Category Archives: Novels

I knew Rock Ramby lived or at least *sat* in the cabin at the center of this circle of railroad in a forest grove of huge trees of his design. Or so he claimed. I knew that Gill Alex lived here as well, his Vain and Artery Boy that Santa-like Sven, who runs a packing industry over in nearby Misty Mountains, delivers a fresh supply of every now and then, always a happy moment for Rock. He likes his boy mate to be rock hard and real seeming, veins and arteries popping out in the right locations and correct hemispheres.

Then I knew that Blue Berry Girl, also from the Misty Mountains and maybe even the same as Sven in some mysterious way, came to Rock’s place, and, Wonka-like, shed her spherical blueberry encasement while crossing the RR track to enter the cabin. The dog at the house seemed to know her after the blue sphere disappeared, but earlier we understood this was Rock’s canine. So who lives here, Rock or Blue Berry Girl? And why did Rock’s fair haired mate and Blue Berry Girl later conjoin at NWES City at that ill-fated meeting hosted by Dr. Rabbid Baumbeer, ending with his death at the hands of, um, I believe her name was — yes — Lu Ellen Hutchinson? Or Hutchison. Why did Baumbeer take the green seat of the 4 after yellow topped Vain and Artery Boy, later Gill Alex, took the yellow seat, Blue Berry Girl, sans exterior sphere by this time, took the blue seat opposite him, and red hatted Lu Ellen sat down in the red one opposite Baumbeer’s, gunns ready to be pulled at the right or correct moment? Ka-POW!! POW POW!! *POP* POW!! Meeting adjourned.

My current theory about all this is that Gill Alex, Vain and Artery Boy if you will, is the same as Blue Berry Girl — they are part of one entity. Likewise for fellow opposites Lu Ellen and Dr. Baumbeer sitting around this same, four-square circle. And then the two pairs also correspond in a higher manner. This is one entity masquerading — if you will — as 4 separate entities. Each of the 4 represent an aspect of the 1. A great 4n1 or 4orrin1 or Foreign One. If you will.

But who is in the center, then? The actual person behind the people? Or meeples? Is it TILE? Is it the River or Riiii-ver? 12 square tiles linked from source to mouth, a complete stream to start the game like beginning Crosby progresses to ending Young through middlings Stills and Nash? TILE update with thieving or crooked red fishermen (and/or farmers) included?

Dr. Baumbeer might have been murdered because he was the only one who retained the knowledge of the 4n1 or 4orrin1 or Foreign One. He might have been the same as green toned Bullfrog, who a little earlier, had killed Lu Ellen’s father. If so, this seems like a revenge killing pure and simple but is actually more. This was the elimination or eradication or hiding of a certain type of truth, a central core. It seems meaningful that the red one did the shooting with the gunns: Lu Ellen Hutchison played by mediocre actor Alice Frame, who also stars in the current production as similarly red topped Wendy. Character-actor Sandy Beech is recruiting her hard for The Twins’ production, some kind of remake of “The Shining” or something, perhaps involving decisions made at crossroads. But the warm and fuzzy atmosphere of “Burger Wars” still represents a lure for Alice despite all the linden dollars being thrown around.

(to be continued)