Pawns on the Chessboard: 2, #1

By RIYAD AL KADI رياض القاضي

"Pawns on the Chessboard" is another political novel by the famous novelist Riyad Al-kadi, whose works have been translated into more than six international languages. It is an extension of his novel "hunchback of Baghdad", which was released in 2015 and has been translated into many international languages. This novel mixes reality with fantasy and magic, and tells the story of the militias' control over the minds of most citizens and the American occupation, which is living a bloody military conflict with the parties loyal to the countries that seek to sow discord throughout the country and imprison anyone who opposes them. It also tells the story of the slice that was planted in the hands of Dr. Omar, who visits Iraq carrying a construction project, but the parties seek to kidnap him in order to obtain documents hidden by his father. The novel is a struggle between the parties and the British intelligence, which seeks to rescue Omar from the predicament through its agent Camellia.

• Language: English
• Publisher: RIYAD AL KADI رياض القاضي
• Release date: Jun 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9781667452401

Book preview

This novel is an extension of the novel (The Hunchback of Baghdad) in terms of the series of conspiracies and bloody events of internal political forces that play a destructive role in demolishing and wasting the lives and resources of their peoples, whether through external or internal interference in the country.

Title: Pawns on the Chessboard

Author: Riyad Al kadi

First Edition 2023

Publisher: IRAQIBBC

Pages  : 161

Design and all intellectual property rights for publishing are reserved for the author.

Translated by

Mahmoud Nour

-1-

To be successful in your life there must be a specific goal that you plan and study to work towards and achieve, defying all odds to achieve what you aspire to. Wherever you are, you are obligated to do so. A man without purpose is like a body without a soul. Planning is the most important thing, but how do you manage the generations who have abandoned science and abandoned their goals, turning their concerns into fashion, clothes, hairstyles and their yellows and reds? The concerns of young men and women have become about what kind of phones and features should be in their smartphone, and how to gather as many likes as possible on social networking sites, and their happiness is tied to these trivial limits to the limit. In short, this is what you see in cafes and in everyday life now. In Arab countries, these scenes are easily encountered, and they are only shortcuts to the current situation in which we live, so the hidden is greater. Added to this is the great disaster that is the abandonment of reading.

Yeah, it all doesn't make sense now. Especially in countries where there are many evils and epidemics, such as wars and serious diseases that completely destroy everything, and this is what Freemasonry wants to achieve in our country. The rich got richer and the poor got

poorer. No one seeks knowledge except a few devoted young people who do not know what despair means. Most people would rather seek a piece of bread than education. The time of culture almost ended because people changed their economic conditions because of bad governance. As for cultural gatherings and sessions attended by elite intellectuals in old cafes, read Peace be upon them.

The era of ignorance began, the virus of underdevelopment began to ravage people's minds, prostitutes became everywhere, most of them sold their most precious possessions to satisfy their orphan bellies, no one supports them after losing everything; Sex is no longer a pleasure. Sex has become a daily work carried out according to the agreement between the two parties..

Everything that was good in this country has gone, Baghdad is no more Baghdad, the hypocrites and the pimps, the junkies all have united and formed a government against the people, they have united to divide a country, while you never find them join for the goodness.

These were some of the simple scenes of a country struck down by wars and calamities. And there is still an unknown coming that only God knows. But what is to come is definitely worse, but the beauty is that everything that happens in cases, conspiracies and liquidations is in the service of Muslims. The Almighty said in Surat Al-Qiyamah {Does man think he will be left in vain? Was not this person a weak drop of degrading water that was poured and poured into the womb and then became a solid lump of blood, so that God created him with the power of him and straightened the image of him into the best form ? So he made this man into two types: the male and the female. Isn’t it God, the creator of these things, who can create them again after their destruction? Indeed, He – Glory be to Him – is able to do that

––––––––

The Crone Godmother

Her reputation is still widespread with the public, especially when this lonely old woman called Godmother enters the cemetery after midnight, the place filled with a heavier blackness than it is, washing herself with the smell of blood, drunken, her body does not feel tired, even though she is seventy years old. Her body burns with evil, leaving a chilling darkness where she drowns in its captivating depths

There is a moaning that comes from the graves when she comes, because the dead know that immediately ,she will cut into their bodies with her sharp scalpel. She has come to torment their souls. When she appears, her evil instinct pushes her to do another malicious act, taking steps and panting like dogs ...She chose a corpse that was buried on the same day in order to do its deed of bringing the black magic

Fear after fear penetrates the soul and dresses the body in terror and makes the soul weep heavily.

She was addicted to sitting among the tombstones at this late hour of the night, when winter invaded the pores of her body; her face was filled with heavy silence.

Only one person knows where she is at this hour. He is not afraid to invade her privacy because he is her right arm. He knew what she was doing now. He must tell her what he heard from the news of the day and who called him.

As she sat immersed in the bringing of spirits, she suddenly stopped what she was doing, she felt her informant standing silently behind her, she did not turn to him, she pressed the scalpel she had in her hand on the chest of the corpse lying in front of her, then she wiped her bloody hand on the shroud and said in a hoarse voice:

- What brought you now?

- I learned that a senior doctor was going to Iraq.

What's wrong with that, idiot? We all know that, so what's up? She said nonchalantly, without looking at him.

-  His intention is to carry out projects, in consultation with businessmen abroad,  , including the construction of hospitals in Iraq, for the benefit of the state.

She looked around the dark place and then said as if her tongue exuded bright yellow:

- They'll kill him like the other ones. Don't worry, political parties will end his life, he is a poor man.

- But it is believed that Wahhabi groups support him.

- There are no Islamic groups that support him. The best wisdom is to wait for the president. In a few hours , he will arrive from Lebanon and I will meet him. Leave me alone now I want to finish my rituals and don’t bother me anymore. The reason for your coming was as insignificant as you; you could have told me when I return. The reason you came is even crazier. Get out of my face now.

The man disappeared into the darkness and she remained with the body, sitting on the ground and staring into the depths of darkness. She took the scalpel and moved forward to finish what she had started by cutting the corpse's neck.

******

-2-

On this bright London winter morning, and despite the sun having risen, none of the British citizens trust it, even if it shines in summer. In London, there is a common saying among men residing there: Do not trust two women and the weather.

Dr. Omar felt warm in his bed and drew him into sweet and gentle dreams to his spacious and elegant room, where his eyes were still heavy and exuded like an indescribable and delicious numbness that enveloped his whole body.

The alarm clock rang again and again, but every moment he makes the alarm silent and cursed whoever invented it. Finally he decided to get up, slipped out from  the bed and went to the window, pulled back the curtain and looked up at the sky. The view is very wonderful from this place, where everything is seen with great magnificence from the window of the villa... the quiet movement of the street; cars parked on both sides of the road The place is darkened by the tranquility of a beautiful day. He left his bedroom to go to the kitchen. he pressed the button on the electric pitcher to heat the water, then went to the bathroom.

It often takes him less than 20 minutes to go to the bathroom and  shaves his beard. He felt the moments of comfort as he bathed under the warm water, he felt like he was in another world that does not relate to this bloody world at all. He took his imagination away from earth planet; away from the noise of work and life.

He finished his bath and then headed for the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea... He sat down in the hall and started leafing through the television channels. Only one message attracted him, and it was about greater Iraq on Channel 24 Alrabiya broadcast important news that is, the death of more than 50 people, including children with cholera.

Cholera? In the 21st century, this country is experiencing a tragedy like no other.

He couldn't believe what he had seen of the news about this affected country. He got up from his seat and went quickly to the bedroom and pulled out his cell phone to contact one of his friends in Baghdad via Viber. On the other side, the cell phone rang. The voice replied:

- Hi good morning.

- How are you? Are you OK? I just saw the news of people dying of cholera. Is it true?

- yes Dr. Omar It's true ,  and the spread of this deadly epidemic is still having a negative impact on some communities' residents.

Thus, the mass media didn’t exaggerate.

Even though it's true that the media embellishes and lies, what you saw regarding the tragedies in Iraq is real. Only our nation is powered by the divine. We are a different world, and Europe is another world to us.

- I already reserved the earliest flight to Iraq. The majority of the charities that are run and supported by the most well-known businessmen in Europe have given their approval for me to carry out charitable projects in Iraq. To begin the first phase of carrying out the charitable project, I will pay a visit to the Iraqi official in charge of these issues. Do you know how Iraqis will be when modern hospitals are built there; the benefit will be to everyone's advantage. As for the best locations to carry out these projects and their costs, an incredible budget has been set in this regard.

Expressing deep concern, his friend said:

- After hearing about your charitable endeavor on the BBC, all the officials are now extremely concerned. Please take caution.

- Don't be concerned; we'll meet at the airport and I'll tell you everything. I will be alone before the delegation comes in a few days to work with me, after receiving permission to begin working,  I'll see you later.

Okay, Doctor Bay, for the time being.

Bye.

Dr. Omar hung up .There were ambitions harboring his mind. How can Iraq descend to this level when there are opportunities to set up huge projects on its land? Despite these setbacks, lifting Iraq out of poverty and changing the reality of this country's situation within a few years and paying off  all dues is very possible.

He quickly dressed before descending the stairs to the first floor. While he was outside the house obtaining his Ferrari, he placed another call to the bank. The bank worker enquired:.

- I need to withdraw $20,000 today and am wondering if it's possible.

*****.

––––––––

-3-

The events in Baghdad did not bode well. Although the officials did not fail to sow fear and chaos among the people, they were also fighting among themselves brutally and ferociously. A minister attacked another minister and threatened him with death. The parties beat and killed each other. Militias in soldiers' uniforms attacked the Central Bank of Iraq and they steal millions of dollars. Everything happens as if it were a Hollywood movie, not in a country with a long history.

In the midst of these tragedies and horrific events, one of the ministers decided to visit the old crone, the godmother, in her house. She used to live in a spacious and modern-style house divided into two parts. A part for