A Fox in the Desert

[Agent Miles]

(Thanks in advance for any comments! This is sort of an alternate history from a game that I had played. It was posted at the RTW site. Enjoy!)

A Fox in the Desert

[matteus the inbred]

wow, a full novel! impressive amount of work here Agent Miles. if you've read David Eddings, I hope you'll take it as a compliment when I say you've developed your own 'Silk' here. like the plot, very involving, i'm terrible at plots myself!
How much is factual, or is this (as i think) entirely an 'alternative' history story?

[Agent Miles]

Thank you! It's all fantasy, although I am sure that such things happen. I wrote it as a joke really. Glad that you enjoyed it.

[Ludens]

Welcome to the Mead Hall, Agent Miles! I like the James Bond style story. It seems like Akhaenniut Philopater has finally found his match . The story is a bit cliché, though. Off course, without clichés the genre would be nowhere (cue James Bond), but I would try to reduce the predictability somewhat.

Please continue .

[Agent Miles]

Thank you! When I wrote it at the RTW site, I did it in two page installments with a week in between each "chapter". The cliffhangers made up for the derivative parts. I hoped that the twist at the end wouldn't leave people quoting Monty Python ("Ooooh! That was predictable.").

[Agent Miles]

"Here I go again"

[Agent Miles]

The

[Agent Miles]

Knumhoptep

[Agent Miles]

Miles

[Csargo]

Man I was looking forward to reading the rest of the story but I guess I can't now.

[Ludens]

What on earth happened here?

[Csargo]

I guess he deleted everything he wrote for some reason.

[Agent Miles]

Sorry, I didn't get a lot of responses, so I thought I would do the "censors" a favor. I have an idea about where to go next in the story. I'm still open to comments (hint, hint).

[Agent Miles]

Pepi

[Agent Miles]

After

[Agent Miles]

Pepi

[Franconicus]

Just started to read your stories and managed to make the first one.

It is really great! Thrilling and entertaining. Very good style, good to understand. The characters are well elaborated. How did you get the story? Only one complain: The first chapter is too long for a forum.

I will go on reading the next chapters.

[Agent Miles]

Thanks! I originally wrote it in 2 page "chapters". I bunched them all together when I posted it. I started the story as a joke really. Glad you enjoyed it.

[Franconicus]

Miles, really enjoyed the reading. It is really outstanding. After the battles of the first chapter, I had first the feeling that the story lost speed a bit, but then there were a lot of surprising turns. Of course the language is very good. Espescially, it is very good to read even for non-English like me.

Do you intend to continue your ancient 007 story?

[Agent Miles]

Thanks again for your comments. I'll try to post something today.

[Agent Miles]

Sutekh

[Julian the apostate]

this is awesome while typically i'm not a fan of super characters but theres a level of writing that pulls it off plust the sheer comedy of some bits

[Agent Miles]

Thanks a lot for your comments! I think that humor is a good part of life and I try (not always successfully) to work it into the story. I think it helps make the story more believable.

[Franconicus]

I think your combination of ancient story and James Bond works very well - surprisingly well. And you have a very good sense how to transfer the situations from 007 to these acient scenarios. The last chapter, though very short, was again a perfect transformation of a Blofeld character to ancient history.

I am looking forward, when our hero comes to Rome. I expect him to meet Q, M and Moneypenny.

P.S. I hope that our hero is not monogamic!!

[Agent Miles]

Actually, I picked the name Agent Miles as a twist on the Agent Smith character in the Matrix movies, Miles being a common Latin name. I guess that since he is a spy there will be comparisons to more famous characters. However, Miles really isn’t hero material. After all, he murdered his friend Ardumanish’s father, betrayed the Pharaoh and Kambougiya to their deaths and attacked Zipoetes from behind and slit his throat without warning. As Governor Arnold said in “True Lies”, “They were all bad people!”, but Miles was still pretty stone cold about it. I try to have Miles act with the morality of what I perceive that a Roman would have. He’s not some kind of brave warrior, because he realizes that the graveyards are full of them. He’s trying to make a balance of power where peace rules to his advantage. A “Pax Miles” if you will. Thanks again.

[Julian the apostate]

i believe it means soldier in latin or mebe i'm thinking of another word. that works well with the combat mastry of that lovely scene with the captain of the gaurd and training his pahlav prince. is there a time period or something that we missed just wondering who we might meet in rome, whether it will be the political enviorment of the first triumvarate or second, the two merchant warlords milo and claudius, cataline and cicero, or mabye marius and sulla. but i'm guessing its after cynoscecfell ( i know its horribly spelt) so i'm kinda guessing between 100-0BC which i guess is all those dear fellows

[Agent Miles]

I've been looking for a last name. What's the Latin word for scoundrel?
In the prequel, Miles is working for Julius Ceasar, but this is more fantasy than history. Maybe he'll meet Xena.

[Banquo's Ghost]

You asked for some feedback a while ago, so I apologise for taking so long.

I think this is one of the most enjoyable reads I have had for some time. Light-hearted, clever and fun. It's anachronistic but this only lends itself to the style. It grated at first but then I realised what you were planning to do and had to smack myself for my own pre-conceptions.

There's not a whole lot of depth to the characters yet, but again that fits with the style, and they are growing. You need to be careful, since the line between enjoyable skit and teeth-grating farce is a thin one, but so far you done a good job.

I like it and look forward to more.

[Agent Miles]

Thanks very much! Your comments were worth the wait.

[Agent Miles]

A Fate Worse than Death