One of my all-too-infrequent royalty checks came in a few days ago, and it’s amazing how – no matter how much the amount – such a check can do to make me want to dance in the streets.

A few years ago I self-published two books, a science fiction novel (my slow-moving “cult classic”)and a book about modern Fayetteville history.  While neither has made me rich – to put it mildly – people do buy them, which is pretty gratifying, considering they could have just bought another book that day.

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So every few months a royalty check will come in, and life suddenly turns into a musical. Just for a moment – before I actually open the envelope and realize it’s not for thousands of dollars – I’m moving along our driveway with all the grace of George Chakiris in West Side Story.

Actually, the size of the royalty check doesn’t matter. The fact that people are still buying my books – even if it’s only a few every couple of months  – that’s what counts.

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I still cash the checks.

******

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Quote of the Day

The family seems to have two predominant functions: to provide warmth and love in time of need and to drive each other crazy. – Donald G. Smith

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*****

Should Sir Henry Baskerville have refused to pay Sherlock Holmes?

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Tracy recently bought me the excellent Peter Cushing BBC Sherlock Holmes series, of which only five episodes are still in existence. This is no doubt because the BBC, as in the case of so many of their other classic productions, erased the tapes after a few years.

Just ask any Doctor Who fan about the BBC erasing so many of the episodes from the 1960s. Wait until the screaming stops. I’d suggest bringing a lunch.

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At any rate, Peter Cushing had already played Holmes in the Hammer films version of The Hound pf the Baskervilles. Now it was time to do the story (and more faiuthdful adaptation) for the BBC series.

Every version of the story must have this scene, though:

Holmes tells their client, Sir Henry Baskerville, that they are going back to London, because they are pretty well-stymied. And besides, dude, you really aren’t in danger anymore.

All of this is a ploy, of course, to make the murderer (and keeper of the hound) over-confident, and set the beast upon the unsuspecting Baskerville as he is strolling home upon the moor after dining at the villain’s home.

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The hound attacks, and barely in the nick of time, Holmes and Watson are on the scene, revolvers blazing, sending the hound to doggie hell.  This is after the dog has mauled the poor devil, of course.

So:

No matter what the explanation from Sherlock Holmes, what would your reaction be if you were Henry Baskerville? And would you pay Holmes if he had the effrontery to even send  a bill for services rendered?

rsdrake@cox.net

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