“Oh. I’m sorry for your loss, little one. He must have loved her very much.”
“He did,” Selima nodded.
Leila was thoughtful for yet another minute. Finally she spoke again. “What are you prepared to offer me in exchange for my help?”
Selima was at a total loss. “I don’t know what you need, O my lady. You already seem to have more riches than we could offer—”
“I need my freedom,” Leila sighed. “I need to be away from these stinking pits, out in the open air where the breeze can blow through my hair. I need to see the sun, the moon, the stars, the clouds, the whole panorama of sky that’s more than a cavern ceiling. I need freedom from a husband whose brain’s no larger than a rooster’s testicle. I need to eat real food and breathe fresh air. I need a chance to roam the world and see what I
