OVERVIEW: Uh, if they know he’s in a house of lions, how come they don’t know where it is?

DISCUSSION: That still needs explaining. But hold on. Let’s accept the premise that there is a house full of lions. This director is in the house. So how come they don’t know where the hosue is? Well, a kidnapper could have informed “them” that they were holding the director in a house of lions until a ransom was paid. It fits the weirdness of this story’s premise.

Now, why would there be a house of lions in the first place? That’s not a practical way to hold a kidnap victim. And where would a person get lions? Perhaps the kidnapping was done so the ransom would be used to pay for the lion purchase! It could be the work of a less-than-scrupulous zoo-keeper, such as Tess Tigress.

Anyway,  I think Mark’s original response still holds: Why him? He’s a nature author and photographer, not a lion wrangler, for which several experts already exist throughout this country. Maybe Ellis thinks that Mark’s time on that Tiger Touch Petting Zoo assignment gave him enough hands-on experience to tackle this assignment. (yeah, I know. I’m taking this much too seriously!)

As we await Bill Ellis’s justification, I’m sticking with Mark’s position. And clearly, that position is about to be undone. Otherwise, there may be no story. So, moving on: Will Ellis assign another sidekick to Mark? If so, who?

Okay, I had to get that pun in before I forget. Anyway, I’m glad to see that Mark shows some common sense and honesty (panel 3)! As for Bill Ellis (see panel 2), who else did he expect to take the call on Mark’s phone? Okay, I know that Ellis’s statement is just a commonplace expression and not meant to be taken literally. Maybe Ellis really meant “If anyone could take this call seriously, it would be you.”

Well, I’m intrigued by this story’s opening. Coincidence aside, Ellis leads with a tabloid-style declaration (“click bait” to use modern jargon) sure to grab Mark’s attention. Eventually (we hope), Ellis will explain the more mundane details that will justify Mark’s involvement. For example, the director could have gotten lost while out hiking the Blue Ridge Mountain parkway. Now Mark just confessed he isn’t a modern-day Daniel Boone, but at least the plot is relatable. We’ll see.