C James

True! But, the shortest way back to Florida is east... Trevor is past the halfway point. So, there's a good chance his head would be shipped east, thus completing the circumnavigation, and all would be well. Well, I didn't want to state the obvious; for we all know that I never, ever use cliffhangers. A slight touch of tension? Well, honesty compels me to admit that, on rare occasions, such does occur. Thanks!! And Circumnavigation as a TV series?? I love that idea!!! I'd want to be the cameraman. I can't comment on most of this, except to say, great theorizing! It is to be hoped that Trevor isn't like me; otherwise he'll put one and one together and get three and a half. On the school issue, I have some wiggle room; some extracurricular activities (sports, for one) aren't limited to the normal school schedule. In 1997, he might have had practice, or something else school related, even summer school. The reason I had to build in some wiggle room is, I was not able to determine the exact day schools in Ft. Pierce let out for summer in 1997 . From what little I could find, it varied a bit from district to district, and going on my own experience in California, even school to school. (there were two high schools where I grew up, and they often didn't let out the same day, though I don't know why) I can say that you have the dates right. I dare not say anything more, but I love your theories, and those calendars are great!! Thank you!! . The narrator cannot lie, but characters are under no such limitation; they may lie, or be mistaken.

Trevor would most likely be covered by a policy from his father, with a rider for the bahamas if not included. It varies a lot, and there are exceptions, but in general policies here aren't valid worldwide. Trevor is, however, covered by his boat insurance in this case; he's covered for anything stemming from a covered loss (the pirate attack, in this case). George couldn't do too much without drawing attention to himself. Sanchez? he can do many things. He's sure been silent lately, hasn't he? It'd be easy to do; Sanchez's people find Trevor and send his head back to Sanchez, thus completing the circumnavigation. I'm not saying that's what will happen, but I can't rule it out, either. But, Penultimate Pieces just means that one or more things that may or may not be significant might occur in the following chapter, Ultimate Designs.

Good points... I doubt a medical professional would leak info under the circumstances too... the nurses did, but they had no way of knowing Trevor wanted to remain anonymous. Still, they did spread the news in violation of policy, so I'm not surprised Trevor is inclined to have his concerns. Not everyone in Carnarvon knows Shane.. but... for some reason, the phrase "out of the frying pan, into the fire" comes to mind regarding the planned subterfuge. oops on the link!!! Fixed now. If Bridget finds out the boat's name is Kookaburra, you're right, everyone is in mortal danger. We'll be seeing more of all of the other storylines very soon. I do tend to skip them if not much relevant has happened. Investigations are, perforce, slow. During the next two chapters we'll we popping in for at least a scene each with Lisa and Joel, Bridget and George, Gonzalez and Henry, and the reporter, Kline, as well. I've been avoiding mention of specific days and dates in the chapters, because, as we all know, i cannot count. I screwed up the thanksgiving day timeline (had it effectively on a Friday, since fixed) plus a few other screw ups caught in beta. So, I try to avoid being too specific, lest I make another goof. The focus per day has been very tight lately, because much is occurring (more than might be evident) but the timeline (days per chapter) speeds up very soon. That is exactly correct. That means that the following day will be Thursday. And yes, i say that in full knowledge that there are things in this and the prior chapter that might be incongruous with that being the date, that it might be assumed to be earlier in the week, but all I can say is, that's dealt with in the next chapter, Penultimate Pieces. CJ

Getting Closer is up. :ranger: :pickaxe: It's a large chapter, around 8000 words. We also learn a great deal about Shane's past.

Chapter 79: Getting Closer “Carnarvon!” Bridget declared, motioning for George to join her at her desk. She transferred the playback from the headphones to a speaker, and played the segment of Joel and Lisa’s conversation with Shane again. They could only hear Joel and Lisa’s side of it, but Joel’s mention of Carnarvon was clear. “Carnarvon is in Western Australia,” George said, and then he opened up Google Earth on Bridget’s laptop. “Yeah, about five hundred miles north of Perth, and th

I'm rather fond of chapter titles that apply to more than one of the storylines. Hrmm, I have to be up very early tomorrow, so staying up to post the chapter at midnight isn't an option tonight... I'm afraid I'll have to post it early. My apologies to those who were enjoying the wait, but it'll be up in a few minutes.

Sometimes in past chapters they would talk on Bridget's line, which meant Bridget could hear both sides of the conversation. But, when Shane called Joel's cell, the call went to his cell and not through Bridget's line, so the bugs in the room were able to hear only the words spoken in the room, not Shane's words.

Bridget can only hear the words spoken in the guesthouse in this case; she can't hear Shane's end of the call. So, unless Joel said "Carnarvon" all is well... um, well, okay, he did say that, but surely nothing bad can happen. Cyclones do indeed rotate clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere, but I could only include one if there actually was one there around Dec 1st, 2006. (There wasn't). Theories and such are VERY welcome!! We do that a lot in my forum (and here is fine as well). The only person who can't do things like that is me, due to me actually knowing the answers (and only I do). So, unless it's me, it's great!

There are never, ever any cliffhangers in my stories. No worries... after all, what could possibly go wrong?

It's a good thing Trevor isn't in a condition where additional stress could be devastating... oh wait, he is... I'm glad I'm not the only one who has trouble spelling the boat's name. Yep... There are issues there, and hearing Joel's side of the convo (all that Bridget can hear) would be illuminating. Lisa and Joel are in more of a fix than they know. Either they continue unawares, or if Joel should decide Bridget is a suspect, and broaches the idea to Lisa in the guesthouse, it could be... somewhat unhealthy. Trevor does indeed face more challenges than he knows... Finding Trevor in Carnarvon would not be hard, given a little time, unless they find out the name of the boat. If they ever get that, finding him would be child's play. Good thing there isn't a reporter snooping around too... oh, well, okay, there is.. Bingo. Unless they are called on Bridget's line (as Trevor sometimes did.) but in this case, it was to Joel's cell. Yep, Graeme is right; unless the call comes in on Bridget's line, the bugs can hear only what is said in the guesthouse, not the caller's words. So, anything Shane said is probably okay. So, as of the end of the call, the name of Kookaburra is safe. And... before I forget again, the name of the coming chapter is "Getting Closer"

You're right; if Lisa and Joel find out that they are part of the two attempts (so far) on Trevor's life, it would be devastating for them. They both care for him very much, so... ouch. On the other hand, they might never find that out; Bridget has plans for them too, after all. Hrmm, what was that nagging thought Joel had at the end? There's a lot of info here, from several plot threads.

Shane does indeed share his trauma and begins to share his past... very soon: before the end of the next chapter.

Thanks! Fortunately, I have the advice of Graeme, who is Australian, so he speaks the language.

I know it's a few hours early, but Dances with Madness is up.

We can always just... blame Wildone?

Chapter 78: Dances with Madness Trevor’s demons clawed at his mind, filling him with a dread certainty that he’d either die or be left insane. Trevor clutched at Shane’s arm. “Don’t let them...,” he gasped. The words clued Shane in, and he said sharply, “Trev, you are not at sea, it’s OVER!” Shane’s voice changed and he added softly, over and over, “You’re safe”, while hugging Trevor to him. Trevor’s breathing finally eased, and his shaking ebbed. He fumbled for Shane’s hand, and t

True... nothing bad ever happens to my characters, which is part of why we always remember that I never use cliffhangers!

Hey! I thought I posted that.. I forgot, so no cliffhanger. It's called "Dances with Madness". Nothing dire there... maybe Trevor just meets a guy or girl at a dance, and their name is madness.

Emoe!!! King cliffie?? But but but... you know I never, ever use cliffhangers! As for winning that particular award every time but one that it's been offered, I was framed!! By an EEEviiil conspiracy!! Well, as for number of chapters... I did, when first sketching out the plot, say it would be 20 to 25 chapters in total. I will admit that it's possible that I might have been mistaken... Remember... I cannot count. But, I'm pretty sure Circumnavigation will have less than 100 chapters. The last two chapters and the epilogue were written at the very start of the story, and large blocks of text between chapter 81 and the end are already written. However... you're overlooking something... what's the one way to bring the story to an ending fast? Bridget wins, and Trevor's head is shipped home (eastbound, thus completing his circumnavigation) to appear on Sanchez's platter. Awww... hopefully not the cliffies bit?

There has been much speculation regarding Shane's sexuality, so I thought I'd put up a poll. CJ

Hrmmm. Banning Marmite... Marmite and vegemite are similar, though not the same. I like both, each has it's uses. Marmite is gooey, like a very thick liquid (about like blackstrap molasses) aqnd is easier to use for marinades, etc. Vegimite is a little more akin to peanut butter in consistency, and haqs a slightly different taste. I love it on toast.

Shane is certainly a master of the wind-up, as seen with the kangaroo setup. 'Tis true, I like carrots.

I for one give my profound and heartfelt thanks for any and all feedback, be it public or private, praise or criticism. To those that read stories here, and take the time to give a review, a forum post, or feedback of any sort, even if it just a one sentence PM saying "Hi", I thank you, for feedback is so oft the stuff of gold for any author. In a word, preposterous. Many authors, myself included, ASK for criticism. Someone giving us constructive criticism, openly or otherwise, is doing us a favor. A favor I for one am most thankful for. Splendid advice, if you're after a world where good authors have no readers whatsoever (due to never posting their work) and GA is the realm of only bad writers and would soon cease to exist. I have no interest in such a world, nor do I see it possessing one iota of allure. To write well is a goal, one of self-improvement, an inner peace, an act of sharing, a sense of verve perhaps, or simply joy... it may be all these things, or merely some. What it most certainly is not is braggadocio. Perhaps you would do well to ponder why you believe it so.

I'm pretty sure it's not an overheat. The problem began showing up when the system was cold and warming up, never after that. Also, I have active motherboard monitoring of temp, and my cpu stayed under 100f (very cool, for an Athalon) and the motherboard under 90. I have a high capacity CPU cooler plus about ten other fans in the case... I'm a big believer in having ample cooling. The fans spec out fine; they work, plus I checked them on a multimeter. The only one that's a little doubtful was one of several case fans, and unplugging it made no difference. I have cleaned everything anyway, though. I will try that, probably tomorrow (I've been busy with work these past few days so not much time to work on this) . I left it to last because I'm more likely to do damage doing that than I am testing stuff with a multimeter. I can pull it off tomorrow and have a look, but if I need remover and surface purifier I'll need to wait until I can get some shipped here. I've just used acetone in the past, then alcohol for surface prep, but that'll depend if I have paste near plastic here. I do have some thermal paste to use though.

Interestingly, we find out a huge thing about Shane soon... very soon... in chapter 78 in fact, plus even more in 79. I'd like to bring up something from a prior chapter I meant to talk about: Shane's "Night of the Mob" short story. He was quite pleased with himself, because though every word was true, it was not at all a reflection of the actual reality. Instead, as he said, it was misdirection, which Shane called a sneaky writer's trick. Shane actually did pretty well with "Night of the Mob." It was all narration, and as I often say, the narrator cannot lie.