by Megan Bannen
The riddles are, of course, the centerpiece of the story, and each version of the tale contains different puzzles. My favorites by far were those created by librettists Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni for Puccini’s opera. I have rewritten them, but the tone and the answers remain very much intact.
Glossary
arban: (Mongolian) a military unit consisting of ten men
Cān jiàn Diànxià: (Mandarin Chinese) It is an honor to greet you, my prince.
Chagatai Khanate: a khanate of the Mongol Empire, consisting of large swaths of Central Asia
deel: (Mongolian) an article of traditional Mongol clothing, similar to a kaftan, that clasps at the shoulder and under the armpit and is belted around the waist
dirham: a unit of currency dating back to pre-Islamic times and still in use today in several Berber and Arab states
ger: (Mongolian) a round housing structure constructed of felt over a wooden frame designed to be easily transported
gerege: (Mongolian) a flat tablet, made of metal, that rendered to the holder the ability to demand goods and services from civilian populations, particularly while traveling through the empire
Great Khan: the khan of khans, the elected leader of the Mongol Empire
Hanyu: the language of the Han, better known in the West as Mandarin Chinese
Hăo jiŭ bú jiàn, xiōngtái: (Mandarin Chinese) Long time no see, brother.
huāshēng: peanut
il-khan: subkhan, maintaining a portion of the empire on behalf of the Great Khan
Il-Khanate: the khanate of the Mongol Empire to the south of the Caspian Sea, consisting of Persia, Iraq, and parts of central Asia
khan: king
khanate: a mini-empire, a portion of the Mongol Empire overseen by its own khan
khatun: queen
Kipchak Khanate: the khanate of the Mongol Empire to the north of the Caspian Sea, consisting of extensive lands in Russia, eastern Europe, and parts of central Asia
lĭ: (Mandarin Chinese) a Chinese unit measuring distance, about a third of a mile
mòlìhuā: (Mandarin Chinese) jasmine flower
qumiz: (Mongolian) fermented mare’s milk; sometimes spelled koumiss in English
shăguā: (Mandarin Chinese) fool; literally “silly melon.”
Song Dynasty, Empire of the: Specifically, the Empire of the Southern Song Dynasty, located in what is now southern China, which fell to the Mongols in 1279; sometimes spelled Sung in English
sukhe: (Mongolian) the standardized currency of the Mongol Empire, based on a silver ingot divided into five hundred parts
tumen: (Mongolian) a military unit consisting of ten thousand men
uurga: (Mongolian) a lasso made from a wooden rod and a loop of leather
xiàngqí: (Mandarin Chinese) a Chinese board game, similar to chess
Yuan Dynasty, Khanate of the: the Great Khan’s khanate in the east, consisting of the Mongol homeland, China, and Tibet
Wŏ de tiān nă: (Mandarin Chinese) Oh, my heaven!
zăo: date
Zăo shēng guì zĭ: may you give birth to a son
zhăngxiōng: (Mandarin Chinese) older brother
Zhongguo: (Mandarin Chinese) China; historically, a term that suggested a sense of cultural superiority felt by Chinese empires
zuun: (Mongolian) a military unit consisting of one hundred men
Acknowledgments
My heartfelt gratitude goes to Meagan Condon, Katie Korte, L. L. McKinney, Kate McNair, Dennis Ross, and Meghan Stigge for their insightful feedback on early drafts of this novel. Thanks also to Kester “Kit” Grant, Peter Knops, Henry Lien, Myra McEntire, and Carrie Ryan for being incredibly helpful people. Bear hugs and fat kisses to Tessa Gratton and Natalie C. Parker for ALL THE THINGS.
Meyrnah Khodr and Jūn Aī were staggeringly generous in answering my many, many questions. Meyrnah and AJ, you two are wonderful. And to Associate Professor Anne Broadbridge of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Assistant Professor Man Xu of Tufts University, Professor Morris Rossabi, and Shenwei Chang for their willingness to provide feedback regarding the accuracy and authenticity of this book: I can’t thank you enough.
My critique partners, Jenny Mendez and Kathee Goldsich, have supported me and put up with my unending text messages and Poldark gifs for years. Jenny and Kathee, this book would not exist without you.
Let it be known that my agent, Holly Root, is an angel wrapped in kitten hugs and the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher (in an excellent Professor Lupin kind of way). You are the absolute best, Holly. Thanks also to Heather Baror-Shapiro, who has championed The Bird and the Blade the world over.
Giant thanks to Renée Cafiero, Kelsey Murphy, Janet Robbins Rosenberg, Jordan Saia, Michelle Taormina, and the entire team at HarperCollins and Balzer + Bray. I’m ridiculously lucky to have you in my corner.
As for my editor, Kristin Daly Rens, there aren’t enough words in the world to convey my gratitude. Her insight and guidance have made Jinghua’s story a thousand times better than when she first laid eyes on it. I am eternally grateful to you, Kristin.
Lastly, I want to thank my friends and family for their unending support and enthusiasm, especially my sons, Hank and Gus, who have valiantly tolerated a mother who plays ukulele whenever she gets stuck on a plot point, and my husband, Mike, who, in addition to being smarter and better looking than Khalaf, offered fantastic feedback on the manuscript. I love you guys.
About the Author
Courtesy of the author
MEGAN BANNEN is a librarian and author. In her spare time, she collects graduate degrees from Kansas colleges and universities. While most of her professional career has been spent in public libraries, she has also sold luggage, written grants, and taught English abroad and at home. She lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, their two sons, and a few too many pets with literary names. She can be found online at www.meganbannen.com.
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Copyright
Balzer + Bray is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
THE BIRD AND THE BLADE. Copyright © 2018 by Megan Bannen. Map copyright © 2018 by Jordan Saia. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
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Cover art by VAULT 49
Cover design by MICHELLE TAORMINA
Digital Edition JUNE 2018 ISBN: 978-0-06-267417-3
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-267415-9
1819202122PC/LSCH10987654321
FIRST EDITION
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