The Human Canvas, Part 3 Epilogue: The Sultans of Swing

The police are yelling at Martin, telling him to get out of bed. He’s going away for a long time, something about child abuse. Tess is angry about what he did, but all she does is paint her feelings, something blue and orange that doesn’t make sense to him.

“Martin?” He takes a sharp breath as he wakes up. He’s relieved to be back in reality. Mary is sitting on the edge of the bed in short shorts and a tank top. “Bad dream?”

He closes his eyes and rolls over toward her, then says into a pillow, “The worst.”

“Maybe breakfast will make you feel better,” she suggests as she rubs his back.

“Okay,” he says, still muffled. There is the smell of something delicious and comforting wafting down the hall. Mary leaves him prone on the bed while she alerts her other guests about the impending meal by knocking on their doors.

Martin manages to get himself out of bed a minute later and gather the bare minimum of his clothing from the floor before walking out into the hall. Tess exits one of the bedrooms sleepily, and, upon seeing Martin, closes the door behind her and hurries past him.

“Good morning,” she says.

“Hey,” Martin says, following her with his head as she zips by. Strange.

A moment later, Jebediah exits the same room. Martin leans his head back, jaw dropped, and points at Jebediah. He only smiles back at Martin before pushing past him. Can it be true? The Countess and Jeb the Mute?

Another door opens behind him, and out of it comes Landon Freeman, laughing at something or someone in the room. Landon turns to see Martin, still wearing his look of surprise.

“Hey,” says Landon as Herb exits the room after him.

Martins jaw drops back down as he points back and forth between them. All of the rumors, the speculation, the naming of Herb Rollins as a “gay Casanova”; suddenly there’s very little air of mystery about it all. Martin wants to speak, but it only comes out as a whisper. “It’s true.”