I had a dream the other night that I was to be the mother of the new prophet.

The atmosphere was somewhere between a Muslim state and the setting of one of my favorite negative utopia books The Handmaiden's Tale.

I was standing in a large, windowless room full of women, most of them preganent, like me. We were all wearing long robes and veils, waiting in line. We were all displeased about our situations and we were complaining and demanding our rights to the (female) authorities.

My neighbor in line had rights because she was wife of a high official. I had rights because I was to be the mother of the new prophet.

Then a woman came in and quickly, quietly said, "They will aim at the table tops." Then she closed the door. As she left the lights went out and the room was black. Somehow all the women knew that this declaration meant to get on the floor.

Then the men came with machine guns and shot at the level of the table tops. They left. No one was hurt.