Summary

An opening poem written in the shape of Egypt comments on the writer’s loss of joy. They long for water as they wander blindly through the desert. They ask their beloved to wait for them.

Rawiya’s expedition heads south from ash-Sham through the borders of two warring factions. Al-Idrisi is unafraid of the conflict and tells them that he wanted to travel as a child and left home at 16. They find a deserted outpost called Qasr Amra that used to be an entertainment hub. Rawiya asks how a bathouse, which she calls a hammam was possible in the desert and al-Idrisi says the city had a complex system to move water even in the winter time. When they light a torch, they see walls painted with various scenes and symbols. Al-Idrisi calls...