Picking collective brains

This is probably cheating,* but I'm hung up and need the gestalt to help rattle me loose.

Am trying to write a story that hinges on a form of communication, although not necessarily *about* that form of communication. Just as Blink ( big plot spoiler )

Having failed utterly at taking the form of communication approach - "I have a brilliant idea about Navaho Codetalkers!" or something, I'm trying to take it from a different angle to see if inspiration strikes that way.

What major, life-impacting message could go astray, either through a bad connection in a game of "telephone" or letters lost or (best yet) letters/messages delivered, but not understood? "I'll marry you." "The British are coming"** "Get home, your father is dying." "You are the heir to..." I'm thinking of some sort of "for want of a nail the shoe was lost, for want of a shoe the horse was lost... the battle was lost, and all for the want of a horseshoe nail" plotline.


*Nah, if muskratjohn can thank people for coming up for ideas for his games, I'm not going to apologize for taking whatever I can use for my pro pitches.

**Sorry UKers reading this, that's a bit woven into our culture. Blame Paul Revere, who didn't even make his famous ride.

(no subject)

Let me be the billionth person on your flist to link to Baby Water Buffalo and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

If Disney showed that, people would bitch about how unrealistic and Hollywood they're being.

I can just imagine the lions' POV:
"Whoo HOO! Soup's on!"
"Aw, damn, who invited him? Bugger off, dude!"
"That's not... aw, SHIT!"