Marco Polo and the Sultan of Swinging Zanzibar

By Murray Stewart murray.stewart49@gmail.com

This being the last edition of the month, we continue with the highs and lows of Marco Polo’s journey to the Far East via South Africa. Readers might remember that our captain, lured by the shiny prospect of finding Mr Kruger’s wagon-loads of gold, had deviated course to Delagoa Bay, where a vicious storm sunk his ship, the Santa Flatulata.

Marco had no idea what the future may hold after being rescued by Somali pirates off the East Coast of Africa. Though thankful to be alive, he couldn’t stop fretting about the sinking of his ship. Just outside the

port of Lawrence O’Marks, she succumbed to Neptune’s temptations, and sank into his embrace with her precious cargo – the Kruger Millions.

Realising he was the only person who knew the exact location of the wreck, voices from the bowels of his soul urged Marco to somehow get back there and claim his bounty. Being captured by Somali pirates didn’t help at all.

He couldn’t ask them to turn back and retrieve the gold, because once they had it, he’d be sleeping with the fishes. So he could only hope to escape and make his way either south to the gold, or east to where Pa was – in the land of chopsticks, silkworms and a Pleasure Dome called Xanadu.

Click below to read more. (The full article can be found on page 6)