Arcadia Discussion Zone

Candour or Cover Up?

Read the mayor of RLC's interview and tell us your thoughts:

http://andrewgough.co.uk/17questions_mayor.html

Can you not see that?

When I interviewed him, I must say, I expected quite a different character. Although he chose his words carefully, he was direct and comfortable at all times. Makes me wonder… And if he was misrepresenting the issues, well then; he’s now on record.

That surprises me

It all seemed perfectly reasonable to me. I think people were looking for intrigue where none existed.

He has no choice but to give those answers. What would you expect him to say?

His actions may appear strange when viewed by those doubters from afar but surely its only an issue of control. Maybe He's merely trying to exert local control over the Towns identity and reputation.

Wise words, indeed, Bro. Thomas...

I am angered by the desecration of Sauniere's original headstone, even more so by the attitude of the mayor and his minion, "to deter treasure seekers" indeed ! Does the mayor and minion think visitors to Rennes-le Chateau come up the Aude on a banana boat ?
Whoever knocked the headstone over is a vandal and the mayor is little better by not restoring it to it's proper place.

You need to see this in context:

- Some years ago, some Norwegians or other northern Europeans thought the treasure was located somewhere and their actions meant that RLC was without drinkable water for six months or so. No treasure was found.

- Asmodeus has lost his eye, and then his entire head. It's amazing to find how anyone could walk away with it, but a banana boat is a possibility

- Rat Scabies in his book shows how he too knows how to get in and out of the domain and cemetery and he isn't even trying to destroy anything.

For RLC people, it is very much like living in an occupied zone, with terrorist attacks done by treasure seekers or just plain idiots (or is that the same?)

Everyone in the area knew there were plans afoot to do something with BS's tomb and the mayor just prevented it from escalating by being the first to act and defuse that entire situation. He should be commended for taking action.

Of course there are some who hate him and specifically those whose plans are spoiled cry out... but they should perhaps get their kitchen in order first, before doing the pot-kettle-black thing.

Philip

Maybe Callum Jensen knows who took the Asmodeus head.

I must say that when I finished interviewing the Mayor he and his staff seemed a little nervous with respect to how I was going to represent his views. My only objective was to reflect what he said and not to add or subtract from it. Thus, I was pleased to discover an email from the Mayor's office this week that confirmed that I had succeeded in that humble goal. It said:

"Very good, Mr Lhuilier is very happy you didn't change any thing in his declarations.

The pictures are beautiful.

Thank you very much indeed."

He's trying to exert control alright. Did you know that he has closed Jean-Luc Robin's restaurant (which is sited opposite the Villa Bethania) ? Jean-Luc just happens to be one of the Mayor's critics.

The labyrinthine ways of provincial French bureaucracy can hide many a snare for the unwary restauranteur. Let us not rush to see this as an attempt to gag Jean-Luc. Maybe it was for hygiene or disturbance reasons. If you know the garden in question it may seem an unlikely site in the middle of the small hill top town. Dont forget that French Mayors wield more power than our own Chain wearing variety. Perhaps the presence of Henry Lincoln holding court throughout the summer exacerbated the situation.

Ya, so Jean Luc, who is a friend, has admitted that his restaurant was in violation of code. Many, similar restaurants are in much the same state of non-compliance. However, critics of the Mayor feel that Jean Luc was singled out, and was shut down almost immediately. Jean Luc has in fact opened a new restaurant a few miles away.

I understand that certain key members of the anti-Mayor movement, including Henry Lincoln, are displeased with me because I have interviewed the major. This disappoints me, because if the Mayor is misrepresenting the truth, well he is now on record. Furthermore, I personally informed the appropriate parties of my intentions. Never mind…And funny how my interview, which was his first of its kind for the Mayor, has now been followed by several others.

But in keeping with the ethos of this site, both sides of the story will be heard, and I have interviewed Jean Luc for ‘17 Questions’, and will be publishing it later this month. In the interview, Jean Luc hits the issues head on.

All I will add is, don’t forget how Al Capone was brought down; a legal loop hole. Arcadia News provides some clues as to the anti-Mayor movement’s strategy (not to infer for a moment that the Mayor is at all similar to Al Capone! I thought he was a nice guy).

The thing that surprised me about the Mayor (unless it was a different Mayor) is that he let Louise Genibrel and his friends dig inside the Tour Magdala just because he had a wacky tale about his uncle (or some relative) burying a box there for Sauniere.
Genebrel actually contacted me a year or two before all that (I guess because I had a website related to RLC) and told me about his ideas and I told him then that it is highly unlikely Sauniere would have somebody else bury anything sensitive or valuable FOR him when he could do it himself in complete secrecy. Didn't listen, was proved wrong by the dig which turned up nothing. The whole thing was pretty bizarre, but I can't imagine why the Mayor would agree to the wacky idea in the first place. You wouldn't think he would let such a thing proceed on no real evidence at all. I guess the one good thing about it is that now nobody else will try to dig in the tower or put forward a wacky theory about a treasure being there.
Of course now we have a similar situation developing in regard to Lincoln Cathedral.

The mayor's interview with Depeche du Midi is now featured on Paul Smith's website under the title 'Mayor pours cold water on the wild theories' etc. Surprise, surprise.
All this unpleasantness seem to have occurred since this character has become mayor.