Local Hero

about Zark. At least I think I do. He’s your creation, and he’s important to you.”
    “He’s real to me,” Mitch corrected. “Up here,” he said, tapping his temple. “And, as corny as it might sound, in here.” He touched a hand to his heart. “He made a difference in my life, made a difference in how I looked at myself and my work. I don’t want to see them screw him up and make him into some cardboard hero or, worse, into something infallible and perfect.”
    Hester was silent a moment. She began to understand that giving birth to an idea might be as life-altering as giving birth to a child. “Let me ask you something: why did you create him?”
    “I wanted to make a hero—a very human one—with flaws and vulnerabilities, and I guess with high standards. Someone kids could relate to because he was just flesh and blood, but powerful enough inside to fight back. Kids don’t have a hell of a lot of choices, you know. I remember when I was young I wanted to be able to say, ‘No, I don’t want to. I don’t like that.’ When I read, I could see there were possibilities, ways out. That’s what I wanted Zark to be.”
    “Do you think you succeeded?”
    “Yeah. On a personal level, I succeeded when I came up with the first issue. Professionally, Zark has pushed Universal to the top. He translates into millions of dollars a year for the business.”
    “Do you resent that?”
    “No, why should I?”
    “Then you shouldn’t resent seeing him take the next step.”
    Mitch fell silent, thinking. He might have known Hester would see things more clearly and be able to cut through everything to the most practical level. Wasn’t that just one more reason he needed her?
    “They offered to let me do the screenplay.”
    “What?” She was sitting straight up now, eyes wide. “Oh, Mitch, that’s wonderful. I’m so proud of you.”
    He continued to play with her fingers. “I haven’t done it yet.”
    “Don’t you think you can?”
    “I’m not sure.”
    She started to speak, then caught herself. After a moment, she spoke carefully. “Strange, if anyone had asked, I would have said you were the most self-confident man I’d ever met. Added to that, I’d have said that you’d be much too selfish with Zark to let anyone else write him.”
    “There’s a difference between writing a story line for a comic series and writing a screenplay for a major motion picture.”
    “So?”
    He had to laugh. “Tossing my own words back at me, aren’t you?”
    “You can write, I’d be the first to say that you have a very fluid imagination, and you know your character better than anyone else. I don’t see the problem.”
    “Screwing up is the problem. Anyway, if I don’t do the script, they want me as creative consultant.”
    “I can’t tell you what to do, Mitch.”
    “But?”
    She leaned forward, putting her hands on his shoulders. “Write the script, Mitch. You’ll hate yourself if you don’t try. There aren’t any guarantees, but if you don’t take the risk, there’s no reward, either.”
    He lifted a hand to hers and held it firmly as he watched her. “Do you really feel that way?”
    “Yes, I do. I also believe in you.” She leaned closer and touched her mouth to his.
    “Marry me, Hester.”
    With her lips still on his, she froze. Slowly, very slowly, she drew away. “What?”
    “Marry me.” He took her hands in his to hold them still. “I love you.”
    “Don’t. Please don’t do this.”
    “Don’t what? Don’t love you?” He tightened his grip as she struggled to pull away. “It’s a great deal too late for that, and I think you know it. I’m not lying when I tell you that I’ve never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. I want to spend my life with you.”
    “I can’t.” Her voice was breathless. It seemed each word she pushed out seared the back of her throat. “I can’t marry you. I don’t want to marry anyone. You don’t understand what you’re asking.”
    “Just because I haven’t been there doesn’t mean I don’t know.” He’d expected surprise, even some resistance. But he could see now he’d totally miscalculated. There was out-and-out fear in her eyes and full panic in her voice. “Hester, I’m not Allan, and we both know you’re not the same woman you were when you were married to him.”
    “It doesn’t matter. I’m not going through that again, and I won’t put Radley through it.” She pulled away and started to dress.