ReaderPaul

I agree with your analyses, @HARRYWALTER and @drsawzall. I contrast that with someone with true convictions, Harold Bell Wright (1872-1944), who said the following:. Harold Bell Wright comments on his non-standard actions as pastor of the Pierce City* Christian Church, and his refusal to act “holier-than-thou” toward others: “I wore no distinctive garb. I abhorred being called “reverend.” I refused to take advantage of clergy credentials and half-fare rates, ten percent off, and all other forms of special privilege which the professional claim as their rights. I said what I believe to be true about preachers and preaching as frankly as I voiced my convictions as to denominational Christianity. My boyhood experiences with “Pure Cider Vinegar Christianity” [see Chapter VI of “To My Sons” for the full explanation of that sarcasm] made me shy of piety that was too glibly expressed in public. I could not believe that the Lord was invariably in the wind. Perhaps I said so sometimes when I might better have held my breath. On the whole, I must have been something of an irregular and presumptuous thorn in the flesh of the body ministerial. And somewhat of an annoyance to the denominational purists. “Near the end of my second year at Pierce City I was invited to visit the church at Pittsburg, Kansas. At that time the population of Pittsburg was about fifteen thousand. It was in the heart of a coal-mining district and a railroad center, with extensive railroad shops…..” ~ From Chapter XI of "To My Sons", which came out in book form in 1934." *HBW is speaking of Pierce City, Missouri. He was pastor there for about two years, near 1900, at a salary of EIGHT dollars a week.

Loved it, But where did you come up with the name Bluff? I chuckled out loud several times reading not only the story about Bran, but what happened before Nova and Sage came up with the story. This is far more imaginative than anything Isaac Asimov came up with, I think. Also more entertaining than any Asimov story I have ever read, even his short story about the goose which laid eggs with gold flecks in them. Also, this story has a very happy vibe. Very well done, @Sherye Story Reader.

Since the second phase of the upgrade happened, I am sometimes getting up to four notifications of the same item. I would sometimes get two notifications before on the same thing, but up to and sometimes including four notifications of the same thing seems a bit excessive. I am using an HP desktop running Chrome (most of the time) with Windows 11. Any ideas?

These chapters (three, at this point), beg for a sequel or three. Mysteries abound, and some questions are answered and some are not. Sequels could easily have more questions and more answers. The relationships among the four main characters change as the story progresses. Complexity piles on complexity, yet the story does not flag, falter, or fall on its face. The writing is so good that we learn more even as additional questions quietly and quickly que up. The story is interesting, intriguing, and illuminative, all at the same time. I heartily enjoyed and recommend the story, and hope that sequels will eventually follow.

Good work, @chris191070. Excellent.

Absolutely wonderful, @Myr. You should be able to wrap up this story in five chapters or less, unless you have several more unexpected surprises for us. Or perhaps you are already working on the sequels, plural. I will be reading this again and again, as with your other King's Rangers stories.

Good chapter, R. Eric. I hope in England they get to see Sean and Katie.

Brightly burning bonfire Bernie. One less legal loophole left to look for in order to have Kurtis get Griess as his specified surname. Also means the Major and Loretta are totally in the clear regarding the death of Bernie. Just noticed that Buddy and Bubba had surnames of Derringer and Cannon. Appropriate. Edit. Don't know why the first paragraph posted again in this comment.

Brightly burning bonfire Bernie. One less legal loophole left to look for in order to have Kurtis get Griess as his specified surname. Also means the Major and Loretta are totally in the clear regarding the death of Bernie.

Which hole are you punching, and which tool are you using?

In my town of about 14,000 persons, there are three taxi services available, plus Uber, Lyft, and two shuttle services. With the shuttle services you can ride locally all day for a flat fee, but you are expected to tip the driver at every stop where you exit the shuttle.. If you go out of the immediate area you negotiate the shuttle cost by the trip.

Love the reference to the track team. (Everything else has been covered in previous comments, it seems.) I get the digital version of my home town newspaper, and the middle school and high school track teams have been doing well this year. The girls team are being led by a school record-setting freshman and sophomore, and the boys team by a couple of record setting junior and senior guys. The middle school team has been doing very well also, being led by some school record-setting 5th and 6th grade boys. So I am very happy to see Kurtis already coming close to school records. Good story, @Lee Wilson.

Very good work, Chris.

A well plotted and well written story about attempts to be independent under challenging conditions. Well worth reading.

Yes, that was said by Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was known for often despising the obfuscation of legal jargon.