Chapter 1
It was said that as a child, Khosrow Parviz was the sunshine of the court. His nanny worshiped him, and he was loved by everyone. His sweet smile was so beautiful that it reminded you of the glory of the morning sun. He was so curious about the world, even at five, he couldnβt stop looking around and asking questions.
His father hired tutors. He learned so fast that he had mastered reading, writing, and several different languages within few years. His communication skills were superb, and he could skillfully discuss any subject, from politics to philosophy, with anyone. He won every debate his tutors enrolled him in.
At the age of nine, he started to learn how to fight. At ten, he could hold his own against thirty-year-old men. He could slay dangerous animals with his sword. With his spear, he could unfasten a knot in the air. With his arrow and bows, he hit targets from one hundred yards away. He caught lions and tigers with his lasso.
When he reached 14, he started to wonder about the existence of right and wrong in the world. He wanted to know more everything, wanted to gain more knowledge than anyone else.
His father learned of a man named Bozorg-mehr who was a scholar in the field of science. It was rumored that Bozorg-mehr understood the hidden knowledge of his time. The King asked him to guide his son.
Bozorg-mehr was already bent, stooped, his hair and beard white and straggly, by the time he began to tutor Khosrow Parviz. From the earth to the sky, Saturn, and other stars, the old scholar taught his pupil all he knew about the orbits. He was a sea of knowledge and a master in the conventional arts of his time.
But soon the young student rivaled the old scholar in his mastery of knowledge.
βIt is time to go into the world,β said Bozorg-mehr. βYou canβt stay a student forever. Knowledge must be used, or it dies.β
