Lumière des étoiles et Etienne - The Conversation

Lumière des étoiles et Etienne - The Conversation

Marie woke early and looked out her window. There was a beautiful predawn glimmering array of stars beckoning to her. She smiled up at them and whispered to herself, "star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might...."


Etienne was washing and preparing to embark with Marie on their journey. He thought to himself, 'we have seen one another for quite a while and I think I must tell her I love her or I will burst!' 'I wonder if she will reply...what will she say?' 'No matter, I must tell her.'

They met downstairs in the grand foyer. "Good morning Starlight, did you sleep well?" began Etienne. "Quite well gentle Moonbeam," replied Marie, "and you?" "I must say you look wonderful as always dear lady," Etienne said and continued, "I think about you even when we are apart." 'Oh oh,' she thought, 'where is he going with this?' "I care about every aspect of you and your life," he was saying when she interrupted him, "dear sweet gentle Moonbeam, shouldn't we be thinking about our journey?" "You are doing it again Marie," Etienne blurted. Marie quickly answered, "I know, but it is a woman's prerogative to be coy, interrupt and change her mind and insist it really isn't the way you think it is, whatever it is. You are a dear sweet man, but we must be going, please!" "Yes of course, but..." he trailed off.

Etienne paid the innkeeper for the pack mule they needed for supplies and led the animal to where he and Marie loaded him. Marie named the animal 'grande cheval.'

They got their packs and hiking staffs and set off headed due south into some hilly country of North-eastern al-Maġrib al-ʿArabī, the Maghreb, with only their pack mule, grande cheval, for company. They were skirting the Eastern end of the Atlas Mountains which was a blessing. Etienne was saying as they walked, "how can you name the animal, 'cheval,' it is not a horse but a mule." Marie answered, "a mulet and I think he wants to be a horse, and so voilà!" They bantered as they walked, the time passed quickly.