He grins. "Well... I think that's everything. Um... bring a bottle if you'd prefer to drink something less potent than Olympian vintage apple brandy or Meg's absinthe. We'll have some stuff, but I'm not sure how long it will hold out."

He sighs in weary happiness. "I've been inviting people all week. It's tougher than you might think to track all your friends down at short notice. But I think I've got to most of them now."

"I'm exhausted," he admits.