ReaderPaul

Wow, what a chapter! Very eventful. I was reminded of my own mother's stroke a few years ago. She was one day from being discharged from hospital after a broken hip; nurse checked on her at four and she was laughing and joking. At five they brought her evening meal tray and she was unresponsive. Fortunately, she was where she needed to be. The blood clot was dissolved, but damage had been done. She had to have speech and physical therapy for a couple of months, and was never completely recovered, though she lived eight more years. I don't remember Paul Reader being mentioned before, but I might have missed that. He sounds like one of the good guys. You handled the situation with Paul, Pat, and Edward in a sensitive and caring way. I really appreciate that, and it also reminded me of my own stroke in September of 2020 and how caring the staff of both hospitals I was in (I was transferred to a larger hospital where a neurologist was on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year). The other events of the chapter are setting up some potential conflicts. Desmond's advice to Virginia may cause problems if Jonathan decides to be generous. Virginia and Desmond having a disagreement over him finding an outside job will eventually have to be resolved. Jared attending the inquest may also raise red flags with prison officials or investigative personnel. However, perhaps not. A week off would be helpful for many of us. @Wombat Bill, I hope your time off from publishing is productive in both restfulness and writing. If you should need to take an extra day or two, go ahead. We (or at least, I feel this way) would rather have you healthy and happy even if it means an extra day or three off from publishing.

Hmmmmm, what is Virginia up to? Virginia is developing a sharper tongue in the last several chapters. What Rani is up to is more obvious. One Eata seems to be enjoying her role. The interview with Justin and Craig could be tricky. Hopefully, Justin and the waiters will not be TOO bare. One Eata's answers to Daniel were great! Obviously, One Eata is more pro-marriage than Daniel at the immediate juncture of time, but who knows? Daniel might pop the question yet, and in less than 5 years (possibly). I also think Daniel has resentment against Rani for the chastity cage some time back. In my personal opinion, that was going too far. Obviously, Rani had a different opinion. Will Max and Charles show up before the expo is over? Sybil's comment about Daniel and Rani locked together make me wonder if a break in at their residence will end up with them handcuffed or chained together at some time in the future. Great Chapter, @Wombat Bill.

@Summerabbacat and Winteroasistrump, in checking IMDB dot com, the movie Nimir came out in 2018, but is now called Arise. I don't know if it is an Indian movie or a Malaysian movie; IMDB was not clear. (For any who might not know, IMDB stands for International Movie Data Base. So, @Wombat Bill, will we see a throwaway character, Summer, who is told by someone, that "the cat you are trying to pick up was owned a big fan of the musical group ABBA. We here at the animal shelter call him, Summer, ABBA cat." Or maybe a proverbial bookworm named Paul, who is told by Dean or Edward, "You're quote a reader, Paul." Some readers of palms, tea leaves, coffee grounds, tarot cards, etc., have a much better record than others. There may be more to Sybil than meets the eye. I have also heard of videoing the wedding night sex I read of that on another website, in a story of two gay anal virgins who were shown where cameras were located. They were given three choices: Have the videographer in the room using one camera up close and personal, or leaving the cameras as placed with no camera person present and hitting the switch so that only they saw the action and recording, or choosing not to hit the switch at all and having only their personal memories of the event. They chose option three., having their memories only. Justin and Jared both are skating on thinning ice. On the other hand, some behind-the-back cheating goes on for years before getting caught. Love the character of Edward, but also the adventuresome nature of Brett and Jeremy. I will be interesting in hearing the comments of Daniel and Rani on the movie, Nimir.

I love the idea of the time calibrator! It must really be powerful in its own way if it can reach through the Door effect by one layer, so to speak. As for the alien tech the guys are using, Mike and Derry are very cautious. Cally seems a bit more adventurous, as is revealed in the first adventure. He is also leaning slightly more toward the tech geek side than he was at first. It's good to see him stretching a bit at times.

Well, Jared is devious, so I'm not surprised they were really at a resort. I look forward to hearing some of Justin and Jared's comments when they get back, and also some of the questions the guys ask. I can see Thomas and Craig asking Jared and Justin a question and getting enough of a differing answer to raise a question in their minds when Craig and Thomas mention the question and the different answers -- if not right away, some time a few chapters later. What will Mr. P have Thomas doing? I look forward to the answer to that question. I also wonder when Daniel, Dean, Jeremy, and Brett will again appear. And also am interested in seeing what will happen with Bernard. Will Virginia and Jonathan try to keep the divorce amiable? Will Jonathan hire a surrogate to give himself an heir? (Or is that allowed in Australia?) Near the end of the chapter, @Wombat Bill, when you said --- While they were looking at the photo of their grubby men, Craig’s phone sounded also. “It’s from Thomas” said Craig, “I hope Justin hasn’t had an accident.... Oh I’ve got the same message and photo. Must have used the same phone.” I think you meant to say "It's from Justin," said Craig. I look forward to seeing what @NimirRaj and @Summerabbacat notice that I've missed. They seem to have careful and observing insights.

@NimirRaj is, I believe, correct. I think Thomas and Craig will compare notes. Who knows if Cynthia has said anything to Craig or if he overheard some gossip. And who knows what other conversations either Craig or Thomas has overheard. I am not really surprised that Virginia's child was really Desmond's. Justin and Jared are playing with fire. How much they get burned will depends on future revelations.

Well, THAT was interesting. Jonathan talking about Virginia and the loss of a child, of which he was the father. I guess one of the next steps is for Jonathan to officially withdraw from his campaign. The revelation should make the talking by Thomas and Virginia more challenging in some ways, and easier in others. But much will depend on the mood Virginia is in, and also whether Desmond is around or deliberately eavesdropping. Judging from the teaser, Desmond may well be around. This story reminds me of another, where a man who was secretly gay fathered three children with his wife, and one of his grandsons ended up gay, and after his parents tossed him out, ended up living with his grandfather. I am not quite sure why this chapter reminded me of that, since the circumstances are so different. Jonathan had a father who sounds quite homophobic. I have an early appointment which may take all day, so need to sign off and think about this some more. Very good chapter again, @Wombat Bill

Oh, indeed proverbial "stuff" has been hitting the fan. It looks like Jonathan is revising his idea of running for office, and that is probably for the best at this time. There is a possibility that the inquest will reveal more than Jared wants to know. It's too early to be sure; we will have to see what weavings @Wombat Bill has braided and built for broadcast on the web. Whatever it is, the trappings tied together we can be sure will intertwine, interlace, interweave, and as the intermingling of story plots and subplots are wedded and woven together, our inspired author will continue to create choice content. I look forward to seeing what my fellow CWB groupies have to say, especially @Summerabbacat and @NimirRaj, and anyone else who is up to commenting and expounding, elucidating and expressing the possibilities.

I would say Jared and Justin MAY have dodged a bullet here, but I am not so sure Craig is convinced. J & J should be grateful to Andy. for the diversionary tactic. However, I'm not sure Thomas is as innocent about it as he may be appearing to be. I think both Thomas and Craig will be thinking this over more than they let on. Edward is going to have his hands full with some of Brett's ideas. Brett seems not to completely understand the idea that not everyone is as casual about nudity as he and Jeremy are. Dean was smart to call Jeremy to tend to Brett. Sounds like One Eata is going to be a success. Lots of potential happenings are heralded -- helpful, hurtful, and hopeful. How many will come to pass? That's up to our teller of tales, our energetic expresser of eloquence, and our passionate presenter of perfect prose, @Wombat Bill! Oh, and I liked the chapter, too.

@Geron Kees, Have the guys ever had a conversation with Difris and/or Nyf about the below-the-clothing differences between humans and Armenti? In the previous tale, and I quote: "Ah. That may make more sense than you know." Difris emitted a faint sound that Derry had come to think of as a chuckle, but which apparently did not always denote humor. The spider extruded its legs and stood, and swept his voice globe about the room. "All of this, everything: this place, the doors, the empire itself, was created by the Armenti - the builders." The voice globe swung their way and came to a stop. "They bore a considerable resemblance to your kind. I can see how you could be mistaken for them, especially by those who only knew them from visual representations or descriptions from memory." A light went on inside Derry's mind. "Those were the guys we saw in the movies you showed us of what this place once looked like a long time ago, when it was busy. They looked like us, except they had big, round eyes, and no lips." Cally laughed, his eyes bright, and Derry grinned at him. "Well, they didn't have any lips." "You are correct," Difris confirmed "There are other differences, not noticeable when both your species are clothed." Cally laughed again, and bounced his eyebrows at Derry. "Aw, you're just guessing, Difris. You haven't seen us naked." The spider emitted the faint chuckle-sound again. "Certainly I did . I inspected both of you quite closely when you were unconscious in the station infirmary." Cally blinked, and his eyes widened. "You undressed us?" "A brief physical inspection was necessary," the spider agreed. But the voice globe wavered uncertainly. "Was this a taboo among your people?" Derry looked at granddad, who was trying to hide a smile. "Well, it's polite to ask, first," Derry said. "I apologize. I will not look again without permission." "I'll say you won't!" Cally responded. "I'm kind of particular who gets to see my goodies." His eyes briefly touched Derry's, and both boys couldn't help grinning. Derry felt his face redden, and hoped that granddad's smile didn't mean more than it seemed. The man appeared to be enjoying their brief discomfort, although there was no hint of maliciousness to it. But it was almost like the three of them were sharing some secret, and Derry could readily guess what that secret might be.... So, what are the differences between Armenti males and human males? Do they have three nipples, or a prehensile penis, or what? Enquiring minds would like to know! LOL

Geron said earlier something about Nyf being more powerful than earthly internet. I certainly agree about the tv standards and Nyf's ability to intercept them. He would also be able to intercept radio signals, over-the-air transmission of data, and who knows what else.

@Geron Kees -- how much time in the story has elapsed since the first tale? Summer vacation had started in the first story. But now, in this story, they can only do weekends until school is over. So they used up summer vacation and are back in school already? What part of the school year? In the next adventure, will we learn what sensory receptors Nyf has access to if he is not with someone wearing an exploration suit or gadgets designed to work with Armenti and related AI sensors and data collection connections, whether wireless or wired? That was not specifically addressed either in "The Odd, Onward Door: Never a Door Lost" or in "The Odd, Onward Door: The Darkness Between Doors." If Nyf comes to earth in the next adventure and rides around with Mike, I can imagine he would be able to tap into cellphone calls, with the superior encryption breaking made possible by over thirteen thousand years of Armenti tech advances in AI and in information tech. Nyf and Difris have probably analyzed the cell phones of the guys, and understand them better than even Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile do.

@Wombat Bill, a fascinating, revealing, and entertaining chapter, all at the same time. I predict that the drama will pick up again in a chapter or two, but this chapter was a resting and refreshing change of pace. I is good to see Juanito doing much better than he was some chapters back. The teaser for the next chapter? very intriguing!

This is the third of the stories in the Doorways series, which has also been called "The Odd, Onward Door" series. This continues the story began in "The Odd, Onward Door," and continued in "The Odd, Onward Door: Never a Door Lost." While this tale seemed to me to start off just a bit slower than the first two, it builds to exciting events as Derry, Cally, and Mike learn more about the Door system and about some of the peoples stranded when Door travel was cut off, about a thousand years ago. This is the longest yet of the Doorway tales, and it does not disappoint. While it is quite helpful to have read the first two tales before reading this one, it can be read as a solo tale. But the full experience can best be had if the other tales are read first. The story begins with Difris, who is responsible for the Door transfer station Derry and Cally discovered, and Nyf, who traveled with Cally, Derry, and Mike Hamlyn, grandfather of Derry in the last half of the previous adventure, speaking about the new device they have come up with to allow the guys longer times on the other side of the Door they are investigating. The two artificial lifeforms assist the three humans in choosing a door to explore, and off they go. They end up on a planet which had been a resort planet in the old empire. There they meet the Crites, the Sasparians, a Narthie, and some Schrikken. With some of these they become friends. Forced to impersonate the Armenti, the builders of the Doorway system, the guys have to solve where mysterious weapons are coming from, and deal with various factions on the planet Rustgevend. They learn much more about their exploration suits, and Cally and Derry discover what Mike Hamlyn knows of their relationship. They also learn about the concept of "the great menace," which caused Door travel to cease a thousand years ago. A great tale, well worth reading. Some things I would like to mention I cannot, or risk spoiling the suspense in this excellent tale. Thirteen chapters.

A very event-filled chapter. It will probably take multiple chapters to solve all the events of this one.

Annabelle AND Vincent against that breeder! I almost -- almost -- feel sorry for him.

Actually, don't forget that there is also Bing translate. the results are sometimes a bit different in the translation.

I'm wondering if Virginia might have been pregnant when she and J Price married. That would have given Jonathan additional appearance of being straight.

@Geron Kees, to suggest an additional possibility about the shadowy ones, it may be that they possibly exist in more than three linear dimensions. As they move, parts of their bodies would shift in and out of the three linear dimensions we normally see. To handle the linear shifts, their brains would require connections not available to brains of only three linear dimensions. If you had not already thought of this possibility for the Schrikken or some other Empire peoples, you are free to use the concept any way you wish to do so.

Sounds like they could use some military grade equipment/suits on a future mission. I know that Difris said that he could not access that at the transfer station, but might Brik be able to access some gear at the starport, since Brik is now in charge? Nyf and Brik don't have the restriction on door travel that Difris is under; can Brik access stuff at the starport above what Difris is able to do at the transfer station? Sounds like some of those questions might be for a future story. And who knows what Difris, Nyf, or even Brik might have already told our guys out-of-story -- offstage, so to speak -- outside of the narration of the three tales we have read thus far? Well done, @Geron Kees.

Well, things are about to get more interesting. Jonathan's stubbornness and bullheadedness are already conspiring to wreck his campaign, and maybe more. His business may be impacted in a negative way, and dirty laundry aired, for sure. J Price is, I think soon going to have his proverbial butt handed to him on a proverbial platter. And the teaser for the next chapter-- sounds like Jared is about to catch Bernard talking to T. Shand.

Actually, Mike had been told in a chapter previous to chapter 7 what to say if questioned about being Armenti. Quoting from chapter 7: Inishee stared at him a moment in surprise. "Are we? Friends?" "Yes," Mike returned, soberly. "We are. We are all empire citizens. Equals, friends, neighbors. We're dealing with a difficult situation right now, but none of that has changed our status. So speak your minds, please." Inishee raised and lowered his thin shoulders, perhaps a sign of agreement. "You breathe the air as we do. Is it necessary to hide behind your helmets?" "Oops," Cally said then, and Derry smiled at the grin he could imagine on his boyfriend's face. Oops, indeed! "What do you think, Nyf?" Mike asked. "Is it safe to lower our head bubbles?" "I would say yes, Mike. It will be a mark in our favor to seem less aloof. And I don't think these people will be able to tell you from the Armenti. If they do, remember what I said about being an offshoot of the main race." So, Nyf had already told them to say they were a colonial offshoot of the main Armenti. I had thought that was in chapter 6, but a quick scan of that chapter did not reveal it. The idea of the shadowy ones being able to cloud minds so they would not be seen makes perfect sense, especially with the other characteristics you have already described. @Geron Kees, this is one of your most innovative stories (or possibly the most innovative). And I really like the comments made along the way by @Ivor Slipper, @weinerdog, @drpaladin, and sometimes others along the way. Thanks to all.

@Geron Kees, I see that you did a major addition from the first version of this chapter The parts I put into bold print are the additions I noticed. Ssistraa moved off with that amazing and unsettling rippling movement, joined his fellows, and quickly, the Schrikken headed away from them. Cally nudged Derry then. "I just thought of something." "What?" His boyfriend patted the front of his suit. "Nyf, how come our suit scanners didn't detect the Schrikken there in that alcove?" "They did." Derry and Cally stared at each other. "Nothing popped up," Derry insisted. "I didn't know they were there until they moved!" Nyf was silent a moment, and then offered a very practiced sigh. "I think we should talk about this later. Suffice it to say for the present that the Schrikken have their own gifts for remaining unseen." Cally's eyebrows went up in amazement, but the smile he aimed at Derry was unfazed. "Cool!" Mike Hamlyn, still standing in the tube, watched the enigmatic aliens disappear, and then turned and came back to the station. And then further down, "He looked unnerved" was replaced by "He sounded scared." Will you make us aware of that discussion on why Nyf did not notify them of the presence of the Schrikken? Perhaps in the next chapter, or just let us wonder? But this is a really good chapter.

I just saw a wrong thing in this chapter. Erva said that none of those with Crowla and Dith had heard the zap guns before. But the Crites with Dith did hear them the first and second times that the guns were fired, because they shot the six with staves. Then Mike shot the one who tried to grab a stave. So, some of them had heard the zap guns. That was in chapter 6. It makes no real difference to the story. Erva might have had a short memory lapse.

Actually, I can think of additional persons who might have made the call, though Bernard is VERY likely. Prism, Desmond, and the fixer; all are possibilities. And no telling who else Jonathan Price might have greatly upset. @Summerabbacat, I certainly agree that religious organizations should NOT to be allowed to discriminate if they take even the smallest fraction of a dollar of taxpayer money. The wrangling over that in the United States irritates me greatly, and that any truly religious organization would ACCEPT any government/taxpayer money galls me. But it happens all too often. I could say more, but it is obvious we are in major agreement on that issue. I predict that @Wombat Bill our own warlock of word weaving, the sultan of script, and the creator of chronicles will tell us, probably within three chapters.