  GRB 980923 was one of the brightest bursts observed by the Burst and
Transient Source Experiment (BATSE). Previous studies have detected two
distinct components in addition to the main prompt episode, which is well
described by a Band function. The first of these is a tail with a duration of
400s, while the second is a high-energy component lasting 2s. After summarizing
the observations, we present a model for this event and conclude that the tail
can be understood as the early gamma-ray afterglow from forward shock
synchrotron emission, while the high-energy component is described by the SSC
emission from the reverse shock. The main assumption is that of a thick-shell
case from highly magnetized ejecta. The calculated fluxes, break energies,
starting times and spectral index are all consistent with the observed values.
