(no subject)

Some friends invited us over for dinner tonight, a lovely relaxed end to what has been a very hectic (albeit enjoyable) day. Their youngest son, who I think is around ten and has only spoken a few words to me in passing before, somehow fixated on me and spent much of the evening telling me about the plot of his fantasy trilogy. He is 103 pages into the first book, but he seems to have the full trilogy planned out. It is very complicated. My comprehension was not helped by the fact that he spoke very quietly (either so that Alex would not hear the scary parts or that his brother wouldn't hear the details, I'm not sure which) but at about a hundred words a minute.

He offered to e-mail me his book-so-far. It just arrived.

I am charmed, and a little mystified, and extremely honored that he has given me his manuscript to read.

"Most people who read it say it's the best thing they've ever read," he told me modestly.

I think I love this kid.