ReaderPaul

Many fantastic authors here.

It's time for Charlie's second presence to materialize behind the new popper, as it did behind Lane Tallfield in a previous adventure.

Will stared at him a moment longer, and then turned to gaze at Rip. "My Grandfather's true name was Naadkym. Kha'jaq'tii was his keeyek spirit brother. That which gave him many of his ixt powers." "The northern lights," Dick said softly. Will heard him, and nodded. "The sky lights, yes." Charlie squinted at that. "The northern lights are just energetic particles from the sun, captured by the Earth's magnetic field." Max made an apologetic sound at that. "Uh...actually, there's a few people among my own kind that feel that them energetic particles from the sun form patterns in the planet's magnetic field that display skwish knowledge." Kippy gasped. "You mean, these lights in the sky are alive, and intelligent?" Max looked wide-eyed at him a moment, and then smiled. "No, I don't mean that. Some of our folks think that the planetary magnetic field stirs the sun's particles into configurations that sometimes allows other things to manifest on earth. Entities like Esmerelda, but of a different sort." "Skwish entities," Rick said. "Of course. Some of them are drawn to high energy sources." Charlie closed his eyes a moment. This was just getting to be a very strange investigation! This section reminds me in "The Case of the Short, Short Prince" where Jamie discovered where the magickons were coming from. Was that an accidental similarity of phrasing, @Geron Kees? Is Will Whitesaw's father still alive? It might not be relevant to the story. I'm just curious. Will Keerby be in the Christmas Charlie Boone story? Will Durapar and Chirka make it to the Christmas party? Will we learn why the poppers have what appears somewhat to be hexagonal pyramids?

Suspense and more! How many chapters to this story, @Geron Kees?

At dictionary dot com you can look up logophobia for free.

Speaking of getting Ragal and Casper and Robin involved -- Will Horace, Amy, and Durapar be involved with this one? Or perhaps Horace and Amy are on their honeymoon? Or perhaps Horace is working on a different case for Third Planet Investigations?

Interesting chapter.

I notice that there are multiple military bases near San Diego. While there are not any military bases really close to Cleveland, Ohio, there are a bunch of facilities related to military recruitment and operations near Cleveland, Ohio.

Usually a "beard" is a female who acts as the girlfriend of a gay male so that he appears to be straight. However, Dale Andrews reluctantly agrees to become a "beard" to Cole Pritchard so that Cole will appear bi or gay. This is supposed to make it easier for Cole's father to change to a more gay friendly political stance. However, several several other factors seem, at times, to interfere with some of the aims of Cole and Dale. Then there is the mysterious "Foundation" later in the story -- A fascinating read with some humor, some seriousness, and also some serious questions that are raised -- and often answered -- It was too bad this did not get a sequel before "dkstories" ceased writing on the Internet.

The incident with Charlie's father finding the old double book, almost certainly one of the old Ace Doubles, although there have been a few others which produced them, reminded me of much old time reading fun. It also reminded me of a section of Robert A. Heinlein's "The Number of the Beast" where Lazarus Long had read of meeting Zeb, Hilda, Jake, and Deety in a long-lost book. This is already a great story!

What a wonderful story this is turning out to be! Fascinating, fun, full of practical and sometimes poetic prose. I collect quotes, and I see several to record from this chapter. Example --- "I see what Rick means," Max said. "Everything that happens, everywhere, is the result of probability defining itself one specific way, a sequence of events, that all lead to the next event. Altering any of the events in the probability chain would change the outcome at a given time later on." | Next example --- Ragal issued forth a very human-sounding sigh. "I hesitate to possibly pollute this investigation with probable misinformation." "If you know something, you should share it," Casper urged carefully. "Anything you're unsure of can be viewed as an aside for now. But...I feel like you should share this." Next example --- Ragal chuckled, and sat back and closed his eyes. "When I was a child in Burnitadas, in the realm of Tiva, I used to hear those spooky tales." He sighed. "I think every intelligent race out there has such stories, designed to cause a sharply-felt tingle, or a delicious shudder, or a sharply taken breath of anxiety." He nodded. "Tales to frighten the children with." I could go on, but there is much in this chapter. Browbeat spoke of a probability discriminator. I wonder if that might be distantly related to the probability index of another story? As usual, very well done, Geron.

At first when Will said he could be hard to see if he did not want to be, it reminded me of Robin and his "negative light." But I remembered that Charlie's second presence could detect Robin in the warehouses -- and then I wondered if it might be Pacha detecting Robin and feeding the sensory input to Charlie's second presence? Only our favorite @Geron Kees knows for sure -- it might have even been Rick or Frit or Pip or Kiernan picking up Robin and feeding the input into Charlie's presence. I don't think we know what Kiernan's potentials are yet -- unless magic mechanic Rick has figured it out. Good start to this story.

Fascinating chapter. Mark has many adventures in bed and out of bed. When does the next chapter post?

Perception, perception, perception -- a good spin-doctor can make almost anything look like anything else. Avery has an advantage, but that does not always make things easy. Could the lawyer's client sue her lawyer for wrong legal advice? Probably not --

With such authors as @dkstories, @JamesSavik, @W_L, @Grumpy Bear, @D.K. Daniels, @Mark Arbour, @AC Benus, @Lee Wilson, @lomax61, @Bill W, @quokka, and so many others, you can't go wrong with a list like this. Thanks, @Myr!

It was a welcome twist at the end. I only partly expected it. Well done.

A great selection of stories. Thanks for the summation, @wildone. A suggestion for a possible future story contest, if @Cia and you, @wildone, and @Myr and anyone else necessary for the consideration -- How about a contest where writers write a story under their own names, but try to write in the writing style of a different author -- and then we readers have to guess which author is being style paralleled? Possibly @Geron Kees writing in the style of @astone2292, or @P. E. Knapp writing n the style of @quokka, or @Backwoods Boy writing in the style of @Lee Wilson, or @Mancunian writing in the style of @dkstories? (Sorry, Craig, I couldn't get your name to come up.) Of course, these are just suggestions. Might it even be feasible? I don't know. Admins, what do you think?

Much of that will be answered in future chapters.

@pvtguy and @Lee Wilson, we lived 5 miles away from the nearest cable system. We got our first television when I was 9½ years old. Robert A. Heinlein on types of lying: "It’s not enough to be able to lie with a straight face; anybody with enough gall to raise on a busted flush can do that. The first way to lie artistically is to tell the truth — but not all of it. The second way involves telling the truth, too, but is harder: Tell the exact truth and maybe all of it . . . but tell it so unconvincingly that your listener is sure you are lying."

Sorry, @P. E. Knapp -- I keep thinking of Uroda as Ursula for some reason. Apologies.

The answer to why Marc was upset with Bryan is clearly here: “Say that again?” Tom asked in disbelief. “Bryan met me at the shuttle hanger. Dragged me up to his quarters. Undressed me. Bathed me. We felt each other up and traded blow jobs in the fresher. His Link sounded a warning tone, and he rushed us out of the fresher. Dressed and smiled apologetically as he introduced me to his parents, thanked me for the help with a class, which we didn’t work on, much less even discussed, and showed me out the hatch.” “That’s what I thought you said. Really?!” “Yeah. I don’t even want to talk to him again. I don’t want to hide when I am with someone. I don't appreciate people lying about our connection. And shoving me out of the hatch without even saying goodbye. What’s his deal?” “I don’t know. We can always check.” “Honestly, I really don’t care. He’s done in my book.” I said with the finality of an Alexander. We are known for our long memories and tempers. Tom gave me a sharp nod in agreement before he changed the subject. Marc is serious about his "playthings." While they are together, they must be willing to admit it.

You will have to read quite a bit further to understand. There is more than meets the proverbial eye.

I used to read the Perry Mason books by Earl Stanley Gardner. This reminded me of some of those books. Well done. I never saw the Perry Mason television series; it was on a channel we did not receive when I was a kid. (Growing up, we could get one over-the-air channel, being down in a valley. The neighbors up the hill from us, ¼ mile, could get TWO channels!) I look forward to seeing A] more of the life of Avery Noonan, Sr., and B] wondering if Avery Noonan, Jr., can also see auras.

The story is fascinating, but feels like much more could follow, Several sequel chapters would clear up a few points that seem a bit fuzzy. Sometimes friendship can become much more, and at the same time generate more mystery as more is learned about another person. I recommend this.

An interesting chapter. Sounds like Valerie's father may have to learn a Marc Alexander lesson or two. I am guessing Janek does not yet have an implant? Will we eventually get to see more of Ursula?