As Hassan's story continues to unfold, we find him living in Constantinople as a diplomat, a valuable perspective showing us the relatively peaceful situation found there. The Ottoman Empire, founded on their trade of furniture ironically, are looking to expand and are headed towards Cairo. Though Hassan and Nur race back, they cannot stop the unfolding massacre of Mameluke. They then begin their nomadic life with their new daughter Hayat.

A year later he is captured by an Italian pirate and brought back to Rome as a captive, though he is seen as valuable cargo being a scholar and diplomat. This gains him an audience with Pope Leo X, who takes an immediate liking to him and has him baptized as Leo Africanus. In another interesting perspective, we see the birth of the Protestant Revolution through his eyes as it reaches Rome.

My question is: Why does Hassan, aka Leo, have this loyalty to a pope who treats him as no more than a pet? Also, is the peace he observes merely foreshadowing for inter-religious bloodshed to follow?