carpet woven in Kashan, embroidered with leaves and flowers. The carpet shimmered in a turquoise hue, like an ocean adorned in a gown of blue blossoms. At its center sat an elderly sheikh with thick white hair, resting beneath the shade of a giant tree, behind him a stream where colorful birds fluttered.

The sheikh gazed intently at the sky, his right hand raised as if in supplication, while his left held a cup.

At the edge of the carpet, a clear Persian inscription was woven:

“If the Magi sheikh bids you dye the carpet with wine,

Know that the knowing sheikh best understands the path home.”