Oddities & strange aspects of golds electrical conductivity.

1.]     Gold Conducts accros a 2 wide gap but only when arranged horizantally and when the paritcles are in groupings of 2. (This may have to do with the order particle calculations are performed in.)

Ex of grouping for gold:  XX--XX--XX--XX--XX--XX--XX

X's = Gold particles.

Is this behavior limited to lateral spark movement?

I mean that, When you arrange the Gold particles vertically they do not demonstrate the same behavior, they only conduct across a one wide gap, but when arranged horizantally with a gap of 1-3 particles between each gold particle, they can conduct across that gap.

Is it supposed to be able to conduct across a 1-3 particle gap both horizantally AND vertically? Because only one of those arrangements works.