Chapters 14 trhough 17 Summary

In Chapter fourteen, the women of the harem often gather to entertain themselves and each other with plays. Chama is the star of these performances, creating elaborate settings in the bedrooms and on the terrace. Sometimes another of Fatima's cousins, a young man named Zin, plays the hero. Other male cousins also participate but Zin is arguably the favorite. While the singer and actress Asmahan is often at the heart of the plays, there are others who are loved as well, including several feminine activists. A character from the "One Thousand and One Nights" is another important character in the plays. Her name is Princess Budur and she is traveling with a large group, including her husband, when he disappears. To save herself from being raped or sold into slavery by the remainder of the traveling party, she dons her husband's...