Read Infinity Ring 05 - Cave of Wonders Online

Authors: Matthew J. Kirby

Tags: #Science Fiction, #Childrens - Middle Grade

Infinity Ring 05 - Cave of Wonders (7 page)

Dak did a double take. Sera had told Riq about her parents’ barn? It sounded like Riq knew more about what Sera experienced than Dak did, like the two of them had talked about it or something.

“No.” She shook her head. “Let’s — let’s just keep going. I’m fine.”

Riq looked worried, and so did Abi. Dak watched Sera, wishing he knew what Remnants were like, so he would know what she was going through. He didn’t like Riq knowing things about his best friend that even Dak didn’t know. But based on Riq’s behavior, Dak guessed Riq must have Remnants, too. He wondered what those Remnants were.

“This way,” Abi said.

They continued through the garden, and Dak heard a trumpeting sound up ahead.

“Is that” — Riq turned his head toward the noise — “an elephant?”

Abi nodded. “Yes, we are entering the Park of Wild Beasts.”

They entered a new part of the garden where pens and enclosures lined the path. They saw giraffes and zebras and four elephants decked out in huge sheets of pink silk with silver embroidery. They passed cages rumbling with bears, lions, leopards, and tigers, some of which were led by chains held by what Dak assumed were very, very brave men.

“It’s a zoo,” Sera said.

“No, it’s a
menagerie
,” Dak said.

Riq lifted an eyebrow at him.

“What?” Dak said. “You’re not the only one who knows words.”

Riq chuckled and they moved on, past a large fountain, between two marble columns and into the palace. The floors were made of marble, too, carpeted by enormous rugs woven with many colors and intricate patterns of vines, flowers, and animals. Tapestries and silks hung from walls of stone and wood, which were covered in carvings. It all looked just how Dak had imagined it would when he’d read
One Thousand and One Nights
.

Guards patrolled the palace, but they didn’t stop Abi. He led the three of them through vast rooms, more courtyards, and into a second, inner garden. At the center of this garden was a shade tent, open on three sides. Near it stood a silver tree, with leaves of different colored metals. Jeweled birds of silver and gold perched throughout its branches, and they fluttered their wings and sang with the wind. Dak thought this must’ve been the kind of automata Abi had been talking about. Beneath the canopy, a man reclined on a sofa. His clothing was the fanciest Dak had seen so far, embroidered with golden threads, his turban made of a shiny material.

As soon as they’d taken a few steps into the garden, another man approached them. He was round, and he teetered toward them like a bowling pin. “What is the meaning of this, Abi?” he asked.

“Greetings, Grand Vizier,” Abi said. “We have come hoping to speak with Tusi, once he has spoken with the caliph.”

The vizier tipped his head sideways. “Is that so? What business do you have with Tusi?”

“It relates to the work of the House of Wisdom,” Abi said. “Something the caliph fully supports.”

“It is true the caliph has reverence and admiration for what you do. But as for whether you can speak with Tusi, you will have to ask the caliph yourself. You may approach him.”

Abi bowed. “Thank you, Vizier.”

Head bowed, he walked toward the man under the canopy. Dak imitated the gesture, and so did Sera and Riq. When Abi stopped at the edge of the tent, so did they. They waited a few moments as the vizier approached the man on the sofa, whom Dak assumed was the caliph, and whispered in his ear.

The caliph nodded and said, “You may approach, Abi.”

Abi motioned with his hand for Dak, Sera, and Riq to stay where they were. He inched toward the caliph slowly, and when he was a few feet away, he said, “Peace, Commander of the Faithful, and may God’s mercy be upon you.” Then Abi lowered himself to his knees and kissed the ground.

As he did so, several servants came up and sprinkled Dak, Sera, and Riq with water, and then retreated. A moment later, Dak caught the smell, and realized the water was some kind of rose-scented perfume. He wrinkled his nose. Great. Now he smelled like
flowers
.

“Rise, Ibn Abī al-Shukr,” the caliph said. “Tell me why you have come. My attendants say you’ve been asking about Tusi since yesterday.”

“Yes, Caliph.” Abi rose to his feet, but kept his head bowed. “I wish to speak with him about the fate of the House of Wisdom.”

“What fate?” the caliph said. “And why would it matter to Tusi, the adviser to Hulagu Khan, the aggressor who sits outside our very gate?”

“Only this, Caliph. If we remind Tusi of the wealth of knowledge in the House of Wisdom, and in the whole city, perhaps he can persuade Hulagu Khan to spare the city the wanton destruction he has meted out against other cities before.”

The caliph leaned forward. “Who are those children with you? And that young man?”

Dak looked up. The caliph was asking about them.

“Have them come forward,” the caliph said.

Abi motioned them to approach. “They are students who have come from distant lands to learn at the House of Wisdom.”

Dak swallowed. Did they need to kiss the ground like Abi had? He didn’t know, but Sera and Riq didn’t seem like they were going to, so he stayed on his feet, but still kept his head down.

“Who are you?” the caliph asked. “And why are you here with Abi?”

Riq spoke up first. “As Abi said, we are students from distant lands.”

“What distant lands?” the caliph asked.

“Pennsylvania,” Dak said.

“Pennsylvania?” The caliph scratched under his turban with his pointer finger. “I have never heard of this country.”

“It’s far away,” Dak said. “Beyond . . .” He tried to think of a place. “Beyond Istanbul.”

“Where?”

Oh, right, they haven’t changed the name yet
. “I mean, beyond Constantinople.”

“I see,” the caliph said.

The vizier was looking at Dak, Sera, and Riq like they had just sprouted tails or something, his expression stern.

“What do you study at the House of Wisdom?” the caliph asked.

“History,” Dak said.

“Mathematics,” Sera said.

“Linguistics,” Riq said.

“Varied disciplines,” the caliph said. “And what interest do you have in Tusi?”

“None,” Riq said. “But as foreigners, we couldn’t pass up the chance to come with Abi so we could see your famous palace.”

That was a good answer, Dak had to admit.

“My palace?” the caliph said. “And what do you think of my palace?”

“It’s amazing,” Dak said.

“It’s beautiful,” Sera said.

“It’s impressive,” Riq said.

“It is all three of those things and more,” Abi said.

“So it is,” the caliph said. “And now, your request. What do you think, Vizier?”

The vizier frowned. “The caliph has nothing to fear from anyone. Tusi will try to persuade you to accept the terms of surrender you have already wisely rejected. Baghdad is completely safe, and therefore, so is the House of Wisdom. Our women, alone, could defend the walls.”

The caliph nodded. “Abi, I do not care whether you speak with Tusi or not, because it is irrelevant. You heard my vizier. We are perfectly safe from conquest.”

Actually,
thought Dak,
the exact opposite of that is true.

“Go now,” the caliph said. “I will have my vizier bring Tusi to you once I have rejected Hulagu’s terms a second time.”

“Actually,” Dak said, “you might want to give those terms another look. The Mongols have been mostly undefeated in the expansion of their empire. When kings surrender to them, it usually goes okay for their people. But when kings
don’t
surrender, bad things happen.”

The caliph waved Dak off. “The Mongols shall suffer a rare defeat at Baghdad’s gates.”

Dak shook his head. “But —”

“Thank you, Caliph,” Abi said. He backed away, and Dak did the same. So did Sera and Riq. Once they reached the edge of the tent, they turned and walked back toward the garden’s entrance. The vizier came up behind them and waddled ahead.

“I will show you to a waiting room,” he said.

They ended up in an open-air room surrounded by ornate arches and white marble columns. There were pillows and cushions on the ground, so they sat down and waited.

“He could just surrender,” Dak said. “What I tried telling him was true. Hulagu spared lots of cities that surrendered. Cities that didn’t surrender got pulverized. All you have to do is look at history so you don’t repeat it.”

“Let me guess,” Riq said. “Now you’re gonna tell us why history is so important and why you love it so much.”

Dak felt his anger rising. “It’s why
you
should love history instead of boring words, words, words.”

“Stop it,” Sera said. “Not in the palace.”

Dak rolled his eyes. Riq was wrong, anyway. History was important, but that wasn’t really why Dak loved it. He was still trying to figure that one out.

They waited quite a while. Dak was even starting to think he could close his eyes and take a nap. But then the vizier returned with a man who Dak assumed was Tusi. He wore a simple robe, with a white turban that wrapped around his head and dropped a tail of fabric down over his right shoulder. His beard was clean, smooth, and came to a point.

The vizier raised his voice a bit. “I present to you Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, emissary from Hulagu Khan.” He took one last look at Dak and the others, scowling, and then he left.

Tusi waited, face blank, saying nothing.

Abi stepped forward. “I am Ibn Abī al-Shukr, and I am honored to meet you. Your reputation has spread far.”

“And you have no reputation at all,” Tusi said. “Why did you wish to speak with me?”

Wow,
Dak thought.
That was rude
.

Abi blinked, seeming a bit taken aback. “I . . . certainly hope to one day have even a fraction of your learning and wisdom.”

“Yes, yes,” Tusi said. “Speak your mind so that I might be on my way.”

Dak couldn’t believe this guy.

“The caliph does not believe the city will fall,” Abi said.

“No, he does not,” Tusi said. “He is a fool.”

“If the city does fall,” Abi said, “I am worried that our libraries, and the House of Wisdom, will meet the same fate as those at Alamut fortress, where Hulagu captured you and destroyed the books there.”

“He did not capture me,” Tusi said. “He freed me from the Ismā ‘īlī and allowed me to continue my work. Eventually, I became adviser to him.”

“And that is why we hope you might persuade Hulagu to spare the libraries. Spare the House of Wisdom.”

“No.” Tusi didn’t even act like he had given it half a thought.

“N-no?” Abi asked.

“No,” Tusi said.

“Why not?” Riq asked.

Tusi turned to him. “Because my position with Hulagu is tenuous. It would take very little provocation for him to execute me, as he has done with countless others. I have therefore chosen not to provoke him. That is the best way to stay alive and continue my studies.”

“So you won’t speak for the libraries?” Sera asked.

“No,” Tusi said. “I won’t speak for anyone or anything but myself. If the libraries are destroyed, with all the books in them, I will grieve, secure in the knowledge that nothing could have been done.”

“I don’t understand,” Abi said. “You are a scholar. You know what the House of Wisdom represents.”

Tusi’s eyes became sharp and narrow. “I know very well what it represents.”

No one said anything. Dak couldn’t believe this man, who had the power to maybe do something, but had refused to help. Where did that leave them?

“Is there anything more?” Tusi asked.

“No,” Abi said.

Tusi nodded. “Then I bid you farewell.” He turned and left.

After he had gone, Abi hung his head and shook it. “I don’t understand,” he repeated.

“What do we do now?” Dak asked.

“I don’t know,” Abi said.

“We come up with a new plan,” Riq said. “We still have time.”

“But I am troubled by something else,” Abi said. “I think Tusi might be SQ. I think he
wants
the House of Wisdom destroyed.”

R
IQ THOUGHT
about what Abi had just said. It made sense to him. If Tusi was really SQ, of course he wouldn’t help save the House of Wisdom. He would want it destroyed. Maybe that was why he was advising Hulagu Khan in the first place. He was making sure the job got done.

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