Palantir

I hope your back improves quickly.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!!

M, I won't say take no notice of the email because the sender seemed to giving you his genuine response to your story. I will say that if you do feel you must keep everyone who reads your stories engrossed and happy you are doomed. People simply have different views on what makes a good story (thank goodness, or stories would all be the same) and some readers just naturally prefer a minimalist plot while others seek description and characterisation. It's your story. Tell it your way. Yes, listen to responses from your readers but treat them like any advice and use the parts that apply to you - and that's something you know better than anyone else.

I find I can't help but like Jeff - and I have a feeling Lee might just be the most complicated character so far. I thought it was brilliant the way you had him meet Denny. My favorite phrase for this chapter started out as the obvious 'silvery moonlight' description, but after some thinking I've changed that to 'he always seemed to be in motion'. Fascinating new knowledge about the psaltery. The standout section of the chapter for me though was the the seamless and rapid mood change with the cheeky brothers feeding each other, the tumultuous response, the fear and then immediate reassurance.

All the best Lenny. Thinking of you.

Kick butt? - we'll soon see.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Yes, they they all love their exploring. Is Yirgy's warning too late? - next chapter will reveal more about his efforts and the results. More about the surprise of it all in the next chapter as well.

Thanks Dathi, 'Nefarious' - that's a great word and so appropriate. The next chapter might take longer than usual to post, I'm afraid, as it will be a complicated mixture of action and explanation. I'd really planned to have it all in this chapter but it was obvious that posting would have been delayed way beyond my 2 to 3 week target. I usually keep two or three chapters ahead of posts but life has interfered recently and I've used up all my buffer. Chapter 22 was started this morning.

Thanks M, Yes, it is a beautiful place and one which drew me into many return visits over the years. With Mirri's love of exploring there can be no doubt that the trips will continue. And you're right once again. Akama's question was a paradigm shift for Jarra's thinking.

Oops! I forgot to put the location and some links in the end of chapter notes. Hollow Mountain and the other features I've mentioned are vivid in my mind from my own adventures there. Interesting? Hmm!

MPARNTWE Chapter 21. *** Mirri, with Yirgella's help, did a perfect job of organising their holiday equipment and now that the first day had finally arrived the pair of them, along with Baradin, Darri and most of Mirri's family, were waiting at the Vac Train terminal for Karmai and the twins to arrive. The last three nights Mirri had painstakingly packed and repacked his big rucksack to make sure everything he was meant to have was present and in its right place and under Jarra's scrutiny he

I read your blog with great interest (having been both a teacher and interested in the IT side of things) and I really hope your plans work for you. I liked the way you described teaching as both exciting and harrowing. I can tell you that those feelings probably won't change even after years of teaching. I don't know the situation in USA but here in Australia there is a terrible shortage of teachers with qualifications in the science/math/IT area and someone with the skills you're developing would be in high demand. I suspect it's the same. Best of luck with the health issues.

Whoops! I missed yesterday. HOPE IT WAS A GREAT DAY!

Pizza - with love! What a neat surprise. As usual I enjoyed your descriptions and the interplay between the characters. My favorite phrase for the chapter was 'Sic 'em yank.' till I got to 'I don't want to, in case I'm dreaming.' Hmm - what happens next is hard to predict.

Once again you're on the track - lol - but not quite.

I don't think I made quite enough of Jarra's work efforts and the break is more than deserved. Drama is imminent.

Thank you Sam. I was quite surprised myself with 'Crocky'. I never know quite what's going to happen next with Mirri and this was a case in point.

MPARNTWE Chapter 20. *** "He's announced that he'll be presenting a series of papers on his research when the World Energy Conference meets in Geneva two months from now." "What's wrong with that? He's had meetings and discussions with many of those scientists over the course of this project and it sounds like the appropriate place to get the recognition he deserves." Darri was talking with Baradin about Jarra's decision to travel to Geneva. "Yirgella doesn't want him to go. He's worried it

Different points of view certainly widen the range of experiences you can relate. I liked the trusted friend part - so important in anyone's life let alone hormonal teenagers. I thought you might have kept that photo secret when it turned out not to be needed. it would have been a good little mystery to ponder. The highlight scene for me was the brother soundoff = beautiful!

Once again Ask an Author provides us with insight into the lives and thoughts of GA authors. I hope this feature continues way into the future.

What a delightful blog. I smiled and laughed all the way through.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Thank you. Yes, 'Crocky' was a bit of a surprise. - I found it interesting that the AIs particularly enjoyed it - yet again gentle Mirri's influence on the AIs shows through.

Yes, Jarra is eighteen, and I agree with you that it does seem to have happened quickly. I keep a time line though, as an aid with fitting the different events in sensibly, and I can assure you that that's where he is now. This chapter itself covered more than a year. Yirgella is certainly impressive. I'd say better in some ways but not in others. I think the extraordinary interest all the AIs show towards Mirri could be recognition that his nature might be something they can never experience for themselves or understand properly. (I forgot to mention in the story that Yirgella made a point of introducing Mirri to each of the other AIs as their 'friend'). Part of his benificence might be a survival mechanism too - I remember at one stage he said that if he did even one thing wrong it would change the way humans would regard AIs forever.