ReaderPaul

The ORIGINAL Hardy Boys were fifteen and sixteen. When the books were rewritten in the very late 1950s and 1960s, their ages were changed to 17 and 18 to fit with some of the then-current ideas of what types of situations the guys would be getting into. I when I was six years old, my mother and older brother loved to go to auctions. If Grandma was not available to watch me, I had to go with them. At one auction, Mom bought a big box of books for a quarter that had 25 of the original Hardy Boys series, a few Nancy Drew, about 4 Bobbsey Twins books, about 35 Zane Grey westerns, some Louis L'Amour, and a few other assorted books. Dad and I had fun reading a bunch of the books, although I did not read any of the westerns except one Lone Ranger novel.

Wow-- THAT was a surprise at the end. What will be included in the epilogue? No -- don't tell me! I will be guessing in my mind until the epilogue appears. @Wombat Bill, will we -- either soon or eventually -- see a fourth section of Catering With Benefits? If you write it, I will read it. I cannot speak for anyone other than myself.

I notice, @Wombat Bill, that through chapter 57 Catering With Benefits 3 has 157,116 words so far. Well done. There are very few, if any wasted words. This story reminds me of a well-designed and well-sewn garment. It looks and feels (reads) great, but considerable effort and care have been taken with the construction of this story. Yes, some parts are difficult to read. Well, guess what! Life is sometimes challenging and demanding! So that makes it fairly true to life. This story has my attention as few others do.

Wow, @Wombat Bill what a good chapter. I hope the end-of-chapter teaser does not mean you will stop writing the story. I hope you mean only that you might pause the story for a time, and then continue, perhaps as a Part 4. Very realistic. Here in the United States, we often see flooding of large wildfire areas causing even more damage. This is one of the few stories which I will be reading for quite a while. I have other favorite authors. but even of them I don't always complete a very long story (say, two hundred thousand words or more). Again, well done.

Well done, @Wombat Bill. You made the happenings to Desmond and Virginia seem real. It will be interesting to see how Virginia continues to grow and expand her caring for people. Virginia is learning care for people faster than Jonathan, it would seem.

@Summerabbacat, I am glad you did not suffer in a major way with the bushfires. I am glad you and your felines made it through, and I am glad your relatives made it through, as well. @NimirRaj, you and @starboardtack hit the proverbial nail on the proverbial head on the contrast between the city and the much more rural area. @Wombat Bill, I am glad you and your partner and property were mostly safe, though under the continued stress of evacuation and worrying about the animals.

It sounds like Brett and Richard both got a lot of what they wanted. It is virtually certain that the scenario described by Rani has happened somewhere, sometime. Also the scenario described by Jeremy has almost certainly happened, as well. Edward, Justin, and the others had innovative ways to raise the money. The descriptions of the wildfires range from thrilling, at a distance, to chilling, up close. The Mallacoota voices on the pier ring very true, as well. Looking forward to the next chapter, @Wombat Bill I also look forward to analysis of the chapter by @Summerabbacat, @NimirRaj, @chris191070, and others. I have to admit, I had trouble choosing an emoji for this chapter. More than one emoji seemed to fit. I am hopeful that Virginia and Desmond survive, especially considering the way Virginia is growing in compassion and understanding that many do not have the advantages she has had in her life.

Virginia and Desmond are in major trouble. At least they are near the water. One Eata and Ed Weiner are a dynamic duo. The teaser for the next chapter is nice and vague. It could mean almost anything. Way to go, @Wombat Bill. By the way, were you or @Summerabbacat in any personal danger from the wildfires when they were going on? I am hoping the two of you and your loved ones were safe.

I am glad Virginia is paying for the needed treatment of Thomas. Her caring is likely to make the difference on his recovery. I am also pleased with Virginia's coping with the confinement due to the fires. In the area of the United States where I live, most of the firefighters are volunteers. The town I live closest to has 16 full-time paid firefighters, and the city is trying to come up with the money to hire more. The Fire District I live in has four paid staff and relies on volunteers or mutual aid for the rest. They also have a couple of stations where two volunteers get to live for free, except for their food and personal use items. When the closest town got a paid firefighting staff the insurance rates went way down for residents of the town. In the town with the paid fire fighting staff, the volunteers who assist get $25 per fire stipend for helping. The ambulance people are paid by the county, thanks to a sales tax passes many years ago. This has helped greatly on ambulance response time and lifesaving. Justin was being extremely obtuse on the follow-up care that Thomas needs, and especially on guarding his speech so as not to upset Thomas further. However, I have found that attitude all too common in other people's dealings dealing with my own close female relative. Some people cannot understand that because THEY think they would act a certain way, others will not feel the same. Also -- some persons have the wrong idea that the person suffering mentally is faking it. With very few exceptions, they are NOT faking it, and need time, care, and sometimes medication for improvement, and hopefully, recovery. Though, it must be admitted, sometimes recovery is not as complete as those around the person might wish. @Wombat Bill, I must compliment you on how sensitive you are being in writing this story. It is somewhat cathartic to me to read a sensitive story like this as opposed to some stories I have read. You are doing well regarding the bushfires and the fallout from them. Your descriptions ring true with the reality of what I have read in news and personal reports on the fires.

@Summerabbacat -- I have dealt with more than one type of deluded person. One was very close to me, and at first, that close relative could not respond to anything which was against her delusion. Eventually, she had a rational moment long enough to realize she needed help. Also fortunately, I had two personal friends who were medical doctors that she trusted, and among the three of us, she eventually agreed to get the help she needed. Bluntness from me was not tolerated. Around the edges bluntness was tolerated from the two doctor friends. With some of the others it was a kind of religious and political delusion combination, where they thought they were some kind of "special knowledge and/or abilities person" of importance. Those have to be handled almost as carefully -- but usually are not an immediate physical danger to themselves or others. @Wombat Bill is writing with tremendous compassionate care in the story. The handling of the story fits "usual respectful and sensitive manner," as you said.

Way to go, Dean! Sounds like Virginia and Desmond should have also bought a boat. I read that several cell towers and land lines in Australia were destroyed by the bushfires, sometimes creating major lack-of-communication problems. @Wombat Bill or @Summerabbacat, could either of you tell me if I heard that correctly? I have read one other story concerning the bushfires. However, since it is not on this site, I can only refer to it indirectly. I will say that it was a good story, involving a straight 13-year-old boy who was a surfing champion; a gay 13-year-old boy whose mixed Aborigine/Scottish background gave him talents from knowing what to do for safety from a pack of dingoes, how to drive a houseboat, and how to save koala bears; and a pair of brothers, ages 10 and 8, as the main characters, with several supporting cast adults. Once again, @Wombat Bill, a suspenseful chapter which seemed much shorter than the 2,513 words it is listed as containing. Very good work. Thank you.

Well, @Ivor Slipper and @Geron Kees, too many characters might depend on what one compares with another tally. In his stories, Charles Dickens is said to have created more than 13,000 -- (THIRTEEN THOUSAND) -- unique characters. So both of you have room to create more characters in your stories without getting near the Dickens total. And @Headstall -- Gary, I have to agree that it would be wonderful if our world also followed the "Do no harm" example of Engris.

Wow, @Wombat Bill. What a chapter! In a way, I am glad Thomas ended up in the hospital. Now he has a chance to get the professional help he needs. So Dean is a good barbeque cook as well as a bartender. I'm not surprised. A good bartender has to have an understanding of timing, proportions, and portion sizes. Dean probably has some foods that he is very good at cooking in addition to barbeque. I hope you give reactions from Justin and some of the other friends of Thomas in future chapters.

Thomas is definitely deluded. I have dealt with a deluded person before, and knowing what to do or say is challenging. Over the past 35 years I have learned more about anti-psychotic medication, depression, manic behavior, and persons with weird behavior than I ever wanted to know. Andy and Dean need to be very cautious in dealing with Thomas. Jonathan or Bernard might need to text Desmond instead of trying to text Virginia. The teaser for chapter 51 is intriguing. I will be interested to see what @Summerabbacat, @chris191070, @NimirRaj, and others notice in this chapter that I did not see. Thanks, @Wombat Bill.

Oh, no! Thomas seems to be going over the edge with Jared's memory -- unless you are introducing a ghost into the story. I think I may see some problems ahead with the wildfires for Virginia and Desmond. I looked at the word count for this chapter and was very surprised to see it at 3,444 words. It kept my attention so well, that I thought it just over a thousand words. That is the mark of a very well written chapter indeed, when it seems short yet covers so much so well. Thanks, @Wombat Bill.

Wow, @Wombat Bill -- What a chapter! I am guessing the surgeon was tired and grumpier than he might have otherwise been. But I really liked his remarks, even so. Brett has some interesting conversations. I wonder if he and Jeremy have some "intense discussions" at times as a result. I forgot to comment directly regarding the previous chapter where you and @Summerabbacat worked together with such great results. Thanks to both of you! The accidents with the noses of Isa and Duncan reminded me of an accident years ago that a casual friend had with a chainsaw. While sawing up a downed tree, he hit a knot in the wood and the fast-running chainsaw flew up and hit his face right between the eyes, down the center of his nose, his upper lip and lower lip, and chin. Fortunately, it did not go deep, although his two upper front teeth were slightly chipped. The surgeon on duty at the small local hospital took two Q-Tips, opened the separated parts of his nose to both sides, and cleaned the inside of the chainsaw-cut nose, then said, "I'll sew this back up for you." The guy who had been on the losing end of the chainsaw said, "No, take me to (a much larger hospital 134 km away) and have a plastic surgeon do it." He told me later, "Dr. M could have done it, but he would have done it with three or four stitches. The plastic surgeon took 38 very fine stitches to close and restructure my nose, and it looks the same, only the tip is shorter now. Then he used other stitches for my upper and lower lip and my chin." Hair does not grow on the the upper and lower portions of the lip where there was a mustache and also where there was a bit of under-the-lip facial hair, and when he grew a beard, there was a small hair-gap on his chin. Other than that, my friend looks the same. With the nursing training of Craig and Romel, this possibly aided both men in a safer and quicker transport and saved loss of blood to some extent. A very good chapter indeed, Wombat Bill. Thank you once again.

@chris191070, I agree with everything you said. @Wombat Bill, this was a fascinating chapter. I know a bit more about water polo than I did, and I appreciate the brief intro to the sport. The cat was almost a scene stealer. It made the story seem even more real than it already does. I have to agree with Isa. I would also dislike the name "Isador." I always enjoy it when Dean appears. I am not entirely sure why, but somehow, you have made him a very interesting person. The teaser for the next chapter? Fascinating!

Ah, @Wombat Bill, glad to see the new chapter. Look forward to the chapter when the ballet is presented. It was well done to see Edward and Max working with each other on the radio. Thank you very much for the new chapter.

@Geron Kees, something I noticed in this chapter and one other. Cally sometimes seems to adapt and react more quickly than Derry to potential tough situations. In a previous chapter, Cally said something like, "This is serious stuff. So it's time to get serious." [Paraphrasing.] In this chapter, Cally more quickly put his zap gun away than did Derry upon meeting the Schrikken. And Cally is the one who reminded Mike about leaning the head through to see what's on the other side of a door. I think Cally has had some situations in his Earthly/"Terran" life that lets his adapt more quickly to some stuff. Was he perhaps interested in a lot of military stuff when he was younger? Or perhaps some survivalist lore? Or perhaps he is a casual reader of psychology? Or had a family member go through some major trauma? Any of those could have a major effect on his adaptability, if they happened. People often (but not always) react one of two ways to considerable stress. They learn adaptive behavior and quick recovery/responses, or they become LESS capable of positive and quick survival reactions. Whatever has happened to shape Cally in this way shows a very positive and realistic resilience of a very real robustness of capable character of considerable caliber. Great development in giving hints of his character, Geron. Looking forward to at least as many more Door tales as there are Charlie Boone tales. Then twenty or more additional of each.

Ronyx Travers -- Seriously! When I was researching popular boy names starting with "R", Rayon was in the top 250 of boy names starting with R, and Ronyx was in the top 400. Of course, since each spelling variation was listed separately, entries such as Ryan, Rian, Riann, Rianne, Ryann, and Ryun were each listed as a separate name. So far, Susan Travers, Bob's wife, has been mentioned more by name than Ricky's parents. We still don't know what Rick's younger sister's name is, or what his even younger brother's name is. I like the idea of CB affiliated short stories. Maybe Ricky's little brother and sister are both curious about Rick's room, or why Ricky and Adrian are often over at Kippy's or Charlie's place. Or may Susan has noticed a change in Bob. Or maybe we could get a glimpse of Adrian's mother at work at Ornament Graphics. Or --

Well, the original four normally eat at Irving's Pizza, but I think Irving would be a bit surprised if Casper, Ragal, Sefton, and Durapar showed up with Charles, Kippy (Kipling, Kipper, Christopher? Geron, have you decided what Kip's legal first name is yet?), Richard, and Adrian for pizza. I like the idea of the guys having a villa on both Engris and Lyrgris. But it brings of a slightly related question. Lyrgris and Engris both end in "-gris". The world where Bobby Felsen was imprisoned was called Kanthakos by Will, in "Light My Roamin' Candle, Charlie Boone! Was it added to the Cooee by different persons than those who designed Lyrgris and Engris and three others? If they could add worlds to roam in the Cooee, so could others, in theory. Something for a future story -- Has Kontus been back to the discworld since he left to unexpectedly? Since Rick is a magic mechanic, cold it be that "Uncle Bob" Travers is also? Some traits run in families, such as Max and his great-great-great-nephew Keerby both being excellent with time. And isn't it about time for Ricky's little brother and the sister in-between them to at least be given names? Little brother (Randy? Rilbur? Ronyx? Roman? Royal? Ryan? Ryder? Ryker? Ryland? Rocky? Ranger? River? Rain? Rod? Rayon? Ryle? Raymond?) eventually should accidentally stumble into Rick's room without knocking sometime when Pacha and Kontus and Ragal and Casper are there, and have to be let in on some of the secrets....

Onath reminds me of a selfish, petulant, sycophant brown-nose whiner at times. Mor'ath and Misola and several of the others seem to have a more realistic view of things than Onath. They, at least, are willing to consider tentative possibilities and put them into reserve for proof or disproof. Max and Casper and Ragal all have talents which are coming in very handy.

Well, @Ivor Slipper, you DID hit your target. But I happen to love to twist words and meanings from time to time. Sometimes words in English have so many meanings it is easy!

Well, one could call it boring, but i feel it is a non-boring chapter about boring. There are times when I wish GA allowed more than two chapters a day from one author. This is one of those times.

Cool chapter. I like.