It's Iimi! Hemmed In from All Sides!

Bahrudin has returned to Babylon. He and Sumeja are prepared to file for divorce. Kismetta is desperate to stop it. Paula, remembering the secretive ways of her late mother, has a plan to block it. Kismetta is on board, but why is Iimi so morally troubled? Will her stand mean she winds up… Hemmed in from all Sides

Post-Comic Notes:

Some readers might be surprised that Iimi not acting was the right thing to do. There are two things to remember. First, Iimi's conscience bothered her, and she wanted to be sure it was right before she acted. Second, she recognized that with Sumeja's issues, she'd have zero chance of changing the minds of the Dhumzur parents. So, she asked first, and Thea explained why it was not a good idea.

The comic concept arose from the thought that the Iscra family might come across as utopian, where everyone was perfect, and no fights arose. Of course, I didn't want it to appear like the needless drama in so many shows and movies.

There's also a bit of the personal in it. Several times, people have asked me to defend a position that I felt was indefensible… either by going against Church teaching or having no chance of success and a high chance of it causing hostility against the Church. Unfortunately, this sometimes means the refusal is seen as the cause of it happening.

For the most part, Paula has felt safe and loved in her adoptive home. However, she does have some baggage left over from her time with her mother (see Issues 44-52), and she has been headstrong when she decides something is the only possible approach (see Issues 114-115).

Meanwhile, Kismetta notices that her mother has become more deceptive. She doesn't want her parents to divorce. So, in desperation, she grabs onto Paula's idea.

Art Credits:

The Book Cover Frame is from Figudesign © – 2021 and used under license. The image is based on a cover I created in Issue 129. I ran it through NightCafe AI. This was the best of the attempts.