Well, I hope the platypus at least gets to taste hisherits late-night snack, since I just ordered Alabaster from my local B&N.

I also just read The Dry Salvages, and I can completely see what you were saying (I think it was) last week about putting futuristic or future-foreign things in context without the lengthy explanations. The typical savvy reader should be able to pick up on them quickly. I liked the book very muchly and was sad it seemed so short.