The girl signed, "I can't see how it sounds."
"Someday you will hear your father call me his pet name. Listen for how it sounds. Your mother has a pet name, too." Rihana marked down the single straight through for em followed by the five down for en. "When your father mentions her pet name, listen for how it sounds."
The girl frowned as she signed, "There are the quiet names men never speak, and there are the names that are pet names. They are names for pets like Zizi, Toi's rat-dog. What are our real names?"
Rihana smiled as she signed, "Zizi is the rat-dog's real name. The only names women are allowed are as parts of men's names. I am Duman's first wife. You are Duman's daughter. Those are the only names we are allowed."
Silent Her thought of a group of letters she had seen many times. She wrote on the paper the ar, the aych, the em, and the en. "What is this?" Silent signed.
"That is the name of Rahman. Rahman is your brother. You are twins."
"Is he dead?"
"No, he is not dead. What would make you think that?"
"I never see him. Onan said he hoped the fuzzywriggles got him."
Rihana shook her head and smiled as she signed, "Rahman lives in the other part of the house. That is why you do not see him. Don't listen to Onan. The Imahnti don't eat children. The traders are a fine people."
Silent Her pouted as she signed, "My brother must be very important."
"Why do you think so?"
"Onan and Nabil are always planning another feast or party for Rahman's this and Rahman's that. They never plan anything for me."
Rihana's face grew very serious as she signed, "Rahman is Duman's son. He is male." Rihana marked the sign on the paper. It was the single line up from the center; the aych. "You are Duman's daughter. You are female." Rihana marked on the paper the circle cut through its center, the double-u sign, the sign of the downward-held fist.
"The son is very important. Rahman will carry Duman Amin's name and fortune. Rahman is the future of the house of Amin. Someday you will be married to another house and will go away. Rahman will stay at home and keep his wives here. That is why Rahman is more important."
"Why don't I have a birthday?"
Rihana's expression became very stern. "Put such questions from your mind. Be grateful that you are alive. Some families still kill their daughters. Your father would not tolerate such things, even in his friends. Be grateful for the life you have, and put the life you cannot have out of your mind."
Silent Her did not answer, but for a long time after Rihana had gone, the girl stared at the sign of the downward-held fist.
She listened as the men spoke in the kitchen and in the garden. On those rare moments when her father would come to the female wing to talk to the staff or to his first wife, Silent Her listened. Although God had forbidden names for women, all of the females, even the scrub women, had pet names. The girl now knew that the em-en of her mother's pet name was Amina, which sounded like ah-mee-nah, which meant peace and was the name of Muhammad's mother.
Her father's pet name for his first wife, Rihana, was Amber, and it meant jewel. It was a very beautiful pet name. Silent Her had listened one night when her father had come to the female wing to bring his Amber back to his bedchamber. Her father's voice had sounded thick and warm.
In signing to each other, women never used pet names. Instead they used their quiet names, their secret names among women, the names that were given to them by their mothers. When women signed for Duman's first wife, they never signed for Amber. Instead they signed for Rihana. Even the scrub women were signed by their quiet names. The one exception in the female wing was Silent Her. She had no quiet name because her mother hadn't yet given her one and that was because she was forbidden to see her mother. Her mother was mad.
No one would sign of Duman's second wife if they knew Silent Her was within sight. The men would not speak of her mother if they knew she was within hearing. Sometimes when Onan didn't know she was hiding in the dark behind the ranges, Silent Her would hear things. Onan or Nabil or the chauffeur Abi would say things to each other about her mother.
She listened to the talk because she wanted her name. It was by listening and watching that she found out where her mother was imprisoned.
"It is sad, it is sad," Onan would say every time after he had sent a girl up to the third floor with a food tray.
Once Rihana was in her room kneeling on the floor, crying. "Why do you cry?" asked Silent.
Rihana signed, "I cry for my wife-sister, Hedia. I cry for your mother. I cry for you. I cry for myself because I miss her so."
"We can go and see her," signed the girl. "I know where they keep her."
Rihana studied the girl's eyes. "Child, no one loves your mother more than I do. But every time your mother comes near you she hurts you. Don't you remember?"
"Still, I would see her."
"Do you miss her?"
The girl shook her head. "I have no name among women. My mother must give me one. That is why I want to see her. I must have a name."
"I could give you a name."
"No. Your name came from your mother. My mother's name came from her mother. My name must come from my mother."
Rihana held her by her shoulders and looked into her eyes. Withdrawing her hands she signed, "Someday."
Silent loved the gardens, even though she was almost never allowed to enter them. On one of the rare days when Rihana was allowed to take the girl into the gardens, the sun was bright, the sky a hazy blue. The girl ran from exotic flower to glittering tree. One of the flowers gave off an aroma that made her dizzy, and another flower had tiny red tendrils that writhed in the warm air. She watched as Toi dropped tiny blue worms into the tendrils and she held her hands to her face as she saw the flower eat the worms.
They reached a stone bench and Rihana took some fruit from her carrying bag and sat down. "Let's eat here," she signed.
The girl smiled and bit into the bright orange and lavender skin of a paradise plum. As she ate, she signed, "Where do paradise plums come from?"
"From the father planet, Earth, and from this world. Two plants got together and made paradise plums."
"They were married?"
Rihana grinned as she nodded.
There were footsteps on the path and Rihana turned her head to look. In an instant she grabbed the girl and forced her to her knees as she knelt next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder and signed by pressing her fingers into Silent Her's flesh. "Do as I do. Nothing more."
The girl watched and when she saw Rihana cover her face with her hands and bow her head, she did the same. The sounds of footsteps grew louder. Silent Her saw a man's legs. On his feet he wore golden slippers beautifully brocaded with metallic silvers and reds. There were more sounds and the girl started at the sight of a wriggling mass of snakes and worms covered with black hair.