Chapters (5)

My grateful thanks to John Sutherland and Cedric Watts for their Puzzles in Literature
series, which continues to amuse and delight, and to Norrie Epstein for her excellent
Friendly Shakespeare, which is every bit as the title suggests. Also to the Reduced
Shakespeare Company for much-needed Bard-related tomfoolery in times of stress.
Pulp western research by Gillian Taylor, author of Darrow’s Word and many others.
Visit www.gillian-f-taylor.co.uk.

My grateful thanks to Landen Parke-Laine for being willing to undertake a guest
first-person appearance at short notice.
No penguins were killed or pianos destroyed in order to write this book. The
penguin meal on page 146 and the piano incident on page 305 were merely fictional
narrative devices and have no basis in fact.
My apologies also to Danish people everywhere for the fictional slur undertaken in the
pages of this book. I am at pains to point out that this was for satirical purposes only,
and I like Denmark a lot, especially rollmops, bacon, Lego, Bang & Olufsen, the
Faeroes, Karen Blixen—and, of course, Hamlet, the greatest Dane of all.
Mandatory toast information, as required by current toast legislation: Bread was
originated in a Panasonic SD206 breadmaker, sliced with an IKEA bread knife on a
homemade breadboard and toasted in a Dualit model 3CBGB. Spread was Utterly
Butterly, and Seville marmalade was homemade.
The appearances of Zhark in this book and the use of his name and exploits were
monitored and approved by Zhark Enterprises, Inc., and we gratefully acknowledge
the Emperor’s help and assistance in the making of this novel.
This book was constructed wholly within the Socialist Republic of Wales.
A Fforde/Hodder/Viking Penguin production.

First
Among
Sequels

The Danverclone seemed to hang
in the air for a moment before a large wave
caught her and she was left behind the
rapidly moving taxi.

First Among Sequels

THURSDAY NEXT
IN

First
Among
Sequels

A NOVEL

Jasper Fforde

VIKING
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, U.S.A.
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Ontario, Canada M4P 2Y3 (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
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Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, En gland

First published in 2007 by Viking Penguin, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Illustrations by Bill Mudron and Dylan Meconis