Gentlemen of the Road

ALSO BY MICHAEL CHABON

The Mysteries of Pittsburgh
Wonder Boys
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
A Model World and Other Stories
Werewolves in Their Youth
Summerland
The Final Solution
The Yiddish Policemen’s Union

To Michael Moorcock

Despising all my glory, abandoning my high estate, leaving my family, I would go over mountains and hills, through seas and lands, till I should arrive at the place where my Lord the King resides, that I might see not only his glory and magnificence, and that of his servants and ministers, but also the tranquility of the Israelites. On beholding this my eyes would brighten, my reins would exult, my lips would pour forth praises to God, who has not withdrawn his favor from his afflicted ones.

—letter of H
ASDAI
I
BN
S
HAPRUT
,
minister of the Caliph of Spain, to Joseph,
ruler of Khazaria, circa 960

“From now on, I’ll describe the cities to you,” the Khan had said, “in your journeys you will see if they exist.”

—I
TALO
C
ALVINO
, Invisible Cities

CONTENTS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

CHAPTER ONE
O
N
D
ISCORD
A
RISING FROM THE
E
XCESSIVE
L
OVE OF A
H
AT

CHAPTER TWO
O
N
P
AYMENT—AND
T
ROUBLE,
I
TS
I
NEVITABLE
G
RATUITY

CHAPTER THREE
O
N THE
B
URDENS AND
C
RUELTIES OF THE
R
OAD

CHAPTER FOUR
O
N THE
S
UBSTITUTION OF
O
NE
A
NGEL, AND
O
NE
C
AUSE, FOR
A
NOTHER

CHAPTER FIVE
O
N THE
O
BSERVANCE OF THE
F
OURTH
C
OMMANDMENT
A
MONG
H
ORSE
T
HIEVES

CHAPTER SIX
O
N
S
OME
P
ECULIARITIES IN THE
T
RADING
P
RACTICES OF
N
ORTHMEN

CHAPTER SEVEN
O
N THE
S
EIZING OF A
L
OW
M
OMENT

CHAPTER EIGHT
O
N A
N
ICENESS OF
M
ORAL
D
ISCERNMENT
U
NCOMMON
A
MONG
G
ENTLEMEN OF THE
R
OAD

CHAPTER NINE
O
N
A
NXIETIES
A
RISING FROM THE
I
MPERMISSIBILITY,
H
OWEVER
U
NREASONABLE, OF AN
E
LEPHANT’S
R
OUNDING
O
UT A
P
RAYER
Q
UORUM

CHAPTER TEN
O
N THE
B
ELATED
R
EPAYMENT OF THE
G
IFT OF A
P
EAR

CHAPTER ELEVEN
O
N THE
U
NFORESEEN AND
A
NNOYING
R
ESEMBLANCE OF A
B
EK’S
L
IFE TO AN
I
LL-PLAYED
G
AME OF
S
HATRANJ

CHAPTER TWELVE
O
N A
C
ONSIGNMENT OF
F
LESH

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
O
N
S
WIMMING TO THE
L
IBRARY AT THE
H
EART OF THE
W
ORLD

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
O
N THE
M
ELANCHOLY
D
UTY OF
S
OLDIERS TO
C
ONTEND WITH THE
M
ESSES
L
EFT BY
K
INGS

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
O
N
F
OLLOWING THE
R
OAD TO
O
NE’S
D
ESTINY WITH THE
U
SUAL
I
NTRUSIONS OF
V
IOLENCE AND
G
RACE

AFTERWORD

Illustrations

The Frank jabbed the point of the dagger down into the table beside
the shatranj board, jostling the pieces.

“He would say or do anything if it might mean a chance to fly home
and seek a fool’s revenge.”

“Please, lord. To home, please, you take me.”

“Friends,” he called in Arabic, his voice a raucous barking.

“Hear that sound, boy?” Amram said. “That’s Zelikman.”

Long strings of men and women and animals knotted and coiled as
the townspeople abandoned their lives.

At this there was a murmuring among the soldiers….

“A gentleman of the road.”

Neither paid the slightest attention but continued to gaze down at
the shining white city of the Khazars.

A fissure opened in the mass of soldiers.

He turned it over and ran his fingers along the runes. “I wonder
what they say.”

Two soldiers in armor stood in the hall.

A commotion was therefore unavoidable.

He turned to the javshigar who stood by his side, a captain of
archers in a scale-mail coat.

“What a pair of swindlers!” he said admiringly.