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Description
The two walked in silence for most of the trip. Just before they reached the theater, Tanya said, "I take it back. You do deal with shifty people."

"What?"

"Uh-huh. You've never seen any of them before, I'm sure."

"Well, the owner looked familiar," Inlé conceded. "But the waiter and the gentleman who returned my tickets were new faces."

"And he was nervous because ... ?" Tanya left the sentence to hang until Inlé answered. Instead, he silently pushed the theater door open, holding it so Tanya could pass before him. "At least you have manners," she grumbled.

"I try to," he answered.

"But you can't dodge my questions all the time."

"No?" he asked with infuriating calmness.

They entered the showroom and took their seats. The room was packed, and the lights were dimming as Tanya quietly asked, "Did you remember to turn off your cell phone?"

"My what?" Inlé said.

"You don't have a phone?" Tanya asked, more surprised that she wasn't very.

"I do not."

"Geez, what time period are you from, anyway?" Tanya complained. "Everyone and their grandmother has a cell phone now."

"I have yet to have a need for one," Inlé said, matter-of-factly.

"Whatever," Tanya sighed. "Is there anything normal about you?"

"My native language is English."

Tanya stared, trying to find a joke that she finally decided wasn't there. "I'm not asking you questions anymore," she finally said. "What's the point?"

"I am unsure," Inlé answered.

"That was rhetorical. Quiet, here's the movie."

As the movie came to a close and the credits began to roll, the audience rose to leave, except for Tanya. "Wait," Tanya placed a hand on Inlé's arm as he rose. "It isn't done yet."

"The credits are rolling," Inlé said.

"Trust me," she replied, watching the screen.

At the end of the credits, the screen went black for a moment, then the movie returned to the end of the scene before the credits had rolled. The scene continued where it had left off, and ended. The few people who had stayed behind left, and this time Tanya and Inlé joined them.

On the street, Inlé asked, "How did you know it was not done?"

"The story hadn't finished yet," Tanya answered bluntly.

"How so?"

Gesturing offhandedly, Tanya said, "Well, they said 'until their lines should end'. If Don lived, not all of the lines were ended."

"Perhaps."

"And this way prevents a sequel," Tanya went on. "It's final."

"No," Inlé said.

Tanya paused a moment, then said, "Now I'm lost. How could it not be? Everyone's dead."

"Remember that the two Michaels were married, and the Shaun was less scrupulous with his relationships," Inlé said. "Don is the only one with a slim chance of having a child. But he had the one woman he was with."

Tanya lightly punched Inlé's arm. "You paid a lot more attention that I would have thought. I thought you didn't watch movies."

"I do not. They are dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Tanya echoed confusedly.

"You enjoyed the movie, though."

Recognizing Inlé wouldn't explain his slip, Tanya tried another approach. "I did. Next time, let's just rent something and watch it at your place."

"All right," Inlé said. After a slight pause, Inlé stopped. "Wait, what?"

Tanya looked back over her shoulder and teasingly sang, "That's what you get for dodging my questions."

They walked for a while, then a voice yelled from an alley as they passed, "Wanderer!"

Tanya stopped, but Inlé kept walking. "Isn't this for you, too?" she called.

"Why would you think that?" he called back.

She caught him up. "Sorry, it's just that he called as we walked by."

"And he was not addressing you, so it must be me," he concluded. "What company do you believe I keep?"

"Wanderer!" the voice shrieked again. "Bearer of the Cauldron!'

"The kind who can get you free meals at restaurants," Tanya answered.

"Is this jealousy I detect?" Inlé asked.

"Curiosity," Tanya corrected. "You seem to be very interesting underneath all the boredom."

"I cannot tell if that was a compliment or an insult."

"Both."

"Wanderer!" the voice called again. "I have the sword!" This time Inlé stopped while Tanya kept walking. "Wanderer! Claíomh Solais! I know its whereabouts!"

Tanya looked back at Inlé. "I thought it wasn't for you."

"It is not," Inlé said. "I have to go now."

"Wanderer!"

Description
The two walked in silence for most of the trip. Just before they reached the theater, Tanya said, "I take it back. You do deal with shifty people."

"What?"

"Uh-huh. You've never seen any of them before, I'm sure."

"Well, the owner looked familiar," Inlé conceded. "But the waiter and the gentleman who returned my tickets were new faces."

"And he was nervous because ... ?" Tanya left the sentence to hang until Inlé answered. Instead, he silently pushed the theater door open, holding it so Tanya could pass before him. "At least you have manners," she grumbled.

"I try to," he answered.

"But you can't dodge my questions all the time."

"No?" he asked with infuriating calmness.

They entered the showroom and took their seats. The room was packed, and the lights were dimming as Tanya quietly asked, "Did you remember to turn off your cell phone?"

"My what?" Inlé said.

"You don't have a phone?" Tanya asked, more surprised that she wasn't very.

"I do not."

"Geez, what time period are you from, anyway?" Tanya complained. "Everyone and their grandmother has a cell phone now."

"I have yet to have a need for one," Inlé said, matter-of-factly.

"Whatever," Tanya sighed. "Is there anything normal about you?"

"My native language is English."

Tanya stared, trying to find a joke that she finally decided wasn't there. "I'm not asking you questions anymore," she finally said. "What's the point?"

"I am unsure," Inlé answered.

"That was rhetorical. Quiet, here's the movie."

As the movie came to a close and the credits began to roll, the audience rose to leave, except for Tanya. "Wait," Tanya placed a hand on Inlé's arm as he rose. "It isn't done yet."

"The credits are rolling," Inlé said.

"Trust me," she replied, watching the screen.

At the end of the credits, the screen went black for a moment, then the movie returned to the end of the scene before the credits had rolled. The scene continued where it had left off, and ended. The few people who had stayed behind left, and this time Tanya and Inlé joined them.

On the street, Inlé asked, "How did you know it was not done?"

"The story hadn't finished yet," Tanya answered bluntly.

"How so?"

Gesturing offhandedly, Tanya said, "Well, they said 'until their lines should end'. If Don lived, not all of the lines were ended."

"Perhaps."

"And this way prevents a sequel," Tanya went on. "It's final."

"No," Inlé said.

Tanya paused a moment, then said, "Now I'm lost. How could it not be? Everyone's dead."

"Remember that the two Michaels were married, and the Shaun was less scrupulous with his relationships," Inlé said. "Don is the only one with a slim chance of having a child. But he had the one woman he was with."

Tanya lightly punched Inlé's arm. "You paid a lot more attention that I would have thought. I thought you didn't watch movies."

"I do not. They are dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Tanya echoed confusedly.

"You enjoyed the movie, though."

Recognizing Inlé wouldn't explain his slip, Tanya tried another approach. "I did. Next time, let's just rent something and watch it at your place."

"All right," Inlé said. After a slight pause, Inlé stopped. "Wait, what?"

Tanya looked back over her shoulder and teasingly sang, "That's what you get for dodging my questions."

They walked for a while, then a voice yelled from an alley as they passed, "Wanderer!"

Tanya stopped, but Inlé kept walking. "Isn't this for you, too?" she called.

"Why would you think that?" he called back.

She caught him up. "Sorry, it's just that he called as we walked by."

"And he was not addressing you, so it must be me," he concluded. "What company do you believe I keep?"

"Wanderer!" the voice shrieked again. "Bearer of the Cauldron!'

"The kind who can get you free meals at restaurants," Tanya answered.

"Is this jealousy I detect?" Inlé asked.

"Curiosity," Tanya corrected. "You seem to be very interesting underneath all the boredom."

"I cannot tell if that was a compliment or an insult."

"Both."

"Wanderer!" the voice called again. "I have the sword!" This time Inlé stopped while Tanya kept walking. "Wanderer! Claíomh Solais! I know its whereabouts!"

Tanya looked back at Inlé. "I thought it wasn't for you."

"It is not," Inlé said. "I have to go now."

"Wanderer!"