Fic :The Day Before Challenge

[nodbear]

A vignette in the complex, if not always bitter, brew that is a captain's life.

Author:Nodbear
Rating:Very safe for work or anywhere else!
Characters: Captain Pellew,Mr Bowles, the C-in-C Portsmouth,John Gaze,a [real] senior midshipman and offstage Archie and Horatio,Cleveland and Hether.
Length: 2008 words.

Comments

[sarah_lynn_b]

Wow, very cool! I liked how you wove all that very interesting information into the story, especially Pellew's memories of his own duel. No wonder he was so insistent that Horatio cut that stuff out. I also thought it interesting that the Justinian had a reputation for being something of a garbage dump.
No wonder Pellew's a little cautious about the middies coming from there! Good thing he got the cream of the crop. :-)

Wonderful reading, thanks for sharing!

[nodbear]

Thank you for the challenge idea!

In truth Ned could have the pick of the crop by this stage - or at least mostly he did.

It was fun weaving in some of the history - so much of it fits so easily really

[eglantine_br]

So much enhanced by reading about Pellew for real. And you and Anteros have found out about a real duel! That is not in the Taylor book-- how exciting. And how sad to think of the young lives lost or wrecked by such stupidity

[anteros_lmc]

Yes, Taylor has either missed the duel or omitted it due to lack of information. There are plenty of contemporary press account of the duel, but they don't really say very much. We're pretty sure Taylor is not aware of the letter we found but there is a clue in his book as to the identify of Ned's opponent. Needless to say we're intensely curious about the whole affair but as it's not immediately relevant to the book, we're trying very, very, hard not to go chasing after this story just yet :}

[nodbear]

yes as anteros_lmc says Taylor misses out the duel - what public detail there is so far is minimal

we are on the case but really are trying to ignore the great temptation of going after the story just yet

yes I thought an outsider's view of Ecclestone and Chadd would work - had they lived and Ned found out in their lifetime what had been going on in Justinian they would have not stayed long on the Indy as officers I suspect.

Interested to see the account of Burr and Hamilton duel though

No one died in Ned's duel but he undoubtedly considered how close he came to so doing- it was a sobering time of his life

[anteros_lmc]

we are on the case but really are trying to ignore the great temptation of going after the story just yet
It's a huge temptation! Especially now we have a few leads to follow up. Must be good...must be good...must be good... :}

[nodbear]

glad the facts were worth the read - and in this case the fiction so mirrors the history that it is fun to interweave them

[mylodon]

Lovely stuff, as always, story and real life info. Quixotic maverick indeed!

[nodbear]

Quixotic maverick - took one to know one !

[anteros_lmc]

Awww! This is wonderful. It's really the fictional counterpoint to the chapters we're writing just now isn't it? I love the C in C's letter, several representations indeed! I can just imagine ;) And there's Nicky waiting to welcome Archie and Horatio. Can you imagine the three of them together?!

I think the reaction to new recruits coming from Justinian is entirely plausible. All ships had character and reputations of course, and the entire fleet knew of them!

I now want to write this from the boys' point of view....

[nodbear]

yes - the fictional counterpart = I hadn't thought of that but you are right:)

Knew you would get the C in C's point there - several is probably an understatement - LOL

Yes,I can imagine the three of them together some how - though whether it would be good for Archie to have two dark curly heads and two pairs of luminous dark eyes to contemplate ;)

Yes please please write this from the boys pov that would be splendid !

[anteros_lmc]

though whether it would be good for Archie to have two dark curly heads and two pairs of luminous dark eyes to contemplate ;)
Oh boy.....*faints* ;)

[sarah_lynn_b]

Have you ever seen a crumpet spontaneously combust?