Eschypius sat at his desk enjoying the sunlight streaming in through the window. This was the most comfortable place for him, a cushioned chair for his aging muscles set at a table positioned in front of a broad window to the outside. He had chosen this spot in his home in Catania when he first moved here from Athens. It was perfectly positioned on this rise to see the marketplace and common areas of Catania below, and it faced north toward the majestic mountain, Aetna.
His servant had originally thought he would prefer another room, one that faced east toward the rising sun, but the light there was too bright.
“Besides,” Eschypius told her, “the light would fade when the sun arced over the house and disappeared in the opposite direction.
He pointed to this other room, one that looked n
