Through His Fingers (II)

The inside was mostly empty with a few empty sacks sitting on the side. Just an empty storehouse.

Liang Jian Amal felt a mild disappointment seeing nothing and turned to leave when something under the door caught his eye. He pushed the door closed and grabbed what looked to be a long piece of soft fabric. He reopened the door and stepped back into the light to see that it was a red hijab with ornate gold stitching along the front edge. There was no doubt whose this was. He put two fingers to his mouth and let out a shrill call to alert the guards that he had brought with him.

Clutching the fabric in his left hand he stalked up to the shocked vendor.

"Where does this man 'Nazr' reside?" He growled at the man demanding an answer.

The man shook his head rapidly,

"I think to the west or south effendi, I am not quite sure. Please forgive me."

Liang JianAmal turned his attention from the man as the guards came running to him.

"We need to quickly head to the south and west. We are looking for a man named Nazr who lives with a son. He is a vendor and may be the person responsible for my wife's disappearance. If you find him detain him for further questioning."

"Can you give us any details to help identify this man?" Liang Jian Amal turned his attention back to the shopkeeper.

The man hastily gave a rough description of a middle aged man of turkish descent around the same height of himself. No facial hair or any other distinguishing feature. He might as well have been any other man that was walking in the streets.

With the new information he received Liang Jian Amal raced to the south gate while two of the guards headed to the west. The guards reported not having seen any suspicious persons or parcels, just some merchants or farmers leaving after having purchased or sold what they needed.

He looked down the long dirt road to the south the stars just starting to come out across the sky marking the end of the day.

Liang Jian Amal sat there on his horse and clutched Chang's hijab in his fist staring at the fabric, trying to formulate a plan.

"Go to the west gate, tell the men there to head west looking for a man named Nazr, who lives alone with just his son, he's a middle aged merchant. After that gather all the men posted at the gateways and return to the palace and await further instructions." He commanded the two guards who were stationed at the gateway.

"Come with me." He turned to the man who had rode beside him and started heading south. He knew it was only a gamble he did not know what else to do though. He tied the fabric on his left wrist so that he would not lose track of it and rode hard, heading for the closest village.

After a couple hours when the moon had risen well over their heads he came to a small village with several houses scattered around roughly within a small area. He headed for the largest one which was closest to the center, and dismounted to pound on the door of the mayor.

After a few moments a pounding of feet came rushing to the door and an older man rushed to the door.

"Who are you to come pounding on my door! Do you not know what hour this is! Come back at a decent hour!" The man scolded him vigorously shaking his finger before trying to close the door.

Liang JianAmal put a hand to the door stopping him.

"I would not be here at this hour if this was not important. I am looking for a man named Nazr who may reside here in your village, he works as a merchant in Muzdahir, and lives with his son. Do you know of this man or where I might find him?"

The man looked up at Liang Jian Amal who stood a few heads taller than him and at the palace guard behind him.

"Who are you people?"

"I am Liang Jian Amal grandson of Hakim Al-hassan. Tell me if I would be able to find this man here."

The man paled realizing the importance of the guests at his doorway.

"I do not know if this is the man that you are looking for, but there is a man by the name if Nazr who lives with his son Omar. They live on the Southeastern outskirts of the village almost an hours walk from here. They generally keep to themselves as they live so far from others, but I believe that Nazr is a traveling merchant." The village mayor readily gave up whatever information he knew sending Liang Jian Amal on his way again.