THE HIGH STONE wall of the compound of this house separates my tent from the others. Therefore it is vulnerable to theft, which is not unheard of in these parts, and I keep a sharp eye on two wool traders, filthier than most, who came yesterday from Saldang, bearing no wool or other evidence of honest trade. The first I saw on my way home from the west side of the river, eating barleycorns in Namu’s yard; the second paid an uninvited visit to my tent, poking his head straight through the flap to feast his eyes upon the contents—a larcenous overture if there ever was one, so thought
