Episode 41

The Mutual Broadcasting System brings you another episode of Life in Hyperion.

Today's episode: "The Melting of the Iceberg", Part 16

Last week, our third serial had its third week, where all involved found their own ways to enjoy the now melted Darlene.  Some enjoyed, some loved it, and one didn't like it, sibling Conrad.  Also, Cy geared up for the public debut of singer Polly.  Becoming a member of the backing band along with Elmer, his mind shines with the rise of a star in her. 
Happily, today, we end our third serial to fanfare from our audience.  As we begin this week, Polly, Cy, and Elmer are in the midst of their show...

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The performance continues long into the night, as the tavern lights dim and the people's buzz gets stronger, Polly, Cy, and Elmer play on, with reditions of old country tunes and old folk tunes, with a few oldies thrown in for variety. Eventually, 1:00 am rolls around and the group wrap up their show.
"We've come to the end of a fateful trip." says Cy in a sing-song matter.
"Yes, we have." says Polly.
"How shall we close out this performance?" asks Cy.
"Well, I see some words written on that urn." says Polly, pointing to the container.
"What words?" asks Cy.
"The four lines of words at the bottom. Are they part of a song?" says Polly.
"Why, yes they are." says Cy.
"Then, let's play it." says Polly, who then launches into a redition of "He Darked The Sun"
When the song concludes, the now-dwindled crowd applaude and then make a bee-line for the front door as they go home.
Some time later, as Polly walks pass Tom's Place on her way home, she hears a whistle in the dark. She tries to keep going but she feels that the whistle is aimed at her. Sure enough, she soon spies a figure, covered in the dark, but an outline is visible.
The outline is standing in the path that leads to the front door, and the outline is pointing at it. Curious, Polly follows the outline inside. Inside, the outline becomes a man, who directs her to a table.
"Excuse me for my manner, but I had no other way of talking to you." says the man as he sits down.
"I'll excuse it." says Polly as she sits down.
"I enjoyed your concert at the tavern tonight." says the man.
"I'm glad you did." says Polly.
"I've always enjoyed a good voice, but yours is the best I've heard in a long while." says the man.
"Thank you, sir. Now, if you don't mind me asking, why did you invite me in here?" says Polly.
"Something very important." says the man.
"If it's something very personal, just count me out right now." says Polly.
"Nothing like that. Do you like this place?" says the man.
"I do. It's very lively, even now." says Polly.
"Many of these people have troubles they don't wanna go home to." says the man.
"You talk about this place as if you've been here a lot." says Polly.
"Trust me, I have." says the man.
"Would you please tell me why you brought me in here?" asks Polly.
"Very well. If you enjoyed singing at the tavern, maybe I could help you in your career." says the man.
Meanwhile, Cy and Thomas are walking their way home in the dark, with Cy again holding his mother's urn and Thomas holding the tape recorder and mandolin case.
"I can't believe that show. I've never been in such a place." says Cy.
"A tavern?" asks Thomas.
"No, a backing musician. My performances are usually as a front-and-center act, but never in the background." says Cy.
"Well, I've never performed for anyone except prisoners as well." says Thomas.
"And I've performed for those honky-tonk crowds a few times, so I know the experience." says Cy.
"How is that experience?" asks Thomas.
"Very intoxicating. You just get drunk, in more ways than one, when you perform in a place like that." says Cy.
"I wish I could feel like that." says Thomas.
"Maybe when Polly decides on a second public performance, you can join our little backing group." says Cy.
"Is that an official invite?" asks Thomas.
"Yes, it is." says Cy.
"I guess I could join in, just to know what you're talking about." says Thomas.
"I'll even give you my electric guitar so you can do some blues riffs." says Cy.
"Thanks for the offer. I'll take it." says Thomas.
"I knew you would." says Cy.
"I can't believe you took that thing down there." says Thomas, pointing to the urn.
"Well, I thought that my mother should enjoy Polly in a more natural setting." says Cy.
"Why go to all the trouble?" asks Thomas.
"Because my mother enjoyed music like that." says Cy.
"She's really special to you, isn't she?" asks Thomas.
"She gave birth to me and raised me for twenty-one years, didn't she?" asks Cy.
"My mother died giving birth to me. Why should I know different?" asks Thomas.
"Maybe I could let you share my mother?" asks Cy.
"I prefer one that's alive." says Thomas.
"To me, she is." says Cy.
"How well did your mother take death?" asks Thomas.
"After her first movie role, playing a corpse, she knew that one day it wouldn't be an act, so she was careful about life. She made her will back in the seventies and updated it on a regular basis." says Cy.
'Smart woman." says Thomas.
"She also had a habit of counting her birthdays." says Cy.
"Why did she do that?" asks Thomas.
"To remind her of how many orbits of the sun she made and to remind her that you may not get another one. Why, I remember when she was walking out of that hospital, three days before her death, saying to me, '52, Cy, 52'." says Cy.
"You're only halfway there." says Thomas.
"Very funny." says Cy.

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Tomorrow, we begin our fourth serial of the series with an offer one can't past up, and the stirring of something hit on Cy's boarder Thomas.

Join us, won't you?
Yours truly, John Maxwell.

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