Like Tintin, if.....

Tin Tin? Who is he?

It was Tintin I meant, of course. Tintin, the boyish-looking red-haired Belgian reporter, with the famous quiff.

And this Tintin played the guitar?

As far as I know he never played the guitar, but Aleksandr played like Tintin might have played if his creator had let him.

Really? How is that?

He sat on a low stool, and instead of hunching over his guitar he strained upwards as though playing to the moon, his mouth forming a little o.

So you don't really mean he played like Tintin, but that he posed in the manner that you imagine the creator of Tintin would have drawn Tintin playing the guitar, had he decided to do so.

Yes, that's what I mean.

And he played well?

Oh yes, he played with great delicacy and sensitivity.

What do you mean by that?

I mean, errr, I don't know. I suppose I mean.....that he played softly with expectant pauses between the notes.

At last! I was beginning to wonder if you had been listening.

Aleksandr?