Discovered In Thirty Days And Thirty Nights - May 12th

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

Honour Among Thieves
(Wikipedia: even corrupt or criminal individuals can follow some form of code of honour, moral, justice, or ethics for the benefit of everyone involved or implicated.)


Today I‘d like to talk about a story I really love.
It’s Long Shadows by NN West.

And maybe you like to follow me down memory lane? Because this story reminds me of better busier fandom times – well, at least for me.

I’ve already recced it in 2009, and then I spent a lot of time in LJ, reading and talking about Bodie and Doyle, commenting and creating art and watching vids.
Those were happy times! :-)

But I often wonder - ...I had a family, a job, friends, a life as well – where did I find the time to do it so properly???

Well, nowadays my addiction seems to have weakened a bit.
But hey! NOT MUCH! ;-)

I’m still reading and enjoying, and I’ve found good friends!
And I apologize if I don’t comment and participate as often as I want. Sorry!
Somehow it’s different these days. As all old people say – time is running faster and faster…!


Ok. Back to the story.

Here is my description from 2009:

We are thrown into the story.
We learn that we are in Africa, that Bodie and Doyle are there to save some unknown leader of an unknown part of the world that became - for what reason ever - interesting for Queen and Country. And Doyle is shot.

That’s all we get at the beginning and for me that’s perfect. No need for complicated preparations, for Cowley’s triple thinking, or for any involvement of politics.
I’m in Africa with Bodie and Doyle, it’s an adventure, Doyle is hurt, they trust each other and they do everything to save each other.
I can make comfortable in my chair, open the bottle of wine, - and see what will come…

And the rest of the story didn’t disappoint me. Not at all!

Bodie and Doyle are caught by the mercenaries and to Doyle’s big surprise the mercs don’t kill them. Instead they get food, shelter and medical care for Doyle. Giorgio, who seems to be an old friend of Bodie, even invites them to dinner.


That’s what I wrote 11 years ago… I still read the story, quite often to be true, and I still love it.
You should keep me from quoting all of it. ;-)


Here, right at the beginning, there is this dialogue after Bodie came back to save Ray:

...he would surrender, and take the gamble.

The decision made, still sheer instinct brought Doyle's gun up defensively as the undergrowth rustled near him; he held his breath, then relaxed with a sigh of exasperation as the tall figure emerged from concealment.

"Bodie!"

"You want to watch what you're doing with that, sunshine," his partner remarked, moving forward to kneel beside him. "You could've shot me."

"Maybe I should've done. What the hell are you playing at, Bodie? Ojana..."

"Safe, and on his way." Bodie waved a negligent hand skywards. "I heaved him on board the chopper and came back. I had an idea."

"Must've been the first time," Doyle grumbled, somehow holding still as Bodie touched his leg. "You could've got me out later."

"No chance." Bodie dug into one of his pockets, pulling out a field dressing. "I know this bunch. They'd shoot you without a second thought, mate."

"Great. So now they get two of us instead of one."

"No. I told you. I know them. And they know me." Bodie's hands were unexpectedly gentle as he applied the dressing. "Their commander owes me--it's time to collect." He laughed mirthlessly. "Some of my past misdeeds catching up with me. Well, you know what they say about old sins. We can use a few shadows right now. But Doyle... it's..."

"Quiet!" Doyle held up a hand, listening intently. "They're coming."

"Yeah, we don't have much time. Throw your gun away. Quickly!" Bodie tossed his own weapon to lie beside Doyle's and returned to the task of dressing the injured leg.

"Listen," he said abruptly. "There's no time now to explain. There's a chance, but it's a slim one, and you'll have to play along. Are you game?"

"Try me."

"Okay. Follow my lead. Do everything I tell you. Most of this I'll have to play by ear, and one false move from you will wreck everything. Don't argue, don't ask why--if I say anything, agree with me, if I give you an order, jump to it. Can you do that?"

Doyle held his partner's gaze steadily. "I'll do it."

"Right. We start now."


Isn’t that ‘so them’?
Not much fussing around, though Ray must have been frightened to death after Bodie was gone. But Bodie CAME back! Of course!

They care and trust each other.

“...if I give you an order, jump to it. Can you do that?"”

Brilliant!


But you really should go and read the rest for yourself! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! :-)


There is just one thing I wonder about.
After 13 years reading Pros, I don’t remember that there are many ‘Africa stories’ in Pros, or am I wrong? (or was it just 'my choice'?)

What’s the reason?

Bodie’s "shady past" is part of his personality, but maybe we don’t like to read about it – in detail?
And it’s not so easy to give Doyle his share in such stories.

Here Bodie and Doyle are in CI5, and both have a job to do in Africa. And it’s no story about battles and dirt and desaster – more about trust and friendship, even love in a strange world of mercenaries – who have surprisingly some code of honour.

Honour among thieves. Hehe! :-)


Maybe that’s the reason it works for me(us)?


What do you think?

Comments

[macklingirl.livejournal.com]

Many thanks for reminding me about this story. I know I've read it three or four times but I must admit that I always (and I really mean ALWAYS) forget that it is that story when I read the title. *g*

And I love it too, because they are so them in this story. I like the trust Doyle shows even when he doesn't know what will happen.

Oh, and you're right about the former times. There were more life in fandom than is now. But maybe that'll change one day again and we will have many posts here.

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

"But maybe that'll change one day again and we will have many posts here."
That would be great!
But these days there are too many possibilities, I'm afraid! :-/

I'm happy that you love the story too! :-)

[cim3745.livejournal.com]

I can't talk about the good old days, I sadly missed so much. *deeply sigh*
Bodie's past, especially Africa, is often used in stories. He mostly comes across some guys from there - friend or foe. Stories, which are directly set in Africa might be less often.

For my part, I prefer the lads being together in a story, and that isn't easy in such a different world like Africa, as you already mentioned.
However, there are some good stories, I am sure, my mind is working right know, thank you for that ;-)

Your recommendation Long Shadows or NN West accomplished that feat - containing Africa (Bodie's past) and CI5 ( Doyle included) in one story.
It's so well written, and one of my favs as well.

Honour among thieves is a very good and important point. It describes a special relationship between them, with respect, which we would not expect in that world.

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

"It describes a special relationship between them, with respect, which we would not expect in that world."

That's true! And one more reason that the story is so interesting and full of surprises!

We do our best to compensate for the time you've 'lost'! ;-)

[ali15son.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed reading this and could read it over and over again, infact any fic that includes Bodie's past is always going to tick my box, i'm sure there are plenty out there to keep Bodie fans in *mercenary" bliss

I'm sorry that you feel the good old days of pros are not the same now for you.. Thanks for the reminder.

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

"... infact any fic that includes Bodie's past is always going to tick my box..."

Same here!
But normally it's more sombre or even brutal. So this one is a real treat! :-)

Thank you!

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

What a great, interesting idea for a post! And you've chosen one of my favourite stories, I love Bodie as a merc. Thank you for this.

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :-)
I'm happy that I could find something you love!

[jat-sapphire.livejournal.com]

A rec is a great idea for these 30days30nights posts. Thank you! I've read both this one and the sequel, in which Cowley sends them to meet Giorgio again with the strong hint that if Giorgio wants Doyle he should be acvomodating. I don't like that one as much. I should try this one again, though.

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

There are even two sequels. Among the Lilies by O Yardley (http://www.thecircuitarchive.com/tca/archive/6/amongthe.html)
And The Check by Jay Trent (http://www.thecircuitarchive.com/tca/archive/4/thecheck.html).

Both quite good, but not the same. ;-)

Thank you!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I can't for the life of me remember this story, though I'm sure I must have read it. I will go and re-read it now, and get back to you! Excellent idea for a post, too! *g*

But I often wonder - ...I had a family, a job, friends, a life as well – where did I find the time to do it so properly???
I wonder that all the time! And then I remember that actually I didn't have a family (well, they're a long way away *g*) and for a long time I had jobs that gave me lots of free time, and for a while Pros was my life too - I had friends that I'd go and visit, and go on holidays with, and there was even a convention to go to! Now I still don't have a family but I have foodsaving, and I have a job that only pays for the words that I actually check and correct, and ... well, maybe I don't have so much of a life because that job thing has taken over, and since that life was Pros - waah! Something definitely seems to have turned inside out somewhere!

And I guess for me I made the time out of whatever I had because I felt inspired by everyone else being Pros-y, and now there aren't very many people being Pros-y, so it's harder to find inspiration to feel the same way...

But all that said - if I get on and finish my work, then I can go and re-read this Pros story, and then read your review up above *g* Back in a bit... *vbg*

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

"I wonder that all the time!"

So I'm not the only one.

"Something definitely seems to have turned inside out somewhere!"

I know what you mean.
In fact I have plenty of time at the moment, because I just work short-time.
But nonetheless... it's different! :-(

But - hey! It could be worse! We could be sitting in a group of old ladies, chatting about the wife of the vicar and doing some macramé - instead of reading slash with two sexy men! ;-)

I hope you'll have fun with this story! :-)

[jinkyo.livejournal.com]

Thank you for this rec!

I'm having the opposite experience at the moment in that I just recently fell into the fandom so all I know is the quiet. It's a bit like visiting a museum with a great and well-cataloged collection and everywhere I look, I can see the remnants of what looks like an incredibly active and engaged fandom. For example, there are a series of 2009ish recap posts for each episode. Here in 2020, I lived in all those old posts as I did my first rewatch.

Navigating through the fic is challenging (though I'm up to it!). Tagging, formatting, etc. was just different in the heyday of fandom. AO3 is my preferred method of finding fic but so much of it has been copied over intact without the benefit of added metadata or the usual markers of 'fic worth reading' like kudos, comments, and bookmarks, so it's a hunt. (I GREATLY appreciate the fact that they've been copied over though, do not misunderstand that) I absolutely appreciate recs as they give me a sort of guidepost. (Based on this rec my plan is to read the story, read the sequels. If any of the fic clicks, I go through the author's catalog and read everything else by them).

I've had the good fortune to make contact with some fic writers and vidders from the golden days of fandom, people who have been tremendously generous in letting me chat about the show and the fanworks. I've also had the experience of falling in love with a gorgeous creation and getting back a generous 'thank you, though, I don't even remember writing/making this thing, it was so many years ago'.

For new fans, the real challenge is finding oases of activity like this LJ comm and making a home in the tribe.

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

"It's a bit like visiting a museum..."

*g*
It's exactly how I feel where I belong at the moment. ;-)


"...with a great and well-cataloged collection and everywhere I look, I can see the remnants of what looks like an incredibly active and engaged fandom."

I myself came very late(2007) to the fandom, considering how old it is. So I know what you mean.
It was overwhelming!!! In a very exciting way of course!

Oh yeah! I remember the weekly Pros watch! We've made even two rounds. It was great!

It's a good plan with the sequels and the other stories from one author! - I never managed to follow something like that, because you feel to be surrounded by hundreds of possibilities that are even more seductive... :-)

*happy sigh*

Have fun!

Oh, and welcome to the tribe!!!! :-)

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recce! I read this one a long time ago, but am glad you nudged me to re-read it. I do like stories about Bodie's mercenary past - especially when Doyle is included. There was another story of the two of them going back to Africa and running into Bodie's past - it was by PJ - but I can't recall the name. Lots of anguish in that one.

This was a great idea. :-)

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

You mean 'No Option'?
Maybe I should read this one next?

Thank you! :-)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I started to remember this one as I re-read it of course - and it is a good one. I tend to think the opposite to you though, that there's quite a lot of fic about Bodie's mercenary past, and alot set in Africa too. I also tend to be less interested in reading them though, because as cim3745 says, it's hard to include Doyle that setting.

I'd say there's far fewer stories where we see Doyle's past - especially where he's a detective constable, or working for the drug squad, and I think there's huge scope in that. But again it's hard to write in a way that could include Bodie, and maybe that's why not many people have tried. I think alot of Africa stories are relatively recent too, which seems to match with alot of "recent" (I mean since I found Pros fandom, around 2005!) fans "preferring" Bodie and wanting to focus on him (sometimes almost to the complete exclusion of Doyle!)

So yeah, this story is impressive in that it manages to include both lads as well as Bodie's past in that Africa setting - and I like the way we jump straight into the action, too. Although I could also see it as a much longer novel! *g*

[paris7am.livejournal.com]

I can wholeheartedly join in wondering how we did it in the past! And why can I not seem to manage it now? Yes, there are always things that have to be done, job to do, but back then I had just as much to do! I miss it badly. I agree with BSL that having an active community makes a glow that spreads, and draws us in, and inspires more glow. As soon as I look at an image of B&D, or a vid, or read a bit of a story, my heart is on fire - but then I have to retreat to the real world again, and it seems crazy hard to find time to get back. Thank you for raising this issue - I think a lot of us are in similar situations..

New fans, don't give up! The Pros are amazing and we have decades of incredible fan creations to enjoy! If you glow, you'll find that the moths cannot resist!

I haven't read the story, but I remember it - very impactful. Thank you for this.