MartyS

Benji, I misssd that. Trev arrived in Carnarvon on November 19th. That was 18 days ago, short of 3 days to make three weeeks. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

Hi Benji, We worked together two months ago and formulated a prediction as to the events leading up to June 1997. We are not in agreement on everything, but do see eye to eye on many of the events we predicted. For the past couple of chapters, “The Goat,” has been dangling half statements, innuendo and inferences regarding Mrs. Fowler. However, CHJ consistently stops short of making a clear-cut commitment. Should anyone declare that Shelley Fowler is Rachel, he could very easily state, “I never wrote that.” IMHO he would be absolutely correct. One portion of your post that I do not agree with is this: Rachel is not presumed to be dead. She was legally declared dead by a court of competent jurisdiction. The fact that false information was submitted by Dirk might cause that decision to be vacated, at some time in the future. My purely gut reaction is: Even if Rachel married someone in Australia, there could not be charge of Bigamy filed against her at the present time. I might be wrong, but I don’t think so. That is it for now. Marty

Hi Benji, Maybe it was cold and he was warming the undersides. It can be real difficult to understand Texas Bar-B-Que folks sometimes. Thank you for keeping an eye on, "The Goat," while I was away. Marty

Texas Style el cabrón(AKA) Goat Bar-B-Que

Hmmmm Well maybe. But OLD GOAT is probably stringy and tough to chew. At least steers in Texas are.

Hi Red That seems a very high price for a rather low grade meal. Unless the cook is using a young tender goat. However i suppose if you tenderized the carcase first, it might be acceptable. Maybe the way the Golden Eagle used, dropping the live animal from a HIGH CLIFF. Bump, BUMP ALL THE WAY DOWN. Marty

Hi Low Flyer, I just wish that you had posted this before I had my say. Then all I would have had to do was say, “DITTO.” I know you said exactly what was in my mind. I also believe you spoke for many of CJs readers who do not post comments in the Forum. There are times when the suspense gets to me. When it does, I say to myself, “I wish I had discovered Circumnavigation after it was completed.” Then realty kicks in. If I had read this story after it was completed, I would have cheated myself. Yes I definitely would have. I would never attempted to involve myself in the challenge of solving the mysteries CJ has woven into this story. It was only in having the time to consider how it actually took place, which led me into posting my opinions. I gained new friends and found Benji. He has been an excellent partner leading me to consider alternative paths. We have stuck our necks out and made predictions. Whether we are accurate only CJ knows at present. We will earn the truth when the last chapter posts. I hope when CJ reads your post and gives it serious consideration, he uses your writings as a yardstick to guide his future chapters. I close with this comment. I know you voiced my view accurately. I also believe you spoke the prevailing opinions of many of our colleagues who are enjoying Circumnavigation. I sincerely wish CJ will consider your beliefs and be guided by them in making his decisions. Marty

CJ, I may bitch and complain, but have never suggested you change the storyline. Without the associated casual characters your story would, IMHO, have lost much of its definition and charm. I cannot think of anything that has appeared which did not enhance the overall story. If any reader has a problem keeping track of the cast, IMHO, they might consider keeping notes. I have to admit I am looking foreword to the conclusion. The story is moving along nicely. One thought is constantly in my mind. When the last paragraph is published and all the deep dark secrets are revealed, what will we talk about in the Forum? CJ, you are the author. You have assembled a great team. Circumnavigation is, in my opinion, one of the best stories, I have read, in my lifetime. I would like to suggest you carry on the way you are going. If any readers are upset, I would suggest they exercise their right to actively show their displeasure. They can do this by looking at the upper right corner of their Browser, and click the, ”X.” That should give them some satisfaction. Then, if they have created any Bookmark Shortcuts, they can delete them. Afterwards, if the are interested, they can wait until the listing for, Circumnavigating shows,"Completed." If they are interested, they can read the completed story. I would like to bring to your attention, the words attributed to Mr. Abraham Lincoln regarding fooling the people. Substitute the word; “satisfy,” for the word, “Fool,” Please continue on your present course. Marty

Hi Benji, Starting tomorrow morning, Monday, I will be away from the Forum for several days. I will let you know when I return. Don't let, "The Goat, dump on us during my absence. Marty

Hi Benji, The route he is traveling is not toward Carnarvon Bay, Tasmania. Marty

The following is, IMHO, a listing of some of the current existing Cliffhangers as of the publication of Chapter 88: Will Dirk and Jim be successful in remaining concealed until the expiration of the Statute of Limitations? Will Joel and Lisa make the trip to Australia without being arrested for the possession of illegal drugs? Will the Hitman find Trevor? Where is Rachel? Where is the Ares? What actually occurred during the month of May 1997? Will Officer Gonzalez and Henry get the necessary information to arrest Bridget and George? Anyone who wishes, may list additional ongoing Cliffhangers, if they feel I have failed to list them all.

. It sure does not look like he is headed South on that course.

I completely agree. PS Thanks for an interesting chapter

Hi Benji, Here are my thoughts on your responses. I removed any which I had no further comments on. Marty

Hi Benji, I’m wondering, Benji. I have re-read several times, the portion of Chapter 88, which covers the conversation between Greg Fowler and his missus, Shelley. Realistically CHJ has a multitude of problems. He is attempting to keep the truth hidden as long as he can. His goal is to delay, to the best of his ability, for as long as possible, the truth about what actually occurred in May 1997. Because of this, I am naturally suspicious of every bit of information that shows up. We both know he will do his best to leave false trails, to lead us astray. When, first I read Chapter 88, it was just a fast read. I wanted an overview of how far the plot had advanced. This is my usual method. Then I do a slower read thru. This is not an analytical reading. It is mostly to be sure, I understand what was covered, Then I do another reading, slowly examining every portion closely. After this final reading, I leave the published chapter and mull over what I have learned. There are times I have to go back to check something appearing in the current chapter against previous information. The conversation between Greg and Shelley grabbed my attention during the initial fast read. Then the subsequent readings confirmed my preliminary observations. Especially, the last couple of statements between the two of them. The impression I was left with is: There have been extensive discussions, regarding Trevor since he arrived on November 19th. Think back to my postings in the Forum Thread, “Brain Storming,” after Chapter 86 was published. I posted a strong statement that Officer Fowler knew Trevor’s Family Name was Smith. If you examine my postings, I was very clear that I had no solid explanation as to how he learned it. Shortly after this appeared, CHJ responded with: There was no question in my mind that CHJ had made an error. There was also no doubt in my mind that, Greg Fowler knew the Family Name of Smith. Benji, after extensive discussions between us, I came agree with you that Rachel had arrived in Australia, subsequent to her disappearance in the Bahamas. Our combined deduction is she took on the persona of Sarah Blake after her arrival. However, we need to consider what, “The Goat,” might be doing with the story line. If we are correct, he is aware of our published opinion. I would not put it past him to try to get us to modify our deductions. IMHO, I think we should stick to our posted deductions. At this time, there is no solid reason to change them. There s no doubt in my mind you were correct in placing Rachel in Australia. If she is living with Greg Fowler, instead of with Martin Blake, so what. Looking forward to your comments Marty PS: I did some checking on line. Here is a scan, from Google Maps. It shows the two locations Basingstoke is using to refuel. Next stop appears to be Carnarvon. Disregard the route marked on the map. The Hitman is traveling just like a crow flies.

Only in your mind. That response is weak, at best.

Hi Benji, You are welcome, errr, I think. Looks like we are both sitting on, "The Goats," Bullseye Target. No problem, I think we have him on the run. When he has to stoop so low, as he did to get this kind of proof, HA! Marty

This is TOTALLY out of context. I posted that comment as a sarcastic comment on the, "Goats,' consistent claims of never using Cliffhangers.

"Well said!," Sir. Thats calling "The Goat," a sneaky goat. It is a right and proper thing to do.

I said it before and I'll say it again. It is my opinion, "The Goat," inserted all these dastardly, "Cliffhangers," after he absconded with Shane's original opus, "Trevor's Tribulations." Does anyone think Shane is the sort of person who would insert cliffhangers in a great manuscript?

One thing you can say about,"The Goat." It isn't enough for him to be mysterious in the story line, he brings it here into the Forum. First he says this Then he says this

If anyone is interested the following site has the history of the HMAS Sydney and a very good description of the battle. My link Here is the Google Shortcut. Many articles listed http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=9h&oq=&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GZAZ_enUS415US415&q=hmas+sydney

Hi Benji, Chapter 87 was very good, EXCEPT, it was the, “Nasty Goat,” showing his malicious side. Go back and read this entire conversation between Trev and Ned in Chapter 79, starting with the following quote: Do you recall the speculation raised by this portion of Chapter 79, immediately after it’s publication? Chapter 79 is a very good example of CHJ and his insidious CLIFFHANGERS. He created this one in, “79,” then left us hanging for eight chapters. I, for sure, was waiting for Trev to arrive at the boatyard, and a justification for the weird, un-natural communication on Wednesday, November 29th. The Goat strikes again. Marty

Hi Benji, Well that was an interesting chapter. I am sure you noted the conversation between Greg Fowler and Trev toward the end of the Chapter 87. Fowler’s justification for the delay in getting the information from official records is certainly valid. The fact the Statute of Limitations expires two weeks earlier makes the data obsolete, at best. You have to admire the way, CHJ is holding onto every bit of each hidden secret. Marty

Nope. I learned that you speak with a Forked Tongue.