"Darling, are you coming?" the man burried among the colorful pillows on the huge bed said, pating a space next to him.
"I will be right with you, my lord" was heard from petite feminite silhuete by the arched, glassess window.

The dusk brought the eagerly awaited coolness of the evening. Not the kind of coolness as in the northern lands, but compared to the stark, unbearable heat of the day it could be called that. A slight breeze billowed the woman's loose-fitting pants. She shook her head, leting the movement of her waist long, curly chest-nut hair enhance the feeling, sighing with pleasure as she tucked her tiny perfume bottle between her breats.

"Jasamine? What are you thinking of?" The voice of the man, although filled with fondness had a ting of impatiance to it.
"I was thinking of u, mylord" the woman answerd picking up two goblets and turning around. "And how lucky I am... to be here, with you.. now." She added shyly, tilting her head slightly to the side.

She glided barefoot to the bed across the clool mosaic floor. Her every step begining at her hips - a sure sign of a trained dancer. Each of them acompanied by jingle of small bells attached to thin golden chains around her ankles. Siting down in the spot the man pated before, Jasamine passed one of the goblets to him with the words "I poured us some wine."
"What are we celebrating?" The dusky-skinned man asked fondly with a mischevious twinkle in the proud, black pools of his eyes.
"Every moment you choose to spend with me, is worth celebratiion, mylord", the words came out in a seriously sounding whisper, and she lowered her eyes.

The man reached his hand to the woman's face, couping her chin gently in the hand he lifted it to the level of his eyes. Pearing seriously into her eyes the man spoke in soft tone. "Ohh.. you know that you are my favorit. But I cannot ignore the others. It would create a riot."
"I bet you say this to all of us?" the woman asked lifting her eyebrows.
The man chuckled softly in response. "I keep forgeting how bright you are."

Siping his wine, the man decided to change the subject. "Dance for me. I love to watch you dance."

Jasamine komplied. Swirling around, rocking her hips and stomping her feet, the fragile body of the woman moved in hauntingly sinous way. When she started to clap the rythm with her hands, the man joined her. Laughing she waved to him and continued dancing and clapping her hands. She continued for a while even after he stoped. First a wheazing sound from the bed made her stop and check the source of it. The man in the bed was clawing at the sheet, looking at the woman with wide eyes.

With surprising calmness the woman sat next to the man and spoke to him in cooing voice. "Dont'f fight it, darling. It will be easier on you."

The man's eyes went wider in responce. He waved his arm haphazardly in her direction. When he found her arm he grabed it, without the woman trying to do anything about it. She looked calmly at him, and he left out a gurgling sound.

"Why?" Jasamine asked the man. Taking the blinking of his eyes as a confirmation, she continued. "You ordered the assassination of the man that was my only family after the murder of my parents." Seeing the surprise in the man's eyes, the woman leaned forward and started stroking his cheak with tenderness. "Do not worry", she told him softly. "I hated him as much as I hate you."

When it was over, Jasamine kissed the man's cheek and walked calmly out of the room.

As 5-7 story high, domed and painted in vibrant coloer buildings with rounded towers, balconies and rooftop parapets are the trademarks of the Palace Ward. So are the paved streets elevated to one floor higher than the rest of the bustling city. Beneith are the original streets, paved over for ease of movement of the elevated social classes above them. The intent was to provide larger area of mobility for slaves and servants beneath the streets and out of sight.

Nowhere in the city do "the worithes" have to walk the "common ground". Should someone of importance have to step down onto it, retainers carry rugs so the less-than-excalted earth doesn't soil their master's feet. But only the Palace, Grand and Jewel Wards are paved over. In the rest of the city the rich make do by walking on walls surrounding drubachs (neighbourhoods) and sabbans (districts). In many places, the original streets of the Palace Ward are still normal aside from their bricked-over sky.

Why it has taken some time, there are now many indigent people living beneath the upper streets, where the only lights are either torches carried in hand or what light streams down through the stairwells leading up to the new street level. As Nadhari (a movement of escaped slaves) started to use the lower streets to operate, they are now considered to be the upper level of Muzad, called Upper Muzad.

Muzad as the area is called, is srhot fot Mushahajaarnadah (loosly "the city of shadow") is also known by many other names - Calimport Below, Dark Calimport, or simply the Muzad. It is an entire second city of sorts, with its own laws, straggles, and powers. A person's power on the surface and his influence in Muzad are considered two separate things, so titles and ranks vary greatly, and sometimes are reversed. It is also the only place where women are treated as euqals of men. Much of Calimport's illigal activity is linked with Muzad, but it is also home to many types of people, from simple outcasts to priests of dark gods and goddesses, to monsters.

At certain points of the Upper Muzad are now open shafts and stairs leading deeper. The Undercity is more than just series of sewers and waterways - there are whole streets, building, courtyards and great halls, and other areas long burried, built upon and forgoten. That is where Jasamine was heading, but first she got rid of the hingling links and the tiny perfume bottle with the deadly containment.

Hiding her face with her vail she hurried downt he dark streets, stairs and hiddend pathways. Suddenly, after turning around a corner the woman stoped in front of a heavy wooden door. With an open palm Jasamine slammed her hand three times against the door.

"Who's there?" a squeeky foice asked.
"The Black Falcon" the woman answered.

The door opened surprisingly queitly, and the woman glided in ignoring the wrinkled and shrunken with old age man. Walking past the oil-lamp lit corridor she enteres one of the rooms. Inside, the man siting by the desk turned his head. Seeing the arrival he jumped to his feet and scolded her.

"What are you doing here Jasamine? You shouldn't leave the harem! If someone saw you leaving you could jeperdise..." the words cut, as the woman's fingers pressed to his lips.
"Shhhh.. it is done."
"It is?" The man seemed taken aback.
"Yes, like I said" Jasamine answered while taking of the veil." Are you not going to give me a welcome kiss?" she said while tilting her head and rising both eyebrows.

In response the man grabed her by her waist, pulled her to him and kissed her. The kiss ended abrubtly as a dagger struck into one of the vertebras in his neck. Effectively severing the nerve path, and paralysing him from the neck down. As the man collapsed to the carpeted floor with a daft thud, she straddled over him puting her hand over his mouth to stop him from yelling. But couldn't stop the muffled sounds.

"You where a tad too surprised to see me. You didn't count on my surviving, did you?" the woman asked.
"You see, I have been doing some investigation on my own. You would be surprised what a woman can do with all that free time I had lately. If I wasn't in the hurry I would make you suffer the way you made my parents that day." Tilting her head she added. "Yes... I found out that too. Oh... and one more thing..." The woman lowered her head to the man's ear and whispered something to it.

The muffled sounds increased in strenght. With a quick stab Jasamine finished him off. She pulled out the dagger, cleaned it on the man's vest. Then she used it to cut of her hair in front of the mirror in the corner.

"I have work to do, and it's far far away from here." Chuckling, she put the veil back on and walkd out into the future.