I must also mention the excellent graphic design work from my daughter, Wendy LeBel Golombeski, Howard Ruback, and Michelle Carter-Hildebrandt. Graphics are not my strong suit; I’m glad it’s yours.
The contributions by all of you have been both humbling and much appreciated.
Table of Contents
Prologue
The Time of Waiting
Personnel Department
Caleb’s Story
The Waiting Continues
Bad Ethics
Beatrice’s Version
Stock Boy
The Interview
Suzie Protests
Tomorrow, It Begins…
Weekend at Billy’s
Suzie’s View
Orientation
Meeting the Boss
Billy Bully
Bernie’s Journal
The Manuals
Staring into the Abyss
Lunch with Lenny
Inspiration
Creation Mechanics 101
The Problems Begin
Back to the Drawing Boards
Lunch with Suzie
Museum for Ideas
An Idea is Born
Lunch with Friends
The Past Barrier
Is It Me, or…
Get Started Anyway
It Begins…
Payday!
Bernie Goes Shopping
Make It Green…
Suzie & Sissy
Oh, No!
More Sabotage!
The Backdoor
Lenny’s Charms
Shemal Startles Bernie
The Putty
Billy’s Gang
Divine Intervention
The Sun
Not My Fault
The First Expedition
The Central Plaza
Lenny’s Place
The Second Expedition
What’s Changed?
The Headache
Billy’s Healer
Astrology Says…
More Planets
A Gift from the Sun
Shemal Stops By
Billy Returns
Zardok Explains
Gaia? Already?
A Divine Event!
Billy Is Sick Again
Ring of Emptiness
Tragedy at Sea
A Favorite Bookstore
A Garden Universe?
Candi Comes Calling
Burn, Baby, Burn!
Candi and Lenny
A World Ablaze
Billy Scares Candi
Bloody Moon
Wake Up!
He’s a Wimp
We Must Explain
Getting Discouraged
A Little Breeze
Oh, Do Tell…
Wicked Winds
An Understanding
Sauna, Anyone?
Suzie Intervenes
Gee, It’s Hot
The Deal
The Hot Senate
Shemal Talks
That Billy!
Let’s Try Faster
Little Friends
Something Is Very Wrong
Someday, He Will Pay
Blame the Night Sun
Lookies!
Alcandor Offers a Theory
One Bright Spot
Senate’s Progress Report
How Can This Be?
First Contact Protocol
A Cultural Assessment
Meet Your God
A World to Save a World
You Want Us To Go Where?
Meeting with Zardok
A Dead End
Lenny Gets Upset
What’s He Like?
Alcandor Tells Gondal
Still Best Buds
We Must Agree
Alcandor Learns More
I Blew It
Astronomy 101
Zoology 101
Quakes and More
Command Performance
The Rest of the Story
A Time of Peace
Alcandor Makes a Request
Not Cool
The Kids Prepare
The Extraction
What Are Those?
This Is Lenny
Time to End It
The Museum
Billy Destroys the World
Damn You!
The Booby Trap
Go Home, Bernie
Billy’s Threat
The Last Goodbye
Billy’s Lesson
Committee Arrives
Terrible Swift Sword
Good News!
Awards Ceremony
Epilogue
Did you like the book?
About the Author
Acknowledgements