Timothy M.

Reading this chapter again I'm 100% on Audra's side. It doesn't matter if Alex Forbes loves her. He has no right to question her decisions as captain, and if he did it in public, he even more of an idiot. I shall assume he was at least clever enough to keep his stupidity private. Even if Jenson is right and Audra took on the rescue mission herself partly from worry about Alex, he's also insulting his sister by hinting she would let her emotions overrule her intelligence and common sense. I bet she was the most competent person on board to carry out the rescue mission, plus the foolish leader of the research mission might have refused to evac if someone with less authority had arrived. If Audra had thought someone else were better, or if she had thought she was more useful as backup if something went wrong, she wouldn't have gone. Alex lecturing her on her duty as captain, something he has no specific knowledge about, is not only chauvinistic and condescending, but utterly disrespectful and designed to make her resent him and justifiably so. We would be shocked if he had said it to a male captain and being in rescuer does not excuse his behavior at all. Audra is one of my favorite characters in this tale, and I can't wait to see her handle the misogynistic Aleuthians, with the full backing of Merrick, who as the human envoy (and unrelated to her) is bound to tell those idiots where to stick their stupid prejudices.

Yay, kilt fitting tales coming up. Hope your head gives minimal trouble during the kilting season.

There are several reasons I find this story special in spite of the sad parts. The quiet courage and dignity of the main character. The understanding we gain on how his abuser acted the way he did. The way Gary holds out a ray of hope for us to cling to even in the darkest parts of the story. And finally, how a huge tree played a crucial (even magical) role in the story.

On the other hand, hasn't Australia had bad droughts for years? Shouldn't you be doing a happy rain dance ?

Yikes, you did a much worse cliffie this time. Bad author ! Your readers will demand the next chapter tomorrow. Who is attacking Ranevargar ? Now what will Kieran and the others do ? Shield and heal will be the first actions, but then what ? At least Kieran has access to a much larger pool of energy now, but he can't waste it, since they need it for the Dragon Quest. PS Why did the flying spies change name from Courser to Coarser ? Is this auto-correct taking over your mind ?

Two teens become best friends in high school and spend a lot of their summers camping out in the back yard of Chuck’s parents. After graduating he joins the military and is stationed on Hawaii. His best friend Lee comes to visit and go camping the next summer, after they have been apart for a year. The tale of their reunion is mixed with short flashbacks to the past which make us understand the nature of their friendship, and how Lee feels about Chuck. AC skillfully takes us on a short, but tense road trip where we keep worrying and hoping in turn. The subtle and the almost philosophical undercurrent of the dialogue and the reactions of the guys lifts AC’s story from a simple coming out tale to understanding the importance of being honest to your true self and recognizing the connection that may change your life.

@ColumbusGuy I don't know if people on Iceland make love outdoors, and thee are too many people in the public pols to fool around (I've tried a thermal pool once). Iceland is a place to visit in summer, and there isn't much snow then. It took me a while to come up with the explanation for how the Angel of Death is genderqueer, but since Diego is bisexual I think he'll be fine with the variation. I'm impressed you can remember Denmark did the first male to female surgery.

I think this is my fifth or sixth read, so it's even more embarrassing I've left so few comments.

The damn cop is at it again with his nosy questions making Eric uncomfortable. And thinking ahead to the fall is a good idea.

Hmm, I guess Toby is OK, since he apologized. And Eric did well with the rake and making supper for Eustace. I hope he managed to eat well himself, too.

I'm really pissed with Toby after this chapter. He should have looked out for Eric. And for once Eustace got the wrong end of the stick.

Stupid nosy cops should mind their own business, but I guess we can't blame Ambrose for wanting to make sure his dad's summer help is OK.

Getting new clothes and boots will do wonders for Eric's well-being. Now he just needs to find a way to have a bath.

I'm pretty sure Eustace is shaking his head at how thin Eric is, and not at the way he's eating. But he does need to get hold of more food.

This is the chapter where I normally start my re-reading of the story - and I can't understand why I never left a comment before. Eustace can see the worth in the quiet manners and good work ethics of Eric. Having company at dinner was probably nice too for a lonely old guy.

He's quick-witted when it counts, and his survival skills are finely honed by now.

The innocent fun with the two boys were a highlight in this part of the journey. Stealing the strawberries was hardly a big crime, and the iron they contain would be helpful as the fruit sugar for his energy levels.

When you have read the whole story, it's interesting to come back to this chapter, and not only because I know the answer to his wondering about his mother. Since I mostly start my re-reading at a later point (cause I can't stand all the hurt in the beginning), I haven't encountered this chapter more than once or twice. But it stands out for his automatic actin of helping out and the (wise?) decision to retreat into hiding when other people arrive.

On the topic of reforestation of Iceland, you might find this BBC article fun.

Thanks, dugh, I'm glad you think so, too. Did you notice my little message to you in the chapter note ? I hope that was OK.

I'm impressed at Eric venturing so far out of his normal circles. Good for him, especially if the trip is a success all the way. And I'm nor talking about finding a gift, but getting home safely and with a feeling of accomplishment. That was an interesting phone conversation. And it's probably a good idea to postpone the serious conversation about Adam's mum till after they've had their fun. But I wonder if Adam will be upset Andy didn't tell him at once.

How can this be a minor matter ? How about preventing it happens again ?

Thanks, Myr. That's great (about the story now being fixed).

We hope your surgery goes well too, Gary, and that writing will once more become easy, as least physically. Thank you for the kind words and for your encouragement when I thought I'd never get back to writing.

LOL, yeah I'd forgotten that - maybe we can find someone else to represent Norway. Or you can do a one word reply to the Finnish question. Or go sit in a sauna while replying: https://satwcomic.com/small-talk