Adam.
“Wait, I feel something on the wall where we tripped,” Tariq whispered, shining his flashlight on the spot. The light fell upon a long, rusty brass handle protruding from the wall. It was attached to a square indentation. “It looks like a door. I wonder if it’s one of the Sultan’s escape routes. Maybe he didn’t close them all up.”
“He could have left one as a bolt h
ole in case of an emergency,” said Adam.
“Let’s open it and see,” said Layla, impatient to know what lay beyond the door.
While the girls aimed their flashlights at the handle, the three youths yanked on it. After several tries, the square door opened with a grating sound to reveal an aperture in the wall. Behind it was an empty, craggy space.
“It looks like more tunnels back there,” said Zaid. “Let’s check it out.”
They went through the aperture and into a rough cave that looked like it had been carved out by a giant fist.
“I think we’re in the caves under the Dukhan Hills.” Tariq’s voice echoed as he moved the flashlight in a circular motion in front of him. “There’s a whole bunch of them resembling honeycombs. Uncle Rashid liked coming here to explore. He brought me a few times. Spelunkers come often and tourists once in a while.”
“Who are spelunkers?” asked Zahra.
“They’re people who makes a hobby of exploring and studying caves.”
“Dad would love it here,” said Zaid. “He went once to the Majlis al Jinn cave in Oman and had a great time there.”
“The Meeting Place of the Jinn,” said Layla. “What a fitting name for a cave. Hmm, there must be a couple of friendly neighborhood jinns around here too.”
“It looks like a maze,” said Adam. “It’s a pity we don’t have any string, or we’d use it to come back here if we get lost. You think we’ll be able to find our way out, Tariq?”
“We should be able to, insha Allah. There are several openings that lead out. If not, there’s a great cave in the middle where Uncle Rashid brought me a few times. If we could find it, I know the way out from there. We’ll go in a straight line and see what happens. Follow behind me and don’t step out of line. The caves are filled with deep pits and shafts that you won’t notice until you fall into one. Ready?”
“Yes,” they replied.
They moved forward, giving the depressed areas of earth a wide berth. One cave turned to another and Layla was beginning to think they were going around in circles when they came to an enormous cave. Stalactites, some long and spindly and others thick and conical, hung from the ceiling. They glowed in the reflection from the flashlights, filling the cave with a ghostly glow. The walls were jagged hunks of rocks and the ground filled with many hollows and dips. It was a beautiful place with an alien, otherworldly feel to it.