BOOK SEVEN
is dedicated to
ALL WHO HAVE HELPED ME
sometimes with advice, sometimes with information, sometimes with no more than a friendly nod or smile. They are too many to be named, and indeed some are unknown, anonymous fellow-walkers who pass the time of day and are gone. I must, however, thank my wife, for not standing in my way, and a few special friends who would not ask for identification here, for making the way easier for me to travel. It has been a long and lonely way, but I have trodden it increasingly aware of the goodwill and encouragement of many kind people, most of whom I shall never meet. And now, after thirteen years, I have come to the end of it and my final task, a difficult one, is to find words adequate to express my appreciation to everyone who has helped. The least I can do, and the most I can do, is to acknowledge my debt by this dedication.