Chapter 12

Zubaida

No!!!

She pushed her way past the gunman and wrapped her arms around the robot's spindly legs.

Sayed tried to pull Zubaida away from the robot. But when he grabbed her arm, she kicked her uncle's shin as hard as she could. Sayed screamed and staggered backwards.

Zubaida

I won't let you murder him!

Sayed

How dare you, Zubaida! I am your elder, and you will listen to me! Mohammed, this is how you raise your sister?

Zubaida

How dare me? How dare you! You call yourself a Muslim and yet you would murder one of your brothers? Sakr al-Djinni can recite the Quran better than you can. He is just as much of a Muslim as anyone in your intifada. You are a filthy murderer, Sayed, and I am ashamed to call you my uncle!

Sayed's face turned red. He grabbed Zubaida's arm, much more forcefully this time, and threw her on Mohammed's bed.

Sayed

Take the machine outside, now!

Zubaida

No! Sakr al-Djinni, don't listen to them! Fight back!

Sayed slapped Zubaida across her face. The gunmen both pointed their machine guns at the robot. The lights on his chest blinked rapidly.

Robot

I cannot. I am programmed never to harm human beings.

Zubaida wiped a tear from her cheek. She wasn't crying—her face just stung from where Sayed hit her.

Zubaida

Fight back anyway! The Quran commands it! They are infidels and they are going to kill you!

Sayed

Drag it outside, now!

The two gunmen obeyed Sayed. They smashed the robot's fragile knees with the butts of their guns, and Sakr al-Djinni collapsed to the ground in a heap. Each gunmen took hold of one of the robot's arms and dragged it across the carpet.

Zubaida jumped off the bed to run after them. But Mohammed held her back. He had to wrap both his arms around her to hold her, and she kicked and screamed and scratched at her older brother.

Mohammed

Zubaida, you must calm down!

Sayed slammed the door to Mohammed's room. He stepped past Hasan, who was on the floor bawling his eyes out, and leaned close to Zubaida. His face was on fire.

Zubaida spat in his face.

Zubaida

God will pour molten lead down your throat in hell, murderer.

Sayed wiped the spit off his face.

Sayed

You ignorant, stupid little girl. Do you have any idea what is going on? That machine was a Zionist spy. And because you wouldn't listen to me and refused to shut your little mouth, now the Zionists know I am connected with the intifada. You have brought grave danger to all of us. I am trying to protect this family! Don't you dare curse me!

Mohammed

Uncle Sayed, the robot was not spying—

Zubaida

What would you know, you stupid old man? Curse you, and curse your intifada! You are worse than the Zionists! You'd murder one of your own, a fellow Muslim—

Sayed

You think that machine was a Muslim? Has Satan bewitched you? You think a Zionist machine is a Muslim because you can program it to recite Quran verses and praise God? Mohammed, have you truly raised my little niece to be so ignorant and blasphemous?

From outside, an explosion.

Zubaida tore herself free of Mohammed's grasp. She ran past Sayed out the front door.

There was a truck full of masked men with machine guns. In front of the truck was a smoking crater where a grenade was just set off. And strewn about the crater were chunks of metal limbs and pieces of circuit board.

Zubaida found the robot's torso. The metal plate was jagged now, and the wiring and half-molten rubber tubes hung out like intestines. She never realized how fragile the robot's metal body was until now.

None of the lights on the torso blinked on.

Zubaida wiped another tear from her cheek. She grimaced. She would not allow herself to cry.

Mohammed and her uncle walked outside. They were both screaming at each other.

Sayed

You think I like hearing my nephew is a collaborator? How do you explain the Zionist radio beacon? And if this machine was so valuable then why did you keep him from us?

Mohammed

Because I knew you would do this, uncle! And that robot, a spy? What do you think he was spying on, Uncle? My little computer workshop? Zubaida's cooking? We are and have always been a peaceful family. You are the one who put us in danger, Sayed, when you brought your guns and your intifada here. And you wonder why my father willed Zubaida and Hasan to me instead of you?

Zubaida lifted up the robot's torso. It was hot as fire and the metal burnt her fingers. But she didn't let go, even as the pain made her eyes stream with salty tears.

Zubaida

I will avenge you, Sakr al-Djinni.

Epilogue