Gentlemen,
Obviously this development changes the flavor of the game dramatically.
Equally obvious must be the emails going round and round casting me as
the black death coming across the map to steal your lands. And that might
actually not be far from the truth.

However, I would like to call your attentions to what is also obvious.
Austria has two more dots than I do and can actually solo by getting
all of the continental French dots. But, that is not very likely.
However,
on the flip side, if Austria does the next move the RIGHT way then Moscow
falls and there is not a single thing I can do to stop it.

Conversely, I can solo if I take all of the continental dots and the three
on the
island.

There are a ton of options before all four of us, and Austria and I *BOTH*
have
an equal chance for a solo and Turkey and Russia have a new shot at the
prize as
well. Granted, Russia's is a lot slimmer than Turkey's, but all is not
lost for any of
us.

So when all is said and done my black horde and Austria's red menace will
both be
heading full speed toward France and probably each other. Well, especially
at each
other since we want to stop each other. Just don't buy any story from
either of us
that the OTHER is the bad guy. We both are and that's the reality of it
all. So, shall
we play a game?