The Hakawati

by Rabih Alameddine

So—what do you think of the emir’s story?” Fatima asked Afreet-Jehanam. She was lying in her lover’s arms, on the bed of slithering snakes, relaxing and unwinding. She could feel the changes in her body, but she still did not look pregnant. The jinni, stroking her sensuously, said, “The emir is a good storyteller.” She shifted her naked weight onto her elbow so she could face him. The snakes released by her movement rearranged themselves. “Is it a good adventure story?” Afreet-Jehanam stretched and yawned. “The story of Baybars is many lifetimes old. There are numerous versions.” “I am loving it,” said Ishmael, who was on his knees scrubbing the floor. The imps busied themselves with their chores. Hither and thither they ran. “Me, too,” Noah chimed in. “It is a delightful story.”