Thanks this time go out to Brian Griffin for reading the thing in its earliest stages, also to Mike Cobley for encouragement and insights, and to Nic Cheetham, my latest editor and newest champion, whose most radical suggestion – to remove 70,000 words and reconstruct the novel in two parts – has resulted in this current volume. To Caroline Oakley, who did such a superb hard edit on the creature, thanks immensely for that, and for telling me – clearly and with good reason – where to end it.
Finally, to Susan and my girls – Jessica, Amy, Georgia and Francesca, a big thank you for enriching my life. To think they were but babes when this began.
Here’s to the journey ahead. Kan Pei!