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In the follow up to the LL&DD Specail, Scott Eiler asked:<BR>> I have a question about this challenge, though: Do we need the <BR>> *element* of surprise? *Planned* surprise, that is? I guess at this <BR>> point, it's for voters to decide. But as a voter, I'll be looking <BR>> for planned surprise.<BR>
For what it's worth, I wasn't thinking of a planned surprise when I <BR>set the challenge. A planned surprise, or a serindipitous surprise <BR>would work just as well.<BR> <BR>And as for what put me in mind of that phrase in the first place... <BR>Er... For some reason I was thinking of 'artificial elements', such <BR>as the one in Tom Holt's novel _Earth, Air, Fire and Custard_. Which <BR>admittedly would make for a rather 'mad sciencey' take on a story if <BR>I carried through with the idea...<BR> <BR>Look, let's just agree that it's not necessarily safe to delve too <BR>deeply into my thought processes, okay?<BR> <BR>---<BR>Saxon Brenton<BR>'Still crazy after all these years...'<BR> <BR> <BR> </div></body>
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