The Best Laid Plans Part 22

Tuesday, December 10.

My Love,

It was like a dream, flying her up the river. I confess it was not the circ.u.mstance I'd have chosen for testing her, but I was left with no alternative. With a pa.s.senger, it was a wee bit more sluggish to respond to the helm and took longer to stop her, but that's par for the course. She did me proud. I'm in her debt.

By the bye, we defeated that rogue Tory government yesterday. It was a satisfying conclusion to Baddeck 1's dash up the river, not that I wasn't already chuffed enough. Everyone is making an uncommon fuss over it all.

That was one fierce storm we endured. Remember how we used to love just sitting by the fire and watching the storm lash the land and river? It isn't the same now.

I woke up Muriel when I phoned her late last night. She'll not do it. I tried and tried till I was blue. She'll just not do it again.

So what say you, my love? Do I seize the moment I've helped bring about and slip quietly back to the refuge of my university, my students, my research, and my memories?

No, I didn't think so.

AM.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

Writing seems the most solitary of pursuits, particularly late at night when you're clacking away on the laptop as your family sleeps. But eventually, it dawns on you that, in fact, your ability to bind up your story into a book turns on the support of so many others. My thank-you list is long, and I'll be forever grateful to the family members, friends, and, yes, to several strangers who helped me.

For being brave enough to read my words when I was barely brave enough to share them, I thank Christine Langlois, Catherine Shepherd, and Kathleen Naylor. For advice and comfort in trying to navigate the publishing labyrinth, John Lute, Steve Paikin, Ben McNally, and Bill Kaplan were there. Camille Montpet.i.t, retired Deputy Clerk of the House of Commons, spent time with me to ensure that the parliamentary procedure portrayed in this story honoured the Standing Orders.

Novelist Mike Tanner, veteran MP Paddy Torsney, CBC's Tom Allen, and two former federal Cabinet ministers, the Honourable Allan Rock and the Honourable Elinor Caplan, were all more than kind with their cover-worthy quotations. Tom Allison and Gabriel Sekaly helped in this department and I thank them too.

Thanks to my father, Dr. James C. Fallis, for pa.s.sing on to me a love of our language. To all my friends and colleagues who endure my pa.s.sion for proper English, you can't fight DNA, so blame him. I'm quite sure my mother would have loved this book regardless. As for my identical-twin brother, Tim, I certainly appreciate his support and encouragement, but wish he would stop telling people it's his book (unless of course they don't like it, and then, by all means, he should carry on).

I owe deep thanks, and so much more, to the wonderful members of the Stephen Leac.o.c.k a.s.sociation who changed my life as a writer in the spring of 2008.

Finally, were it not for the vision and efforts of Beverley Slopen and Douglas Gibson, The Best Laid Plans would still be a self-published novel struggling to find an audience.

Writing a solitary pursuit? Hardly.

To my wife, Nancy, and our two sons, Calder and Ben, who gave me the time, s.p.a.ce, and inspiration to write this is for you.

T. F.

Toronto, 2008.

end.