Lots of driving today, and around the fourth or fifth time I was in the car, I figured out not only the full point of the dystopian ms, but the final third of the book as well.

Also now know:

1) I am not only going to kill off this character I've been thinking about killing off, I'm going to try to make it into a "Where the Red Fern Grows" moment. Goal: make guys cry.

2) The story is structured around a loaded gun with six bullets, which are used up one by one as the story progresses. I've been iffy about what happens to the last one, but now I know for sure.

3) The story takes place on a slightly smaller scale than it could have (think local rather than national), so the "national" bigger-picture story will be left hanging in a big way. C'est la vie.

4) All this leaves a very interesting character up for grabs, if I want to explore him later, which I probably do.

Yee-hah!