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Chapter One

AL-MAJNUN THE DEXTEROUS

“Here I am?! Oh, great Stargazer of the Caliph and the wisest of the soothsayers, the Honorable al-Farukh ibn Saud?!” – answered the dwarf with a big nose that vaguely resembled an elongated squash.

“I listen to you and obey?! Oh, great astrologer of the Caliph”, said al-Majnun, addressing the place where just a few seconds ago the voice of his master was heard.

Having humped the heavy bags on his back, al-Majnun walked slowly along the road towards the town. The ancient road was hedged by solid masses of shady acacia trees. The hot Saharan sun passing through the thick tree branches cut through the clouds of dust raised by herds of sheep and camel caravans of local traders and strongly reminding of the biblical metaphor that says that “with a pillar of cloud by day, and with a pillar of fire by night, to illuminate the way they should go” the weary strangers went.