When Connie heard a mysterious voice, offering him a risky endeavor in exchange for information which could be vital, most of you chose that he should accept the voice's challenge. Some were concerned that the voice might be one of the deceptive Whispers... which has been giving me ideas. This episode has a few surprises, but the greater ones are still to come...

Well, gang, looks like most people were feeling cautious. Few people, it seems, trusts a Raccoon. And with good reason--as you'll soon see.

But first: What animal shall Dirk become? Vote "yes" to one of these three selections:

When Speculative Faith held its annual winter short story contest recently, I decided to add my own entry to the array of imaginative and fascinating 250-word stories that the prompt engendered. I didn't get the majority of the votes, but I had a lot fun and, best of all, I got some useful feedback. Here is my story, here are the responses, and here is your chance to give me feedback too!

Last week, you participated in the first unanimous vote of Azinae. Apparently, everyone is ready for Connie--the newcomer to Azinae--to discover his courage and begin taking a more substantial part in the adventure. You'll see that he still struggles to find his place in this new world, but he is becoming more and more a part of the team.

Last week, you decided that Connie should vote for the companions to go to the second Half-Tree, to learn the other part of the mysterious message and warning. In this episode, Connie learns more about the Kinds and his own future, and must respond to an unexpected turn of events.

One of fiction's greatest strengths is its ability to comment on life in the form of story. This is what my Truth in Fiction blog post series is all about.

Today's #TruthInFiction is an observation about weather, made in the book That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis.