The imam was back. As he stepped close to Mackenzie and Issam, the rest of the men in the crowd melted away, taking their children with them. The curve of their shoulders told Mackenzie that they did not want to be in earshot when the imam delivered his news.
“What is it?” A cold fear rose in her gut. “Was someone injured?”
“No person was hurt.” The imam turned his dark eyes on Mackenzie’s face. “Unfortunately, there is a heavy price to pay for damaging the mosque.”
A laugh burbled up in Mackenzie’s throat. She choked it back. “How much is it?” She eyed her destroyed car and the remains of the column. “I’m not sure I can come up with all the money right away, but I could—”
The imam slowly shook his head. “The price is far heavier than that.”
“What do you mean?” asked Issam.
“You’ll need to take her into custody.”
Issam cocked his head to the side. “For what?”
“For damaging the mosque. I’m afraid Ms.—”
“Peters,” Mackenzie said automatically.
“I’m afraid Ms. Peters, according to our ancient laws, must be put to death for damaging the mosque.”
“What?” Issam put a protective hand on Inan’s head. “What ancient law? I’ve never heard of such a law.”
“A religious law. One that can’t be negated.”
Mackenzie saw the complete seriousness in the imam’s eyes. This had all gone too far. It was an accident, a terrible accident, but—to put her to death? That was beyond the pale.
She held both her hands up, drawing the attention of the two men.
And then she switched to their language, as easily as if she were stepping over a bridge.
“I take full responsibility for damaging the column,” she began, looking the imam in the eye. “But no one was hurt. And your most cherished laws are bound by the precious nature of human life.”
The imam, seemingly in spite of himself, was nodding, ever so slightly.
“Of course, in the oldest texts, places of worship were considered as precious as life itself. But we know—we know—” She did not allow her voice to waver. “That stone can be rebuilt. Children’s lives cannot. Please. Let’s all take a step back and consider this what it was—an accident that can be fixed.”
Mackenzie dropped her hands to her sides and waited. She had never been more aware of her body than in this moment, in the sunshine on the sidewalk outside of this mosque. A shiver tripped down her spine. She wasn’t in Al-Madiza anymore. And right now, in this moment, she was at the mercy of the laws of Al-Dashalid. Mackenzie, as well as anyone, knew that things could go very, very wrong in this moment.
But the imam would relent. Surely he would. She’d toppled a column, not the sheikh’s nephew, and all around her the street was humming with life. She’d missed all the other cars on the street. Even the man who had run the red light was probably fine. Really, she should be considered a hero.
He folded his hands in front of him and looked down.
This was the moment.
All would be forgiven, they’d walk away, and she could have her meeting with Issam. She would have the chance to fight for the women and children in that fort, and secondarily for her brother-in-law. She couldn’t let him down, either.
“It’s a law that has stood the test of a thousand years,” the imam said, breaking Mackenzie out of her thoughts. In her mind, she was already down the sidewalk, speaking quickly to Issam about the land. About the fort. About all the women and children, waiting for her to come here— “And it’s not going to crumble because of a car accident.”
“What?” Mackenzie couldn’t believe the words that had come out of the imam’s mouth. “You can’t be serious. It was an accident. I never meant—I was trying to save my own life, and everyone else’s—”
“Sheikh Issam,” the imam said, turning away from her, “take her into custody. Make the preparations. It has been decided.”
No. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening. Mackenzie watched as the imam turned back toward the destroyed column. He walked slowly, as if a great weight was on his shoulders.
“Wait. We can talk about this.”
He did not stop. He only raised one hand in the air, as if to silence her.