Wow! You have finally reached the end of this story. Thank you so much for sticking with it, and giving me advice. You're awesome!
Constance squeezed past Reynie and Kate and went to sit on her cozily unmade bed. She allowed herself a moment to admire her room, with all its quirks and charm, then looked over at her friends.
"Why are you all just standing around? Sit down!"
Reynie laughed sheepishly, and he and Sticky collapsed gratefully into the armchairs by the window. Kate perched on the end of Constance's bed, all smiles. It seemed that everyone was waiting for Constance to speak; it was her moment. Looking around at her friends with immense affection, Constance began.
"You know, sometimes it is easy to forget what matters. When those idiotic Ten Men captured me, I lost sight that for a while. But then, as I was fighting Mr. Curtain, I realized something very important." She paused for emphasis. "My nose was bleeding."
She shrieked as Kate whacked her with a pillow. "Alright, alright, I was kidding! Anyway, I realized that I have something Mr. Curtain doesn't."
"What?" asked Sticky, leaning forward in his chair.
"I have Kate's fearlessness. I have Sticky's brains. I have Reynie's acuity."
Kate leaned over to Sticky. "Good gravy, what does acuity mean?"
"It means he has insight and perception."
"Oh," said Kate, grinning. She winked at Reynie. "Fitting!"
Reynie was smiling at Constance, his head tilted slightly to the side. "And we have your unerring stubbornness."
"Absolute," Sticky said quickly in response to Kate's questioning look. "Unerring means "absolute."
Kate patted Constance's arm. "Thanks, Connie girl."
Constance slyly picked up the pillow and held it aloft.
"Oh, no you don't!" shouted Kate. She seized the pillow from Constance, and set it gently on the floor. "Every time anyone compliments you, you try to distract them. It's not going to work this time."
"Kate's right," said Reynie. "It's your turn to listen, Constance."
Constance groaned and leaned back, staring resignedly at the ceiling. "Go on, then."
And they did.
In his study, Mr. Benedict was staring absently out his window. He gazed over Stonetown bay, though not really seeing it, as his thoughts remained on S.Q. S.Q. was beyond help. He had been in front of the Whisperer at the time Mr. Curtain had switched it on full-blast. Therefore, S.Q. had been brain swept the most severely of anyone. It wasn't fair, nor was it fixable. Mr. Benedict sighed heavily, and leaned his forehead against the cool panes. He closed his eyes, seeing Constance's face in his mind. Now that she was safe, he reflected that it had been ridiculous to think that she wouldn't escape. She was gifted, and much more than that.
He smiled to himself, and turned to take a sip of his tea. Just as he lifted his mug, the door burst open, and Number Two appeared, Rhonda hovering behind her. "Listen to this!" Number Two shouted, gesticulating a newspaper wildly.
"World renowned scientist Ledroptha Curtain arrested for illegal prison escape. 'We got there as soon as we could,' says Officer Blanton. 'I took charge of the situation, and no one was harmed.'"
Number Two glared at the paper, then at Mr. Benedict. "They neglected to mention that he attacked and kidnapped a girl!"
Mr. Benedict's response was to pull a pear from his pocket and hand it to Number Two. She crunched it, gratefully. "I do apologize," she sighed. "I just can't stand lies and injustice!"
Rhonda patted Number Two's arm. "Even lies have their moment of truth," she reminded them.
Mr. Benedict nodded, smiling and glanced out the window once more. The sun, a fiery sphere, was sinking toward to horizon. It cast a magical glow over the city. As the two women turned to leave, he stopped them. "Number Two, would you mind if I looked at the article for a moment?"
She handed the paper to him, and was gone. Mr. Benedict looked at the newspaper, chuckled, then chortled. He strolled to the window, raised it and leaned out, admiring the world below. Then, he lifted the paper, and tossed it toward the sky. It fluttered and pitched, an ink-printed bird against a sun warmed sky.
Mr. Benedict gazed at it for a moment, then remembered his tea. As he ducked back inside, he spotted a small child gazing up at the airborne paper with wonder. She giggled and hopped, trying to seize the paper before it drifted away. He regarded the child fondly. Perhaps she, too, was gifted.
Perhaps.
Now, let the lights go down, the music end, and the curtains fall forever on the Adventures of Constance Contraire!
The End...