period. The opening of the narrative sets the tone for Mayer's reflective journey. He begins with a nostalgia-infused description of his life in London as the director of Café Royal, contrasting it with his previous experiences in the vibrant environment of Zanzibar and later India. He recounts an invitation from a colleague that prompted him to leave behind his London life for India to manage the hotel operations during the grand visit of the Duke of Clarence. This sets the stage for his subsequent entry into the opulent world of Indian princely courts as a palace overseer, where traditions, expectations, and the intersection of British and Indian cultures present both challenges and insights. (This is an automatically generated summary.)