Summary

In the story-within-the-story, Rawiya sails with al-Idrisi to map the Sea of Byzantium, also known as the Mediterranean Sea. Three weeks later, as they get closer to Sicily, Rawiya talks with al-Idrisi on the deck and he tells her that he used to live in libraries, but wanted to create his own stories instead. Rawiya says that al-Idrisi seems to belong on the ocean and thinks of her father whom she never got to say goodbye to. Al-Idrisi tells her to get some rest with his second apprentice, Bakr. He leaves Rawiya to stare into the water where she does not recognize herself.

Nour thinks back to her father’s funeral and remembers the sage tea that she says tastes like her favorite memories. She had once asked her mother to tell Baba’s...