The Abyssinian Proof (40 page)

I
AM DEEPLY GRATEFUL
to my editor, Amy Cherry; my agent, Al Zuckerman; and all the talented, supportive folks at W. W. Norton, especially Elisabeth Kerr, Ingsu Liu, Erin Sinesky-Lovett, and Vanessa Schneider. I have the best team in the world. Robert Ousterhout was extraordinarily generous in sharing with me his deep knowledge of Byzantium and the Kariye in particular. Roger Owen came up with intriguing historical details and Corky White bravely accompanied me belowground. They and Lydia Fitzpatrick, Stephen Kimmel, Star Lawrence, and Carl Leiden read the manuscript at various stages and, where I strayed, showed me the straight path. I also wish to thank Rosalyn Adam, Walter Denny, and Jordan Dimitrakov for sharing their expertise in names, carpets, and modes of death. Asli Baykal helped me track down everything from curses to weasels and Deniz Hughes offered up the contents of her house. I owe a special debt of gratitude to Linda Barlow, my mentor and role model, and to Michael Freeman, my secret weapon, who is always there and who always knows what to do.