At the halfway point, let me pause to say hello to a few old friends: Hello referring to Russia and the US as The Russian Bear and the American Eagle; Welcome back Twin Otter; nice to see you again, MacKenzie Delta; what's happening advice on how to eat bread before drinking vodka? How've you been plot device of flying all over the word in a mad rush for meetings that could, in all honesty, wait a day or two?
So nice to see you back. In my travels through The Green North and E.P. Taylor's life, I've missed you.
Which brings me to Chris's last posts - if we ever created an RR drinking game, say in the event of a new book being released and taking us by surprise - I say we have a moratorium on using the word "ultimatum". By page 3 we'd be on the floor. Unless we invoked a "you don't have to drink if it's not a real ultimatum" rule, which would disqualify most of the uses in this book. Is it really an ultimatum if, when presented to the Russians, they say "ultimatum!" and then in a line or two, accept it and think it's a good idea after all.
I have a new favorite double entendre: "(Sue Long) sat back, her foot suggestively touching his leg. "Dare I hope, dare I wish, that this something you want can't happen in the bar?"
"Again you've got it. It can only be on the third floor in an appropriate horizontal conference position."
"Where I can take dictation?"
"No. Where you can receive it..."
Oh boy - "receiving dictation". A clever play on...er, wait. I take it back. This is more like a half entendre. Well, I love it anyway!
If Putin can be named and used as a character, why not Bush and Condoleezza Rice?
A character description for the ages: "Ross was an expert girl-sizer-upper"
Mr. Rohmer - it's time for for your cameo: "You're at the Stafford. My favourite hotel. And that American Bar. Wonderful, with all those pictures of the American generals and admirals in the entrance from the hotel's main-floor sitting room. Mind you, there's one Canadian Air Force general's photo contaminating the montage."
"Yes, I saw that. Air Force, author, lawyer, most decorated Canadian citizen. Forgotten his name."
But where's the Russian submarine fleet rusting? I know Rohmer must have written its name *somewhere*. And mentioned that that's where the submarines are. And that they're rusting.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you; I also loved the return of Rohmer sexy talk. Ultimatum 2 has it all.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievably, Bill Maher performed a "New Rule" last night that hung on the word "dictaphone. I cannot take credit for this joke. I hope the 88-year-olds at home enjoyed it.
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