The black bird, by the way, was a gift ten years ago, I think it was, from my good friends "bellotoot" and "Mister Muleboy" (not their real names). Since then, I've lugged that loveable hunk of statuary across the Atlantic and through three houses and now it sits on a bookcase in my office reminding me that, in the words of Clarence the angel, "No man is a failure who has friends crazy enough to buy him a replica of the Maltese Falcon!"
God bless us, every one.
