Terry I often wish I could write more quick-moving stories, but the slow-moving ones seem to hunt me down and find me. I'm glad you think the pace is working at this stage.
Ken Clark is slowly loosening up. I think a more realistic time-frame would be months, but that would drive everyone crazy - especially me!
Pam Wonder what the explanation of the extended quarantine is? The in-universe explanation, I mean, not the plot reason <g>
LOL. Good point - because I could have simply made it seven days from the start.
John Lois has been living with the Bangala for five years. During that time, I imagine she has realised that the practicalities of life have to be dealt with. Such as getting clean. And she's probably still a little cautious that if she left him alone, he might be gone when she gets back. Therefore, they go together.
Well, small man sized. Tigerfish get to about 110 pounds.
Ah ... yes. Although I haven't laboured the point (one comment about how tall Clark is going to be compared with Bangala men), Lois's adopted tribe are what we used to call pygmies.
Hmm, how long ago was it that Lana told him she was pregnant by another man?
It's really hard to get time in perspective when reading a story over many weeks.
Lana walked out on Clark.
That night, Tempus captured him.
He was flown over Africa and dumped.
Lois found him during the early afternoon and took him to the hut.
This is the next day.
So, allowing for time zone differences, he's had one day of wallowing in Metropolis, one day of having rock cut out of him, and one day of playing soccer.
One question though. If they are so isoltated from everyone else, why do they use French names?
Making up a whole raft of names is hard work. So, I used a wonderful site called Kiva.org which facilitates loans to people in developing nations.
I discovered that people in the Congo had very French sounding names, whereas people in the DRC had names that sounded more African to me. Therefore, although according to alt-canon, Lois was lost in the Congo, I've used mainly DRC names. Every name I've used is the name of a real person from either the Congo or the DRC.
Kathy Hee. So now we know what Lois will share with Clark near the end of the story to prove that she loves and trusts him like no one else.
Happy sigh. That's lovely, Corrina, just lovely. And I know I'm not the only one who thought of Martha Kent's love for her son when I read this. Wonderful parallel.
I realise Clark doesn't usually need extra incentive to fall in love with Lois, but this Clark is Lana-damaged, so I thought if I gave Lois an adopted son, coupled with the fact that this Clark lost his mom when he was ten ... he wouldn't have a chance of resisting.
Virginia Did she not ask, because she knew in his terse mood he would have refused the massage?
That was my thinking.
Thanks for the enthusiasm, but this won't be a 100-parter. There will be a sequel, though.
Diddi's biological parents were married.
MM Did you do research on Bangalese people? You seem to know a lot.
I have never been to this part of the world, which makes setting a story there a precarious business. My get-out clause is that this is the alt-world. As for research, I did some, but what I couldn't find out, I made up!
A 'walkabout' is a real thing. As I understand it, it is something Aboriginal people feel compelled to do at various points in their lives. 'Mobembo' means 'journey' in Lingala, but applying it to these people is my invention. I was thinking of it as a self-imposed test.
Laura I'm glad you enjoyed this part of Lois's story.
Terry You're not totally crazy. In fact, in a roundabout way, you're close to the mark.
John It's still the mid-nineties. But alt-world Africa might have developed a little more slowly than our Africa.
Morgana Hope you enjoy!
Thanks for the comments and speculation, everyone.
Corrina.
