Epilogue
Of Knots and Loose Ends

Britt, Simon, Bruce, and Kato had just finished telling a relieved Casey all about their adventure when Frank arrived with Mike in tow. "The police are still mopping things up," Frank announced, "but so far, it looks like we've caught twenty of the most wanted thieves in three states, plus a few dozen amateurs, Romero and his gang, van Zandt, the Russian agent Simon identified at the airport, and the men who tried to kill you. There were ten of them in all—the three with the grenade launcher and seven more back at the hotel. About half of them are from Sayeda, and the rest are from Kahara."

Simon frowned slightly. "Sayeda? I haven't been to Sayeda in five years, since I helped Prince Karim stop Abdul Aziz and Harry Shannet from usurping control of the country. I stayed just long enough to give the bride away when Karim married Lilla McAndrew."

"But Sayeda shares a border with Karaha, doesn't it?" Britt asked. "I was best man at Prince Rafil's wedding to Janet Prescott two years ago, and Rafil and Janet are coming in next week for our wedding."

Realization dawned on both Frank's and Simon's faces at the same time, but it was Frank who spoke first. "Ah, then if these men are part of a plot against Imam Karim or Prince Rafil, or both…."

Britt nodded. "Then that bomb may have been meant for both of us, to stop us from getting involved. And they may have wanted the diamonds for funding as well."

"What about the policeman who was shot?" Simon asked.

"He's in for disciplinary action once he recovers," Frank replied. "He was one of the officers from the decoy van. In the middle of the firefight, he made a break for one of the radio cars but got hit before he could reach it. We'll be investigating his motive, but his sergeant reported the way he'd reacted to you at the Meriweather briefing. Oh, and Meriweather is having kittens trying to work out how you got past their security."

"Good. Maybe the kittens will kill a few mice and make the service that much better in future."

Mike chuckled. "Say, speaking of kittens, Boss, when do you want to break the news that you're all right? I can squeeze it into the morning edition."

Britt considered. "No, let's save it for the mid-day. I want to surprise everyone when Casey and I walk into work in the morning."

Mike smiled and nodded. "Sure."

Frank turned back to Simon. "DeLukens was distressed to learn the truth about van Zandt, but he's so delighted that you succeeded in preventing the robbery, he's doubling the donation to the orphanage. And he said to tell you he expects Ben Mercy to say 'I told you so' for the rest of his life."

"Well!" Simon grinned. "That was a good day's fishing, if I do say so myself."

Everyone laughed.

Simon found himself relieved when Casey declared the only things she wanted for the rest of the evening were a nightcap and a good night's sleep. He wouldn't have admitted it to anyone but Britt, but after the excitement of the week-end, he was ready for a quiet evening in himself. And he did sleep like the dead until Kato woke him early for breakfast.

Bruce had urgent business back in Gotham and had to leave for the airport directly after they ate, but Simon decided to go to the office with Britt and Casey. Thus, he was able to witness the cheers that erupted on every floor as Britt made his triumphant return. He already had some idea of how beloved Britt was, of course, and how much Britt loved his employees and his work; the mere fact that his office was on the ninth floor between the city room and the television studio and not in a distant corner of the top floor had spoken volumes to Simon. But it really did make him glad to see the smiling tears, hugs, and handshakes Britt got as he made his way through the city room to his office. Simon got more than a few hugs and handshakes himself, and by lunchtime, Casey had fielded enough phone calls from Britt's old girlfriends to have Simon set up with dates for lunch and supper for the entire rest of his stay—barring the reception at the Kaharan Embassy, the rehearsal dinner, and the wedding itself, which most of the ladies were attending anyway. Britt warned him about a few of them but seemed relieved that Simon was happy to explore the city on his own, with or without female companionship.

(Simon also prevented three murders, busted two illegal casinos, and caught five more Russian agents in the following two weeks. "I'm glad you're not in town every day," Scanlon told him—and then laughed when Simon told the story of the time Inspector Quercy tried to arrest him "as a matter of public safety" for the number of murders committed in his vicinity.)

As was the way with weddings, Murphy's Law struck the rehearsal with a vengeance, although Harriet Cooper's apoplexy over Simon's daring to speak to Dick Grayson at the rehearsal dinner subsided when Bruce pointed out that Simon was helping Dick practice his French. ("I suppose he's better than that dreadful Green Hornet," Mrs. Cooper allowed grudgingly, and Britt nearly choked on his wine.) But Simon assured Casey that "a bad rehearsal makes for a good performance," and so it proved. The wedding itself went off without a hitch, and the guests danced until dawn and never noticed when Britt and Casey slipped away to a hotel honeymoon suite.

It was after another day of socializing, after Mrs. Cooper had gone to bed early and while Britt and Casey were still out at a show with Casey's parents, that Simon found himself relaxing on Britt's back porch with Bruce and Dick. Dick was attempting to stargaze; Bruce was sipping a scotch and soda; and Simon was enjoying a cigar.

Then Bruce broke the companionable silence with a deep sigh and a quiet, "Thank you, Simon."

Surprised, Simon looked over at him. "For?"

Bruce hesitated, staring into his drink, before answering. "I don't know how much Britt's told you about… our friendship, our past. How we met."

"Not a great deal. I know you went to school together."

"It was a small enough school that everyone knew everyone, but Britt and I… when we started there, Britt had just lost his mother, and I'd just seen my parents murdered. I still had Alfred, and Britt still had his father, but… well, for a variety of reasons, they decided we were better off at boarding school for the time being. They were probably right."

Simon thought of his own wartime experience with boarding school and the deaths of his parents and said nothing.

"I suppose with two boys like us, it was inevitable that an element of rivalry would creep into the friendship," Bruce continued. "But each of us understood the other's grief in a way none of our peers could. We've always been friends first and rivals second, even when we both liked the same girls… even when we couldn't share our deepest secrets anymore."

"You mean about Batman?" Dick asked quietly.

"Exactly—and the Green Hornet." Bruce sighed again. "When I realized who the Green Hornet was, I began to question everything I thought I knew about Britt and about the Green Hornet. I couldn't tell anybody, not even Alfred, but it shook me pretty badly." Then he gave Simon the ghost of a smile. "It wasn't until that day in London two years ago that I realized I'd been right about Britt all along."

Simon smiled back. "We thought you might have."

"He called me after he got home from that trip, and we had a long talk. It helped, having those secrets shared at last." Bruce shook his head. "When I heard that story about the bomb on Britt's yacht…." He looked at Dick. "It… wasn't the same as the times I've thought I'd lost you, old chum, but… it was close. So terribly close." His eyes slid closed as he added in a barely-audible whisper, "Almost like losing my parents again."

Dick put a comforting hand on Bruce's shoulder as Simon said, "I can imagine."

"Then I got here, and…" Bruce huffed and smiled again. "You did need my help, just not the way I'd expected."

"Well, we might have been able to do it without you," Simon teased. "But it certainly went better with you."

Bruce's smile grew. "So thanks… for helping me keep my best friend."

"You're welcome," said Simon and settled back to listen to Bruce quiz Dick on astronomy until Britt and Casey came home.