Thought For The Day

   In ‘Dance of The Dead’ Number 6 having encountered Number 240 when Number 2 suggested he should find himself a nice young lady for the Carnival. Three young and attractive ladies sit at the table. But Number 6 is too independent, and he asks about a young woman sitting alone at a table. But Number 2 says she’s quite unsuitable! But being independent Number 6 goes to speak to the young woman. But she stands up to go. Number 6 asks her not to go, to which Number 240 replies “I must.” There’s a reason, Number 2 wants her to go, or does she? Is Number 6 playing her game or Number 240’s? Not hers, there’s sympathy in 240’s voice. He asks her how long she has been in The Village. “Questions are a burden to others, answers a prison for oneself.” What did she do to have herself brought to The Village? Questions are a burden to others, and answers a prison for oneself. Number 240 tells him she must go, of course she must, she is his Observer, and observers of life should never get involved. And so being, she cannot allow herself to be come involved with Number 6!
   He decides to follow her. And having done so find himself outside the Town Hall, he crosses the street and mounting the steps makes to follow her inside. However he is stopped dead in his tracks on the steps by an electrified force field. A gardener who is busy working on a flower bed sees this and asks Number 6 if he’s alright. He goes on to tell him that this is the Town Hall, its fussy about who it lets in! Fussy about who it lets in, might that not suggest that the Town Hall is itself an living entity? After all could an inanimate object like the Town Hall decide who may or who may not enter? And that would be beyond even The Village, wouldn’t it? So how did Number 240 get through that electrical force field? I can only suggest that an operative in the Control room de-activates the force field when an authorised person is about to enter the building. Other than that there could be an identification chip in Number 240’s badge which synchronises with the force field and lets her through, like the Electro Pass Number 6 once used, and was allowed to keep just as a reminder that escape is not possible.

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