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David McLeod

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  1. David McLeod
    Chapter 3: The Joy of Cooking Paul The next morning, after breakfast, Artie and Alan took Larry and me on a tour of the monastery-that-wasn’t-a-monastery, and to the village located a few miles down a path that wound its way through forest and fields. After lunch, we asked for a meeting with the senior. Artie and Alan led us to an herb garden, where the senior knelt in the dirt, removing stunted plants so that others might grow more freely. He sat back, and gestured for the four of us to jo
  2. David McLeod
    Chapter 2: Magic—and Sharing “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.” —Sherlock Holmes in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Scandal in Bohemia (1891, Earth Analogues III, VII, and others) The senior had agreed that Brother Sebastian might take Paul and Larry back to the place where they had been found. After lunch, Artie and the Elven boy Alan brought them boots, trousers, and shirt
  3. David McLeod
    Chapter 16: California . . . and Mt. Zion 2010-01-01/0300 Camp Santa Ana Slowly and silently, a boxy aeroplane without wings circles above the camp, invisible in the moonless, overcast night. Three times it makes its circuit while sensors probe the buildings, and the mountains surrounding the camp. Then, it settles to the ground in front of the headquarters building. Only then does the boy on guard see the aeroplane. He scampers into the building. A door in the side of the shuttlecraft
  4. David McLeod
    Thank you for your thoughts. Please don't try to reconcile Book 2 and Book 3: the story changed, and I know there are anachronisms!
  5. David McLeod
    Chapter 15: Through the Rift “Captain Moultrie, what would you think of moving the Charleston through the rift, and taking up a position in synchronous orbit at longitude 115 degrees west?” That would put us over the equator, due south of Las Vegas. We knew, now that Las Vegas was only one of several key cities, but station-keeping over LV would also put us close to the time zones for California and Mt. Zion. I had called a meeting of the Flag Team, and invited the captain and his exec. I c
  6. David McLeod
    Good time of day, and thank you for taking the time to post your review. Pilots I was a departure from earlier themes, and I'm happy that Paul and Larry found their way into the World of elves, "middle earth," fantasy, and magic. This story was published long ago, but it's being significantly modified. I, too, hope you enjoy the story.
  7. David McLeod
    Chapter 13: Time Flies Like an Arrow Prologue Turbulence buffeted the DHC-2 Beaver aircraft. The radio direction finder showed an emergency beacon nearby. Paul held firmly to the wheel. Beside him, Larry split his attention between a map and the instruments. “I’ve got our location,” Larry called over the engine’s sound. “The beacon’s somewhere on the south slope of that peak. No name on the map.” “Call it in,” Paul said. “I’ll move in a little closer—maybe we can spot wreckage.” Larry
  8. David McLeod

    Pilots II

    David McLeod posted a story in Fiction

    Two boys from Earth Analogue III awaken on World, and learn that if they ever will fly again they must find a dragon. You may recall that these boys, Paul and Larry, died when their plane crashed on a search and rescue mission north of J’ville, Wyoming.
  9. David McLeod
    Chapter 14: Mt. Zion USF Charleston Intel Team Meeting Knowing with certainty that there was a fourth telegraph network, and given the clue of Mt. Zion, the intel team identified what may have been the headquarters of the inquisitors: a mountain about 100 miles south of Denver. That is, the location in Colorado of “our” Denver. The Denver of the Reverend’s world was little more than a sheep station. “The telegraph lines converge on this building, here,” Marty said, pointing to the displ
  10. David McLeod
    Chapter 19: Tezca Tezca’s eyes moved from the wire brush to the can of Dura Lavado® cleanser to the jug of bleach. He looked briefly into the mirror, and then turned away in disgust. He didn’t need the mirror to see the puss-filled pimples that covered his face, or the craters and scars where similar pustules had been. The memories were burned into his mind. Doctors had prescribed steroids, hormones, and medicines even more exotic. None had worked; some had caused frightening side effects.
  11. David McLeod
    Chapter 13: Signs and Portents Chicago was among the largest cities in the Reverends’ territory, and it was conveniently close to a large body of water. While Lake Michigan wasn’t the sea, it would do. The first of the signs and portents was scheduled for a moonless night, just off what was in our world the Fleet Pier. USF Resolute hovered about 10,000 feet above the lake. Bobby and his team were on the bridge, hovering over Dr. Adams’s shoulders. The rest of the GWGs—and much of the Task Fo
  12. David McLeod
    Chapter 18: Jonathan Earth Analogue VII Whittaker knew he didn’t have to ask, but popped in while I was at breakfast. I didn’t have to ask Alder (Ilex verticillata) to set another place, but I did wonder at Whittaker’s timing. “Whittaker? Are you still happy being a dryad? No regrets?” I think he knew what I was thinking. “No. But I do miss bacon,” he said. Alder passed the serving platter to Whittaker, and grinned. “Is that all you miss?” I asked. Whittaker was slow enough to answer t
  13. David McLeod
    Chapter 12: Yesterday’s War I spent the next couple of weeks analyzing the exercise, the VR simulations, and the data that had been used to create them. George pushed his duties onto others, including the duties I knew he loved most—kidnappings—and worked with me the entire time. The more we studied, the more we were sure that an armed invasion of the Reverends’ territory would result in unacceptably high death rates among the Reverend’s Army and the Sheriffs, and a lot of collateral deaths
  14. David McLeod
    Chapter 17: Eris, God of Discord “Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?” —Henry II of England, Earth Analogue III, and others I knew that the boys were being trained by the Heroes Battalion. It took a long time for me to accept that: I was still trying to understand my place in this reality. The only constant, the only thing I was sure of, was that I had to protect the dryads. I was so fixated on these thoughts that I missed the attack on my boys. I had been warned; still, I w
  15. David McLeod
    Thank you for sharing your research. At the heart of it seems to be a continuation of "I'll interpret the Bible any way I want to, and will cherry-pick the verses that best suit me." Of course, most of today's Christians wouldn't think for a minute of stoning to death a disobedient child (required in Exodus), and tell us that particular commandment is no longer appropriate, and that they have made that decision. My question is, if they have the moral sense to make such a decision, and other decisions to accept or reject teachings of the Jewish Bible and their own New Testament, then they admit they have an internal moral compass so why do they need either of those books?
  16. David McLeod
    As usual, I'm remiss in checking email and reviews, but I certainly enjoyed reading your thoughts. Yes, the number of metas will grow, and I hope we will meet all of them but, alas, that's probably not possible. I, too, was surprised to find out that Cam and Paul were blood relatives (you know how characters take on a life of their own), but was inordinately pleased. It's likely that we will find that the meta gene is dominant.
  17. David McLeod
    Chapter 16: The Role of the Gods Whittaker The next morning I opened my eyes to find Reggie awake and leaning on his elbow looking at me. “Whittaker, I . . . do you hate me, now?” Reggie asked. I thought to hug him, but decided perhaps I should put that off for a bit. “No, Reggie, I don’t hate you. I can’t hate you. “And I have to tell you something.” I sat up in the bed, but kept the light cover over my lap and legs. I didn’t want to be distracted, or to distract Reggie. “Reggie? For th
  18. David McLeod
    Chapter 11: Signs and Portents And I will show signs and portents in the heavens and in the earth . . . —Joel 2:30 “It’s a two part plan,” Danny said. “First, we’re going to soften up the Reverends with allegorical signs and portents of the so-called end times. Then, we’re going to charge them with a heresy that is spoken of in conjunction with the end times.” Quite an ambitious plan, Tobor said. Hush, son, and let Danny talk, I said. “The Book of Revelation contains many signs tha
  19. David McLeod
    Chapter 10: Fatima Follow-on The proper study of mankind is man. Know then, yourself. —Alexander Pope 2009-03-18 USF Charleston Intel Team Meeting “A lot has happened since the Funeral.” Marty, who was lead on this briefing, didn’t have to say which funeral; everyone in Fleet, perhaps our entire world, knew what he meant. “One thing we’ve learned is that things don’t move as fast on the Reverend’s world as they do on ours. We’ve also learned that the televisor technology o
  20. David McLeod
    Chapter 15: Universal Fundamental Church Boulder, Colorado Whittaker had been a dryad for only a few weeks when he sent word that he wanted to talk to me. It was mid-morning and I was scanning paperwork associated with some of our new bank accounts when the dryad-of-the-day, an Ash, brought the message. “Maple, I mean Princeton Gold . . . uh, Whittaker, wants to speak to you, and asks if he might visit.” Happy to have an excuse to put down the paperwork, I said, “Of course.” Before the wo
  21. David McLeod
    Chapter 9: Fatima Humint The minstrel boy to the war is gone, 
In the ranks of death you'll find him;
 His father's sword he has girded on, 
And his wild harp slung behind him; —Thomas Moore (1779—1852) Earth Analogues II, III, IV 2009-03-07 USF Charleston Artie had given me a challenge. He didn’t know it, and he didn’t mean it, but it was real, nonetheless. “Paul, everyone says we need someone on the ground. I know you agree—” Artie’s telepathy was stronger. He was getting bet
  22. David McLeod
    Chapter 14: Thermai Debriefing (a week later) The dryad-of-the-day, an Alder, welcomed me to breakfast, and warned me that visitors were expected. I gave him a kiss, and received a promise in return. We had finished breakfast and Alder had reset the table before Athena, Mars, and Apollo arrived. Alder served coffee and then sat against one of the Oaks—close enough to hear. I expected that there would be nothing he should not hear. “I underestimated the cartel’s ability to recover,” Athena
  23. David McLeod
    Chapter 13: Death Squad The control of a large force is the same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers. —Sun Tzu Maxim 5-1 The storm in Chicago was over, and I had returned Pav’l to his reality. “I am close to receiving my American citizenship, and have been accepted at university,” he had explained. “I owe money to a friend in California, whom I must repay. I will find another job. “Someday, perhaps, might I return for a visit
  24. David McLeod
    Chapter 8: Fatima Planning 2009-02-23 USS Charleston Flag Intel Team Briefing Word of John and Andrew’s rescue spread quickly through the Task Force. I was proud and pleased with the way people accepted John despite his obvious difference, and of the members of the Flag Intel Team who kept him busy with questions. No one seemed surprised when he sat with the team on the next Task Force-wide briefing. Kevin kicked off the program. “At our first briefing, Lt. Commander Cousins asked h
  25. David McLeod
    Chapter 12: Stand-in for Svarog Earth Analogue VII Motion in the security monitor caught the clerk’s eye. He watched a boy stuff something inside his backpack. Little thief! he thought while he finished counting change for the customer at the counter and then reached for the telephone. He punched 9-1 but his finger stopped before he could complete the call. The kid stood in front of the counter, holding a six-ounce jar of peanut butter and a few crumpled dollar bills. But none of that was what
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