Like the others have said already, it was so great that Lois wouldn't shake Sangara's hand!
I'll bet Neville Chamberlain spent the rest of his life wishing there was a photo of him somewhere refusing to shake Hitler's hand."
Hear, hear!
I absolutely loved the conversation between Enza and Thia. You nailed Thia's to-the-point matter-of-fact-ness so wonderfully.
"Aunt Enza?"
She opened her eyes to see Thia standing in the doorway to the study. "Ready for bed?" she asked. Thia nodded. Enza rose and followed the little girl to her room.
Thia climbed into bed. "I think you should marry Lok Sim," she pronounced.
We all agree, Thia!
"Really?" Enza replied, her brow arched. She couldn't help but be amused by her niece's matter-of-fact suggestion.
"He's nice and he's very handsome," Thia added.
Enza leaned down to tuck in the covers around her. "Yes, he is."
Well, I'm not quite sure what he looks like, but he is a wonderful person.
"Do you like Lok Sim?"
"Certainly," Enza replied. "He's a very kind man."
He is. He is gloriously, beautifully, attractively kind.
"Are you going to marry him?"
"Aren't you full of questions tonight?" Enza kissed her niece's forehead.
Typical adult answer.
Thia frowned. "You're the one who told me to ask questions."
She had a point. Enza sighed. "Getting married is a very big decision. It's one of the biggest decisions a person can make and it's something a person should think about a lot before making up their mind. Now it's time for you to go to sleep, little one."
Well, that answer was a lot better, Enza.
"Are you going to think about it?"
The little girl certainly was persistent. "Maybe," Enza replied. "Goodnight."
Love Thia's persistence!
The fact that Rae Et is alive and well and scheming to cause some new, horrible wickedness is awfully frightening. Will she try to kill Clark? Will Talan sacrifice her life to save him?
He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. She always felt so safe when he did that. It was like the circle of his embrace could protect her from the entire world, from everything she worried over and everything she feared. She wasn't used to needed that, or wanting it. But the longer they were together, the more she seemed to seek out the quiet gestures of comfort and support he offered. And she tried to reciprocate, too – the way she took his hand between her two much smaller ones when they sat together, or the way she always turned to kiss him whenever they said goodnight. It was more than habit. It was almost like an instinct.
This is so beautiful. Ah, Rac, you see the old romantic in me lapping it up.
He was one step closer to Lois.
He wondered if she would even recognize him as the man she'd married. Did any of the qualities that she'd loved about him still exist? He'd been driven by a thirst for revenge, by a burning sense of rage, by the very things he'd fought against, as Clark Kent and as Superman. Would she look at him and see a stranger? Would she look at him and see a man she couldn't love?
I can't believe Lois won't love Clark, when he finally comes back to her. But that doesn't mean that their reunion will be easy.
"Well, I'm done with the diplomats and politicians. I can't take them anymore."
"Perry did mention that Ultrawoman stopped returning the White House's calls," her mother-in-law noted.
"You think I'm going about this all wrong, don't you?"
Personally I think Lois is doing the right thing, at least for now. That doesn't mean she should
never return the White House's calls again.
Martha rinsed off another dish. "No. I don't know what you should be doing, but I think you've been too hard on yourself. You have done so much good in this world and we are so proud of you. You should be proud of what you've accomplished."
"Everyone keeps saying that," Lois murmured. "And I want to believe it. But I'm so angry and so frustrated. And I feel like there isn't anything I can do about it. I'm not used to feeling so…so helpless."
"I know," Martha replied. "Jon will be up from his nap soon. Why don't you spend some time with him?"
Lois nodded. She had a column to write and patrols to fly. But spending time with her son was far more important.
Very good suggestion, Martha. Lois does have a family, even if Clark isn't there for her. But she does have loving parents-in-law, and still more important, she has her little son. Yes, she should spend more quality time with her son, and also with other people who know her and like her as Lois Lane.
Ann
I like the fact that every move I make with this story is second-guessed to see how it's being used to set up something spectacularly evil. Have I gotten that transparent? 