Question: What is the plot of the story that involves a girl reflecting on her past, a mysterious fountain, and unsolved mysteries surrounding her family?

Answer:
Lois and Lorraine are having lunch at Judy’s house, speaking about how Judy nearly spoiled their double-wedding where they both became sisters under the name Farringdon-Petts by solving a mystery.
Judy starts telling the story of the haunted fountain. She discovered a photo of a spectacular fountain in her grandmother’s hot attic one summer as she was stuck there for two weeks while her parents went on vacation. She shed a tear onto the photo while recalling her sadness about not having friends or a sister, and imagined the fountain was a place for lonely girls to fill with their tears. Her grandmother overhears her speaking aloud her wishes and calls that she shouldn’t keep her wishes to herself, because “most of them aren’t so impossible.”
Judy’s grandparents take her to the fountain in the photo and it speaks to Judy, directing her to shed a tear into it and make wishes. Judy sheds a tear thinking about how her only friend just moved out of town and then hurries through her wishes before the ripples disappear - to have lots of friends, a sister, to marry a G-man and to solve a lot of mysteries. All things that have come true in her life.
Abruptly returning to Judy’s modern timeline, she takes Lois and Lorraine to the attic. They are spooked by Judy’s black cat, Blackberry, who makes sudden noises. Judy finds the photo and Lorraine recognizes the fountain is identical to one on her estate - yet it is in a different location. They surmise that it is in the woods on the edge of town that are part of the Brandt estate, and drive to it immediately.
During their adventure, Judy recalls more of her fountain memory. Her grandparents didn’t know the Brandt’s well enough to pay them a visit, but instead stopped by the fountain on their way to drop off her grandmother’s hooked rugs at the estate further up the path. Judy was left behind napping in a hammock - told by her grandparents they were getting her a surprise, but they didn’t return. She followed a path to an old windowless tower, but got distracted by the sound of her grandfather's cart leaving. This is all she recalls, but there is evidently more to discover that will solve the mystery.
The trip to the fountain shakes the confidence of Lorraine in the back seat, who knows information about the new owners of the estate - Roger Banning - that she is withholding. Lois and Judy probe her about what she knows and why she ducked down to hide her face from a stranger passing in a car. Although Lorraine tells them about Roger, she does not reveal why she is afraid. Judy mentions knowing Roger’s pal Dick Hartwell, who is apparently in the Federal Penitentiary for forgery now. As they park and exit the car to walk to the fountain, two dark-coated strangers approach them. This is where the story ends.

Answer: Judy, a woman known for solving mysteries and chasing ghosts, had her friends Lois and Lorraine over for lunch in the haunted house she had inherited from her family. When Judy was growing up, her parents would spend summers on vacation without her, so she did a lot of reading at her Grandmother Smeed's house. These were sad summers for her, but she would soon start to solve mysteries and find her own adventures. She mentioned her tears falling on a magazine with a picture of a fountain; she imagined it was full of tears of many girls and pondered the idea of an enchanted fountain. Her grandparents took her to see a fountain the next day, where she heard a voice that told her to make a wish and to cry into the fountain--the same fountain that was in the picture in the magazine. Judy's friends got more excited about the story, and it continued: she had to think of a wise wish, but reacted too quickly to think carefully. Her wishes did come true; she wanted lots of friends, a sister, to solve mysteries, and to marry a G-man. All of these things came true, and the fountain kept Judy captivated. She patiently explained to her friends that she hadn't tried to learn the secret of the fountain, and it didn't speak to her after the initial encounter. Judy had lost her appetite for her dessert but wanted to retrieve the photo of the fountain to see if Lois recognized it; they all went to the attic, bringing Blackberry the cat with them. Lorraine recognized the photo of the fountain, but it seemed to make her nervous. Lois didn't want to leave yet even though Lorraine was clearly uncomfortable and wanted to go, and thought she might recognize the fountain from the Brandt estate, so Lois and Judy decide it's worth checking out to see if it's the same one. Lorraine only agreed to join after they promised not to drive all the way up to the house, and to walk the last part of the way. After a twenty-minute drive, Judy talked more about what she remembered about the day she visited the garden; she'd fallen asleep in a hammock, and woke up to an empty garden. She headed towards a tower but found her grandfather's car before she encountered anyone. Through all of this, Lorraine hints that she knows more than she's letting on, and doesn't think things will be as Judy expected. This is when Judy picks up on Lorraine's reticence. Judy and Lois want to explore the old tower and look for the fountain, when Lois admits she knows Roger Banning has been around the area. Lucy and Lois push Lorraine to say more about why she isn't talking, and they want to know why she doesn't want to be recognized. The story ends in suspense as two people in dark coats are walking towards the three women.

Answer:
Judy has invited her friends, Lois and Lorraine (who are sisters-in-law), to lunch at her home. She and her husband, Peter, live in a house she inherited from her grandmother. While Judy is out of the room, Lois asks Lorraine to tell Judy about something that is upsetting Lorraine, but Lorraine accuses Lois of always siding with Judy. On top of that, she claims that Judy almost ruined their double wedding. Judy enters at the end of the conversation, admitting that she has problems, too, and hasn’t been able to solve all the mysteries she has attempted. When Judy mentions a promise she made not to discuss the dam and that she should have told Arthur, Lorraine has a pained expression and asks them not to talk about him.
Lois changes the subject, praising Judy’s mystery-solving and ghost tracking abilities that she then explains sensibly; she asks Judy to tell them a story about one of her mysteries. Judy tells them about the haunted fountain that she saw when she was fifteen years old and spending part of the summer with her grandparents while her parents were on vacation. In the attic to look at some of her grandmother’s old magazines, Judy began feeling sorry for being left behind and started crying. Her tear fell onto a picture of a fountain, and she pretended it was filled with the tears of lonely girls. Aloud, she comments that would make the fountain enchanted and starts to say a wish when her grandmother interrupts to tell her that if she let people know her wishes, most of them wouldn’t be impossible to fulfill.
The next day, Judy’s grandparents took her to a fountain that looked just like the one in the magazine. Judy walked into it and heard a voice telling her that if she sheds a tear in the fountain and makes a wish, her wish will come true. But the voice admonishes her to wish wisely. So Judy thought about how lonely she had been since her best friend had moved away and wished for lots of friends and a sister, to marry a G-man, and to solve lots of mysteries, all of which have come true.
Judy shows her friends magazine with the fountain, and Lois realizes it looks like the fountain on the nearby Brandt estate. On a whim, the three women decide to drive there to look at it. Although Lorraine is less than enthusiastic about the venture, she goes along but insists they not drive all the way to the house. After they turn into the long drive, a car approaches with a memorable-looking man at the wheel. As they near the path to the fountain, Judy recalls that her grandfather started to drive off without her, and she assumed he was teasing her. Lorraine admits she knows the Brandts no longer own the estate and has seen a classmate, Roger Banning, nearby. Suddenly, two dark-coated figures approach them.

Answer: Judy is enjoying dessert with her two friends Lorraine and Lois as she recounts a tale from her childhood in which she came across a magical fountain that granted her all of her wishes. This fountain has given Judy her husband, friends, and renown as a paranormal mystery solver. As they are in the home in which she discovered a picture of the magical fountain, the three ladies decide to go into the attic to dig up that picture. Upon seeing the picture of the fountain, Lorraine and Lois seem to know its location. The three ladies head there but it seems that Lorraine is hiding some secret connection with the fountain, and there are people there that don't seem to want them around the fountain.


Question: Describe the setting for the story, which revolves around a character grappling with unsolved mysteries and the enigmatic nature of a magical fountain.

Answer:
The story opens at Judy’s house as she has Lois and Lorraine over for lunch. Judy’s lives in her grandparents' old house that she modernized with her husband, Peter. The house has an attic that is up a narrow set of stairs with a door at the top. They have a black cat named Blackberry that spooks her friends because it is creepy when it makes unexpected noises in the attic.
When Judy is recalling the story of the fountain, the narrative bounces back and forth into their present reality as Lois and Lorraine ask questions.
In Judy’s recalled story, she is a young red-haired girl with no friends who spends two weeks in the summer with her grandparents at their home. They have a hot attic filled with keepsakes and old reading materials, most notably a picture of a fountain that Judy’s grandmother later brings her to. The fountain was centered in a deep, circular pool, and had steps leading up to it that were bordered with smaller fountains of lions with water spurting out of the mouths. Judy thinks it could be a beautiful location at any time of the year, surrounded by lush vegetation like rhododendrons and evergreens. From the fountain there was a path leading to a windowless old tower that was populated by cupids and gnomes that peered out at Judy.
Back in modern day, when Judy, Lois and Lorraine go looking for the fountain, the tower is still visible, and Lorraine describes it as something out of “Grimm’s Fairy Tales.” The friends visit it on a day where the trees are leafless in the woods, making the rhododendrons appear vibrantly green, under a gray sky. They do not actually reach the fountain in the story, but they do pass several posted signs for “NO TRESPASSING” along the wooded road.

Answer: The house that Judy lives in was inherited from her grandparents, and she now lives there with her husband Peter and their cat Blackberry. She has made some changes to the house, including in the staircases to the attic, but she has not yet gone through all of her grandmother's belongings so they take up a lot of the attic. Judy's friends consider the house haunted, but Judy insists that at least the attic is not. After the three leave the house to investigate where the fountain might be, they head into the woods where there is an uphill road leading to the Brandt estate. In this estate, there was an old water tower that was visible from the path the women were on, but the story ended before the women were able to confirm if the fountain was on this estate or not.

Answer:
The story takes place around the early 20th century in a town called Farringdon in the USA as Judy’s grandparents still drove a horse-led wagon, but Lois now drives a car, and Judy’s husband is employed by the FBI. The story begins at Judy’s house, which she inherited from her grandparents. While she is in the process of renovating the house, she still has her grandmother’s things in the attic, including the magazine with the picture of the fountain. Lois alludes to the fact that Judy has tracked down the ghosts in the attic and cellar of the house. The attic is where Judy found the magazine with the picture of the fountain on it that she is telling her friends about. When Judy saw the picture, she had never seen a fountain in person, although there is a fountain at the nearby turreted Farringdon-Petts mansion. After Judy shows the picture of the fountain to Lois and Lorraine, the two women recognize it as the fountain on the Brandt estate.
        The fountain is part of the setting in the flashback in the story. Judy remembers visiting the fountain during June; it was centered in a deep, circular pool with steps leading to the fountain. Smaller fountains in the shapes of lions were beside the steps, and water spurted from their mouths. After leaving the fountain, Judy found a hammock in a beautiful garden encircled by rose trellises. There were also rhododendrons and evergreens in the garden. After waking from her nap in the hammock, Judy saw an old windowless tower and a path leading to it. She followed the trail, and all along it were cupid and gnome figures that seemed to be looking out at her, tucked into surprising places. Just as she reached the tower, she heard her grandfather leaving with the wagon.
	The rest of the story occurs in the present’s second setting, the Brandt estate. The drive off the main road is a narrow, gravel road uphill through the woods. An oncoming car driven by a swarthy man with hypnotic eyes startles them. Traveling on, they pass more evergreens and a hedge of rhododendron and can see the tower from the car. As Lois turns the car around, two figures in dark coats approach them.

Answer: Most of the story takes place in Judy's grandparents' house, which Judy currently owns and has modernized. The main focus of the first half of the story is on the house's attic, where Judy's grandmother's things are kept. The story also takes place in a car on the way to the Brandt estate, which is the location of the fountain. The characters wind up on the estate, but it is a private estate and there are people there who do not want them there. The story takes place in a time period that seems older, with a lot of pomp and propriety.


Question: Who is Judy in the context of a story involving mysteries and personal challenges, and what is her personality like?

Answer:
Judy was a freckled-faced, pigtailed girl that spent two weeks every summer with her grandmother, Smeed, and grandfather while her parents went on vacation to a beach hotel they honeymooned at many years ago. Judy resented being left behind by her parents. However, during one summer with her grandparents, they took her to an enchanted fountain that Judy found a photo of in their attic. The fountain spoke to Judy and asked her to shed a tear into the fountain and make wishes. All of the things that Judy wished for in her life came true - to have a lot of friends, a sister, to marry a G-man and to solve a lot of mysteries.
In the telling of the story, Judy is older, married, and has a sister Lois (by way of Judy’s marriage to her brother), and another close friend like a sister, Lorraine (by way of her marrying into the same family as Lois - the Farringdon-Petts). Judy shows modesty by bringing up the mysteries she never solved when Lois and Lorraine shower her with compliments. Judy’s grandparents have since passed, but she lives in their home and keeps their belongings in the attic, showing her connection with family.
Judy (maiden name Bolten) is married to Peter Dobbs, an FBI agent, and she prefers to discuss facts instead of gossiping about hear-say with Lois and Lorraine. Judy is diligent in asking questions about Lorraine’s behavior when she ducks down in the car to hide her face from a passing stranger, and probes her to tell the truth about knowing who the new owner of the Brandt estate is - Roger Banning. Her wit is sharp, and she comes across as determined and willing to take risks to solve her mysteries (like passing no trespassing signs in broad daylight after they have already been spotted by a stranger).

Answer: Judy is a woman known for her sharp detective abilities. She is married to Peter Dobbs, and took his last name when they married instead of keeping her maiden name, Bolton. She grew up rather lonely, not having many friends--the one friend she did have moved away. After she made a wish in an enchanted fountain, however, her life changed--she found friends, a sister, a dream husband, and a new ability to solve mysteries which brought her notoriety in the area. She is a very curious person who loves to read, which is why she was with the magazines in the attic at her grandmother's in the first place. She grew up interested in mystery books also, as evidenced by the books her father bought her, which likely led to her interest in solving mysteries of her own.

Answer: Judy Dobbs, née Bolton, is friends with Lois and Lorraine and their friend and her sister-in-law Honey. She is married to Peter Dobbs, an employee of the FBI. Growing up an only child, Judy had only one best friend and was very lonely when her friend moved away. She also never got to go on family vacations; her parents would leave her with her grandparents while they went to the beach hotel where they had spent their honeymoon. Judy is a forthright, somewhat self-centered woman. She is very curious and has a habit of pursuing mysterious occurrences to discover what is behind them. When the voice in the fountain urged her to make wise wishes, Judy wished for just the things that have happened in her life, but Judy points out that her wishes didn’t come true until she started thinking of others. She also believes that as she goes through her grandmother’s belongings, she might be able to solve some of the mysteries about her grandparents’ lives. Judy is also analytical; she notices Lorraine’s tendency toward jealousy and Lorraine’s reaction to mentions of Arthur and suspects that Lorraine might be jealous about him. She also notices Lorraine’s reaction to the oncoming car, hiding herself behind Lois, and her reluctance to tell them what she knows about the Brandt estate and confronts her, asking for her reasons.

Answer: Judy is the main character of the story and she has become famous for solving paranormal mysteries. Judy's drive to see the fountain that brought her all her good fortune is what drives the story forward and gets the characters into trouble. Judy seems like a privileged character who is thankful for that privilege. She's highly inquisitive, never wanting to let a mystery go unsolved. She is a content character, but much of the story's beginning is dedicated to describing how she was before she became content as a lonely, depressed younger girl in need of friends.


Question: What is the significance of tears in a story involving a mysterious fountain and the complexities of friendships and wishes?

Answer:
Tears are the inciting event that connect Judy with the photo of the fountain as a tear rolls off her cheek and onto the photo as she thinks of her loneliness in her grandparents attic. Expressing her longing for friendship and a sister aloud sparks her grandmother to take her along to the fountain itself. When visiting the fountain, tears again become important because the fountain asks for a tear to be shed into it before wishes can be made.
The physical description of tears rolling onto a photograph or causing small ripples in the fountain that travel and dissipate are important visualizations that draw the reader into Judy’s story, and make her character feel real.

Answer: Tears are first brought up when Judy is thinking about her summers that she spent in the attic at her grandmother's house, where she said she was reading but really needed some space to herself to cry. Her tears fell on a magazine that had a picture of a fountain, and she found it amusing that the fountain had tears as its source of water. She pretended that it was full of tears of many young girls, and her grandmother overheard her pondering this possible enchanted fountain, so they went to see a similar fountain the next day.  She cried into the fountain and her dreams eventually came true, changing the course of her life in many ways.

Answer: Judy’s tears over her loneliness of losing her best friend and not going on vacation with her parents provide the catalyst for significant changes in her life. When her tears fall on the picture of the fountain, and her grandmother overhears her comment about the enchanted fountain and her wishes, it marks the beginning of life-changing events. Her grandparents take her to see the fountain on the Brandt estate, and there, she hears the voice telling her if she sheds a tear in the fountain, her wishes will come true. As she watches the ripples in the water caused by her tear, Judy quickly comes up with several wishes that ultimately come true; even the wish for a sister that seemingly would be impossible to fill comes true when she gains a sister-in-law. Her story about the fountain and her tears are the impetus for Lois’s push to visit the Brandt estate to see the fountain and for the women being caught trespassing on the property.

Answer: Judy spills tears while she is first looking at the photograph of the fountain in a magazine. Judy is crying because her parents have left her with her grandmother Smeed, whom she finds a complete bore. The tears spill onto the magazine and seem to bring the fountain to life with the tears of all the lonely girls like Judy. Seeing the fountain in this way helps Judy make a connection with the fountain and draws her toward finding it the first time.


Question: What is the relationship like between Lois and Lorraine, considering their interactions amidst a mysterious backdrop involving a haunted fountain and unsolved secrets?

Answer:
Lois and Lorraine became sisters by marriage as they both married into the Farringdon-Petts family in a double-wedding event. Judy (a sister to Lois by way of her marrying Lois’ brother, Peter Dobbs), nearly ruined the double-wedding trying to solve a mystery.
Lois is perhaps more forgiving to Judy, and Lorraine goes as far as to describe that Lois has always taken Judy’s side. Both Lois and Lorraine acknowledge that Judy is great at solving mysteries and try to lift her up when she is down on herself about the few that she couldn’t solve when they come over for lunch.
Lorraine becomes evasive and hides from view when the three of them go to the fountain together, concealing information about the new owners of the Brandt estate that Lois and Judy eventually get out of her by probing questions. This event shows Lois’ willingness to challenge Lorraine, and perhaps also supporting “Judy’s side” as Lois calls her out on earlier in the story.

Answer: Lois and Lorraine are sisters-in-law who want to look out for one another. Lois is excitable and very giggly, whereas Lorraine is a bit more mild-tempered and careful, less sure about having Blackberry the cat around. Lorraine is going through an emotional time when this story takes place, only admitting small bits of information at a time about how she doesn't trust Arthur anymore, but won't give up more detail when pushed. Judy found Lorraine to seem somewhat jealous, but both Judy and Lois seem to know that Lorraine is keeping something from them. On the other hand, Lois is very open and encourages the others to speak their minds to work through anything that might be bothering them.

Answer: Lois and Lorraine are sisters-in-law who care for each other, although Lorraine can sometimes be difficult to get along with. Lois is the friendlier, perkier of the two, while Lorraine is brooding and distrusting. Lorraine has a jealous streak that interfered with the budding friendship between Lois and Judy, and even now, Lorraine complains that Lois always sides with Judy. She also holds grudges, as she brings up the point that Judy almost ruined their double wedding. Lorraine has a problem that appears to be related to her husband, and Lois thinks Lorraine should tell Judy about it because Judy is so good at solving problems and mysteries. When Judy mentions Arthur, Lorraine looks as though she is in pain and asks the others not to talk about him now. Later, she comments that she wishes she could go back in the past to the time when she trusted Arthur, and when they meet the oncoming car on the way to the Brandt estate, she hides herself from the driver. Lois encourages Lorraine to tell her what her problem is, but Lorraine won’t. All day, Lois engages in eager conversation, asking Judy questions as she tells her story, while Lorraine appears lost, glum, and hurt; Lorraine starts comments that she doesn’t finish and mysteriously seems to know more about the Brandt estate than she will tell the other two women.

Answer: Lois and Lorraine appear to be sisters. At one point, Judy is recounting how she wished for a sister her age, and Lois squeezes Lorraine's hand, proclaiming that her future held a sister just like Judy's future held a sister. It isn't clear, however, if they are biological sisters or symbolic sisters. Judy is describing more of a symbolic relationship with a woman of her age, but Lois does not clarify if her relationship with Lorraine is by blood or simply by love like how Judy is describing. Either way, the two characters seem very close and care for one another deeply.


Question: What is the plot of the story that involves a character experiencing a series of improbable events and coincidences during an ordinary day, leading to unexpected encounters and strange occurrences?

Answer: Alec Graham returns to his home from the office after a long day. His wife Molly has left, and he still feels that it looks wife-deserted even after doing many chores to clean it up. He recounts his bad day, having forgotten to set his alarm and rushing to the TV Studio that he writes for. The taxi driver refuses to take him to Madison and Fifty-fourth, and the rain has gotten worse. His hand continuously bleeds after passing by a big excavation site, and he misses his story conference. After hearing the same phrases numerous times and all six elevators being jammed, he is convinced that he is coincidence prone. Molly leaves him instructions on how to take care of himself, and he works on his novel. More of these events happen with pigeons colliding and somebody getting five straight-flushes in a row. Nat tells Alec about the strange occurrence as they get soda. The three bottles do not break after falling at least five feet, and Danny, the cop, is shocked. Outside, more strange events occur when Nat almost gets caught up with a swerving taxi. Once they return home, he immediately calls McGill, an assistant mathematics professor for some expert advice. Once McGill arrives, he says that all of the events are very improbable, which makes him inclined to believe that Alec is stringing him on or subject to delusion. They do an experiment involving coin-throwing, and all of the coins are arranged in a neat pile when Alec throws them. McGill asks him some more questions about any recent occurrences, but Alec suggests that they go outside to eat. Outside, the cars are being towed away, while two pedestrians are having trouble letting each other pass. Danny is confused by all that is happening. Alec also runs into Molly, stuck in a confused wrangle of umbrellas with two other women. She explains that somebody from their home had kept calling her mother’s number, so she came back to investigate. Back at the apartment, all of this is traced back to Alec as the center. McGill tries to explain what is possibly happening to Alec, but they are interrupted by the telephone repairman. Molly suggests they go out to a restaurant to eat, and Nat comes along. They pass by the car jam again, and the police lieutenant looks at Alec with interest. Even at the restaurant, Alec realizes that his Tom Collins drink is made with salt instead of sugar. When the bartender tries to remake the drink for them, the shaker has frozen solid. It happens again with a new shaker, and the waiter is extremely confused. When Alec’s hand collides with Molly’s cigarette, it goes into the neighboring lady’s vichyssoise. The two of them are displeased, and when Alec stands up, he ends up pulling all of the contents on their entire table onto the floor. The lady and the man are furious at Alec; even the owner has come to fix the situation.

Answer: Alec returns to his apartment after a day at the office, feeling worn out and defeated. He recalls the events from earlier that day; he had forgotten to set his alarm clock, making him late for a conference at the advertising studio he works at. He had forgotten an umbrella and found himself in the pouring rain, where he caught a taxi only for it to not start. The subways had suffered delays as well. On his walk to the office, Alec passed by a construction site, where he was nicked by a piece of glass from an explosion. He ended up missing his conference, and on his way home, a cop tells him that the elevators in his office building had all broken down as soon as he left. Alec reflects on these events, perplexed by the accident-prone coincidences. He decides to write at his typewriter when he drops his pencil, finding that it has landed standing on its end. As he continues to be stunned by the events, he fixes a drink for himself, taking note of the several notes that his wife, Molly, had left him while she visits her mother. Alec then witnesses a card game between his neighbor, Nat, and a group of men, in which Nat draws five straight flushes. Alec invites Nat in after the heated game, and after breaking a soda, they go to the corner store to buy more, where the bottles fall through the bottom of the bag. As the two walk back to their apartment, Nat is nearly bumped into and he steps onto the curb, causing a severe accident between multiple cars. Nat later leaves to his office to write an article about the strange events, and Alec calls up McGill, a mathematics professor and friend. McGill comes to Alec's apartment, and he is suspicious that he may be delusional or lying, due to the impossible probability of the events occurring. McGill then tosses some change onto the floor, testing to see if they all land on heads; instead, the coins stack up on top of each other. McGill is also confused, trying to imagine an explanation, and Alec suggests that some form of life is controlling the events. The two go out for food and pass by three women who have their umbrellas tangled up together. One of the women turns out to be Molly, who says she returned after her mother had been receiving constant calls from Alec's phone with no one on the other end. They go back to the apartment and discuss the matter, as the telephone repairman arrives. After, the three go to a restaurant, and face more inconveniences, such as having salt in their drink instead of sugar. Alec then accidentally drops a cigarette onto a neighboring party, and the woman gets angry, as Alec somehow pulls their tablecloth and dinner onto the floor, angering many.

Answer:
The story begins with Alec missing his wife’s presence as he feels lost without her aid in his life. He details how his commute to work was heavily hindered by unlucky transportation happenings and awful weather. When Alec leaves work and gets back to his apartment, he attempts to write a bit. In addition, he thinks over the strange coincidences that have happened during the day thus far. Upon hearing a loud commotion in his apartment building hallway, he goes to investigate. He finds his neighbor Nat in an argument with a group of men accusing Nat of cheating. In a fit of rage, one of the men hits the deck of cards that Nat is holding, causing them to be tossed to the floor. In another strange coincidence, half of the cards land face down but all the face-up cards are red. The group of men leave in confusion and Alec invites Nat into his apartment for a drink to cool down.

After consuming most of the club soda, the two men leave to grab more club soda in a nearby deli. At the deli, another strange incident occurs. The 3 glasses of club soda fall through a thin plastic bag, 5 feet towards the ground and do not break when they should have broken due to the fall. The storekeeper is shocked but Alec shrugs off the weird incident. Nat and Alec return to his apartment where he notices more strange coincidences. Alec grows frustrated and decides to call his friend McGill to help him make sense of everything. McGill promptly comes over to Alec’s apartment to help. McGill gets to the apartment and Alec tries to explain all of the coincidences. McGill is understandably very skeptical and wants Alec to prove it for his own eyes.

Alec is able to prove that something strange his happening with a demonstration that involves throwing coins to the floor. The coins are thrown and somehow clustered together into a perfectly stacked pile. McGill then begins to believe Alec. He is uncertain about the probability of the coincidences but refuses to attribute it to superstitious happenings and states that it is an unknown force. When the two leave to go get food, they see and meet up with Molly on the street and quickly return to the apartment to catch Molly up on the strange occurrences. After much discussion over what could be causing the day’s incidents, they decide to all go to get food. They order drinks at the restaurant, but mysteriously the shaker is causing the liquids to freeze. Molly notes how the restaurant is continuously becoming warmer, and later Alec mentally notes that he can no longer hear the sound of the air conditioner. While preparing to discuss the issue of the AC, Alec accidentally flips his cigarette onto another occupied table. This causes a heated argument with the other guests and the unapproving look from the owner of the restaurant towards Alec.

Answer: Alec, the narrator, had a very weird and exhausting day. In the morning he overslept work and hurried out. A rain storm started the subway was delayed and there was a huge excavation on his way. The drill working with clay hit something glittering inside and a little explosion happened. The narrator's face was slightly scratched and bleeding. His absence at the conference wasn't noticed. Back home Alec saw his wife's nots with directions all around as she left to attend to her mother. Then he tried to write his novel and came to a dead end, so he poured himself a drink and watched some pigeons being trained outside, when some traffic occurred and a couple birds fell. There were loud voices outside: four men confronted the narrator's neighbor, a shy guy named Nat. Then the man came in for a drink, and told Alec that he had miraculously won in cards a couple times in a row, and his partners believed he had cheated. The narrator and Nat went out for sodas in glass bottles, which fell and miraculously did not break. On the street, a pedestrian, who suddenly stopped in front of Nat, caused a series of accidents leading to a huge traffic jam. Back at Alec's place, the curtain was weirdly tied in three knots and he called his knowledgeable friend McGill to get a consultation. The man came and considered all of the day's weird events very improbable but not impossible. McGill offered to make a demonstration, so Alec threw a handful of coins which bounced together, stacking into a neat pile. McGill's coins created an exactly straight line. McGill stated that Alec was the center of the weird events and there must be some design in that. They went out to eat and the cars were wrecking all along their way, overwhelming the cops. Two people were unable to go past each other, they fought making the same motions and saying identical words. Many similar situations were happening all around. One of the women with intertwined umbrellas was Molly, the wife. Her mother's number was constantly dialed with no one on the line, and Alec's number was always busy, so Molly got worried. At that point Danny, the local policeman, started suspecting Alec. The three went out for dinner eventually and took Nat with them, who wanted to hear the story. Alec dropped his cigarettes out of the pack under the suspicious gaze of Danny and a lieutenant. In the restaurant the whole company got salty drinks which puzzled the bartender. When he tried to do the new ones, nothing came out of the shaker - everything inside turned into ice. The place suddenly started getting warmer and quieter. Alec's hand collided with Molly's and her cigarette fell into the dish of a perturbed lady at the nearby table. While standing up, Alec accidentally pulled everything from that table to the floor and the angry lady slapped him.


Question: Describe the setting of the story, which involves a man navigating the chaos of his daily life while encountering a series of improbable events that seem to revolve around him.

Answer: The story is initially set in Alec’s home. There is a radio, Greenwich Village thermometer, and a living room. In the home, there is also carpet, cushions, and ashtrays for cigarettes. Alec also owns an alarm clock to help him wake up. In the living room, there is also a typewriter and a telephone. Alec tries to go to his conference in New York, but it is raining heavily, and the cab refuses to take him to his destination. However, the story also mentions the subway, which he takes. Alec’s stop is Fifty-first and Lexington. There is also mention of a big excavation site for a new building. On his way to the studio, he also stops at the drugstore. There are also at least six elevators in his building. Around the corner of the apartment, there is a delicatessen that sells soda. On the streets outside, cars are jamming into each other and have to be towed away. Later, the story is set in a restaurant near Sixth Avenue. The restaurant is crowded but cool, and there is a bar too. There is also background music and the faint hum of the air-conditioner, both that stop shortly after.

Answer: The story takes place in New York City. Alec lives in Greenwich Village and works at an office on the Upper East Side, on Madison Avenue. Alec lives in an apartment complex in a comfortable home, containing a living room where he keeps his typewriter, a small kitchen, and a bedroom. Alec's living room window offers a view of the roof across from him. Throughout the story, Alec visits many different places. In addition to his office, he goes to a small corner store to purchase soda, as well as a restaurant near Sixth Avenue.

Answer: The main setting of the story is presumed to be in Manhattan in New York City. Alec goes to different parts of the city due to work, where he lives, and for food. His commute on the subway was fraught with troubles and he ends up missing a meeting at work, though his absence goes unnoticed. His wife, Molly, who was visiting her mother, finds him on the street surrounded by a bunch of commotion. Alec, his wife, and McGill return to Alec’s apartment to discuss what has been happening. After much discussion, they go out to eat. As more strange coincidences happen at the restaurant, Molly notes how it keeps getting warmer.

Answer: The story starts in Alec's apartment which looks wife-deserted as Molly, his wife, is visiting her mother. All around the apartment there are what-to-do notes from Molly. Alec rushes out for his job and it starts raining really bad outside. The cab doesn't move and he gets into the subway. Then he exits near his job, there is a huge excavation nearby, with men drilling clay and some spectators. Inside one piece of clay there is something shiny, like glass. Alec gets to his TV studio and soon takes the subway back home. At home he makes a drink in the kitchen and sits down in the living room with some papers which are supposedly his future novel and a typewriter. Weird events like a pencil standing straight and a tied in three knots curtain keep happening. From the window Alec sees a man exercising a flock of pigeons on the rooftop and a weird traffic occurs among the birds. Alec hears loud voices and opens the door to see his neighbor, Nat, being confronted by four men in the hallway. The two get into Alec's apartment and soon go out for sodas. At the delicatessen on the corner, Alec drops three bottles of water but they don't break. A series of accidents happen on the road outside and create an enormous traffic jam. Soon, Alec is alone in his apartment and invites his friend McGill to figure out the weird happenings. After a couple more very unprovable events they go out for food. The traffic outside is incredible, every car wrecks and pedestrians can't get past one another and fight. Molly appears among the women fighting over umbrellas and the three go back home. After a couple more weird events including the broken phone, they take Nat and go to a restaurant after all. The traffic on the street is still crazy. The restaurant is air-conditioned and noisy. The drinks are salty, and when the bartender tries to redo them, the liquid freezes, gathering many spectators. The air gets warmer and another accident creates a fight between Alec and a lady at the next table.


Question: Who is McGill in this story about a man experiencing a series of improbable events, and what are his traits?

Answer: McGill is an assistant mathematics professor at a nearby university. He is friends with both Alec and Molly, even calling to ask about the both of them. He is considered to be highly imaginative, but they believe that he knows everything. Personality-wise, McGill is a very logical person. He believes that what Alec has told him is normally impossible, and the odds against it are very astronomical as well. Even when Alec shows him what has happened to him, he continues to pursue a logical explanation. However, despite these theories, he tries to approach these findings logically and tells Alec not to be superstitious when they initially discuss why this is happening to him.

Answer: McGill works at a university as an assistant professor of mathematics. He is known to be extremely intelligent, as well as imaginative, as Alec describes him. McGill is eager to help Alec explain his improbable luck, both out of friendship and excitement by his passion for science. Though McGill is imaginative, he is also skeptical and not easily gullible, as shown when he is wary of Alec's legitimacy behind his claims. However, he can easily think outside of the box, and uses his knowledge of science to propose unheard possibilities.

Answer: McGill is a professor of mathematics at a nearby university. He lives near Alec and is appreciated for his intellectual advice. He is described as being very imaginative, but his advice is held in high regard. He is quick to help Alec after a simple phone call with no explanation of Alec’s need. When Alec explains the strange occurrences throughout the day, McGill is skeptical but willing to give Alec the benefit of the doubt. He routinely measures the likelihood of occurrences in an analytical manner that relies on probability.

Answer: McGill is an assistant professor of mathematics at a university, who lives near Alec. They have friendly relationship and casually meet. They are close enough for Alec to call and ask McGill to come straight away, who comes immediately. Alec and some other people from his company consider McGill very knowledgeable about all sort of things. He is open to anything and considers every possibility, even the impossible and supernatural as long as he doesn't have any other explanation. However, he believes this case to be very weird and improbable but not impossible - he has scientific approach to everything. He is interested in weird happenings and willing to find the answer. He believes only what he sees, and doesn't believe in miracles.


Question: Who is Molly in the context of the story about a man's chaotic day filled with strange coincidences, and what are her traits?

Answer: Molly Graham is Alec’s wife. She cares a lot about her husband, leaving him notes with instructions on what to do when she is gone. She is also a former nurse and loves Alec greatly to do all of this for him. Molly also has a habit of smoking, which she began doing when they went to the restaurant. When she notices something is wrong at home, she comes back immediately even though her previous plan was to visit her mother at Oyster Bay. Personality-wise, Molly is also a logical thinker. When Alec explains the situation to her, she also tries to find reasoning for it and catches on pretty quickly. Molly is very observant as well, watching the events that involve Alec play out.

Answer: Molly is Alec's wife, away in the first half of the story on a trip to her mother's. Molly is depicted as a caring and nurturing wife, shown particularly through the notes that she leaves Alec as he stays home alone. The notes, instructing Alec on housekeeping, also imply that Molly takes on a more dominant role in the household, knowing how to tend to a home and sustain the both of them. Molly is mainly concerned for Alec's well being regarding the unlucky events he is experiencing, asking if he feels alright and supporting him in searching for an explanation.

Answer: Molly is Alec’s wife. From the detailed instruction she leaves for him while she is visiting her mother, it is clear that Molly handles much of Alec’s life. She cooks for him, organizes his schedule, cleans for him, etc. Alec seems lost without Molly’s presence. It can be discerned that Molly has a caregiver type of relationship with Alec. She cares for him deeply and is easily concerned about his well-being. She boards a 2-hour train back to the train when she cannot reach him under unusual circumstances.

Answer: Molly is Alec's wife and a nurse. She treats Alec as her helpless patient, when she leaves, she places notes with directions for every simple action. So, she is even more attentive and thoughtful than she should be with a grown up man. She is very caring as she comes immediately as Alec's phone is busy. She is very anxious for him. She is clever and organized, she immediately evaluates the situation and shares her thoughts. She is friendly to everyone and they have very good relationship with Alec - he is very happy to see her and he missed her badly even during the ten days.


Question: How do the strange coincidences that happen to Alec affect his mood throughout the story, which revolves around his experiences in an increasingly chaotic environment?

Answer: Alec is tired, upset, and confused about the strange coincidences relating to him. When he first goes home, he is extremely tired and compares his day to be the same as being beaten down. Judging from the events throughout his workday, he does not understand how they all relate to him and thinks of them as extremely weird coincidences. He even thinks of himself as being coincidence-prone. After the soda incident, however, he no longer finds it surprising after all that has happened to him. As the events build up, Alec slowly realizes that he is the center of it all, and he knows that he cannot get out of it. No matter how hard he tries, he directly interacts with or is nearby becomes strange coincidences.

Answer: As the strange coincidences occur in the story, Alec becomes increasingly frustrated. However, instead of driving him to the point of rage, the frustration drives him to exhaustion. At the beginning of the story, Alec already describes himself as feeling beaten down due to the morning's events. He feels more and more defeated as the day goes on, but also becomes more and more perplexed and fascinated. By the end of the story, Alec feels both helpless due to his uncontrollable bad luck and eager to find an explanation for this rare scenario, seeking other people for help and validation.

Answer: For a large portion of the story, Alec is very casual about the strange coincidences that occur. He acknowledges them but does not fuss over them as much as those who also see them. When he is told that he just missed being stuck in his office building’s elevators, he brushes it off as another coincidence. He does the same when his pencil lands on the floor standing on its end. Towards the end of the story, he grows more aware of the coincidences and becomes frustrated with them. The story ends with him getting into a heated argument at a restaurant when it is assumed that he purposefully flew his cigarette at an occupied table.

Answer: The first coincidences are just some bad luck as Alec thinks. When one oversleeps something important and is in a hurry, series of delaying events can happen as some bad luck. He is simply nervous about missing the conference, and tired of constant failures. It'[s also hard for him to live without his wife, his place looks wife-deserted which upsets him and this is the part of the reasons for his tardiness. When his absence isn't noticed, he returns home in a better mood and tries to write. Nothing helps though and Alec is stuck. Unnatural events start happening which distract him, at first, they simply surprise Alec. Later, they become more strong, often highly improbable - not breaking bottles, traffic, especially the three knots on the curtain. These ones look impossible to Alec and therefore scare him, so he calls McGill for a consultation. Further evidence convinces Alec in him being the center of a huge mess. He is confused and tries to hide his failures from the overseers.


Question: What is the plot of the story involving a scientist's desperate attempt to combat an invasion of superior beings while grappling with the consequences of his actions?

Answer: Peter Karson has finished planning out the blueprint for the Citadel. He is excited to see it be built and go off into space to collect new information. Something suddenly snaps him out of his fantasy. Fifty stories above the window, there is a blood-red and subtly inhuman face staring back at him. The face slowly disappears, but he is stunned by the image. He then shakingly lights a cigarette and turns on the newsbox to see that an invader has appeared in Boston. More disasters are listed below, and the World Police announces that the Invaders have already begun terrorizing the world since they appeared twenty-four hours ago. Peter is doubtful that they can take down the Invaders and goes to Lorelei Cooper’s laboratory. Lorelei does not know what is happening because Harry and she have been working for thirty-six hours straight. She does not have a newsbox, but he tells her to turn on her scanner to see the news. The panel shows the Science City of Manhattan, but the Invaders have come and snatched up men and women. Slowly, two Invaders make their way to the Atlas building, where Peter and Lorelei are. He goes into the inner room, even though she yells at him not to go. The Invaders have reduced Harry to nothing but a puddle of flesh, and Peter begins to ask why they are doing this desperately. They whisper to him in a strange language; he suddenly realizes that Lorelei has followed him. She drops to the floor after looking at the Invaders, which makes Peter scream. When he awakes again, a doctor named Arnold tells him to lie back down and that he is in a hospital. Although Dr. Arnold initially tells him that he has been in the hospital for three months, he eventually finds out that it has already been nine and a half months since he went into his coma. All of the survivors are underground because nobody knew how to kill the Invaders. Peter is considered their last hope because he is a scientist, and he thinks back to his plan of the Citadel. The ship is built, and it is called The Avenger instead. Lorelei tries to plead with Peter, but he refuses and says that it must be him who finds a superman that can destroy the Invaders. He goes into space until the ship curves into orbit. Peter kills many of the changeling children, but he allows one to live. The child is named Robert and is considered to be a super-intelligent being. Peter is hopeful that the changeling can kill the Invaders, but Robert says he will not return to Earth. He explains that they are like kin to him, and he logically has no reason to kill him. Peter is shocked and tries to plead with Robert, but the superman does not understand emotions. Robert does not feel good about the expression on Peter’s face, and he hastens to an inevitable end.

Answer: Blood is dripping from a dead body in the room, Peter Karson. The story moves to the past, when young Peter finished the project of 'Citadel' - a spaceship to set off to an orbit. 'Citadel' was supposed to be a huge well-equipped laboratory, the first of its kind. While imagining the greatness of the creation, Peter felt dread and saw a face staring at him outside the window, fifty stories up. The face was scary and inhuman, the body hung without support for a while and then disappeared. Everything around was normal and Peter was worried he had gone mad. Then he saw the red headlines in the newspapers about appearing invaders and disappearing people. Cities worldwide were attacked and the World Police were mobilizing. The news proclaimed that the greatest enemy was to be faced and defeated. Peter rushed downstairs to Lorelei's laboratory, who had been working without breaks and hadn't seen the news. After Peter's agonized pleas, Lorelei turned on the news and saw a video of people becoming an unrecognizable joined mass, helpless and suffering. Then the two saw their own building in the news and halted. Peter went towards the inner room despite Lorelei's protests. He saw two aliens staring at Harry, Lorelei's assistant, and turning him into a boneless mess. Peter was so shocked that he screamed "why?" and heard some incomprehensible whisper in his head in response. Suddenly, Peter saw that Lorelei had followed him and her body dropped to the floor. Peter screamed inhumanely loudly and faded. He woke up in a hospital, the doctor said he had been very sick for three months and that Lorelei was fine. When Peter kept asking, he finally learned that he had been in a coma for more than nine months because of the rather long contact he had had with the invaders. Lorelei was simply shocked and recovered much faster. Arnold, the doctor, finally decided that Peter was strong enough to learn the truth and told about the part of humanity hiding underground as killing the aliens turned out to be impossible. Peter was needed as a scientist. His 'Citadel' project contained everything necessary to live a lifetime, it was a new independent world to save the rest of humanity. So, it was renamed 'The Avenger' and finished, as life underground was not a solution but a delay. Lorelei was in despair because of Peter boarding the ship and wanted to follow, but the rays were strong and even Peter had low chances of staying alive. When 'The Avenger' reached orbit, Peter felt the rays burning his flesh and smashed the mirrors to allow the embryos to mature. After a long time Peter told the story to Robert, the mutation-child with a superior brain who could destroy the invaders. Robert refused to go to Earth as his brain was logical and saw no reasons to destroy the Invaders. Peter didn't understand and the inevitable end approached.

Answer: The story opens with the character Peter Karson dead, as the narrator, identity unknown, contemplates their emptiness after killing him. The narrator says that they do not regret doing so, but they are unable to explain their emotions as they feel a tear rolling down their cheek. The story then goes back to a younger Peter as he finishes his project, the development of the Citadel spaceship. He suddenly hears a strange whisper within his brain, and he turns around to see a face with a shriveled body staring at him through the window. The creature slowly dissolves and disappears, and Peter is left stunned. He finds breaking news of invasions all over the world, murdering hundreds of civilians. The invaders, according to Secretary of the Council, are from outer space, and the World Police is attempting to destroy them. Peter rushes downstairs to find Lorelei, his lover, in the laboratory. She is unaware of the news, and upon seeing footage of the gruesome attacks, she is shocked, and they soon see the invaders approaching their building from the television. Peter steps into another room, seeing the two creatures with their focus on Harry Kanin, Lorelei's assistant. To Peter's horror, Harry quickly becomes a limp pile of flesh. Peter confronts the creatures but only hears foreign whispers, as Lorelei drops to the floor behind him. Peter lets out a scream, and wakes up in a hospital. The doctor tells him that he has been there in a coma for over nine months, and that Lorelei had recovered from shock. The doctor then tells Peter that society has moved to living underground in order to avoid the invaders; Peter, as a scientist, is their last hope. Later, Peter approaches the newly crafted spaceship, titled The Avenger, which lacks the typical shield to protect one from cosmic rays. Lorelei begs Peter not to go, but he believes it is necessary, and too much of a risk for Lorelei to join him. He boards the ship with the mission to create a "superman" to ultimately defeat the invaders; the plan is to allow the cosmic rays to mutate several embryos on board, hopefully creating a strong enough being. As The Avenger leaves and goes into orbit, Peter begins feeling the effects of the rays as his skin and hair mutates. As time passes, he allows the embryos to develop, destroying all but one. He raises the embryo as it develops into a person, and the story jumps many years later, as the child becomes a man named Robert. Peter had raised Robert, with a superior brain and logical ability, to be the defeater of the invaders. Informing Robert of the plan to return back to Earth, Robert surprisingly refuses. Peter is taken aback, and Robert explains that he is not able to comprehend the emotions that would lead him to kill the invaders and save Earthmen. Peter begs helplessly, and Robert ultimately feels it inevitable to kill him.

Answer:
The story begins with a young Peter Karson, a scientist, working on a ship. He finishes his work for the moment and turns on the news to discover horrifying imagery and chaos being reported. He runs to Lorelei Cooper’s laboratory to go share the disturbing news with her. Lorelei and Peter have a romantic relationship. He asks Lorelei to turn on the news and she is shocked by the imagery that is being detailed. Both Peter and Lorelei become stunned when they realize that the invaders to Earth are headed towards their building. They hold each other in stunned silence until they hear a scream from Lorelei’s assistant, Harry Kanin. Peter goes out to investigate and discovers the Invaders turning Harry’s body into nothing but flesh. Unbeknownst to Peter, Lorelei followed him and when the Invaders are done with Harry they begin to focus on her to Peter’s terror.

Peter then wakes up in a hospital bed. After much prodding, he is eventually informed that he has been in a coma for a little over nine months. He is told that humans are losing the fight against the Invaders and have retreated to living underground. He is soon informed that he must gain back his strength because as a scientist he is much needed in the fight against the Invaders.

The story then goes into detail about how Peter has been chosen to go to space on the Avenger ship and raise a viable embryo that has successfully mutated due to cosmic rays. The resulting person will then be used to fight against the Invaders. He does this while orbiting space on the ship. He destroys the inappropriate creations and keeps one embryo that sees as potential. That would grow up to be Robert. Many years have passed as he raises Robert. Eventually, he tells Robert the story of how he was created and details the mission that he is meant to carry out. Robert has great brain prowess due to his mutations and Peter is hopeful that he will be able to successfully fight against the invaders.

However, Robert soon informs Peter that he will not go through with the plan. He reasons that he does not experience emotion and has no reason to care for the humans on Earth. Peter is greatly upset as he realizes his life’s work failed and Earth will not be able to save.


Question: Describe the setting of the story, which involves a scientist grappling with the consequences of his ambitious project amidst a backdrop of alien invasion and existential threat.

Answer: The story is first set inside Peter’s office. There is a window that he initially sees the Invader through. The window can see up to fifty stories high. There is also a desk with a newsbox on it, where he lights his cigarette. His office also has a chair. Many places worldwide are mentioned too, such as London, Hong Kong, Paris, and Boston. Lorelei’s laboratory is two stories down the moving ramp. It is behind a door marked “Radiation”, and there is also a door mechanism with a password set to “Etaoin Shrdlu”. Lorelei owns a scanner, a video panel on the wall that is initially covered in papers. There is also an inner room with an X-ray chamber. The building they are in is called the Atlas building. After Peter wakes from his coma, the story is set in a hospital underground. There is a metal stand and a bed for Peter to lie on. When he goes off with the mission to bring back a superman, the ship exits from the underground launch chamber and goes into space. Peter goes past the Moon, past Mars, and over the asteroid belt. From his distance, Earth is a tiny blue star.

Answer: The story begins in a silent room with only blood dripping from Peter Karson's dead body. The stars are visible from the window. Then the story goes back in time, to when Peter was a young scientist. He was completing the project of 'Citadel' on paper and imagining his creation. It was supposed to be a huge metal laboratory-spaceship. The ship was to have many levels of laboratories and storerooms, the meteor deflectors, the air renewal system and the mighty engines. Suddenly, Peter felt some kind of dread around, he looked out from the window of his office and saw a horrible creature fifty stories up. Then he took the newspapers from his newsboy and saw the headlines about the invaders. He rushed two floors down through the staircase to the radioactive laboratory, where Lorelei, his girlfriend, was working. She was in the forest corner with a huge ledger. The two went to the scanner to watch the news and suddenly saw their own building, a tall, pure white structure. The silence was oppressive. Peter moved towards the inner room and confronted the aliens. Then he woke up in a sort of hospital after a long coma, he couldn't understand where he was and for how long. All the major cities were destroyed. People were digging to hide underground, but it was a delay rather than a solution. A new ship 'The Avenger' was built following the model of 'Citadel'. 'The Avenger' wasn't that big as 'Citadel' was supposed to be, it was a steel globe with compressed oxygen and concentrated food enough for a lifetime. Peter boarded the ship and sealed the door, then he sank down on the floor, knowing his low chances of staying alive. He closed the inner door and walked to the control room. He turned the keys and was pressed into the chair. He passed the moon and Mars and reached orbit. He felt the rays burning him there and broke the windows. For years he watched the embryos grow until Robert, the needed mutation, appeared. Peter fed him with knowledge for years. Earth was a tiny blue star far away, where many more years passed. When Robert refused to save the Earth, everything came to an end.

Answer: The beginning of the story takes place on Earth, in the Atlas building in the science city Manhattan. The building is a tall, white structure, with about fifty floors. The building contains both Peter's office, where he works on the Citadel, and Lorelei's laboratory, located two stories below. The laboratory contains several rooms, scattered with machinery and papers, with a video panel on the wall. After Peter's encounter with the invaders, he wakes up in a hospital, and he is then taken to the relocated city underground. The final part of the story takes place aboard The Avenger, a ship like others, except supplied with sufficient food and without cosmic ray shields.

Answer: The story begins in a laboratory in New York City where Peter is working on a ship in his part of the building. Upon seeing disturbing news on the TV, he runs to Lorelei’s lab which is further down into the building. The building they both work in is the Atlas building. After the Invaders attack their building and seemingly kill Lorelei, Peter wakes up in a hospital room. He is able to leave and meet up with Lorelei – who is actually alive- in an underground city once he recovers. Peter then goes on a mission to orbit space on the Avenger ship in hopes of finding an embryo that has mutated in a manner that could help save Earth. This process takes years and he reaches an old age completing this mission on the ship.


Question: What is the relationship between Peter and Lorelei, two characters involved in a struggle against an overwhelming external threat?

Answer: Peter and Lorelei are romantically involved with each other. When Lorelei sees Peter, she calls him “my love” and “darling.” She puts her hands on his shoulders too and kisses him impulsively as a sign of affection. Peter cares greatly about Lorelei, too, as she was the first person he went to find after seeing the news about the Invaders. When he tries to investigate, she clings to him and pleads for him not to go. However, she follows along too, and he is horrified at what might happen to her. After Lorelei passes out, Peter cannot help but let out a scream. Even when he wakes up from his coma, the first thing he thinks about is Lorelei and repeatedly asks where she is. Lorelei continues to beg Peter not to leave on The Avenger and asks him to reconsider. He does not want to go, but he tells her that it is the only solution. She cries, and he goes on remorselessly even though it hurts him. Lorelei wants to come along too; Peter cares too much and tells her that he could not stand seeing her change from somebody beautiful because of the rays. Although they say farewell to each other and Lorelei affirms that he will come back, Peter does not trust himself to kiss her goodbye.

Answer: Peter and Lorelei are in love. They care for each other a lot - Lorelei begs Peter not to go towards any danger, and he doesn't want her to follow. They are also very tender and find tranquility in each other. In face of danger they embrace each other or kiss. The two also work together in the same building within a two floors distance. They know each other's habits - the lock on the laboratory, the lack of newsboy at Lorelei's. Peter worries for her more than for himself, and losing his girlfriend means his own death to him, that's the reason he gives for her not to follow him to the orbit. He also considers Lorelei very beautiful even when tired, and her beauty matters a lot for him - he says he won't handle its loss on the spaceship.

Answer: Peter and Lorelei are romantically involved. Their relationship is loving and serious, which is apparent from their first interaction in the story as Peter meets her in the laboratory. Peter feels protective over Lorelei, especially given the recent invasions and dangers. When Lorelei appears to be hurt by the invaders, Peter lets out a shrilling scream and blacks out. The two are very close and cannot stand to be without each other, shown when Lorelei begs Peter to stay and not board The Avenger. However, out of love for Lorelei and concern for her safety, Peter leaves anyway.

Answer: Peter Karson and Lorelei are both scientists that work in the same building. They have a romantic relationship with each other. Lorelei is very keen on not being separated from Peter and is frightened every time he risks his life. Peter is a strong figure in their relationship and does his best to calm Lorelei, but also prepare her for the dangerous reality they face. He constantly tries to protect her as best as he can and prevent her from coming into harm’s way.


Question: Describe The Avenger ship and its significance in the struggle against a formidable extraterrestrial threat to humanity.

Answer: The Avenger ship is what is built from Peter’s shining dream. It is much smaller than his initial blueprint, a globe of raw-dura steel no more than five hundred meters in diameter. It cannot house a thousand scientists, and the huge compartments are not filled with the latest equipment for experiments. Instead, it is filled with compressed oxygen and concentrated food to last a lifetime. There is also a control room, engine room, airlock, and inner lock. The Avenger ship is essential because it is the key to finding a superman who can save human civilization. Since the Invaders have caused the remaining population to burrow underground, this ship carries all hopes for the future. Peter believes that there is a chance that one embryo will be genetically modified enough to become a changeling who can save humanity. That is why he is willing to take the chance on the ship and realize his dream, even if it is not the dream he initially had in mind.

Answer: 'The Avenger' is built in accordance with the model of 'Citadel' but for other purposes. 'The Avenger' is not that huge, it's a steel globe with oxygen and food enough for a lifetime. It is also supposed tot ravel to that well-calculated orbit. There, the strong rays will help the embryos grow into mutations, one of which will defeat the invaders. The ship stays on the orbit for years with all the embryos and Peter, who broke the mirrors to raise the embryos under the rays. That one embryo, Robert, is like a superman, he follows only logic and has a superior brain,  same as the Invaders. The idea is that this superman is similar to Aliens but raised by humans, so he will help fight the Invaders. The plan goes wrong, when Robert refuses.

Answer: The Avenger ship is the last hope for civilization in light of the fatal invasions; though society has moved underground, it does not keep them completely safe, and they will inevitably lose. However, the goal of The Avenger is to create a superhuman that can return to Earth and defeat the invaders. The ship will do so through mutation via cosmic rays, which are purposely allowed to beam through the ship. Aboard The Avenger are multiple embryos, all which will undergo different mutations, and Peter is responsible for monitoring their development and ultimately finding one fit enough to destroy the invaders on Earth.

Answer: The Avenger ship is built to feed and house someone for an extremely long time. It has great importance to the future of the human race on Earth because of the mission that Peter has been tasked with caring out while on the ship. Peter is meant to find an embryo that has been appropriately mutated by cosmic rays in space and then to raise that life to adulthood. The goal is to produce a person that has advantages over a normal human being. The thinking is that this new human would be able to successfully fight against the Invaders and save Earth.


Question: Who is Robert, and what are his traits in the story that involves a struggle against an alien invasion and the creation of a superhuman?

Answer: Robert is the one changeling child that Peter did not destroy. He is described to have an eager brain, and Peter keeps feeding knowledge to it. Robert also has a superior brain, capable of instinctively solving problems that would take mechanical computers hours of work. Physically, Robert also has talons. However, despite being a successful superman, Robert does not understand anything emotional. He refuses to go back to Earth to destroy the Invaders, citing that he is a being of logic. Robert says that he will use the people on Earth for his own gain, which the Invaders are already doing. Therefore, he finds it illogical when Peter asks him to kill the Invaders and not his people. Even when Peter says that he is his friend, Robert says he does not understand and believes that gratitude is a reciprocal arrangement.

Answer: Robert was raised on 'The Avenger'. He was one of many embryos brought by the ship into space to be raised under the strong rays. Such an upbringing causes mutations, and people planned to create a mutant similar to the Invaders - a superior logical brain, who can understand and conquer the Invaders. This was the only hope for the humanity to be saved as they couldn't defeat the Aliens with their own forces. Robert is that one right mutation, a superman. There was a flaw in the calculations though, as a coldly logical being Robert has no reasons for destroying the Aliens. He doesn't have feeling, so he doesn't have compassion towards the humans to help them. Moreover, as the Invaders are easy for him to understand, he is rather on their side. He cares for Peter as much as he can, but his gratitude can't overcome his lack of desire to do something. After Peter's death, he can't feel emotions either but he feels some emptiness inside, which shows he has developed some warmth towards Peter. This emptiness has no reasons and no solutions, which puzzles Robert for the first time in his life.

Answer: Robert is the final embryo that Peter allows to develop on The Avenger. He has spent his entire life on the ship with Peter, and has absorbed knowledge through him for years. Consequently, and in tandem with the cosmic ray mutations, Robert's brain is superior and advanced, with the ability to solve any problem and think with perfect logic. Because of his advanced knowledge, Robert is unable to feel emotions, including love, hate, and fear. This leads Robert to not understand the mission that Peter has set out for him, and he refuses despite his intelligence.

Answer: Robert is the embryo that Peter selected to raise on the Avenger ship. He was deemed as having the best likelihood of successfully fighting against the Invaders due to his mutations. Unfortunately, he does not agree to complete the mission he was destined to complete. Peter describes him.  as being a superman as he is able to solve complex problems faster than even computers. Physically he is described as having talons. Mentally, he is coldly logical. He does experience emotions the same way as humans and does show loyalty to the human race. He does not understand nor like Peter’s reaction to the news that he will not be carrying out the mission to save Earth.


Question: What is the plot of the story that explores the arrival of outsiders on a distant world, leading to unforeseen changes and conflicts among its inhabitants?

Answer: The House of Masur is a family business in Zur, run by Koltan and his six sons. The business specializes in pottery and clay manufacturing for Zur. The family gathers as they deliberate the upcoming arrival of Earthmen. Some of the brothers express frustration that the Earthmen will be landing among the Thorabians rather than in Zur, disrupting their plan to steal the precious, scarce metals off their ship. Zotul, the youngest of the brothers, discourages the plan, saying that the Earthmen's ship is their only way of transport. After the meeting, Zotul ponders what other benefits the Earthmen could serve. The Earthmen eventually arrive at Zur, parading the streets and making speeches, and leaving shortly after. They return with multiple ships and establish corporations all over Zur. One day, Zotul's wife brings home a metal pot, which she had bought from Earthmen; she tells him that they are high in demand and that a new type of stove is essential to use them. Zotul protests, but later designs a ceramic stove, which becomes a successful development in their business. Earthmen continue introducing more technology to Zur, including a printing press and telegraphs. Zotul notes internally that though the business has made profit, it is dependent upon the pots from Earth. The business quickly begins declining, with sales dropping. They attempt to advertise their business, but advertisement has become fully occupied by Earth. After ten years, during which Koltan has passed on, the Masur business has dwindled. The brothers decide to go to the governor of Lor, who tells them that the developments are all beneficial, informing them of a new production of highways. The brothers are optimistic that they would be able to use their clay for the roads, but Earthmen begin using cement. The governor then refers the brothers to Earth's Merchandising Council, where Zotul meets Kent Broderick, where he expresses sympathy about the status of the Masur business and offers them the luxuries brought by Earthmen, completely free except for the cost of freight. The cost, however, is more than the brothers could ever afford, and so Broderick sets them up with a credit system, as well as a contract for the family to supply Earthmen with ceramic parts. The brothers enjoy their luxury, but it is short lived, as their contract expires and they find themselves in debt. Zotul then revisits the governor, who ends up being Broderick. Broderick informs Zotul that Earth has bought them, and every business in Zur, out, and that they own everything. Broderick tells Zotul that the family will work for Earth now, and that Earth will fully conquer Zur.

Answer:
The story is about a group of people on a planet called Zur. One day, they are visited by Earthmen who arrive in a ship made of valuable material. The Earthmen come with announcements that they only intend to provide the world of Zur with great things and that all will be well if the Zurian people cooperate. Soon, more Earthmen arrive on the planet. They land a ship in every city on Zur and begin trading basic items. When they trade, they take the Zurian version of their goods and destroy them. Zotul is forced to design new stoves for the new cookware. Zotul and his brothers are initially able to make a great profit selling their new ceramic stoves.

The Earthmen continue to bring new inventions that the Zurian population do not possess. They bring new communication devices like the printing press, then radios, and eventually television sets. Eventually, Zotul and his brother’s operations are unable to compete with the Earthmen’s goods. Their profits drop to abysmal levels in all of their industries. Zotul is told by his brothers to go make a formal complaint. He goes to the headquarters of the Merchandising Council where he meets Kent Broderick, the Earthman in charge of the Council. Broderick acts very nice to Zotul and appears to only have good intentions. Broderick promises to help Zotul and offers to give him many luxurious gifts that Zotul states he cannot afford. Broderick explains to Zotul that is of no issue and he can offer him credit. After only explaining the good parts of credit to Zotul, Zotul goes and convinces his brothers to sign up for the credit system. In addition, Broderick gives them a contract to manufacture some goods for the Earthmen. However, the contract does not last long and the Earthmen build their own plant. As a result, the House of Masur is unable to keep up with its debts. Zotul’s brothers express their anger and accuse Zotul of getting them into incredible poverty. In an effort to remedy the situation, Zotul goes to the Council House where he does not find Mr. Broderick but a man named Mr. Siwicki. Mr. Siwicki informs him that the Earthmen will repossess everything him and his brothers own if they do not pay their debts. Zotul’s brothers are so stunned by the news that they do not even beat him. In a last-ditch effort, Zotul goes to the governor’s palace for help. There he finds Broderick is now the governor. Broderick then informs Zotul that the Earthmen were slowly taking ownership of Zur away from the Zurian to then move in an attempt to peacefully take over the planet. The ultimate goal is to mix with the native population and then form a cohesive one. However, the Zurian caste system had to be first broken down. The story ends with Broderick asking if Zotul and his brothers are ready to willfully oblige to their assignments and Zotul replies yes.

Answer: Koltan of the House of Masur is furious that the Earthmen are coming to live amongst the Thorabians in the world of Zur while his brother, Zotul, is in favor of it. Kalrab Masur says that there is nothing to worry about because the Earthmen will eventually leave, but clay will go on forever. Morvan thinks that the Earthmen could have come to Lor, and Singula implies that the Thorabians would rob the Earthmen. Zotul tries to explain that they cannot take the Earthmen’s method of transport away from them, but the other brothers tell him to be quiet. The Earthmen arrive at Lor and are impressed with the city, and they communicate through interpreters. Some agreements between the Lorian government and the Earthmen are made. Although the anti-Earthmen Faction is happy that the Earthmen are gone, the visitors come back and establish corporations to engage in trade. When Zotul comes home, his wife Lania shows him an aluminum pot. She tells him that the Earthmen are selling these items cheap. She tells him that he will need to design a new ceramic stove for a dozen pots. He beats his wife but goes off to design the stove anyways; the Masurs begin to profit more than ever from the porcelain stoves. The Earthmen also bring other items such as the printing press, copper wire for telegraph lines, and plastic cutlery. The Masur family ceramics are slowly being replaced. Kalrab concludes that the items from Earth are the main reason.  The Earthmen begin to lay pipelines after the discovery of crude oil and natural gas. The Masur stove business is also gone after ten years; the brothers plan to protest to the governor of Lor. They see the Earthmen are building more structures, such as an assembly plant for radio receiving sets. The brothers want to rely on their tile business, but the Earthmen have begun manufacturing Portland cement. The governor is in support of the Earthmen, and they go to speak to Kent Broderick, who is in charge of the Merchandising Council. Broderick tells him that he will give the expensive Earth items to Zotul for the payment of freight charges on items. Broderick offers credit to him and his brothers as part of the Easy Payment Plan. All of the brothers sign. The brothers slowly go into debt, and the Earthmen build plants that cost lower to manufacture materials. They tell Zotul to speak with Broderick again, but Mr. Siwicki speaks to him instead and says that the brothers will need to assign the remaining three-quarters of their pottery. Koltan tells Zotul to see the governor, but the person is revealed to be Broderick. He says that they have taken over everything on Zur because Earth is too overcrowded. The future population will be a mixture of Zurians and Earthmen; he tells Zotul that he will have his job back but work for the Earthmen. Broderick then hands assignment papers for him and his brothers to sign.

Answer: The House of Masur owns a prosperous family business of pottery and consists of six brothers, each having their position in business according to their rank of age. The Earthmen come to the world of Zur, which enrages some members of the family. The younger brother, Zotul, is sympathetic to the Eartmen, but the youngest can’t speak up and he gets beaten. The Earthmen parade through Zur, proclaiming the intention to do great things and asking for cooperation. After a while, many more ships come from Earth to every Zurian city to establish "corporations" for trade. Zotul's wife buys a set of cheap aluminum pots at the market, which are being bought by all the housewives as they are better than those from clay. New pots require completely different stoves and Zotul has to design such. Koltan, the elder brother, puts the model into production as the demand is high. The Masurs flourish with the new business and depend on the metal pots from Earth, as the production of their own falls. The Earthmen keep introducing new things like telegraph lines and printing presses. The Earthmen find a great deal of metals, crude oil and natural gas, and sell it to the Zurians themselves. Further introduction of plastic utensils undermines the Masur's business completely. They head to the governor, who talks about the benefits of new culture and upcoming autos and highways. The Earthmen introduce cement and the hopes for tile business go down as well. The complaints are redirected to the Merchandising Council set by the Earthmen, where Zotul is met by Broderick. The man is sympathetic to the brothers’ poverty, but he can only grant Zotul a gas range, a gas-fired furnace and a car, a luxury only a few can afford and everyone envies. The goal of the Earthmen is to spread technology through the galaxy, so Broderick only asks Zotul to pay for the freight, which is a huge sum, and, therefore, can only be in credit for the family. Enchanted Zotul takes the credit papers for all his brothers to sign to get the same goods. Broderick also gives a contract for making ceramic parts for the cars, which will help the brothers pay off the credit. After signing the papers, the brothers enjoy the luxuries and receive one fourth of the ceramic profits. In three years the Earthmen cancel the contract, the family is poor and Zotul is forced to visit the council again as the Masurs can't pay. A new man threatens him with the court and asks to assign the rest of the business to the Earthmen. Zotul heads to the governor for support, but finds Broderick on his place, who tells the Masur's business is the last to be bought off. Earth is overcrowded, so the new planets are required to take over. Instead of painful wars, the Earthmen buy off other nations to work for them until both nations are equal and mixed.


Question: What is the relationship between Zotul and the rest of the brothers in the context of their family's struggles and the arrival of Earthmen on their planet?

Answer: Each of the six brothers of the Masur business has their own specialty; a director, treasurer, vice-chief, sales manager, export chief, and Zotul, their designer. Despite their equal roles in the business, Zotul is the youngest brother, and for this reason is mistreated. In meetings and conferences, he is rarely allowed to speak without being scolded, and his input is never taken seriously. Zotul also experiences beatings by his brothers regularly. Even though Zotul experiences this treatment, the brothers still expect him to carry the weight of responsibilities for them, such as meeting with Broderick.

Answer: Zotul and his 5 brothers have a hierarchal type of relationship. It does appear to be a loving nor welcoming familial relationship. Zotul is the youngest of his brothers and as tradition is expected to not talk unless spoken to and to enthusiastically agree with the decisions of his elders. Whenever Zotul does break these social traditions, he is physically beaten by his brothers. Zotul does not like the beatings but accepts them as another reality of his life.

Answer: Zotul and his brothers have a rocky relationship. Whenever the brothers are frustrated or upset, they beat him. They also tell him to stop speaking when his opinion is not needed. When it comes to business, however, the brothers get along. Koltan and Zotul work together to put the new ceramic stove into production. The brothers are also happy when Zotul brings them the papers to sign from Broderick, and they all enjoy the luxuries of the Easy Payment Plan. Whenever there is a problem, such as being unable to meet Payments, they will blame it all on Zotul and tell him to go deal with the problem.

Answer: The family is organized in a way of hierarchy, where age gives power. All of the brothers have positions and shares in business, also according to the age. As Zotul is the youngest, he has the least rank and importance. During the meetings he is supposed to listen with admiration to the eldest. He can't share his thoughts when he is not asked to. Otherwise, he is beaten badly, which scares him. He is also given all the orders and is used as a negotiator. He does all the time-consuming tasks like to complain.


Question: In a story about a world where Earthmen arrive to bring change and technology to a struggling society, where does the story take place?

Answer: The story takes place in Zur, a region within Lor, on a foreign planet. There is a neighboring region, Thorabia, often seen as a rival. Zur is initially a mellow city, made of clay and tile. However, once Earth begins overtaking Zur, the city becomes more crowded and filled with large, corporate buildings, made of cement and metal. Much of the story occurs within the office of the Masur family business, as well as the governor's building, and the office of the Merchandising Council.

Answer: The story takes place on the world of Zur. On Zur, there are many different cities. At the beginning of the story, the House of Masur brothers and their father are sitting around a table discussing the Earthmen and their valuable ship. The city that the House of Masur resides in is known as Lor. The primary setting of the story is different locations or cities on the world of Zur. The Earthmen that visit take trips from Earth on their ships through space and reach Zur after multiple light-years of travel. The story happens over the course of ten place years.

Answer: The story takes place on the planet of Zur. The brothers live in the city of Lor, while one of their rival cities is Thorabia. The buildings in the city are all made of tile, and the ground is paved with tile too. Many of the appliances used by the citizens are made out of ceramic. When the Earthmen come, they fly in strange metal contraptions. Ten years later, one area of the city has been turned into a spaceport for Earthmen. There are also new plants opening up for radio receiving sets and cement. Pipelines are also added, connecting every major and minor area on the planet. The governor’s palace is located in the city as well. Eventually, all of the tiles are replaced with concrete because it is cheaper. Old buildings are torn down to make room for the concrete Council House and a roomy parking lot.

Answer: The story takes place on the planet of Zur, especially a city called Lor. It begins at the long, shining table of the Masur family. The family is wealthy and their pottery business is prosperous. The whole planet is uncivilized and lives in a hierarchical system. Soon a large metal ship comes from Earth and parades through the city, which stuns the local people. Many more ships come soon and step by step introduce the new technologies. At first, the markets are overflowed by aluminum pots, bought by every housewife. One of those appears in Zotul's house, and he designs a new stove for it, which is soon produced by the family business. Newspapers appear in every house, then telegraphs, radio, autos and ,any other things. The city gets urbanized and the people become poor as they try to obtain all the new technologies. Concrete houses are built, gas and metals are found. Soon the Earthmen buy off all the businesses and the planet starts reminding Earth.


Question: How are the Earthmen able to expand their influence and operations on the planet Zur?

Answer: The Earthmen first visit Zur as a small group, exploring the city and giving speeches declaring future prosperity for Zur. They return shortly after with more people, and establish corporations and a trade business. The Earthmen begin with small products, metal pots, but other businesses soon have to accommodate to Earth's goods. Earth quickly earns profit, with many Zurian businesses dependent on their production. They begin establishing more advanced forms of technology, such as printing, radio, and automobiles. The people of Zur are fascinated, and business booms even more. Eventually, Zur is completely remodeled with Earth products and services, driving other businesses to failure and resulting in the overtaking of the city.

Answer: The Earthmen start by establishing small trading visits with the Zurian people. Once they have gained their trust in trade, they heavily accelerate the number of goods they trade. They establish themselves in every city on Zur to increase their visibility. They bring new communication methods such as the printing press, newspapers, radios, and television sets – all of which they control the supply. They build projects on the planet of Zur, like highways. They start their own manufacturing operations, successfully competing against and outpricing the native Zurian manufacturing operations. In addition, they lure the populace to be tempted by the new shiny luxury goods they bring and convince the Zurians to sign contracts that put them in debt that they can never realistically pay. They slowly but assuredly took over all of the industries on Zur so that they would have full economic control of the populace. Then they take over the leadership positions on the planet in another angle to obtain full control. The methods of the Earthmen is to ensure that the Zurians are either in debt to them, under their control, or how to work for them to survive.

Answer: The Earthmen are able to expand to Zur through advertising and selling their products. After signing some agreements, the Earthmen begin importing their materials to Zur. The Earthmen begin bringing products such as aluminum pots, but they eventually move onto even grander things such as the printing press. The purpose of this is to not only spread knowledge but also provide more means of advertising for their products. Eventually, they begin to set up radio stations to broadcast their products even more. Gas-fired ranges, furnaces, heaters, and later cars all drive many of the old ways of Zurian life to the ground. Broderick even tells Zotul that their goal is to buy out all of the companies and eventually become the ruling government on Zur.

Answer: From the beginning, the Earthmen put themselves as friendly mentors, willing to share their knowledge. The newly introduced goods are cheap and much better than the old ones. It disposes the Zurians towards the kind newcomers. The newspapers and telegraphs are free and gain popularity, while they advertise Earth goods all through the planet. As the time goes by, the Earthmen bring in more expensive and advanced technologies like autos, TVs, radios. People become dependent on those technologies, and as they break, they need to buy the new ones, everyone dreams of luxury cars, etc. At the same time the local businesses fail and poverty approaches. To be able to buy the new technologies, the Zurians get credits and work for the Earthmen to pay them off. Then the contracts are cancelled and the people have to sell their businesses. Therefore, the Earthmen gain control over the whole planet.


Question: What happens to Broderick, a character involved in the interactions between Earthmen and the inhabitants of Zur, in the story?

Answer: Broderick is an Earthman in charge of the Merchandising Council. He first meets with Zotul and hears his complaints about the failure of the Masur business due to Earth's expansion. Broderick, putting on a guise of sympathy, offers Zotul luxuries to enjoy with his family, in return for credit and their production of ceramics for automobiles. Broderick later moves up in hierarchy and becomes the governor of Zur, achieving power over all affairs. He meets Zotul again and gets the Masur family to work completely for him.

Answer: Kent Broderick, an Earthman that was the head of the Council, meets Zotul at the headquarters of the Merchandising Council. He is very cordial and enthusiastic when he meets Zotul who has come to complain about the lost profits his family has experienced. Broderick communicates to Zotul that he sincerely wants to help him and Zotul would have brought the issue to his attention sooner. He gives Zotul and his brother contracts stating they the Earthmen will use their facility for some of their manufacturing purposes. This works out really well for the House of Masur until the Earthmen eventually build their own facility and manufacture the same product but in a cheaper manner, undercutting all profits the House of Masur could make. Even further, Broderick gets Zotul and his brothers to voluntarily go into debt so that they could own the luxurious items that the Earthmen were bringing to Zur. Eventually, Broderick becomes governor of Zur. When Zotul visits the governor’s palace and he sees Broderick, Broderick explains to him the purpose of the Earthmen’s actions.

Answer: Kent Broderick starts off as an Earthman in charge of the Merchandising Council. He offers Zotul and his brothers the Easy Payment Plan after expressing false sympathy for the situation that their business is in. He asks Zotul why the brothers did not come to him sooner for a solution and begins to offer the Earth goods that they do not own in return for them to pay for the freight shipping. He is able to successfully manipulate Zotul into falling for the scheme. Later, it is revealed that Broderick has become the new governor. He tells Zotul that everything belongs to the Earthmen now and the future Zurians will intermarry with the people from Earth. He also convinces Zotul that everything will go back to normal again, except they will be working for Earth.

Answer: At first, Broderick appears as the Earthmen in charge of the Merchandising council. He is friendly and warmly cheerful, he listens attentively to Zotul's complaints and is sympathetic. He seems to do all he can to help the family, and carefully explain the possibilities, illustrating them in the most enchanting details. He is a great seller and he convinces Zotul very soon to take the credit. When Zotul comes a couple years later, Broderick can do nothing to help and pretends to be sympathetic and sorry again. In the end, he becomes the governor of Lor. He is happy to explain the plan to Zotul and appears sincere in the end. Broderick directly tells that all those actions were parts of a plan to own Zur. Then he patiently explains the reasons against war and the future plan. Mentioning the war makes him look painful from some experience. In the end, he is smiling again and cheers up Zotul as the plan is huge but good.