ricky

Fox doesn't need any help on that front. He's well fleshed as an idiot who can only choose the losing side.

You do realize that assuming Billy doesn't make a log entry on any weekend, holiday or summer vacation, that after you get to #728 he either has to graduate or flunk a grade right? Just trying to keep it all in perspective cosmie. While waiting for a single chapter of "A class of his own" Or is it, "A class by himself"? I can't remember, its been so long. Sorry. Never mind.

How can Chartley be his soul mate when everyone knows his soul mate is Cavendish? Isn't that obvious? He's the only one that fits together perfectly without even sex. Their kissing and cuddling is enough. There is no after sex reflection, (I can't even pretend to spell that word I'm looking for there. Damn dyslexics.) And their lips fit together like no other. He has nothing more than all the rest with Chartley. He loves them when their dicks are in his hand or ass or mouths but forgets them when the next one comes along. Cavendish is the only exception to that. Chartley is a big hairy father figure that Granger feels secure in the arms of. And that's about it. Travers was a younger version. Calvert is grating even to george but he supplies a need to be needed. Lennox , well he just gives good head. Llewelyn strokes his desire to be in control and to dominate, and arthur id his tie to his youth. His introduction to the first carnal urges. No, sorry, the way its written, Cavendish is the only one he respects, loves and cherishes besides the obligatory union of his wife.

You mean you thought he'd miss it by a nile? I don't think Granger life would be worth a farthing if the turks or the arabs got hold of him. They were allies of our rubyless sultan if I'm not mistaken. Not likely to be a fun trip. And considering they were talking going over the mountains, I think elephants are out. At least for that portion. But we all know how much Winkler loves to ride.

Welcome Kit. I've found the people here to be consistently great. Well save one or two but ya have to have a couple just so you can keep your perspective. lol Be welcome! And welcome to you also Miles. I think you'll find this a place you can feel comfortable in. Be Welcome!

LOL, Screw that, if it's THAT good, send some MY way. Thanks Mark for a really meaty chapter. Funny that of all the useful people available, he should take Winkler! And that he [Winkler] should accept without hesitation. As much as he like horses, the camel portion of the trip should prove to be amusing at the very least. Winkler is still a young lad. I don't know if Granger has a little American in him but something tells me he is about to have the choice. But then again, Chartley is going with him. So perhaps Winkler will look to the strong American to provide some creature comforts for him on the trek. But Maidstone's tentacles are far reaching. One can only believe that the trip will have more challenges than just the logistical ones. But even if it goes smoothly, once he gets to where ever Maidstone IS, he'll have to devise a way of getting the letters back from him and I don't think he will willingly give them up. And if they stop in Gibralter he could simply post them in a dispatch to Fox. He would be stupid to assume he could travel the full distance and trust only his luck to beat them back. He has to know that he will be pursued. And he must be smart enough to know the means by which they would have to travel. And that is why I think they will fall subject to a fallen tree in the road so to speak, just like Chartley did to Iggy previously. But perhaps with a tree that can shoot. And will there be a subplot? Will Jackson meet his maker wandering around in Maidstone's back yard while he's not home? I think that Granger's battles are not all going to be on the sea. Like Sommers noted, he gave in far too easily. Is it possible that Vulture might have some incriminating information that will save the day? You have created a political cocktail Mark that is bound to create whiplash from the heads turning left to right and back again. I'm headed home to dig out my crystal ball to see if I can get a glimpse of what Lord Arbours twisted and just slightly dark mind has come up with but I fear that it won't be clear until the fog of battle is over and we see who lays naked and hogtied on the deck with a ballgag in his mouth.

Thanks so much for the info on the cable's length. It puts things in perspective a bit better. And Mark, EVERYBODY loves to speculate on the Kennedyesq assassination. And here you say it like it would be a BAD thing.

westie, how long is a cabel's length? How many feet?

My favorite passage in all of the HMS series so far: “Your entire escapade has made you even more famous. It reads like one of those novels middle class women are so fond of. First you saved the Duke of Cardona, and then you brought an entire city-state to its knees, absconding with a priceless gem to add to the crown jewels. That wasn’t enough though. You saved the Duke of Lerma, rescued a thousand Christian hostages from the Muslim devils, and still found time to traipse off to the Alhambra to receive the highest form of chivalry that can be conferred by Spain onto a non-catholic foreigner.” Cavendish eyed him with a combination of love and hero worship. “Yes, that happens all the time,” he said sarcastically. “I guess it was worth it all just to be here with you,” Granger said romantically. He was horny again. “Of course, I forgot to mention the news that will hit tomorrow or the next day, the news of how you managed to dish up a French frigate in 20 minutes without giving her a chance to fire a shot in return, then still extricated yourself from an enemy fleet of over 50 warships, including the largest ship in the world.” “Yes, it is all in a day’s work,” Granger joked. Priceless!

BAH! What would YOU know. You're just the writer, creator, fleshmaster and author.

I wouldn't miss either of them from the story. I don't think they contribute to it at all. I consider them both nothing more than bar flies. I'm listening to Belvedera now Brummel just climbed into the tub.

0.o I see NO reason to be insulting. Well . . . I AM a bit of a calvert fan when it comes to ways to get rid of him. He's more moody than a pmsing ferret and he's more needing the government at tax time. What he needs is a control freak like Jardines. Someone to controll his life for him and introduce him to a ball-gag Then he will be happy. Or at least I will be He's just such a mismatch for Granger. Granger's perfect match, at least in my opinion is Freddie Cavendish. Secure in himself, descrete, confident and shrewd politically. He's a class act where Calvert is not just annoyingly common and dysfunctional but he drags Granger down with him. He just needs to go away. He is the one character that adds nothing to Granger's life but aggravation. I think he needs to run into Maidstone and have Maidstone be responsible for his demise so Granger can get angry instead of breaking down. Roby is another one whom I simply detest.

I think we should put Maidstone in front of a firing squad. And just to make sure he doesn't run, have Calvert hold him steady in place.

But his credentials were not endorsed by the king. I doubt they would be recognized by a military court. If that were the case, then ANYONE could claim to be the govenor.

True enough, he has shown that he is certainly able. There's a certain clerk that, were he still alive, could probably attest to that. But THIS situation has two elements that would severely vex Granger about taking action. One is the treasonous events involved and orchestrated by his brother. The second is that the king might be disappointed in him were it to be found out. He puts up a good front, but he craves approval. Especially from the king and his father. Acting on this would, in a sense, be acting against his King. Something he would be loathe to do.

I agree completely on both, his loss of a ship AND living without power. It could be they are taken as well. Then Granger could rescue his men and ship and of course maidstone could languish in a french prison. And the papers? Well they would screw up a good thing if they got out. So I don't fancy that either the french OR the Dutch would like to see then out. And if the spanish got to them . . . well they owe Granger a few anyways don't they? (I'm rereading and am in master and commander where they just Boarded the the ship and Calvert and Lenox are wounded. No matter how much I hope, Calvert ALWAYS seems to live through it. Maybe he'll croak in this read through. . . Ya think?) .

I don't think they could do that for a couple reasons. Maidstone is highly connected for one. But in order to charge him they would have to make the documents public. No, the only way to deal with this is to deal wit Maidstone. Permanently. And that is a blackguard affair. Not one I think George would like to get his hands dirty with. Better that there is a storm and he falls overboard. wink, wink, nod, nod. It's entirely possible that the situation will be remedied by Humphries. If he managed to get wind of Maidstone's treachery he might just do something on his own to protect Granger. But if I had to make a wager, I would have to think that all the majorly loved players are safely on shore at the moment. I wonder if the ship was lost at this point if Granger would have to face a court marshal? But I not eager to break in a new crew on a new ship.

Welcome Joseph, sugarlips and pmdacey. Everyone, be welcome.

If the Vulture shows and is in Calvert's control, THAT ship may be able to catch them. After all, Granger thought there was no way to catch it on the way here because it was so fast and had a lead. And Granger was not sent to replace Bertie. In fact, it was assumed that he would choose him to remain. He was sent to find out what was going on. And man did he get a bunch of info.

So beyond what I wrote in my review, I was thinking about how he would have to go about making these public and could only come up with one truly effective way. A Fox in the hen house. Fox has the huspa to make things public that no one else would or could. And God help him is the Price of Wales is made into an enemy. But where is Calvert? And where is the vulture? And how will George deal with this one?

A great chapter Mark. And of course, as my luck goes, you delivered it 2 minutes before my show started this morning. It couldn't have been done over the last two days when I had virtually nothing to do. lol. I love how you weave things into a story. I absolutely loath those that write a story like a batman episode where its always pointed out that he had remembered to bring his anti atomic neutralizer spray that solves his dilemma what ever that may be at the time. You carefully build a foundation that is well thought out beforehand. So, Bertie now knows something about George. Will he try and leverage that knowledge against George with Chartley? Will he just use it as a trump card when George is least expecting it? And where's Calvert? And where's the vulture? Is it laying in wait someplace? Will Mr Humphry's discover Maidstone's treacheries and save them from this information going public? I bet Granger would dearly love to have a telegraph right about now.

0.0 uhm . . . Mark? Uhm, If that chapter you're carrying is too heavy, uhm, I'd be glad to take it off your hands sir. Uhm . . >_< yer highness 0_><

Well we'll just have to see what happens won't we? And Mark said he was going to post the next chapter in just a couple days and that was . . . hmm, a couple of days ago! That'll make MY day for sure!

That seems to indicate that no matter what, he will be removed from his position at the very least. Perhaps, knowing Granger's condition and the urgency of the dispatches and Bridgemont's closeness with the King, he [the king] will intercede on Bertie's behalf. The press may have a field day with it, and the military ma have issues with it, but I can't see anything bad happening to one of Bridgemont's kids. They are too connected and that would drive a wedge between Bridgemont and the king. And with people like Fox, Wilcox and the Mann's, the King needs all the support he can get. Time will tell.

Let's hope Bertie's reasoning makes that a forgivable offense. The dispatches will be the proof in the pudding so to speak. Were they that vital?