Summerabbacat

I don't believe Danny's departure with Jake, assuming it happens, will come as any surprise to his mother @Philippe. I suspect she is preparing herself for it already, even if only to not upset Danny too much if she descends into hysterics. Your second paragraph is a complete WOW. "Youthful intellect can be like looking through a soda straw; perhaps clear, but narrow in scope" so profound and beautifully expressed.

"And sometimes people might want to do it when you don’t want them to . . . or a grown-up or a stranger might want to do it with you. If that ever happens you’ve got to say no, okay! Especially if it’s a grown-up! They’re just not allowed to.’ ‘Does that mean all grown-ups?’ Pete whispered." I immediately had the same thought as @Stompingrigs and @centexhairysub. Has Brad begun to molest Pete or exposed himself to Pete with an invitation to play with each other. I realised in this chapter I have been very harsh in my assessment of Danny's mother. I dare say life has not been easy for her; a troubled relationship between her husband and his stepson perhaps one of the least of her worries. Brad being on the road so often may be a blessing in some respects, but in other ways it has meant she has had to shoulder the responsibility of raising three children single-handedly for much of the time. I would really love to know if Danny's biological father was ever in the picture, apart from the act which led to his creation (hint hint @Mark Ponyboy Peters). If my memory serves me well it is never disclosed though. Nate's behaviour in this chapter had me contemplating what life will be like for him after Danny leaves. The upheaval in his life will almost be as great as that for Danny, and in some ways will be worse because he will not have anyone to share the upheaval with, and Danny's absence will be a constant reminder of how life is not changing for the better for him. He does strike me as a resourceful boy though and I expect he will not remain blue for long. A melancholic chapter again for me @Mark Ponyboy Peters. You write melancholia beautifully, with enough restraint that a creature such as I does not dissolve into a blubbering mess, or if I do the recovery time is relatively quick.

Revisiting the atrocities committed by spermie and the incubator in isolation of all other events in Brendan's life has crystallised a number of things in my mind, particularly after the questions raised by several of my fellow readers in the preceding comments. Firstly, it appears unlikely the incubator was abused as a child as neither Brendan nor Rich appear to have been. Was she abused in isolation? Maybe, but surely one of the boys would have noticed something. Conversely, it is very possible spermie was abused as both he and Aunt Eve became abusers, and in the case of the latter it may have contributed to her drug addiction. Secondly, were spermie and the incubator attracted to each other because of their perversions or was it completely coincidental they became a couple? Did they have some kind of "coming out" whereby each acknowledged they wanted to have children so that they could rape and abuse them? Jill described them both best. Her parting words to her mother music to my ears after what she had done to all her children. And like my fellow readers, I have to agree Jill is one badass. A 21st century Foxy Brown.

What a delightful start to the weekend @Gary L. It sounds like they are settling in well. Did you end up getting the siblings as the little female (Greta?) was not well if I recall correctly? How old are they now?

"As the train began to pull away from the station, Ethan spotted Anya and waved. Then he turned his attention back to Maxim. "Don't worry. You'll see each other again soon." I hope this statement does not portend trouble for Maxim and possibly Ethan too under Russia's atavistic "gay propaganda" laws; and, even if they do manage to escape Russia how will Maxim gain entry into the USA? Ethan has not given this any thought seemingly and Maxim is likely just glad to be fleeing the tyranny of a country poisoned by its government and Eastern Orthodox religion. And what is the connection between the scroll in the monastery and the wooden box obtained almost certainly illicitly by Damien? Do they hold nuclear codes or some ancient "wisdom" contained in religious text or revelations deeply embarrassing or dangerous to the current regime in power? Where are James Bond, Indiana Jones, Cleopatra Jones or Foxy Brown when you need them? Intriguing and suspenseful @E K Stokes with perhaps a few of @drsawzall's pesky red herrings thrown in for good measure.

Congratulations are in order @Cane23, @Tonyr, @drsawzall, @pvtguy and @chris191070 for @Robert Hugill yet again as both this story and the recently completed Crossing The Line place at #7 and #3 respectively in the top 10 'Most Read Mystery' in the last month. An achievement all the more remarkable when one considers we are only the 2nd chapter in to this latest tale set in the Hugillverse. Well done again Mr Hugill.

The "departure scene" and the "acknowledgment scene". It is hard to pick which scene moved me more, both poignant and beautifully written, capturing profound events in Danny's life, watershed moments he is likely never to forget, even if Jake does not return as promised. "Nate read the inscription, then flicked through the pages, before placing the book back where he had picked it up from. At first he said nothing. Danny was waiting for it . . . the accusations . . . the hatred . . . everything that a guy like him could usually expect, but none of it came. Instead, Nate just bumped shoulders with him and said, ‘He’ll be back." Any doubts Danny may have had about the depth of his friendship with Nate should have been quashed by this admission. Such loyalty and love is hard to imagine in a friendship between any two people, but between one straight teenager and one gay teenager dare I suggest it is a miracle. And yet both boys are so thoroughly likeable and without artifice it is not hard to see why. Stunning chapter @Mark Ponyboy Peters, a startling reminder why Danny is my favourite "ponyboy" and the friendship between he and Nate the most heartwarming of any you have crafted.

OMG I just fell off my bloody dining chair laughing at this @drsawzall. A spoonerism that would be so easy to reverse with some embarrassment at least felt by most.

I was somewhat surprised @Cane23 that Ludo is concerned Jackie would ensure she got custody of Damian with limited custody for him in a divorce. She displayed little maternal concern in the prior chapter; taking care of Damian an inconvenience to her career, a career which appears to be her #1 priority, or at least more important than either Ludo or Damian. She is a thoroughly unlikeable, egotistical, self-centred refrigerator. I am already speculating wildly at the nature of the sinister turn Jackie's job takes, with the most prominent being she is involved in trafficking women and children from Eastern Europe into the UK with the promise of legitimate work, only to find themselves sold into sex slavery. I was very amused, but at the same time saddened by Damian's understandable disappointment in, or indifference to, Jackie as his mother. "Then the house hove into view and Ludo’s heart sank. Jackie’s car was in the drive. As if the boy was echoing his thoughts, Damian said in a small voice, “Mum’s home.” It also saddened me that at the age of 10 he is well aware he has to self-censure in his mother's presence as she is a pretentious twat. Arthur's baby pink starfish proved to be a joyous visual stimulant for Ludo's starving libido, long deprived of any attention from the frost-bitten cathedral. Methinks Damian has an inkling of the interest Ludo and Arthur have in each other. Methinks he will also be delighted if it bears fruit. Marvellous chapter @Robert Hugill. Jackie, c u next Tuesday to most readers due to her neglect of all bar Jackie. Bitch.

Very pleasing to read Nick's life progressed further from that detailed in the epilogue @Lee Wilson. Steven and Jill's parting words to the incubator were befitting; they described my attitude towards her perfectly. A complete ducking hunt (another despicable practice).

Yes it does.

I have thought of sending you a DM or is it a PM a few times, but thought if life was not good it might be too upsetting for you. I am very pleased to learn you are presumably in good health.

Travelling to Russia, particularly as a gay man, is a foolhardy venture for any reason. Throw in possible Russian criminal connections and you are asking for trouble. Ethan did not strike me as stupid in the first chapter, but he certainly has in this chapter. Surely he cannot be as naive as he appears to be. His only saving grace may be that Eliott is likely having him "watched" as well as having his telephone tapped.

A very impressive opening chapter @E K Stokes. I am making no judgment of Helios, but because he is likely a witness to the crime and the criminal connections Damien had forged, I was reminded of the old adage "if you lay down with dogs you get up with fleas". Helios very well may hold the key to solving the crime as he will likely be able to identify the murderer(s) by their scent if nothing else. If Ethan was actively involved in the antiquity smuggling he very well may be in grave danger himself. He would do well to reveal anything he knows to Eliott, regardless of how trivial it may seem.

I do believe you might be onto something with this comment @pvtguy. Ralph is very involved in the lives of the twins, a real "hands on" Dad. I expect they will give their approval of Nolan, in fact, to a certain extent, they already have.

I was born the same year as @Mark Ponyboy Peters @Talo Segura which put us both at 12 years of age when this story takes place, about 4 years younger than Danny and Nate. I lived on the north coast of NSW very close to the fictional town of Thompsonville where Mark has set many of his stories. I am certainly familiar with the surfing culture, although I was not a surfer myself (my brother 3 years younger than me was and still is a surfer). The beach played a big part in our life as children and I have always loved summer and swimming. My parents were both what would now be referred to as "helicopter parents", particularly my mother. They were stricter with me as the eldest and when they divorced (I was 13 years of age) I took on more responsibility (I did not resent this at all though). My teenage years were certainly not as carefree as Danny's and Nate's, although like many of my fellow Aussie teens, when I discovered alcohol at the age of 16 I started to rebel and began to give my mother some "grief".

They are like dog shit you step in and no matter how hard you scrape your shoe on a rough surface or wipe it on grass, some of it will not come off and the smell will remain. The only way to remove it is to hose the shoe. Perhaps Ralph can turn a hose on both his parents, literally @Cane23.

Unfortunately for Ralph his mother is no more reasonable than his father. Her prior appearance where she appeared to be reasonable belied her true nature, she is just as much a social-climbing, status-symbol obsessed bigot as his father. "Yes. She's single. Divorced, like you, no children though." His Mother looked at him, "We thought it would be so nice to invite them over next weekend, just for drinks. If you could join us?" I was so hoping, but not expecting, Ralph would respond with a statement akin to "unless she has a big cock and a pair of huge balls, I am not interested". I suspect if he had responded with such a statement he would have been banished from the family home immediately. Jane and Alisa have clearly picked up on Ralph's burgeoning relationship with Nolan and as expected it worried them not. Perhaps they can tell Grandma and Grandpa "whatever" or "get over it". Nolan is proving to be adept at calming Ralph. There is nothing like the aroma of those heady pheromones to help soothe a troubled mind and/or body. Ivor's advice surprised and delighted. Although not actively supportive, his indifference to Ralph's announcement he is dating a man was as good as. Very positive chapter @Robert Hugill. Ralph has "broken the seal" on his heterosexual facade to his mother at least, whom I am sure will discuss it with his father. No doubt both will be highly unsupportive and disapproving, but Ralph is 35 and will hopefully follow Ivor's sage advice.

‘He’s growing up,’ she said to herself softly. ‘He’s right, of course, he’s not a little boy anymore, but I still can’t bear the thought of losing him.’ The overall tone of the chapter was one of joy with friends being together and a sense of accomplishment, particularly for Danny who showed his surfing prowess. The final sentence I found overwhelming though, such that it "coloured" or "clouded" the rest of the chapter. The sad 'emoticon' is not wholly representative of how it made me feel, melancholic would be more appropriate. Danny is severing the ties with his family and his youth, ties which he may or may not ever revisit, dependant on the acceptance of his family when the "real" Danny is finally revealed. A beautifully written chapter @Mark Ponyboy Peters, one which resonated strongly, in part, with my own life experience.

Nick's account of many of the events in this chapter appear to confirm what I thought at the conclusion of the first story i.e. the incubator was a bigger c&*% than spermie. "We agreed, because what else could we do? We walked into the house, and all of our furniture was there. Mom continued her questioning why there. Quietly, but we still heard. “We can’t live in this town. HE lives here.” “We don’t have a choice after what happened. If you had kept your hands off the neighbor’s kid, we wouldn’t be here at all.” I assume this overheard conversation related to Joey Keys. I have to wonder now if the incubator was blowing him like she was Steve. She also appears to have inflicted far greater pain on Nick than what spermie did. And this incident showed spermie had some sense of decency, unlike her: "Time went by, I turned six, and that summer, I broke a clock. Mom got mad like she always did. Except, I didn’t have to hold a piece of it or get locked in the bathroom right away. She took me out back. We were allowed to go out there by then, but had to stay away from the hole dad had dug, saying he was going to put in a pool. It was only ever a pool after it rained a lot. I guess that made it a lake. When I walked up to it, there was a ladder down into the bottom of the hole. Mom made me climb down and took the ladder up. After a little while, dad walked out the back door, screaming. “Damn it, Kathy. You can’t put him in there.” He put the ladder back in and told me to climb out. I got inside and mom locked me in the bathroom. It was the first time I didn’t have to squeeze what I broke."

What an eloquent description @pvtguy. Glorious.

It is early days yet. Perhaps I am mellowing? No, I don't think so.

Me too @Gary L, and delighted to have another character, Jackie, to detest. Ludo should follow the sage advice of one of Gordy's fellow Scots, Billy Connolly, and get those D-I-V-O-R-C-E papers ready. Mind you, I suspect Jackie is shtupping Herr Schmidt, or perhaps Fraulein Schmidt, or perhaps Herr and Fraulein Schmidt, so she may be preparing to file papers of her own on Ludo. For all intents and purposes, for the contribution she makes to Ludo and Damian's life she may as well be like Arthur's wife, dead. I am likely being a totally unreasonable and uncharitable bitch (rather like Jackie herself appears to be), but Jackie does not seem to have much interest in Damian. What was the purpose of having a son, was he some kind of status symbol or proof that she could breed? She clearly has little time or desire to "play" wife and/or mother, or at least wants Ludo to think this, so why bother with the charade. Great start to another tale from the Hugillverse. Thank goodness for the internet as I was able to confirm that, as I vaguely recalled, Ludo is a board game.

Like several of my fellow readers I found Nate's observation that Danny's stepfather is creepy concerning. I strongly suspect Danny's mother is oblivious and unless he does something unlawful, it is probably better for all concerned that she remains so. Frank may suspect Jake as having damaged his precious red Valiant, but would he be stupid enough to do something in retaliation? Only the Ponyboy knows (and those who have read the story before and can recall if such retaliation takes place). I too am counting on Sergeant Bailey's apathy to investigate anything requiring even a modicum of paperwork to enforce the law, to ensure the damage to Frank's car remains a mystery. Sergeant Frank Gilroy he ain't. I too was disappointed that only Frank's car was damaged, but realistically what could Lachlan have done to physically harm Frank without being caught. Danny's dummy spit to his mother was understandable and he did express remorse. It appears she recognises Danny is "drawing away" from her and his family as he continues to mature and understandably she is not happy about this. And Danny's burgeoning appreciation for the beauty of youth and the beauty of nature, a gift given by Jake. The white Datsun station wagon and the Victa lawn mower; symbols of our youth in the 1970's @Mark Ponyboy Peters.

There may be many things Danny's Mum wants to discuss with him, but I sense it may be his "relationship" with Jake. The old cliche "a mother always knows" may be about to be revealed. I presume Danny's sibling(s) are half-siblings and I believe his mother may know he feels like an "outsider" in his family and may want to reassure him he will always be her "little Danny", regardless of the direction his life takes. I still wonder if his father, if known, may also have been gay. Nate may be a little naive at times but I think he is at least beginning to suspect there is more than friendship between Danny and Jake. As I have pondered before, I don't think it will make an iota of difference to him. The "L" word came easily to the lips of both Danny and Jake. Danny's comment that Jake was beautiful brought to mind the beautiful soul classic 'Lovin' You' by Minnie Riperton, which was rather appropriate as it was a substantial hit in 1975, even in Australia. A beautiful chapter @Mark Ponyboy Peters. I sense the next chapter is going to be a real tearjerker. I don't think Danny's mother is going to chide him for anything.