if this is not the only contact story to focus on clark i apologise for my ignorance before hand
but it is certainly spell-binding in its capture of the torment going through clark's head. I don't think i have read something this beautiful in a long time. as you try to express clark's "logic", you take the focus away from lois' pain, giving the story a whole new depth and perspective. your story makes me cry for clark in his agonising decision which he makes in utter confusion. a first in my interpretation of contact, and i really loved it. of course other stories interpretations of lois' grief were good, but there is always something beuatiful found in the new, and new ideas are not exempt from this rule.
one thing for certain is that although i am an avid reader of the forums, your work is far greater in literary quality than my feble atempt at praising it. (if this makes any sense at all)
my hat goes off to you (as an old teacher of mine used to say) and one thousand roses thrown at your feet while you take your praise with grace (or i hope you do cause this is not meant to inflate your ego, but inspire your muse to give me more stories of the like.
Great job!
