So ... this is where it all began!

I've said that the Prologue to "Shades" wasn't written until I was well into the story but the first four chapters were written, very conventionally, one after the other and in that order.

In fact, I know it sounds like a cliche but I had such a clear idea of how these opening chapters would fit together that - from the minute I put aside my planning notebook and sat down at the PC - Chapters 1 to 4 really did seem to "write themselves".