From the deck of the barge, they watched the world collapse. Even from this distance, the heat curling the hair on their skin. A heat like no other. A heat of creation.
“Lars. .” Otik called, and Lars emerged from inside, woozy. He stopped and stared.
The barge slid up against a sandy beach. A fireball exploded into the sky. The gangplank was extended, and Professor Funes limped down it, stumbling, coughing in the smoke. He was without his parasol. His hat blew off into the reeds, revealing a stark white skull. Once on the riverbank, he started to move toward the fire, shielding his face from the waves of heat.
Radar looked and saw that the woods were suddenly alive with faces. They watched as Funes walked down the beach toward the flames. Above him, the birds were gathering, following.
Horeb was standing at the bow with his drums, drumming to the faces in the woods. All at once, Radar realized he was the one who had told them to do this.
He is near, he is coming, get ready. .
Funes had reached the flames. He paused. The birds overhead, waiting as one.
“The show,” said Lars. “It’s now.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A book is a touched thing. Countless hands contributed to making the object you now hold in your hands — some knowingly, others unknowingly. This project, in particular, drew upon the expertise of many generous people who helped fill in the landscape when my own brain failed.
First and foremost, I feel incredibly lucky to be teamed with my incredible agent, Denise Shannon, who has always been my champion and confidante. I also hold much admiration for my editor, Ann Godoff, who possesses a rare and steady wisdom and trusts in the often messy process of creation. Thanks to the entire team at Penguin Press, who put up with all of my tiny demands and sailed the ship safely into harbor: Benjamin Platt, Veronica Windholz, Claire Vaccaro, Meighan Cavanaugh, Will Palmer, Sofia Groopman, and Darren Haggar, for his astounding cover. A special thanks to Stuart Williams, my editor at Harvill Secker, who read the book many times and always found ways to make it better. And to my other genius, generous editors: Hans Jorgen Balmes, Maggie Doyle, Lidewijde Paris, Elena Ramirez, and Nicole Winstanley. Thanks also to my agents Dean Cooke and Judith Murray.
I traveled a lot to discover the invented places in this book and was offered much guidance along the way. In New Jersey, I’d like to thank Stuart Engelke, Bob Janney, Jim Wright, Lilo Stainton, Tony Dee, and Gary Hanson. In Norway, gratitude goes to Solgunn Solli, Stine Qvistad Jenvin, Karin Johnsen, and Silje Bekeng. In Serbia, I was welcomed like a long lost relation. Thanks Darko Radulovic, Jasna Novakov Sibinovic, Vlada Bajac, Igor Cvi, and the entire Geopoetika team. In Cambodia, Tararith Kho, Proeung Pranit, and Sreang Heng took me to the borderlands. At CERN, Ariane Koek, Rolf Landau, Barbara Warmbein, Joe Incandela, and Katie Yurkewicz all put up with my ridiculous questions. In the Congo, Horeb Bulambo, Pascal Bashombana, and Stewart Lunanga showed me the best and worst that humanity has to offer. And thanks to others for arranging and advising: Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt, Elyse Lightman, Harlan Lane, Matthew Cohen, Avery Gilbert, Bert van Der Hove, and Bryan Mealer.
Some of this book was written in the rare territory of the Netherlands Institute of Advanced Study, where I was the writer-in-residence. Thanks to the wonderful people I met there: Nadège Lechevrel, Ianthi-Maria Tsimpli, Louise Mars, Jos Hooghuis, Kahliya Ronde, Saskia Peels, Joy Connolly, and, in particular, the crazy Balkanians, Mitja Velikonja and Dino Abazovic, who offered me such valuable insight and invited me to be an honorary member of their clan.
And a huge thank you to the multitude of readers that took the time to read this project in some ragged form and offer me their invaluable advice. Without all of you, I would still be lost at sea: Alena Graedon, Mike Lukas, Ian Cheney, Marijeta Bozovic, Konrad Ryushin Marchaj, Meehan Crist, Elliott Holt, Rains Paden, Niek Miedema, Manfred Allié, Dagfinn Møller, Nadja Bruner, Jordan Alport, Sarah Fornace, Hannah Pascal, Harrison Holt, Henry Rich, Akira Yamaguchi, and Maria Cristina Rueda, who also did such a beautiful job bringing the images into focus.
Finally, I would like to give a standing ovation for my endlessly supportive parents, Peik and Judith — you taught me how to be human and are the main reason why I write these words. Thank you, Jasper, for putting up with your tiresome, artsy family.
And thank you most of all to Katie and Holt, who form the rest of my solar system. You supply the gravity that keeps me on this planet.
Gassho.
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