‘Evil is often frozen,’ the Hoopoe later said to Iman. ‘Paralysed by weakness. Many a crime hasn’t been committed not because of a lack of intention but because of a lack of means.’ Iman thought of Salma, safe from sin because Amir was far away. That night, the Hoopoe’s story was about the snake catcher who climbed the mountain. He climbed and climbed and the air around him grew colder. Near the summit, he found more than he had aspired to – a huge serpent frozen in the snow. It was a magnificent sight. The ice had trapped the movement of the snake’s tongue as it lashed out, his fangs were in full display; the lustre of his coat was dazzling. The snake catcher could not believe his luck. This would be the most spectacular public display ever; the whole town would be agog. He carried the frozen serpent back down the mountain and, before he reached the town, he hid it under woollen blankets and tied it up with a rope. On reaching the town he started to call out, ‘Come and gather to see the biggest serpent on earth, the longest and most amazing.’ Soon an excited crowd gathered in the town square. It was a sunny afternoon and the mood of the gathering was festive. The snake catcher stood in the middle of the crowd with a large basket in which the frozen serpent lay covered under a blanket. With a flourish, the snake catcher whisked away the blanket and the crowd drew in its breath. The serpent was certainly huge, certainly stunning. The combined effect of the sun and the blanket had made the ice around it thaw. A twitch, a shudder. Had it really moved or was that the ice cracking? A blink. The serpent was alive. It had only been dormant, kept still by the ice. Suddenly, the serpent lashed out. It broke the ropes and immediately attacked the snake catcher. Crushed by its strength, he lay dying. The last thing he saw was the serpent wreaking havoc on the crowd.

‘Did you understand the story?’ the Hoopoe asked.

Iman, still thinking of Salma, said, ‘It was the snake catcher’s fault. He should have thought maybe, just maybe, the serpent was still alive. Or it could be that moving the frozen serpent from one place to another caused the problem. Up in the cold mountains, it was harmless and would have stayed harmless. Under the blanket, under the hot sun of the town square, it became the greatest danger. The snake catcher was disillusioned. There he was, full of eagerness and anticipation, carrying the very thing that would be his doom. We are our own worst enemies.’ She was now thinking of civil wars, how they went on and on until there was little to win and more to fight over.

‘But what is the serpent?’ asked the Hoopoe.