What's the opposite of pirates?

It seems likely that I have just embarked on a re-reading of Patrick O'Brian. This wasn't in the gameplan, it came upon me all unexpectedly; but I picked up a copy of Master and Commander in the book sale on Saturday, and picked it up this morning - just to find a place for it, you understand, on a bookshelf somewhere - and, whoops...

I am - or at least I used to be - a compulsive re-reader, but this last year or two I've been making self-conscious efforts to read new stuff almost exclusively, just because I felt I'd fallen so far behind and it's a shame to be a dinosaur. 'Specially in a lively and progressive genre.

Still: it's coming up Christmas, and one is allowed indulgences. Which is just as well, really: I am not in no wise pretending that I could actually, y'know, put this book down now that I have begun it. And having begun the one, the whole damn' series inevitably looms. I think the Lit & Phil has them all, if some endangered clown hasn't dared to pre-empt me in the borrowing thereof...

Seven pages today

Pages: seven.

Words: 2193

Zokutou:

143,403 / 125,000 (114.7%)

Splish-splosh. Also, firestorms; and why is the only English word I can find for Chinese siege-weapons "trebuchet"? I can't use that! The Chinese gave them names like "Whirlwind", and I can't use that either...

Also: cupcakes. Not in the book. I has cupcakes. Because I can't have fruitcake, because it needs to sit awhile and ponder its sins of lateness. So I has cupcakes. Chocolate cupcakes. Tomorrow I may even ice them.

Also also: jiao zi. That's potstickers to you. Is there a law, about how many potstickers a man may eat? 'Cos I may have broken it already. Which would be why I am still working at this hour; I may never need to eat again...