Chapter 20, The City of Brass Summary

Long ago in Damascus lived a Caliph Abd al-Malik bin Marwan who heard from Talib bin Sahl about how Lord Solomon son of David used to seal Jinns and other evil spirits in copper cucurbites (bottles) that he stopped with lead and sealed shut with his signet ring. The Caliph decides to recover some of these bottles, so he writes letters to his brother, Abd al-Aziz, the Viceroy of Egypt, and one to Musa bin Nusayr, his Viceroy in North-Western Africa. The Caliph gives the letters and resources to Talib and sends him off.

In Cairo, Talib learns that the journey to where the cucurbites are found is two years' hard journey by land. Musa leaves his son in charge, and he accompanies Talib and an old guide named Abd al-Samad across the desert of...