You are sitting on the terrace at the beginning of warm spring. The midday sun warms your hot, inflamed skin. It smells of musk, ambergris, and oud. You are drinking black tea, the leaves of which have been soaked in the hot sun. Nearby are vanilla pods. You take out the core from them and, in an unusual way, add it to your drink. Despite the heat, you feel good and sweet. An elegant bouquet of jasmine and lily of the valley sways in the veranda window - their aroma adorns this rich, thick, trailing perfume.