Teasing, provocative, and very funny, Mohammed Hanifs debut novel takes one of the subcontinents enduring mysteries and out if it spins a tale as rich and colourful as a beggars dream.Why did a Hercules C130, the worlds sturdiest plane, carrying Pakistans military dictator General Zia ul Haq, go down on 17 August, 1988? Was it because of: 1. Mechanical failure 2. Human error 3. The CIAs impatience 4. A blind womans curse 5. Generals not happy with their pension plans 6. The mango season Or could it be your narrator, Ali Shigri? Here are the facts: A military dictator reads the Quran every morning as if it was his daily horoscope. Under Officer Ali Shigri carries a deadly message on the tip of his sword. His friend Obaid answers all lifes questions with a splash of eau de cologne and a quote from Rilke. A crow has crossed the Pakistani border illegally. As young Shigri moves from a mosque hall to his military barracks before ending up in a Mughal dungeon, there are questions that haunt him: What does it mean to betray someone and still love them? How many names does Allah really have? Who killed his father, Colonel Shigri? Who will kill his killers? And where the hell has Obaid disappeared to?From the Hardcover edition.