He made the decision that he could indeed trust her—and, in fact, that he needed to. The burden of his masquerade was a heavy one. Umar and Prince Ahmad and all the strangers they met expected so much out of him; it was good to have people for whom he didn’t have to pretend. Selima and Cari were restful to be around for that reason; Leila could be the same way. Besides, a good liar needs a lot of accomplices to support his stories and cover his back in a moment of crisis. Leila, with her sarcastic sense of humor and quick wit, would be a welcome ally.
Taking the magical cap from her head and putting it away, he said, “Very well, O Leila, I’ll tell you my own history—and it’ll be for you to decide whether anyone’s hurt by my deception.”
He then began, in his most entertaining manner, to t
