Peril in the Palace by Paul McCusker

Author:Paul McCusker
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781604828634
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Published: 2011-11-01T04:00:00+00:00

Niccolò held out a pretty gold jar. A servant came to carry the oil to Kublai Khan.

The khan studied the jar. He opened it and sniffed the oil inside. Then he poured a few drops on his fingers.

Kublai Khan frowned.

“Does this oil have any special power?” Kublai Khan asked. “Will it make me young again? Will it turn sand into gold?”

Niccolò shook his head. “No, Your Excellency,” he said.

“Is this all you bring to me?” Kublai Khan asked. “Worthless oil?”

Amaffeo answered this time. “We also bring a letter from Gregory the Tenth, the leader of our church,” he said. He pulled a parchment out of his tunic.

Amaffeo read the letter out loud. It said nice things about Kublai Khan. It told about the Crusades going on in Jerusalem. Gregory the Tenth was sorry he could not send Christian teachers to China. He said he needed his teachers in Europe.

Kublai Khan frowned.

Amaffeo offered the paper to him, but the khan waved his hand. He did not want it.

“Why doesn’t your God help the Christians?” Kublai Khan asked. “Why doesn’t the Christian God smash your enemies?”

Niccolò and Amaffeo were silent.

Patrick and Beth looked at each other. “Someone should say something,” Patrick whispered to her.

“What did you say?” the khan called out to Patrick. He waved. “Come closer. Speak so I may hear you.”

Patrick took two steps toward the white throne. His knees were shaking.

“Will this child answer my question since the adults cannot?” Kublai Khan said. “Speak, boy! Why doesn’t your Christian God destroy your enemies?”

“He has destroyed our greatest enemy,” Patrick said in a shaky voice.

“Oh? Which enemy is that?” the khan asked.

“Jesus Christ destroyed death. He rose from the grave! Those who believe in Him will live forever.”

“Bah!” Kublai Khan said. “My uncle was a Christian. My mother was a Christian. Both are now dead.”

“But they’re alive in heaven,” Patrick said. “And you can live there too, if you ask for forgiveness—”

Patrick was cut off by Kublai Khan’s laughter. He let out a deep roll of gusty hah-hahs.

Then the khan stopped laughing and stroked his beard. He said, “I want to see what your God can do for me. I want to live in this world forever. And I want an army that will never suffer defeat. I want glory.”

Patrick opened his mouth to argue, but Niccolò put a hand on Patrick’s shoulder. He leaned his head close to Patrick’s ear.

“He only understands what he can see,” Niccolò whispered. “He believes he will go to the afterlife as a warrior. The Mongols will bury him with arrows and horses.”

Kublai Khan snapped his fingers. He motioned toward a group of men at the side of the room. They wore long yellow robes and yellow turbans. The men came forward and circled Kublai Khan’s throne.

“We will see who has power,” Kublai Khan said. “Your God or the Mongol shamans.”

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