Thanks, Terry, for your faith in a "very good ending." Now let's hope my Muse responds to chocolate.
Actually, my Muse took the chocolate, got distracted, and then went and played with something else. :rolleyes: But now that that's (almost) over with, I'm hoping to coer... er, guide her back to TGND. I've got the ending plotted out and roughed in - it just needs to be polished.
Maybe more chocolate will do it.
Some of the questions you raise were also posed by LabRat, who has been beta-ing this story for me. And I'll be forever grateful to her for raising them, because it did make a difference.
More, hopefully, by the weekend.
And thank you, as always, for your comments. They've helped me improve my original idea.
'Toc