Mark Arbour
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Everything posted by Mark Arbour
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Writing JJ gives me an opportunity to let out my inner bitch. 😀 I was also thinking Main Line, but I visualize her more as Kathy Bates.
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I meant to address this sooner, but got distracted writing new chapters for Black Widow. You're right that oak was in short supply, although Britain had done a good job of preserving and managing their forests. The first ironclad ship is still 50 years away or so, with HMS Warrior. The problem that wood construction presented was, as you noted, a shortage of lumber and secondly with a need to make ships bigger. As we saw with Commerce de Marseilles in Toulon, without adequate strength, the ship was almost useless. This will be partially solved by Seppings and his diagonal braces (he started experimenting with them about this time).
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There's an idea. I don't think Nelson had one at Copenhagen, probably because he was only commanding a segment of the overall fleet commanded by Sir Hyde Parker, who would have had one.
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I agree that Brad is trying...I think you can tell he's really into someone when he puts up with their crap.
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October 8, 2003 Tribeca New York, NY JJ I studied my ensemble for the day, even as it hung on the outside of my armoire. It was a grayish blue shirt with matching pants from Miu Miu, and I was sure the blue would set off my eyes perfectly. The shirt was designed to be slightly loose through the chest, but tighter across the abdomen, a style that suited my slim body well. I pondered whether it needed a little sprucing up with some accessories, but after some thought, I
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December, 1800 HMS Valiant Visby, Sweden An avalanche of news had fallen on George Granger. He’d been sitting in a daze for a quarter of an hour, staring at the letters from Caroline and Spencer, without re-reading them. His mind was reeling with the path he knew he must take. He stood up, put the letters in his pocket, donned his coat and went out onto the quarterdeck. Night had fallen, but that didn’t really make much difference as far as the temperature went
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December, 1800 Visby, Sweden Granger looked at the saliva covered key with disgust, but fortunately there was a washbasin near the bed, and there was soap as well. He thoroughly washed the key, noting not only how small it was, but how thin it was as well. He put it into his jacket pocket, then glanced over at Cochrane’s dead body on the bed. He felt real sadness over the loss of Cochrane, but there was much to be done, so mourning would have to wait. He straightened his uniform
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How cool! I hope you enjoy the second round. Thanks!
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Probably someone's dick. 🙂
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I realize that cliffhangers are a contrived author's ploy, but sometimes they are fun.
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December, 1800 HMS Valiant The Baltic Granger thought back to the coldest he’d ever been, when he’d traversed Cape Horn, and his mind was so fatigued it went off on a tangent to think longingly about Calvert, and how warm his body had been. A wave crashed into the ship and doused him with freezing water, bringing him back from his daydream. He’d been cold then, rounding Cape Horn, but he was colder now. The Baltic had largely kept quiet, as if it were allowing the frigid weathe
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Indeed he will be dead, murdered by a coterie of men of whom Count von der Pahlen is one.
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Perhaps we will see him again, although von Beckendorf is probably not Prussian, at least not in his mind. He'd consider himself a Baltic German, I would think, but I could be wrong about that.
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The early bird gets the worm...one assumes "worm" is an allusion to penis. 😀
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December, 1800 HMS Valiant Arensburg, Courland Valiant’s anchor splashed into Arensburg harbor, while two of the Prussian supply ships followed suit. The third proceeded toward the pier, where she would be offloaded directly. Granger was so busy dealing with details of their arrival that he didn’t notice Major Treadway coming aboard until the man appeared in front of him. “Welcome back, my lord.” “It is good to see you,” Granger said, and took his hands in a
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I'm glad you liked the chapter. I think the next few will hold some surprises for you. 🙂
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Thanks and un like the last two of my comments on your writing, which I happen to make on Saturday evenings and therefore after a couple of daiquiris... NO WAY! I love your comments when you're half in the bag.
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December, 1800 HMS Valiant Off Memel, Prussia Granger studied the shore as Valiant moved forward under reefed topsails only. He had cleared the ship for action at dawn but had allowed the men who weren’t essential to remain below and had kept the guns run in and the ports closed to shield them from the cold. Granger began to long for the warmth of the sauna in Arensburg, then he began to long for von Beckendorf, a train of thought which frustrated him be
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November, 1800 HMS Valiant Arensburg, Courland Granger left Weston and a squad of marines to secure the fort, then Treadway formed up the remainder of his marines for the march into town. Now that the surrender had been orchestrated, it was more of a procession, with Russian dragoons leading, followed by von Beckendorf and Granger, and then the marines. They proceeded up the road to Arensburg with the band playing jauntily. If it weren’t so cold, it would have been
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September 24, 2003 Le Bernardin New York, NY Brad I had been pretty surprised when JJ had come out of his appointment and told me he’d made dinner reservations. I’d been even more surprised when he’d told me that he’d gotten us tickets to see a play after that. I listened to the supercilious waiter ramble on at length about the various courses we’d get, and what our choices were, even as I cringed internally at the fact that they were all seafood. I was much
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November, 1800 HMS Valiant Arensburg, Courland Despite the frigid temperatures made worse by a brisk wind, most of the crew and all of the officers were on deck as Valiant crept slowly closer to Arensburg. The officers eyed this town and its fort through their glasses, while the men squinted their eyes as if that would clarify their view. Arensburg was on the island of Oesel, which seemed perfectly designed to restrict access to the Gulf or Riga. As if that weren’t
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I have taken some poetic license with signals in this saga, as they were relatively arcane, and wouldn’t achieve the flexibility I’m assuming until Home-Popham’s code a few years hence. I’ve also simplified the terminology to avoid confusing many readers.
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A reasonable youth would.
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Or maybe he just gets off on being spanked and it’s his thing. 😃
