Summary

This section begins with a poem in the shape of Algeria. The writer says their name is not confined by borders or a danger to anyone. Their name is a memory of better times. Now, they walk painfully through life and struggle to survive. They remember when words completed things and yearn to give their children memories of their ancestry. They say only at home can they sing in their mother’s language.

When King Roger dies, the dukes begin to conspire against his heir, William. Six years later, Khaldun and Rawiya’s secret excursion into the castle garden is interrupted as rebels break into the castle. They rush inside and find al-Idrisi in the workshop as the tries to save the planisphere and books detailing their work. As Rawiya and Khaldun try to help, Khaldun is...