Challenge 722

Time’s Up

In Bryon L. Havranek’s “A Final Bit of Justice”:
1. The grandfather clock’s pendulum has a strange shape. Why?
2. Why might Coswald’s fate seem to be a matter of poetic justice? Why might the other members of the cabal deserve the same?
3. Browning doesn’t wait for his time to run out. What does the ending imply that the others do?
4. Browning’s experience shows that he can’t get rid of the watch. What might happen if he tried to break it or merely stop the movement of its hands?
In Michael Díaz Feito’s “The Relic-Mongers”:
1. Many short passages are in languages other than English, particularly French, Galician, German, and Latin. Is it really necessary to understand those languages or consult the translations in order to follow the story?
2. In what instances do characters appear to use Latin in order to hide their thoughts from others?
3. What clues might make readers suspicious of the characters and their motives?
In Bill Kowaleski’s “Queenstown”:
1. Readers will interpret stories in light of their own experience. Do you think Jackson Bain can or should be redeemed?
2. In Living Standards, the poor live in large “enclaves” and are called “clavies.” The rich are called “wealthies”; do they live in enclaves of their own?
3. How does the social structure of “Greater North America” reflect current trends in economics, demography and geography? In what way do they parallel the structure of medieval Europe?
4. Jackson Bain, General Peart and Jiri Lee agree that the economic-sectarian principles of both communism and laissez-faire capitalism ultimately lead to stagnant, impoverished societies. If you don’t agree, why not? If you do, what would you put in their place?
5. How might the new manifesto incorporate in some ways the views found in Jane Jacobs’ works, particularly those in Dark Age Ahead?

Responses welcome!