Hearts of Faith

13

It suddenly opened and a knight stepped out.

"You may enter."

The office was rather unimpressive. However, it was quite a walk to the desk where the Ameer sat. Around them were rows of dark oak shelves filled with stacks of paper and stray quills. It hardly looked decently arranged. Although a mess, perhaps it was an organised one.

The sight of the Ameer behind his desk, his shadow, alternatively called Hamid, looming beside him made for a rather foreboding atmosphere.

Rather ruined by the sight of Khalil lounging on a chair at the left side of the room, flicking through dark yellow pages with utter uninterest in what was happening around him.

"Please sit ladies." The Ameer gestured towards the other side of his desk where three chairs awaited.

Zinneera grumbled quietly as she followed his instructions. Certainly, Hamid must have gone and cried to the Ameer in regards to what happened in the market. And no doubt the Ameer knew already which side he was on.

"I have been alerted of a commotion, or rather, a quarrel that occurred between yourselves and Hamid here."

"I would not go so far as to call it a quarrel," Zinneera fought hard to keep her tone respectful. "More of a misunderstanding."

"Is that so? What was misunderstood between the two of you?"

"A young boy was playing a game with me and he took my ring. Unfor-he happened to bump into Hamid who thought he was stealing."

"And you believe this gave you the right to lecture Hamid on the law and its punishments?"

A stupefied noise came from the back of Maha's throat and Zinneera wondered how stupid people often ended up in power. Maybe she would have to do research on it as one would study the insane. How far does stupidity go? Is there a threshold? A greatest level one could achieve? And do those on the upper levels qualify as leaders?

"We were merely protecting a young boy," Zinneera replied, seeming to take on the role of answering the questions amongst her friends, one of whom seemed to be on the verge of laughing in shock, the other lost in their confusion of the situation. "Something he seems incapable of."

The Ameer's eyebrows jumped before his eyes darkened with outrage.

"Before we lock her up again," A voice called out from the left. "I do have a few words to add Father."

Five heads turned to face Ibn-al-Ameer who still had not looked up from his papers.

"I will hear what you have to say," The leader of Al-Amin sent a deadly glance to Zinneera. "Only so it will not be said that I am unjust."

Khalil sat straight, ignoring the eyes of everyone except his father. "I will admit I was not present to see Hamid and our guests speak. But I witnessed the aftermath. I watched a little boy, only a few years of age, burst into tears, terrified with the idea of losing his hand, and these three women comforted him."

"Despite what occurred," The Ameer relented. "It does not justify the completely inappropriate manner of their behaviour. There are official ways to make a complaint. Things do not work here the way they do in your village."

Zinneera decided to leave the research to those who did actually study the insane since the Ameer was clearly part of the study.

"Father, can you blame them for getting angry? Plus," Khalil returned to his original position, facing his, what must be very hypnotising, papers again. "I doubt they are aware of the official process. They are from a village as you say."