Lost

Chapter 93: "Striking out Secrets"

Fixing the bag on her shoulder, Salma hastened out of the block. She was weaving through the crowded hallways when a curly red head shot out of a lecture room to her left.

"Aha! Got you!" The junior grinned.

"Jason?!" 

"So you remember my name?" Jason raised a brow. 

In a hurry to get to Sarah, Salma shook her head in amusement and kept walking. He fell in step with her and started babbling.

"Where've you been? I barely see you around now? Are you going to come back to the labs - Oh my God! I heard about your paper!" Jason stepped in front of her, walking backwards now, "It was such an awesome piece! I really wish I would have been invited! I am going to do a similar paper on Mantids, you know. Like bees got their own charm but Mantids are so much more fun! Not at all putting you work down, seriously! Just saying that - what was I saying again? Oh yeah, do you think you can -"

Salma stopped walking suddenly, cutting him short.

"Listen, uh, not being rude or anything but I'm in a bit of a hurry," Salma smiled at him apologetically.

"Oh," Jason frowned, "Of course. Totally get it, don't I now?"

"Yeah." Salma nodded, waiting for him to step aside.

It took Jason a while to realize that he was blocking her path.

"Right," He smiled, getting out of her way, "But I'll see you soon, yeah?"

"Yeah." Salma shrugged. 

Giving him a quick, grateful smile, Salma raced towards the lawns near the dormitories, her eyes keenly scanning the grounds for a veiled girl. The girl in question waved her over from where she was sitting on a bench under an oak tree.

"Assalamo' Alaykum," Salma breathed out, slumping on the opposite bench, "So, what do you think?"

"Easy, easy, you'd think there's a possessed bulldozer chasing after you." Sarah snickered.

"Quite frankly, with everything that's going on, it might as well be," Salma replied, before huffing moodily,"I knew I cursed it last week when I thought my life was getting back to normal."

"Oh please, your life was anything but normal given what you've told me about your ancestors," Sarah rolled her eyes, "You were born with a target drawn on your back. Anyway, I did a little bit of reading into the history of Sthooriya. You never told me you were a Royal,"

"Because I'm not," Salma suggested.

"Lie." Sarah rolled her eyes, "My readings told me you would deny."

"Oh, come on! Grand Chief Zamarud wasn't a king, and neither is anyone else who followed after. The Grand Council determines who the next Grand Chief would be, not the blood line –"

"And yet, the first twenty three of the Grand Chiefs were all from the house of Zamarud?"

"That's because Zamarud drilled the lessons of the Qur'an into his children's heads and they into their kids!" Salma defended, "His children were usually the most knowledgeable and of the best character, so the Grand Council would appoint them. And after the first twenty three people outside the Zamarud family, in fact out of the Oochath tribe, were nominated. And besides, if you've done that reading you would know, the Chief after Zamarud was his second son, Uqaab, not his first son, Nadir and the third Chief was Nadir's son and fourth their cousin! There's no pattern. The Council chose them based on their character and knowledge,"

"Still Zamarud's sons," Sarah drummed her fingers which she had been doing throughout Salma's outburst, proving rather irksome to her friend.

"Urgh!" Salma gritted her teeth in frustration, slapping her hand on her fingers, "Why are we even discussing this?!"