The Trip to Jerusalem

'Well? Well?'

'Your play was much admired in spite of their poor treatment of it.'

'And Sicinius? My Sicinius?'

'Gabriel Hawkes.'

'But he is dead.'

'Along with Mark Sermon.' He patted Hoode on the back. 'Be happy, sir. Do you not see what this means?'

'No.'

'You are the only man alive to have played Sicinius. The part is solely and wholly yours again.'

Edmund Hoode let out a whoop of joy.

'Thank you, Nick. This puts me in Heaven.'

'Close enough to it.'

'What?'

'Jerusalem.'

The playwright's smile widened into a broad grin.

A spiritual journey had finally come to an end.

(*)