Canuk

frankly, I would not have minded being an impoverished Duke of Malborough - after all I would get to live at Blenheim and Malborough House. !

speechless! there's revenge and there is the Romans-at-Cathage, and this corresponds way closer to the latter. the trouble is Will is going to be a very sad little boy in the morning. hints of it were given at the end. he is such a mess and how his fathers are going to somehow rebuild their relationship with him, I can't even begin to imagine. One thing, on coming home and seeing the devastation they will (hopefully) finally realise how far they have driven this grade A smart-alec, over-sexed kid.

I so agree - Mark, I dread to think where you found the role model on which to base what can only be described as two of the most stupid parents I have ever come across. I think what left me utterly speechless was the introduction of a marine who is a child psychologist; are they just trying to see how far they can push him? Brad and Robbie are not old, so if they lose a son they will have a long time to repent their actions. Well written - I don't usually get so worked up about fictional characters in fictional situations!

Oh! how wonderful to be back with Sir George!! Arhur on teh way out and Bertie on the way home would be enough to make anyone WANT to die of sickness. I am somewhat confused by the King - Sir George has done everything he has asked and more and our dear George is still given the virtual brush-off. I do think Odyssey is a briliant title - this journey is going to be Epic!!

I did mention this previously. I truly think that Mark is so far beyond selfish, making us, his loyal and dedicated readers wait, yes, that's right, WAIT for each installment of his delicious and desireable doodling. Every now and again he protests that he has a "life" outside satisfying our needs; the very definition of "selfish", I think. So Mark, just put those toys aside, however young and however desireable, and Do Your Duty! Help us reach that place you take us to with that writing of yours. please.

evidence please. In pictures would be nice?

the blog (Single Dad Laughing - SDL) contains the response to his original article by a mother. In the intro to this response SDL contains a link to the original article. It is moving. I do pity his brother and the hell-hole he lives in.

I was going to "Like" this until I got to this line :-)

agree - it may just explain the Dopey Dads' reaction - at least in part..... As far as parents making mistakes, as a parent I can confirm that, from my children's perspective, I rarely made a right decsion, however I think that I rarely compunded a bad decision with worse ones. And this is where I find Brad and Robbie so deficient....

I get the feeling that we are building to explosions on both sides of the planet. it would be nice if they came at the same time...! Any chance that "we" will move back to a weekly update? Having Trev weekly works well for me ;-)

"Will has not been neglected until now": the problem is at 14 there is only "now". he feels ignored. full stop. period. end. he has no rational internal debate. and so he reacts. All he and most other 14yo boys (can't comment on the other sex) needs is to be included and know that you are there for them. Will's thick-as-two-planks parents haven't done that in this instance.....

I vented my spleen about Brad and Robbie's parenting skills in the review to the chapter. for those criticising Will remember he's a very worldly 14 yo. But he is still 14. he needs his dads. No matter how much money you have, children are not something that you "fit in" with the career. Fortunately for this story B & R's lack of parenting skills (and common sense) will create some very interesting plot developments.....

Will may a right pain in the arse, but as parents Brad and Robbie could not have done a single any more badly than they have managed. As rjo commented Will is 14. a bloody difficult age at the best of times and with what Will has seen/done, he's a little more worldly than 99% of the rest of his age-group. That his parents don't recognise this and then compund the fact by virtually disappearing from his life - I can see Will trurning into the worst type of spoiled brat; and on this occaision the parents have an awful lot of responsibility for the end product. well written, but ,as a parent bloody, infuriating!

Mark, I read your stories because the characters are real. Others may write great sex scenes or amazing tales of bittersweet love, but you write great characters that have real lives. They also have great sex and bittersweet love, but its the characters that make this story live. I really hope that whatever bug it is that bites that makes you want to put pen to paper (finger to keyboard?) strikes soon and hard - after all we can't just leave George in bed with his wife forever! Congrats and well done; very much appreciated

I am just so glad our very dearest George has Chartley in his lfe. whithout him I think George would have exploded...and not in a good way. I have said this before, I do lurve this story. The characters, the tension, the sex, the plot. Bloody masterful. Congrats Mr Arbour, you are a masteful puppeteer.

read first three chapters in one hit - build up was great. Don't know much about the characters , but that seems to be part of the story.

great story, beautiful arc, real characters that make very real and very wrong decisions. congrats

it's listed here as 1904 - albeit with a "?".... http://www.boat-links.com/books/nfl/nautfic-11.html

This is where I tie myself in knots: yep, a bad ending can ruin the "journey". and, possibly knowing that a story has a really idiotic ending would made the journey less interesting. for me a succesful ending doesn't mean I need to feel good about it - provided the ending makes some internal sense. In your example of "saving the world then dying", it can work if its true to the story. Charles Dickens Tale of Two Cities for e.g anyone who predicted that ending either cheated or was Dicken's beta reader! so I'll modify my initial statement: knowing the ending should not affect the story IF the story (including teh ending, is well written.

people who worry that they can't have headings because they'd "know the ending" worry me. Reading is NOT about the ending, its the journey.Perhaps this is a sign of age. Gen whatever (under 30), learn, experience the journey; it adds to the pleasure, the excitment and the result. Chapter names (aka C James) are great. but then "Mark Arbour" doesn't use them and his stories are great!, so either way, it's the writing that counts....

I read the reviews here and then had to read the last couple of chapters again - some reviewers seem to have read a different version to me.... perhaps because of the time difference between Darwin, Australia and just about anywhere else in the world.... to date we have only seen what Davina could do and we understaood that Freddy was involved if not the driving force. It is only the last couple of chapters where we have seen that Davina driven by frustration (sexual, social and political) feels she had to do. We also saw that Freddie, far from being a evil, is a very repressed, self hating miserable bastard who has not been able to satisfy his wife. As for the people wishing you back on Paternity..... nope - George is my man and I am oh! so happy if you keep serving him up to me!

no court case, no charges, no legal ramifications at all. This is all about family and family will fix it. with luch Davina will be exciled to the south shetlands with a broomstick for company and Freddy will find a good woman that can massage his "self esteem" back to what it should be. That, dear Clydee, is 19th century justice and it has a nice ring to it, eh?

well Davina is a good hater, I'll say that for her. Ok, so she was frustrated, but still you need to have a twist deep inside to think what she planned was in any way rational. As for Freddie - the very definition of a fop. It's unfortunate that he he's about 50 years late in terms of being at the height of fashion. I know I am projecting here but imagine being Freddy and surviving your teenage years, your twenty's and thirty's without an erection; that's an awful lot of missed pleasure!

ditto - 640,000 acres, 38 windmills and 16 trees 10 hours drive west of Sydney - plenty of hiding places if you need one!

I, too, am now a little more terrified of upsetting those texas lad. Mark, I can see that you have a seriously long list of just how to make people uncomfortable. Please give me one warning shoudl I piss you off - I promise I'll apologise..... In fact if I start apologising now, can I build up credit for a possible future indiscretion???? great twist to the story - mind you from the moment he got the letter, i was suspicious......