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I finally have a completed grid. I also have first two words of 6,2,7. I thought the last word was pearls but not so. What does it start with?

And a nudge on the path please.

The last word of the phrase is the same as the first one in the misprints and (I think) a French rocket though I could be mistaken.

Yes, S_Pugh, to both. The French/European program is still active, I believe, though their spelling of the heroine omits the D (presumably since it's a question which vexes public men); and yes, I agree that EH isn't that good. I think that is what Vidal was getting at...

Thanks s-pugh.

The European rocket is named after this character but the D is missing
in the French version.

I think I have finished but have a question. I have the phrase and have extended the line backwards through 3 letters in a nearby clue to give a whole which seems to work. The preamble says the line can start IN the grid entry so happy not to include it all. I just cant see how the correct letters spell out a hint to THE grid entry I used. I assume that THE implies the hint applies to the whole word.

Hi Smithsax. The correct letters, unjumbled, spell a phrase 8,4. The first 7 letters give the name of an individual which is also the individual resulting from the removed string of letters in 8D. And additionally this name forms the last word of the 6,2,7 phrase.

Perhaps my use of 'unjumbled' will lead to confusion. Read instead, 'in sequence'

Thanks, Merseault.

Hi meursault. Yes I have all that. My question was regarding the grid entry that the hint points to - which must be included in a single line that runs into the phrase.
The grid entry I have identified is six letters and I am only using letters 3, 4 and 5.
Perhaps the preamble should have read “spell out a hint to both part of a grid entry and a phrase”, or is there another way to complete the line which I have missed?

Apologies, Smithsax - my checking of the forum is sporadic today, and likely to remain that way for the rest of the day. I think 8D must be the grid entry referred to in the preamble, since my path starts in its second cell. The path does not pass through 8D again, instead it zigzags down to the 2nd cell of 28, then meanders round to the left side of the 'arena'. The phrase in the 3rd line of the preamble, "through which solvers must draw a line" I'm sure only applies to the 6,2,7 phrase and not to the grid entry. I think there may be some confusion caused by the wording of the preamble in this section.

The hint to the grid entry must refer to 8D, since it is also referred to in a later clause as the start of the path. I'm not sure whether I've answered your question, but I hope this helps...