(NOTE: Page numbers refer to the hardcover edition.)
NOTE: This is from 20 years ago, before The Fire was published. We learn a lot more about Shahin in The Fire. Someday I will revise this based on what we know from The Fire.
First of all, we don't know how old Shahin really is.
When Mireille first meets him, in 1793, he might be the same age as his
"parallel character" Kamel, who is in his thirties. But Shahin seems much
too wise for someone so young; of course, he might be "wise beyond his
years". Shahin must have been relatively young in 1793, though, since he
is still alive and active in 1830, when Mireille drinks the elixir. My
guess is that he was about 35 in 1793 and 72 in 1830.
We know that Shahin is a close friend of Napoleon's family, especially
Napoleon's mother and grandmother, but we don't know how he met them. One
possibility is that he was educated in France and that he met them during
that time; he certainly speaks French very well.
We also know that Shahin can see into the future; he knows that
Mireille's baby will be a boy with red hair and blue eyes and the ability
to see into the future. In London, he can sense the presence of Catherine
Grand, the White Queen, and he knows that Mireille is in danger from her.
Most importantly, he knows Mireille better than she knows herself. In the
desert, he tells her that she will kill Marat; at first Mireille says that
she would never kill anyone, but Shahin knows better. All along, Shahin
knows how important Mireille is; even before Mireille finds out from
Corday that she is the Black Queen, I think Shahin knows it. But how did
Shahin get the ability to see into the future? That is what we don't
know.
Shahin must have been married and had children, since Kamel is his
descendant, but we never meet his wife (or wives?) and children. When
Shahin first meets Mireille, he seems to be all alone; he certainly stays
with Mireille and her son for many years. Could it be that his wife died
before he met Mireille? This is one possibility. Then, of course, his
wife could have been alive at the time he met Mireille, but since Shahin
knew of Mireille's importance, he might have left her for a time,
returning once in a while when he did not need to be with Mireille.
Shahin knows several languages; he grew up speaking Arabic and Kabyle;
later, he teaches those languages to Mireille's son. He also knows at
least a few words of Hebrew (see p. 511). As I said before, Shahin
obviously speaks French very well, since he and Mireille can understand
each other. Of course, he might have taught her Arabic and Kabyle, and I
think this is very likely, but then there is the scene where Mireille
talks about Marat in her sleep, and Shahin understands what she is saying;
I'm sure Mireille would have been speaking French in that scene. Although
he knows French very well, he does not understand English (see p.
436).
Finally, I'd like to know what happened to Shahin after Mireille drank
the elixir. How much longer did he live? Mireille certainly remained in
contact with his family and descendants, since she eventually married
Kamel's father, who had been a close friend before their marriage. Did
any of Shahin's descendants inherit his ability to see into the future? I
don't think Kamel can see into the future, but one of Shahin's other
descendants might have had that ability.
Copyright 1997 Vicki Kondelik.