Kublai Khan

Kublai Khan is the ruler of the Mongolian Empire. His empire is vast and spreads across most of the continent. At the time of the novel, Kublai is aging and unable to travel far into his lands. He must rely on messengers for news of what is going on in his empire. The emperor is a large man who enjoys strolling or sitting in his gardens in the evenings. He is meditative and enjoys smoking a pipe. The surreal quality of the novel seems to be echoed in Khan's character. He asks questions of Khan only to wonder if he has asked or if he has only imagined asking. He is also unsure of whether Polo is answering his questions or whether he only imagines Polo's answers to questions he has imagined asking.

The reader is never sure if they are dealing with the Khan of history...