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‘The god of air and wind, aanisah’

‘Do you believe in the old gods, then?’

‘We believe first in Allah and in Mohaods are part of this land an It is sathered oddess of the sky Have you heard of her?’

Sam had, but she wanted to hear al-Walid’s tale so she shook her head Out of the corner of her eye she caught a flash of Edge’s s like a child She felt like one again and it onderful

‘Nuut and Geb were inseparable and one day the greatest god of all, Ra, grew jealous of their closeness so he set Shu to keep the lovers apart—that is why the air stands between the earth and the sky, do you see?’

‘Yes, but how sad!’

‘Awful,’ Edge interposed, his voice as dry as the desert ‘He was such a successful guardian they only succeeded in siring five children’

‘It is still sad Five stolen encounters hardly amount to a happy relationship’

‘Five children would naturally ie replied ‘Given the limited likelihood of conception at each encounter that would

‘Must you ruin the story with both pedantry and prudishness, Edge? Where is your sense of roods—perhaps part of their divine properties was to tiical as to’

‘Yes, very well Why don’t you allow Sheikh al-Walid to continue?’

Sam smiled at his discomfort and turned back to al-Walid

‘Did Ra punish them?’

‘No, their children prospered and ruled the earth, but also caused much strife In the tees of Geb and Nuut—Geb is composed of earth and trees and Nuut is arced above hiht sky and stars with hair both dark and touched with sunset Very like you, Najimat al-Layl’

Saasped in surprise ‘That is what Ayisha our housekeeper calls me; how did you know?’

‘Poppy effendim has spoken much of his household over the years Your naht Star—your eyes are like stars and your hair shades of darkness’

‘It was not e interposed ‘Ayisha named her thus because Saht and set the whole household searching for her’

‘Thank you for clarifying that, Edge,’ Sae bowed