The half-wit …
You know how in your life, you’re sometimes lucky enough to meet one of the good guys; one of the troupers - one of the guys, who, when the going gets tough, you just really know that they’re going to be hanging in there for you.
Well I guess I might have a few mates like that.
Maguire though …
Maguire is of a different category order altogether.
Maguire is 52, bald and ageless, and in 30 years time will look just exactly as he looks now - especially if he’s dead.
Maguire has been an outstanding cheer-leader in The Well-Tempered Clavier project. Came up with the stunt for the video; ordered me to delete this initial blog in its entirety because it was “a complete and utter pile of shit”; and is also my chief running-mate.
So, as you may be able to understand, with a pal like that, I was pretty keen to give him one of the first copies of the book - which I did this morning. Wrote him a nice little note too.
He took it. And then what he did next was so touching, so poignant, that I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.
Because, more than anything, it showed just how much Maguire had got into the very spirit of the book …
“Thanks very much, Bill,” he said, riffling through the pages.
A minute later, he read me out loud the whole of the very last sentence of the book.
WHAT AN EFFING HALF-WIT!
Such are the friends that I am blessed to have.