What's That No.6 Up To?

    'What's the Book?' No.6 asks. 'Oh its not your sort of thing at all' No.9 replies thumbing through the pages. 'Try me' replies No.6 with an odd curiosity. 'Well it's about a man who resigns his job....' 'Is he spy?' asks No.6. 'I don't know, it doesn't say.' 'what's the man's name?' it doesn't say that either' No.9 replies still thumbing through the book for a name. 'Is he the hero?' 'He thinks he's Number One.' 'Who is the boss!' 'Yes, yes' No.9 agrees. But there's more to it than that. Its an enigma, because we don't know who the man is, whether or not he is the hero. Why he resigned, or where the Village is.' 'Its allegorical' No.6 hints. 'Oh no, its not as bad as that!' 'The Village?' Yes, its the place where the hero has been abducted to after he resigns his job.' 'really, go on' No.6 urges. 'The Village is a place where people turn up......' No.9 continued. 'People who know too much, or too little?' 'Yes, yes. But there's something else.' 'What's that?' No.6 asks smiling. 'The Village may not exist at all!' 'What do you mean?' 'Well the book hints that the Village may not really exist at all, that it's all in the subconscious of one man.' 'Who?' 'You!' 'Really, how interesting. It is an allegorical work then. How does the book end?' No.6 asks with keen interest. 'I don't know.' No.6 suggests that No.9 turn to the last page................'It's blank' utters No.9 in surprise 'there are no words on the last page, why?!' 'Perhaps because it has only just begun, and that the ending hasn't been written yet' No.6 suggests 'What is the title of the book?' No.9 looks at the Prisoner with a look of shock on her face 'The Prisoner' she tells him. 'We're all Prisoner's, so the book could be about anyone!' 'I think its about you' No.9 suggests. 'But if its all in my mind, then you, the book, the Village, none of which could possibly, physically exist.' 'No' was No.9's only worried reply.
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