▁the ▁American ▁female ▁characters ▁Armen ian ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁" the ▁unexpected ▁thing " ▁and ▁because ▁his ▁friend ▁David ▁Hed ison ▁was ▁Armen ian . ▁ ▁" I ▁think ▁it ' s ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁things ▁I ' ve ▁done ," ▁said ▁C lav ell ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁interview . ▁C lav ell ▁described ▁his ▁process : ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁was ▁ 1 , 2 0 0 ▁pages . ▁It ▁had ▁been ▁reduced ▁ 3 0 % ▁with ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁C lav ell ' s ▁editor , ▁J ena ▁Bern k opf . ▁" Th ese ▁things ▁go ▁on ▁until ▁they ▁end ," ▁said ▁C lav ell ▁about ▁the ▁length . ▁" My ▁secret ▁is ▁I ▁never ▁know ▁what ' s ▁going ▁to ▁happen ▁from ▁day ▁to ▁day . ▁The ▁last ▁page ▁is ▁all ▁that ▁matters . ▁The ▁rest ▁of ▁it ▁is ▁wind . ▁I ▁only ▁know ▁that ▁ ▁once ▁I ▁start , ▁I ▁will ▁finish ... ▁People ▁now ▁tell ▁me ▁it ▁ends ▁too ▁soon ." ▁ ▁C lav ell ▁dedicated ▁the ▁novel ▁to ▁Queen ▁Elizabeth ▁II ▁because ▁" she ▁own s ▁Hong ▁Kong . ▁It ▁belongs ▁to ▁the ▁Queen ▁of ▁England ▁and ▁she ▁has ▁my ▁adm iration . ▁You ▁see ▁I ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁the ▁he yd ay ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁and ▁it ' s ▁with ▁me ▁forever ." ▁C lav ell ▁said ▁any ▁film ▁adaptation ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁" need n ' t ▁be ▁set ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 . ▁Modern ▁day