Rustichello Of Pisa (illustrated by Ron Chan)

Rustichello of Pisa was the cell mate of Marco Polo when he was captured and imprisoned after returning home from his journey to China. In Prison Marco Polo told Rustichello about his travels across the world, which were later recounted in the book Il Milione (the Million, in Italian) or The Travels Of Marco Polo.

Rustichello meets Marco Polo in a Soft Place, which is an area where the borders between Reality and The Dreaming have eroded or are not fully formed. In Soft Places, time loops around itself and dream geographies intrude on reality.

Rustichello had already met Marco Polo, back in his prison cell, but Polo had not yet met Rustichello since he was lost and trapped in the Soft Place during his journey, which he would later recount 24 years later.

Rustichello and Marco Polo share wine with a gentleman named Fiddler’s Green and talk about Polo’s journey to the empire of Kubilai Khan.

As the night comes to an end, Marco Polo accuses Rustichello of being a dream and Rustichello responds by saying “Oh, you’re a dream all right. Only question is whose. I think you’re mine, but maybe I’m wrong. Hey, Boy. Who’s dreaming you?”

Rustichello was one of the first portraits that Ron drew for the project and it’s absolutely fabulous. I really love the details here. It makes him feel like a real person. Also, Ron did a great job capturing the attitude of the character.

He appears in Sandman # 39.

Here is Rustichello of Pisa…