Umar screwed his eyes shut and began to pray. “O blessed Oromasd, creator of light and all that is good, help me now to overcome the weaknesses in my soul. I know I am prone to weakness and capable of great evil because I am a creation of the physical world. But as I am also a creation of yours, I know there is the seed of good within me as well, and I may yet be saved if I nourish it and help it to blossom. Grant me the wisdom to nurture the divine goodness within my soul and turn my mind against the evil inside it.” And his words echoed hollowly in the stillness of that mirrored room.
Prince Ahmad found himself on the pinnacle of a mountain at dawn, the glorious sun rising behind him amid high, silvery clouds. Below him were untold millions of people eagerly awaiting his coronation and
