Yesterday afternoon, I returned from a business trip and was pleased to discover that a hardcover copy of What Became of The Crow had managed to land into my mail box.
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My first impression upon the opening up the wrappings was the book itself. It rather caught me off guard. When I was a kid, the first book I ever read was discovered on a deteriorated pine board shelf in an abandoned log cabin in the woods outside of Chapleau, Ontario, Canada. The book was a worn-out hardcover of Treasure Island by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson.
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It had remained in that old cabin propped up for years between an unopened box of Kellogg’s Froot Loops, some Carnation evaporated milk cans, and a large magnifying glass (which is a survival tool in the absence of dry matches). It’s amazing that the rodents and insects hadn’t touched the Froot Loops. There must be a message in there somewhere.
I stole the book from that cabin, and left the box of Froot Loops for the next century (it’s probably still there intact). One of my life’s most rewarding decisions.
I have read Bob Moriarty’s blogs over the years. I was never too captivated by his junior resource write-ups because it’s not really where I spend most of my investment time and dollars. However, his opinionated view on world matters, financial analysis, and overall state of the Empire did capture my interest. In my opinion, he represented a hard-nosed free thinker, which is a species moving towards extinction these days. And that’s unfortunate.
Today, I completed reading “The Crow”. And the answer to the enigmatic question on the cover becomes increasingly obvious as one reads through the pages of the book. Which I will reveal further down.
Based on
321Gold.com blogs over the years regarding Novo Resources and Quinton Hennigh, I was skeptical that Moriarty could write an unbiased account of the Novo story. And I was correct. But a deeper realization hit me with regards to “The Crow”, that was completely unexpected as I absorbed each brief chapter. I should have realized it from the cover of the book itself: “Inside the Greatest Gold Discovery in History”
It’s very easy to wave off the “Greatest Gold Discovery in History” as just another Moriarty exaggeration. It’s most certainly an eye-catching bait phrase. And it remained that way to me until I reached page 82 of the book. Where Moriarty chimes in on a 2009 conversation taking place between Mark Creasy, his accountant Steve Lowe, Quinton Hennigh, and Craig Roberts:
I hadn’t contributed much to the discussion prior to this, so I spoke up.
“Well, you have most of what you need to make a giant gold discovery. You are only missing one key element……
You can’t have a giant gold discovery without someone to tell the story. If you don’t tell the story, there is no story.”
This is a key turning point in the book, and the Novo story in my opinion. This is where the reader comes to the realization that the “Greatest Gold Discovery in History” is NOT pre-ordained. It will require another front to be opened up to keep The Crow at bay. This is where the author “suits up”, checks to ensure the tanks are full of JP-4, and nails it hard. The book really takes off from here.
What unfolds going forward is a tale of individuals that share a common vision, a collaborative defense against hostile forces, and a relentless pursuit of their vision of the “Greatest Gold Discovery in History”. A vision that Quinton Hennigh, his Novo team, and Moriarty will fight and defend to fruition. This book is not only a pre-planned recording of actual events, it is also a war novel laced with the “esprit de corps” that holds the reader in place. And one where the good guys actually prevail to win.
I have followed Novo Resources for years. I can tell you that Moriarty must have struggled to keep his work down below 300 pages. There are many more details in this story which he omits. Probably because detailing them would only dilute the message within each succinct and high impact chapter.
The characters in “The Crow” are colorful. Moriarty bloody well knows that an epic gold story cannot be told in the absence of pirates, scoundrels, and con men. He does not have go far to find them. They’re real. And within that mix, there are the brilliant visionaries and pragmatists that dominate, and bring the dream to fruition.
This is an important book in my opinion. It is much more than work of non-fiction and insighful opinion. This is story which the author has chosen to bond with the Novo vision, to actually participate in shaping the outcome, and driving the story along a path which has remained obscured to so many others in the past.
So …. What Became of The Crow? That’s no brainer. Nothing!
The Crow sits patiently on the fence waiting for you to drop your guard. So that it can swoop down and eat your lunch.
“Novo has made their first gold pour Nullagine as I release this book for sale.
To be continued….”
Of course, Mr. Moriarty. The Mission is on track, time to refuel. Join us at HQ for cocktails at 18:00.
Tx