@gailcalled, oh, there are a few. I never do anything simply when a more complicated option presents itself. This is made even more interesting by virtue of the fact that I planned nothing, just dropped plot points hither and yon and then spent considerable time further on trying to think of some plausible explanation that would fit them. This is sort of like trying to make a running vehicle out of a bicycle wheel, a carburetor, and some horseshoes. That’s how I wound up inventing some bogus medicine in which the boy’s blood contains an antidote to the virus (the spate of infectious diseases) laid on the bad guy 20 years ago by the boy’s grandmother, a missionary doctor in South Africa, where the bad guy was stealing diamonds and smuggling human flesh out of the country to finance his mansion, his boats, his vice-ridden lifestyle, his fancy watch…
I also wove six or seven separate backstories into it (farm in 1969 New England, Y2K in a Moscow bar, etc.) and made them all relevant to the present six hours of unremitting mind-boggling drama.
BUT my inner editor is on leave until this is over.
And then I may simply say, well, that was one hell of a writing exercise and I learned a lot, and that’s that. Then it’s back to real stuff.
If this book actually sold, I don’t think I would ever get over my embarrassment.