Will Hawkins

One of your commenters included in his remarks the mention of the year 1968 as one he dreaded reading about in a future chapter. Out of curiosity I checked the timeline of events for that year and was dumbfounded at the many negative things that happened including assassinations and invasions as well as massacres in Viet Nam. 1968 was truly an apocalyptic year. Your handling of the funeral and subsequent events was, as usual, masterful. Each subsequent chapter I read further impresses me with your skill as an author and as a historian. I have a slight negative reaction to all the bedroom antics, but that is just my age showing and, after all, this is a GA story, so I cannot bitch too much.

The loss of the Thresher, the first of her design as an atomic powered submarine, started a redesign of submarines for the US Navy. The newly designed vessels were named Thresher Class Subs. The certain cause of the sinking of the Thresher is, to this time, undetermined. There was at one time speculation that a brazed (rather than welded) pipe joint failed, allowing sea water to spray at very high pressure into the interior of the vessel and shorting out electrical panels, but no definitive failure has been established. It is known that the hull imploded at a depth of about 400m below maximum design depth. If, at that time there were any of the crew still alive they would have been instantly (0.01sec) crushed into a gelatinous mass.

A 'manwich'.I have never seen that in person, but I have heard that it fun to be the sliced cheese in the middle.

Legally and morally this is rape, even if his student is enjoying the penetration and both participants are of Age of Consent for M/M sex, as an instructor fucking a student, JP is in a superior position and is legally committing rape. The evidence of the duplicate papers might not even be admissible in court. All Ronnie has to do is go to the Emergency Room of the nearest hospital and request a rape kit. If there is any question about who did what to whom, DNA testing would provide an answer good enough to stand up even in an antagonistic courtroom. Ronnie might get kicked out of school for plagiarism, but that evidence could be suppressed by a good attorney. JP is wrong here and is placing his entire career in jeopardy. The marks on Ronnie's wrists and ankles can be used to establish restraint.

Is this the beginning of JP as the patriarch of the family? In the later stories that is the role he assumed (or that was foisted off on him.)

This may not be the first time for JP and Jeff, but it truly a beginning that can last for many years. Excellent writing, Mark. You show all the abilities of a true craftsman mixed with a strong shot of creativity. I am enjoying this re-reading perhaps even more than the first time. There is a magic in your fingers on the keyboard that connects directly to the reader's heart. I have seen the same effect in the 'Bridgemont' Series even with the hundred years and an ocean and a continent between.

JP is going to (eventually) face this loss, but his heart has been wounded and the scars will be there for life. There is another loss he will be facing shortly when the submarine `Thresher´ is lost. I don't know whether that loss will hit him as hard though -- no one was as close as Andre.

I was alive and well at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and remember the feeling of suspense when the last Russian ship did not turn around. But in my memory, there was suspense, but not an overwhelming sense of fear that was expressed here -- probably because I was not living in a target city at the time. While I was 30 years of age and therefore prime meat for a war, I was teaching in a Community College in a suburban area near Seattle,, WA and we did not feel the pressures of a Soviet threat that were apparent on the East Coast and in Florida. I am sure Miami was in a panic as the nearest large city to Cuba, and New York and Chicago would feel the pressures as well. Of course the prime target city would probably be Washington, DC if only for propaganda purposes and, if I remember correctly the principal offices of the government scattered out over the countryside to hunker down.

It looks like there has been some clearing of the air between JP and Bill Henderson, but we see the end of one mystery and the onset of another, this time with Andre -- why the cancellation of the leaves?

Interesting position when "Jeff rolled over on his stomach and let me fall asleep his chest like he used to."

Do you suppose Jenson destroyed the photos before he offed himself -- he would be foolish not to, but if he didn't destroy them, and it ever came out that was why he suicided, I wonder what the effect on JPs psychology would be? Okay, Jensen was an ass and deserved repayment for the way he had treated, not just JP, but everybody with whom he came in contact. But is suicide ever the best solution? It does very little to solve Jensen's problem -- just adds a different twist on his life and death.

The extreme passion of Jeff's sex with Andre expresses his need, but I worry that, if Andre were available all the time, whether the passion might cool. This sort of peak is not something that can continue time after time. Unfortunately Andre will be going back on duty so the passion cannot continue and when the let-down comes, where will that leave Jeff? The confrontation with Dr. Jensen was true to life -- you have to confront a bully time after time until he gets tired of the effort. Hopefully Jensen will find some other target for his ire-

JP seems like a man who knows how to handle almost every pothole in the road. I have the feeling there is going to be continuing friction with Dr. Jensen but that worthy does not realize how formidable a foe JP can become. The repercussions from the Jeff kiss will continue as well, unfortunately. Not even JP's charm can turn him. But it is certainly nice to have a) a personal construction man to take care of the decoration of the Condo, and b) a warm teddy bear to cuddle with at night. Cheers, Mister Will

It is becoming apparent that there is going to be a learning process for JP, but that he has the intelligence and the willingness to undertake it. I, like you, am enthralled with Jeff and his willingness to accept JPs help and return something for it. That shows a side of his character qw have not seen before. I have the feeling that this new Jeff is as much an independent person as any other you have created, Mark. It is a strange quirk to creating a character that sometimes the personality of that new or growing character takes over the creative process for the author and creates himself. You did a great job on this series and I am looking forward to hours of pleasure re-reading the series after having left it to perk for two years. Cheers, Mister Will

It is interesting to me that the second time I am reading this story is nearly exactly two years to the day after the first time. I guess I need my Mark Arbour refreshment every two years on my birthday (September 19). I should apologize for the nit-picking comment I made two years ago and reassure all the authors whose works I read that I am not being so snarky anymore -- I guess acceptance comes with increasing age! It is totally through the efforts of the GA authors who works I read, that I am not going screamingly crazy in watching the international ruination of my native land. I am constrained by my location and my inability to speak Portuguese to watching CNN on the local cable TV channel. It is a catastrophe watching your native land crash and burn through the stupidity of one man.

Stefan seeks like a cute addition to the story. He is very brave to move to a new country when he cannot even speak the language, especially not even knowing that there were relatives there who could communicate with him.

Well, finally. I have been anticipating a JP -- Andre affair ever since I started reading this tale. I guess Andre is going to really be sad to go active now!

Take it from a man of some experience, When JP gets penetrated for the first time, providing Peter is as experience a top as he seems to be, JP is in for a memorable time. I have had delights at being a top and a bottom, sometimes both in the same assignation, providing the top is gentle, takes it slow at first and used lots of lube, being a bottom is absolutely the best way. An experienced top knows how to open a bottom up and where the G-spot is to be found, and that, my friend is the bestest!

Question: I assume the cop did not end up with anything worse than a broken nose, but it would be possible for him to pick the redhead out of a lineup. However, it was not the redhead who assaulted him. Does Red have any criminal responsibility for the assault? He is still guilty on a solicitation charge, but assault on top of that would end up with a much longer sentence. Where does he stand with the law?

By the time I finish reading this entire series I will be an old man -- hell, I am already an old man (86 this month). This is the second time for me also, just like several of your commenters, but it has been long enough since the first time that it is like re-reading a beloved book that you first read in Grade School. I am looking forward to re-discovering your characters. I probably will not comment too much, but I am here and enjoying your efforts, Mark.

As usual Granger is showing his genius with alternative forms of naval warfare. Floating mines , indeed. I am going to be researching my history books to determine what the relations between His Britanic Majesty and the Czar of all the Russias was in this era. Looking forward to the next chapter a usual, excellent work, Mark.

Oh, don't waste time looking for my work -- I am what is known as an unpublished author´. I have written a series of several books, but they are not divided into chapters as yet and I am only just recently running back through them, editing like crazy. The only reason I mentioned them above was the coincidence of two authors, unknown to one another, creating stories with similar story lines. It must be something to do with 'great minds running in similar channels' or perhaps 'caught in the same rut'. lol

Remarkable, I have started a story with some minor similarities. My corrective guys are called 'nannies' and are undifferentiated cells from fetal cords, growing on an artificial blood substitute, freeze.dried into powder for and put into capsule form for ingestion- The biggest eternal effect is a lack of any concentration of body hair below the ear, that being a symptom of a return of the body to an early post puberty mode. But overall health, superior muscularity, and freedom from disease leading to life extension are similar traits. The Neaderthal companions are a wonderful offshoot. good luck with your writing, you know that you have an interested reader.

Hang in there Grandma, the boys need you for one more event, wait until after the wedding then rest.

I was practically raised on the beaches in Hollywood, Florida (a vacation community at that time, just north of Miami). As we lived there during the years of WWII. They were not wall-to-wall tourists as they are now. Clothing was nearly optional at that time -- I remember riding the school bus to school barefoot, in torn-off jeans and no shirt all through grade school and Junior High. We moved to Texas (San Antonio) before High School (a Military Academy for me) so I did not get to enjoy lower standards of dress there, but I do remember riding the public bus with laborers in shorts, heavy boots and a 'wife-beater' (sleeveless white underwear top). The girls also wore minimal clothing: short-shorts and a bra top, (not that I was interested in their standards of dress!