A young man, called Cristoforo, set sail from Spain in 1492 to discover a quicker route to India, China, Japan and the Spice Islands. He knew that the world was round, and thought that by sailing west, instead of east around the coast of Africa, as other seafarers at the time were doing, he would reach the East and the Spice Islands from the other direction, and bring back rich cargoes of silks and spices.

We know him as Christopher Columbus, and as he thought he had reached the Indies, he called the native Caribs he met in the Bahamas, Indians. He made three further trips to this part of the world, and on one he reached Cuba, which he thought was Japan. Because of a shipwreck after another voyage he left behind 39 members of his crew to found a new colony on the island of Hispaniola. He landed on the mainland of South America too, but although he is credited for discovering America, he never actually set foot on the North American continent.

Even on his deathbed 13 years later he thought he had discovered Japan, and he believed India and many wealthy cities were nearby. Columbus is surely the greatest example that you have to set out in good faith for elsewhere and lose your bearings serendipitously.

For me the word money has a blue tinge. It is an attractive blue, but a sensible, cool colour. How lucky is it then to find a Ј10.00 note in a pocket before a jacket goes to the dry cleaners, or buying three books for the price of two in Waterstones, or basking in an Indian summer in September through October and saving money by not having the central heating on?

There is a dark side to lady luck. The Chinese would say the Yin is the light, bright side of the street, but the Yang is the dark side. We should not dwell on it, for it is depressing, but take precautions against others' evil intent. Lock up your daughters, your houses, and hide your valuables. This is the indigo colour of hurricane-force storm clouds, of imminent, threatening weather, of thunderous, murderous, raging tornadoes, and favours those seizing an opportunity to commit dark deeds. The good, the innocent, and happy people sometimes have no defence against serendipity run through with indigo.