A short story, a fictionalized account of the journey of the Polo Brothers before the journey which Marco joined them on.
THE DIARIES AND LETTERS OF NICOLO Venice. 1253.
AND MAFFIO POLO
1:
FROM THE DIARY OF NICOLO
Since sending my brother, Maffio, ahead of me to begin preparations of a business sort, I have been readying for my own trip. Sadly, my beloved-being with child-can not make the trip with me and so I must go on alone. I am most excited to become a father, and look forward to passing on my life’s work to the child should it be that he is a boy or to her husband if she is a girl. Of course, with a girl, there is always the problem of arranging her marriage-if she is to marry-or getting her into a convent should she be more pious and devoted to religious matters. Still, every father hopes that his daughters will marry into wealthy families to further the wealth of her own.
On to more pressing matters. Constantinople sits waiting for me. Our merchant business is doing quite well, but Maffio and I decided that the time was that we should go abroad and set up at the hub of all trade. Thus, I sent him ahead to begin proceedings with procuring a place for us to open our shop. I, on the other hand, remained behind-here in Venice-to make arrangements for someone to care for our Venice operations. I had to remain and see to the care taking of my beloved. I have to make arrangements for someone to see to her welfare and to deliver the baby when it is time.
LETTER FROM MAFFIO
Constantinople, 1253
Dearest brother.
My hopes are that you arrive safely in Constantinople within the next few months. My dearest and I have arrived safely and I have procured a choice spot within the markets here as our place of business. Constantinople is a large and awe-inspiring city, the likes of which I can only compare to Rome, though in an off-hand manner. I have even taken the liberty to procure for you a spacious apartment near my own so that you have no need to bother yourself with hunting for one. My hope is that you are agreeable with my choices, though I know you will only want what’s best for us and our business. Still, I do hope that you put our young apprentice, Raphael, in charge of the business we are leaving back in Venice. And I hope your wife can make the trip, but if she can not, I wish her well in her time of need.
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