Following the rehearsal the actors wasted no time in stripping out of their Elizabethan attire and heading for the exit, each to make their own happily anonymous way through the baying mob, back to their comfy beds. How Sean envied them. Before he left, David Miller approached Sean for a quick word.

“Sean, lad”
Sean looked up expectantly. Although he wasn’t sure what to expect.
“I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye, but… the state my daughter is in today breaks my heart. And after…” Sean nodded, sympathetically.
“You should come and see her. I’ll let you in.”

David turned awkwardly, and headed towards the exit.

“David.” Sean called out after him David turned to face him
“Thanks.” said Sean.

David nodded, turned, and went home to face his own crisis.

“Sean” said Hugo.
“Yes, mate” said Sean, facing his friend.
“Maybe you should have asked David to send her down here what with the mob and all?”
“Oh bugger!” Sean said, looking at the place where David Miller was just recently standing.
“I mean, I know it wouldn’t have had the same dramatic effect, but it would have been much more practical, you know?”
“I know Hugo.” said Sean, irritated. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“Well, I didn’t like to interrupt. It WAS a great moment.”

Hugo carried on with his allocated task of pushing a broom around, whilst Sean stood thinking. It looked almost as if the play might go ahead, to part time first rehearsal amateur dramatics standards at the very least. No matter how bad it was, it was definitely better than nothing. He would have felt more comfortable if they’d actually managed to read the whole thing through, but to get as far as they had was remarkable in itself, under the circumstances. The events of the day’s rehearsal had revealed to Sean something new as well, something greater than the play. It had revealed to him how petty his concerns were, about being ripped limb from limb by a malicious bloodthirsty mob and being remembered forever after his death as the sole instigator of the complete disintegration of the delicate balance of their unique space-borne society.

He had learned that he needed to focus instead on what was important. He had to see Claire, somehow. He didn’t want to end up like their parents, bitter and lonely, growing apart and seeking comfort elsewhere, wondering what it was that ever drew them together in the first place. He loved her, he decided. Loved her more now she seemed so far away. He wanted to make it work. Obviously, he wanted to sleep with Katie. And indeed, at the moment he’d much rather spend time with her, all things considered. But that didn’t matter, probably. Did it? Ah who said this was a morality tale?

“Hugo?”
“Yes mate?”
“I need a disguise.”

Sean stole from the building through the side door, and into the corridor which led onto the plaza. He kept tight to the outside wall, desperately hoping that no-one would spot him. His maroon velvet pantaloons shimmered in the half-light, and his squiggly stick on beard flapped gently in the soft breeze from the air conditioning vents. He could see the mob spilling towards the edge of the Plaza, burning whatever they could lay their hands on to keep warm - not because they were cold of course, but because they had seen it done. Much of the burning material very much resembled Sean. He had to wonder where they got all the effigies from. The nearest section of the crowd was a mere ten yards from him as he ducked once again from doorway to doorway. Sean was understandably nervous.

Hugo’s escape plan suddenly seemed ridiculous to Sean, in the harsh reality of the now. According to Hugo, if he walked straight up to the crowd wearing the maroon pantaloons they wouldn’t give him a second look, because it was the last thing you’d imagine anyone wearing if they were trying to sneak out of a theatre. Genius, really. Sean breathed deep, assured himself that Hugo had never to his knowledge been brutally murdered by a baying mob, and walked brazenly towards the crowd.

“There he is!” shouted one particularly astute gentleman.
“The guy in the maroon pantaloons!” said another. “Get him!”