I pondered this for some time; I was staring at the bottom of my empty glass when inspiration struck. I must discuss the matter with Nale Spanchuck. Surely the greatest living editor, at least in his own estimation, would be able tell me what the attributes of a good editor are.

I found him at last, sitting quietly in the back bar at the Misanthropes. He recognised me with a sigh and ordered another bottle and called for an extra glass. This is the sort of behaviour I like to see in literary gentlemen. So as he poured me the first glass he asked, “To what do I owe this unexpected honour?”

“Nale, what makes a good editor?”

He looked at me and said firmly, “What sort of editor?”

This rather flummoxed me. He spotted my confusion and sighed again. “Do you want some inky-fingered scribbler who deals with spelling…