"What will you give?" I repeated.

"What do you want?"

"I died young: I was only nineteen when my father shut me up in a convent in the desert of Syria. I spent the next twenty-five years confined within the high walls of various nunneries. I do want to see a bit of the world, and crave to wear pretty clothes."

"I am not entitled to bestow on you flesh and blood. That will happen only on the Day of Reckoning. But I can ask that you be allowed to remain alive for one year."

"Angel child, how would my poor skeleton knock about in the wide, wicked world all by itself? Could you revive some interesting corpse for me, as my companion?"

"What is an interesting corpse?" he asked.

"I mean.."

"All right. First give me my rosary."

"No. first revive a companion for me. Say, Arise by the Grace of Jesus."

"You are a saint. Why don’t you perform a miracle or two yourself?" he replied irritably.

"Can't. There is a technical reason for it. Please say, "Arise…"

He knelt down and began to pray. Suddenly the bones started rattling in the coffin next to mine. Another skeleton rose. The angel said to me: "Remember, only for twelve months. next year, the same month, date and time… eleven thirty p.m. God be with both of you…"

The crypt turned dark again. But now I was no longer afraid. The other skeleton stretched its claws and groped for something at the head of the coffin as though it had been his habit, on waking up, to light a candle and start reading. I addressed him and quickly explained to him the whole matter. Then a bit shyly, I asked him his name.

"Father Gregory Orbiliani of Georgia", he said, still puzzled and rubbing his sockets.

"The Lord bless you, Father,"said I, and modestly added that I was St. Flora of Georgia.

"A saint..?" he exclaimed nervously, and jumped out of his casket. He tried to kneel before me but his knee-caps had almost crumbled to dust, so he staggered and fell down. Then O Gracious Lord, I prayed to Thee that if Thou hath given me this escort for a year, make his frame whole and strong. Father got up at once as a shining new skeleton. Then a gust of bitterly cold wind entered the window and cut through our bones. Father Gregory said respectfully, "Holy Mother, let's get out of here and try to find some warmth."

"If we could find a flint somewhere." I chattered through my teeth. Father looked out of the window where tall pine trees rustled in the wind.

"Father, come back here or you'll catch your death of cold," I said, worried.

He returned to his casket and sat down upon his ledge. I got up and leaned out of the window in order to close the shutters. Then I saw a river flowing by. Suddenly I recalled: I had lived here in a convent on this very hill, and this river came out of the Caucasian mountains and fell into the Black Sea. And while thus pondering, I saw a glittering white palace appear on the silver blue waves of the river. Suddenly I heard the Last Trumpet and fell down on my face, quivering. I was exceedingly sorry that I could not get even one year to spend in Thy beautiful world.

The Last Trumpet sounded again. Father Gregory tiptoed to the window and peeped out. Then he turned to me and said "Your Holiness, this is a steamship and sounds its horn. Please get up."

I rose from the cold floor and joined the monk at the window. Down below, in the valley, we saw a camp aglow with many bonfires. There was much laughter and sound of stringed music. I experienced a strange sensation in my bones and felt like joining the merry makers when the Father spoke ,"Let's go out and build a fire."

We groped our way out of the crypt and stumbled into a dark tunnel. The end of the tunnel was blocked by nettles and mossy stones. However, we managed to climb out and entered the monastery garden. Right in front there loomed a huge cathedral, surrounded by magnificent oaks and pines. I began to gather dry twigs and pine cones. Under a birch we came across some litter which included paper plates and napkins. Father picked up a little paper casket full of tiny sticks. He explained that it was called a box of matches and added, "God is with us."

We lighted a bonfire and began to warm ourselves.

O Omniscient Lord! I do not tattle, but I must inform Thee, that at that moment, I saw smoke coming out of the nostrils of Father Gregory Orbiliani of Georgia. I was vastly perturbed because only the Devil and his brood spit fire and smoke, and I made the sign of Thy Cross and wondered if some evil spirit had entered Father Gregory or may be Thy forgetful trainee angel had made a mistake.

I was startled by Father's pleasant laughter. "Your Holiness," he was saying, "This thing, which I smoke, is called a cigarette. The picnickers forgot behind a whole packet."

"How", I asked, "did you know that this object was lighted and smoke emitted through one's nostrils? This indeed is a diabolic act and you must desist from it forthwith and repent."

Father Orbiliani gently explained: "Mother Flora, American scientists have invented an apparatus which you adjust on your head before going to bed and while you are asleep your brain absorbs all manner of knowledge. Now, you can doubt the infinite wisdom and power of the Almighty, who during my thirteen hundred-year-long sleep made me aware of a lot of extraordinary things? Even you, in the last few hours, have come to know a bit. Listen intently to the instruments being played in the valley and tell me their names.."

I listened carefully and understood that the merry makers were playing the guitar, bailaika, accordion and saxophone and were singing in the Georgian and Russian languages.

Then their voices were wafted to us by the wind. A young guitarist was saying to his girl friend, "Natasha, a bonfire on the hill! Some people had been camping there before we arrived. "Then the wind changed its direction and the voice receded.

The monk reverently began, "Your Holiness.."

"It would be better," I interrupted, "if you do not Holiness me… I shall soon tell you the reason."

He was taken aback. After a moment, he said, " very well. Since we have to stay together for an entire year, we may as well tell each other the truth about ourselves." He added with a flourish, "I am the son of the Duke of Tiblis, at your service, Madame."

O Merciful Lord! I did not wish to indulge in one upmanship but had to tell the truth about myself. "My father," I informed him simply, "is the Byzantine Ambassador to the Imperial Sassanian Court of Iran.."

"Was.. "he corrected briefly, "but from Constantinople how did you arrive on this distant hill of northern Georgia?"

"When we sailed from the Bosphorous... " I began, "the sea was calm and the wind favourable."

Gregory Orbiliani cut me short, puffing at his cigarette. "But why did you head for the Black Sea if your father was going to Iran? Was the captain of your ship a little mad?"

"Well," I said, slightly confused, "all right, Father, shall I tell you right from the beginning?"

"Do."

I relaxed a little and began.. "Father, you know well we Byzantinians were a very grand people. Constantinople was officially called the Second Rome. After building the Church of Santa Sophia, Justinian had explained 'God!! I have surpassed Your King Solomon' etc., and the glorious periods of Theodosius and Arcadius.. our Olympic games, our unique art and so on…"

"You have wisely omitted Empress Theodora", Father added dryly.

"Cleopatra and Theodara, the two tried to be a little independent and you men have not forgiven them. However. So, when the Sassanians became very powerful they occupied our province of Syria and conquered Jerusalem and carried the True Cross to Ctesiphon. Then our Emperor Heraclius gave them a good fight and brought the True Cross back to the Holy Land. When the Arabs took Jerusalem from us, Heraclius brought the True Cross to Constantinople."

Father said, "In Tiblisi, I had commanded my father's army and bravely fought the Arabs. But like you Byzantinians, we were defeated by the Muslims. They were the new World Power and Time was siding with them.. "

"We Byzantinians loved intrigues. Our political murders and royal scandals were world famous, "I said almost proudly. ; Our kings were poisoned by their queens or heirs and our Church was all powerful and our priests overfond of hairsplitting, futile religious debates. In short, we had become a thoroughly decadent people.

"My Father Stephen Honorius was a Court Minister and my mother the Lady Irena Maria, a lady-in-waiting to the Empress. My eldest brother Alexander Sylvarius commanded the Imperial Bodyguard. Our entire family was deeply involved in court intrigues and a lovely time was had by all. Our neighbour Sergius Pelagius who lived in the palace next door was a close friend of my father. He was a merchant prince whose ships sailed the seven seas. He also owned extensive vineyards in Salonika.

"I was engaged to be married to Sergius Pelagius's only son Theodoric Gallsis. He was very handsome and extremely brainy. One day he suddenly said to me, "I do not wish to be a part of Byzantinians's corrupt society. After we get married, I shall take you to our estate in Salonika. There we'll lead a quiet life in our country villa. I will read the classics, you play the harp and embroider your tapestries. How I dream of such an idyll!"

"Father, I loved the gaiety of Constantinople. I attended the court balls, wore fabulous dresses and adored the gladiators. Theodoric used to say in disgust, "We have become Christians and have still not given up the barbarism of pagan Rome. The gladiators' fans were divided into two warring factions called the Greens and the Blues. My own three brothers were 'Green'.

"Theodoric and I were to be married in The Church of St. Sophia. A few days before the date fixed for the marriage, my father came home and happily told me that as a wedding gift the Emperor (who was also my godfather) had decided to appoint Theodoric his chief ADC.

""That evening Theodoric, as usual, climbed the garden wall and came to my room. I was busy putting the finishing touches to the tapestry I had embroidered for my dowry. I told him the good news. Theodoric looked highly agitated. Can you imagine me as the Emperor's lackey?" He fumed. "Right now I am going to arrange for a ship to take us to Gaul. We shan't even live in Byzantium."

"Father, I was very young and foolish and did not know then that Theodoric was one of those were called rebels and agnostics.

"I was a spoilt child and used to having my own way. I retorted: "I shan't even think of going to the land of the barbarians. I am going to live right here and you will stay here, too, as my husband and the King's A.D.C."

"Suddenly he grew very quiet. After a few moments he said calmly, "Listen Flora, I detest the Emperor, the Lords and Ladies of Byzantium, and their priests and henchmen. I would rather die than join the imperial entourage."

"We had a heated argument". He stormed out of my room, climbed the garden wall and disappeared.

"Father, little did I know at that moment that our Bulgarian maid had hidden herself behind the damask curtains of my room and eavesdropped on our conversation. Nor did I know that the girl was, in fact, a spy planted in our household by an enemy of my father. The very next afternoon my brother Sylvarius received the imperial order to invite Theodoric Gallasis to dinner and give him a poisoned drink. Furthermore, if Sylvarius didn’t do so he would be murdered likewise.

"As dusk fell, I secretly made my own plans. I sent my personal maid to Theodoric, asking him to meet me at midnight at our usual rendezvous by the sea. At the appointed hour I covered myself with a cloak, hid a dagger in a sleeve, a bag of gold coins in my waistband, and slipped out of our mansion. Theodoric was waiting for me at the embankment. He was still unaware of what had happened overnight. I told him. He did not look very upset. I fell on my knees and begged his forgiveness. I said I was thoroughly ashamed of myself and would do what he said. Let's run away at once, I pleaded. Let's elope before it's too late. He climbed the parapet of the embankment and faced the Sea of Marmora. Then he turned towards me and said in a cool, peaceful voice: "Lady Flora Sabina of Byzantium, I will not give you the satisfaction of getting me arrested right now and handing me over to he royal executioner. Goodbye." Instantly, he dived into the Sea of Marmora and swam furiously away.

"A strong wind blew as I stood petrified on the embankment. I was only seventeen and stupid but at that moment I suddenly grew up and realised that in a corrupt, decaying society a time comes when human beings cease to trust one another. I had no reason to blame Theodoric for suspecting me. I had come prepared to elope with him that night. We could have escaped to Bulgaria. We could hide ourselves in the Carpathians. We could run away to the land of the Goths. We could go anywhere. But he didn’t trust me. He ran away alone, leaving me behind.

"Much later, I came to know that he did succeed in reaching Gaul and from there he crossed over to Britain. I do hope the Britons ate him..," I wiped my tears.

Father Gregory smiled and said gently, "Lady Flora, the British are semi- barbarians, but certainly not cannibals… what happened next?"

"Saint Flora of Goergia ke Etrafaat"