We have descended Tian Shan and entered the Taklamakan Desert, a barren landscape painted in ecru—no shrubs, no grass, only waves upon waves of naked ridges the color of buff, the highest few spotted with white specks of snow.

[…] may be discovered not far from a charming statuette of Queen Alexandra, and there is also the figurette of King George's elder brother.

the aberration of youth

[…] she moans the remaining lines unhurriedly and with staggering self-possession, stretching out the vowels as if intoning a field holler.