‘I can, and I will.’ She was in a rebellious mood. ‘You can’t stop me.’

‘No one will see her,’ promised Salma. ‘There really aren’t that many people around and she can take her coat with her just in case. Let’s go.’

They climbed into the boat. Salma was the one who rowed. It gave her pleasure to scoop the water with the oars, to push the combined weight of them forward. The loch at this end was narrow, almost like a river, but the water was still except when the wind caused the surface to ruffle. Tree branches bowed over the water. Mountains rose on either side, the close ones grassy, the ones further away brownish, the ones even further away grey and misty as if they were shadows.

To maintain balance, Moni had to sit alone on one side. She watched the green banks drift past. She was searching for him. The little boy who had played ball with her, the one she gave the cupcakes to. He was the real meaning of this place. Every minute with him counted. She smiled when she thought of him, when she remembered the things she said to him. He never spoke, only smiled and nodded, his face animated, his eyes understanding. It was all her monologue and she liked how she spoke to him, how she found things to say. She liked how she sounded, too, kind and entertaining, pointing out things, explaining, making connections. Next time she met him, she would tell him about this boat ride. She must make a conscious effort to remember what she was seeing, to enumerate the details, not everything – that would be boring – but only the things that would interest a little boy, like the ducks swimming alongside the boat. Maybe she could take him out on the boat. Maybe she could row like Salma. It was certainly something to aspire to.

Iman looked down at the water. There was so much in there. Pebbles and creatures that could sing. Fish that knew her. Plants that were stretching up to the light. She breathed in the smell of the water and saw the shadow of wings, the Hoopoe following her, his crown reflected in the water, his black and white feathers a shimmer. She pointed him out to Salma. Salma said that he was one of the animals of Paradise, one of the animals mentioned in the Qur’an. ‘He was King Solomon’s special messenger, carrying important royal letters in his beak.’

Iman started to say, ‘My Hoopoe is modern and I’m not afraid to tease him,’ but then she stopped. Moni was waving to someone on the bank. Iman turned to see a boy picking up a ball that had rolled away from him towards the water.

‘He looks like Adam,’ said Iman.