Challenge 513

Channel Surfing With Tarzan

In Mike Phillips’ “Bone, Moon, Blood and Vine”:
1. Did Eustace know he was not supposed to uproot the vine under the current astrological configuration? If not, why not?
2. Why does Edith secretly enjoy inflicting pain on Eustace? Why does she want to punish him?
3. Is Edith’s stomach ache plausible or does it seem to be an excuse? What does it accomplish?
In Ron Van Sweringen’s “The Boy Next Door”:
1. Billy Joe decides in chapter 11 that he belongs back in Black Water Swamp with Erthelene and his friends. What would be the effect of postponing his decision till the end of chapter 12?
2. When Billy Joe ventures out into the dark and stormy night, what is he wearing?
In Martin Kerharo’s The Dohani War, chapter 6:
1. What is Charts’ role in chapter 6?
2. What old “2-D” film inspires Dexter’s attempt at verbal communication with Jane?
3. Jane has been gazing at Dexter with “fascination” ever since she first heard his voice. What other expressions does she have? Is it safe to assume that Dexter has learned to understand Jane’s expressions accurately in every case?
4. At what point does Jane stop Dexter’s vocabulary lessons? What does her reaction imply?
5. What incident in chapter 5 justifies the manner in which Jane experiments with Dexter’s vital signs monitor?
6. Jane is evidently attempting to communicate with Dexter other than by spoken proto-language. What evidence indicates that her method does not necessarily involve mind-reading?