Chapter 10

At the moment Risha, Merees and Leorin set foot in the harbor, they found the area bustling with activity: Ships, which had returned after months, perhaps even a year, at sea, were unloading their cargo, storing them in warehouses, under the scrutinizing eye of the officials. The fishmongers had set up their wares and in loud voices, extolled the freshness and quality of their goods, the smell of which lingered in the breeze. Here and there, street-urchins, clothes dirty and in tatters ran around, picked pockets, got into fights with another, or begged,  an action which was often ignored and sometimes rewarded with either a coin, or the threat of getting smacked on the head if they didn't get out of the way.

In short, it was a typical day in the capital's harbor.

"Let's find a ship", Merees said. Despite the warm weather, she had kept the hood of her cloak up.

A rumbling noise escaped Risha's stomach, alerting her to the fact that she hadn't had anything to eat since the cake which had been served at the banquet. She was just about to put forth the suggestion that perhaps they could have some breakfast, when her brother piped up:

"I'm hungry", he announced in a tone of voice which made it clear that someone had better do something about this problem and fast.

Merees looked at the two siblings. She had promised their parents that she would care for them and that, surely, must include keeping them fed. Besides, she was beginning to feel a bit peckish herself.

"You're right", she said. "We should eat something first."

With Risha and Leorin in tow, Merees made her way towards one of the restaurants that lined the area. A gorilla, wearing an apron, devoid of any stains, stood by its entrance. When he saw three potential customers approaching, he put out the cigarette he had been smoking in a nearby flowerpot and flashed the trio a smile, showing two rows of teeth whose whiteness matched that of his apron.

"Welcome honored guests", he said, executing a flawless bow. "Please come in and make yourselves comfortable."

"Is there a table for three available?" Merees asked, casually.

The Gorilla nodded.

"You're in luck", he said. "Follow me."

Upon entering the restaurant, the first thing the group noticed was the fact that it was almost completely devoid of people. In fact, the only other customer was a grey-furred otter, who was busy noisily slurping soup, tiny drops of his meal were stuck at the tip of his whiskers. The restaurant itself was decorated with a fisherman-theme; nets hung from the ceiling and the jawbone of a shark had been put up on the wall.

"You may pick whichever table you like", the gorilla said, addressing Merees, whom he had sized up as the spokesperson of the trio.

The Princess picked out a table in the corner and once everyone was seated, the gorilla asked if they would like to look at the menu.

"No", said Merees. "Just give us today's special". Assuming that this place has a special, she thought to herself, while glancing at a stain of indeterminable origin on the table.

"As you wish", the gorilla said. He whipped out a small notebook and scribbled something in it. With that, he thanked them and headed for the kitchen.

Once they were alone, Risha turned to Merees.

"Princess", she said. "There's something I've noticed."

"What's that? Oh, and I think it would be best if we disposed with the titles. Just call me by my first-name from now on."

"Well, I just can't help but notice that no-one seems to realize who you are."

"You're right", Leorin said. "Why is that?"

From the depths of her hood, Merees let out a small chuckle.

"Its because of this cloak", she explained. "Its no ordinary piece of clothing. You see, as long as you wear the hood up, the person who's looking at you sees not the real you, but rather someone else."

Risha let out an impressed whistle.

"That's really convenient. So, where did you get it from?"

"It belonged to my father, a leftover from his adventuring days. He told me once that, at the beginning of his rule, he'd on occasion put it on and go out in the capital  incognito; mingling with his subjects and discovering if anyone was discontent or if there was any corruption going on. I remembered that he still had it, so I snuck into his chambers and took it. I thought it would come in handy, simple as that. Besides, she thought, while fingering the cloak's pin, I wanted to have at least some memento of him.

"Hold on!" Leorin protested. "If that cloak hides your true appearance from whoever's looking at you, how come you don't look different to me?"

"Simple, you and your sister already know its me underneath the hood."

At that moment, the gorilla returned with their food; three bowls of soup and all conversation came to halt.

The soup was hot and rich and everyone ate with good appetite. Even Merees, used as she was to the food served in the palace, had to admit that it was better than she thought it would be. Once they had finished, the Princess signaled to the gorilla that they were ready to pay.

"I hope the meal was satisfactory", the gorilla said, as he pocketed the coins Merees had put on the table.

"Very much so, thank you. By the way, you wouldn't happen to know a captain that would be willing to rent out their ship for a longer journey at sea?"

"Well", the gorilla said, pointing at the otter. "There's always old Samuel over there, the ship he works on have been known to take passengers, from time to time. Hold on a second..."

Without another word, the gorilla went over to the otter's table and began talking to him. Shortly thereafter, he returned, accompanied by the otter.

"So", the latter said, wiping his mouth with the back of his paw. "I'm told that you folks are looking to charter a ship."

"That's right", Merees said. "Would your Captain be willing to have us?"

Samuel smiled, revealing a row of yellowing teeth.

"Oh, the captain will take anyone providing that they can pay for the journey and from the looks of your purse, that shouldn't be a problem."

"It won't be. Take us to your captain and we'll sort out the details with him."

Samuel's eyes narrowed slightly, whoever the person in the hood was, she couldn't be just anyone. Judging by the tone that had crept into her voice when she had talked to him, it was clear that she was someone who was quite used to giving orders and it was obvious that she did not lack for funds either. Yes, the otter thought to himself, the captain will surely be pleased with this latest catch.

Habibi by Craig Thompson

Before reading Habibi, the only work of Craig Thompson's that I was familiar with was Goodbye Chunky Rice, his debut comic, which I read when I was in fifth grade (or maybe sixth, my memory is a bit vague). As for Thompson's later comics, such as Blankets, at the time they came out, they didn't seem like the sort of thing I'd be into, so I never paid much attention to them. Habibi, on the other hand was a comic that had me intrigued from the moment I became aware of it and recently, I finally got around to read it and without giving too much away, I only wished I had read it sooner.

Originally published in 2011, Habibi is set in a fictional Middle-Eastern land. It is here that we meet our main characters; Dodola and Zam, refugee child-slaves, who have made a home for themselves in a ship, stranded in the desert. Dodola, the older of the two by nine years, takes it upon herself to act as a surrogate-parent to Zam, nurturing him and teaching him to read and write. Life is harsh, however and eventually, Dodola sees no other option but to prostitute herself to the passing caravans in exchange for food and other things she and Zam need to survive. One day, Dodola vanishes and Zam, having learned what his caretaker had to go through and feeling wracked with guilt, sets out to find her.

Stretching across six-hundred pages, the story of Habibi is truly epic in scope, allowing Thompson to show what a truly gifted storyteller he is. The story does not unfold in a linear fashion, but jumps back and forth in time and as it does, the reader is treated to new revelations about the characters and the world they inhabit. Dodola and Zam are both very engaging protagonists, particularly the former, who ranks among my favorite female leads in any work of fiction. The author does a great job making us root for these two and hoping that they and the love they share will prevail, allowing them to overcome the many horrible things they have to endure during the course of the story and find happiness.
Religion plays an important part in Habibi. When they were children, Dodola would tell Zam stories from the Quran. These stories are woven into the main plot, much like the stories-within-stories, seen in such works as Potocki's The Manuscript Found in Saragossa and, of course, The One-Thousand and One Nights. While not a religious person myself, I did find the way Thompson would compare and contrast the stories found in the Quran with their counterparts from the Old Testament (such as Abraham's sacrifice of his son) to be interesting.

The richness of Habibi's plot is matched by its art, which is some of the best black-and-white artwork I've ever seen. Apparently, it took Thompson six years to complete and I can definitely see why. Inspired by Islamic art and calligraphy, there are panels and pages here so intricate, that a reader can find themselves lost in them.

Habibi is well deserving of the praise that it has received over the years since it was first published. Craig Thompson has crafted an astonishing masterpiece, one which belongs on any list of great comics.