My gratitude goes to my late friend Malcolm Davies, whose in-depth personal knowledge of the country of Romania was so helpful in my crafting of `The Sound of Silence". My wife Juliet has, as always, been behind me all the way. Her support is forever invaluable. Ken Copley and Sheila Noakes have read and re-read each story and passed their individual judgments on them. If they hadn"t enjoyed them, the stories wouldn"t be in this collection. Finally, I would like to say a big thank you to editor, Kristina Dalton. Without her cajoling, forcefulness and wholehearted support, the work would not have reached its final, polished state.