So we have a date. A splendid one, I daresay. Six more months. I have no trouble at all. I’ll start saving. Really, if I save $1,50 a day, it’ll be piece of cake to get nearly the right amount of money to get my book as soon as they put it on the shelves. Let’s do that, Claudieko! (Yes, we have a couple of good, responsible booksellers in Guayaquil. Hooray for them.)

My asiatic friend Kenni, who’ll be on his way back from China by that time, says he’ll try to get it sooner than me. Let’s make that a bet.