I'll skip ahead to this before tackling something longer and earlier:

The Island of Death's Doctor

The name sounds... intruiging. I should probably pick up on the reference,
but don't off the top of my head.

But of course,

I'd drop the 'but of course'. Too cliche.

Some hours later, the waves pushed the two ashore a beach on a small
island. The rosy-fingered dawn breaking over the ocean illuminated the
scene, showing a wide expanse of sea and no other land in sight. On
the beach, a stout man lay unconscious next to a small boy, about 6
years old. Their clothing, tattered and soaked as it was, was
nonetheless recognizable as martial arts uniforms.

Hmm. Awful young for Ranma to be traversing an ocean.

"Ranma! Wake up!" The man slapped him several times; the boy's skin
looked a little gray in the early light, and felt a bit chill from the
spray of water lapping against the beach. The man felt a bit panicked,

two 'felt a bit' close together. Change one

But when he made his way back to his sleeping son, Genma found that
the meal might have to wait. The only sign of the sleeping body were
some bent grasses, and the occasional footprint on the forest
floor. "I'll save you, Ranma -- nobody's taking you from me that
easily!"

Hmm.

Of course, he didn't see the abductor anywhere close,

But it's an island, so he can't go far either.

 and if a fight

lay ahead, it was important that he prepare for it. So it was with a
heavy heart that he forced himself to go back to the beach and prepare
a fire to cook the shark.

Heh. Nothing like storming Death's Doctor's stronghold on a full stomach.

"A distant acquaintance had sent me some flowers last year to mark the
beginning of spring. They were your... less beneficial influences?"

Not parsing what he's trying to say there

"Ah, right, sir.  I froze them here in this freezing chamber as they
happened, until just yesterday. Using this concoction of electricity
and ester of carbonate, I have managed to reverse the flow of time
itself!" A rose in full bloom was produced, accompanied by a
slightly... manic... laughter. "It is now perfect! It will never wilt,
it will never decay... time is a stream that passes this floating
flower by!"

"Tofu, my good doctor, you do sometimes impress me." The voice was a
tremendous basso, tons of earth piling over a listener and burying him
in the depths. "But what do *I* care for a flower? What have you done
with animals?"

Hmm

The man's amusement was clear. "Yes, it was. Very well; this may not
win you my daughter's hand, but you may have one date with her
tonight."

"Oh, Betty-chan!" Tofu sighed, his determination fired anew at the
possibility that he would soon be seeing his bony love.

Oh my.

"Oh, Tofu, you're silly. I just came to tell you that dinner is
ready. And,... be sure to wear something *extra* nice for our date."
The salacious wink that accompanied this wasn't visible behind the
door, but was very audible.

Heh

OK, this is a somewhat spamficcish introduction to a lighthearted
story which I probably won't get around to finishing in the short-term
future. Blame this, if you want, on watching too much Detective Conan

Fine. I blame you.

The title is a play on Gene Wolfe's collection _The Island of Dr Death
and Other Stories and Other Stories_, which contains, among other
things, the stories "The Island of Dr Death and Other Stories", "The
Death of Dr. Island", and the "The Doctor of Death Island".

I see a pattern there. but I'm not sure what it is. :)

Amusing little thing.

DB Sommer

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