Thank you all - I'm so glad this section worked for you. I'm glad you thought Trask worked - I found him one of the scarier villains in the series, in a way, because he was so willing to dehumanize Superman. Even Lex Luthor, as amoral as he was, considered Superman to be a person. And I found it easy to imagine Trask as someone with a thinly masked psychosis - it would be only a matter of time before it was no longer concealable, and it wouldn't respond at all to reason.
Maria, vive60 - I have to credit my husband, Jim, with the idea to have Lois melt the box. I had her trapped in the convention center, with Clark on the outside, and the kryptonite in place. I asked him for ideas, and together we decided that knocking out the electricity or setting off the sprinklers wouldn't guarantee that the box would stay closed. Then Jim suggested that I have Lois melt the box, and it was such a simple, elegant solution that I went with it. I'm glad it was believable.
Thank you, Marcus, for the information on the suitability of lead alone for a box. I've gone back and edited - very slightly - that section in my own master copy of the story (but not here on the boards) to make the box lead-lined aluminum, which still melts with less effort that steel.
I'm glad you all liked Perry knowing. If he does know, that is - Lois isn't completely sure - but it sure seems like he does, doesn't it? How did he find out? I do have an explanation, which I'll be posting soon.
Elisabeth, BJ, Caroline, and TOC - thank you for your comments on the b-plot parts - you've mentioned some of my own favorites, if that's allowed in one's own story.
I'll also say, Caroline, that one of your comments gave me an idea, which I think I'll be using toward the end of this story. I have an epilogue in mind (which will be included in this story rather than as a separate story) and I think it will fit nicely in there.
'Toc
