Mark Arbour

Ode to the Taint By Mark Arbour I carefully descend the burnished crags To the enticing valley below. My hands push hard, separating the legs To see the skin, so pink, so aglow. The smooth lea that awaits me entices With an aroma sweet and pungent. The grass is sparse, as if it’s just been cut And trimmed at the edge of the pavement. A small hillock interrupts my travels, So I jab it gently with my prow. I feel it vibrating beneath the ground

**warning adult content ahead** The title says it all.

Thank you so much. I need to re-format this one!

I am

Kye, you make some excellent observations! I'm not sure I disagree with any of them, except maybe the part about Cody. Then again, I always did have a weakness for smoking hot blond guys. I think you're right, that Cody is selfish. I think that is because he is male, and as a gender, we tend to have that trait. I don't see him forcing Brad and Robbie to do anything they didn't want to do. He's more like a temptress than an evil witch. And in the end, I think the opportunity he gave them turned out to be good for them, both for the sex and due to the fact that, as you said, they've really gotten to the point where they don't WANT to have sex with other people. That's a whole lot different than promising not to.

There is. It's in process.

Well, I expect George will be in the Mediterranean for the next year or two.

Thanks! I think that Elliot is so used to getting his way, and so used to dominating people, he was genuinely shocked that it didn't work this time.

Wow. That's even more erotic still!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK!!!

March 17, 2000 I remembered how when I’d first met Jordan and his team, I’d thought that everyone just looked so ‘east coast’. It made sense that Triton’s board room would look the same way, but it was so different from what I was used to. Our offices in Los Altos were modern and chic, as was the décor at our home and at Anders-Hayes. Walking into this room, with its polished mahogany table and burgundy leather chairs, was like walking back in time. It felt stuffy and hidebound. It

You are just adorable.

I've read Kent's books as well. I liked them, but I found Bolitho to be two-dimensional. He never lived for me like Hornblower did. I love the way CS Forester built quirkiness into Hornblower's character, something Kent didn't do (or at least not as well). You're right about the homoeroticism. I could never quite figure out if their behavior was hinting at an "unnatural liaison" or if Kent was just trying to illustrate the more flowery language of friendships of that era. Forester, IMHO, was much clearer about that. I thought he did a really nice job or portraying a touching, non-romantic relationship in "Flying Colours", showing how Bush responded to his attention when they were traveling in France. Parkinson also wrote a "biography" of Hornblower, designed to augment the novels and fill in the blanks. Of course it's not Forester, it's just another author playing with his characters, but it's interesting if you're a Hornblower aficionado. Your recommendation of The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships is excellent. Peter Goodwin wrote a comprehensive book on the subject, one that carries a lot of credibility since he was responsible for HMS Victory for quite some time. His book is more of a reference than a good read, as it tends to be pretty dry. One that I've used a lot for reference on HMS Belvidera is a book on frigates by Robert Gardiner. Again, a great reference book, but also a much more interesting read.

Your armor is stronger than their daggers.

Thanks Kye. Here, reviews tend to be a little more simplistic, and are posted on GA Stories at the end of each chapter or, I think, for the story. That's not to say you can't go into more detail, but they generally don't.

Time to arm the loyalists! I'll work on the next story, but it's a busy time for me. I've got an idea germinating in my brain, so that's a start.

Oh come on now. I've had cliffhangers way worse than this one! ;-)

Six chapters are left: A total of 75.

March 13, 2000 I was nervous on the drive to the office. Something wasn’t right. This thing with Elliot Pfinster had me on edge. There was nothing I could point to, nothing obvious that broadcast his plans, but I was sure that whatever he was up to, it was bad news. I paused for a second to evaluate that, to think about how I was looking at business from an emotional and impulsive perspective instead of a factual and logical one, but I’d seen Stef make billions of dollars by trusti

Thanks Tiger!

That's very cute, and very creative. Good job.

No.

Thanks! There will be more, but it may take me a bit as real life co-opts my time.