Chapter 5

The first thing any normal person would have seen, having just walked into Zubaida's house, would be two children cleaning off grease from a robot. However, Mohammed was not exactly a normal person. For one thing, he was carrying a tall stack of broken computers in his arms, so he couldn't see anything straight in front of him. Also, he was not very perceptive in general and often walked straight past friends and neighbors on the street, even if they waved at him.

Mohammed carefully kicked the door shut behind him,walked straight past Zubaida, Hasan and the blinking robot, and went around the corner to his office, all the while balancing the stack of computers precariously in his arms. A moment later, Zubaida heard the inevitable crash as the computers fell to the floor.

Mohammed, from his room

Rrrrrrr!

That was the noise he made whenever he hurt himself. Zubaida thought he sounded like a small bear.

Mohammed walked back into the room, shaking his hand. He was short and a little fat and had a long, pointy beard.

Mohammed

Zubaida, could you come here and help me?

He said this without looking at her. He went straight to the kitchen and ran his hand under the sink.

Zubaida

Mohammed, we'd like you to meet someone.

Mohammed

Not now. Busy.

Zubaida

His name is Sakr al-Djinni. We think the Zionists imprisoned him within a robot body, just like Sulimon did with his djinn.

Mohammed

Zubaida, I'll play with you and Hasan later. Let me get settled first.

Zubaida turned to the robot.

Zubaida

Introduce yourself!

Robot

It is ... nice to meet you....

Mohammed peeked his head around the corner of the kitchen. His eyes widened as he saw the robot. Even though Mohammed was not a machine, Zubaida thought she could hear the clicking and grinding and spinning of the wheels in Mohammed's mind.

His first reaction was to run around the house and close all the blinds. The robot backed away a little as he did this, watching him with blinking red eyes. After the blinds were closed, Mohammed locked the front door, and then the back door. After that he calmed down, but only a little.

Mohammed

God have mercy! Where did you find this?

He began circling around the robot, who was still plugged into the wall.

Zubaida

At the ruined factory.

Mohammed

So the Israelies built him? You didn't carry him here, did you?

Zubaida

No, silly brother. He can walk.

Mohammed came a little closer to the robot. At first Zubaida thought he would be mad, but he actually looked excited, like he had discovered a hidden treasure.

Mohammed

It can talk?

Zubaida nodded.

Zubaida

Say something.

Robot

Something.

Mohammed laughed. He had a fat, hearty laugh and it always made Zubaida smile when she heard it.

Mohammed

I take it you can understand Arabic, my friend?

Robot

Yes.

Mohammed

What can you tell me about yourself? What language is your logic program based on?

Robot

Hammond's algorithmic.

Mohammed

Hammond? My God, that's amazing. How many cycles?

Robot

Eighteen, time seven.

Mohammed

Your logic has seven cores?

Robot

Affirmative.

Mohammed

My God. I had heard rumors about such things being possible but I never thought they existed. Zubaida and Hasan, you are both grounded, by the way.

Zubaida

What! Why!?

Mohammed

Why? Do you even need to ask, little sister?

Zubaida

For how long?

Mohammed

I don't know. A year? Two years? I'll decide later. How do you translate environmental data?

He ignored them again and asked the robot a bunch of technical questions. The robot answered them all with short answers and Mohammed kept on getting more and more excited.

Zubaida

Brother! How can you punish us and call yourself a Muslim? We brought Sakr al-Djinni back so we could teach him Islam! What would the Prophet say?

Mohammed

Don't start, Zubaida. What would the Prophet say, peace be upon him? Why, he'd say to respect your elders when they explicitly tell you not to go to a dangerous, abandoned factory.

Zubaida

But—

Mohammed

No arguing!

Zubaida

But Mohammed!

Mohammed

Rrrrrr! I said no arguing! You can start your grounding by going to my office and neatly stacking those computers I brought home. After that, you can clean the entire house. Hasan, go help your sister. God have mercy, when am I going to have time to finish my work now?

But Zubaida didn't budge. For a second, she thought she was going to cry. But she forced back her tears with a grimace.

Zubaida

You don't even care about Sakr al-Djinni! You just care about his stupid logic board and wires!

Mohammed opened his mouth to protest, but then he lowered his eyes and sighed.

Mohammed

Zubaida—are you really convinced this machine is a djinni?

Zubaida

You can see for yourself! Sakr al-Djinni obviously has a soul.

Mohammed

Sister, you named him Sakr al-Djinni. Like a pet. He is a machine. A highly intelligent, remarkable machine. But machines do not have souls.

Zubaida

I know. That's the whole reason why I think he must be a djinni imprisoned in a machine. Because from talking to him it's so obvious that he has a soul. Even Hasan can see it. The only reason you can't is because you're so obsessed with your stupid kufr technology!

Mohammed

Calm down, Zubaida.

Mohammed sighed again. He turned to the robot.

Mohammed

Well, robot, what do you think? Do you have a soul?

The robot's lights blinked on and off, on and off. It had to think for a while about this.

Robot

I would like to believe that I have a soul.

Mohammed

This is insane. How would the Israelis even create something with a soul, Zubaida? Do you think he has a soul chip?

Zubaida smirked.

Zubaida

Which part of the human body contains the soul, dear brother?

Mohammed

Hrmph! So what exactly do you think, Zubaida? That the Israelis used ancient magic to bind a djinni to a robot?

Zubaida

They have before. Sulimon did with his djinn.

Mohammed

Sulimon's djinn—Zubaida, those are just stories! They aren't true!

Zubaida

Not true?

Zubaida put her hand over her mouth, feigning shock.

Zubaida

By God, not true, brother? So when the holy Quran speaks of djinni, the Holy Quran is just a story as well? A story that isn't true?

Mohammed

No, Zubaida, that's different—

Zubaida

Different how?

Mohammed

Rrrrrr! Zubaida, I am not going to have one of these arguments with you, and that is that!

Mohammed put his fingers against his temples and squinted his eyes. Zubaida would have pressed him even more, but she could see that he was getting one of his headaches.

Mohammed

You are a very smart girl, Zubaida. In fact, Uncle Sayed would say that you're too smart for your own good and that you should learn to shut your mouth. You should be glad he isn't here right now.

Zubaida glared at her brother. But he was right—she was glad her uncle Sayed was not there. Sayed was her father's brother and he hated the Zionists more than anyone she knew. He also didn't get along with Mohammed at all. Sayed thought he should raise her and Hasan because Mohammed was not devout enough. She shuddered to think of what Sayed would do if he knew they had a Zionist robot in the house.

Mohammed

Now I'm not saying you're wrong, Zubaida. What do I know about souls? That's a question for the ulema, not for me. But what I do know is that you and Hasan deserve to be punished for what you did. You have a good heart, but you disobeyed me and put yourselves in danger. What would mother and father say if they knew what you did?

At that moment the robot fell to one knee with a loud clanking sound. He braced himself against the floor with his one pincer-hand. Zubaida rushed to the robot's aid.

Zubaida

What happened?

Robot

My knee is malfunctioning.

The wire that Hasan had torn was shooting out small smarks.

Zubaida

Don't worry. My brother Mohammed will fix you up like new. Right, Mohammed?

Chapter 6