In case you were wondering what our token “good Indian”[1] with the western sounding name, we’re now back to Gen Lepine’s headquarters.... [Heavy sigh. Time for a sidebar.] Okay, so, I'm still not sure what to make of the fact that René Lepine is native. Because it feels like it should mean something, even though … Continue reading 53-Lepine is loading Chekhov’s gun with blanks!
52-What are we talking about again?
The next couple of pages take us back to Molly Grace’s HQ in ‘The Complex’ in Akwesasne. For the most part it’s a re-hash of previous briefings where characters in the story go over what the reader already knows, although a few new tidbits are presented here. When we last left the 'the Complex' at … Continue reading 52-What are we talking about again?
51-Tower Defence
So now that we have a broad, big-picture idea of how Will Boucanier plans to defend James Bay, let's see what they got planned for Highway 109 and the power lines leading in! Once rescue columns moving from the south-he assumed first the SQ and then army units from Valcartier-were committed on Highway 109 from … Continue reading 51-Tower Defence
50-Chisasibi Map Recce!
***This is another case where I'm going to be talking in detail about fighting a war in a Canadian town, specifically the towns of Chisasibi and Radisson in Norther Quebec. Obviously, this brings up several serious morale issues which I discussed at length here. The nature of the text requires me to get into the … Continue reading 50-Chisasibi Map Recce!
49-Or maybe be better?
***Okay, it's been...wow...a long time since my last post, and I'd like to apologize for that. I'm currently on tasking for RST (Reserve Summer Training) here at the 4 Division Training Centre in lovely Meaford and the pace of work here has been...pretty damned intense. I've been a regular fixture at RST for the last … Continue reading 49-Or maybe be better?
48-Can we hear from Mr G-G, please?
General Bishop can see events unfolding before him and, although the picture is still unclear, it's clear that danger is immanent, and that he must act. So, of course, he calls a meeting. General Bishop was in a stern mood. He’d called this operations meeting of the Armed Forces Council - to which no civil … Continue reading 48-Can we hear from Mr G-G, please?
47-Molly’s greatest hits…
I've already made the observation that half of good writing is the editing process. If Bland had taken this concept seriously, then this next section, where Molly Grace and Bill Whitefish give another briefing in the Complex at Akwesasne, would probably have been merged with her confrontation with the Council, or else cut out altogether. Most … Continue reading 47-Molly’s greatest hits…
46.1-Vengeance is Mine(?)
So last post needed some heavy editing to keep the word count from ballooning out of control. As much as I'm trying to cover all the angles, it's inevitable that stuff's going to be missed. However, I'm thinking this paragraph from the last post calls for a deeper dive: He watched with growing dread the … Continue reading 46.1-Vengeance is Mine(?)
46-The Grand Chief …
So the next section ends with a call being made from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to the office of Alan Onanole[1], the Grand Chief of the First Nations’ Federation (Bland’s stand-in for the real life Assembly of First Nations). It's not especially significant in terms of plot or character, but it's revealing nonetheless: “Could … Continue reading 46-The Grand Chief …
45-Emergency measures
Before we begin: Something I picked up from last post. Col Dobson’s briefing made no mention of Alex Gabriel or any suspicions they may have about an attack out west in Winnipeg. The focus of his briefing is on Quebec. The result of this (in part) is that the focus of the federal government response will … Continue reading 45-Emergency measures
Putting Down Uprising 