Chapters 16-18 Summary

The Grand Duke conquers half of Turkey and Persia and he intends to restore the cross to Hagia Sophia. Safar Khan orders Ali to attend a meeting of oil princes, forcing him to ask Nachararyan to chaperon Nino to the opera. The invitees, worth an aggregate $1 billion rubles, include Seinal Aga, the Assadullah brothers, fearsome Ali and peaceful Mirza; sullen Burjat Sadé, henpecked Jussuf Oghly, and Aga Musa Nagi, a Ba'haist received with honor because of his 200 million rubles. After the required hour of smalltalk, they get down to business: ensuring Baku's future amidst the uncertainties of war. All are happy to wait and watch. When the meeting ends, Ali goes to see Iljas Beg, who talks of the monotony of war and being deployed to the front. Dim Mehmed Haidar cannot shoot at Muslims, even Sunnis, and he cannot defect...