Who's the Man?

Working through the text of Control Escape the other night, the regular plod of edit and check gave me a moment to stop and think. The writing time between Control Escape and Iceline was quite a few years - life has a habit of getting in the way sometimes - and although there is an element of continuity between the novels, Iceline has had a stand alone feel to it, until last year. 

The current Grange story, being written behind closed doors goes back in time, beyond the events of Iceline into the days when Bill Jardine was still part of Hoplite in partnership with Michael Spear. The main protagonists are all in place, and the antagonist, Granville is lurking on the edge of the action.

The train of thought kicked off, the villain of the piece the hidden antagonist, simply referred to as The Man, contacted only by telephone must have an identity, but who?

Given the character traits that seem to be coming forward for Granville in both Gone to Earth and Clear Water maybe there is a link, not necessarily to Granville. He does not work alone, and has someone above him from whom he draws his authority.and  to whom he answers! Is the Man in Iceline Granville's source, the well from which he draws, and how does he fit into the landscape?

The plan is for Iceline to come under close scrutiny after the current edit of Control Escape, and it may see some subtle changes. The role and identity of the Man may become clearer with the stories of Gone to Earth and Clearwater availabe. 

The reviewing will be primarily preparation for print, and no, at the moment I'm not going to lumber myself with a deadline. Not until I'm in a better position to pinpoint a target date with a reasonable chance of achieving it.

I've been focused on the details for a long time, and grasping an emerging bigger picture, seeing  a larger landscape unfold is intriguing. A bit like Geoff Harris, head keeper of the Tweed team at the Grange walking out Ten Acre and across the estate. He can see the whole wood from the park, not just the trees close by.