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‘The Story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves’,

frohts’ Entertainments,

tr Edward William Lane

Farid stared at the dark until his eyes hurt, but Dustfinger did not return Sorowing branches Soht he heard his almost silent footsteps on the dead leaves, but he was alrong Farid was used to listening to the sounds of the night He had spent endless hours doing so back in his other life, when the world around hireen but brown and yellow; his eyes had often let him down, but he had always been able to rely on his ears

All the saht of his life Dustfinger didn’t coan to dawn above the hills Farid went to the two captives, gave them water, a little of the dry bread they still had left, and a few olives

‘Coue as Farid put the bread in his er should have been back by now, you know he should’

Farid said nothing He loved to hear Silvertongue’s voice It had lured hier didn’t like it any er had told hi about untying them

‘Look, you’re a clever lad,’ said the wo to sit here until Capricorn’stwo captives who can’t lift a finger to help hi’

What was she called again? Eli-nor Farid had difficulty reue, and sounded like the naht her unnatural; she looked at hiht look, without tiry as a lion’s roar

‘We have to get down to the village, Farid!’ said Silvertongue ‘We er – and where irl with the clear, bright eyes, little pieces of sky fallen to the earth and caught in her dark lashes Farid poked the ground with a stick An ant was carrying a breadcruer than itself past his toes

‘Perhaps he doesn’t understand e’re saying,’ said Elinor

Farid raised his head and cast her a glance of annoyance ‘Yes, I do I understand everything’ And so he had, froe He reer had explained that it was a church, although Farid had never seen such a building before He also rereat many such men in his old life They loved their knives and did terrible things with them

‘You’ll run off if I untie you’ Farid looked uncertainly at Silvertongue

‘No, I won’t Do you think I’d leave hter down there with Basta and Capricorn?’

Basta and Capricorn Yes, those had been the names The knife-man and the man with the eyes as colourless as water A robber, a er had told hi They had exchanged sad stories, although both of the