The Geographer's Library

The Geographer’ s Library
His uncle pounded a massive, piglet-size fist on the table. “Fool! Imbecile!
Curse of my blood! If you could return these things . . . But you can’t. No
matter.” He sighed again and ran a hand over his bald head, tracing the scar
with one finger. “My brother your father is dead. My wives are barren, and
they hate me. I do not know my own children. You are my only living family. I
will put you on a ship and give you safe conduct from here. Either reform
yourself or go be foolish someplace else, but I will not hear of your death here.”
Omar put his head in his hands. “How will I go? And whose house
was I in?”
Faisal clapped his hands twice, and the same lean man entered. They
whispered to each other, and the man withdrew. “As for how: you will go with
a Genoese merchant who sails for Sudak at first light. Do you know where
Sudak is?”
Omar shook his head.
“Ignoramus. I study every new map, and I cannot even see them. The
world is expanding, nephew, perhaps it is even expanding enough to hide a
careless idiot like you. As for your other question, you have stolen from al-
Idrisi, the king’s geographer and many other things besides. That you
escaped his house without being run through by the guards I would expect;
that you escaped without something infinitely more horrible happening to
you...well, we will see whether you have or haven’t. The Genoese owes me
favors for the introduction I provided him to Assaf Qidri and his daughters.
But he is not an honest man, and I expect you will have to part with some of
your treasure, too.”
A rhythmic, low whistling came from just outside the window. With great
difficulty Faisal stood, placed a hand on his heart, and bowed. “Go now. Follow
Asif to the ship silently, and do not ever look back at this house. Go and
be well. God will do as He will. May I never hear of you again.”
on the ship Omar worked at whatever the merchant Silvio asked—cooking,
scrubbing galleys, sail rigging—and after a month they sighted land. The
merchant called Omar to his cabin. “That is Sudak in the distance. Your new
home. Do you wish to work or steal there?”
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