At 06:21 PM 6/30/97 -0500, you wrote:

As always, let me know what you think.  Some of the points brought up in
C&C are addressed in this part (which was written before I released part
one).

  
  Yep.  You did answer most of my questions.

I'm especially interested in your views on Kasumi's dissertation on
near-c travel.  :)

  How does Kasumi like her new job at the Japanese Patent Office? 

Why should poor beauty indirectly seek
Roses of shadow, since his rose is true?
Why should he live, now Nature bankrupt is,
Beggar'd of blood to blush through lively veins?
O, him she stores, to show what wealth she had
In days long since, before these last so bad.

  excerpt from Sonnet LXVII
  by William Shakespeare

  Does your reading of Shakespeare inspire the theme or do you find the
relevant passage after you have the basic story line? 

"They don't got no ninjas, Pop."  Still, hurrying before Kodachi found
out was good.  "Wait."

  I presume that you are basing your stories on the manga and not the anime
since Sasuke is missing.

Genma was looking around the well-appointed room.  "Did she give you any
money?  Jewels?  Surely she gave you something nice and valuable that
isn't too heavy?"

  I wonder why Genma just doesn't try to take some item while providing
some rationalization.

"San FranCISCO!"  Ranma grabbed his father's gi.  "Are you outta your
mind, Pop?  I am *not* going to America."

"Boy," Genma said in a pleading voice, "we can't stay here.  Kodachi's
got thugs that can track us all over Japan.  Besides, America will be
good for you.  Maybe we could get you into the movies or something."

"That is IT!"  Ranma shoved Genma away.  "I am damn tired of you
screwing around with my life, Pop.  First China, then the engagement,
then Kodachi, and now this!  Not to mention all the trouble we got into
before.  I've had enough!"

  So if Genma had said that they were going to Hokkaido rather than San
Francisco then Ranma would have gone along? 

Ranma idly wondered what other agreements Genma had made on his behalf,
and when those might be coming up to bite him.

  Oh yes!

He sighed and hugged her to him, stroking her hair and comforting her. 
And as he did so, he felt something release inside him, something that
told him he had done the right thing, and had begun something that was
going to be all right.

  If the engagement to Kodachi is valid, then isn't the engagement to Ukyo
also valid?  I don't recall that Genma ever formally dissolved the
arrangement.  And since Ranma has referred to her as a fiancee, hasn't he
confirmed her status?  Furthermore, Ranma still has the minor problem that
both Kunos are still totally deluded about his sex change and Ranma is a
water magnet.  There is no indication in this chapter that Ranma underwent
any more involuntary changes in the Kuno home since the end of the first
chapter.  Surely there was at least one more appearance of the pig-tailed
goddess/brazen hussy.  

  When will Ranma start learning the secrets of Kodachi's past?  What lies
behind her madness?  I look forward to chapter 3. 

                                                                    dml