Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I'll write more about my characterization and plotting issues once I finally post the whole of this arc. The story changed a lot from the original outline. The original was much more complex with Alan Meryl not as the villain, but as the prize, and really, once I wrote him, I just could not see it. Jalur is such fun to write. He is the perfect straight man. And yes, in my head, I always new it would be Susan arriving in her Most Noble Stately State. That was always in the outline, though I considered bringing Peter along. I fear I'm sort of shipping Susan and the Linch Director, for all their age difference.

Thank you so very much for sharing your thoughts.