ColumbusGuy

“How much longer do we have?” For a moment Harman looked around the room to find a clock, then remembered he wasn’t on Earth anymore with its limits to advanced implant technology. He wondered too why Silver Eagle hadn’t consulted his own implant for the answer, then realized there was no schedule for the trip they were about to make. The entire meeting with Magrithe Derichs had been surreal even to thoughts that had become used to the differences between Earth and Lunatic societies.

I'll mention a little story from my 10th grade art class to show the impact the series had on me then: one of my projects was to paint a green dragon on one of the room's windows based on AM's descriptions, and it was still there two years later when I graduated. I then drew a picture of an interior Hold hall during Fall and gave it to a friend, who still has it forty five years later.... That window is mentioned in my story Jay & Miles which is a retelling of those years as they should have been if I'd had the courage to follow up an invitation to meet another boy one night to 'talk'. Small towns weren't a place to be open back in those days.

I don't read fan fiction, but when this came up in the queue, I had to check because I've loved the series since 10th grade way back in the early 70s. I saw the list, then read through this Pass, and then went on to Ninth Pass, not realizing it would have the same cast...well, though I'm now current on all of it, I want to see more of this story to fill in the gaps. I'm enjoying this a lot, especially now that I can't revisit my original paper copies due to vision problems, I can enjoy a new visit with your tales. I do have to say that I began losing interest in the series a few books into Todd's books once they made the settlements on Southern and found the ancient city of Landing and solved the mystery of the Three Dawn Sisters. He seemed to have lost the spirit of adventure in favor of involved 'explanations' for why things came about, and his characters became more generic figures than real people. More please, Mawgrim!

Sigh...just when we seem to be making a little progress on the issue of the nature of this relationship, Boone has the uncanny knack of shooting himself in the foot. It seems obvious that Coy is working through his questions but Boone just can't see it as any positive change, going back to even wondering if Coy should settle with him.... The feel of this story displays much research and compassion, just as we'd expect from G-Man, and he points up pretty well that although times have changed to some degree, in many ways the fears of gay people remain essentially the same. Looking forward to a better day, both for our boys and ourselves, my dear!

It seems Coy is finally working his way out from under the psychological abuse his brother put him through on a regular basis, now he just has to do the same with the subtler influence of the religious views his mother held. That will be far more difficult because he truly loved her, and it is hard to see the flaws in her character her beliefs caused. Boone of course still has to deal with his own insecurities where Coy is concerned. He's ignoring his usual pragmatic view in favor of coloring Coy's motives with his own doubts and fears. Dang, a whole week to go...

I'm deeply ashamed that I've let so much time pass without posting anything. I had some ideas that weren't jelling, and I took a bit of time to read the archives at another site...well, I worked my way through their author list, and then went on to do the same at a second site. I also read the stories here that I follow, but I was still finding it hard to put my own thoughts down into the aether. The past week, I've gotten the urge to write again, and I'm working on my next Fragment for Tales, and the next chapter for Jay. I've reread the last seven chapters here, and Tales to get myself back into those sanctuaries, and I feel something will be showing up very soon. I hope some of you will take a new interest in my boys--I know they've not forgotten their fans in cyberspace.

I was wondering how you'd work some sort of therapy into this part of the tale, and I wasn't disappointed. Today we pay 'experts' hundreds for little more than common sense and some bits of dream interpretation, while these two are figuring it out for free....Living close to the land and the reality of existence as they did back then gives them an insight modern people lack being disconnected from the way reality works. And religion? As long as there's been religious belief systems, there've been those who question them and the reasons behind them. The Ancients had several schools of philosophy that gave us the tools to examine our world in a fairly clear light, and it was only when Christianity triumphed over the older faiths that logic became a rare commodity. Judaism bred a strain of scholarship that examined and debated their religion, while Christians laid down doctrines that came to be unquestionable dogma, stifling free thinking. I call that the worst offense of Christian tradition as it was the source for division and intolerance that has spawned more wars than any other cause for an essentially meaningless point. Fighting over land and resources at least made some sort of sense, while fighting over sectarian disputes led us only deeper into misery. On to the next one....

Only Gary knows the inner motivations of our heroes, and he's a master at giving us tidbits that often seem to contradict what we see...but one thing he shows clearly is the value of good friends and forging bonds that are often stronger than those of our own kin. Gary also is allowing his characters to heal in a setting of natural wonder and peace at a time when both have to deal with their own personal problems. Nothing better than 'getting back to Nature' for showing us the path to sanity and healing. Don't know about grouse, but I made a Christmas goose one year, and it was greasy...and I had duck at a Chinese restaurant once and enjoyed it with orange sauce. Alas, not at all like the scene from 'A Christmas Story'. Sorry I keep being late, but it lessens the wait time for the next adventure!

Some memories dredged up in this one, G-Man! We raised some rabbits when we first moved into the country, and one year my Dad dressed them for the freezer, except for the oldest who lived for about ten years. My Mom fried the meat like pork chops, and I had to try it once, but could never do it again since they seemed almost like pets to me since I was probably six or seven years old then. I'm sure my parents didn't think too much of it since my father grew up on a farm in north central Ohio, and my mother grew up in the far hills of eastern Kentucky where hunting was routine. Sorry, but I don't want to be personally acquainted with the main dish at mealtime...I'm content to buy it anonymously at the grocer's. Perhaps more odd is the fact that I tried fish once or twice then, and won't eat anything that comes from the water, be it fresh or salt. Perhaps that comes from fishing with my parents and grandparents as a kid? I'd have to have somebody else bait the hook for me, then take the fish off because I wouldn't touch it.... Yep, I'm a real survivalist, so long as pizza counts as a food group!

Ah, the long arm of the law strikes again....I like Sheriff Willard, and it's too bad we probably won't see him again. It's great to see our boys travelling together again; a road is easier taken if it's shared, and any trouble is halved when two friends tackle it together. Too soon to see if an intimate relationship will develop, but you can scarcely get more intimate than saving your partner's life. Sigh, another week to go.

Well, I sure didn't expect that--perhaps being found by Indians or something, but not Coy! Boone sure has remarkable powers of recovery if he can move so well with all the bruising he has...of course, he's a rough ridin' cowboy and not some pampered city slicker.... Now, why did Coy follow him?

A great finale to this adventure, and it only whets the appetite for Christmas Yet To Come when we see Horace getting to join in an incredible journey of his own. I'm surprised to see how many of the creatures have found refuge here, and wonder if they'll all eventually come through? I like Beethoven and Mozart too, though I have to say I'm not fond of piano versions of things that were meant originally for harpsichord versions. I try to find versions of all my pre-Modern music on original or reproduction instruments, and if they're for more than a couple musicians, try to find them in orchestras that follow the same numbers and methods of those from the early periods. Lets face it--more than a few early composers' orchestras were smaller than the masses of players common today, lending a crisper and less overwhelming sound. Wow, this wasn't meant to be a musical diatribe...sorry. *The guy who wrote that has been sacked* ...Mind you, moose bites can be very painful....

I love Mrs. Ravishaw, such an accepting woman shaped by the years of joy spent in her family refuge. So, not ghosts OR demons...just fellow beings seeking their own happiness against bad odds. One more sign that even science doesn't have all the answers--just opening the way to uncover more questions.

Well, I have to say that this time I'm totally clueless as to the symbology of the dark rust world. Does the number of block figures mean anything, or is it just random? Get the flying predator as a menace, but is the rent of escape lead to Earth or somewhere else? Seems awfully close to the end for such an important twist, Geron....

Lets hope the idea of turning off the 'Machine' doesn't attract less friendly elements from the Beyond...perhaps the rashest comment made in these stories...

What's a ghost story without a piano that emits sounds all by itself, or a hidden door leading to a mysterious basement? The house I missed out on in an earlier comment would have fit this genre perfectly with it's dirt floored multi-roomed basement with huge furnace, and turn of the century lighting and decor everywhere. That's what you find when the owners are the elderly children of an original owner... Now cometh the witching hour....

Okay, now we're cookin with gas, as the saying goes.... It seems all these early experimenters had some quirk to their genius, and Nikola Tesla was one of the quirkiest and least appreciated, not to mention shoved aside once his ideas became workable. Conflicts of interest split him and Edison, and then Westinghouse essentially stole his ideas for alternating current to generate electricity over wide distances. His main goal at Warden Cliff was to find a way to generate electrical power without wires, and he ran out of funds before it could truly be tested. Faraday Cages and spectral antennae...at the first hint of Lovecraftian Cthulu creatures I'm outta here!!

I'm way behind but gonna catch up! I like Mr. Wingspanner and his car is fabulous--I love those woodies, and though they came from more than one maker, the only real color that suits them is that awesome burgundy. I think my favorite one from a movie has to be that from 'Murder By Death' driven by Inspector Wang who is a satirization of Charlie Chan.

Ah, the joys of small town life! Everybody knows one another by family if not personally, and gossip runs faster than the local newspaper. A family home with the same owners going back a century is bound to collect rumors, and this one seems just the thing to intrigue our heroes. Lets see, aliens, elves, ghosts...just about the right time for a new category to appear--demons. Still, the house and family don't appear to be under the influence of malevolent forces, so I wonder what other might be visiting....

I remember seeing plans and pictures of octagon houses in my Victorian decorating books, and loved them. Been to some historic sites and tours here in Ohio, but no octagons as far as I know. The 'at home' feeling with some houses is just exactly right--I felt it in only two houses I looked at in 1987 when I was in the market. One was the 1908 Greek inspired foursquare I bought, and the other was an 1880s Victorian two blocks away that I just missed out on. It was twice the size of my current home, with four fireplaces and three sets of pocket doors and a huge oak staircase in panels going up to the second floor. My offer was accepted as backup, but the first offer went through, so I lost it. That would have cost me only 2k more than the house I got. Both were original and intact, which was unusual for a neighborhood that was half or a third student occupied homes. Can't wait to see what the 'catch' is here!

Well, the boys are all set for a perfectly normal mundane holiday--what are the chances of that staying that way? I haven't seen the animated Addams Family movie, but I remember the original Charles Addams comics and the wonderful television show from the 60s...it would be great if this turned out to be a similar house. A Labrador named Moped? Is this in reference to it being a bundle of energy like a bike, or the mood the dog has? On to Part 2!

Dang, a week to see what happens next to Boone and Blue? We know he'll be okay in the end, but what travails will come before that time.... Maybe this is a minor thing, but I can't figure out where this story is taking place in the Old West--did you give us a major clue in the beginning? I was thinking close to the Rocky Mountains, but then you said Boone will head into smaller mountains to his northeast...and this storm sounds like a tornado, which I don't think happen near the Rocky Mountains. It's not really important, but it's driving me crazy trying to picture the areas these guys are passing through. The other confusing thing was the desert mentioned, which makes me think Southwest.... Wasn't there some mention of posting more than once a week my dear pardner?

It sure looks like these two are stuck in the Stubborn Zone. Common sense has flown right out the window, especially for Boone claiming he won't need Dan's tent for shelter during his long trip or when he finally arrives at his destination. I've read some about early settlers and things seldom went as planned. To last during a winter, even the most basic shelter requires more than a tent--a small cabin of logs, or even a sod house takes backbreaking labor , more so doing it alone. Coy also can't seem to break out of his shell enough to admit he'd like to go with Boone, and that is understandable since Boone has pretty much told him he wasn't needed as a partner...just a neighbor. He's tried his best by saying it would be tough alone, and he'd like to help out, but he needs that extra step from Boone to say he wants him along, and that just doesn't look likely right now. Even today, guys giving vent to their true feelings is seldom done, and we're a supposedly enlightened culture for the most part, so what chance would this be possible in the late 19th Century? Umm...slim and none? More please, my dear!

Even in better country farming was always hard work. When my greatgreatgrandfather emigrated to Ohio from Germany in 1841 he bought acreage in north central Ohio and increased it over the years to more than 130 acres and was written up as having the best farm in his county in 1880. The family spread to other farms and my late uncle Eddie gave it up in the 80s as his wife hated being stuck in the country during our Winters. Other uncles families kept on, but I ratrely visited them as they were all much older. My father gave it up to work in a war factory in the 40s, and decided to stay in Columbus. Once we moved to the country when I was three, he kept a large garden every year, and helped our farm neighbors do work on their properties too. From what I was told, the family used horses for their work, and a steam thresher would come around and do farms in turn. I'm lucky to keep a houseplant alive, and my only luck was with roses until my vision went....

Man, we could have a nice forest fire with all the mixed smoke signals these two are sending.... Coy may be questioning his goals, but if Boone doesn't give up his certainty that he knows Coy's mind, then we could see this duo break up for sure. Dang, another week to wait....