Coral reefs were often found near islands in tropical seas. The "family tree" Bonaparte had given Georgiana was kept in the chapel of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, supposedly made of coral, gold, and silver.
Modern nautical charts used rings upon rings of lines to indicate the terrain beneath the sea, especially to mark submerged reefs.
They looked like ripples stirred up by a pebble dropped into a pond, spreading outward in circle after circle.
Because the television news ran continuous coverage, people soon learned that the epicenter of the undersea earthquake lay along a fault zone north of Sumatra.
Besides mourning the lives lost, they also had to remember that coral reefs served as breakwaters, though they were disappearing because of tourism and other causes. Once the natural breakwaters were gone, artificial ones and warning systems would be needed.
Sumatra produced betel nuts in abundance. Though Europeans themselves did not have the habit of chewing betel nuts, some states in India regarded it as a gesture of hospitality.
Georgiana had read that in a book from Ostend. Judging by the handwriting, it had probably been written by a woman who greatly disliked the locals' habit of spitting "red water" everywhere.
The first mouthful after chewing betel nut was red, and it had to be spat out. Since so many people spat wherever they pleased, the streets had been stained red.
Catherina had not invited Georgiana out shopping. They had gone to a charity bazaar hosted by a banker's wife, after all, Madame Récamier had also been a banker's wife.
When Napoleon appeared at the art exhibition hosted by Matilda that day, he had looked furious, though no one knew what he was angry about.
After looking around the venue, he casually pointed and had Madame Récamier take Matilda's place, then