Threading ESQL - please help me

I am currently getting involved with ESQL and Threads with Informix 7.2 I am trying to create an application that may receive many simultaneous queries. For efficiency I want to create a connection per thread with 20 threads to perform upto 20 concurrent queries. Thus I do not want to ever delete either the thread or the associated connection. The examples in the book dont really address this issue. I want to ensure that I have the highest possible throughput when 20 queries come at the same time. Can each query have its own active connection? If the first query takes a long time joins etc. and subsequent queries are simple selects do they need to wait for the first query to relinquish the connection or is there a better way? Note: the query is being passed as a string to my application I have no way of knowing at runtime its complexity or what queries may immediately follow. If some one could give some pointers or their experiences or examples. Please e-mail me at silviamt@aol.com Thanks in advance Silvia