Drink It Up Before It Gets Cold!

    In the dinette of ‘6 Private’ No.8 is busy making No.6 his nightcap of cocoa, her demeanour is of a very happy woman. She is pompomming the nursery rhyme “Pop goes the weasel.” In the shower room No.6 is curious about who else is in his cottage. It’s certainly not the housemaid, as I suspect she was sent away by No.8 saying she would make No.6 his nightcap. I wonder if she obligingly drugged the cocoa as well, unwittingly she probably did if the sedative is in the tap water!
    No.6 “Hello.”
    No.8“Hurry up before it gets cold.”

    “Hello.”
    “Nothing like a cup of hot chocolate for a good nights sleep.”

    “Cheers.”
    “Had a hard day?”
    “No worse no better.
    “Anything you’d like to tell me?”
    “Yes….how’d you get in here?”
    “Oh the usual way by the door…It’s so wonderful to be with you.”
    “Yes.”
    “It’s a warm feeling.”
    “On a cold night!”

    “Yes.”
    “Its nice chocolate.”
    “Oh you like it?”
    “Very nice.”
    “Would you like some more?”
    “No, no, thank you very much indeed but it was a kind thought though.”
    “You’re the one that’s kind.”
    “Mmmm”
    “To allow me to be with you.”
    An announcement “Curfew Time, ten minutes, all citizens ten minutes to curfew, sleep well.”

    “If only you care a little I’d be happy.”
    “I do care, who put you up to this?”
    “Please?”
    No.6 helps himself to more chocolate “Who put you up to it?”
    “Nobody!”
    “Then get out!”
    “Nobody put me up to it, I only want to help you.”
    “Get out!” he shouts in anger.
    “I only want to help you.”

    “Everybody wants to help me!”
    No.8 begins to cry.
    “What’s the matter?”
    “Nothing, nothings the matter.”
    “Stop crying.”
    “Sorry to bother you.”
    “It’s alright. Not bothering me.”
    “I’m not bothering you?”

    “No.”
    “Do you like me?”
    “Yes” he smiles, his angry demeanour has collapsed.
    “Oh you’re so good to me.”
    “Pardon?”
    “Thank you” No.8 says shaking his hands.
    “That’s alright, that’s fine, that’s okay.”
    “Would you like some more chocolate?”
    “Chocolate no, no I I’ve got some.”
    “Will I see you again?”
    “Oh yes I’m here all the time.”
    “Thank you…ever so much.”
    The door to the cottage opens and No.8 dashes out into the night, she stops, turns and waves at No.6 who returns her wave with a casual village salute the way he does, which is barely a salute nor a wave. The door closes leaving No.6 wondering……..
   Just a minute! The door opened automatically before No.8 was anywhere near it, how did it know to do that? The door usually only opens automatically for No.6 or for someone important like No.2, or sometimes for the housemaids who have their hands full carrying a breakfast tray. True the door did open for Monique that time she went to call on No.6, but then the door was programmed to open for her, unless it was an Observer in the control room who opened the door for her, because whenever anyone knocks on his door No.6 doesn’t always answer. I recall when Nadia called on No.6 one evening during ‘The Chimes of Big Ben’ the door didn’t open for her, she had to ring the door bell of ‘6 Private.’ It seems there are two important people in the village; you can tell who they are because the doors to the Green Dome and ‘6 Private’ open automatically. A far as I can tell most other cottage doors has to be opened manually!

Be seeing you