“DECISION NOT TO COMMIT SUICIDEI can no longer ignore the silver deathof dandelions: more beautifulthan any dying I could do.Brown alive and into summerwe are (you and I) here-there.It is the same sun.Death is far small silver in the huge air.”

“This journey was the last time I could freely caress my memories. I imagined a small lacquered box inlaid with silver and gold in a pattern of curling waves, inset with silver cranes. Into this imaginary box I placed all my memories of Ming-gwok and secretly tucked it away in my heart.”

“The moon was up, painting the world silver, making things look just a little more alive.”

“This is Klara. She’s yours to do with as you will. Here.’ He gave me a small, silver handled whip. ‘You might need this to remind her of that, though”

“As in many other cities, money no longer had any value in Istanbul. At the time I returned from the East, bakeries that once sold large one-hundred drachma loaves of bread for one silver coin now baked loaves half the size for the same price, and they no longer tasted the way they did during my childhood.”

“I closed my eyes and the roof was gone. I could see the stars while the piano tinkled. I could see Jupiter and it was blue, and Neptune was silver like a tennis ball sprayed silver. I could reach out and touch it, like cold water.”