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“Yes,” she answered at the same moment Tair spoke

“No,” Tair said

The Mullah looked up frolasses low on his nose

“Yes,” Tally repeated

“Sheikh el-Tayer?” The Mullah asked Tair for clarification

“No,” Tair answered “She said no, she’s not”

“No,” Tally said, frustration growing “I didn’t say no—”

“So it’s no?” the Mullah said, looking at Tally now

“Yes, it’s no—” she broke off, shook her head “What are you asking?”

“Do you wish tocoerced?”

Color stormed her cheeks “Yes”

“Yes, you want to marry him”

“Yes, I’ coerced”

“Good You wish to marry him Yes” The Mullah nodded, shuffled his paperwork “Let it be done”

And that was that It was done Tally had become Sheikh Tair’s wife

There was a huge celebratory party afterward, a banquet of gigantic proportions but Tally didn’t have the heart—much less stomach—to eat, especially not after Tair told her they’d sit in separate sections during the banquet and celebrations

Sit in separate sections? He still didn’t get who she was, still didn’t understand that he’d swept her into so so alien from her world that she still felt dizzy Not just dizzy, but scared

How could she live here, like this? Yes, she loved him but she didn’t understand hirowing up Not exclusion Not seclusion

As the crowd surged around the Tair one way and the wo the banquet to run up the stairs for the sanctuary of her own room

Fighting tears, she hiked up her long dress, tucking it into the waistband of her skirt and paced Trapped, that’s what she was Trapped

There was nowhere for her to go No one to help her She was truly alone

And standing on her terrace, tears in her eyes, she heard thewith the dalouka, or big drums

Soon there would be singing and dancing Tair had said his men, armed with swords and whips, would perform the war dance called the Al Ardha

Tears falling, Tally looked out over the desert with its sand and more sand How could she feel so much and none of it be easy? How could she love and still be unhappy? Where was the comfort? Where was the peace?