Gold Dust’s mouth went dry. She fell on the dirt road, folded her arms over her chest, and pretended she was dead.

Squatting next to her, Rebekah begged, as if trying to convince herself. “It’s every girl’s wish. You’ll be showered with gifts, have beautiful dresses and jewelry, the most delicious food. You’ll learn to dance and play instruments. You’ll have company your own age, you’ll never be alone.”

Gold Dust half opened her eyes. “I’ve heard the Shah poisons women who don’t give him sons. He has so many wives, he locks them up in a cage and forgets to visit them.”

Rebekah tucked Gold Dust’s hair behind her ears. “What ridiculous lies. The Shah is too busy to meddle with his sultanas. Now get up. We must hurry to greet the great eunuch.”

Gold Dust refused to budge.

“You’ll have servants. You’ll sleep at night without being bothered by men. You’ll be respected.”

Gold Dust pressed her eyes shut and turned her back to her mother.

“For my sake,” Rebekah pleaded. “If you become a powerful sultana, you’ll save me from this life.”

“How?”

“Money, my child, is the solution to everything. You’ll buy me a house in the center of the city. I won’t need to work. I’ll be respected … no more horse manure.”

Gold Dust heard her mother’s pain. She evoked her nights, the curses rising from the darkness, the whore-cry of the alleys. She sprang up and dusted herself off.

They entered the bazaar, and Rebekah checked the area, choosing the entrance to the Street of Lanterns as the best spot to wait. Although the hub of the Jewish Quarter had five alleys branching out from it, the Street of Lanterns, the first to be installed with oil lamps, was the only route wide enough for horses to pass through.

Young and old craned their necks, jostling each other to catch the first glimpse of Narcissus the Great Black Eunuch.

The voice of the palace crier came from afar. “Go blind! Go deaf! Here comes the chief eunuch of His Holiness the Shah.”

The populace pressed their palms to their ears so they would not hear words that might transform into slander and averted their gaze so no commoner would set eyes on His Eminency.

A distant clatter of hooves silenced the idle chatter.

The high soprano of the eunuch came from afar and floated in waves of ancient poetry.

The populace eased their palms from their ears to better hear the sweet music that spoke of balmy nights and dew-filled dawns and of love and nightingales and the scent of jasmine.

The Great Black Eunuch, on a massive white stallion, galloped through the entrance of the alley. The mount’s haunches scraped chunks of baked mud from the walls. Its luxuriant white tail swished flies away.