ndary. The Khan could also observe for himself that young Marcowas a good candidate. Finally, Marco reported back so successfully from his fist mission informing the Khan not only on business details but also on colorful customs and otherinteresting trivia that his further appointment was confirmed. The journeys specificallymentioned in Marco's book, involving travel across China and a sea voyage to India,suggests that the Khan did indeed trust him with some of the most difficult missions.15The Polos stayed on for seventeen years, another indication of how valued they were inthe Khan's court. Marco, his father, and his uncle not only survived, itself an achievementamid the political hazards of the time, but also prospered.16 Apparently, the elder Poloscarried on their trading while Marco was performing his missions; yet seventeen years isa long time to trade without returning home to family and friends. According to Macro,because the Khan held them in such high regard, he would not let them return home, butas the Khan aged the Polos began to fear what would happen after his death.17 Finally anopportunity to leave presented itself when trusted emissaries were needed to accompanya Mongol princess on a wedding voyage by sea to Persia, where she was promised to thelocal Khan. The Polos sailed from Cathay with a fleet of fourteen ships and a weddingparty of six hundred people, not counting the sailors. Only a few members of the weddingentourage survived the journey of almost two years, but luckily the survivors included thePolos and the princess. Fortunately, too, the Polos duly delivered the princess not to theold Khan of Persia, who had meanwhile died, but to his son.18 From Persia, the Polosmade their way back to Venice. They were robbed as soon as they got into Christianterritory, but they still managed to reach home in 1295, with plenty of rich goods.According to Giovanni Battista Ramusio, one of the early editors of Marco's book, thePo...
