Epilogue

Soon after Tux restored its democracy, Vetiver denaturalized Dimitri Phanaenopsis. Shattered, he began pickling his organs in gin. He never worked again. The skin on his gorgeous face turned the color and texture of dried cuttlefish. In a freak accident on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the theatrical release of These Very Stars, the glass roof on his atrium shattered and fell on him, killing him instantly. He was found by his maid, face bloodied, eyes staring up at the sky in disbelief.

In Sel, overharvesting of the moon poppy led to the extinction of both the poppy and the plague doctor moth. When the poppy bubble burst, no amount of debt restructuring could save the crown from its creditors. However, it turned out that the monarchy's loyalty was less to their kingdom than it was to "the lifestyle to which they had become accustomed." In exchange for their abdication, the monarchy received full immunity and protection in Vetiver. Vetiverian military transport airlifted to safety the royal family, along with its furniture and art, and a menagerie of giraffes, monkeys, camels, and sharks. They continued to live a lavish life in Vetiver, while Vetiver set about establishing an officially recognized puppet government in Sel.

Arabella Rye was never heard from again. There was much speculation about whether she had fled to Vetiver with the Selenite princess, whether she had finally been captured by Tuxedo agents, or whether she was simply sitting on stacks of cash, living her best life far from the public eye.

Over the course of several generations, the pro-democracy party in Tux gained some ground, lost some ground, and then gained some ground again. Tux's electorate was one that could be by turns fickle, vindictive, and sanctimonious; but it was nevertheless always vigilant. The Ninth Republic remains in place as the current and legitimate government of Tux.

I must confess that I question my motives for documenting and sharing this story. Do I offer it as a cautionary tale? As a message of hope? Perhaps I am only trying to fill the silence with my meaningless little words. Thank you, reader, for your indulgence.

Since the events documented here transpired, all known prints of These Very Stars were destroyed by the governments of Vetiver, Sel, and Tux, though the raw footage may still exist somewhere, in the hands of collectors or in one of several "shadow archives" that emerged during and after the Tuxedo protests. References to the film were purged from official sources. Nevertheless, bootleg copies continue to circulate widely among inhabitants of of all three nations. Hundreds–maybe thousands–of versions are extant, versions featuring all variations of the plot, versions in which myriad futures are possible.