Citizen No.2

   You are more a Statesman than anything else, and you have the administrative ability to manipulate such a community as The Village. No don’t be modest that doesn’t become you. It’s rather clever the way you persuaded Number 6 to stand for public election, more than that you knew just what he would do if elected as the new Number 2. To organise a mass breakout, not that Number 6 cared what happened to all the others, it was just enough that during such a mass breakout he would be able to slip away undetected. And you were confident that as Number 6’s voice boomed out over The Village via the public address system, telling the citizens that they were free, free to go, that no-one would listen to him. And they didn’t. Number 6’s words fell on deaf ears!
    You are also unconventional. Your jacket, it’s not normal attire for a male Number 2, a dark double breasted blazer is more in keeping with the regular uniform. Your jacket is of a lighter colour, and unusual in the sleeves having cuffs!
   And what were you thinking when Number 6 attempted to escape, you yourself piloted the helicopter. More than that, you were waiting for Number 6 to attempt an escape, as though you were expecting it. Because you were already airborne in the helicopter, hovering, waiting! And then of course you gave chase, why was that, where was the regular pilot of the helicopter? And why did you fly yourself out of The Village at the end? Again, where was the regular helicopter pilot? Well no-one’s been able to come up with an answer to that, not after almost fifty years, so I don’t expect anyone to come up with an answer now, it’s much too late. All we can do is image, but imaginings are just that, they are not answers. ‘The Prisoner’ has never easily given up its answers, insisting that we find those out for ourselves. Number 6 once said “I’ve never liked secrets,’ yet ‘the Prisoner’ still refuses to give up some of its secrets, even today!

Be seeing you