Mark Arbour

Actually, the 19th century equivalent (we're in the New Year now..1800) of James Bond is more likely to be Daventry.

In and out. That's George's motto. :-)

I cannot believe I did not yet respond to these reviews! I read these and responded in my mind. Ugh. Remember to find the keyboard. Anyway, I agree with you about Istanbul. It is a beautiful city.

Happy Birthday (evidently a day late)! I think that, to celebrate, you should post some tattoo update pictures. I'm told this thread is specifically exempted from the clothing and nudity rules.

Will is a polarizing figure. You're not alone, but his detractors are more vocal. ;-) Thanks!

"That boy just seems to lose his way much too easily." What an interesting observation about Zach. I get the feeling from him that he's a guy who's not comfortable with himself, where he is, and where he's going, and that makes him a loose cannon. Hopefully he'll rely on Will to help him through this maze.

Gary, You make some interesting points and hypotheses. Everyone expects JJ to come out fighting, but when has that ever been part of his psyche? I'm not done writing this part of the story, so I'm still sorting it out, but it seems to me that unless JJ thinks this battle is really important, he is much more likely to take his ball and go home than to sit around and try to win a battle.

Maarten! I was actually worried about you. I cranked out four chapters, and not a word from you! Good to have you back! Yes yes, I know that you think Will is a horrible person, but he's an important part of the family, and a key protagonist. I think that your annoyance with his childishness has much merit, but he is showing signs of maturing, and he's doing a much better job of controlling his emotions. JP looks at him and sees that evolution, but he also sees it mixed with a very bright mind, a firm focus on the family, and a decided sense of right and wrong. He's giving Will some crumbs of major responsibility, probably to see how he handles them, and probably to give Will a taste for them. JP sees Brad's strengths and weaknesses too, and he's probably unwilling to give demerits to Will for dealing with Brad badly, when he himself has a tough time handling Bradley.

Will's plan is evidently to bug the shit out of Brad and to get him so riled up that he bursts out of the cocoon he's living in. If I were 16, there are a lot of things I could do to someone to annoy them if they lived in a condo above me. :-) Or maybe he has a different plan.

You picked up on something interesting about JJ, and that is that he made his decision about Alex pretty fast, and pretty firmly. The question is whether that's a big act, or whether he can actually do that...turn love off and on.

I talked about Alex in the response to the last review, so I'll leave that one alone. I think that Zach and Will have a tough road ahead, and one of the biggest problems with long distance relationships is communication...moody little interchanges like they had can slowly damage a couple. Or maybe it's something else. ;-)

Why thank you!

Thanks for the review. I'm thinking about this deal with Alex, and I think he's guilty of being naive, not evil. He leads a charmed life, and he's probably never dealt with someone as ruthless as Mary Ellen. And he never would have imagined that she'd risk Alex's reputation to destroy JJ's. I would have to believe this is a huge wake up call for him.

Isn't that the truth.

Why thank you!

July 17, 2003 San Francisco, CA Will I needed a lawyer for my venture. Normally I’d have worked with Sean Massey, who was smart and hot at the same time, but he’d done work with my father, and I didn’t want to risk any conflicts of interest. I’d called Sean and talked to him about it, and he seemed to understand my situation. He’d referred me to Jacob Pike, and told me that the dude was a damned good lawyer, one Sean dreaded being on opposite sides of an issue with. I guess

Elizabeth going anywhere is problematic. :-) Nana and Wade could be conflicted if they run into an issue that pits family against relationships.

LOL.

The Royal Family would certainly not get involved in anything untoward Alex was contemplating against his wife, but I think ME has her hands full, or she will. JP has gotten a lot closer to Will, and sees enough in him to spark his confidence.

Thanks for the review. You're pretty perceptive. I love your line about how expensive favors from Elizabeth can be.

Even though Will has his own money, Brad's been paying their bills. It's Will's way of annoying Brad.

December 31, 1799 Constantinople Granger looked at the city that spanned before them, and let his eyes scan the harbor. It was a beautiful location, and even if the diversity of the buildings were not apparent, the varied types of ships in harbor attested to the fact that Constantinople was one of the world’s major crossroads. “Let go!” he ordered, and Valiant’s anchor descended into the mud of the harbor, while Weston had the crew take in the remaining sails. Granger thank

I'm not disappointed in Jardines...he's always been a bit of an opportunist, and I'm sure he was easy prey to the Guild's propaganda.

I think repercussions from the Guild against Jardines are a very real possibility, and I'm not sure that there is much George can do to help him.

Thanks. I think it makes perfect sense why Jardines was involved in this whole thing, but in the end, when he's faced with such a palpable dilemma, he turns to George for advice and trusts him.