Selima shrieked at the pain of her betrayal, but the men only laughed. The bath attendant turned to the officers and said, “As promised, I brought her to you. Where is my reward?”
The bigger officer dropped some coins in her outstretched hand. “There, O Habibah,” he said. “Three dinars.”
“We agreed on five,” the woman complained.
“You’ll accept three,” the officer said, and assumed a menacing stance. He would no doubt pocket the difference himself. The woman, in no position to argue, cringed and began to slink off.
“You back-stabbing w***e,” Selima called after her. “May your breasts suckle razor-toothed jackals. May your teeth grow inward and bite off your lying tongue. May your eyes….”
The policemen jerked her harshly as they started toward the palace. “Enough of that,” said the off
