Proud Beggars

6 panels organized into 1 panel in the top row, 2 panels in the middle row, and 3 panels in the bottom row. 

Panel 1
(A room in a brothel with blue walls, a rug, a coffee table, and two couches: a plush green couch on the left, with a large mirror above it; and a wicker couch with blue cushions in the center, with a window and grey shutters above it. Set Amina, a woman wearing a blue dress with a matching head wrap and gold jewelry, sits on the green couch with an older man in a black suit and a fez. A man in green robes and a fez holds the waist of a young woman with bleached hair and a purple dress on one end of the wicker couch. On the other end of the couch, another man in a black suit and fez sits awkwardly with his hands on his knees, peering at the couple.)
[Narration: By granting Set Amina license to resume her business, Nour El Din let himself be guided by the hope that he’d find the individual he was looking for, following the axiom that the culprit always returns to the scene of the crime. To this end, he’d entrusted one of his best detectives to make enquiries at the brothel, passing himself off as a rich provincial merchant.]
Set Amina (gesturing): You see! They’ll be the ruin of me, I’m telling you. Will that man never leave?
Man on green couch (gesturing toward Set Amina): Calm down, woman! Policeman or not, he’s still a client!

Panel 2
(In the foreground, Set Amina whispers to the older man, who is in the shadows. In the background, the detective disguised as a merchant and the young woman continue to speak, while the awkward man stays on the far end of their couch, obstructed by the man speaking to Set Amina.)
Set Amina (her hand shielding her mouth): Call that a client? May illness rid me of clients like that.
Man (holding a finger to his lips): Be quiet, he might hear you.

Panel 3
(Set Amina and the older man sit on the green couch, the coffee table in front of them. On the right, the arm of a man in a brown suit, writing at a table, is visible.)
Set Amina (gesturing as she speaks): Let him hear! After all, I’m the boss in my house!

Panel 4
(Gohar Effendi, wearing a brown suit, a white shirt, and a fez, smiles to himself with a pen in his hand. A thought bubble extends from his head, containing images of cannabis leaves. In the background, the detective/merchant embraces the young woman.)
[Narration: Gohar wasn’t haunted by the ghost of young Arnaba. He’d happily gone back to his work as bookkeeper and man of letters in the service of a shameless madam.]

Panel 5
(Gohar looks over his shoulder at the detective/merchant, who is embracing the young woman as he looks at Gohar. The awkward man is visible in the right corner, on the end of the wicker couch.)
Detective/merchant: Gohar Effendi?
Gohar: I’m listening.

Panel 6
(The detective/merchant holds up his right hand as he speaks, with his left arm around the young woman’s shoulders.)
Detective/merchant: This murder of the young girl Arnaba reminds me of an old story that also took place in a brothel. A strange detail suddenly came back to me . . . 

9 panels organized into 3 panels in the top row, 3 panels in the middle row, and 3 panels in the bottom row. 

Panel 1
(Close-up of the detective/merchant’s profile, with the young woman in the background, looking up at him and holding his chin.)
Detective/merchant: About a prostitute who was stabbed to death. At the autopsy, the coroner stated that she was a virgin. The funny thing was she’d been doing her job for over twenty years . . . What do you make of that?
Gohar (out of frame): Unbelievable!

Panel 2
(Gohar, holding his pen in the foreground, looks over his right shoulder at the detective/merchant in the background. The young woman helps him stand up from the couch.)
Detective/merchant: Isn’t it. A virgin prostitute! You have to admit, you can’t trust anyone.
Gohar: Even a whore’s pussy can surprise you. It can astonish the world.

Panel 3
(Gohar looks over his left shoulder. In the background, the detective/merchant guides the young woman through a curtained doorway, his hand on her back.)
Detective/merchant: Your philosophy is enchanting, I see you’re a man who understands life. See you later, Gohar Effendi.
Gohar: Entirely at your service.

Panel 4
(Gohar returns to his paperwork, looking down at the desk. In the background, El Kordi, a man in a grey suit and a fez, holding a handkerchief up to his face, stands in the curtained doorway.)
[Narration: Gohar went back to his accounts, but he felt touched by grace. Once again, this drama was revealing its ridiculous aspect. Take this ludicrous world seriously? There lay madness . . . and he’d had years of it.]

Panel 5
(El Kordi leans over Gohar’s left shoulder, still holding the handkerchief to his face.)
El Kordi: I knew I’d find you here, Master! I have something very serious to tell you.
Gohar (his mouth open in surprise): What is it, my son? Are you hurt?
El Kordi: No, there’s nothing wrong with me. I’m trying not to be recognized.

Panel 6
(View over Gohar’s shoulder as El Kordi takes a seat at his table. In the background, Set Amina and the older man continue talking on the green couch.)
Gohar: Why the mystery?
El Kordi: I’ve been found out. Master, they know I’m a revolutionary!

Panel 7
(El Kordi, his face in profile, whispers to Gohar. In the background, Gohar’s mouth is open in surprise.)
Gohar: Who’s they?
El Kordi: The police, of course. I’m being followed. This evening I took the train to the European Quarter . . .

Panel 8
(Gohar, in profile, continues to write as he looks at El Kordi. On the other side of the table, El Kordi rests his head on his hand, looking down.)
El Kordi: . . . When suddenly I noticed a man staring at me intently. The man was one-eyed, and he was watching me with his bad eye . . .

Panel 9
(Gohar and El Kordi, both in profile, lean toward each other across the table.)
Gohar: But what were you doing in the European quarter?
El Kordi: I told you the other day: I’ll do anything for money. I was going to try to rob a jewelers.

8 panels organized into 3 panels in the top row, 3 panels in the middle row, and 2 panels in the bottom row. 

Panel 1
(Gohar and El Kordi lean toward each other. El Kordi’s face is in profile, while Gohar faces away from the viewer.)
Gohar: Why do you need so much money?
El Kordi (gesturing): It’s not for me, Master! But Naila is ill, and then there are all the others.

Panel 2
(View of El Kordi’s back, leaning on the table facing Gohar, who sits back in his chair.)
Gohar: What others? Do you have a family to look after?
El Kordi: No. But I’m thinking of the poor, oppressed masses, Master. I don’t understand, how can you not care about the bastards exploiting the people?

Panel 3
(Close-up of El Kordi’s and Gohar’s faces. El Kordi is in profile, while Gohar faces the viewer.)
Gohar: When we have a country entirely made up of beggars, then you’ll see what will become of this total domination. It will crumble to dust.
El Kordi: But we’re already a nation of beggars! It seems to me there isn’t much more we can do.

Panel 4
(View of El Kordi and Gohar from the shoulders up, both in profile.)
Gohar: There’s lots we can do. There are still all the people like you who continue to collaborate.
El Kordi: You’re wrong there, Master! I do next to nothing. My presence in the ministry amounts to sabotage.

Panel 5
(Close-up of Gohar’s face from the nose up, drawn in cream and black.)
[Narration: Gohar remained silent. What did El Kordi think then? That he was the only one who knew that the poor were ruled by a band of shameless thieves? He himself had given up everything, comfort and position, so that he need no longer mix with such degenerates.]

Panel 6
(Close-up of Gohar’s and El Kordi’s faces in profile. Gohar reaches out to grasp El Kordi’s shoulder, while El Kordi looks out nervously, sweat dripping down his brow.)
Gohar: You realize there’s a policeman here. At the moment he’s busy fornicating with little Akila.
El Kordi: By Allah! It’s true, from now on I must be very careful.

Panel 7
(View from behind Set Amina, showing the back of her head and the shoulders and profile of the older man beside her. El Kordi stands in front of them, looking at Set Amina. In the background, Gohar looks over his shoulder at the other three people.)
[Narration: Set Amina, who’d been keeping her eye on El Kordi all this time, suspecting him of some kind of plot, uttered a sigh as she watched him approach.]
El Kordi: Is Naila in her room?
Set Amina: Yes, she’s with a client. Let her work. Do you all want to bankrupt me?

Panel 8
(Naila, wearing a blue robe and looking tired, walks out of the curtained doorway with a short, smiling man wearing a grey suit, green tie, and a fez, behind her. On the left side of the frame, El Kordi stands, gesturing toward Naila. Set Amina’s and the older man’s faces are in profile in the bottom left corner of the frame.)
El Kordi: You won’t go bankrupt today, woman! Anyway, here she comes.

8 panels organized into 3 panels in the top row, 3 panels in the middle row, and 2 panels in the bottom row. 

Panel 1
(Naila stands between El Kordi and the client, reaching out to push El Kordi away. Set Amina sits in front of them, her face in profile in the bottom left corner. The client hands cash to Set Amina while looking over at El Kordi, concerned.)
El Kordi: Let’s go to your room, darling. I need to speak to you.
Naila: Leave me alone. I’m here to work, not to listen to stories.

Panel 2
(Set Amina sits on the couch with a table and a coffee pot in front of her. She looks up at Naila, who stands beside the couch. El Kordi stands beside Naila in profile, cut off by the right side of the frame.)
Set Amina: Go on, my girl. This boy is mad. I don’t want a scandal.
Naila: No, auntie, I won’t go. I no longer know this man.

Panel 3
(Close-up of the back of Naila’s head in the foreground, with Set Amina’s face in profile, looking annoyed, in the bottom right corner of the frame. In the background, El Kordi stands over the two women, looking angry.)
El Kordi: You shouldn’t be working! I told you to rest.
Naila: Are you going to feed me then?

Panel 4
(View through the curtained doorway of the older man, Set Amina, and Naila sitting on the green couch. El Kordi stands over them, to the right of Naila. In the foreground, the detective/merchant stands in the doorway, cut off by the left side of the frame. Akila, the woman he was with, is visible in profile beside him.)
El Kordi (gesturing): I’m being followed by the police and you talk to me about food!?!
Set Amina (holding a finger to her lips): Shhh, don’t speak of the devil, he isn’t far away.

Panel 5
(Close-up of the back of Naila’s head in the foreground, with Set Amina’s face in profile beside her. In the background, El Kordi looks to the side, angry. Behind him, the detective/merchant scratches his head with his left hand, his right hand reaching out to Akila beside him.)
El Kordi: If there’s a policeman in this house, I’d certainly like to meet him!
Detective/merchant: A policeman, here? On my honor, what a . . .

Panel 6
(Close-up of the back of Set Amina’s head, with the back of Naila’s head cut off by the left side of the frame, in the foreground. In the background, El Kordi leans toward the detective/merchant, pointing at him. The detective/merchant holds his hands to his chest, looking alarmed.)
El Kordi: Apparently it’s you!
Detective/merchant: You’re mistaken, Effendi! I’m an honorable businessman.
Set Amina: Don’t insult the customers. This man is a nobleman, I know him.

Panel 7
(El Kordi and the detective/merchant stand over the couch, both gesturing. Behind them, the older man, Set Amina, and Naila sit on the green couch.)
El Kordi: But it was you who told me he was a policeman.
Set Amina (gesturing toward herself): Me?! Ungrateful man! And I welcomed you into my house as my own son.
Detective/merchant: Everyone calm down. It’s a simple misunderstanding. Let’s work this out.

Panel 8
(Wider view of El Kordi and the detective/merchant standing across from each other. In the bottom left corner, Gohar leans on the back of his chair to watch the conversation, his back to the viewer. In the background, the older man, Set Amina, and Naila sit on the green couch. Set Amina throws her hands up in the air, a spiral rising from her head, as the man comforts her. Naila holds her hands to her face in shock.)
El Kordi: There’s no point, I’m ready to confess.
Detective/merchant: Confess what, Effendi?
El Kordi: I confess I murdered Arnaba!
Gohar: ?
Man: ?
Naila: !?!

8 panels organized into 1 panel across from 2 vertically stacked panels in the top row, 2 panels in the middle row, and 3 panels in the bottom row.

Panel 1
(A perfume storefront, with a sign above the doorway, an ornate entryway, wooden cabinets, and shelves with perfume bottles visible in the background. The perfume seller, a man wearing blue and green robes and a fez, stands in front of the shop, speaking to a customer wearing a black cape, their back to the viewer. In the bottom left corner of the frame, smoke rises from a small green table.)
[Sign (in English and in Arabic): Egyptian Perfumes]
Perfume seller: A single drop of this perfume and men will die for you. 

Panel 2
(The perfume seller, in profile, leans toward the customer and dabs perfume on her wrist. The customer, a woman wearing gold jewelry, a pink and white headwrap, and a pink dress beneath the black cape, leans away from him.)
Woman: I don’t want to kill anyone, I just want to make my husband happy.

Panel 3
(Closer view of the perfume seller and the woman. The perfume seller leans away, recapping the bottle, as the woman speaks, gesturing with one hand.)
Perfume seller: Then I won’t sell it to you! I feel sorry for him. He’ll go mad at the very least.
Woman: What a day! Why say such silly things? I’ll take it.

Panel 4
(The perfume seller smiles down at the woman as he turns to open the perfume cabinet. The woman looks up at him, her back to the viewer, her head cut off by the bottom right corner of the frame.)
Perfume seller: All right, for you, it’s only ten piastres.
Woman: Ten piastres! By Allah you’re ruining me! I’m the one who’s going mad!?!

Panel 5
(The perfume seller leans forward in profile, a perfume bottle in one hand, as he reaches out for the woman’s money with the other. She drops a silver coin in his palm, holding a handkerchief in her other hand and looking up at him skeptically.)
Perfume seller: You’ll see, you’ll be eternally grateful to me, your husband will never reject you. He’ll be unable to exist far from this perfume . . .

Panel 6
(The perfume seller stands in profile on the left side of the frame, watching the woman walk down the street. She turns back to wave at him, the black cloak wrapped around her. Behind her are a mosque tower, a grey building, a man in white robes walking with a cane, and a shorter man in green robes and a grey jacket carrying a stack of boxes. In the foreground, a shorter man with glasses and dishevelled black hair, wearing black and holding a glass of water, stands beside the perfume seller.)
Woman: He only needs to come here and get some. 
Perfume seller (waving): By the prophet, I won’t sell him any.

Panel 7
(The perfume seller leans down toward the man in glasses, who looks up from the bottom left corner of the frame, in profile. Buildings and the mosque tower are visible in the background.)
Perfume seller: . . . It’s a deal then, the price is okay. I’ll take it. 
Man with glasses: I’ll bring it as quickly as I can. I’m not sure when. They’ll be handing it over soon.

Panel 8
(The perfume seller, his hands behind his back, stands in profile on the left side of the frame. He watches the man in glasses and a black suit walk down the street. Two men in blue robes, grey and green buildings, and brown sacks of goods are visible in the background. A green table with an empty glass is in the foreground along the bottom edge of the frame.)
Perfume seller: I hope it’s good quality?!?
Man with glasses: The best! You know I’m an expert. Good-bye!

8 panels organized into 2 panels in the top row, 3 panels in the middle row, and 3 panels in the bottom row. 

Panel 1
(View from the chest up of Yeghen, the man in the glasses and black suit, in blue and black shadows. Shop signs and a space selling ceramics are visible in the background. The colors are muted, with the pots shaded in white and yellow.)
[Narration: Yeghen reflected on the deal he’d just concluded. If everything went according to plan, he’d soon have the money he’d promised Gohar for his trip. To spare Gohar, to save him from prison, even from death, had become a kind of sacred mission.]

Panel 2
(Wider view of Yeghen walking down the street, his back to the viewer. More building fronts and figures are in the background, all depicted in blue and yellow shadows.)
[Narration: He was a little anxious. The deal was for a certain quantity of heroin and, when the moment came, he’d be supplying a packet containing sodium sulfide he’d bought in a pharmacy . . . ]

Panel 3
(Yeghen’s face, in profile, in blue shadows, in the top left corner of the frame. He looks down at a busy restaurant in the background, with men sitting at tables, a waiter and a cook standing in front of them. There are mirrors and a crocodile mounted on the wall, and a cloth awning draped to form a ceiling.)
[Narration: In the Café of Mirrors he found Gohar at a table with El Kordi.]

Panel 4
(On the right side of the frame, Yeghen, unshaven with dishevelled hair, pulls out a chair at the table with a glass and saucer, where Gohar and El Kordi are seated. On the left side of the frame, Gohar looks up at Yeghen in profile. El Kordi looks down with his head in his hands, obstructed by Gohar. Other customers are visible in the background, in orange shadows.)
Gohar: You look worn out. What’s up?
Yeghen: Oh it’s nothing, I haven’t slept in a bed for I don’t know how many nights, since I left my hotel. It was too dangerous. The police found out where I was.

Panel 5
(Closer view of Yeghen, in profile, with Gohar facing him across the table. A mirror on the wall and El Kordi’s hands, obstructed by Yeghen, are visible in the background.)
Gohar: Why not let destiny follow its course. What are you afraid of? 
Yeghen: I need them to leave me be for a few days, give me time to sort out a matter that concerns both of us. I can’t stand the idea of losing you.

Panel 6
(View of Gohar and El Kordi sitting on one side of the table with two glasses and saucers. El Kordi’s head is in his hands. In the foreground, Yeghen’s face in profile and his hand are visible in the foreground, cut off by the right side of the frame. The mirror hangs on the wall in the background.)
Gohar: But if I go to Syria you’ll be losing me just the same, my son. 
Yeghen: No, Master! I only need to know you’re alive, even if you’re far away.
El Kordi: Are you really leaving for Syria, Master? 

Panel 7
(Closer view of the three men at the table. El Kordi leans over Gohar, grabbing his shoulder. In the foreground, Yeghen looks surprised, his face cut off by the right side of the frame. The mirror hangs on the wall in the background.)
El Kordi: So you’re leaving us alone!?! I beg you, take me with you. I have my car, my horses are champing at the bit, what are you waiting for, Master?
Yeghen: What’s going on? Why, you’re delirious!

Panel 8
(Wider view of Gohar, El Kordi, who is seated again, and Yeghen at the table. Yeghen looks over his shoulder with wide eyes. Two men, one wearing a fez and a police uniform, the other in grey, are reflected in the mirror.)
Gohar: I think he had a fight with his mistress. He’ll be over it in a minute, don’t worry.
Yeghen: Look! There’s the police officer in charge of the murder. We must be discreet . . .
El Kordi: I will say what I like. I’m not afraid of anyone!

7 panels, organized into 1 panel across from 2 panels stacked vertically in the top row, and 4 panels in the bottom row. 

Panel 1
(Wider view showing Nour El Din and a man in a grey suit, their backs to the viewer. On the right side of the frame, Yeghen stands to greet them. In the background, Gohar and El Kordi stay seated at the table. The mirror on the wall behind them shows other customers in purple shadows.)
Yeghen: Good evening, officer. Please honor us with your company.
Nour El Din: What a happy surprise. I’d be charmed to know your friends . . .
Nour El Din (in a new speech bubble): But I believe I’ve already had the pleasure of meeting this young man.
El Kordi (looking to the side): Well, I’m really very flattered that you remember, Excellency.

Panel 2
(Close-up of the back of Gohar’s head, a spiral rising from his fez, and El Kordi’s face in profile in the bottom right corner of the frame. In the background, Yeghen stands in profile beside Nour El Din and the man in the grey suit, smiling and gesturing to the table.)
Nour El Din: How could I forget? I never forget an intelligent man!
Nour El Din (in a new speech bubble): Let me introduce Samir, a young relative of mine. 
Yeghen: And this is Gohar Effendi, Excellency. How is it you don’t yet know Gohar Effendi! It’s a serious gap in your life!

Panel 3
(Close-up of Gohar’s face in profile, cut off by the left side of the frame. On the right side of the frame, Yeghen smiles in profile. In the background, Nour El Din and Samir look closely at Gohar.)
Nour El Din: A gap I’d be glad to fill . . .
Yeghen: So, officer, is the enquiry progressing?
Nour El Din: I’m not unhappy, the case is close to being solved.

Panel 4
(Closer view of Nour El Din looking at El Kordi, whose face in profile is in the foreground, cut off by the left side of the frame. In the background, another customer gestures in the air.)
Nour El Din: A worrying story reached my ears, El Kordi Effendi. It appears you boasted of murdering Arnaba, in front of witnesses. Is that true?
El Kordi: It is true, you were not deceived. And I retract nothing. What are you waiting for to arrest me? 

Panel 5
(In the foreground, Samir looks at Yeghen, who gestures toward El Kordi out of frame. His eyes are wide through his glasses. More customers and a window showing a view of buildings are visible in the background.)
Yeghen: I had no idea my dear El Kordi, well done. 

Panel 6
(View of Nour El Din, smoking a cigarette in a holder. Samir sits beside him. In the foreground, Gohar faces Nour El Din, his profile cut off by the right side of the frame.)
Nour El Din: I will not arrest you, because I know that you are not the murderer. You just wanted to boast. Why? I don’t understand it . . .
Nour El Din (in a new speech bubble): Can you explain his conduct, Gohar Effendi? I think you were present at this ridiculous scene!?!

Panel 7
(View over Nour El Din’s shoulder. The back of his head and shoulders are cut off by the right side of the frame. Beside him, Yeghen’s profile is cut off by the left side of the frame. In the background, Gohar smiles at Nour El Din. The mirror hangs on the wall in the background.)
Yeghen: Officer, wait. Go on, Master, tell us your thoughts.
Gohar: Well, I think I can explain my young friend’s behavior. El Kordi is a man with a very noble soul. He’d like to change the world, but isn’t sure how to go about it. I think he was revolted by this crime. He wanted to take responsibility for it and offer himself as a martyr to the cause he believes in.

8 panels, organized into 3 panels in the top row, 2 panels in the middle row, and 3 panels in the bottom row. 

Panel 1
(Closer view of Gohar and El Kordi. El Kordi hunches over the table, looking annoyed at Gohar. In the mirror behind them, Nour El Din’s face is visible, looking down.)
El Kordi: Master! This is intolerable! I admit I’m not the murderer. But what does it matter whether it was me or someone else? 

Panel 2
(View of El Kordi seated at the table, gesturing toward Nour El Din in profile, who smokes a cigarette. The mirror hangs on the wall behind them.)
El Kordi: What matters to you, officer, is to arrest someone, no?
Nour El Din: That’s absurd! Utterly absurd. It’s not that at all. I want to arrest the guilty man and no one else!

Panel 3
(View of Nour El Din, gesturing with a cigarette in his right hand. Gohar’s face, in profile, is in the foreground on the left side of the frame.)
Gohar: Innocent and guilty, it must be hard to choose.
Nour El Din: But I’m not choosing. I only arrest a man when I’m convinced of his guilt. You’re all educated people here and yet you seem to have no idea of the law!

Panel 4
(View of Yeghen, smiling and reaching out a hand as he speaks. Gohar, sitting to his left, the table and mirror are visible in the background.)
Yeghen: It’s not law that interests us, but man! Why a man like you, instead of enjoying his brief life, should spend his time arresting his fellow men. It does seem an unhealthy occupation.

Panel 5
(View of the restaurant, showing a waiter adjusting a radio, which emits a speech bubble of music notes and the lyrics “Come, my love . . . ” in Arabic. The table with Gohar, El Kordi, Yeghen, Nour El Din, and Samir is in the center of the frame. In the background, another waiter carries a tray of drinks past them, more tables of customers are visible, and mirrors hang on the walls.)
Nour El Din: But I’m simply defending society against criminals. What kind of people are you? You’re living outside of reality.

Panel 6
(Closer view of Gohar, gesturing as he speaks. In the background, the mirror reflects Nour El Din and Samir, looking down.)
Gohar: The reality you’re talking about is one made up of prejudice. It’s a nightmare invented by men.
Nour El Din: There aren’t two realities?!?

Panel 7
(View over Gohar’s shoulder, showing the back of his head in the left side of the frame, as Nour El Din looks at him, a cigarette in his mouth. El Kordi, sitting between them, watches Nour El Din. A laughing customer and a view of buildings through the window are visible in the background.)
Gohar: There are! First, there’s the reality born of trickery and deception, where you’re thrashing about like a fish caught in a net. The other is a smiling reality, reflecting the simplicity of life. What does a man need to live? A bit of bread is enough.

Panel 8
(Close-up of Yeghen, leaning forward from the right side of the frame, raising a finger. Nour El Din watches him, holding a cigarette. Between them, Samir looks left, where Gohar sits out of frame. Other customers in orange shadows and a view of buildings through the window are visible in the background.)
Yeghen: A bit of hashish too, Master!
Gohar (out of frame): All right, my son, a bit of hashish too!

9 panels, organized into 3 panels in the top row, 2 panels in the middle row, and 4 panels in the bottom row. 

Panel 1
(Close-up of Gohar’s and Yeghen’s profiles, Gohar cut off by the left side of the frame and Yeghen cut off by the right side of the frame. In the background, Nour El Din watches them from the other side of the table. Samir sits beside him, his face obstructed by Yeghen’s profile. A man in orange shadows is visible in the background.)
Nour El Din: But that’s the negation of all progress!!!
Gohar: You have to choose. Progress or peace? We have chosen peace.
Yeghen: So, Excellency, we’re leaving progress to you. Enjoy it. We hope you’ll be very happy.

Panel 2
(Close-up of Nour El Din’s face, looking down.)
[Narration: Nour El Din knew nothing of Gohar’s former life, but it seemed to him this man was not all he appeared to be. He even wondered if he wasn’t perhaps the murderer . . . ]
Nour El Din: Peace?!?

Panel 3
(View from the waist up of a man in light grey robes and a white hat, walking across the foreground of the frame. In the background, Samir, Gohar, Yeghen, Nour El Din, and El Kordi sit at the table, a mirror on the wall behind them.)
Gohar: Peace, that’s what you’re looking for. 
Nour El Din: By Allah! How do you know what I’m looking for? What I’m looking for is a murderer!

Panel 4
(Closer view of the men at the table. Yeghen, in profile, leans forward from the right side of the frame, resting on his elbow. El Kordi sits in profile on the left side of the frame. In the background, Nour El Din, holding a white handkerchief, sits beside El Kordi. Samir sits between Nour El Din and Yeghen, his arms crossed, looking at Nour El Din.)
Yeghen: And the bomb?! Can you stop the bomb, Excellency?
Nour El Din: Not this madness again! No, Yeghen Effendi, I cannot stop the bomb.

Panel 5
(Nour El Din, on the left side of the frame, wipes his face with the handkerchief. A thought bubble above his head shows a skull and crossbones, wearing glasses to resemble Yeghen, with a live bomb below it. In the center of the frame, Samir sits, arms crossed, watching Yeghen. Yeghen, on the right side of the frame, gestures with both hands as he speaks. A man in orange shadows is visible in the background.)
Yeghen: Well then, you’re being paid to do nothing. What does it matter to me if you arrest some poor murderer? Ah, but if you could arrest the bomb!

Panel 6
(View over Gohar’s shoulder, showing the back of his head in the bottom right corner of the frame. In the background, Samir stands, bending toward Nour El Din as he speaks. Nour El Din looks up at Samir in profile, holding the handkerchief. Other customers in orange shadows are visible in the background.)
Nour El Din: What, are you leaving?
Samir: Excuse me, sir! But I must go home. My honorable father doesn’t let me stay out late. 
Nour El Din: Give my regards to all the family.
Samir: Of course.

Panel 7
(View over Nour El Din’s shoulder, showing his profile in the bottom right corner of the frame. In the background, Yeghen stands, leaning on the table as he speaks to Nour El Din. Gohar sits beside him, holding a cane. The mirror is visible on the wall behind them.)
Yeghen: It’s time I was off too. I’m sorry, Excellency, to cut such a fine conversation short. The truth is I’m asleep on my feet. 

Panel 8
(Wider view of the men’s table, showing Gohar standing, leaning on his cane, on the left side of the frame. El Kordi sits at the table, his head in his hands. Nour El Din sits with his arms folded on the table, looking up at Gohar. On the right side of the frame, Yeghen walks away. Mirrors along the wall are visible in the background.)
Gohar: Wonderful to meet you, officer. See you soon, I hope.
Nour El Din: Can I walk with you a little? 
Gohar: It would be my pleasure. 

Panel 9
(Closer view of El Kordi sitting at the table, his head in his hands. The mirror on the wall behind him shows Gohar and Nour El Din walking away together, with other customers and a view of buildings through the window.)
[Narration: Yeghen had already disappeared. El Kordi stayed on alone. He seemed unaware that the others had left.]