ReaderPaul

This reminds me of certain types of alternate universe theory, not necessarily string theory. I am not sure if, in this story, we will learn the full scoop on what is going on. It would make a great Crossovers story featuring Keerby, Pacha'ka and company, and Derry, Cally, and Mike from the Odd, Onward Door/Doorways series. Who knows how many extra effects the time-dilation device of Difris and Nyf could have in the universe of Jamie & Company?

From the story, chapter 34: "Is this him?" Jamie asked Snave quietly. The gargoyle's voice was equally soft. "Yes. Lodda." "What's he doing?" Garvin asked, just as softly. A voice spoke in the room then, but it did not come from the seated man. The language used was not the one Jamie knew, but there was something familiar about it, nonetheless. "I understood that!" Irik declared, sounding surprised. "An ancient tongue," Bastyin said then. "One I have heard before, as well!" "What did it say?" Jamie asked urgently. Irik's voice now sounded intense. "It asked, 'What do you sense?'" Lodda turned his head then, his dark eyes landing almost directly upon them. "Something new. Something utterly, completely, new." Jamie was surprised. The tongue was the same one, but this time...he had understood the words. "A magickal force?" the voice from out of thin air asked. "Yes. But like none I have encountered before. It is here, in this room, with us." "What can you tell me about it?" Lodda took his time to answer. "Nothing. Only that it is something I have never encountered before." A -- I think the machine detected them at the same time or even before Lodda did. B -- I think Lodda is trying to not tell the machine as much as he senses. C -- I think Jamie is partially receiving/translating the language from the minds of Irik and Bastyin. Lodda and the machine are possibly allies, or possibly a bit at cross purposes with each other. We will learn more tomorrow and Thursday.

And, no, I don't mean THAT hose! In the unexpurgated original version of Gulliver's Travels to Lilliput, the house of one Lilliputian family catches on fire, and the bucket brigade formed by the townspeople is seen by Lemuel Gulliver as going to be inadequate to save the house, and may be inadequate to save houses next to the one burning. So he pulls THAT hose out, and urinates on the fire, putting it out. The occupants of the house and those unfortunately in the "line of flow" are suddenly very upset with Gulliver. Never mind that he has saved one of more homes from burning -- they did not like how it was done. In the original, unexpurgated version of the four Voyages of Lemuel Gulliver (Gulliver's Travels) there are many interesting things. In the third voyage, to Laputa (the flying island) the two moons of Mars are described in their orbits fairly closely. In the fourth voyage, to the land of the intelligent horses, humans are the Yahoos, the beasts.

I think Porvus is not telling all the truth. I also think Lodda is not telling Porvus all he knows. My guess is that Lodda wants revenge on those he says warred on the planet of magick, and then take over THEIR worlds. Further, I think that the two oracles may be in communication with each other, and possibly have already alerted the other worlds. In a few chapters, we will know if I am right.

Which version of Swiss Family Robinson? The better known Disney 1960 movie version, or the original 1812 book version, written in German, by Johann David Wyss? (Or one of the many in-between versions.) In the original book, the last name of the family was not given; just the first names of the man, wife, and four sons. They spent more than ten years on the island, and many of the chapters were very thinly disguised Christian moralizing Wyss used to teach morals to his own children. The family in the book title were called "Robinsons" to cash in on the success of the "Robinson Crusoe" inspired novels which were being written around the same time period. The Disney 1960 film was actually much more interesting than the book, to me. Jenny, the young woman in the book rescued by son Fritz, was replaced in the movie by Roberta (Bertie), younger than Jenny. Wikipedia has an interesting article on Swiss Family Robinson, giving details on the original novel.

Something no one has mentioned yet, but @Al Norris and @drpaladin and @akascrubber seem to be close to this -- it was mentioned that Lodda was the only one who could translocate to what is at the end of the skylifts, and he could take no one with him. (I think that was in chapter 29, but might have been chapter 28). If the source of magick is the planet, as someone got further and further from the planet the magical forces would weaken. Therefore it would be difficult to translocate from ground level up there and back as magick diminished with the distance. Only someone made of magic/magick, such as Auggie in the Charlie Boone series, or who had much residual magic in them, would be easily able to translocate to and from the up in the sky location. @Geron Kees, I am glad you finally finished this story (even if we have to wait a few days to finish reading it). You have been mentioning it for several years!

Some of this I am going to have to read two or three more times. Lots of interesting concepts. Glad to see Irik more involved with the discussion. The plans to tackle Lodda and Porvus should be interesting. Glad Sedwick is restored in his royal rooster, which seems to have a rapid response.. One question has not been answered in a definite way. How old is King Myron and how old is Prince Sedwick? That might be a better question answered in a potential sequel. Looking forward to more chapters, Geron.

Actually seven chapters. 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 -- seven chapters, unless you are axing chapter 36 of the 36 chapters you said were in the story.

I was almost certain Bastyin was the one who destroyed the machine. He has been the most original of mages so far. And one of the most powerful. I was not surprised to indeed see that it was he. I was also not surprised Irik figured out Jamie's and Bastyin's reasoning of the import of what Jamie was sensing. It was not clear, however, if Rier and Seeri were with the guys when they fought Urvan/Leemus. Also not answered was the question -- when will Garvin use the Eyes of the Night again? With the new knowledge the group has learned, will Garvin still have the vision of the Eyes of the Night after returning the ring to Master Crillis? Further questions for your potential Crossovers series -- Does the magic of Jamie's world tie in to the allmagic of the Charlie Boone universe, and the basic energy of the Doors/Doorways universe? Will Jamie and company be invited to the wedding of Rier and Seeri? And Raimey seems to be drawn to Jamie and Garvin -- will he become a mage in a future potential sequel? Great chapters, Geron.

But what if Deeping is doing the peeping?

For some reason, I feel that Jamie should also go back to Lyrix, the castle, or wherever Master Crillis is now, and take him to the nether and have him given the enhanced sight and the protection against the Breath of the Dragon. Porvus or one of the other gray mages might try it again on him as revenge for surviving the first time. Also, unless Master Thorvil has already the protection against it, Jamie should take him as well. I am wondering -- and only Geron can for certain answer this -- if it is possible to translocate/teleport from Jamie's world to the world of the ancients? Or, is there no magick there to allow the translocation?

At this point, I think Seeri is being truthful. And as far as Jamie using translocation -- The first time he translocated he also had the wagon and tyrbeast with him, which almost certainly would have been way more weight than Seeri. And the contraption he partially translocated that followed the shuttle car to them -- no telling how much that weighed. I do think it would be good for a translocation glove to be applied to Garvin and Geert and Dorf soon, and later for Irik and Bastyin and Gorge. I will predict that Seeri will be able to tell Jamie and company more about the charm he took from Skoda. I also predict that Jamie will take Seeri to the nether to upgrade her powers to some of the mage abilities the rest of the party now have. But, we will see.

Wanda's great-great granddaughter? Interesting. And it would appear that if Seeri loses her boyfriend in the upcoming battles, Dorf might step in --- from the interest he seems to be showing. Fascinating chapter. Glad to see Irik doing more, and Gorge growing in confidence and magick. I think the discussion relates to bathrooms and possibly showers, as well.

Overheard when I was visiting a museum years ago: "Don't worry if you talk to yourself. Don't worry if you answer yourself. Don't even worry if you argue with yourself. The time to worry is when -- you talk to yourself -- answer yourself -- argue with yourself -- and LOSE the argument!" ~ The two museum employees who were discussing this credited it to "Anonymous."

What I am told is that the Western United States utilities are willing to pay considerably more for each kwh (kilowatt hour) than the local utility companies. Where I live is an exception -- the local electric utility to which I am connected owns the hydroelectric dam which is less than 15 air miles from me, and uses the power as part of its grid. However, it is a small dam built before 1925, and cannot power the entire customer network connected to it. The utility has also conventional plants and some solar and wind power attached, and (I think) more hydroelectric sources. Another power company network only 4 miles (6.4 km) from me costs at least 65 percent more per kwh. (I know this because a relative lives 4 miles from me, on the other electric utility.) The descriptions given by @Geron Kees are fascinating as this story continues. We keep receiving more hints of the ancients and their power sources.

Way to go, James! But I would not completely count the enemy out yet. Sometimes a small core can explode again.

One thing (among several) I wonder about. Irik seems to be mentioned less and less as the chapters accumulate. I hope we see more of him in action as the story continues, even if contributing to conversations. If not, perhaps he could play a bigger role in the first sequel to this story. I am glad they returned to the Castle and spoke in detail with Kundrun. I am also wondering -- can anyone else in the nether use the making and combining machines, or just Jamie and Flitch? Can Garvin, or Kundrun, or Geert, or Snave, or Bastyin, use the nether machines? So far in the story, we have seen Jamie and Garvin translocate (of those in Jamie's group). I am guessing that Geert and Bastyin and Snave can also do so with ease. What about Irik, Dorf, or Gorge? Have they now mastered translocation as well, and can any of the others translocate anywhere near the mass which Jamie is able to translocate? Can Gorge now open the doors in the tunnels as he is now a minor mage, without his key? I am continuing to enjoy this story immensely, @Geron Kees. I hope you will have the next Doorways/Odd, Onward Door story for us soon, followed by "It's Horace and Amy's Wedding, Charlie Boone!"

At least one 1927 Cadillac had a lot of wood in it also. The Czech is in the mail reminded me of Esther Friesner "Chicks in Chainmail" series of books, where the females wear the chainmail and go around saving men and women. Hilarious stories written by a variety of authors with such book titles as "The Chick is in the Mail," "Did You Say Chicks?", "Chicks and Chained Males", "Turn the Other Chick," and several more. Ester Friesner edited most of the series and wrote some of the stories, as well. At times, the humor of our own @Geron Kees reminds me of the humor Friesner and her authors have, though the "Chicks in Chainmail" series tends to have more slapstick. Geron is a master of word play in all sorts of forms.

Wouldn't it be a coincidence if the lens were named Difris, Nyf, Brik, or Auggie!

I was partially thinking they would translocate to Wanda Pegfoot's shop, to ask her about the charm acquired from Skoda. But I am guessing (and it is only a guess until next chapter comes out) that Jamie wants to pass on knowledge to Kundrun and Pallin and Lestho, and provide extra protection to Prince Sedwick and King Myron by upping the power of the kingdom's main mages. BUT -- at this point I only guess. I am also guessing that Gorge's new knack will begin to grow as it seats itself better into Gorge's brain. I am wondering if we will find out what Flitch's elsmits is/are.

@Geron Kees, something struck me in re-reading this chapter. The maypole of the Prince was described as no more (or less than) that of a boy of 8 years. But I, and the male friends of close to the same age, compared our aroused poles a couple of times at school -- I went to one of the last one-room schools in my state for my first 8 years of education -- and almost all of us had about 4 inches (10.16 cm) by the age of 10 when we would compare our aroused poles out behind the two-holer guys outhouse on the tree-lined school grounds. Perhaps it was because of our relatively chemical free diet, or perhaps all of our parents had great genes. But for whatever reason, our maypoles were seeming a decent size even at young ages. Recent evidence indicates that maypoles have been shrinking in length very gradually over the last 50 years, as we get more chemicals into our diets which mess up our natural male growth hormones -- and possibly in girth as well. I'm glad I was born when I was, in the early 1950s, when there were fewer chemicals in our foods.

Thankfully, Geert protected Gorge. Lots of stuff to ponder in this chapter. At the rate they are developing, Snave and Dorf will be Master level or better before the end of this journey, and Geert, Garvin, and Bastyin and Irik, of very high ability, as well. It will be interesting to see the relationships of Thorvil, Jamie and Garvin, at the end of this adventure, and the relationship of Geert and Crillis, as well. And the tales Irik and Bastyin can tell, and Gorge!

I notice Jamie has not yet asked Geert for his idea. Hopefully, that will be one of the first things he does in the next chapter. I also predict that Gorge has more idea about magic than he is admitting.

But, @Al Norris -- there is also such a thing as superimposition. While it is most often a movie term used in early film making, many of the effects Geron has described could be considered superimposition effects, such as when Jamie and the others combine types of shields. The overlay of effects and appearances are described in several articles I found on the search engine starting with "B" and ending in "g". Either way, this is a fascinating story. and the comments enhance it even more!

Terry, don't worry about that. All of us have our areas of stronger knowledge and areas of lesser knowledge. I also agree with @centexhairysub about the strengthening of the group with each addition. Building a team is a strong point of many stories by our own @Geron Kees While I have some knowledge of string theory, vector analyses, and superposition, it is very basic, and not in depth. I think Geron could take the telephone book, alternate universe theory, pizza, and dolphins and then combine all of those into one fascinating tale!