The Reigate Squires: An Extraordinary Assortment

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Canon Story: The Reigate Squires
Title: An Extraordinary Assortment
Author: scfrankles
Rating: G
Author's Notes: "What an extraordinary assortment!" I exclaimed.
"Oh, the fellows evidently grabbed hold of everything they could get."


“Just grab anything, you old fool!”

(...an odd volume of Pope’s Homer…) Ah, my arrogant Odysseus, who believes no-one can defeat him.

(...two plated candlesticks…) So appealing on the surface but worthless within;

(...an ivory letter-weight…) so hard and unyielding;

(...a small oak barometer…) swinging from sunshine to storms.

(...a ball of twine…) If only I could escape this labyrinth.

Comments

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Ah so there was a bit of method in the madness (randomness) after all.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

It hugely disappointed me the first time I read the story - the answer to the riddle of what the burglars took was simply... the items were worthless; they grabbed things at random to disguise why they were actually there.

This isn't really it, but I've always wanted to come up with a satisfying reason as to why burglars might truly want to take those items.

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

I'll bet you anything that if you go back to the Baker Street Irregulars' writings of the 1930s-60s, you'll find at least one essay discussing the burgled items in REIG.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I would love to read a satisfying theory as to why those items together are important.

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Nice bit of interpretation.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Thank you ^^

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

And suddenly we have a theme!

Next up: why IS a raven like a writing-desk?

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

^__^

Have you ever read Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next novels, in which he comes up with satisfying answers for that riddle? (None of which I can now remember... *sighs*)

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

I remember many Carrollians coming up with their own answers. A few: Both produce a series of rather flat notes; both contain bills and tales; Poe wrote on both; both ought to be made to shut up.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

"Poe wrote on both" is definitely my favourite ^^

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

Terrific! An excellent idea very well written - that last line!

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Thank you ^^ I was pleased with the last line ^_^

[debriswoman]

Yep, an odd selection to justify:-)

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Indeed ^^