Getting All Out Of Order

Had an idea for an epilogue for the Jack tale hit me while I'm in the shower.

It feels kinda like that frustrating clip they show either at the end of the movie or after the credits of a mediocre horror film, or a suspense/thriller that always always always leaves it open for a sequel (think the extra egg bursting open at the end of the American remake of Godzilla).

Throughout the Jack stories there are references (with no explanation) to the white man with the three fingers held over his eye. He's just this enigmatic dream character who helps Jack out from time to time, but never gets named, never gets serious up front attention.

So the book ends (however it may) with Jack being rich with the treasure of America and starting his own company with money from the gold, but there's a sad twist (his mom dies before he can help her).

Then we have this coda. It's later in life, Jack is now head of this multinational corporation, The Hawkins' Group (Hawkins is Jack's name). The scene is a side room off of a court room. Jack and his group of lawyers, led by an older gentleman named Paul (reference to Jason from my story "Ballad of the Lonely Argonaut") and Jack's brother's Tom and Will are gathered around a table discussing their case (against a Bucklin Incorporated (the former Bucklin Packaging from "Ballad of the Lonely Argonaut")). In the midst of a heated debate the door swings open and in comes a man in a finely pressed suit (reminiscent of the opening of the novel) He carries a brown briefcase (see previous parenthetical). He comes in and the room goes silent. He says something (unsure yet what) and goes to shake Jack's hand. As he does his sleeve comes up and there tattooed on the inside of his wrist is the eye with three white scars coming across it. Jack goes pale. And there is something about it being "time to pay the piper."

This sets Jack up for how he integrates into the rest of the universe.

I like it.