The Dark Defiles (77 page)

As perhaps befits a quest narrative,
The Dark Defiles
has sheltered under a number of different roofs on the long journey to its completion. Thanks are due to the following gracious hosts, unsung heroes and friends to the quest:

To Roger Burnett and Inka Schorn for lending me not just one but two places in the sun from which to work, and for supplementing the loan throughout with bright company, kind words and emergency pasta.

To Gilbert Scott and Luisa Termine for giving me workspace right up until day of sale, and for searching out a beautiful oak table for me to work on when the existing one evaporated under family pressure.

To my wife Virginia for buying, fitting and accepting with good grace the shiny new lock on my office door, even when it rendered her a
de facto
single mother for days at a time, time and time again.

To my son Daniel for solemnly accepting at less than two years of age that no, he couldn’t come to work with me, even if it was only in the next room.

To Simon Spanton and Anne Groell for Understanding well beyond the Call of editorial Duty.

To my agent Carolyn Whitaker for patience, calm and good advice as ever—even if I did end up ignoring the latter almost entirely. I would not have reached journey’s end without you.