Challenge 663

All Hail the Purpose

1. In Gary Clifton’s “Another New Guy,” how does the author maintain the pace of the hellzapoppin comedy?

2. In Elous Telma’s “Nannion’s Long Walk Back,” Nannion’s strange experience on the Aquarium catwalk might be a message. Where might it come from, and what might it mean?

3. In Mindy Hartings’ “Waiting in Carthagena”:

   1. Why does Mang put up with Sergeant Briggs? Why doesn’t she leave?
   2. What feelings does Mang have for Matilda?

4. In Sherman Smith’s “The Old Woman With the Little White Box”:

   1. What is the role of money in the story?
   2. Do passersby or residents of the neighborhood treat the old woman with complete indifference?
   3. What might the narrator learn by hailing a taxi while holding a little white box?

5. In Terry L. Mirll’s “Karat Cake”:

   1. What cultural, political and economic issues does “Karat Cake” address?
   2. Why is it important that Frank permanently assume the name of Frank Williamson rather than Nicolas Flemel?
   3. Stevens says that faster-than-light space travel remains undiscovered. How could Dippy have come to Earth from beyond the Solar System? Where does he really come from?
   4. Does Hildy merely feign ignorance of Dippy? Why might she be telling the truth?

Responses welcome!