As she listens, she decides it must be India and imagines accordingly. It's a tempting picture at the edges, with its beautiful buildings and grounds, but the center is uglier. More than anything, it reminds her of the book of Exodus, and of Pharaoh commanding all the Israelites to work as slaves for him. (And it reminds her of the hospital, but that's too close a memory--it's easier to think of the way old stories intertwine than to let her own into the mix.)

The action of the story makes Beth smile. It is a love story, but not the kind she expected: the prince in this story loves peace and the animals around him. It's nicer, in a way, especially for somebody who has to rule over everyone else.

"Hunting animals that've already been caught doesn't seem fair, anyway," she says, when she thinks the story must be finished. "He did the right thing, freeing the tiger."