KASHMIR’S BACKGROUND
In 1704 or thereabouts, Antoine Galland translated One Thousand and One Nights into French, adding some stories that were not in the original Syrian text. The work became very popular in Europe over the next century, with people publishing their own versions and translations, some more fanciful than others. Thus, Kashmir hails from the Vaadi Al-Maas, or Diamond Valley, which is a reference to the story of Sinbad and the Rocs. He shares other characteristics with some characters in the stories attributed to Scheherazade, which of course Nix had read. He speaks Farsi, Arabic, English, and French, befitting a man from a fairy-tale version of “Arabia” as seen through the eyes of an eighteenth-century French cartographer.
Yalla (Arabic): Let’s go!
Vite (French): Quickly!
Ya sidi (Arabic): Sir.
Khahesh mikonam (Farsi): You’re welcome.
Khodaye man (Farsi): My God!
Negaran nabash (Farsi): Don’t worry.
Cher (French): Dear.
Baleh (Farsi): Yes.
Pourquois non (French): Why not?
Viens (French): Come.
In shaa’ Allah (Arabic): God willing.
Many myths include quests, and many quests include helpers without whom the hero would fail. Writing a book is not heroic, but those who have helped me along the way have been.
My keepers of knowledge, Rebecca C. Brown on maps, Duncan Stephenson and Gordon Young on ships and sailing, Matteen Mokalla for Farsi, and Haatem Reda for Arabic, who gave me as much information as any good god of wisdom, without too many of the demands for worship, thank you.
Those who encouraged me when I first needed it—Diane Drotleff, Michelle Elliot, Rob Hartman, Karen Henderson, Lisa Sindorf, Lori Steinberg, Sana Qu, and particularly Robert St. John—I owe you all drinks. Where did I put that bottomless pitcher of wine? I am also grateful to Zach Fornaca, for his willing sacrifice, and to my shaman, Curtis Zimmerman. And to the philosophers, Anthony Gregory and Tommaso Sciortino, thank you for holding up your lamps.
I am so lucky for my first readers, Sharon Rader, Bruce Lamon, Thekla Hansen-Young—I put my heart in your hands and you didn’t feed it to Amut. To my first fan—ever, not just of this book—Diana Hansen-Young, thank you. I love your work.
My incredible agent, Molly Ker Hawn—like Hermes, intercessor between me and the gods—you are definitely the answer to a prayer. My amazing editor, Martha Mihalick, all-seeing, all-knowing goddess of Greenwillow: I worship you just a little bit. And to the team at Hotkey, Sara O’Connor and Naomi Colthurst—thank you for smiling on this author.
And finally, to Felix, little egg that hatched a dragon, and to Bret, like Hephaestus, hammering out the plot on your forge, it’s always been true: I need you.