Funny, I didn’t realize how many people must read Mark Trail! They seem to always be one step ahead of Mark, aware of his past incidents and escapades and ready to use them against him at any time. Or shall we blame Bill Ellis for “talking out of school” and working against the man he constantly depends on and calls a friend? Let’s see….

I fail to see how Mark’s history of water vessels has anything to do with working alongside of somebody who has threatened and assaulted him. Is this all just a joke between Rafael and Bill, at Mark’s expense? I can see Bill advising before the call: “Sure, Rafael. Just bring up exploding boats and you can get Mark to agree to just about any idiotic assignment you want. I did that with him for years, thus getting him to accept assignments no self-respecting writer would touch!”

Then again, Rivera, must you continue to use this hackneyed meme every time a new story line is introduced? Are all of these magazine editors going to be narcissistic sociopaths who blackmail Mark into accepting outlandish assignments? Or perhaps this is really Bill’s long-term act of revenge against Mark for bankrupting his magazine after paying off lawsuits and having to cover all of the property damage Mark caused in his career. That, and forcing Bill’s magazine to sell out to a conglomerate and reducing Bill’s job to a meaningless, impotent intermediary.

And where is Ralph, the talking rat snake? Surely, he has some words of wisdom for Mark at this important juncture!

As for that fish in the foreground and its relevance to next Sunday, I refuse to take the bait.