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Begun 16-11-2004,
19:23 CET.
Ended: 16-11-2004,
22:17 CET.

At first my overall comment on this chapter:

Great chapter, Nick. In case my thoughts are getting too concrete, you have only one possibility to stop me — send me an email who is ... — no? Have to live with that. (perhaps I am worser ERB than you!)

The chapter brought some surprises. After I read the first half I expected another threesome than the threesome in the library. Great adventure! It was not as hot as others read before in SC (that is my personal opinion), but this threesome was opening the path to coming situations involving Paul and ... Kendall and ... I expect a great sex orgy within 3 chapters involving Paul and Kendall and — not Gina.

I remarked a "comeback" of a person from SC 2 from Europe — as Paul is considering about jerking off phantasies and Kendall (Sidenote: Why Kendall and not Gina? ):

I thought about Susan sometimes, or Stacy, but Kendall knew about both of them. Other times, I thought about buxom Heather, or super-sexy Annika . I even thought about Leah or Erin every once in a while.

Why Annika is mentioned here? Any thoughts on Princeton? Perhaps we will have to keep in mind that earlier this year Nick changed the Who-Is-Who-page and the change was minimal. It was Annika who was changed. Pityful, I did not keep the old Who-Is-Who-page and I do not remember exactly what was changed. — now she is Paul's lover. Before she has been a cousin, I believe. A cousin whom? Why was it changed? Or do I see white mice?

Now on the concrete thoughts on this chapter.

As many — me included — presumed after chapter 12 was posted: the female model is Wren. Trip has found his wife ... err... Paul discovered the later wife for Trip.

Coming up: Wren is getting Trip's lover (in SC4 I suppose).

At the sound, I looked up and got the shock of my life. (...) Holy shit, I railed silently. First Christy, and now Wren.

Paul is thinking of Joska for keeping his dick limp — I am not believing it works. At least not in Paul's age.

Then comes the point, which is important for why Christy got the wife (I see this as a fact!)

Sidenote: I expect great parts of SC4 are dealing with "getting Gina out of the story", whatever that means, and Christy getting the wife).

I felt good — really good — for the first time in weeks. When I opened the office door, Siobhan was bidding farewell to Christy and Wren.

Classic voyeur's faux-pas:

I leaned forward, desperate to pick up their faint conversation. As I strained, I felt my arm shifting. I was using a table to brace myself, and it had started moving. In a slow-motion panic, I fell forward. My face hit the door jamb before I could catch myself. My nose flattened and then my shoulder hit the door. I smiled wider than my ears I think.

Those of you who read my thoughts on chapter 12 will remember that I expressed my opinion about Trip and Wren sharing Paul's and the Wife's nudist lifestyle. Don't you? Now comes the point:

Surprisingly, she had the remnants of a good tan (and no tan lines — very interesting).

Indeed: very interesting!

Soon — for us speculators not getting to self-concious — Nick begans to straw around milky fog:

Oops!
Correction: Nick makes muddy waters.

"So, do you really want to have sex with Wren instead of me?"

Though in quotes it is no really spoken sentance. More, one could interprete in that "No, not with Wren, but ... with Christy" — but rather wait how things will go.

Then is coming the scene I will name the Kendall-Pie-Wren-Tie, because I have some intuition that later in SC 3 or 4 we will come back to this scene in one or the other way. For the moment it will be enough to note that also Kendall is impressed of Wren. The atmosphere in this talking is full of sticky sex. Never again in my life I can eat simply pie without thinking on sex I fear.

For some further speculations — why Kendall finds Wren is cute, is she interested in her ...? Is she frightened by Wren's cuteness? At first I thought Paul began talking of the pie because he wanted to change the theme. Then his thoughts go back to one of Kendall's phantasies. and back to Wren.

About ten days back, perhaps two weeks (it was between the US election stuff) there has been a post to Scipio's forum by a reader, that he does not like Kendall's behaviour and her mind-games. You can think about that like that reader or not, for me those phantasies are the spice in this wonderful novela.

Her fantasy was for the two of us to meet a woman, someone we didn't know, and seduce her. Kendall wanted to watch me have sex with the stranger, and then she wanted me to force her to have sex with the woman as well.

Sidenote: Why Paul is not forcing Kendall to have sex with Gina? Because Gina is no stranger? Does Kendall mean a stranger cannot be dangerous for the Paul-Kendall-relationship, but Gina could be?

Then came — the hammer!! (Does this expression make it in english? — I literally translated from German!)

"Are you really attracted to her?" I asked at last.
"Who? Wren? Or Christy?"
"Either," I said in sudden understanding. Then I read Kendall's expression. "Both?!"
After a moment's hesitation, she nodded. "But Wren especially."

Some reflections of Paul about Kendall's phantasies and rape are included. Why, me came in mind, Kendall does not like the sororities? Sex with strangers, sorority rape, all included, is it or not? Wasn't there a long discussion in the forum about this? (as Nick posted SC 3, 1 I think) Perhaps Kendall has a fixation on Paul — he must starr in her phantasy.

She must've been thinking about Wren. I smiled to myself.

And I think about how it would turn. Could still happen in this chapter, I hope. (The marker in the sidebar shows, that the chapter is just about the half at this point.)

Following is a cut in the story telling, a totally differnet point is discussed. From the smiling about the Kendall-Pie-Wren-Tie Nick leads us to architectural details. For some this might be boring, for others like me, it is interesting. It is great how Nick goes in details:

A circular building like the Colosseum was constructed almost entirely of arches, each one supporting the next. Like tiers in a wedding cake, the builders had added layers of arches.

The question is, why Paul from such "nice" things so rapidely goes to "bad" things — from Wren to Joska. Is this possible? Or, is the slowly changing his mind on Joska already?

Professor O'Riordan? I wondered. Who's he? I don't have anyone named O'Riordan. "Who?" I finally asked.

That Paul could not mean really. Even a donkey should know, that Siobhan is an Irish name and all O's are Irish, shouldn't he?

Finally, he turned to the illustration of the Tempietto di San Pietro.

Sidenote: If Nick's story is semi-biographical, perhaps does he have some drawings of the Tempietto di San Pietro in real. Could be added to his website into the extra section.

I got to Art History a little early, but I still sat in the back of the auditorium.

I like how Nick is not forgetting details — how Joska and now Ledbetter taught him ... eh Paul.

Back to Wren and Christy. Why? Why? Why? (First I typed: Back to Wry and Christy.) Following is a great discussion between Wren and Paul, with a great statement:

"But even though you're a knockout, you're still not going to tempt me away from my girlfriend with your body alone. You'd better use your mind too. Even then... I don't know," I finished with a theatrical shrug.

I never came into the situation to say something like that to a girl... but ... could you imagine saying this to — Pamela Anderson?

Later (in the library) came to reality what I suggested some paragraphs above:

Kendall was forced into sex with a stranger. A stranger, you ask? In SC 3 Gina is nearly a stranger for Kendall.

Then we learn the last names of Christy — Carmichael — and Wren. I do not know where Nick gets the persons' names for SC, but I remember a Penthouse Pet named Carmichael, in 1998 if I remember rightly. And this Pet was georgeous.

It is interesting that in this chapter Paul is thinking mostly of Wren not Christy — though a zillion of readers would bet for Wren being Trip's wife and Christy being Paul's wife. I believe in a wild plot in SC 4 (as mentioned above and later).

Interesting IMO is also Wren's discussion with Paul:

"But...," Wren stammered.
"But I don't react the way other guys do?" I prompted.
"Exactly"
"I'm not like other guys," I said evenly.
"So... what? Are you gay or something?"
To her surprise, I actually laughed.
She looked at me skeptically.
"I like girls," I assured her, still chuckling. "Trust me, I like 'em a lot."

Indeed. Does Christy know?

Christy covered her mouth to keep from laughing at her friend's expression.
"But I'm not going to turn into an idiot every time I see a good-looking girl," I continued.
"But you used to," Wren half-whined.
"That was before I got to know you," I said. I tried to hide another grin, but I just couldn't.
With her hand still covering her mouth, Christy's eyes grinned right along with me.
Wren simply huffed. Then she looked at Christy and flashed an accusing look.
Christy tried to compose herself, unsuccessfully.
"You are impossible," Wren said to me. Then she whirled around. "And you're just as bad," she said to Christy. "I'm going upstairs."
"Bye," Christy said to me, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

Here, again one could dispute about Paul and other guys in a threesome, foursome — twosome?? I do not believe in Paul getting involved in MM-action — some of Nick's earlier forum posts were stating against this, last but not least his reluctance against pictures of Paul, Trip et. al. on his site are as good as a statement. (Or another strawing of fog against us?)

Things are finally back to normal with Kendall and Gina, I thought. More or less.

IMO: More — that's for Kendall and Gina. Less — that is Paul. He already is starting to go away from G/K. Less from Kendall than from Gina I presume. But is he aware of that?

Then, Gina calls and she is pointing out something about the relationsship Paul-Joska:

"That Joska guy's really gotten under your skin," she said. "Just like that wrestler in high school. What was his name?"
"Pete Yeager?"
"No, the one you didn't like. Um... Emmett something... Emmett... Carstairs," she said at last.
The arrogant prick, I thought.
"That guy's the reason you started taking wrestling so seriously," she added.

Me came into mind as the chapter leaned against its end, that we repeatedly read about Paul hard working, Kendall learning, Trip having problems with study themes, even Christy and Wren are seriously about UT, but — for instance except the library scene (which was not serious at all) — Nick never presented Gina doing studies. Is this an indicator for Gina to be expelled from UT due to bad results, coming up between chapter 16 and 17? (ignoring a forum posts about her involved in a cocaine affair earlier this year, perhaps overdosed)

The chapter is ending with a big bang. The show-down between Paul and Joska (Laszlo Joska is a Hungarian name, btw. and in Hungarian an s is spoken like in sophomore when it's followed by an z — if it stands alone like in Joska it is spoken like s in 'sure')

There had been some discussion about an earlier chapter (SC 3,7) and if the following citation is a hint for an eventual abuse of cocaine:

"Today, we see who has a future as an architect, and who doesn't," he said. Then he held up two sheaves of paper. "These," he said, shaking one set, "are your exams. And these are job applications for McDonald's."
(...)
"You can have one or the other," Joska continued, drawing my attention back to the front of the class. "So," he asked, "which will it be... Miss Fisher?"
"The exam, sir," she said.
"Mr. Whitman?"
"The exam."
Joska's merciless eyes settle upon me.
I clenched my jaw.
"Mr. Hughes?" he asked.
(...)

This was the last line I saw in the browser's window at this moment. I spoke out loudly. "Paul, say, I'll take both". My wife looked at me, like I turned silly.

I pressed "page down".

"I'll take the job application," I said impudently. "And the exam," I added a half-second later.

Bingo!!

Thank you for another evening full of entertainement, Nick.

FranzKafka79