ABSTRACT
Al-Harith, Salim and Aisha are making camp on the outskirts of Panjakent when they encounter a man (Abu Zayd) and his donkey fleeing from a group of traders. They engage the man in conversation and he reveals that he makes his living by creating painted images on coarse paper. His art draws on religious traditions of Central Asia and includes representations of demons, animals, and shamans. He also secretly makes images of local people, though this leads him into trouble. At the end of the story he reveals his nickname, Black Pen.
