rlfj: Blog

Major formatting problems in the last chapter, etc. Reloading, but it is taking some time to fix.

The Reaper Saga ends with this final chapter and the epilogue. It's been a long run, but it needs to end, and this seems a good point to do it. From what I've been hearing, everybody seems to like the way it's been going.

For the readers who want me to keep going, to tell Riley's story or Seamus' story, sorry, no. I was uncomfortable enough moving into the near future, 2020 to 2028. When I started writing nobody had ever heard of coronavirus, Black Lives Matter, or any of the other events we've seen this year. What strange events will happen in the future? And how can I even begin to wonder what will happen to the rest of the family in the next ten, twenty, forty years? What I wrote in the Epilogue pushes my imagination to the limits. I can imagine writing scifi set in the far future, but not in the immediate future.

Still don't know if we've been exposed to Covid-19. Still haven't heard yet whether we have it or not. Hopefully not. This is nuts. Thanks to everybody who sent their thoughts and prayers for my family with coronavirus. I've had two heart attacks so that's a comorbidity issue. I hope I still have a few years left.

Speaking of coronavirus, my wife works at a local grocery store. Last week she got assigned as a greeter, to tell people to wear masks. An old lady shopping with her grandkids came in without a mask. When my wife said she needed to wear one, she replied, no, she didn't need one, it was all nonsense. My wife replied she must not have known anyone who had it. The old lady answered that her sister had died of it, but she was old and had other diseases, so she was dying anyway. My wife just blinked and sent her inside. I can't make this shit up!

I had a reader respond and part of their comment included the term baited breath. Something didn't sound right, so I googled it. It actually refers to the words bated breath, which comes from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, and is an abbreviation of abated breath, to hold one's breath due to suspense. Odd, the things you latch onto.

Anyway, enjoy!

A common response to the last chapter: zero tolerance = zero common sense. True, so true, and yet so common. Unlike common sense, which is quite uncommon.

Covid-19 has hit our household. My youngest girl might have gotten it and is now scheduled to be tested. Forget about the 'anybody who wants a test can get a test' bullshit. Even in upstate New York it can take a week or more to get the results back. Since we visited them on Saturday, my wife and I might have it, so we just scheduled our own tests. That means we can't visit my mother this coming weekend, since she's 91 and quite susceptible. So much for our vacation plans. Don't email me saying this is a hoax.

Anyway, enjoy!

Chapters 35 and 36 show that Grim is like a delicious candy bar, with a hard coating and a soft gooey center. As for the idiocy described in 36, just watch your local news sometime. This nonsense shows up every few years. No reason Matucket shouldn't see it as well. Enjoy!

A reader pointed out that the Investigations Captain has the last name Holden, with the obvious curiosity about whether he was related to the notorious Holden family of the first book. All I can say is that I had completely forgotten that when I picked the name. Holden is not that rare a name. (Unlike mine - every person in America with my last name is related to me. Nine generations ago our ancestor had four sons, who had seventeen grandsons; I guess there wasn't a lot to do on the farm at night in Colonial Maryland.) It's too late now to change it, too. People have bought the book and I can't retroactively change it.

Another couple of readers commented that Brooks Brothers declared bankruptcy and therefore Grim won't be able to buy his suits and uniforms there. That is not at all guaranteed. On filing bankruptcy, depending on the specific form, a company is given a chance to reorganize. During that period, they can continue to conduct business. Case in point, JC Penney has filed bankruptcy, but my local store is still in business. In the event a reorganization cannot be arranged, then the assets will be liquidated. The brand name, Brooks Brothers, is one such asset and can be sold to another company. Hostess Brands went bankrupt in 2012 and was liquidated; famous brands such as Dolly Madison, Wonder Bread, and Drake's were all sold to other companies.

Anyway, enjoy!