The Pris50ner

    Number 2 once called Number 6 “Our friend,” one might wonder just how many friends Number 6 cultivated whilst a prisoner in The Village? It may be imagined that such a number would be low, perhaps hardly any at all. He did have one friend, Cobb whom he encountered on a hospital ward, but then Cobb went and gone. Then during ‘The Chimes of Big Ben,’ well Nadia was hardly a friend, more a means to something............escape! No, during that little episode Number 2 seemed more a friend, well not a friend exactly, they enjoyed a rapport. The manager of the Labour Exchange suggested to Number 6 that he could be a friend, but no.
    Then came Alison, Number 24, she could have been a friend to Number 6 seeing as he was helping her not only with her mind reading act, but also with her photography! Perhaps Alison was a friend to Number 6, she might have betrayed him, but then who wouldn’t if we imagine what pressure Number 2 brought to bear upon her. She must have at least liked Number 6, because she told him that had she a second chance she wouldn’t do it again. She was prepared to bear the pain, and yet that’s easy to say when there was no possibility of a second chance!
    Number 12 in ‘The General’ wasn’t a friend either, merely a confederate of the cause. Dutton might have been a friend in his former life, certainly he and Dutton were friendly enough towards each other. But then former colleagues finding themselves in the same predicament might well be friendly towards each other, as they might need to depend on each other in a tight spot!
    Number 8 was friendly enough towards Number 6, she even went to all the trouble to make his chocolate nightcap for him. But none of Number 6’s reliable men could be described as friends, just a group brought together in order to achieve an end...escape. But then Number 8 had been hypnotized, her friendliness towards Number 6 was manufactured. Monique-Number 50, what about her? No, they may have appeared friendly towards one another, but both were but a means to an end. Cathy? I suppose Cathy and The Man With No Name were friends, and yet Cathy didn’t really exist! Number 2 said in ‘Once Upon A Time’ that he was beginning to like Number 6 who was rather upset at the death of Number 2 when the Supervisor told him they would need the body as evidence. No, Number 6 didn’t really have any friends in The Village, acquaintances, confederates, yes he helped a few people, but there was no-one who Number 6 could call friend. Number 6 was more a dab hand at rubbing people up the wrong way, better at making enemies than friends.

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