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ibrahim al-koni
(on which tribes prided
themselves, celebrating them
in poems) for matted, morose,
behemoth camels with bodies
like an elephant—beasts fit
only for transporting heavy
loads.
But communities also knew
that anyone who was loved
by the Spirit World and who
harbored its secret inside
him would inevitably succeed
in a pursuit—even if he lost
in some other one he had
perfected for the public
good when people did not
acknowledge his skill.
4
A captivating widow, whose
beloved husband died on a
businesstriptotheforestlands,
was said to have inspired the
sorcerer to construct that
abominable scarecrow. She
had gone into mourning,
secluded herself, and rejected
suitors and prospective
husbands. She lived alone in
the oasis, occupying her time
with crooning plaintive ballads
and supervising the herd of
livestock she had inherited
from her deceased lord.
This herd was devastated by
a calamity that led her to the
metalsmiths’ market, where
she fell under the influence
of the sorcerer.
It was said that she claimed
at first she thought some
epidemic had infected her
livestock. Wise herdsmen,
however, informed her that
the calamitywas caused not by
somemysterious epidemic but
by the ravages of the vermin
that creep across the face of
the wasteland. She consulted
a clairvoyant, who confirmed
that the Spirit World was not
responsible for this bloodshed.
He spoke cryptically about