Trafika Europe 6 - Arabesque

ibrahim al-koni

dust cloud. The advocate of envy smirked while fashioning snares behind his back. The advocate of hatred was taking advantage of his two foes’ distraction while bracing to deliver his own blow with a hand held out of sight. The advocate of revenge chuckled, then the summit trembled, and the mountain’s rocks shook. This wi ly strategist told himself that his adversaries posed no threat to him, because they had only been provided with a limited knowledge of the science of duplicity. He characterized them out loud as playful tikes and empty puppets the winds tossed about. Then... Then the cunning strategist decided to enter the playing field to teach these fools some tricky moves. He donned a slave’s tattered

rags and approached his rivals at noon, when they were hugging and pretending to like each other while performing rituals of mutual respect. He told them he was a mamluk of the leader and had come as a messenger from His Majesty to deliver an invitation to a banquet grander than any the desert had ever witnessed throughout its long history. They stared at him suspiciously at first. Then the advocate of anger darted at this messenger, demanding a sign from him. Before the wily strategist responded to this demand, the advocate of envy jumped up and pointed at the mount ’s bridle, which was embellishedwith gold galloons and set with rows of precious stones. He asked, “How could a slave have a treasure like that bridle? When have slaves ridden beasts adorned with treasures? I wager, wretch, the

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