First of all, Merry Christmas (or Happy Holidays), Rac!
Because it
is Christmas, I have (as usual) little time to comment. But I have to say a few things, anyway.
Zara could see in his eyes the look of a wounded man, one who'd been brought to his knees, laid low by the cruelty of others. One who was determined, not only to stand again, but to raise up the people around him as well.
This is so beautiful. So what does it take to raise up the people around him?
Every person you share this planet with is your brother or sister. If we are to survive, we must depend on one another. If we are going to be worthy of surviving, we must take care of one another."
Long time survival requires that you recognize this. You can't just fight for yourself or for your family, but you have to consider the needs of those farther from yourself as well. Indeed, ultimately you may have to consider the needs of the entire biosphere of the world that you want your children to inherit. If you don't, your children, or your children's children's children, may inherit nothing but the wind.
I wonder what Enza's assignment as - if I understood things correctly - assistant chief counsel for the prosecution at the trial of Nor, will mean to her. Enza is not vindictive, or at the very least, I don't think so. But when you work to mete out the correct punishment for a most horrible criminal, you could probably find yourself walking a fine line between seeking justice and pursuing vengeance.
I'm
very glad that Clark acquiesced to the wishes of his physician and agreed to take some mild sleeping pills to be able to sleep better. He scared me previously, when he refused. Then he seemed so frighteningly macho to me, so determined never to ask for help or show his weakness to anyone. It takes so much strength and courage to actually ask for the help you need, and to be able to do so without despising yourself, and without panicking at the thought that others may learn about your weakness.
I was very moved at the way you described Enza's fear of a relationship with Lok Sim, and his quiet, gentle reassurance that they did belong together. This was so beautiful:
Unless she actively fought it, her body would find its way into his arms, as though it belonged there.
Oh, it does belong there, Enza.
She turned to walk away, but he caught her hand. Enza froze and turned back toward the extraordinarily powerful man holding onto her. His large hand merely resting gently on hers, he used none of that strength to keep her from retreating. If she stepped away, he would let her go. But she couldn't have moved if she wanted to.
I absolutely loved this. It shows Lok Sim's gentle love, and it shows the way Enza is torn between two different feelings - her fear, which wants her to leave Lok Sim, and her incredible longing for him.
I loved, too, how she confessed the root of her fears, and the way he reassured her:
"I’m so afraid of losing you," she murmured.
"You won’t," he assured her. "You can’t."
The scene with Clark and Talan was memorable too, especially the way Talan was thinking of Clark. Krypton had changed him, and she felt guilty of forsaking him. But she was still able to find strength and hope in the way he seemed to be able to hang on to his own strength and hope.
And Rae Et has survived. Wouldn't you know it. Is it possible that the war is in fact not over?
While Clark seems to be finding new strength, Lois seems to be mentally withering. She finds it very hard to find a direction for her life.
She dodged the paper’s publishers and their dogged attempts to get her to write another book. Her columns lost their spark and their edge. She wanted to claim that she was fighting to get back to the top of her game, but she wasn’t. Her heart wasn’t in it. Who was she? If she didn’t have a battle to fight, what was left of her?
This echoes Talan's thoughts after she had captured Nor.
Ultimately, Lois has to find her own purpose in life. She has one purpose that she never doubts, of course, and that is Jon, but she needs more. And even though she has to find the purpose of her life on her own, I so want Clark to come back to her and help her. (Of course... he is going to need every bit as much help from her as she is going to need help from him.)
I loved the fact that Clark asked for a divorce from Zara, and that he asked Council to accept Ching as the person who would serve at Zara's side. Please make it possible for Zara and Ching to get married, Rac!
Ann
and WOW!
(Disclaimer: I promise there are no vampires on New Krypton or anywhere else in this story. Seriously.)