Konrad and Alexandra (pdf) - Rolf Gross

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arena. Aïda in the immense Roman oval packed with people: live elephants, a flight of pigeons strategically released, a massive chorus, powerful singers, lavish costumes, everything bigger than big. However, the best show was provided by the audience. Everyone knew the opera by heart. Thunderous applause after every well-sung aria. The favorite singers received an ovation even before they had opened their mouth. Alexandra shuddered remembering the Varieté show in Berlin. Despite their multitude the natural grace of these people struck her as so much more pleasant, graceful, exuberant, and closer to her own sensibilities. They were simply excited. Yet she came away certain that opera of this dimension was not for her. The intimate, complex chamber music in Munich had touched her more deeply. Katharina gloated over the spectacle, the pinnacle of her musical experience The road to Vicenza was a chaotic tangle of men and animals. Friedrich had to watch not to run over one of the many donkey carts that careened all over the road without order or discipline. In the endless, boring Po Valley the traffic was less, but the fine dust from the miserable tracks penetrated everything. They trailed a long dust cloud. In Padua’s maze of busy streets Friedrich got hopelessly lost, the arena chapel was closed when they finally found it. Dusted from head to toe, tired and disappointed, they decided to have lunch and wait. When the custodian opened the doors half an hour later, the Giotto murals were a letdown. Alexandra decided that they were strictly of historical interest, their visual appeal was limited: stiff, flat, and chalky. If only Walter were here to give them one of his lectures on the early Renaissance. They quit the race in Ferrara. The Schifanoia Palace that Walter had praised so highly was already closed. It was an unfortunate day, dust and little beauty along the road, and all the sights inaccessible. Exhausted, they fell into bed in a musty, second-rate hotel. Next morning they put Katharina on the train to Florenz and set out to conquer the Apennine passes. Alexandra was longing for the quiet discussions in Fiesole. Konrad, who had wanted to search for the beautiful Novella d’Andreae at the university, relented. They circled Bologna without stopping. Florence was less than a hundred kilometers away, but the steep, winding road across the Apennines slowed them down. The car was continuously on the verge of overheating. There were not as many cold brooks to replenish the radiator as in the Alps. They finally solved the problem with the help of a large wine flask in a basket in which they carried extra water. Why did this car come with an insufficient radiator, muttered Konrad, and that produced the idea to have a larger radiator installed in Florence, which would solve the problem of mountain driving. Wild, rocky crags rose from low, densely macchia-overgrown hillsides. Colorful fortified villages clung to steep slopes. Deplorable poverty everywhere, half-naked children played by the road. Herds of scrawny goats gnawed at the sparse oak bushes. The few stony fields yielded near nothing. Only the priests were fat and the churches over-decorated. "Let me drive the rest of the way," offered Alexandra when they had finally reached the pass. But driving downhill was no easier or faster. She had to lug the car in second gear all the 202
way. Konrad in the back seat complained that he was getting dizzy from the many curves. "Try to help me drive with your eyes, that will keep you from getting dizzy," advised Alexandra without mercy. She skirted Prato and Florence. They needed almost four hours from Bologna to reach Fiesole. Alexandra was so excited she missed the turnoff: Villa Tasso! After all these years the house, hidden among the gray olives and the newly green vines, looked as enchanted as remembered, tranquil and rustic. A good place for intellectual exchanges. Alexandra had returned to give Walter an account of her new understanding. Robust Sally reigned as overbearing as ever. Walter stood apart, older, bent, embarrassed by his excitement. He smiled shyly, a formal handkiss for Alexandra. 203
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Konrad and Alexandra The Chronicle
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24.The Dahl's House, Katharina, 190
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One piece of luggage after another
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I sank into a restless sleep and th
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jokes. Fifteen years ago Leist had
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goats, and driven from behind by sh
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two of us." Tiflis 1898 Tiflis and
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comprehension that fortune had sent
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Wine Merchants, Tiflis Bazaar, 1890
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I can never completely shake off vi
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couches. They were given big towels
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Alexandra Dadiani Tiflis 1898 She w
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Dadiani laughed so heartily that Ko
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eally introverted. We love tragedy,
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"Konrad, come and join us, it must
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Chekhov's "Chaika" and Henri the Go
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He handed her the necklace. She str
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curtain. Konrad, raised on the clea
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Henry nodded. "I know what you mean
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"I know you feel overawed by the ta
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Alexandra's Necklace Konrad’s emo
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Georgia on Horseback 1898 Konrad’
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Konrad laughed. "That was exactly w
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came from the desert, a jackal or a
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Around the white cathedral that tow
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The Engagement Konrad and Alexandra
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find the love she needed. He had pu
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The half hour ride took them up a v
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After the dance ended, a deep silen
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Ilia Chavchavadze, Tiflis, 1900 (Wi
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Irakli raised his glass. "Do bury t
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New Year 1899 The jeunesse d’oré
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"May I look at your watch? What is
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possibility of a physical abduction
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well in Telavi, return tomorrow. A
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Alexandra described the sequence of
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It was Easter night. On his last vi
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hoarsely, "Mein Gott, you are right
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sharply. Konrad smiled. "We left he
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that no publisher would touch the m
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The Last Feudal Wedding in Kakheti
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Alexandra sees in me. A remarkably
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Alexandra had phonetically translit
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"Listen my love, try to lie absolut
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over dark waters to an undisclosed
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The Wolfsons Fiesole and Florence 1
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anecdote: my brother studied theolo
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vanishing lines. They are not shown
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Alexandra tried to compare both pai
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Sisakians, she found, disconcerted,
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existed no viable political alterna
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Russian aristocrats are blind or si
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The ball became a great, albeit con
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He was not interested in controllin
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would have fainted." Niko laughed.
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women as you are now. His skill suc
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erated him. Had he not himself said
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Otto's Birth 1900 At four in the mo
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at the height of the contraction sh
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today you look even more gorgeous."
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Alexandra had waited for him and fi
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The Gulf of Finnland near Lisi Nos
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Count Nikolai Prshevalsky had broug
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The entire ground floor had been op
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She finally learned to distinguish
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pouring out of the palais, the elec
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Indian Masters were fabricated by h
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Berlin 1904 Alexandra had received
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pretty women. They are hanging on S
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He pointed at a monument everybody
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Rheinsberg 1904 They traveled by tr
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under Friedrich’s eyes. Friedrich
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off her horse, and embraced her. Ar
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lethargy and got me into this adven
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"Look, I will give you a recipe for
Page 152 and 153: The Dahl's House Katharina Weisshub
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Page 156 and 157: "I urgently need some new clothes a
Page 158 and 159: They went to the late show in an ol
Page 160 and 161: irresponsibly than ever. Instead of
Page 162 and 163: those of Soranus and the plants Ale
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Page 166 and 167: asked Alexandra with her cool dark
Page 168 and 169: She glanced furtively at Katharina.
Page 170 and 171: "You guessed right," she said in Ge
Page 172 and 173: He switched back to German. "Can on
Page 174 and 175: "It describes Wagner arriving at th
Page 176 and 177: the cello, a red rectangle driven b
Page 178 and 179: Had Herr Schönberg or Herr Webern
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Page 182 and 183: Fashing Munich 1905 Once a year Dio
Page 184 and 185: cuirass. The audience watched breat
Page 186 and 187: They sank into each other’s arms.
Page 188 and 189: They woke up late next morning. Kon
Page 190 and 191: Walking on Ice After the cold and f
Page 192 and 193: in the shadows, and green edges aro
Page 194 and 195: Germany an alternative. He surely d
Page 196 and 197: Professor Dahl began to laugh. "I s
Page 198 and 199: Friedrich and Katharina get married
Page 200 and 201: Alexandra was the first to notice t
Page 204 and 205: Fiesole 1905 "Walter, we have not s
Page 206 and 207: Last time Walter had taken her to t
Page 208 and 209: Alexandra's Time "Friedrich," said
Page 210 and 211: points I felt the eyes of the Gods
Page 212 and 213: Meeting Clara Westhoff München and
Page 214 and 215: "I rented the large dining hall and
Page 216 and 217: Despite the scarf, Alexandra could
Page 218 and 219: adoration of her bizarre beauty. Ev
Page 220 and 221: and do not flush in breathless wave
Page 222 and 223: Snowbound in Eydtkuhnen 1905 "Konra
Page 224 and 225: the platform. Someone unrolled a re
Page 226 and 227: The von Bredow's Snow Casle From be
Page 228 and 229: They tiptoed downstairs and along t
Page 230 and 231: Return to St. Petersburg 1905 Konra
Page 232 and 233: power and calls for the establishme
Page 234 and 235: taken Rilke’s abandoned wife alon
Page 236 and 237: And her narrow hand in rings. "Ever
Page 238 and 239: They had, one day, swum out to a lo
Page 240 and 241: impression on us, you have to conce
Page 242 and 243: his best to bring some kind of stab
Page 244 and 245: Uncle Muravi's Benz Tiflis 1907 "Ma
Page 246 and 247: you have ever known me. Can’t you
Page 248 and 249: after me. I would have liked to bri
Page 250 and 251: From the very beginning little Soph
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like he: They look at someone and k
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long ride with Claudia and her pare
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In the evening, alone with Dahl and
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maternal rule?" Alexandra burst out
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hair and build. Cousin Tamara was t
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along, which I will tie to the pers
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I could live just as well in Svanet
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suspected to suffer from tuberculos
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The dinner feast became a grand aff
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things." Alexandra surprised Shalva
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cut the bread effigy into small pie
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her hands during her examination. W
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Adishi Gocha Teaching Dream Work Ad
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talked to me during the night, but
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Ilia Chavchavadze's funeral train a
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Their slightly feminist-tinged conv
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he spent six hours with her and twi
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and patience are most important. A
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strokes on large pieces of newspape
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while Izabel became their quietly d
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ankles, this très-solide, yet well
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in 1907! At first, this fact and th
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my company. Together, we could have
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covered with faded, dark-red plush,
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not sell me this painting, I will d
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Konrad in China 1911-1912 In Octobe
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father is very impressed by your so
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Niko. "You asked me what would happ
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teachers of the great Medresses in
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The patient, an old man suffering f
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Konrad's Return from China St. Pert
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which I did not understand. When I
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Konrad dug a thick, battered sketch
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everybody. "Konrad, will you let me
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Alexandra let out a peal of laughte
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Alexandra's Journey to Munich 1913
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ediscovering the old sympathies. Pe
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Dahl's Examination of Alexandra Mun
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in Svaneti may not have been perman
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"My shadow-soul flies into an embra
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Ever since Claudia’s outbreak in
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A Visit to Kandinsky Murnau 1913 Al
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sexual arousal, dance rhythms, and
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He invited them to dinner in the vi
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any thought to. A group of children
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Petersburg. They will have a simple
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you smile meekly and remain silent.
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herself to sleep. With the last mai
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of his faithful. One night around t
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ead and the resignation of the Empe
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Vladimir gulped down his glass of v
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Their Flight to Georgia May 1918 In
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It was an unreal night, the scare a
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negotiate the bad mountain tracks.
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was very much of her own mind. Meli
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director at the hospital until the
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Kräuterfrau, a herbalist in the Ge
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He paused and took a sip from his g
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German Troops in Tbilisi 1918 - 191
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would crown the tombstone on his gr
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we are late." "Tell me what was you
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adventure on that German ship to Ha
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"Friedrich, who was a very successf
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Alexandra’s diminutive scribble w
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The snotty character in the shaft-b
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final reckoning with Georgia. Withi
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again war was raging behind the mou
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She undid it and let it flow into m
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ut she did not explain why―a Sufi
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weeks among the obscurer Greek writ
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A List of people "Konrad and Alexan
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Sources Little information exists o
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Konrad and Alexandra (pdf) - Rolf Gross

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