Project Village

    Number 2 "Won't you ever go back?"
    The Prisoner "No."
    "Why not?"
    "I became dissillusioned."
   "What with?"
   "People, society."
   "The Village?"
   "Yes, no."
   "Yes no, it has to the one or the other, say which shall it be?"
   "No."
   "Why No?"
   "It wasn't the Village, that didn't come until later."
   "What then?"
   "I prefer not to say."
   "But you must say. You are doing so well, not to say now, well it wouldn't be fair."
   "Not fair for who?"
   "For me, for me!"
   "Not the people reading this?"
   "There is no-one reading this. It's just between you and me."
   "You know it isn't."
   "We'll say so anyway, what harm can it possibly do?"
   {Silence}
   "You prefer not to say."
   "I was asked to go back."
   "Really, I am surprised."
   "Are you?"
   "No, not really. A man of your calibre would be missed."
  "By some, not all."
  "Some, but not by all."
   "You know what they say......"
   "No, what do they say?"
   "Society demands that everyman pays his dues."
   "It sounds like a quote."
   "It does, doesn't it. So what about it?"
   "About what?"
   "Society."
   "Society nothing!"
   "You resisted."
   "Coercion."
   "You were coerced?"
   "Are you surprised?"
   "You resisted."
   "When pushed, I resist. Or go off in another direction altogether."
   "That's just being obstinate!"
   {Silence}
   "I see you are wearing a badge......it's not one of ours."
   "No."
   "What does it say?"
   "Can't you read?"
   "I just thought it would save time if you told me."
   "It would save even more time if you just read it!"
   "The Prisoner."
   "See how easy it is when you try."
   "You're not wearing a Village badge."
   "I'm not wearing a blazer."
   "You can wear a badge without wearing a blazer."
   "Someone suggested that I wear the Number One badge with this suit."
   "Why, why did someone suggest that?"
   "I think they thought it would be rather clever, symbolic even."
   "Why, why did they think that?"
   "You have to consider who Number One is."
   "It's not you is it?"
   "No. But I look like the man who is."
   "You're not Curtis are you?"
   "No, I'm me."
   "You!"
   "You know who I am, I know who In am, they know who I am, the people who are reading this"
   "Number One!"
   "We all strive to be Number One. And even though we are more often than not our own worst enemies, we all have to look after Number One."
   "Because no-one else will."
   "You get it."
   "But you won't go back?"
   "Never!"
   "You should realise that you should never say never. Remember in society one must learn to conform."
   "Demanding as ever!"
   "Remembering that circumstances alter cases, is that why you resigned?"
   "I didn't resign, i simply didn't................"
   "Didn't what?......Look don't you just walk away from me like that. You might think you're a lone wolf, but society, the Village will not tolerate goats!"

BCNU