Before distance obscures my backward glance, muffling the hubbub of voices, of weapons, armies, laughter, shouts. I want to recall everything, right from the beginning, the details, chance, the flow of events.

The years we have been through have buried the world’s innocence for ever. My names, and those who have travelled those twisting paths. The book, perhaps the only remaining copy, has never been opened. The coin of the kingdom of the mad dangles on my chest to remind me of the eternal oscillation of human fortunes. The yellowed and decrepit letters, the dust of decades. The meticulous handwriting, no smudges, tiny. On the first page it says: In the fresco I’m one of the figures in the background. The manifacturing process conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. Papers used by Random House for the non-electronic edition of this book are natural, recyclable products made from wood grown in sustainable forests. The publisher's website: The authors' website: The partial or total reproduction of this book, in electronic form or otherwise, is consented to for non-commercial purposes, provided that the original copyright notice and this notice are included and the publisher and source are clearly acknowledged. Translation copyright (c) Shaun Whiteside 2003Ģ0 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, SW1V 2SA Translated from the Italian by Shaun Whitesideįirst published in the United Kingdom in 2003 by William HeinemannĬopyright (c) 2000 Giulio Einaudi editore S.p.a., Torino

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