Chapter 365 - 258: Eden (Part 2)
"Ptolemy?"
"According to the Bible, the shape of the earth is like a Tabernacle. The earth and sky together form an arch, a hall with a magnificent dome and floor. In short, it’s a giant box, not a sphere.
The ignorant also believe that even if the earth isn’t a box, it’s a vast, flat plane, and the seawater at the edge will fall down to who knows where.
But not only the great ancient philosophers, or the father of astronomy, Ptolemy, but even Saint Isidore confirmed that the earth is a sphere. Isidore, with a certainty befitting a Christian, even set the diameter of the equator at eight thousand Stad.
Saint Augustine once stated that even heretical philosophers can have their points—that the earth is a sphere and the Tabernacle mentioned in the Bible is just a metaphor.
But despite Saint Augustine’s tolerance, he believed that knowing the shape of the earth was of no help in solving the only serious problem: how to save one’s soul.
Therefore, he believed that even spending half an hour pondering the shape of the earth was a waste of time."
"For the time being, Saint Augustine might have a point. The Empire has too much on its plate to deal with, doesn’t it?"
"So, is that an excuse to remain ignorant? This is a sacred undertaking, foreigner. This is God’s wisdom. We are exploring the mysteries of God’s creation. Is there anything in this world more worthy of devotion?
Perhaps hundreds or thousands of years from now, people will speak my name just as they speak of Saint Augustine and Ptolemy." The young man quickly flipped through the book in his hands, then showed one of the pages to Eric.
It was a simple map from the time of the Ancient Roman Empire. The further east it went, the more vague the information became, and the shapes grew more abstract. For Eric, however, it wasn’t too difficult to recognize.
"See this? The East. According to the Bible, the farthest point of the East, where the sun rises, is where Eden is located.
I theorize its location must be between Baghdad and Central India.
Do you know about India? There are three parts to India in total. Southern India, with its hot climate; Northern India, on the outskirts of the Caspian Sea—right here—a place so cold the water freezes into crystal, and where Alexander the Great imprisoned Gog and Magog; and finally, Central India, with its temperate climate.
Did you know? A former Emperor once sent people to India—Emperor Justinian. Although I’m not a fan of that tyrant, the things he did in his early years weren’t all bad. He opened up the Red Sea, dispatched navigators, and successfully reached India, and even places further east.
It’s said that in the furthest east, there is a wealthy country, the land of silk and porcelain, where gold covers the ground."
"So?" Eric said with a smile.
"What do you mean, ’so’? It must be a rich and powerful country! There would be more books, more valuable knowledge. Perhaps God himself walked there and left something behind.
And now, He is guiding me to go to the East.
Perhaps an alliance with that powerful country in the East could alleviate the Empire’s current helpless plight and teach the Seljuk Turks a little lesson."
"You could take the old sea routes to the East," Eric said.
"The Empire lost Egypt centuries ago. Now, to get to the East, one must pass through the lands of Heretics.
’I was thinking, if what Ptolemy said is true and the world is a sphere, then to get to the East, perhaps you don’t have to go east. Perhaps by crossing that ocean to the west, you could also reach the East.’
As he spoke, the young man flipped through his book again, took out a folded map from within, and unfolded it.
The map’s focus wasn’t on the land, which was only shown in rough outlines. Instead, the surface of the sea was covered with a dense network of lines.
The map might have confused most people, but Eric immediately recognized it as a chart of the ocean currents in the Mediterranean and North Seas.
"I got this from a Norwegian. He told me a lot about the sea. The ocean and a river are two completely different things. The ocean contains a special kind of water that flows continuously in one direction, unchanging all year. They call it an ’ocean current.’
An experienced navigator can use the ocean currents to easily reach their destination." The young man grew more and more excited as he spoke.
"And then?" Eric prompted, playing along.
"Look at this current. It flows west from the southern Aegean Sea, past Sicily Island, and continues west through the Gibraltar Strait. But then what? It actually heads all the way north, passing through the channel between Ireland and England.
What could possibly make this current turn north instead of continuing west?" The young man paused, then said with a smile, "The answer is... a massive landmass! In the far west, there must be an enormous continent. If Ptolemy is right, then the far west is the Far East.
By sailing west, we can also reach that eastern kingdom."
"Perhaps it will be a new continent, inhabited only by some savages with feathers on their bodies. If you’re lucky enough, there might be an endless supply of gold," Eric said with a laugh.
"You seem to know a lot about it."
"Just a random thought," Eric said with a shrug.
Just then, the library door opened and someone walked in. It was Mikhail.
The young man instinctively glanced over, then pulled his head back, hunching his body. He said to Eric, "The old guy is back. To avoid unnecessary trouble, I have to go, foreigner.
This academic chat with you has been a pleasure. We can talk more next time. By the way, you can call me Michael. I’m a Cultivator, though not one belonging to this Monastery."
’Michael Doukas?’ The name immediately popped into Eric’s mind.
Michael VII Doukas, Emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 1071 to 1078. Michael VII grew to rely on his finance minister, Nikephoros. The Emperor’s main interest was in academic pursuits, rather than political administration, a tendency that became more pronounced under the influence of Mikhail Psellos. He allowed Nikephoros to increase taxes and extravagant spending, but failed to properly fund the army. As an Emperor, he was incompetent, often surrounded by sycophantic court officials. Before his abdication, Michael VII may have sent an envoy to the Song Dynasty, a mission that was possibly a continuation of the Byzantine Empire’s earlier diplomatic activities with the Tang Dynasty.
"You’re smart. I like you. But your timing is bad—no prize for guessing correctly."
"It seems he’s quite lenient with you."
"I guess. After all, I’m not his enemy. His enemy is Nikephoros. Besides, even if he locked me up, I’d always find a way to get out.
But he really is pious toward God. That’s why I don’t have to lose my eyes or something. I really love God."
"That sounds a little insincere."
"Alright, I have to go, foreigner. But to avoid putting a stain on your brand new mercenary career, you’d best not mention to anyone that you’ve seen me.
That includes your new master. This Empire is filled with conspiracy and violence. Especially for foreigners.
But my impression of you isn’t bad. Farewell. I hope I see you again—alive."
With that, Michael clamped the book in his mouth, hunched over, and moved quickly through the bookshelves, disappearing in the blink of an eye.