Summerabbacat

I also love her self-deprecating sense of humour:

Perhaps someone treated Evan as he treated James, or perhaps he has done some genuine soul searching and realised he treated James poorly, or perhaps the grass was not greener on the other side. I am very sceptical the changes will last @CincyKris and will be very pleasantly surprised if they do.

And a very kind, compassionate, altruistic and genuine human being if all one reads about Dolly Rebecca Parton is to be believed. Dare I say, someone who lives her life according to what I understand to be the basic tenets of Christianity.

Of course if any of the students have a "daddy" fetish Herr Becker may be an ideal participant. Herr Becker, Housemaster, "Daddy", 'Twink Tops' fantasy.

Maybe not for Killian and Jacy though if @weinerdog's speculation above comes to fruition.

Not a thing @drsawzall. It is just I can imagine him critiquing the performance of those participating, telling them what they are doing wrong and how they could improve their performance and scoring them on their personal "attributes", all based on their families wealth and social status.

There you go @Lee Wilson, problem solved. And as my "reward", you gladly donate your first class ticket to Italy. Arrivederci Signore Wilsonino. I'll send you a postcard from Milan.

I seem to recall you have previously mentioned you are already a grandfather @Lee Wilson or have I imagined this? If so, you simply cannot go as to do so might slight your grandchildren. If I am mistaken, I guess there is no competition, you win.😠😠😠

Hello God! I adore Dolly.

Lou indicates Winston "got a pretty big settlement from when his parents were killed". I suspect @Davide they may have been killed in a car accident caused by another driver who was found at fault, or in their own car and the manufacturer was found at fault, or they may have been murdered. Art and Seth are now on "boner watch", with boners making random appearances, sometimes at the most inopportune moments. If Seth decides additional naturist explorations are in order in the Lamonica/Stevenson family home he may find the novelty of nudity will wear off and the boners will become less recurrent. Of course, given his age they may become even more recurrent - he brushes against the dining table leg, voilà boner; he sits on the couch next to Art, voilà boner; he watches Lou eat a banana whilst watching TV, voilà boner; a gentle breeze is felt through the household, voilà boner. A trip to Italy, flying first class, how wonderful. Perhaps Lou could have taken me as a de-facto grandfather for Art given one of his grandfathers is deceased. Living 'Down Under' can be such a depravation at times @Lee Wilson.

Hopefully not Herr Becker though.

@Laura S. Fox commented after the last chapter that there will be homoeroticism in this story @Cane23. If Ali's first appearance was any guide to future appearances I can certainly see him putting the homo in eroticism so to speak.

My speculative juices have all but dried up after this chapter @Josh Aterovis, mirroring Killian's despondency after being so close to learning the identity of the looter, who is also the likely murderer. I think after this chapter the only persons who can be ruled out are Jacy and Professor Howard. It was interesting to note that for the first time Killian considered Bridget may have been involved in the looting, and that her getting cold feet may have led to her murder. Was this merely a red herring introduced by @Josh Aterovis to whip we readers into a speculation frenzy, or a legitimate observation on Killian's part requiring further consideration. I will be interested to see what our resident expert on red herrings, @drsawzall, has to say on the matter. The distressed caller has not been heard from again as yet. Were the two calls received to date just another Aterovisian distraction, and if not, who was the caller and what was the purpose of their calls. A possible explanation which has just occurred to me now is that the caller was Eve, perhaps calling Killian at work rather than at home, as she wants to use him for some purpose relating to Kane. I cannot believe she would be calling to ask Killian to help her make amends with Kane, or even more unbelievably Adam, so she must be up to something nefarious if it is indeed she who has called.

My apologies @Robert Hugill I have just been re-reading your profile information and note you have your own blog Planet Hugill, not a programme of the same title. Does your blog address your love of classical music? I seem to recall @Gary Lis a classical music fan as well, or it may just be opera.

OMG The Nimrud Panther, potentially traded by Uncle Vernon for sexual services provided by Ian's Aunt. I cannot imagine this having occurred though as what value did this artefact have for Ian's Aunt, particularly given it looked like mud according to Ian or a turd according to the rest of the "gang". Ian has also always portrayed his Aunt as very serious and proper, but I guess underneath all that Victorian frustration and repressed sexuality, there could have beaten the heart (and the loins) of a woman with a voracious appetite for passion. I also recall Louis alluding to the fact Uncle Vernon often cast a lascivious eye at photographs of scantily clad or unclad younger males. I suppose he could have been bisexual. I have been under the impression chapter 40 was the final chapter @Robert Hugill. I have just checked the chapter listing and noted the Prologue and Eileen was classified as chapter 1, so this chapter really is only chapter 39, so all is forgiven. LOL. I am very pleased by this, as it means we readers get one more chapter before you 'Complete' this story 😢😢😢😢. It has caused a "minor inconvenience" though, as I had the "perfect" song selected to publish in honour of the final chapter, but cannot wait to do so on the final chapter as I will probably forget by the time the "real" chapter 40 is published. It is a fabulous song, disco of course, and although not as good as the original by Donna Summer, it is a very worthy remake. What makes it of great significance Gary L, @drsawzall, @pvtguy, @centexhairysub, @Daddydavek, @VBlew, @Carybr and @CCinPS, is that Robert Hugill is one of the backing vocalists on the track as a member of the Pink Singers. It is rather appropriate too because the song itself was released 41 years ago and was a substantial hit, just like this story. I have never seen this video @Robert Hugill and it really is the epitome of 80's tackiness, but I liked it nevertheless, very amusing and loved the sleek black cat. Jimmy looks about 15 or 16 years of age, Steve looks like he could have "inspired" Chris Lowe from Pet Shop boys in his Roy Orbison glasses, standing completely still with a poker face and Marc is so over the top. I hated Tainted Love by Soft Cell, so have never given Marc the regard I perhaps should have as he is rather a good singer. I have to ask Robert, is that you by chance on the surfboard with Jimmy? LOL.

If the first three chapters are an indication of the story yet to be told then we readers are in for a treat. A small cast of interesting characters thus far, set against the backdrop of a somewhat "disturbing" all boys school, Veridien Academy.

Ali presented himself as more eccentric than prankster (Lawrence's description, not mine). I, like @drsawzall, suspect Ali knows far more than what he shared initially with Lawrence. He was exuberant and somewhat chaotic in manner, but I am almost certain that masks a very observant person with a mind like a steel trap. I, like our other resident doctor, @drpaladin, wondered if Ali paid Lawrence a visit on his own volition or was he sent to interrogate, and if so, by whom. Ali lacked a filter in his open, if not blatant, admiration of Lawrence's physique. To his credit, Lawrence was not hostile to this. He was cautious in his responses to Ali's questions, providing only the most basic information about himself, information which Herr Becker and the school's administration would already have on record. And speaking of Herr Becker, Ali did not give him a glowing reference, but how much of his assessment was truthful and how much was embellishment for dramatic effect. I must say @Laura S. Fox, Ali reminded me a lot of young Jack from Beyond The Veil. He has Jack's exuberance, lack of filter, nervous restless energy, chaotic manner, irreverence and inquisitiveness. Lawrence described him as feline like, a description which could perhaps be applied to Jack too given his similar small slender build. Much to ponder after Ali's visit to Lawrence @Laura S. Fox but the pressing question for me at least was, what was Ali listening to on his headphones? 1986 electronic beats. Could it perhaps have been New Order with any number of their club hits from that era e.g. Blue Monday, Sub Culture, Shellshock, or Thieves Like Us. I am going to go with Sub Culture.

Medieval Fantasy, not a genre in which I have any interest, I only considered reading this story because it is written by one of my favourite GA authors, @Mark Ponyboy Peters. The Prologue piqued my interest, so I thought I would give the story a chance, and I am very glad I did. There is certainly an element of medieval fantasy, supernatural elements and the mention of a dragon, but for the most part it is a story with universal themes, one which at times has remarkable similarities to the political climate of many nations of the world today and their despotic and unhinged leaders. A large cast of characters in comparison to many of Mark's other stories, but each had an important part to play. Of course, the characters are well drawn as is Mark's usual standard, with excellent editing by @MJC again making the story flow well and easy to read. Read it and enjoy as did I.

It is highly regarded, but I must say it is not one of my favourite songs of his. Don't forget to change the story status to 'Complete' so we readers can write a review. Hopefully I won't have the same 'systems issues' I had when trying to write a review for The Prince And His Pauper. If I do, you may hear me swearing from your place.

I did not expect to enjoy it @chris191070 given it is a medieval fantasy, but I did.

You certainly are prolific, much like Prince for most of his career. Do you like purple and have you ever worn a Raspberry Beret or driven a Little Red Corvette?

"Dawn had not yet fully broken when the Warning Bird screamed, beneath skies tinged with a fiery red. The sound tore through the valley, and the riders, who were still climbing the pass, were snapped to immediate attention. As one, they all looked up, but all they saw was the shadow of something huge. It screamed again. Another warning, then the shadow circled, before fading away." I think it should be known as Rinehart @Mark Ponyboy Peters; large, loud and screaming for attention. It appears supernatural forces were on the side of the Knights of the Order of the Dragon, with violent murderous clouds and wind combining to turn the arrows launched from the bows of Septimus' soldiers who accompanied Judayah of Enkarra back on them. Is Judayah of Enkarra amongst the dead? Probably not, I suspect he will live to tell the tale to Septimus, but once told he might not survive the wrath of Septimus. I assume the Rise Of The Dragon is the sequel to this story @Mark Ponyboy Peters. It is rather repulsive looking I must say. It could be named Dutton, Barnaby, Michaela or perhaps Clive. A beast for sure.

Charlie Brown - husband, movie star, tireless LGBTQI and animal rights activist and DISCO DIVA. LOL.

Could this be in Charlie's future @Mark Ponyboy Peters? if so, hopefully without the booze and drugs.

In search of Brayden's family name (Parks as identified by his father in chapter 1 when he introduces himself to Charlie's father), I was reminded of the very different level of wealth between the Parks and Brown families. It was easy to forget this after chapter 1 as not once did Charlie exhibit any superiority due to his affluence. This is testament to the manner in which his father has raised him, and likely another blight in his odious mother's eyes.