Princess Sultana's Circle

would face the
temptations of life with a renewed integrity. Thankfully, at that
moment, I had no thought that a most difficult first test was
nearly upon me.
    After reading Munira’s
poem, I was a more subdued Sultana than usual. I needed time to
assimilate my thoughts, so when my husband and children invited me
to take a short walk in the desert, I refused. When my sisters
pleaded with me to join them in a game of backgammon, I
declined.
    Although I spent that last
day in the desert alone, I was not lonely. Preoccupied with my own
thoughts, I was a woman who was once again picking up the threads
of her life. My inner strength was reinvigorated by a renewed
determination to alter the course of my life.
    Our family gathering that
evening was the most pleasant of all the evenings in the desert,
for there was a special poignancy in knowing that the following day
would return each of us to the routine of our urban life. When the
night’s gathering ended under the glittering stars, we warmly
embraced each other as we parted to return to our own
tents.
    Once we were back in our
own tent, Kareem and I, and our two daughters, relaxed together. We
looked through Polaroid pictures taken on this camping trip. When
Amani began to yawn, we decided it was time to retire for the
night. I was smiling as Kareem and I went into our
bedroom.
    Just as I was about to pull
my dress over my head to change into a nightgown, I was startled by
anguished cries.
    Unnerved, I asked Kareem,
“What was that?”
    Kareem tilted his head as
he listened. “It sounded like the cries of a woman.”
    “ Oh, Allah! I pray no one
else has been bitten by a snake, as was poor Ali.”
    As the screams became more
intense, Kareem grabbed a flashlight and rushed from our
tent.
    I followed him.
    These cries had also
disturbed Nura and Sara, who along with their husbands, Ahmed and
Asad, quickly joined Kareem and me. As we made our way through the
labyrinth of the large camp, we saw several of our male employees
also bolting from their tents to find the source of the
commotion.
    The cries slowly faded, but
still, we followed the troubling sounds to one of the smaller tents
housing our female servants. Just as we arrived, the cries
diminished. No light came from within the tent, but loud American
rock-and-roll music suddenly blared into our ears.
    Relieved, Kareem muttered,
“Some of the women have gotten into an argument over one thing or
another.”
    Ahmed nodded. “Now they are
covering up with loud music.”
    I felt less certain that
all was well. I suggested, “Since we are here, we should make sure
that everyone is all right.”
    Sara agreed.
“Yes.”
    “ And tell them to turn off
that music.” Ahmed said with a tinge of annoyance. “They are
disturbing the whole camp.”
    While our husbands waited
impatiently outside, my sisters and I cautiously entered the tent.
The music abruptly ceased.
    This tent, which housed ten
or more maids, was divided into several private areas by partitions
made of heavy fabric. As I parted these drapes, I held Kareem’s
flashlight high, looking into the women’s faces. “Are you
unwell?”
    One of the women replied,
“We are fine, Ma’am.”
    “ What has
happened?”
    Another answered, “There is
no problem, here.”
    “ Hmmm.” I could tell from
the women’s expressions and the tone of their voices that they had
not been sleeping. Surely, these women had heard the loud cries
that had traveled the distance to other tents! Yet, no one offered
any information.
    I whispered to my sisters.
“They are hiding something.”
    “ Who is it that we heard
screaming?” Nura demanded when we finally came upon
Libby.
    Libby’s eyes were wet with
tears, but clearly, she was not the source of the screams we had
heard. After hesitating, she looked into my face and whispered,
“Come, Ma’am, I will show you.”
    Libby was familiar with the
interior of this tent and quickly led us through several
partitioned areas before pointing at one particular
section.
    “ In there, Ma’am,” she
whispered before turning and rushing back to her bed.
    This was all very strange.
By now, our curiosity was even more aroused.
    Nura yanked open the
partition. I directed the flashlight into the area and was met by a
shocking, terrible sight! Two men were assaulting a woman! A third
man was watching! Sara screamed.
    One man was covering the
poor victim’s mouth in an effort to silence her cries. Upon seeing
us, he now sat like one