Freund: Thank you for reading "A Stolen Kill" and for your balanced comments. Perhaps I unintentionally struck a raw nerve? This was a big change in my writing in many ways and I was hoping that I would receive some critically constructive posts.
First of all, it is the only story that I have written since flying for the German side. Secondly, it is the first time that I can recall bringing politics into a story. And thirdly, as Bader's posts seem to imply, there is a heavy psychological and moral undertone here.
You are quite right IMHO in your heart felt characterization of the "New Germany". IMO and as I have so often written here, the German people have much to be proud of both in their ancient past and today. I also agree that this is an unlikely factual scenario from the perspective of either side.
Remember, however folks, that this is not a factual history we are writing here. We are writing of our own experiences playing a historical game. In the game, playing on the German side, or on the British side for that matter, I have both stolen kills and had them stolen from me. Haven't we all? How should we feel about it? That is all the story was really about. Well mostly.
In the heat of battle , "my blood is up" so having a kill stolen from me always makes me more angry. My first instinct is to shoot down my poor AI comrade who has so recently offended me. I never do so and this is only a game. What if it were real? Here is where fiction begins to cleverly (I hope)drape the factual game experience.
What if I also had good reason to hate the fellow who stole my kill? What if no one were around to be a witness? What if I know I can get away with the black deed? It is at this point a test of a single man's character in the end. Not a test of a people.
Others posting here have recently alluded to losing kills in this fashion while playing BOB. I wanted to use this phenomenon in some way in a story.
Osram I am sure you know this, others may not. The characters in my story are not meant to represent any factual event, nor should you the reader infer this in any way to be an assertion that it might ever have happened. Neither should anyone deduce that it in any way implies a weakness in the German character. To the contrary.
On reflection I will admit I think the German pilot never went through with the dirty, revengeful deed. The offended pilot's good character most likely triumphs in the end. In my story however I do not actually say so, do I? I leave it to the reader to decide what happened. Somewhat like that famous short story "The Lady or the Tiger". Though not nearly so well written.
Not to put too fine a point on it folks, in the final analysis, and as the author, taken seriously, I think it mainly shows broad differences in the two men.
One is a fanatic destined by character to lose all he has fought so blindly for. The other man is simply a German patriot. It is men like the latter, who can triumph over their demons who went home to rebuild an even greater Germany after the war.
Please do not take my scribbles seriously Osram, old friend. It is my greatest short coming as a writer that those who read my words do not always catch their intended meaning. If there are more stories I shall try even harder. I promise.
Should I ever write a story here again, and should you pay me the compliment of reading that story alway remember one thing. Should you find yourself in doubt of my intentions, please remind yourself that I respect and hold in high regard both the great British and German peoples.
What dribble I write or do not write is meaningless anyway.
------------------ "Blessed are they who expect nothing. For they will not be disappointed." - Edmund Qwenn, "The Trouble with Harry"
[This message has been edited by Jolly Roger Too (edited 02-02-2002).]
