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Mytrie. Mytrie was to become a friend, although our first encounter was fraught with misunderstandings.
    Our meeting came about after I had completed the piece of music that followed
Dianme
. It was called
Tidal Symbols
, an interpretation of what I saw as the episodes of calm and bluster along our shores. I sent the score to the same company that had recorded
Dianme
, and felt happy when they responded within a week, writing enthusiastically of its modernist approach, its harmonic innovations and its unusual treatment of melodic surprise. I was delighted by their reaction. Although what they said of my music was not exactly how I would have described it myself, I answered their letter with alacrity and a contract for the new work was drawn up immediately. I signed it and sent it back the same day.
    A long wait ensued – I later found out that the reason was because of the length of
Tidal Symbols
. It was only long enough for one side of a 10” long-playing record, and they were waiting for a suitable piece of the same sort of length to go on the other side. One day they told me that they had accepted a work by a composer named Mytrie. I had never heard of him, or perhaps her, as had no one else I knew.
    When I asked the record company for more information, they told me that Denn Mytrie, a man, was from Muriseay in the Dream Archipelago, newly arrived in Glaund on a cultural exchange programme. I said nothing about what I had learned of the denied existence of the islands.
    The day of the recording finally came around. This time I caught the first available train to Glaund City, so I was early and in the studio before most of the other people. I was startled to see more than thirty musicians arriving to perform on the record. I recognized a few of them by sight, but most of them were strangers. However, I did instantly recognize Alynna Rosson taking up a position with the violins. I had not seen her to speak to since the evening we performed
Breath
together.
    To my surprise, when she noticed me she raised a hand in welcome and walked quickly towards me.
    ‘Sandro! I was hoping you would be here today.’
    ‘I’m glad to see you again,’ I said, while knowing that in reality I had abandoned all hope of keeping her as a friend. A year had passed since that evening.
    ‘What have you been working on?’ she said. ‘I heard you had a record out.’
    ‘The new one is called
Tidal Symbols
,’ I said. ‘One of the pieces I imagine you are here to record.’
    ‘No – I’m only on the first. The one written by Denn.’
    ‘Denn?’
    We were standing in the centre of the sound stage. Pointing to the side she indicated the tall young man who had been at the studio when I arrived. He was standing confidently with one of the recording engineers, discussing the score, marking up one of the pages before the session began. I had seen him when I arrived, but I had been too shy to approach him, thinking he was something to do with the studio. Anyway, he exuded a kind of free confidence I notably lacked, the sort I always felt intimidated by. He had an athletic body and a shock of long blond hair. His easy manner radiated his pleasure that he was working in this studio.
    ‘That’s Denn Mytrie,’ Alynna said. ‘He’s a wonderful musician. You probably know his work?’
    ‘Is he the composer from Muriseay?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘And you say you know him already?’
    ‘He’s a friend, someone I happened to meet a couple of weeks ago. He recommended me for this job today.’
    ‘I had no idea people could come to the mainland to work. Muriseay is one of the islands, isn’t it? I thought the borders were closed.’
    ‘The regulations have been eased. And apparently Muriseay is situated more or less due south of Glaund, which makes a difference to people travelling here, or going back. He’s on a cultural exchange of some kind. There’s even talk of orchestra tours, here and in the islands. Have you heard anything about