Amber

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‘Here’s a tale,’ Vassily said, his hand stroking his thick dark beard. ‘There was a trader from Egypt who had in his possession a beautiful jewel. He arrived at the court of Timor the Lame in Samarkand. Amir Timor was away in battle and so it was to his wife, the young queen, that the trader was introduced.

‘When the wife of the Amir Timor first laid eyes upon the jewel the Egyptian was carrying, she knew she must have it to present as a gift to her husband when he came home. The great Amir Timor was a ruthless soldier but he was also a lover of art and prized all things beautiful.

‘The trader, seeing the young queen, fell instantly in love with her. When she asked the price of the jewel, he told her she could purchase it with a kiss and that no other price could match its value.

‘The queen was distressed. She reasoned with the trader, but the young man was infatuated with her and would accept nothing else.

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