David McLeod

You all made my day. I am a scientist by training and inclination, although my laboratory is often limited to my kitchen or my mind. I, too, like to mix science and magic in the spirit of Arthur Clarke's Third Law: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." So mote it be! David

Timothy M. Thank you for reading and for your comment. Overpopulation, especially in what we call "underdeveloped" countries (because "Third World" is no longer politically correct) is already leading to Malthusian Catastrophes and loosing the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, particularly Pestilence, Famine, and War. The Morlocks had a solution – they kept the Eloi in check by luring them to the underground and using them for food. Not something I would like to see, but I suspect it won't be long before stories of cannibalism are reported from countries with large refugee populations. I weep for humanity. David

Toast, Thank you for reading and for your kind words. Hope you will continue to find enjoyment in my stories. David

This particular "grail" (the Baron's son, the destruction of the evil one) is but one in a long series of adventures in this lifetime. It is a continuation of adventures in past lives and a precursor of adventures in future lives. Just as Lancelot never found the grail he sought, it is unlikely these boys (or the Principality of Arcadia and its ally, the Kingdom of the Elves) will ever completely overcome evil.

This particular part of the book is apparently based on W. W. Comfort's translation of "The Quest for the Holy Grail," but without the religious aspect. In the introduction, Comfort writes, These familiar adventures with lorn ladies, with eyrie castles, with awful tombs and sylvan shrines, with cruel or craven knights—are all invested with a new “significance.” They are interpreted by the lonely hermits and learned abbots as mere trials of that faith which must survive all trials along the way of life. These adventures which astound and baffle the knights are inexplicable to them until they are explained by godly men in their true perspective as tests of moral and spiritual strength. www.yorku.ca/inpar/quest_comfort.pdf I think that addresses a number of your thoughts. Thank you for those, and as always, thank you for reading.

All will be revealed – eventually. Rudy of Barrone (original author) does not write cliff-hangers, but he does sprinkle obscure clues throughout "The Book of Heroes."

"Good attracts evil; exceptional good attracts exceptional evil."

You are both prescient – and correct.

It would appear this particular band of brigands has some official protection, not unlike criminals in a corrupt city in our Earth Analogue. I believe you will see another side of this soon.

Yes, the author mishandled the amulet; however, the knowledge they gained may have been more important than the magic.

You both saw that Thom is to become an important player in Patrick and Alan's missions. Keep an eye on him!

CAdfael, AKA "The Pelican," and his operation is indeed secret, although I suspect Alan's father is aware of at least some of it. "The fewer people who know a secret the longer it may be kept." And he's not as big a fool as he appears, but someone of something stepped in to ensure Patrick and Alan would bond with him.

Thank you all for reading and for your thoughts. Patrick, of course, is the essence of Lawful-Good and Alan is utterly steadfast and devoted to him. (Anyone see any wish-fulfillment, there?)😊

Timothy M., Thank you for your loyalty to this story, and for taking the time to write reviews. It's good to know that folks are still enjoying them.

Cajbor, some of them will appear in later stories. May I suggest you check the "timeline," posted with the stories, to help you select a few that will eventually lead to what is now the final book in the series. (Not to say that there might not be more, someday.) Thank you for reading and for your comment.

Timothy, please excuse my tardiness, not to be confused with the Tardis which would solve that problem. George is my first love, the person with whom I'd want to spend the rest of this lifetime and perhaps the next. Chandler is, however, my favorite character--someone who struggles and has the courage to finally wins that struggle. I'm happy for them both, too. Thank you for reading.

My friend, Brendan, invited me to read Geron's stories. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to really delve into them. I knew when I saw the title of this one that I'd not be disappointed, and Geron didn't. Disappoint me, that is. The story is an affirmation of the notion that courage of one's convictions may be (and, I hope, always will be) enough to overcome obstacles. Alas, while that may not be true always in real life, it was a pleasure to read of a situation where it was true. Charlie Boone and Friends came alive in so many ways, and the details of the "dry ice" fog machine were wonderful. The story offered a pleasant diversion from life, and a hope for the future. Thank you, Geron.

This story offers an outstanding and believable mix of fantasy and reality. My visits to Amsterdam were brief, but Geron Kees evoked an image that brought me back in an instant. No story can be called truly great unless the author is able to create an environment, a milieu, in which the story exists. The milieu must be solid, but not intrusive. Geron's Amsterdam is not only solid, it is haunting, and it is a fit location for this story. The invocation of "The Night Watch" is genius. For readers: If you have a few moments, I could encourage you to check this video: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/baroque-art1/holland/v/rembrandt-nightwatch My compliments to you, Geron. David

Good time of day, Thank you for taking the time to write a review, and for your frank evaluation of Book 3. I thought about what you said, re-read the manuscript, and agree that there's probably a lot that is unnecessary, and that it does slow the pace of the story. However, there is, I think, a lot about relationships: Paul and his sons (and other metas), metas' and their parents, Paul and his superior. It may have been lost in other material. I'm in the process of (very slowly) rewriting the ms of all three books and combining them into one. (Part of the reason for a lot of the repetition is that I wrote Book 2, then Book 1, then realized things needed to be "tied together" and "tied up," and wrote Book 3.) I'll keep your thoughts in mind during the re-write. Thank you. David

Chapter 42: Holidays, but Not for All Evian Boutique Georgetown, DC December 20, 2018 @ 10:27 AM “I’m sorry, Mrs. Lennox,” the clerk said. “But your credit card was declined. Perhaps—” “Impossible,” Mrs. Lennox said. “Black cards don’t get declined.” “Perhaps the magnetic strip—” “Give me the card. Use this one,” Mrs. Lennox said, and held out a gold card from a different company. The clerk swiped the card, and stared at the terminal. Then, “I’m sorry ma’am, but this one’s been declin

Chapter 41: Quarks and Kids Winter Palace, St. Petersburg Jonathan’s Journal November 2, 2018 Mother stormed into my office. She really didn’t storm in, she was very much too much a lady to do that. Still, I read anger and purpose in her demeanor. Spartak was close behind her. He took very seriously his responsibility to protect the Babushka of Russia, and was seldom far from her. “Jonathan? The prelate has suddenly gotten some b . . . backbone, and has refused to evacuate the Catherine

Chapter 40: Pan, as in Panama Jaf’s e-log Winter Palace September 16, 2018 “Why did you dismiss Leonid?” Jonathan asked me. “There’s something about the N-phone that frightens him,” I answered. “I don’t know why it does, but I never want to scare him.” Global Explorer Northwest of the Galapagos September 30, 2018 Summer camp, long extended, was over. The kids—except those who would begin the fall high school semester on the Global Explorer, were being flown on four-engine Clippers

Happy to learn that; thank you. It is an outstanding film. I donated one copy to the local public library and one to a budding videographer. Nice to know I can still watch it from the comfort of my computer.

Chapter 39: Only Jonathan Can Go To China Global Explorer and Beijing, China September 10—18, 2018 Nicky and Davey were burning up and recreating condensed matter on the November circuit. And Nicky was blocking me. There was something he was not ready to tell me. I say, not ready because I trusted Nicky, and knew he would tell me when I needed to know. I hoped it was going to be a good surprise. It was. On the 10th of September, he handed me a sheaf of papers. “Alex? This is your itiner

Chapter 38: I Fought the Law, but the Law Won East Wing, the White House Washington, DC August 1, 2018 President Hawkins’s confidence in the career civil servants at the Federal Election Commission had not been misplaced. At his Monday news conference, he was flanked by a handful of FEC employees. “After an exacting and difficult investigation, the Federal Election Commission has sent letters to seventeen 501(c)4 political action committees ordering them to cease and desist all operation