Pierrot slid down her waist and stood on the gravel. Then he took my hand, and said, ‘Prince, take me to your country, take me to the wedding. There are two goddesses, one for the wedding of the night and the other for the wedding of the day. And there’s the elephant, Titi. I am on Titi this morning. He walks, he walks like this as one rides up the waves, and then rides down. The boat goes up and goes down the waves. I go to your country.’

Jeanne had gone back to search for Kiki. I did not tell her what he’d done with it.

As we went up the steps, he saw the Medici fountain; he ran towards it and said: ‘I know where I am. I am in India.’ He was sure I was a prince. He was sure Jeanne was nowhere to be seen. He was sure Kiki was dead.

The elephant was drinking water at the Medici fountain. He saw the two goddesses, one to the right and one to the left. One that I would marry with the moon, and one that I would marry with the sun. He looked at the water and said: ‘Look, there, that’s your country. How beautiful it is. Now it’s the hour of the wedding,’ he whispered, and he grew thoughtful.

Up above the trees, the sky bore away the rapid, white clouds, and in the waters they ran like boats. One of them had already reached the other shore and was safe in harbour. He took my hand and held it in his, and said: ‘I love forests. It must be warm there.’

‘Pierrot!’ shouted Jeanne. I let go his hand. He cried and cried, and would not leave the Medici fountain. He saw the elephant in the forest. He saw the river Ganges. He saw the two goddesses, with four hands and a crown of white gold on their heads. He rode the elephant, covered in silk and gold, and he came to my marriage.

‘Jeannot!’ he cried and slipped into the water. He touched the bottom that was like himself, his hands and feet seemed made of light. The water was not deep, but very cold and full of perfumes. It was mid-April and the winds were blowing. The new leaves were sharp, and the sky was like deep sleep. In India, the earth is warm with silence, and the Ganges flows.