"It is a meditation lantern," he explained. "I brought it with me from Karse." He pulled a tiny candle and the lighter with the tiger on it out of his satchel, lit the candle and popped it inside the glass, closing the tiny door behind it. "They've been made this way, from bronze and glass, for hundreds of years."

As the flame flickered, the office was filled with a warm golden glow, flashes of red from the ruby glass playing across the walls. "It's peace and warmth, whenever you need it. I thought," he looked down at the lamp, "you might like it."