She looked up with a start to find Abla Selma standing beside her, waiting for an answer "I er," hida mumbled, looking over al Iman for help. "Since you obviously find these pictures more interesting than my lesson, you can study them in detention," said Abla Selma. "Cow," Iman mouthed. Rashida grinned half. heartedly. The bell went for the end of lessons, It took about a minute for the classroom to clear. Rashida sat alone at her desk, watching the girls stream out in a chattering mass into the playground and gradually disappear in the direction of the school gates. "Read the chapter on Rameses II," Abla Selma ordered sharply, her mouth compressed into a thin scarlet line. She took out a pile of books and started marking. Rashida considered telling her that she hadn't slept properly the night before, and had problems at home. But the teacher looked so forbidding that she quickly decided against it. Instead she pulled the book towards her and opened it at randon, pretending to study it. Words and drawings danced before her eyes. After a minute, she squinted up at Abla Selma, then carefully slid her school bag towards her. She could feel the mirror through the pink, striped cotton of the bag. She hesitated. Abla Selma slashed across a page with her red pen.