(( Sorry for taking so long to post this, haven't been able to get the time until just now. ))

The night went by slowly, but Zebul dared not leave the safety of the court until the celebration had worn thin. Every once and a while, he'd become involved in a discussion involving the stars or various mathematical theories - but for the most part, he remained silent as his mind spoke for him. He had been granted the storyteller, and now he had to decide how best to handle the situation he'd gotten himself into.

He had won a victory that night, although a nagging voice told him that it was a Pyrrhic one. He had to quiet that voice with a quick mental slap as he calmed down. He had to be calm to sort through his thoughts, to organise them like they were files in drawers. The Vizier essentially admitted defeat in presenting the girl to him, but that defeat would not go unavenged. As soon as the old laws of hospitality were no longer in effect, the Vizier would send his goons to deal with him.

What a terrifying thought. As the night finished, Zebul left the court in a hurry. He planned on going to his home, taking his necessities with him, and fleeing far from the Caliphate, perhaps to Byzantium. He would only go for a short duration, long enough for the Vizier to forget about him and move on to some other target. He'd have to move quickly - there's no rest for the wicked, after all.

It was then that he noticed the storyteller following him. "Oh, you," he said, running a single finger along his chin. He'd forgotten all about her in the midst of his troubles. So, what to do with her? First, he told her of his plan. "I plan on leaving the Caliphate before it is too late: the Vizier's wrath is not something that I plan on feeling any time soon. You can, of course, come along should you wish, although otherwise you are free to do as your wish. I have no need of a teller of tales."

He took a few steps, then glanced back. "A companion would be greatly appreciated, though," he finally added, walking forward into the night whatever her decision was.

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~ "Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree."

~ "The best way to fight the devil, if not with holy scripture, is to jeer at him - for he can not stand to be scorned."

~ "An atheist is just a person God hasn't met yet."