EPILOGUE - THE END OF THE DREAM

"There's a letter from another agency on the hall table," Victoria looked up from her paper as Nigel sauntered into the room, "and about five e-mails on the computer."

"I don't want to look at any more, Victoria, it's a waste of time." He took a glass from the cupboard and opened the fridge looking for something to drink.

"A couple of them were pretty decent offers, dear."

He set the glass down and took out a bottle of beer, twisting the cap off expertly. "What's the use, we both know I can't write plays by myself, and how much interest do you have now that your vendetta is over?" He sat across from her, drinking from the bottle.

Her face clouded, "None, frankly. But that shouldn't stop you from trying. It's what you dreamed of."

"I didn't dream this," he waved the bottle around, "a phony play, made up to ridicule people who, I admit deserved it; the fluke success and notoriety... that wasn't my dream."

She looked down, massaging her knuckles.

"I mean, what did I really accomplish? I met a girl I thought I could really like who chooses to hide her emotions behind the colour of her skin. Another one, a nymphomaniac that finally beat me into surrendering my ethics only because I'm too tired to resist. I've helped ruin the lives of God knows how many people, and I'm getting offers for a talent I don't possess. What the hell am I doing?"

"You're following the essence of that dream Nigel. You know the saying... if wishes were horses. I advised you once before about opportunity, you should give it a good think now."

He rolled the tilted bottle in a slow arc around the table in front of him, "If wishes were horses I'd consider riding out of here right now."

"Nigel, I really don't understand what you've got to be so sorry about. You wrote a play-"

"With your help."

"-it was a success. You got great reviews, followed by dozens of interesting offers. The girl who won't risk her dignity for your ill considered point of view, is still a close and honest friend, and as for Susan -I presume it was Susan you were referring to-."

"Hah, hah."

"My goodness Nigel, in that circumstance, you're the envy of nearly every man in town."

"Yeah, and the sworn victim of another, if he ever finds out."

"Not all candy has a soft center, dear."

Nigel sank back and groaned.

"And let me tell you about ruined lives. There are more happy, fulfilled people living on The Pathway now than ever before. And you can take that to the bank... although I'd knock carefully before going in." She slapped the table with her hand, laughing at her own joke.

"But they're all- all-"

"Boffing one another?"

"I was going to say, cheating."

"How Victorian. Listen nephew, you didn't start their cheating. That charade began long before you arrived. It's one of the reasons I wanted to kick the pedestals out from under them. That hail fellow well met hypocrisy."

"Do you think anything around here will really change?"

"It already has. The playing fields of Ashton Hills have leveled considerably."

"But on whose level."

Victoria blew out a slow, thoughtful breath, "Aah... well that remains to be seen. If you stick around, there might be another play just waiting to be discovered." Her eyes twinkled brightly.

"Maybe I should reply to some of those offers," he said, matching the unspoken implication in her gaze.

"You could do worse, Nigel- and I'm sure we could do better."

He drained the last of his beer and went to the kitchen. "I'm having another, you want one?"

"Sure, why not. Might as well bolster the self inflicted poison with something manufactured outside."

"A might harsh, wouldn't you say," he popped the caps off both bottles and handed her one.

"You're right, nephew. I can't sit here pontificating to you if I'm doubtful of myself... to rotten apples."

"To the barrel they live in. Cheers, Victoria."

THE END

All bullets and bouquets welcome. Thanks