Silence settled over them as Yehya sank deeper into his turbulent thoughts. He knew there was no other way forward, but he’d been to Zephyr Hospital once in his life and it had been enough; he knew how dangerous it would be for Amani to go on her own, particularly at a time like this. Things had become increasingly restrictive, and her visit might draw more attention to him, resulting in his X-ray vanishing from that hospital as well. His options flickered and faded in front of him, he was losing one after another. He rested his elbows on the table and sank his forehead into his palms. The mention of Zephyr Hospital reminded him of the doctor in military uniform who’d asked about him at the office a while back. Amani didn’t have any more information than she’d written in her letter; the man had arrived mysteriously and was gone within minutes. He hadn’t left a business card or phone number, nothing but the name of the place where he worked, which was now engraved in her mind.
Nagy tried to break the silence casually and mentioned that Ehab had offered to go with Amani — actually, he’d insisted on it. Like Yehya, he was cautious around Amani’s harsh temper that was quick to flare up, and he expected her to be annoyed by Ehab’s insistence, afraid he might jeopardize the whole plan. But although she remained tense, she didn’t get angry. She was less concerned with Ehab and more afraid of anything that might ruin this opportunity. She had become Yehya’s only hope when all other ways forward were blocked. She knew that their success depended on her making her visit to the hospital seem routine and innocent, just an ordinary request. She had to act in a way that would make asking the hospital official for an X-ray seem entirely unimportant, not alarming at all, the kind of request that plenty of people had made before her without any complication.
Amani agreed that Ehab could come, but she stressed to Nagy that as long as she didn’t run into any problems, Ehab had to keep his distance from her, and he could only interfere if it was absolutely necessary. The tension in their conversation eased, and Yehya asked her to avoid the doctor from Zephyr who had come to the office, who was bound to recognize her face.
Amani paid the bill, easily beating them to the check; she was the only one among them who still had a steady job and reliable income. Nagy sat gazing out the window at the coffee shop across the road while Yehya headed to the toilet. While there, he carefully inspected his underwear, and then pulled it up after counting the concentric circles of blood. There were two fresh rings. He put his head under the tap, let the water run over him, and caught up with the others by the door.
With every piece of news that another citizen had disappeared, Ines grew more anxious. She wouldn’t leave her place for more than a moment, and Um Mabrouk began to send Mabrouk to bring her breakfast every day, so she wouldn’t pass out from hunger. Ines never imagined she would fall victim to fear like this, having long considered herself one of the most resolute and resilient of people. She’d lived alone in a big apartment for years, had gotten through university and finished her studies in peace without anyone to look after her, and then had applied for jobs and been the first in her class to get one. She skillfully surpassed the other women in her cohort; she was hired first, given a permanent position first, and given a better bonus. She was known for her flawless teaching reputation, beloved by her students and their parents alike, who were always impressed by her dedication.
Yet despite this spotless record, things had changed overnight. Her first mistake had brought her to the Gate against her will, and she didn’t know where she’d end up as a result of the second one. Soon she might be no more than a note in the margins of the escalating unemployment figures. She was haunted by waking dreams, imagining a photograph of herself in a turquoise headscarf printed on one of the missing-person flyers, which her mother would distribute in the queue and pass sorrowfully among the people waiting.
Her parents would never forgive her if her mother had to return from the Gulf because of her, if she was the reason they lost their jobs and their good salary in riyals. And if Ines tarnished the family name, it could result in divorce for her sister, who would be forced to leave her husband’s house and take her children with her. She would blame Ines for everything she’d done, even though it hadn’t been intentional. Not even in her worst nightmares had she seen things ending up like this. She’d never meant to make disparaging remarks about Shalaby, his cousin, or the guard unit he belonged to. If she had known that the exchange would be transmitted to officials behind the Gate, just the mention of his name would have given her chills, she would’ve never opened her mouth in the first place, and she wouldn’t have ignored Um Mabrouk’s advice.
THE HIGH SHEIKH
The boycott against Violet Telecom suffered a harsh blow at the hands of the High Sheikh, who issued a fatwa declaring it impermissible to harm the economic interests of the country and its people. It also criminalized boycotts that negatively affected businesses owned by God-fearing believers. The fatwa declared that if anyone insulted religion in any way, boycotting and ignoring them would be not only permissible but also a religious duty. It concluded by saying that believers should continue to treat their brothers charitably, even if in doing so it brought them hardship or put them in danger.
The man in the galabeya was the first to embrace the High Sheikh’s fatwa: he took a microphone, stood alongside the queue, and read the statement aloud from a copy in his hand. He’d turned off his phone and placed it in his inner breast pocket so it wouldn’t attract attention; the woman with the short hair had recently accused him, in front of everyone, of discrediting the boycott campaign to defend Violet Telecom, while secretly using another phone network himself. She had discovered that he hadn’t been affected by Violet Telecom’s surveillance measures at all, and — more significantly — that he owned a large amount of stock in the company.
After concluding his slow and deliberate reading, he announced enthusiastically that he would dedicate his next weekly lesson to “God’s will,” to introduce people to fatwas and explain their importance. He urged people who had joined the boycott campaign to attend his lecture, to listen and make use of what he said, and he secretly hoped that God would let him be the one to inspire them to turn away from temptation and embrace the truth.
Ehab didn’t hear the fatwa, but before long he found a copy on a faded slip of paper with tattered edges.
From the Fatwa and Rationalizations Committee, on the Fifth Day of this Venerable Month:
In light of its meeting today, the Committee hereby announces this fatwa to the entire nation, to ward off civil strife and its evils, and preserve the country’s integrity. To keep those of faith from succumbing to sin in the eyes of God Almighty, all believers must verify any news before giving it credence, and all those who make claims must substantiate their assertions with proof, lest they spread false allegations and therefore corruption. Believers shall not boycott their brothers, nor cause them to suffer financial or emotional distress, and shall not call upon others to take such actions, as this is one of the gravest sins, unless done in support of religion. A believer who is weak of faith, and does not join his brothers, is guilty of a sin, which shall be weighed on Judgment Day. This sin can be absolved by fasting, or by making seven consecutive phone calls, each one not separated by more than a month. Our Book pronounces this truth upon you. May God lead you to the path of righteousness, and may His peace, blessings, and mercy be upon you.