Sorry guys, this isn't a new chapter, just a reply to you guys, since I didn't do it back in April. Somehow I got it in my head that it was going to automatically induce productivity if I didn't let myself reply to this thread unless I was putting up a new chapter. Seeing as it's been - er - a little while, I've kind of figured that was foolish.

Ada: I was impressed with the pace of updates too! Then something happened - I think it was Melbourne, then Uni, then work ... bleh, I have no excuse. Yes, the Union infiltrated, if not the whole military, at least the unit that was guarding Redwood Hospital. Scary stuff. I'm glad you liked the battle scenes - the stairwell was really fun to write; as in, almost Chapter 42-esque fun (I really enjoyed that chapter).

Yeah, I realise there were issues with pacing in this. I think I wanted to put in certain ideas and pieces of dialogue that I felt were important, but I didn't give a lot of regard to the fact that this chapter was essentially an action one. Thanks for the feedback. I understand your comments about the ending of the chapter being too reminiscent of Chapter 62, too, but I kind of liked the circular idea. Maybe it didn't translate. Anyway, cheers for reading as usual!

Brian: Yes, how DID you miss it? Hmm? HMMM?

With Gavin's teleportation, I could leave you hanging in curiosity, but ... no, wait, actually, that's better than just telling you the answer. Enjoy the suspense, mate!

Glad you liked the unusual falling up stairs thingo. Hehe. Gavin has had a shaved head since shortly after arriving at Redwood Hospital in late March (just after the end of book 2) - doctors shaved his head to clean up his wounds/operate, if I recall my own material correctly. The first time we (as readers) saw him with a shaved head was in Chapter 61.

Duly noted about the awkward digressions. And it's nice to see that the repetition technique did work for some, if not for others. In hindsight, I'm not sure if I'd have left it in there after all, but the more thought I give to it, the more I can't find a decent way of summing up the chapter at that point.

What awaits Gavin on the outside might be revealed in Chapter 64. I haven't quite decided whether to show it or not. You've made sound guesses, in any case.

And yeah: cliffhangers again! Friggin hell. Although I love using them, the downside is that I find a heavy weight on the beginning of the next chapter, which is maybe part of the reason it takes me so long to write new installments (it's never the chapter that takes me months, it's always the BEGINNING; the rest usually follows in the space of a few days).

Cheers for the review man. I swear I shall get up to date with WotF ... soon ... give me ... a few ... days ... *ducks airborne tomatoes*

Sike Saner: Why, hullo! Thanks for the quote-filled reply. I love those. Well done on the coining of HSMs (I'm assuming it's a new thing you made up?); glad that the last two chapters of LTL produced some, anyway.

Good theory about Gavin being hurried to recharge - you may be right. Poor Lisa, trying to force Gavin to teleport only to be abandoned. That's gotta suck.

Yeah, I've tried to put a bit more effort into character emotions and reactions lately, and it seems it's paid off. I still feel like I'm a long way away from achieving a narrative that has a firm hold on "fantasy realism", but hopefully your response to scenes like that elevator one mean that I'm edging my way there.

Great that you found some humour in all that action-packed stuff. It's cool that my writing can actually amuse someone as well as entertain them in other ways. I especially enjoyed Gavin instructing Natu to take the "fat guy", and the scene where Christina steps on the Union agent's back. The latter was actually a very enjoyable moment, because it was the kind of action that probably wouldn't fit too well with Lisa's character, yet a more aggressive type like Christina (or Marina, if she had've been there) could easily get away with it, and look cool doing it, too.

Thanks so much for reading and replying again - your reviews are always a pleasure to read. Seeya next chapter, I hope.

Chapter 64: Okay, looking back at this reply, maybe it's long enough to be called 'Chapter 64' itself. ^_^ A little humour there to deflect from the fact that it's been a week or two since the last chapter. Progress report: I'm bubbling with all kinds of energy for the next two chapters, and every five minutes I get a new idea that pulls the story in a different direction. I'm doing my best to harness all this, exercise some kind of control over it, and get it onto the page so that we have a new chapter (or ten) very soon!

Thanks for your eternal patience, everyone (what a weird phrase).

Cheers!