Jehan frowns. "The villains, perhaps," he says. "But I'd like to think even they would understand and appreciate the rightness of their stories for their characters, for their very souls--even if their stories are sometimes tragic."

He sighs. "I'd like to think it, but I'm not sure. And even the ones I'm sure of--I can't even be truly sure of them, because if they've developed independent wills, then they can craft their own characters, and move beyond what I made of them. Perhaps even move beyond what I know. As we have. Even if we're Hugo's creations, I don't think he knows we're in Milliways!"