Dear ink fans,

After the rousing success of Mystery Ink No. 5, klpeabody and I are kicking off the sequel, Mystery Ink No. 6, hereafter to be known by the cloak and dagger initials MI6.

I always like a theme. So this is the Terra Australis edition of Mystery Ink. What? Well, read on.

As before, we are looking for five or six volunteers who would be willing to try an unknown ink and post their impressions here, without posting any guesses about the ink’s identity. We think it's fun to try an ink without any preconceptions, or even a clue as to what it might be. In fact, to preserve the mystery, the identity of the ink will not be revealed until every last recipient has received his or her ink and had a chance to try it. So we also ask people not to write guesses about the ink’s name directly in the thread.

If you’d like to throw your inky hat in the ring, please post here and let us know why you’d like to get MI6. And if it’s not in your profile, please tell us where you live (just the state or country). That helps us pick a diverse slate of participants and figure out mailing times.

Here’s a fun fact: MI has now traveled to the continents of North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. I like to think of MI as bringing the world closer together, one potentially leaky vial at a time. I keep waiting for some customs or postal service agent to start an investigation. But in the meantime, I’m looking forward to finding participants in Africa, South America and, the trickiest of all, Antarctica.

Ah, Antarctica, once imagined as Terra Australis, Aristotle's theoretical southernmost continent. It was not actually "discovered" until 1820, at which time its name had already been given to another. Antarctica still is not permanently settled, since the weather there is apparently similar to that of Chicago in late March.

So, back to MI6. Please volunteer only if you (i) are stationed in Antarctica or (ii) have time to use or test the ink right away, and if you are willing to post in the thread about your impressions. We are looking for people who are enthusiastic about ink, and about posting. Or who are located in Antarctica.

People who've done it before are welcome again, as are people who are new to the exercise. Everyone is welcome in MI.

Participants will be chosen semi-randomly, due to the necessity to favor anyone in Antarctica.

We would like to thank all the people who've generously given MI contributions, allowing our happy little corner of FPG to keep the lights on. A special MI6 thank you to Cob, who surprised and delighted us with a very generous gift today, and is therefore getting his name in lights, or at least font, tinted as close to MB British Racing Green as I can conjure. Would that I had a bottle for him.