"Open your mouth that always like to spill out filth. Cutting your tongue is the only remedy to treating that disease"
"No..noo don't. I BEG YOU TO SPARE ME AND I WO...WON'T REPEAT IT"
"But I can't, words alone aren't credible enough. As important as my father is to me, I have to make sure that no one slurs the rectitude behind his name after all he is at peace. Cutting your tongue will serve as an important lesson to others. You agree that's the most effective approach, right?"
"No please, I SWEAR BY THE ALMIGHTY WHO CREATED ME THAT I WILL NEVER SPEAK ILL OF YOUR FATHER AGAIN!!"
"Mmm, sounds convincing to my ears. Let's say I trust what you just said. However, as evil as the definition of my name is, I will not hesitate to cut your tongue if you ever, I mean ever try besmirching Abbas Rifi's reputation even by mistake. Hopefully, you will pay heed to my warning, so let's move on to the next topic"
Salim's eyes widened as he nod vigorously but next topic? he thought she would leave after narrowly escaping the state of tongue-less-ness.
Away from the household where Salim belonged to, the men of the community were still lingering around Specter's house, some could even be seen on trees or walls as they forced a glance into Specter's house.
"Why haven't they deliver our breakfast up till now? Today feels like festival of hunt and feast"
"Yea, all the men are going to eat here, while we await the security agencies. I am good and properly all ready for this!!"
The place became especially noisy with enthusiasm and eagerness in the air.
The thought of catching Maiden Houdini increasingly excited their entire beings. What's more, two close neighbours of Specter also confessed to have seen a woman in his house with bandages all over her body.
That occurred when Specter first arrive with Rasha. He met the neighbours coincidentally just when he was about to push the door of his gate open and had to come up with a a reasonable excuse. He told them that she was his distant relative who recently had an accident although he did not reveal the gender of the so-called distant relative and so on.
As time went by, soon bellies began to growl, but there was no sign of breakfast arriving. Many started complaining about the incompetence of women lately. Yet even after the series of complains now and then, here and there, the result was the same, no food for the hungry men.
"This is unacceptable! Someone should go and see what is wrong with these women!" It was the chief of the community himself who instructed some youths.
At times like this when the men of the community would have to unite for the purpose of achieving similar goal, though usually not Maiden Houdini's kind of situation, every household would prepare a feast-like meal for the men, from breakfast, lunch and supper and submit to where the gathering was being held. Yet today despite being cognizant of the fact that the men were even risking their lives to secure the tranquility of the world in a heroic attempt to nab the evil Maiden Houdini, the women seemed to be taking their heroism as a joke by delaying their breakfast, thus prompting complaints and exasperated looks.
Minutes passed by again but even the youths sent by the chief still did not return nor was there food delivered from any household of the community.
"..."
Just when the community was about to give orders again, his observant eyes were quicker to spot dumbfounding numbers of Hilux driving into the community and heading towards them. It went without saying that the vehicles belonged to SS Agents, the police and other security agencies that were yet to be discovered.
"They are finally here!" Exclaimed the community chief.
Although hunger still existed, the arrival of the authorities improved the atmosphere by leaps and bounds, such that everyone kept the matter of their bellies aside for now.
Excitement returned and the community was awashed by enthusiastic screams and shouts as though they had attained victory already.
If only they were aware of the fact that Maiden Houdini had also planned a scheme that would later devastate the entire world, such that they will have no other option but to do whatever she wanted them to do!