The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams: Chapters 3–4

by Daniel Nayeri
Renamed "Monkey" by Samir, who bought him from murderous monks, twelve-year-old Omar struggles to repay the debt by serving and protecting the trader as they travel from China to Uzbekistan.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–2, Chapters 3–4, Chapters 5–7, Chapters 8–10, Chapters 11–16
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. flank
    be located at the sides of something or somebody
    The animals were flanked by thirty drivers plus a dozen guardsmen who protected against bandits, settled arguments, and arranged for lodging.
  2. poultice
    a medical dressing spread on a cloth and applied to the skin
    The spice merchant could be located at any time by the sound of his sneezing. His elderly mother rode with him, and everyone went to her for herbal poultices, headache remedies, and love advice.
  3. mottled
    having spots or patches of color
    All Samir owned was a pack mule, a pile of mottled wool, a few coins, the near-dead donkey Rostam, and now me—a pet monkey.
  4. straddle
    sit or stand astride of
    My legs weren’t long enough to straddle the horse firmly, so I eventually lay on my stomach with my limbs dangling.
  5. resigned
    accepting that something unpleasant cannot be changed
    The ragged creature lurched nearby, resigned to the flies buzzing around him.
  6. relentless
    never-ceasing
    I tried to rest, but Samir, the Seller of Dreams, was a relentless stream of sound.
  7. exploit
    a notable achievement
    You, who’ve traveled from the stones of the druids to the domes of Kublai Khan. Tell them of your exploits!
  8. cajole
    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
    He wove in and out of stories all night, and returned always to cajoling Rostam to speak.
  9. clamor
    a loud, harsh, or strident noise
    The drums and the horn finally stopped. The clamor echoed and flew off.
  10. outcrop
    the part of a rock formation that appears above the surface
    At the time, I watched the crowds of people scrambling to place their mats next to rocky outcrops that would offer the most shade as the sun rose.
  11. bray
    make a sound characteristic of donkeys
    All around me, the mules brayed to be free of their heavy packs.
  12. hubbub
    loud confused noise from many sources
    I wondered if I could sneak away in all the hubbub and steal my freedom.
  13. decrepit
    lacking bodily or muscular strength or vitality
    I am no Rostam (the actual hero of legend, not the decrepit donkey).
  14. huckster
    an aggressive and dishonest seller or advertiser
    I couldn’t defend myself, even against a portly old huckster like Samir.
  15. acquire
    come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
    Samir turned his attention to the kingfisher he had just acquired, which seemed to be asleep.
  16. yurt
    a circular domed dwelling that is portable
    I turned all the way around again and this time saw a shirtless old man standing in the entryway of a large yurt.
  17. condescend
    treat patronizingly
    The way she looked at me, it was like she thought I was a charming pet. And even though she was shorter by an inch, she seemed to be condescending upward.
  18. precariously
    in a manner affording no ease or reassurance
    Instead of a furnace like the one our village blacksmith had, this one had a kiln, precariously arranged on four metal plates.
  19. kiln
    a furnace for firing, burning, or drying porcelain or bricks
    Mara examined the kiln and placed the nozzle of a bellows into the back. She pressed down on the handle to compress the chamber, which pumped air into the kiln. The fire surged with new life.
  20. naive
    marked by or showing unaffected simplicity
    I thought maybe I had been naive to offer such a simple idea of love.
  21. heretical
    departing from accepted beliefs or standards
    I’m sorry you lost the birds, mistook their coincidental passing for a cosmic bond, asked a heretical question, and had stones hucked at your head.
  22. flush
    having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value
    The markets were flush with spring harvests.
  23. sustain
    provide with nourishment
    We would need those fruits to sustain us.
  24. glean
    gather, as of natural products
    That time of year, I could even feed myself by sneaking into the orchards and gleaning whatever fruits the pickers missed.
  25. demise
    the event of departure from life
    I immediately lifted myself onto an elbow and whispered, “I think Rasseem is plotting your demise somehow.”
  26. grovel
    show submission or fear
    Samir apologized and bowed low and groveled.
  27. stingy
    unwilling to spend
    You get what you accept from this stingy world.
  28. swindler
    a person who steals by means of deception or fraud
    You should know that this was truly cheaty behavior. And if you held any sympathetic feelings for this greedy, sweaty-jowled, incompetent swindler, then abandon them here.
  29. blasphemous
    grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred
    In faraway Jerusalem, they would have stoned any man half as shifty and a third as blasphemous as Samir, the Seller of Lies.
  30. coarse
    of low or inferior quality or value
    I tried once again to tear my robe, but the coarse burlap was loosely woven and gave too much slack.
  31. devise
    come up with after a mental effort
    I trudged behind my master, devising a way to earn six bolts of silk to buy my freedom and cursing Samir’s mustache to become a nest of lice.
  32. appeal
    earnest or urgent request
    My silent appeal for the Lord to take up my cause was interrupted when we approached a large crowd surrounding the well.
  33. paltry
    not worth considering
    Samir stood back and shouted in reply, “What paltry merchandise are you selling these good people, Rasseem?”
  34. phalanx
    a body of troops in close array
    I sold them the techniques of the Romans. Do you know the phalanx?
  35. garrison
    a fortified military post where troops are stationed
    The garrison was a mud-walled structure wedged between two rock formations, which created a natural barrier. Archers camped in caves along the rock face and shot down at anyone attempting to circle around the back of the fort.
  36. vagabond
    a wanderer with no established residence or means of support
    Vagabonds shouted at one another and rammed their pushcarts for position in the makeshift settlement.
  37. magistrate
    a lay judge or civil authority who administers the law
    The local magistrates had become increasingly nervous of invasion by the Seljuk Turks or even Frankish armies all the way from the western edge of the world.
  38. consolidation
    the act of combining into an integral whole
    In fact, with the consolidation of the eastern territories under the Song Emperor, there was very little to do, except wander around, practice horsemanship with the nomads in the area, and wait for caravans to bring fresh supplies—and new drinking games.
  39. imperceptibly
    in a manner that is difficult to discern
    “You stole that from a monk?” The lieutenant nodded almost imperceptibly at my robes.
  40. sleazy
    morally degraded
    “Who’d hire one of the masters of the killing arts to put down a sleazy merchant? Can you imagine a warlord chasing a stray dog?”
Created on Sat Apr 06 15:36:09 EDT 2024 (updated Mon Apr 08 13:44:05 EDT 2024)

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