The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards Page B

her to Shahryār.
    A claw of sadness raked across Zardi’s chest as she remembered one of her sister’s favorite sayings. Trust is the friend of trust . Zubeyda was always telling Rhidan that he was too quick to judge and he should try to see the good in people. Not that believing in Sinbad had done Rhidan any good. No, now is not the time to start trusting people, Zub , Zardi’s thoughts whispered. You and Baba are still the sultan’s prisoners, and now Rhidan and I are prisoners of Sinbad .
    Zardi pressed a hand to her temple, reassured by the steady throb she found there. Any hope of answers for Rhidan had been blown away like grains of sand in a storm. But her hopes to save her sister and Baba would not be scattered so easily. Once they reached Sabra, she would escape the Falcon with Rhidan and find the Varish.

10
Through the Eye of the needle
    H eat from the midday sun was prickly on her neck, but Zardi didn’t care. After five days they had finally reached their destination and were swiftly approaching the southernmost tip of Arribitha. As the Tigress River raced to join the ocean that lapped her kingdom’s south coast, she swiftly climbed the rope ladder to the poop deck.
    She stepped onto the raised platform, and the Falcon burst from the river into the sea. Her breath became a whistle through her lips. The ocean was so much vaster and darker than she’d imagined—an inky blue swath that went on forever. She wondered how men had ever found the courage to build ships to explore this dark expanse. How had they resisted the urge to run screaming from its hugeness?
    She hoped she’d get the chance to find out one day. But saving Zubeyda came first, and the Varish were not to be found at sea. They were hiding somewhere in Sabra. For the past five days the secret order of warriors had been the only thing that Zardi could think about. Questions and doubts plagued her. Can I find them? What does a secret order of warriors look like? Will they help me?
    â€œIt’s going to be tight,” she heard Sinbad say to Musty. The two men stood below her and were looking out at Sabra’s busy port, which jutted out into the sea.
    Following their gaze, she could see hulking ships and stout fishing boats arranged like dates on a stem. Even more vessels jostled for position on the coast’s waterfront.
    â€œTight!” the shipmaster exclaimed. “It’ll be like threading a camel through the eye of a needle.” Musty headed for the tiller and shooed Mo and Ali out of the way, much to the twins’ annoyance.
    Zardi looked inland. The quay was teeming with activity: men building boats, boys wheeling crates full of salt to trade, and women selling oranges to thirsty sailors. The harbor curved, almost as if it were smiling in welcome—welcoming her to Sabra and the Tigress to the sea.
    â€œIf you grin any wider, your face is going to crack.” Rhidan’s voice from below made her jump.
    â€œOh, sorry, I didn’t realize…” She trailed off. It seemed wrong to be smiling when Zubeyda and Baba were still in danger and all hope of Rhidan finding out the truth about his origins had been destroyed. She clambered down from the poop deck to stand next to him.
    â€œWhat are you apologizing for?” Her friend sounded annoyed. “I was only teasing. I know how much seeing the ocean means to you. You dreamed of this.”
    â€œYou dreamed of a few things too, but you didn’t get them,” she replied softly.
    â€œNo, I didn’t. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be happy for you.” He smiled, although it looked a bit wobbly. “How many times have you told me that you wanted to sail on the open sea? That you wanted to know what lay beyond Taraket?”
    â€œA few times,” she replied, knowing what an understatement that was. She could talk about sailing all day.
    â€œA few times plus a thousand, perhaps!” All