“Demetrius learned to cook in the household of the Caliph of Damascus,” Roger explained. “Only as a boy, my lord,” Demetrius hastened to assure Balian, afraid this would be held against him.
The last person to hold the title of Caliph who lived in Damascus was the Umayyad, Ibrahim ibn al-Walid, who abdicated in December 744; Demetrius seems awfully spry for someone who’s over 400 years old. Maybe he’s been eating Beth’s father’s magic fruit.
