(no subject)
Seymour wakes up panting. He's afraid - or exhilarated, the symptoms are the same. He had a dream about flying again. Moonlight, trees and whirling snow from a falcon's eyes.
And Belar might show him how to luge. Belar's cool like that. Truman's pretty cool too, telling him it'd be fine if he went hitchhiking to other planets. Just when the hell did my life change? And why?
He gets out of bed and goes to the bottom shelf of his bookshelf. Hidden behind books on plants is his signed copy of Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany's. Seymour hasn't read it much; he just takes it out to touch something new and clean.
Since he's already on his knees, he begins to pray. "Dear Lord. Uh, I'm not worshiping Belar, as I'm sure you know. I mean, you're probably at that place. I just...don't know why I am. I'm nothing - you know better than anyone. That's a place for special people, interesting people.
"Oh, speaking of Audrey, keep on making her happy, even if it's not with me. She deserves--"
Seymour's eyes jerk open as a wonderful thought hits. "Golly! She deserves Milliways!"
He gets into bed, excited as a kid on Christmas. All day he thinks of what it'll be like. (He knocks over the watering can and breaks two pots.) She'd get on well with Suzi, though he'll have to explain the tentacles. He'll tell her not to eat the tofu. He'll show her off introduce her to Bob - once Bob meets her, he'll know why Seymour can't go for any other gal.
He remembers Knox's, "You've got…something. Probably." He never has, until now. Like it or not, he has a door that leads to a bar at the end of the universe. Money can sweep a girl off her feet - but Milliways (lakes, woods, mountains, magic!) might do just as well.
Audrey notices that he keeps checking the door to the street. "Seymour, are you expecting someone?"
"Who’s he got to expect?" Mr. Mushnik replies. "He doesn’t know anyone."
I know a god, a cop, a guy that owned a haunted house, a kid that reads Beowulf, a reporter from comic books, a professor and a doctor and a famous writer, old man. "He’s right, Audrey, I’m not expecting anyone." But he opens the door anyway.
Milliways is beyond. His heart pounds. "Say, um, Audrey, maybe we could go to Ray’s hotdog stand for lunch?"
"Sure, Seymour. But I’ll just have a soda. My boyfriend’s taking me out to Sardi’s tonight!"
Seymour faces the door to hide his grin. No he isn't. Sorry, dentist. His palm is sweating on the handle. "After you." He holds his breath as she goes through.
She doesn’t appear in Milliways. She appears in the dirty shop window to the left of the door.
His stomach drops. "No...." he whispers. She beckons to him. "Please, open up for her, just this once!" Audrey pokes her head back through the door - the instant she does that, Milliways becomes cracked asphalt and trash-strewn sidewalks.
"Is something wrong, Seymour?" Seymour shakes his head. "Well, come on!"
She ducks out again. From behind his paper, Mr. Mushnik comments, "You don't have a snowball's chance in hell, Krelborn."
No hope. "I know, sir."
Seymour steps out onto Skid Row, his heart sick.