This science fiction fantasy novel features "an intriguing premise—the Islamic conquest of space—and an engagingly ingenuous hero." ( Library Journal) Abdul Hamid-Jones is under orders to help the Emir of Mars travel to the holy city of Mecca, a task that will all but assure Emir's position as Caliph of the Muslim empire. But developing a fast, safe mode of interplanetary travel is a challenge no one has solved yet, least of a young scientist like Hamid-Jones. But this difficulty is nothing compared to the danger he encounters once caught in a web of court politics that puts his very life on the line.