Karima, like him, had been rubbed in the dirt for a long time. They had that in common. They could communicate, even at a distance. At the climax of their lovemaking she would whisper, “When will the obstacle to our love vanish?” That would fill him with fear, a fear compounded in the dark love nest, a darkness that could easily lead to crime.

Karima wouldn’t imagine that he could kill just to avenge another woman. Yet he had done so before. He had blood on his hands; it was not a new experience for him.

The old man’s clinging to life had no meaning except to drive him to an inevitable end. Elham, you have fallen in love with a criminal. I’ll go mad if I continue lying to you.

The thought of murder fills your mind. You’ve done it before.

Confess…Confess that you are worthless and poor, and that Reheimy is your father, not your brother. Confess that without him you are not worth a fistful of dust. Confess your past. She’ll scream with fright and pain. The light in her eyes will go out. Then she’ll discover the truth. If your mother had brought you up properly, you would have been a successful pimp by now. But no…she protected you in her golden cage, and now you suffer eternal torture. She resurrected your father and thus took away from you the comforts of despair and hopelessness.

“My mother thinks you should start a business in Cairo. She knows a lot about you,” said Elham, interrupting his thoughts.

Mother! He feared mothers. Like his mother, she might find out the truth. She wouldn’t be fooled by the look in his eyes.

“What kind of business?”

“That depends on what you can do.”

Drinking, dancing, fighting, and lovemaking.

“Real estate management is the only thing I know.”

“I don’t know anything about your schooling.”

He remembered that transient phase in his life. His brief sojourns in Arabic and foreign schools.

“My father didn’t give me the chance to finish my education. He needed me to help him, especially when he fell ill.”

“Think of some business. I’ve got some friends who can help you.”

“All right. But I must first consult my father.”

They got up to leave. “I wish I could kiss you, Elham, but it’s impossible here.”