Chapter 4

Zubaida

That went well.

They began unwrapping him and his loose arm fell clattering to the carpet. Zubaida propped up the arm next to the door.

Zubaida

Don't worry about it.

The robot stood still in the entryway. His lights were blinking at a steady pace.

Zubaida

Would you like to sit down, robot?

Robot

No, I am fine standing. I do not want to get grease on your couch.

Zubaida

Oh.

In fact, the robot was rather greasy. His joints and the rubber tubes inside were slick with brownish ooze.

Zubaida

Is there anything you would like? We Muslims are commanded by God to be good hosts.

Robot

Is there ... a wall outlet nearby that I could use?

Zubaida led the robot towards the lamp next to their couch. She unplugged the lamp from the wall, and stood back. With some difficulty, the robot managed to reach behind him with his one hand. A panel detached from his back. The pincers clasped a cord that was wound up inside of him and pulled it out. Surely enough, it plugged right into the wall, and the lights blinking on his chest all changed color to green and blue.

Zubaida told Hasan to go get some dirty towels from the laundry to wipe off the grease.

Zubaida

What happens when you run out of power?

Robot

My processes run slower. Some processes turn off completely.

Zubaida

Will you die?

Robot

I do not know. I am inorganic. Only organic things can die.

Zubaida

But if you're a djinni—djinn can die, just like humans.

Robot

Perhaps that is true.

Hasan brought back a bunch of towels and the children got to work wiping off the robot's arms and legs. The joints in particular were dripping with black grease. But Zubaida was careful to leave some grease on the joints. She didn't want the robot to rust.

Zubaida

You need a name. We're going to have to introduce you to my brother Mohammed, and I can't call you by your Hebrew product number.

Robot

I was never given a name.

Zubaida

Can we give you one?

The robot's torso lights blinked quickly.

Robot

It does not matter to me.

Zubaida racked her brain for a proper name. At first she wanted to give him a human name, like Aamir or Abu. But then she wondered if that was insulting to God, because God created humans differently than he created the djinn and probably did not want them mixing up their names.

Zubaida

How about Sakr al-Djinni?

Hasan

I like that name.

The robot thought about this for a moment.

Robot

Sakr al-Djinni.... But what if I am not a djinni?

Zubaida

Well, we know you are not a human. So I did not want to give you a human name. But I don't think God would be angry if we named you a djinni, because it seems so logical that you are really a djinni. So if we are wrong and you are not a djinni then I do not think God would be angry for our mistake.

Hasan

Uh oh.

Hasan's towel had snagged and tore loose a small green wire below the robot's knee.

The robot did not seem to notice, but the torn wire stuck out and Zubaida thought she saw a small blue spark shoot out from the coppery shred.

But before she could do anything, the front door to the house creaked open and their older brother, Mohammed, walked in.


Chapter 5