Perhaps Karun would have some esoteric explanation for them. Ions colliding, atoms disintegrating, quarks cascading—all the other tricks performed by his exotic menagerie. The luminous arcs of motes as they flare through time and space. I think of all the bodies in motion, creating their own trajectories. Afsan sailing through the water, leaving a wake across the surface of the sea. Sarita and I adapting our paths so that we can continue as a family. Even the life inside her making the tiniest of adjustments to ensure it stays alive. The particles that were once Karun, now streaming free in the universe, at liberty to recombine.

Perhaps this is the place to stop. And acknowledge these myriad paths along which we strive. The sun peeps out and begins to shine on the Jazter’s face. The bruised earth hurtles along, hoping to survive.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

TOP KUDOS GOES TO AGENT ARAGI (DOUBLE-OH-ONE), FOR HER undercover work in getting this book completed: her cunning refusal to believe me, each time I declared I’d given up on the manuscript, ensured I kept slogging at it. An enormous thank-you to my editor, Jill Bialosky, for her unwavering support through this entire triptych of novels—like its predecessors, Devi has acquired much polish and definition under her generous attention. My family and friends have kept this project (and its author!) going over the years with their interest and encouragement—particular thanks to Sunilla and Satinder Mody, Rosemary Zurlo-Cuva, Viji Venkatesh, Christie Hauser, and especially Nancy and Frank Pfenning, for their valuable feedback on this manuscript.

I am grateful to several people for technical assistance and background details: Dr. Sunil Mukhi of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research for his expertise on quantum physics, W3TDH (Thomas Horne of the Montgomery Amateur Radio Club) for information on ham radio and emergency communication, Dr. John Bersia of the University of Central Florida for an illuminating discussion about China, Dr. Sumit Ganguly of Indiana University, Bloomington, for his valuable insights on Indo-Pakistan arms proliferation, and Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists for the chilling details he shared on the potential use of nuclear weapons. Ashok Row Kavi was a wonderful resource in helping me imagine gay life in Delhi, as was Parmesh Shahani, through his informative book on Gay Bombay. Thanks to Devdutt Pattanaik who first introduced me to the alternative Vishnu-Shiva-Devi interpretation of the Hindu trinity, many years ago.

I would like to acknowledge wonderfully productive residencies at the MacDowell Colony and the Ucross Foundation. Thanks also to my university, UMBC, and in particular, President Freeman Hrabowski, for nurturing not only the mathematician and writer but also the Bollywood dancer in me.

Finally, thanks to my partner Larry Cole for too many things to list here, none as important as the tremendous joy he brings to every day of my life.

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Copyright © 2013 by Manil Suri

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ALSO BY MANIL SURI

THE DEATH OF VISHNU

THE AGE OF SHIVA