[Gmail-Users] Retaining live links in draft message?

Situation: I get a message which consists of lots of segments, most of
which contain a link for further information.

I don't want to read the message all at once; rather, I'd like to be
able to read it in stages, deleting the part I have read as I go
along.

I could save the message as a draft; I can then delete the part I've
read, BUT, the links in the draft aren't live, so it's a pain to
pursue them.

I know I can't do the obvious thing of editing the received message.

Is there another way to accomplish what I want?