ReaderPaul

I was also confused on whether Jacob has one half-brother or two. I will bet Quokka/Preston will have a good explanation.

I especially liked this chapter and the previous one. I was in the hospital Tuesday afternoon through Friday morning because I had a stoke, and reading your story and others helped me keep my spirits up as I improved. Thank you, Preston.

Colonel is running the base. A corporal was the messenger delivering the paperwork.

In this story and the preceding one, DIO is the Australian Defence Intelligence Organization, and if memory serves, AG SC3 stands for Australian Government Security Clearance Level Three.

Quokka/Preston, I may not comment on every chapter, but I'm enjoying this. I am wondering if Chris and Will might try to learn a few phrases in Swahili for times in which Will, Chris, Jacob, and Nat might wish more privacy. Of course, you would be the best judge of whether that would fit into the story, or just be a distraction.

Easy mistake. Sarah and Abraham were hale-brother and half-sister. They married long before the incest taboos in Leviticus went into effect. For that matter, Amram and Jochabed, the parents of Moses, violated the future incest taboo. Jochabed was Amram's aunt. When Amnon, one of David's sons, raped Tamar, who was one of David's daughters, Tamar begged him to stay and marry her, because the incest taboo was not strongly enforced. Many strange sexual happenings are in various sacred books in this world. The Cinderfella series is one of my favorites of your works.

Okay, R Eric -- Rebekah was Isaac's wife. SARAH was Abraham's wife, and Hagar was his concubine.

I am wondering when something will happen such that Jacob and Uncle Nat will have to again use their Level Three Security Clearance. You are very good, Preston, at slipping in surprises. But, perhaps, the surprise might be that in this adventure they DON'T have to use their security clearance. I am sure it will be a good story either way.

Another great example of poetic prose.

Quokka, I do hope you consider a sequel, set wherever you wish.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I am loving the story. I was merely surprised.

Interesting and more interesting! But I do have a question. At least twice, you mentioned Olek. I think you meant Christian. "... I had a tutor one year...I’ve had many, many tutors over the years, but this one...well, I got the feeling he rode the thin line between madness and sanity. That was my professional eight-year-old opinion. Both Olek and I had separate tutors. Olek was already my hero and it would be another two years before we had the ball and he would meet Ella. Professor Montrose was having a hard time concentrating and difficulty creating coherent sentences. I was having a hard time following his line of thought....l"

Story continues to be a very good one, Preston. Thank you.

Preston, I am enjoying this story even more than most of your stories.

The best evidence points to Phineas Taylor Barnum saying this, but it is not certain. However, Barnum did NOT say "There's a sucker born every minute." That was said by a banker, David Hannum, who knew Barnum.

Cool! Ricky's little brother and Ricky's slightly older little sister we FINALLY get to meet? And the guys, along with Keerby and Frit and Pip and Ragal, have an interesting time in Twombly?

@Geron Kees, you ALWAYS have permission to use any ideas I might give you. I GRANT YOU, GERON KEES, ULIMITED AUTHORIZATION TO USE ANY IDEAS I MIGHT SUGGEST TO YOU, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY. Even such an unlikely one as Charlie's second self being projected into Derry's bedroom in your Doors series while Derry and Cally are having an "active sleepover!"

I agree with you on the reliability issues, and I had not thought about the cold and atmosphere problem in that way. But what if the guys were captured, and the translators removed? Or some electronic interference overrode the translators temporarily? THAT is when a physical ability to have a rough translation would be handy. Plus, expanded knowledge may come in handy at any time. BTW (By The Way) I added to the original comment while you were answering the above. As a kid growing up in the 1950s and 1960s "Made in Japan" was some of the least reliable stuff one could buy. But now, "Made in Japan" or "Made in South Korea" items are often the most reliable one can buy (but American car tech is coming along quite well). Your comment about Charlie's other self being so-endowed with a translator sparks a naughty question: Could BOTH of Charlie's selves make love to Kippy at the same time? LOL

Okay, Geron, i want to throw some questions out there for your perusal and contemplation. Since you are writing the story, your perspicacity regarding said story is greater than mine. If Charlie appeared to Mike, Bobby, and Kontus as ghostly at first, how did he have the material solidarity to move the air molecules to produce audible conversation with them? Or was he communicating directly with their minds? Kontus is obviously exposed to English from hearing Bobby and Mike speak to each other. So he should be picking up some understanding of English, as he obviously has to be quite smart. Otherwise, he might never have risen to Port Authority of the discworld. Further, I am guessing that on trips Bobby, Kontus, and Mike might practice language lessons for Kontus to try to learn English and Mike and Bobby (and probably Pacha as well) to learn to speak or understand Trichani. Something COULD happen to their translators. Mike was exposed to magic/ka the longest, of anyone on the ship of Pacha'Ka. So If anyone on there besides Pacha could be "sparked" into magic talent, Mike would be the most likely choice. But the atmosphere and language question remains....

Well, with Charlie's ability to be in two places at once, and Max's ability to create a "tunnel," and Casper's ability to see pictures in Will and Billy's mind, could Charlie and Max and Casper team up to send Charlie into the spirit dome to talk to Billy and Will, and relay information to Murcha or Onglet? Probably Ricky could analyze things with Ragel's amazing insights, since Ricky and Charlie seem, from the first chapter of this story, to be developing a parallel bond to what Kippy and Adrian have. But, @Geron Kees , I hope you explore how Mike was able to call Charlie in the first place, and have Ricky indirectly aware of it. And where will Grandma Sue and Sefton the Tour Guide come into future stories? Curious minds would like to know! (I predict you will not have a ready answer for THAT one, except "Wait and see."

After all, Will and Billy probably have the same root name -- William -- and wouldn't it be something if Grandma Sue's last name or maiden last name happen to be Williams, Hopkins, or Matson?

Okay, @Geron Kees -- I have some questions. Some might not be answered until a future Charlie Boone story. HOW did Mike call Charlie? Does Mike also have a touch of "split-presence?" Could constant association with Pacha'Ka have "sparked" Mike's magic talents; similar to Charlie, Kippy, Adrian, and Ricky being "sparked" by the association with first Max, then Pip and Frit, then Pacha, then Nicholaas, then Keerby, Casper, then Auggie -- How did Ricky sense -- BEFORE Adrian and Kippy -- that he needed to have Adrian call Kippy -- who was with Charlie? Why can't the guys go to Engris and ask Will, Billy, and Grandma Sue where Bobby and the others are?

As clearly and concisely as @Mawgrim writes, one hundred chapters should do it. I am enjoying reading his work.

Have you read the latest Pern novel, written by Gigi Kennedy, Anne's daughter, writing under the name "Gigi McCaffrey?" I have it, but have not yet had time to read it.

Looks promising so far.