Section 1
Lezah held the title of Cadi of Acara for a considerable amount of time. Two children were born to him and they were named Mustapha and Fatima. The age gap between them was only two years, and they shared a strong bond of affection towards each other. On Fatima's sixteenth birthday, her brother arranged a small celebration and invited all of their friends to it.
The meal comprised of only the most exquisite delicacies, and as the evening approached, Mustapha proposed that they all take a boat ride on the sea in a specially decorated vessel, arranged for the event.
Fatima and her young guests were extremely happy because the evening was beautiful, and the sight of the town from the water was very scenic. Although Mustapha was reluctant, the girls had such a good time that they convinced him to row further and further away from the shore. He had recently spotted a Corsair in the bay, so he was hesitant to comply.
Close to the town, there was a headland that extended into the sea, and the young women desired to travel there to observe the tranquil waters as the sun set. While navigating around the headland, they spotted a boat containing several armed individuals. Afraid of potential harm, Mustapha directed his crew to reverse the boat and return to the dock. It appeared as though Mustapha's concerns were justified, as the other boat quickly pursued Mustapha's boat, then overtook it and intentionally positioned itself between Mustapha's boat and the shore. When the young women became aware of the peril they were in, they became extremely frightened, and huddled together while weeping and crying out in distress, despite Mustapha's attempts to console them and his admonitions that they should remain still to avoid capsizing the boat, they became so panicked that as the Corsair's boat approached, they rushed to one side and tipped the boat over. Meanwhile, the individuals on the shore had spotted the unfamiliar boat and grew suspicious and Several vessels were launched to aid Mustapha if needed. However, the rescuers only arrived in time to witness the mishap. During the chaos, the unfamiliar boat managed to escape, and because the rescued individuals were placed in different boats, it was not immediately apparent whether everyone had been saved. Gradually, it became evident that Fatima and one of her friends were unaccounted for, and that a man whom nobody recognized was in one of the boats. When Mustapha threatened him, the man confessed that he was a member of a ship anchored approximately two miles away. He explained that his colleagues had abandoned him as he was attempting to rescue some of the young women, and that he was aware that they had taken two of them onto the ship.
The sorrow of the elderly father was distressing to observe, and Mustapha was utterly devastated. In addition to Fatima's disappearance, the missing playmate was a young woman to whom he was clandestinely engaged. He had been unable to inform his proud and arrogant father of the situation because of her parents' modest means.
After his sorrow had lessened somewhat, the Cadi summoned Mustapha and spoke to him: "You have caused me to lose the delight of my eyes and the solace of my old age due to your foolishness. "Get out of here! I exile you from my vision forever. Let my curse chase you until you bring Fatima back to me," he said.
Mustapha was deeply disturbed by this turn of events. He had taken an oath to locate his sister and her friend and had hoped to seek his father's approval for his mission however he was now being expelled from his home and left to carry the weight of a curse as he ventured out into the world. The most painful realization for Mustapha was that the curse was undeserved.
He visited the pirate sailor in prison, inquiring about the ship's trade and learned that the captain sold slaves in the market at Balsora. Upon his return to the house to make arrangements for his journey, Mustapha discovered that his father's anger had somewhat subsided and that he had been given a purse of gold to cover his travel expenses.
Mustapha said goodbye to Zoraide's parents with tears in his eyes and began his journey towards Balsora, traveling mostly by land since there were no ships leaving Acara for his desired port, and he traveled quickly to catch up with the pirates. Three men unexpectedly assaulted Mustapha while he was riding alone after four days. He observed their weapons and decided to prioritize his life over his horse and gold, thus he cried out that he would give up. Without uttering a single word, they fastened his feet together beneath his horse, placed him in the center of their group, and one of the men took the reins and led him along.
