flowers -- alternate with dyed laurel twigs and garlands like a chain of tawdry necklaces. At the curb of the road stands the mosque, resembling an overgrown sugar-loaf, freshly painted in hues of ochre, pale pink and pistachio green. Its minaret, spangled with electrical candles, projects a shadow on the pavement like a javelin slitting open an imaginary serpent. In a scene where human actors are absent, the sun lends a dramatic, desolate touch. A door creaks, slowly set ajar, like lips parted by a timid yawn. A band of little urchins trickles through, one by one. You can distinguish the girls from the boys 205 Table of Contents