While Ragnar was conducting aggressive market research in Nottingham, events that would impact the Directorate's future were occurring on the other side of the known world.
In the east, within the ancient city of Baghdad, Vizier Al-Hakam was kneeling within the Caliph's Palace before the ruler of the Abbasid Caliphate. He was questioning the man about a particular area of interest.
Caliph Harun al-Rashid was the current CEO of the Abbasid Caliphate; his ancestors had ruled over the Islamic Golden Age for generations.
He was in his early fifties and already had a beard as white as the finest linen.
The stress of overseeing the trade war with the Byzantines, which reached a stalemate, had aged him drastically these past ten years.
However, for the first time in a long time, there was hope to turn the tides of trade to his favor.
