“There is no need at all for you all to snigger,” Khader shouted at the boys. “At least he has an explanation to offer. You have nothing.”

After a few seconds, he addressed Muthu again.

“Listen, Muthu, an eagle has wings, doesn’t it?” Khader asked.

“Yes, it does.”

“How many?”

“Two.”

“Fine. You say it was an eagle that broke the sign. You are right. But you see, it was actually an eagle without wings.”

Muthu stared at Khader, his eyes wide in wonder.

“Want to see that eagle?”

Muthu nodded his head tentatively.

“All right. Go over to the storefront, go down the stairs, and stand right there.”

Muthu went over to the steps.

“Go one step further down.”

All the boys were looking at Khader.

“Muthu, look to the right of the tamarind tree. Hey! I said right; you are looking to the left. Ah, yes, good. Now start counting the stores one by one from there. Now look at the shops to the south. Stop at the fourth one. Do you see him? Do you see Dhamu the shopkeeper, that ugly little demon sitting there, dark and short and wearing a towel well below his navel? So much hair on his chest, like a bear? Do you see it? Don’t laugh. There’s your eagle. That’s the eagle that broke our store sign. Dhamu didn’t break it because he thought it was a fruit. No. He broke it because he is jealous. He is consumed by envy. It burns in his heart like fire. You see, this beast was not born to a mother and a father. And it grossly underestimates Khader. It is true—once upon a time, this Khader used to sit in the storefront, rolling beedis. I don’t deny that. What the beast doesn’t know is that I don’t care if I go back to sit in the storefront, with a winnowing pan, rolling tobacco. But I won’t hesitate to ruin anyone who tries to undermine me.”

Paramarthalingam and Bacha came closer and said: “We had the same suspicion, boss.” Bacha turned to the boys for support. “That’s what we said, didn’t we?”

“Yet you didn’t say a word when I asked you,” Khader snapped.

“How can we say something like that outright? It was just a suspicion.”

“Muthu, ask the driver to bring the car around. And keep this box in the car. We’re going to the police station.”

9

9.

Khader’s family was from Thakkalai. His was one of the families that had fled south during the Moplah uprising in the Malabar. His ancestors on his father’s side had served the mosque for several generations. Initially, Khader’s father had also been in a position of responsibility at the mosque, but in time, his piety grew so intense that he lost interest in worldly matters and started neglecting even basic religious duties, so was dismissed.