C James

That's a new one to me.

Hrmmm, now, what could two cute guys get up to in a back seat? Hrmmm... Playing checker? Video games? Reading newspapers? Writing? Hmm, I have a feeling that I'm forgetting something... What does "GST" stand for?

Yes. Helen and Betty are both loosely based on several people I knew in college. Only loosely though. I think you called it Jan! And too late, I've already had a chance to remind y'all that I never do cliffies. ROFL! Well, me and my typos! Thanks!!! Great points Rigel! I'm not saying whether or not they're right in the story (that would be a spoiler, and the Echidna will make a pincushion out of me if I do that), but they are excellent points!

I can't blame the beta readers or editor for that one... On all my chapters is a note saying "All remaining errors are mine alone". That's the one thing I refuse to share credit for; those errors are mine, and I won't share! :2hands: In this case, I fiddled with that line and made the typo AFTER everyone else on the team had seen it. It's fixed now! Thanks!! Thanks Conner! Well, of course its not a cliffhanger. I never use cliffhangers. Lol! No, I've just known a lot of strong-willed women. In fact, the first person I ever came out to was a good friend, who was also a Lesbian. I'm also of their belief that while many gay men have Lesbian friends, Lesbians are under-portrayed in Gay Fiction. And, to be honest, when I was writing this, Helen's personality was clear in my mind, but her orientation was something I'd never considered. Until that one line, that is, when she said it. And I KNOW that sounds nuts, but sometimes, things just pop out when I'm writing, surprising me. One thing I found very difficult was writing a character with gaydar so much better than my own. LoL Thanks Steve! Betty and Helen share some traits, but I doubt Helen will fall for a guy. But who knows?

Graeme, you are assuming that I sent Emoe a coherent chapter. Just a guess, but I think Emoe uses the same guidelines I do when I see a chapter before the release date; I comment in the thread about what I was thinking at the time I read the chapter under discussion. BTW, I am neither confirming nor denying anything it Emoe's comment. Perhaps now would be a good time to release the name of the final chapter? It's "Vengeance". I'll even release the name of the epilogue; it's called "Epilogue".

Hmmm, I dunno... You haven't even threatened to hurt me since yesterday. :P :P

Chapter 3 has been posted. Sorry for the delay; I try to keep a weekly posting schedule, but life has been getting in the way this week. CJ

Ack!!!! But, but, please remember, this is all Shadowgod's fault! So therefor, all threats should, in fairness, be directed at him.

What? Me? Would I ever do such a thing as use a cliffhanger? As for the Sopranos ending, I don't think that's something I'd wish to emulate; most everyone I've heard comment hated it. Now, what can I say about this... Ummm.. Well, nothing until 38 and the epilogue come out. I just wanted to say that I can't say much of anything about the story until 38 and the Epilogue are online. I also want to say that I very much appreciate all the speculation and comments; they are great! Thanks you all!!!! FTL 38 and the epilogue will be posted together. Thanks everyone!!! You're great!

I hope he does ok, please keep us posted. I'm with the "I despise the son's evil wife" crowd on this one. I suggest buying the son a lighter or a bumper sticker, the ones that say "How do you spell relief? D-I-V-O-R-C-E" Good for you for being there! And I know all too well how it is to go into a hospital with those kind of memories. I won't even look at the one where my father died.

My sincere apologies to those I didn't reply to: All jokes aside, I can't comment on plot points, especially at this stage of the story.

I agree: Conner, thank you, for you many wonderful posts.

Perhaps that needs to be edited, to include speciesist remarks. This is true. And Ch 37 is up! I posted it before I went to bed... I figured everyone could use a nice, relaxing read before bedtime.

Sorry for the delay! The next chapter of my other serial, "For the Love" will post Tuesday, and if I get the next chapter of LTMP back from proofreading in time, I'll see if I can get it online here by Thursday night. CJ

If so, that means he's clearly to blame for anything baaad that I write. Hrmmm, Shadowgod is evil, and evil seems to have some peculiar abilities. Well, mine starts with a C because certain lists are ordered alphabetically, and I'll be ahead of you. And what's wrong with being a goat, oh Echidna?

Conner!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!! You go, Goat!!!!!

No mischief too large or too small for you, now is there? Yes, I have to agree... I assume you are referring to the eeevil cliffie in LiS 26? That was a doozie, enough to turn souls to the darkside... Shadowgod isn't known as the King of the EEEvil Cliffhanger for nothing... Hrmmmm... Sorry, but it was a delayed shock from that wicked, wicked cliffie in LiS 26... You are just so evil that you are having this effect. Of course, if you have your hand shoved up you-know-where, there would explain why I, who never use clifhangers, might have them popping up on rare occasion in FTL.

But I'm just a shy, quiet, innocent goat.... But I never use cliffhangers... Therefor, the answer is clear: This is Shadowgod's fault!

Thanks!! Beelzebub isn't the nicest of cats. Betty is indeed a self-declared Lesbian. But, sometimes people aren't all one way or the other; it's quite possible for love to occur outside one's usual range of attraction. I'm not saying anything is going on, but I will say that this will be explained fully buy the end of the story. ROFL!! What? Poor, sweet, innocent me?

Well, I, umm, I can't rule it out, or the Echidna will get me for giving spoilers... Maybe the Piedmont Sheriff is just setting them up for a surprise b-day party, as a friendly peace offering?

Heya Steve!!! Here's a wikipedia article that answers your question. In my usage, though, in the US southwest at least, it really means "Get ready to fight" Or "Ready for action" and saying it would be the equivalent of "Let's blow those $#%%%% to hell". I may or may not mean that in the title. My titles are always related to the chapter, but in sometimes odd ways.

I should have been clearer on that... Oops. Basically, my angle (as explained in passing by Rick) was that in a dodge to generate some tax-free income, Thaddeus had left his church unprotected. Stupid, yes, but I've seen this in RL. It was also, I guess we could say, the throne of his ego. Plus as you say, he was badly rattled and not thinking clearly. And BTW, you were right, the Piedmont Sheriff did make a move. Can I give a minor spoiler here? They will probably not proceed as planned with their birthday party. ROFL!!!! Emoe, Im sorry you are still in denial about being a postaholic. Hang in there buddy, the first step: admitting it, is the hardest. BTW, The next chapter of FTL is entitled "Lock and Load."

Hi Emoe!!! I'd have thought that you would be a supporter of Rev. Thaddeus J. Emoe... Totally agree with you about Phelps and his ilk...

Thaddeus had a non-profit corporation for the church, and he was using the premiums scam to boost his personal rake-off; a tax-dodge to generate tax-free personal income (and also hide said pay from his congregation). This is, due to the risk involved, dumb, but I've seen it happen a lot. He was also "living out of the corporation", using corporate assets as his own, which is probably the most common mistakes small corporate owners make. He was very, very dumb to assume he could get away with that booby-trap, and that it wouldn't destroy his church. But he was desperate, and desperate people do weird things. It is fair to say that his congregation will be less than pleased.