dry thirst pervading his tale had seeped out into the reality around him. The listeners, seated about him in a semicircle, unconsciously did the same.
“The retinue of men that had escorted General Uqba quickly fell into a deep sleep, their bodies exhausted and near to breaking. The general though, he drew upon an inner reserve that was uncommon to men of that time, even less so today in this age of decadence and sin. Keeping his left hand upon the wall of the sandstone cave, he began to explore the inner recesses of their shelter. Eventually the general came upon a crook, near invisible to the naked eye, which led into a hereto-unseen room of the cavern. The general tore off a tattered piece of cotton cloth from his shirtsleeve and wound it around his dagger, lighting the fabric with flint to make a torch.
Stepping into the second chamber, the general’s eye’s adjusted to the dim light sputtering from his torch. It was a vast hollow, filled with rocky stalagmite teeth. To his immense relief he espied in one corner a shallow pond, filled with tiny white fish, their eyes grown wide for lack of sunlight. The general issued thanks to God and nearly tripped over himself dashing towards the water, his thirst driving him mad with desire.
Seconds before his hand touched the surface of the pond, his torch sputtered out, and a swirling smoke filled the space before him, causing him to cough and choke on the polluted air.
‘Banu Adam.’ A voice, seemingly from all about him assaulted the general’s senses; it was a sonorous voice that spoke with the crackling roar of fire and the vaporous emanation of flame. ‘ Banu Adam. Why do you intrude into my home?’
‘Forgive me, brother djinni . I did not know this was your abode. I merely seek to drink of this water, that I might not die.’
‘This I cannot allow,’ said the djinni, its fiery voice hardening in disdain. ‘Your rude trespass has insulted my sensibilities. Go away and pass into your next life with what dignity remains to you.’
‘Please, brother djinni, I would beseech you for but a cupped hand of water to slake my thirst. I have read that those born of the smokeless fire are exceedingly just and eminently merciful. Is this not true?’
‘Your flattery is clumsily wielded, though not entirely misplaced,’ said the djinni, becalmed. ‘I will allow you the cupped handful of water, but this alone, and then you must depart.’
With great caution and careful movements the general brought the water to his lips and drained his cupped palm of the liquid, which was akin to the manna of heaven.
‘Oh masterful djinni, I thank you; you are indeed quite generous and possessed of great mercy as the tales say. But I must ask that you duplicate this grand favor for ten more men, who are my escort and compatriots. They sleep at the entrance to this cavern.’
‘ Banu Adam you ask far too much,’ said the djinni, its voice rising with anger. ‘Leave now, before I deign your flesh to be my evening meal.’
The general’s mental agility returning with the taste of water, he thought now of a way to win the waters from the djinn. ‘Brother djinni, how do I know you are not the one of your race called Iblis, whose cruelty knows no bounds? How do I know you do not whisper malignance into my heart and the heart of all mankind, the one whose name was Azazel, now Shaitan, the devil?’
‘I am not he, for what it is worth,’ said the creature, repulsed by the general’s suggestion. ‘I worship and serve God as you, though in a way unseen to your kind.’
‘If you are not he then, surely you will give me your true name, that we might part in peace as brothers?’ replied the general.
‘You could not pronounce my true name if you tried,’ said the sonorous voice of fire, laughing.
‘Come come,’ said General Uqba. ‘Let us not be rude. I will give you mine. Peace be with you, elder brother. I am General Uqba bin Nafi, Servant of the Faithful, leader of the
“The retinue of men that had escorted General Uqba quickly fell into a deep sleep, their bodies exhausted and near to breaking. The general though, he drew upon an inner reserve that was uncommon to men of that time, even less so today in this age of decadence and sin. Keeping his left hand upon the wall of the sandstone cave, he began to explore the inner recesses of their shelter. Eventually the general came upon a crook, near invisible to the naked eye, which led into a hereto-unseen room of the cavern. The general tore off a tattered piece of cotton cloth from his shirtsleeve and wound it around his dagger, lighting the fabric with flint to make a torch.
Stepping into the second chamber, the general’s eye’s adjusted to the dim light sputtering from his torch. It was a vast hollow, filled with rocky stalagmite teeth. To his immense relief he espied in one corner a shallow pond, filled with tiny white fish, their eyes grown wide for lack of sunlight. The general issued thanks to God and nearly tripped over himself dashing towards the water, his thirst driving him mad with desire.
Seconds before his hand touched the surface of the pond, his torch sputtered out, and a swirling smoke filled the space before him, causing him to cough and choke on the polluted air.
‘Banu Adam.’ A voice, seemingly from all about him assaulted the general’s senses; it was a sonorous voice that spoke with the crackling roar of fire and the vaporous emanation of flame. ‘ Banu Adam. Why do you intrude into my home?’
‘Forgive me, brother djinni . I did not know this was your abode. I merely seek to drink of this water, that I might not die.’
‘This I cannot allow,’ said the djinni, its fiery voice hardening in disdain. ‘Your rude trespass has insulted my sensibilities. Go away and pass into your next life with what dignity remains to you.’
‘Please, brother djinni, I would beseech you for but a cupped hand of water to slake my thirst. I have read that those born of the smokeless fire are exceedingly just and eminently merciful. Is this not true?’
‘Your flattery is clumsily wielded, though not entirely misplaced,’ said the djinni, becalmed. ‘I will allow you the cupped handful of water, but this alone, and then you must depart.’
With great caution and careful movements the general brought the water to his lips and drained his cupped palm of the liquid, which was akin to the manna of heaven.
‘Oh masterful djinni, I thank you; you are indeed quite generous and possessed of great mercy as the tales say. But I must ask that you duplicate this grand favor for ten more men, who are my escort and compatriots. They sleep at the entrance to this cavern.’
‘ Banu Adam you ask far too much,’ said the djinni, its voice rising with anger. ‘Leave now, before I deign your flesh to be my evening meal.’
The general’s mental agility returning with the taste of water, he thought now of a way to win the waters from the djinn. ‘Brother djinni, how do I know you are not the one of your race called Iblis, whose cruelty knows no bounds? How do I know you do not whisper malignance into my heart and the heart of all mankind, the one whose name was Azazel, now Shaitan, the devil?’
‘I am not he, for what it is worth,’ said the creature, repulsed by the general’s suggestion. ‘I worship and serve God as you, though in a way unseen to your kind.’
‘If you are not he then, surely you will give me your true name, that we might part in peace as brothers?’ replied the general.
‘You could not pronounce my true name if you tried,’ said the sonorous voice of fire, laughing.
‘Come come,’ said General Uqba. ‘Let us not be rude. I will give you mine. Peace be with you, elder brother. I am General Uqba bin Nafi, Servant of the Faithful, leader of the
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