The Sign of the Scorpion

by Farah Zaman

  “It wasn’t the fault of the Al-Khalilis that Uncle Husam left your mother,” said Rashid. “We knew nothing of her until he told us on his deathbed. The blame lies only with him.”

  “How dare you involve Suha in your evil schemes.” Miftah’s voice trembled with rage.

  “She became quite fond of me after I told her I was her half-brother. She was angry she had been scorned by Rashid and had come to regret marrying you. We put our heads together to come up with a plan of revenge.”

  “Why were you determined on revenge?” asked Shaykh Sulaiman. “Had you told us who you were, we would have welcomed you with open arms.”

  Kareem’s lips curled with disdain. “I didn’t want your pity and just a few dirhams. As a cousin, I knew I would only get a measly bequest like the others. I wanted the Al-Khalili fortune. Once I got it, I would stop being Al-Aqrab. After we found out Mrs. Haddad was the Woman in White we came up with the grand scheme. But it has come to naught now.”

  “What was your grand scheme?” asked Rashid.

  Kareem gave an unpleasant chuckle. “It would have taken place at the farewell dinner for Tariq. Sulaiman was planning it as a surprise two days before Tariq leaves for England. For the grand scheme to work, we needed Sulaiman to be at the dinner table. That’s why we couldn’t do it earlier. Here’s what would have happened. Mrs. Haddad gets her revenge for her niece’s death by sneaking into the dining room before the farewell dinner and putting large doses of the lethal poison ricin in the soup. After poisoning the soup, Mrs. Haddad pretends to have a migraine and does not go down to dinner. Everyone at the table drinks the soup, except for Suha, who will give some reason for not doing so. Tragedy strikes when the Al-Khalilis who drink the soup are poisoned to death. When the police come, they find Mrs. Haddad dead. She has injected herself with a fatal dose of the painkiller she has stolen from Qais’s supplies. Most important, they find a typed confession in her room, saying she was the Woman in White and has now avenged her niece’s death. Of course, I would have been the one to put the poison in the soup and steal the painkiller from Qais. Suha would have been the one to inject Mrs. Haddad with the painkiller and plant the fake confession in her room.”

  “Where would you have been while the Al-Khalilis are drinking the poisoned soup?” asked Layla.

  “I would have left the dinner table at the beginning of the meal to take an urgent phone call. Imagine my horror when I’m called to the dining room to deal with the dying Al-Khalilis and a hysterical Suha. I would have acted the grieving employee. After a decent amount of time, I would then reveal I was Husam’s son and Sulaiman made me promise not to tell anyone. I already have the marriage certificate and a DNA test in my possession that proves I’m related to Sulaiman by blood. There would have been no objection to my rightful claim to the Al-Khalili fortune. But everything fell apart when you kids came. I was hoping your visit would have been canceled because of Rashid’s supposed death but Sulaiman didn’t want to disappoint you. And then Jumana came too. And soon, your parents would have showed up. It would have messed up the whole plan.”

  “I didn’t think you would give a damn about a few more bodies,” said Faisal.

  “I might have been able to fool the bungling police around these parts, but I didn’t want the American authorities and Jumana’s father to become involved. They might have found out the truth. Suha told me I was being a fool and they would never find out. She finally convinced me we should go ahead with the scheme regardless of who was here. If all had gone according to plan, you would all have been dead in two weeks’ time.”

  “You were going to poison us all in two weeks?” screeched Ghazala.

  Kareem smirked. “I’m afraid so.”

  Layla suddenly felt ill.

  Shaykh Sulaiman said to Kareem, “You have shamed the name of Al-Khalili just like your father did.”

  Kareem shrugged. “I gave it the best shot I could, but the odds weren’t in my favor. Now, I’ve talked enough. I want you all to stay here and don’t make a move while I leave.”

  His cell phone rang at that moment. Distracted by the sound, his gaze moved away from the family. Quick as a wink, Rashid and Faisal sprang at him, trying to get the gun away. The gun went off with a bang. Faisal gave a cry of pain as he fell to the ground. There were squeals of fear all around. The head groom and the nurse now helped Rashid to subdue Kareem. The gun went off twice more, hitting the wall and the floor before the men were able to restrain Kareem.

  The other servants from the household appeared, looking frightened. Dhul Fikar was sent to call for the police and an ambulance. Faisal’s right upper arm was bleeding and his face looked very white. They were relieved the bullet had not hit any of his vital parts.

  Qais got his nursing supplies and bandaged the arm. A servant brought ropes and Kareem was bound up, his face looking savage. With a choked cry, Miftah launched himself at their newly-discovered cousin, trying to grab him by the throat. Rashid and Qais wrested him away and returned him to the sofa, where he cried like a child, Hala and Ghazala trying to console him.

  The ambulance and police came together. Faisal was lifted into the ambulance and driven away. As the police were about to lead Kareem away, only then did a look of remorse appear on the PA’s face. “I have one request to make.”

  “You’re not deserving of any request,” said the Shaykh.

  “But my family is,” said Kareem. “My wife and children are innocent of the actions of Al-Aqrab. Since the children share your blood, I would like you to become their guardian.”

  Shaykh Sulaiman sighed. “It’s not my intention to punish the innocent. I’ll make sure your family don’t suffer the consequences of your actions.”

  After the police left, everyone was still talking in the domed hall.

  “But wouldn’t the soup have smelled funny?” asked Hala. “I’m sure I wouldn’t have eaten it if it did.”

  “Ricin is odorless and tasteless,” said Qais. “You wouldn’t have smelled or tasted any difference. But it causes a very painful death.”

  Ghazala shuddered. “Thank Allah for these young people being here. Imagine being poisoned to death in such a horrible way.”

  Epilogue

  Two weeks later, the forecourt of the castle, cleared of vehicles and crammed with colorful tents and decorative streamers, was teeming with well-wishers who had come to celebrate the wedding of Jumana and Rashid. The nikaah had been held earlier that afternoon. Layla had been moved to tears to witness the couple finally being united after the trials they had overcome. In light of the recent events, it had been a low key ceremony. There was just a small gathering of family and close friends.

  To Layla and Zahra’s delight, Jumana had chosen them, along with Hala, to be her bridesmaids. The three girls were dressed in identical peach gowns with gold-colored scarves. The walimah, or wedding feast, had begun right after the congratulatory speeches were over. Laughter and the merry sound of voices filled the air as the guests now enjoyed the buffet of delicious food and desserts that had been laid out for them.

  As Layla ate, she reflected on the events of the last two weeks.

  The day after the showdown in the caves, Suha and Mrs. Haddad’s bodies had been recovered from the bowels of the earth and given quick burials. Shaykh Sulaiman had sent someone posthaste to England to meet with Mrs. Haddad’s family to explain what had happened and compensate them for the loss of another family member.

  The bullet had been removed from Faisal’s arm and he was back home and recovering. His brush with death had changed him. He was quiet and thoughtful these days. Tariq had told them there was also another reason for this change. Faisal had found out that Suha was the one responsible for breaking up his marriage. She had told him his wife had been unfaithful with Rashid. It had led to a rift between the two men. While Faisal was recovering in the hospital, he finally asked Rashid about it. Rashid denied
it as another of Suha’s lies and Faisal was now thinking of reconciling with his wife.

  Shaykh Sulaiman had the unpleasant task of revealing to Kareem’s wife the double life her husband had led. Tariq, who had accompanied his grandfather and Rashid on that mission, told his new friends that his heart had gone out to the family when he had seen the devastating hurt on their faces. Shaykh Sulaiman was making arrangements for Kareem’s wife and teenage children, two girls and a boy, to come live at Dukhan Castle.

  Layla knew it would take time for the family to recover from the shock of Kareem’s deceit. Shaykh Sulaiman had vowed to protect the children as much as possible from the fallout resulting from the actions of their father’s evil alter ego, Al-Aqrab. The Mole Man and the rest of the accomplices from the caves had been arrested. The Tri-Country Bureau of Inquiries were still trying to round up all those who had belonged to the evil network. And Rashid had duly rewarded the pilot of the helicopter who had rescued him from the ravine.

  Traumatized by what had happened, Hala seemed to have gained a newfound maturity and had become a great source of consolation to her heartbroken Abu. She had apologized to Layla for her previous behavior. She also said she was looking forward to moving to Ghassan City with her father and then going to university. She had made no mention of Tariq. Layla guessed the other girl had learned a bitter lesson from her stepmother. Suha had destroyed her own life because of the grudge she held against Rashid for not marrying her.

  Jumana’s bracelet was found hidden in Suha’s room. It was given to Ghazala since Jumana no longer wanted it. Tariq, though looking forward to university, was sad to be leaving the castle and his remaining family. He cheered up when Rashid and Jumana promised to visit him frequently in England.

  The castle’s employees sat together, Hatem and Nura among them. Layla grinned when she thought of the latest gossip they had heard over the castle’s grapevine. After a whirlwind wooing, the head groom had proposed to their maid and she had accepted. The two were planning to move to Ghassan City after they were married. Hatem would be trying his hand at managing an Al-Khalili hotel instead of grooming horses while Nura would attend university. The teenagers were glad that Hatem was getting married again after what he had been through, and that Nura would have the education she desired.

  Layla looked at the table where her parents were conversing with Shaykh Sulaiman and Zaid and Zahra’s parents. The Alkurdis and Horanis had arrived two days prior. Her twin brothers, Hassan and Hakeem, had been over the moon at finally seeing Shaykh Sulaiman’s desert castle. In the two days since their arrival, they had gotten into so many scrapes that Layla shuddered to think what would have happened had they come sooner.

  As expected, their parents had been stunned to hear of their escapades.

  “You children seem to be magnets for attracting trouble,” Mrs. Horani had said, shaking her head in bemusement. “This is the second time you’ve been on the trail of villains.”

  “Unbelievable and quite distressing,” Professor Alkurdi had added.

  “Our parents won’t let us out of their sight now after hearing of our latest adventure,” said Adam.

  “Yes, they were quite shocked, poor things,” said Zahra.

  Zaid grinned. “Maybe our next vacation will be a quiet one, insha Allah.”

  Layla said, “I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one.”

  Glossary

  Abaya: A loose overgarment worn by some Muslim women

  Abu: Father

  Al-Aqrab: The Scorpion

  Allah: The Arabic name for God

  Assalaam Alaikum: Peace be unto you; the first greeting that Muslims say to each other

  Bedu: Bedouin

  Domari: A language spoken by gypsies

  Dukhan: Smoke

  Eid: Either of the two festivals celebrated by Muslims

  Falafel: A deep-fried ball, or a flat or doughnut-shaped patty, made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both

  Ghaf: A drought-tolerant evergreen tree found in the Middle East

  Ghul: Ghoul

  Habibi: My beloved

  Haboob: An intense sandstorm or dust storm

  Hijab: The clothing that some Muslim women wear that leaves only the hands and face uncovered and, in some instances, only the hands uncovered

  Imam: The prayer leader of a mosque

  Insha Allah: If Allah (God) wills

  Jinn: An unseen being created out of fire that can do both good and harm to mankind

  Jumu’ah: The Friday prayer, required for men to be prayed in congregation

  Kanafeh: Traditional Arab dessert made with thin, noodle-like pastry

  Kebab: A cooked meat dish with many variants in Muslim countries

  Khalas: Enough

  Kibbeh: A dish made of finely ground beef, lamb, goat or camel meat

  Kohl: Eye cosmetic that darkens the eyes

  Kofta: A family of meatball or meatloaf dishes

  Majlis-al-jinn: The meeting place of the jinn

  La: No

  Marhaban: Welcome

  Masah-al- khair: Good night

  Na’am: Yes

  Najd: A geographical central region of Saudi Arabia

  Nikaah: Muslim wedding ceremony

  Qasabah: A single stone tower

  Qur’an: The Holy Book of the Muslims and the last of the revealed books from God sent through revelation to the Prophet Muhammad (on whom be peace)

  Samak-Baladi: Country-style fish

  Shamal: A hot, dry northwesterly wind blowing across the Persian Gulf in summer, typically causing sandstorms

  Sharih Lubabah: The street of innermost essence

  Shaykh: An Arabic title for a knowledgeable and/or respected person

  Shawarma: Meat cut in thin slices and stacked in a cone-like shape on a vertical rotisserie

  Souk: Market

  Ta’al: Come

  Wa Alaikum Assalaam: And unto you, be peace; the return greeting for Assalaam Alaikum

  Coming Next!

  Book Three:

  The Hour of the Oryx

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