Ottavio and Ryan’s paths had to have a collision. It was inevitable. But I couldn’t simply throw the two together in a pot, close the lid and let them have it out: Ottavio’s adaptations would allow him to tear Ryan to pieces. Besides, there were too other forces at work. Kahira and Marcus, the rest of the Directors, Father Abraham, Master Theodore and Pietro and Brother Janus and, of course, Sister Hanifé. Their characters have an input on events, simply because they are directly involved. It’s kind of like pushing a trolley through a crowded supermarket whereby you’ve got your intended destination, and a general route to get there, but there’s no way everyone else will let you take a direct path. And then you finally get to where you need to be, only to find it’s closed (Hey, you got a better analogy?).
When I have characters in my head, I base them off people I know. It makes it easier to remember what their personality is like, how they might react in a certain situation, what their capabilities are. Sister Hanifé is the exception to this rule. I once tutored a student named Hanifé. She was brilliant, short in stature and strong in mind. In this respect, she matches Hanifé. But she was also exceedingly polite, very good-natured and not at all curt. I ran into the problem that Sister Hanifé, who I needed to be scarred and embittered, was anything but that in my mind.
With a fair bit of effort, I forced my brain to wrap sweet, polite Hanifé with grumpy, gruff Sister Hanifé. The end result is actually closer to what I expected her to be: One with a tough facade that protected an innocent soul.
The cover art for Adaptation – Part 3 denotes Ottavio’s anguish at the moment Berzerker takes hold at Wheaton.
Adaptation – Part 3 can be found in eBook ($2.99) and Paperback at: