There’s a lot of luck attached to it
Tilling said quickly: ‘There were one or two quite good reviews. Of course, reviews don’t really mean much beyond a certain point.’
‘They still sell all right?’
‘On that one they increased the print order to forty thousand,’ Tilling said, ‘and they still had to reprint before publication.’ He spoke with a shy bravado; in much the manner, Hibson thought, that an ugly, timid man might speak of his beautiful new wife.
Sims-Durkin said: ‘Pretty good – you get something for each one they sell, don’t you? And what about the picture people – don’t you get something from them?’
‘A film sale? They haven’t bought this one yet. My agent is asking more than they want to give. I believe they’re coming round, though.’
‘Books, Hibson,’ Sims-Durkin said. ‘That’s the thing you should go in for.’
‘I probably would,’ Hibson said, ‘if I had the talent.’
‘There’s a lot of luck attached to it,’ Tilling said. He stared ahead of him, contemplating the multitudes who might have won the fair bride, but had not.
