Thanks Adrian - you've no idea how nice it is to get kind comments like that from time to time. Writers are such dependent types. I've no idea who will eventually play the crew if this mammoth project comes together. But I'm in Rome on Thursday to discuss everything with the production company and will report back here when there is something concrete to say.

Whoever plays them, though, I will be besieged by people telling me 'they don't look like that' of course.... In books every readers creates his or her version of a character - which is how it should be.