ABOSAA: Discuss Part Eleven here

[Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake']

Another action packed part.  I'm going to try to charge straight through to the end today, so look for the last of the discussion to be posted tonight. 

Part Eleven - In the Day of Vengeance
Chapters 98 - 113

1.  What do you think will happen when Jamie and Claire get back to the Ridge?  Will they be able to re-earn the trust of the settlers?



2.  Do you think there is a ghost hanging around Hector Cameron’s mausoleum or a real person?  If so, whom?



3.  Why would Neil Forbes have Briana paint a portrait of his mother given how he feels about Jamie?



4.  What is your reaction to Bree’s pregnancy?



5.  Did you know right away who had taken Bree?



6.  Did you believe Bonnet did not rape Bree out of respect for her pregnancy?  What did you think when you learned the real reason?



7.  Were you surprised to learn Forbes was behind Bree’s kidnapping?  Did you think he was the kind of man who would take his revenge on Jamie in this way?



8.  What did you think of Ian cutting off Forbes ear and the reason for it?



9.  Do you think Roger will ever be ordained?



10.  Roger is heartened by Ian and Jamie standing beside him and he knows they will not give up until they find Bree.  Do you think Roger has become the same as them?  Will he do whatever it takes to stand by Jamie and Ian as well?



11.  Do you think Claire is right about Frau Ute being so happy to have Manfred back, she will accept Eppie?



12.  Do you think Bonnet’s dream about drowning is prophetic?  What do you think of Bree’s promise not to let him drown?



13.  Roger finds the opening that Donner came through on Ocracoke.  What do you think this means?



14.  Bree runs into Phaedre.  How did you think she ended up with Bonnet?



15.  Did Phaedre’s revelations about Jocasta and Ulysses surprise you?  Shock you?  Do you think there was an element of revenge against Hector Cameron for Jocasta?



16.  Do you think Roger would have killed Bonnet if Bree had asked him to?  What do you think of the fact that Jamie stepped back and left the decision to Roger and Bree?



17.  What did you think when Duncan, Jocasta and Ulysses showed up on the Ridge?



18.  Do you think Duncan and Jocasta will make it to Canada and find Hamish?



19.  Do you think Phaedre will be alright with Fergus and Marsali? 



20.  What did you think of Jocasta smoking marijuana?



21.  What did you think of Ulysses fathering children with other women when he was supposedly so devoted to Jocasta?



22.  What did you think when you saw the chapter headed January 21, 1776?  Did you think the big house would burn down?



23.  How did you feel when you learned that Major MacDonald had fought on the side of the English at Culloden?  Do you think it was difficult for Jamie to maintain cordial relations with him over the years knowing that?



24.  MacDonald accused Jamie of going against his own kin and his oath.  Did you feel MacDonald had done the same thing when he fought with the English against the Highlanders?



25.  Did you think the pantry fire was going to spread to the whole cabin and burn them out?



26.  Do you think Jamie realized after reciting the Oath of Abroath that he was doing the right thing?  Do you think that’s why so many went with him, especially Hiram Crombie?



27.  Why do you think Richard Brown joined the fight, especially on the side of the rebels and even more especially, put himself and his men under Jamie’s command?



28.  Why do you think Murtagh has come to Jamie at this time?



29.  Murtagh told Jamie to let it be him who shot down Major MacDonald.  How did you feel about that?



30.  Once again, Jamie starts to relive the final moments between him and Randall at Culloden.  Do you think he has remembered what really happened, or is there more to it?

[millie34]

1.  What do you think will happen when Jamie and Claire get back to the Ridge?  Will they be able to re-earn the trust of the settlers?
   It’s going to take some doing, some of the settlers will come around right away, but some will always have their doubts.  Maybe Roger can help in his capacity of minister.

2.  Do you think there is a ghost hanging around Hector Cameron’s mausoleum or a real person?  If so, whom?
   Since I don’t believe in ghosts, I would have to say it’s a real person.  As to who it could be, I keep coming back to Bonnet, but I’m not sure.



3.  Why would Neil Forbes have Briana paint a portrait of his mother given how he feels about Jamie?
   At first I just figured his feelings for Jamie didn’t carry over to his daughter, until I read on.  He also figured she didn’t know of his involvement with Brown in trying to dispose of Claire and Jamie.



4.  What is your reaction to Bree’s pregnancy?
   Now they’ll never get back.



5.  Did you know right away who had taken Bree?
   Even before I read on, I knew it had to be Bonnet.



6.  Did you believe Bonnet did not rape Bree out of respect for her pregnancy?  What did you think when you learned the real reason?
   It seemed he changed his mind when she said she was with child.  The experience he had with the very pregnant woman scarred him for life.  It served him right.


7.  Were you surprised to learn Forbes was behind Bree’s kidnapping?  Did you think he was the kind of man who would take his revenge on Jamie in this way?
   Yes, I was, he was really clever to engage her to paint a portrait of his mother as a ruse to kidnap her.  He was not a very nice man, but I didn’t think he was that ruthless.



8.  What did you think of Ian cutting off Forbes ear and the reason for it?
   I guess there’s still a lot of Mohawk in him.  He’s appealing to the Kahnyen’Kehaka  gods.



9.  Do you think Roger will ever be ordained?
   Not for a long while now.  It’s probably just as well, he’s still got some violence to get out of his system.



10.  Roger is heartened by Ian and Jamie standing beside him and he knows they will not give up until they find Bree.  Do you think Roger has become the same as them?  Will he do whatever it takes to stand by Jamie and Ian as well?
   He’s become more and more a man of the times, and yes he would do anything for Jamie and Ian.



11.  Do you think Claire is right about Frau Ute being so happy to have Manfred back, she will accept Eppie?
   That would be the reaction of any normal mother, but Frau Ute is not my idea of normal.



12.  Do you think Bonnet’s dream about drowning is prophetic?  What do you think of Bree’s promise not to let him drown?
   It may be.  It seems that with all he’s done to her, she doesn’t hate him.  She feels sorry for him, she's either a fool or a saint.



13.  Roger finds the opening that Donner came through on Ocracoke.  What do you think this means?
   He knows that they can go back if they want to.  Things are getting a bit dangerous here.



14.  Bree runs into Phaedre.  How did you think she ended up with Bonnet?
   She said he got her from Butler, a smuggler.  I think Ulysses got rid of her.



15.  Did Phaedre’s revelations about Jocasta and Ulysses surprise you?  Shock you?  Do you think there was an element of revenge against Hector Cameron for Jocasta?
   I always thought there was more to their relationship than met the eye.  I certainly could see  Jocasta wanting revenge against Hector.



16.  Do you think Roger would have killed Bonnet if Bree had asked him to?  What do you think of the fact that Jamie stepped back and left the decision to Roger and Bree?
   I think he would have, although it would not have been easy for him.  Jamie knew it wasn’t his fight.  It was Bree’s right to kill him and if she couldn’t do it, it would be up to Roger.



17.  What did you think when Duncan, Jocasta and Ulysses showed up on the Ridge?
   They did the only thing they could do.  If they had waited, their plantation would have been seized, and maybe they would have been sent back to England.



18.  Do you think Duncan and Jocasta will make it to Canada and find Hamish?
   It’s a long way to go with Jocasta eyes in the condition they’re in.   I wonder if many of the Loyalist Scots immigrated to “New Scotland” from the Southern Colonies. 


19.  Do you think Phaedre will be alright with Fergus and Marsali?
   She would be a big help to Marsali and she would probably love the children. 



20.  What did you think of Jocasta smoking marijuana?
   She was ahead of her time.  It’s still not legal in most states even for medical reasons.



21.  What did you think of Ulysses fathering children with other women when he was supposedly so devoted to Jocasta?
   That was commonplace for the negros in those times, after all for the most part they didn't have families of their own.  Apparently, faithfulness was not one of Ulysses' better qualities.



22.  What did you think when you saw the chapter headed January 21, 1776?  Did you think the big house would burn down?
   I felt a bit of apprehension.  I didn’t believe that Claire and Jamie would die, after all there are still two more books.



23.  How did you feel when you learned that Major MacDonald had fought on the side of the English at Culloden?  Do you think it was difficult for Jamie to maintain cordial relations with him over the years knowing that?
   So he was an enemy even back then.  It’s amazing that Jamie maintained a civil relationship with him.  He couldn’t have felt too warmly toward him.



24.  MacDonald accused Jamie of going against his own kin and his oath.  Did you feel MacDonald had done the same thing when he fought with the English against the Highlanders?
   He fought against the Scots on the side of the English, obviously he thought the English would win, and they did.  That isn’t any different from what Jamie is doing. 



25.  Did you think the pantry fire was going to spread to the whole cabin and burn them out?
   I thought this was it.  I guess Bree was right, maybe the past can be changed.


26.  Do you think Jamie realized after reciting the Oath of Abroath that he was doing the right thing?  Do you think that’s why so many went with him, especially Hiram Crombie?
   He now had a cause that he could fight for, and not just for his family’s sake.  Hearing that ancient oath that their ancestors took 400 years ago, swayed them into going with Jamie.  Actually all three wars were wars for freedom.




27.  Why do you think Richard Brown joined the fight, especially on the side of the rebels and even more especially, put himself and his men under Jamie’s command?
   He probably realized it was more dangerous to remain a Loyalist.



28.  Why do you think Murtagh has come to Jamie at this time?
   It was the eve of another battle.  Jamie’s godfather’s spirit was there to protect him.



29.  Murtagh told Jamie to let it be him who shot down Major MacDonald.  How did you feel about that?
   Maybe Murtagh wanted Jamie to take revenge against the Major for his alliance with the crown during the Rising.



30.  Once again, Jamie starts to relive the final moments between him and Randall at Culloden.  Do you think he has remembered what really happened, or is there more to it?
   It's coming back to him in bits and pieces, but I don’t think he has it all yet.
 
 

[Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake']

3.  Why would Neil Forbes have Briana paint a portrait of his mother given how he feels about Jamie?
   At first I just figured his feelings for Jamie didn’t carry over to his daughter, until I read on.  He also figured she didn’t know of his involvement with Brown in trying to dispose of Claire and Jamie.

Bree also turned down Forbes' suit when she was pregnant with Jemmy.  I don't think she realized how offended he was by that. 

6.  Did you believe Bonnet did not rape Bree out of respect for her pregnancy?  What did you think when you learned the real reason?
   It seemed he changed his mind when she said she was with child.  The experience he had with the very pregnant woman scarred him for life.  It served him right.

Yeah, served him right. 

7.  Were you surprised to learn Forbes was behind Bree’s kidnapping?  Did you think he was the kind of man who would take his revenge on Jamie in this way?
   Yes, I was, he was really clever to engage her to paint a portrait of his mother as a ruse to kidnap her.  He was not a very nice man, but I didn’t think he was that ruthless.

I was surprised at how ruthless he is, too. 

15.  Did Phaedre’s revelations about Jocasta and Ulysses surprise you?  Shock you?  Do you think there was an element of revenge against Hector Cameron for Jocasta?
   I always thought there was more to their relationship than met the eye.  I certainly could see  Jocasta wanting revenge against Hector.

Yes, I always suspected them, too.  It's amazing that Cameron didn't suspect.  He might wink at Jocasta having a quick fling with someone of their class.  It would give him some leverage over her so that he could flaunt his own affairs.  I don't think he would ever countenance a long term affair with a Negro slave.  He would kill them both and think himself justified. 

17.  What did you think when Duncan, Jocasta and Ulysses showed up on the Ridge?
   They did the only thing they could do.  If they had waited, their plantation would have been seized, and maybe they would have been sent back to England.

Jocasta doesn't have to worry about who to leave River Run to anymore. 

18.  Do you think Duncan and Jocasta will make it to Canada and find Hamish?
   It’s a long way to go with Jocasta eyes in the condition they’re in.   I wonder if many of the Loyalist Scots immigrated to “New Scotland” from the Southern Colonies. 

I like to think they make it and that they work out a comfortable relationship with each other. 

19.  Do you think Phaedre will be alright with Fergus and Marsali?
   She would be a big help to Marsali and she would probably love the children. 

I agree.  What I worried about was that once she was free, the law required her to leave the colony within 10 days or risk being enslaved again by anyone who captured her.

20.  What did you think of Jocasta smoking marijuana?
   She was ahead of her time.  It’s still not legal in most states even for medical reasons.

I have this mental image of an old, white-haired lady in a lace cap sucking down a joint while heavy metal plays in the background.  Made me chuckle. 

22.  What did you think when you saw the chapter headed January 21, 1776?  Did you think the big house would burn down?
   I felt a bit of apprehension.  I didn’t believe that Claire and Jamie would die, after all there are still two more books.

I wondered why they didn't move to Fergus and Marsali's cabin.  It must have been empty.

23.  How did you feel when you learned that Major MacDonald had fought on the side of the English at Culloden?  Do you think it was difficult for Jamie to maintain cordial relations with him over the years knowing that?
   So he was an enemy even back then.  It’s amazing that Jamie maintained a civil relationship with him.  He couldn’t have felt too warmly toward him.

On top of which Jamie knew the Major was using him, although knowing Jamie, I'm sure he used the Major right back and came out on top.

26.  Do you think Jamie realized after reciting the Oath of Abroath that he was doing the right thing?  Do you think that’s why so many went with him, especially Hiram Crombie?
   He now had a cause that he could fight for, and not just for his family’s sake.  Hearing that ancient oath that their ancestors took 400 years ago, swayed them into going with Jamie.  Actually all three wars were wars for freedom.

I think now Jamie can fight with a clear conscience and gave others a reason to fight on the side of the rebels, as well. 

I thought it was interesting in the chapter about Flora MacDonald that the Scots would fight with the English, but now I understand why.  They knew firsthand what would happen if they lost.