"Guess-the-Author" Analysis and Critiques

Exactly. Originally MrT and Mr. V were slated to do the project, but rich jumped in halfway through and Z PMed me right before the deadline.

AuthAARs have precisely seven days to do their writing...I think it's been that way in the past, but it's definitely that way now.

P.S. I deleted all the PMs in my box from the last round of Guess the Author. My PM box went from 28 messages to 10.

Amric said:

I >might< have been the first to send mine to Hajji, but then maybe not. It was fun to do, and it was really my first attempt at trying to be funny...and it seems to have worked, somewhat...

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You were the first by several days.

IMPORTANT

We STILL have only three Authors working on submissions. (If you PMed me, you are in, by the way; only two people have PMed me and their screen-names start with E and F respectively.)

(None of the three has submitted a finished project.)


This means we have one slot still open if you want to jump in and don't mind having only three days to write your submission!

Submissions to columbus@surfy.net

Oh yeah! Heh... post above edited.

Time's up.

We have one (1) (yes!) submission. Here it is (and applause to the author for actually submitting it!!!)

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Beniamino opened the doors to the back room. One dim light sat on a nearby stand and allowed him to see only a portion of the small room. What he could see was a regular sight. The room contained very little, only a table, with two chairs, and a man sitting in one. As he entered the man looked up at him and nodded silently.

“Piero, you beat me here again!” The man in the chair, Piero, rose and approached Beniamino. The two men embraced and shook hands. They did it almost without thinking, as though they had done it many times before. After a short pause, Piero returned to his seat. The chair groaned under the rather excessive weight which had returned to it. Beniamino approached the second chair and took his place.

“Well, let us get down to business.” Beniamino said, drawing his hand across his mustache as he often did. It helped him think, and now was a time for that more than ever. Piero only nodded again. “Marcello has done exactly as we planned. It could not have gone better had we started the war ourselves. His rather sacrificial attack has actually survived! Who would have guessed that Vienna would have such a difficult time defending herself?”

Again Piero only nodded. Beniamino began to get nervous. Usually such good news started a ripple of laughter from the man, but now his round face sat in silence. Piero knew something that Beniamino did not. His hand wandered to his mustache again, and began to roll the tip. What was it that Piero knew but would not say… there was only one way to find out.

“Any news Piero? What are you hiding?” Rather than be outraged, as Beniamino had thought, Piero only smiled. It was the smile of a man whose plan was working. It only made Beniamino that more worried. “Well?”

“I shall tell you what I know, when you tell me what you are hiding.” Piero’s rather conceited smile remained smacked onto his face as he spoke.

“I am hiding nothing.” How did he know? Beniamino had been careful to intercept any news from their agents. So far Marcello Esposito, General in His Majesty’s army, had proven a useful asset to their ambitions. But recently he had been doing things on his own, and quite brazenly.

“Don’t lie to me Beniamino, I know you too well. Why, just look at your hand! I see you’re nervous, it is not easy to hide.” Beniamino’s hand stopped twisting his mustache and dropped to the table. He did not plan on striking the table so forcefully, but the sound of his fist was a welcome break in the quiet.

“Fine! I shall tell you Piero. Esposito has been leading the attacks personally. No matter how many guns they fire at him he does not flinch. He is advancing rapidly. I fear too brisk for our plans.” It was out. He had hoped not to tell Piero. When they had convened their first meeting, it had been Piero who doubted the program, and Piero who had the most to loose.

“He still marches through vineyards?”

“Yes.”

“Then what is the problem?”

“He is moving so quickly that our estimated damage is not being done. In fact, the yards remain mostly intact. He has not even damaged the distilleries. And needless to say that is a bad thing! They will have enough for a goodly sized harvest.” Beniamino was wringing his hands. This was not good, and the more he thought about it, the worse it got. And yet Piero did not react. “Did you hear me?”

“Yes, but I already knew.” One of Beniamino’s men had gone around him, now he would have to find out who before it happened again. “And I have already made arrangements. You say that he is brash yes?”

“Not so brash, as bold. He will not stray from battle, nor allow defeat. No matter where he sends, or I should say, we send his men, he leads them, head-on. He will not retreat, even in the face of countless enemies. And so far he has not been stopped.”

“So he is unflinching? He marches headlong? Fine. This works just as well. I have arranged for this matter to be dealt with. I believe that perhaps out pawn has outgrown his usefulness. A change of command will cause quite a delay in our advance, which will give us more time to, hmm, enjoy the hospitality of our guests as it were.”

“A change of command Piero? How would that happen? Neither of us have connections to the War Staff. And the King wouldn’t replace his star commander. The only way we would see a change of command would be if Esposito were…” It dawned on him. Piero would go that far to see the plan through. “You can not be serious! Spying and giving false information is one thing, but murder?”

“Don’t be naive Beniamino. When we began this adventure you knew we would have to see it though. Esposito is becoming a nuisance. I am certain that members of his command staff would be more than happy to find themselves promoted. Esposito will be leading a charge tomorrow. He will not see it to its conclusion.”

Piero rose suddenly the chair sliding back with the force of his rise. Beniamino jumped up as well. A sudden and rather uncomfortable silence descended between the two men. Beniamino looked nervously at Piero, whose round face was locked in a vicious stare. After a few seconds of this eerie quite, Piero began to laugh. Beniamino nervously added to his guffaws. But just as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped.

“We are done Beniamino.” Beniamino sighed to himself, he was ready to leave. But as he turned to get out of the dark room Piero spoke again. “If this backfires, you can be certain that your name will be heard as much as mine.” Beniamino did not respond; he did not know how. Instead, he just left the room, leaving its darkness behind him.

Well, we have another Author!

Author #2

Being born into a period filled with war, constant unending war, can bring up only so many types of men, soilders and officers. Most soilders were born too peasents, most officers of the aristocracy, there were few exceptions too the rule, but the exceptions were spectacular.

Born 5 years before the greatest war to shape europe to date puts you in prime position to determine the outcome. He was born into the time of greatest religious tension known yet and being born into northern Germany, he lived in the battlefields. ate in the villages he would order destroyed, raised the cows he would order to be slaughtered, worked the fields he ordered burned.

This also mean he knew the best fields, the smallest crossings, the best shortcuts, a virtue that would help him greatly both attacking and retreating. He developed a knack for cutting off the fleeing enemy, or getting back too his supplies when needed, something which angered his foes too no end. This trait also helped him setup ambush after ambush, he knew the hills and forests and could position his shooters as to where they would have clear shots while being invisible.

He was as influencial as any leader in the 30 years war, but led no brave charges, fired no winning volley. He didn't command the great battles, invade the key cities.

He cut the supplies, killed the morale, stopped the reinforcements.

His brigade torched the fields on the fleeing enemy, starved them, harrassed the camps, kept them tire. In some ways this is what decided the battles, not the great commanders, the enemy would enter the battle defeated, and that is how they would leave.

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Estonianzulu said:

My comment as well. I guess we are supposed to assume that it is a military leader from Victoria? Im not quite sure. Lots of dialogue, but no detail into the actual biography of the leader, so im not sure it goes along with the original topic.

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That reminds me, neither author supplied forum names. I'm going on vacation tomorrow, so, authors, when you feel like it reveal your names.