Flett and Peatwood strolled through Undertown, staring around happily at their beautiful surroundings.
"What are you going to do now?" Flett asked.
"I figure I'll go to the Mire Provinces," said Peatwood. "I probably don't have the brains to be a full-fledged Farmer Academic, but I daresay I can be some use to the folks out there. What about you?"
"I've been thinking about it for a while," said Flett.
"And?" said Peatwood persistently.
"I want to join the Omniphrax apprentices," said Flett. "You know…the trainees who get groomed for high-level positions. No guarantees I'll have the brains myself, but I can't win if I don't try."
"True, true," said Peatwood.
"I'll be older than any of the other apprentices by a few years," said Flett, stroking his chin. "And there may still be some who are suspicious of me. No doubt I'll have to prove myself to many more people."
"You can do it," said Peatwood. "I know you can. You're good and valiant and noble. I see it in all of your deeds. Others are surely going to see it too, and the ones who don't, like Twentell…well, they're not worth bothering with."
Flett laughed.
Slowly, the two friends continued down the dirt path, as the sun set behind the fuzzy line of Twilight's Edge far, far in the distance. They had finally succeeded. Nobody could say what adventures might take place down the road, but now at last, they would be able to overcome their obstacles in the name of Omniphrax…in the name of freedom.