“I have a friend called Larry Bush. He's an interesting guy. Incredibly interesting. If he existed, he'd be real interesting... Actually, he's dead. But that doesn't stop him. Nothing stops Larry. Doors, windows, walls. Nothing. When he comes to visit he knocks before entering. Most people think I have poltergeist... He likes to play jokes. Practical jokes. One day I came back and he'd built fitted cupboards in the kitchen. Right where I needed them... He told me he was a reincarnation of Vlad the Impaler. So later I called in at a florist and asked if they had any other reincarnations... Outside the shop I heard a noise. It was a one-armed man clapping. He told me the world was in a glass of water. I took it home and put it on the mantlepiece. Occasionally I feed it ants' eggs. It doesn't do much. Just bobs up and down, not even looking at me. From time to time I give it a prod. Just to see if it's real. I get easily bored. So does the world. I went out and bought a black hole. I put it in a box. When the world misbehaves I put the box nearby and open the lid. Just a little. I say, Naughty, naughty. Guess who's coming to dinner...”     / CONT...