Acknowledgments

1. The phrase Dans ce pays-ci il est bon de tuer de temps en temps un amiral pour encourager les autres is taken from Candide by Voltaire.

2. The author owes a debt of gratitude to a growing list of people. Among them: Priya Doraswamy, a mentor in the guise of an agent; Ibrahim Ahmad, for his invaluable input; and the kind people who run residencies at Ledig House, New York, and Sangam House, Bangalore.