kingdom could be his, because he'd heard the words of Abu Qurush at the well. He ran to the king's audience chamber and cried, Tour thief is your own imam, Salim!'
"Well, the king doubted this was true, but he sent his soldiers to Salim's house, where they found the rest of the gold. They arrested Salim and brought him in chains to the king's deepest, foulest dungeon. Salim knew who'd betrayed him, and he cursed his foolishness in ignoring the warnings of the animals and setting the evil imam free.
"Salim languished in his gloomy cell for a day and a night, and a day and a night, and then he remembered the words of the she-wolf. He took out the wolfs whiskers and burned them. In the blink of an eye, the she-wolf stood before him. "What do you want of me?' she asked.
" 'Only for you to get me out of this dreadful prison, just as I released you from the well,' said Salim.
" 'Tonight you will be free,' said the wolf, and she squeezed beneath the door of his cell and was gone.
"Many hours passed, until it was the darkest watch of the night. Suddenly, there came screams of terror from the bedchamber of the king's young son and heir. The king ran into the room and saw the wolf with the boy's head gripped between her long, sharp teeth. Whenever the king or one of his soldiers or advisers tried to ap-proach, the wolf let loose a loud, fierce growl. No one could do anything to save the young prince.
"Eventually, the news spread throughout the palace. The dungeon guards discussed it loudly, and Salim over-heard them. 'Take me to the king,' he called, 'and I will save the life of the prince.'
"The guards laughed at him, saying the bravest of their number could do nothing, so what could this mere preacher hope to accomplish? At last, Salim persuaded the guards to bring him before the king. They hurried up to the prince's chamber. As soon as Salim entered, the wolf began wagging her tail and making sounds like a dog pleased to see its master. 'The she-wolf will depart with-out harming the boy,' said Salim, 'but only if you offer it the heart of the former imam of Ash-Sham.'
"The king commanded his soldiers to hurry, and they ran out into the city and found the evil imam. They ar-rested him and dragged him back to the palace and cut off his head. Then they hacked open his chest, cut out his heart, and put it in a golden bowl. Salim placed the golden bowl before the she-wolf. The animal licked his hand, took the heart of the evil imam in her mouth, and ran from the palace to freedom.
"The king was so pleased that he pardoned Salim, and then gave him his daughter's hand in marriage!"
I waited a moment to be sure the story was finally over. "I'm supposed to cut Dr. Sadiq Abd ar-Razzaq's heart out?"
I said.
"Yes, and feed it to a dog," said Noora fiercely.
"Even though we don't do that kind of thing in the city anymore? I mean, we're talking about a theologian here. Not Hitler or Xarghis Khan."
Noora looked at me blankly. "Who are they?" she asked.
I smiled at her. "Never mind."
She took the empty plate and bowl from me and went out of the tent. Friedlander Bey entered almost immedi-ately. He sat down beside me on the sand and clasped my hand. "How are you feeling, my darling?" he asked.
I was glad to see him. "It is as Allah pleases, O Shaykh," I said.
He nodded. "But look, your face is badly burned by the sun and the wind. And your hands and arms, from carrying me!" He shook his head. "I came to see you every day, even when you were unconscious. I saw the pain you suffered."
I let out a deep breath. "It was necessary, my grandfa-ther."
Again he nodded. "I suppose I'm trying to express my gratitude. It's always—"
I raised my free hand. "Please, O Shaykh, don't make us both uncomfortable. Don't thank me. I did what I could to save our lives. Anyone would have done the same."
"Yet you pushed yourself beyond endurance, and you damaged your body and mind for my sake. I gave you those cursed implants, and I made you my weapon. Now you've repaid
"Well, the king doubted this was true, but he sent his soldiers to Salim's house, where they found the rest of the gold. They arrested Salim and brought him in chains to the king's deepest, foulest dungeon. Salim knew who'd betrayed him, and he cursed his foolishness in ignoring the warnings of the animals and setting the evil imam free.
"Salim languished in his gloomy cell for a day and a night, and a day and a night, and then he remembered the words of the she-wolf. He took out the wolfs whiskers and burned them. In the blink of an eye, the she-wolf stood before him. "What do you want of me?' she asked.
" 'Only for you to get me out of this dreadful prison, just as I released you from the well,' said Salim.
" 'Tonight you will be free,' said the wolf, and she squeezed beneath the door of his cell and was gone.
"Many hours passed, until it was the darkest watch of the night. Suddenly, there came screams of terror from the bedchamber of the king's young son and heir. The king ran into the room and saw the wolf with the boy's head gripped between her long, sharp teeth. Whenever the king or one of his soldiers or advisers tried to ap-proach, the wolf let loose a loud, fierce growl. No one could do anything to save the young prince.
"Eventually, the news spread throughout the palace. The dungeon guards discussed it loudly, and Salim over-heard them. 'Take me to the king,' he called, 'and I will save the life of the prince.'
"The guards laughed at him, saying the bravest of their number could do nothing, so what could this mere preacher hope to accomplish? At last, Salim persuaded the guards to bring him before the king. They hurried up to the prince's chamber. As soon as Salim entered, the wolf began wagging her tail and making sounds like a dog pleased to see its master. 'The she-wolf will depart with-out harming the boy,' said Salim, 'but only if you offer it the heart of the former imam of Ash-Sham.'
"The king commanded his soldiers to hurry, and they ran out into the city and found the evil imam. They ar-rested him and dragged him back to the palace and cut off his head. Then they hacked open his chest, cut out his heart, and put it in a golden bowl. Salim placed the golden bowl before the she-wolf. The animal licked his hand, took the heart of the evil imam in her mouth, and ran from the palace to freedom.
"The king was so pleased that he pardoned Salim, and then gave him his daughter's hand in marriage!"
I waited a moment to be sure the story was finally over. "I'm supposed to cut Dr. Sadiq Abd ar-Razzaq's heart out?"
I said.
"Yes, and feed it to a dog," said Noora fiercely.
"Even though we don't do that kind of thing in the city anymore? I mean, we're talking about a theologian here. Not Hitler or Xarghis Khan."
Noora looked at me blankly. "Who are they?" she asked.
I smiled at her. "Never mind."
She took the empty plate and bowl from me and went out of the tent. Friedlander Bey entered almost immedi-ately. He sat down beside me on the sand and clasped my hand. "How are you feeling, my darling?" he asked.
I was glad to see him. "It is as Allah pleases, O Shaykh," I said.
He nodded. "But look, your face is badly burned by the sun and the wind. And your hands and arms, from carrying me!" He shook his head. "I came to see you every day, even when you were unconscious. I saw the pain you suffered."
I let out a deep breath. "It was necessary, my grandfa-ther."
Again he nodded. "I suppose I'm trying to express my gratitude. It's always—"
I raised my free hand. "Please, O Shaykh, don't make us both uncomfortable. Don't thank me. I did what I could to save our lives. Anyone would have done the same."
"Yet you pushed yourself beyond endurance, and you damaged your body and mind for my sake. I gave you those cursed implants, and I made you my weapon. Now you've repaid
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