Chester Rickwood was attacked last night, coming out of a date of his lecture tour.

First things first, he’s fine. A bit shaken but he’s still talking a mile-a-minute which means he’ll be okay.

He’s had aggravation and bother after several of his live talks so he has long since made a habit of leaving out the back way. Unfortunately, last night’s venue backed into a poorly lit alley.

Chester just had time to light a cigarette before some figure leapt at him. Chester says his attacker was growling. He remembers teeth too. Whoever it was smashed Chester’s head against the wall, so take what he told me next with a pinch of salt.

I fell to the floor, my attacker standing over me. Out of nowhere, something leapt on its back. Like a giant cat or something at first as it swung out of nowhere. He said it was like a man, but strangely shaped. It went swinging from one corner of the alley to the other – almost like it was flying until it clamped itself firmly to the guy who hit me.

The fight took itself round the corner out of Chester’s sight. All of a sudden, there was a piercing howl of pain. Chester tried to pull himself up and struggle round the corner but there was no sign of Chester’s attacker.

Just the small dark shape, rubbing dust or some kind of powder off its hands.

Chester said he tried to help his rescuer but the shape suddenly hoisted itself up and along a wall until it was suspended over the concussed Chester. “You should be more careful. I might not have seen this coming. And your book’s full of shit“ said the shape before it vanished, leaving Chester alone in the alleyway.

I’d have been slightly sceptical had a contact of mine not uploaded some strange CCTV footage from near where Chester was attacked.

Chester’s cancelled the rest of his tour. He strikes me as the kind of guy who’d be more hurt by the book criticism than a physical attack.

But he’s afraid.

Whatever it was that attacked Chester, there’s something out there that seems to know what’s happening and seems able to do something about it. I don’t know whether that makes me feel safer…

Or more scared than before.