The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards

instant, Zardi was reminded of the pickpockets who roamed the streets of Taraket. She remembered the hungry look in their eyes. Had Sinbad once been a boy like that? She stared into the captain’s face, but his gaze still held that mocking gleam that had so infuriated her on Assam’s boat—it refused sympathy. “So what do you plan to do with us, if you’re far too nice to kill us?” she asked.
    Sinbad grinned wolfishly. “All in good time, my lady . Have you eaten yet?”
    Rhidan shook his head.
    â€œWell, that’s no good,” Sinbad replied. “The cook should most certainly eat, as should his friend. Nadeem!” The boy, who was at the other end of the boat, eating, turned round. “Bring two bowls of stew for our guests.”
    Nadeem did the captain’s bidding but he wasn’t happy about it. “I don’t see why we have to feed them,” Nadeem said with a scowl as he arrived with the bowls. “They look like they have had plenty of good meals in their lives.” He thrust the food into Zardi’s and Rhidan’s hands and then stomped off.
    He really doesn’t like us , Zardi thought to herself. That’s fine with me because I don’t like him either . The smell of the fish stew hit her nostrils and chased away all thoughts of Nadeem as she and Rhidan sat down and eagerly began to devour their food. Sinbad sat down beside them, patiently waiting for them to finish.
    As they took their last spoonfuls, the captain cracked his knuckles. “Right, and now to it. I don’t know what wind of misfortune or cruel coincidence has blown you into my life, but I want some answers.”
    â€œItisn’tacoincidence,” Rhidan said in a rush. “We’ve been looking for you. We followed you from Taraket and—”
    â€œHold it.” Sinbad interrupted Rhidan’s tide of words. “I’m still talking.” His face remained relaxed, but Zardi noticed that a strained note had entered his voice.
    â€œLet’s start from the top.” Sinbad pointed to Zardi. “Back in Taraket you had significantly more hair. Why are you dressed as a boy?”
    â€œI wanted to go to sea, so I ran away,” Zardi replied simply. This was only a small part of the truth, but she wasn’t about to tell him that she was a daughter of a vizier looking for a way to destroy the sultan of Arribitha, or for that matter that the sultan had imprisoned her sister and father. Sinbad would probably ransom her to Shahryār before the words even left her mouth. “My name’s Zee now.”
    Sinbad nodded. “I suggest we keep the truth about your gender to ourselves. My crew can be a superstitious lot. They’ll see it as bad luck to have a woman onboard.” He turned to Rhidan. “And you, pale one, what do you mean you came looking for me?”
    â€œTwelve years ago I was left on the banks of the river Tigress.” Rhidan spoke more slowly this time. “The only thing I had with me was a piece of parchment with my name on it and this amulet around my neck.” He stroked the intertwined snakes. “Zardi’s family, or should I say Zee’s, took me in.” His eyes met Zardi’s for a moment, and she silently thanked him for failing to mention that his adoption was under the sultan’s orders and that her father was in Shahryār’s employ. “Four days ago,” he continued, “we met you and you mentioned a place called the Black Isle. You said that the inhabitants of this place look just like me.” He fixed Sinbad with a stare shiny and hard with hope. “I need to know where the Black Isle is.”
    Sinbad rubbed at his temples, and Zardi thought that he looked like a man who’d just been given some really bad news.
    â€œSinbad, please, you need to tell me,” Rhidan repeated more urgently.
    â€œI can’t.” The words were wrung out of the captain.