A fourteenth century fairytale that can turn into twentieth century satire As 'legendsbecome more useful than facts,' the story opens with three sisters, bound by a menstrual blood oath to bear the same child At their six breasts he is warned against all feeling of shame Salman Rushdie may get rid of a dictator by goblinesque methods (how else indeed?) but his characters are very clearly modelled on Ali Bhutto and General Zia ul-Haq and the entertainment is earthy and uproarious