[ kaveh laughs a little. it's a soft little sound, as soft as dust; it barely echoes, which is rather the point. ]

Ah, I should've known that Heine would have spared you. Durian is a brown, spiky fruit, about half the size of your head. It's delicious sweet, tastes like melted cream - but you only can get to it if you can get past the smell. Horrendous, like someone taking two hundred pairs of old, used shoes and put them in a blender.

Alhaitham told me that Heine had introduced the fruit to him - had practically chased him down the street with one, actually. Can you imagine? Alhaitham, with all that height and muscle on him, running like a kitten away from Heine's laughter.