Book I -- The swallow tree -- The people's revolution -- Yasin Hussein and sons -- The palace of the end -- Two shrines -- The dream of brother Yasin -- The Writers' Union -- The small matter of friendship -- A little wedding -- A meeting with Saddam, his Excellency the Deputy -- Fourteen fils -- The last rites of Yasin -- The portrait -- The third relative -- Getting away with it -- Book II -- A long list of cities -- Qadisiyat Saddam -- Allah Karim -- Letters -- Happy birthday, Mr. President -- A hem, a cuff, a poem -- All things must pass -- We are seven -- Making contact -- The white of paradise.