This is an excerpt from a conversation with Phil Scary last night regarding the cover for The Light Beneath the Waves. I'm not going to explain it to you at all. Make of it what you will.
PHIL: I'm not going to offer to help you because it sounds disgusting.
STUART: I suppose so but all I really have to do is cut a bit off. The monkey part'll be much harder.
PHIL: I suppose so.
STUART: I don't know how I'm going to do that. Obviously I can't cut a monkey's legs off.
PHIL: Well, no.
STUART: I mean where would I get a real monkey?
PHIL: Well, yes.
STUART: Mind you, what about the zoo?
PHIL: You could always ask.
STUART: D'you think so?
PHIL: 'Have you got any monkeys you're not using? Maybe one that's not very well.'
STUART: It's worth a try.
PHIL: 'No, you've misunderstood. I don't want to hurt the monkey.'
STUART: Oh no, of course not.
PHIL: 'But if it should happen to come back with one leg fewer...'
STUART: Or two, really.
PHIL: 'No, you're not listening. I don't want to hurt the monkey...'
Rosslyn Rafferty, who will be photographing the cover, knows nothing of this and is probably now very, very worried.
PHIL: I'm not going to offer to help you because it sounds disgusting.
STUART: I suppose so but all I really have to do is cut a bit off. The monkey part'll be much harder.
PHIL: I suppose so.
STUART: I don't know how I'm going to do that. Obviously I can't cut a monkey's legs off.
PHIL: Well, no.
STUART: I mean where would I get a real monkey?
PHIL: Well, yes.
STUART: Mind you, what about the zoo?
PHIL: You could always ask.
STUART: D'you think so?
PHIL: 'Have you got any monkeys you're not using? Maybe one that's not very well.'
STUART: It's worth a try.
PHIL: 'No, you've misunderstood. I don't want to hurt the monkey.'
STUART: Oh no, of course not.
PHIL: 'But if it should happen to come back with one leg fewer...'
STUART: Or two, really.
PHIL: 'No, you're not listening. I don't want to hurt the monkey...'
Rosslyn Rafferty, who will be photographing the cover, knows nothing of this and is probably now very, very worried.