The Holy Sail by Abdulaziz Al-Mahmoud Read Free Book Online Page B

here ask for him. There isn’t much in the Jewish quarter worth seeing other than him. He’s an important man, but you’re going to have to pay me if you want me to show you where he lives.’
    â€˜Fine, we will pay!’
    The boy marched them to a mud-plastered stone building, which had a small door beneath a faded drawing of the Star of David. The boy went in ahead of them and then asked them to follow. They hesitated a little before Paiva caught sight of the Jewish symbol and pointed it out to Covilhã, who in turn felt reassured. They followed the boy inside.
    The interior of the building was dark and it took a few moments for their eyes to adjust. They heard faint humming and saw the rabbi standing opposite a wall, reading from a scroll he was holding in his hands. A large prayer shawl with striped and knitted edges was draped around his neck and shoulders.
    The boy came up behind the rabbi and pulled his cloak to get his attention.
    â€˜What do you want, boy? Have I not told you not to disturb me when I’m praying? Go away, go, you little pest!’
    The boy was obviously used to the rabbi’s temper; he stood there and did not budge. He pointed toward the two guests, and then went back to Covilhã, stretching his palm out flat. Covilhã handed him a coin, which the boy kissed and touched to his forehead in a gesture of gratitude, before he placed it under his cap and left.
    The rabbi finished his prayers and then greeted the two men warmly, asking them to sit with him in the synagogue.
    Covilhã decided to try his luck with the rabbi. Without any introductions, he said, ‘The Holy Sail!’
    The rabbi frowned in confusion, as though expecting Covilhã to finish his sentence. An awkward moment ofsilence followed. The rabbi then said, ‘What happened to the holy sail? What holy sail?’
    Covilhã knew that the rabbi had no idea whatsoever about their mission, and understood that he and Paiva had to be careful but, at the same time, try to extract as much information from him as possible.
    The rabbi was a treasure trove of information. He became very forthcoming once they told him they were Jewish Moroccan merchants who were solely interested in making profit before travelling back home. But the rabbi also started complaining about financial hardship, and asked Covilhã and Paiva to donate to the ageing synagogue, which he said was on the verge of collapsing from disrepair.
    Like all other people, Jews, the rabbi explained, left for other countries when they became better off, and many Jewish merchants ended up in India, Egypt and Palestine. ‘It’s also the weather. It’s too hot here, most people can’t bear it.’
    Covilhã was curious about how Jews lived in this part of the world. ‘Does anyone harass you here, Rabbi?’
    Feeling warm, the rabbi removed his prayer shawl and folded it in a ritualistic, neat manner, and put it on a shelf next to a pile of scrolls. ‘No, not at all,’ he replied. ‘No one harasses us. As you can see, we are part of the people here. We dress the same and eat the same. Some Jews work at the palace. The emir trusts us thanks to our good education and connections.’
    The rabbi sighed and then continued, ‘But the problem we have is that our people are emigrating. The climate here is unbearable in the summer. Around a month ago, a Jewish family left to India for good. If things carry onlike this, we might disappear from Yemen altogether, and only elderly people like me will be left, merely because they can’t leave.’
    The rabbi explained to Covilhã the Jewish community’s role in commerce in Yemen, and told him about some Jewish tribes that lived in isolation in the highlands, which he had not been able to visit as frequently as he had done before. To Covilhã’s surprise, the rabbi said he was working hard to prevent marriages between Jews and Muslims.
    â€˜But why