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**Scene 1: The Scorpion's Gift**
**Tus, Persia – 726 CE – Dawn**
Five-year-old Jabir crouched in the apricot orchard, his breath fogging the chill desert air. Before him, a **fat-tailed yellow scorpion** (*Androctonus crassicauda*) poised its stinger over a struggling **desert mouse**.
**"Watch closely, little falcon."** Hayyan's calloused hand settled on Jabir's shoulder. **"See how the venom works?"**
Jabir's nose wrinkled as the mouse's limbs stiffened. **"It stopped breathing, Baba. Why?"**
Hayyan flipped the dead rodent with his **bronze forceps**, exposing puncture wounds. **"The venom attacks the *nafs*—the life breath. One drop could kill a grown man."** He nudged the victorious scorpion toward a clay jar. **"But in tiny doses..."**
From his belt pouch, Hayyan produced a **glass vial** containing amber liquid. **"This is medicine for swollen hearts. Same venom, different measure."**
Jabir's eyes widened. **"Poison can heal?"**
**"All things have two faces,"** Hayyan said, tapping the vial. **"Even death."**
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**Scene 2: The Apothecary's Laboratory**
**Hayyan's Workshop – Midday**
Jabir stood on a stool, grinding **dried hellebore** in a **basalt mortar** while Hayyan decanted **arsenic-laced** well water into labeled flasks. The workshop hummed with the scent of:
- **Sour tamarind paste** (for neutralizing alkaloids)
- **Bitter almond oil** (cyanide antidote)
- **Pungent asafoetida** (anti-spasmodic)
**"Measure twice,"** Hayyan warned as Jabir reached for the **copper scales**. **"One grain too much of *zarnikh*, and—"**
**"—And Uncle Rafiq turns blue!"** Jabir giggled, recalling last week's mishap.
Hayyan's smile faded. He lifted a **caged desert hare** onto the table. **"Today you learn the price of mistakes."**
With ritual solemnity, he fed the hare:
1. **Drop 1:** Diluted scorpion venom – the animal twitched but lived.
2. **Drop 2:** Pure **aconite extract** – within three breaths, it convulsed, foamed, and died.
Jabir's laughter died too.
**"This is why we study venom,"** Hayyan said, stroking the hare's still-warm fur. **"Not to kill, but to *understand*."**
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**Scene 3: The Test**
**Orchard Edge – Dusk**
Hayyan blindfolded Jabir with a **saffron-dyed cloth**. **"Name the poison by smell alone."**
Jabir inhaled each vial Hayyan held to his nose:
1. **"Sickly sweet... *Belladonna*!"**
2. **"Rotten eggs—*stinkhorn mushroom*!"**
3. **"Bitter almonds... *La'an*!"** (Arabic for cyanide)
Hayyan removed the blindfold, eyes gleaming. **"Now taste."**
Jabir recoiled. **"But Baba, the hare—"**
**"Trust your lessons."** Hayyan dipped a **silver needle** into honey laced with **1/100th grain of arsenic**, then touched it to Jabir's tongue.
**"Metallic... like licking a sword,"** Jabir gasped. His throat burned—but only slightly.
**"Good,"** Hayyan said, handing him **milk thistle tea** to neutralize the toxin. **"Your body remembers this sting now. Next time, you'll recognize death before it bites."**
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**Scene 4: The Accident**
**Village Well – Next Morning**
Jabir trailed after village girls drawing water. When 8-year-old **Layla bint Wahb** (no relation to his mother) shrieked, he was first to see the **black scorpion** clinging to her foot.
**"Don't move!"** He grabbed her ankle, recalling Hayyan's lessons:
1. **Pinch the tail** below the venom sac
2. **Twist counterclockwise** to dislodge
The scorpion fell—but not before stinging Jabir's thumb.
**Pain like fire.**
Layla wailed as Jabir's hand swelled purple. **"I'll fetch your father!"**
**"No!"** Jabir hissed through gritted teeth. **"Get... *garlic*."**
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**Scene 5: The Antidote**
**Date Palm Grove – Noon**
Jabir chewed **raw garlic cloves** (slowing venom's spread) while Layla mashed **prickly pear pulp** into a poultice. His vision blurred, but he remembered Hayyan's words:
*"Venom travels where blood flows. Cool the flesh, confuse its path."*
He plunged his hand into the irrigation ditch, then smeared on the cactus goo. **"Now... tie it tight."** Layla bound his thumb with her **headscarf silk**, cutting circulation.
When Hayyan found them, Jabir's arm was numb to the elbow—but his pulse steadied.
**"You lived because you *listened*,"** Hayyan said, crushing **fenugreek seeds** into a healing paste. **"Most men die from pride, not poison."**
Layla kissed Jabir's forehead. **"My hero!"**
Hayyan arched a brow. **"Heroism is knowing when to call for help, *ya ibn*."**
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**Scene 6: The Scorpion's Lesson**
**Workshop – Evening**
Hayyan extracted venom from the captured scorpion, dripping it into **olive oil** to denature the toxins. Jabir watched, thumb throbbing.
**"Why teach me poisons so young, Baba?"**
Hayyan set down his pipette. **"Because our world is venomous."** He unfolded a **silk scroll** hidden beneath the workbench—a list of names.
**"Umayyad tax collectors,"** he whispered. **"They execute healers who treat rebels. One day, you may need to..."** He mimed sprinkling powder into a cup.
Jabir touched his swollen hand. **"But the hare—"**
**"—Chose nothing,"** Hayyan finished. **"You will. And when that day comes, I want you *prepared*."**
Outside, the muezzin's call echoed through Tus. Hayyan rolled the scroll tight. **"Now fetch **milk thistle**. We've lessons yet to learn."**
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