"That's exactly how it ended? Just like that?" asked Glaucon. "My friend told me there was one more person!"
"Well, your friend is correct. There was another member. He was an Italian by the name of Giovanni Mario Luigi Spaghettio, or Gus as he asked everyone to call him, for shortened purposes, of course."
"An Italian present at a Greek party?" questioned Glaucon.
"Yes," replied Apollodorus, "He was a savage looking man, deported from Italy, and Greece was the only country that would accept him. He was extremely violent, perhaps he watched too many battles at the area as a child. You do know what they say about children who watch too much violence at the arena."
Glaucon nodded in agreement. "They grow up acting the same way. Continue please."
"Well, as you may recall, Eryximachus proposed that there be no heavy drinking for that night."
"Yes."
"Well, Gus didn't listen to his advise. By the time it was his turn to speak, he was more trashed than Alcibiades, but nonetheless, he gave a speech that everyone listened to, and perhaps everyone learned from what he had to say."
"Then why did you leave him out in the first place?" asked Glaucon.
"Well, after all, he was just an Italian, and you know how we hate to look up to them for advise."
"Please tell me Apollodorus, what Gus spoke of," begged Glaucon.
"Okay then," stated Apollodorus, "this is how I remember it as it was told to me."
"Not on your life!" exclaimed Alcibiades.
At that point, Gus and his six foot three, two hundred and seventy pound body stumbled across the room, grabbed Alcibiades, gave him a few swift punches to the face and followed with a hard blow to the gut. It certainly wasn't as graceful as the Arena, but definitely as effective. Alcibiades slumped over and was out for the night.
"I said I am going to speak! Does anyone else have a problem with that?"
The rest of the conscious members shook their heads nervously.
"Good then," answered Gus. "Everyone has their own version of love, as I have seen from the speeches you all gave. I too have my own version of love. I believe that love is a strive for companionship. Everyone is born into this world as a lonely individual. We are loved only by our family members, but soon we grow up to the point when we have to leave the home and live by ourselves. We don't want to live alone, so we look for a person who we can live with, to share the rest of our lives with, someone we can love and someone who will love us back, so we won't be lonely. That's why I am desperately seeking someone to love, because right now I don't have anyone in my life, and am forced to hold on to this wine glass, as it is the only thing that is close to me and keeps me company."
"But you could easily throw that wine glass away, and it wouldn't mean anything!" shouted Aristophanes.
"True Aristophanes, I could. But have you ever seen me without my wine glass?"
The whole group thought carefully, and couldn't remember a time when Gus was without it.
"No," replied Aristophanes.
"And even though you have tried to make a mountain out of a mole hill, you can see that just as I am not separated from my glass, a person will not want to be separated from the one he loves. It was you, Aristophanes, who spoke of the togetherness that two people in love experience."
Aristophanes smiled in agreement.
"But does that mean that if you don't want to be together with someone all the time, then you are not in love with them?" asked Socrates, of all people to ask questions.
"Perhaps it does, and maybe it doesn't." was Gus' reply. "Everyone is an individual and has their own set of rules. Surely you would want to spend some time with the person, but how much depends on you."
"But how can there be no clear answer?" questioned Socrates.
"Hold on to that thought, I will answer it. " replied Gus. "I have a few more things to agree with. I agree with Phaedrus on the point that two lovers will support and defend each other. And they watch out for each other too, to keep out of trouble. This kind of support in the relationship produces the peace and harmony that Eryximachus spoke of. And in Pausanias' speech, he speaks of a heavenly side. But he also speaks as that it doesn't occur between a male and a female, and has it's own place with males. This I believe is wrong, because when you really love someone, it will be heavenly to you and your lover, no matter what sex they are. The love that is created when two people really love each other is that strong."
"Well I certainly would never love you, you're too much of a brute." said Agathon.
"Ah, my dear Agathon, I was just getting to you. You speak as love as there is only an outer beauty, such that you possess. You believe that love is gentle, and it's all based on what you see on the outside. But love works on the inside too, there is an inner beauty in us all. The person who loves you is capable of seeing your inner beauty. A lover will always be beautiful to you in your own eyes, no matter what they look like on the outside to someone else. They have always said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, well look Agathon, and you will see exactly what is inside. I think you already have."
Gus then pointed to Socrates, who we all know is Agathon's lover, and not as handsome as Agathon on the outside either.
"And last but not least, we have Socrates. I agree on your part that lovers want the good things in life, and hope that their lover will make them a better person. Unless, of course, they are evil and want to become worse. But love itself is not always good, it can cause you pain or hurt. But for someone who was in love before, and has lost love, they almost always try to get it back, because they know of the good things and the feelings it brings."
"I don't mean to interrupt you, but it looks like what you did is take all of our arguments and twisted them or added them to make them your own." stated Socrates. The others nodded in agreement.
"You're right, I did," was Gus' answer. "And I'll tell you why. All of you have come up with excellent ideas on what love is. But I'm sure if I ask you who's speech is the best, you would still all say that your own is, right?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Why is that?" asked Gus.
"Because....because it's what we all believe to be correct." answered Socrates.
"Right!" exclaimed Gus, "You think that you are all right, because deep down inside it's what you think. That is why I believe my version of love is right, even if I took parts of all of yours, changed them a bit, and added a little of my own."
"But you've left things unanswered! What do you believe about love between men and boys, or men and animals, men and men?" asked Pausanias.
"Well, a man can love an animal as a pet. We would all certainly feel sad if our dog or cat ran in the road and got hit by a chariot. I don't believe there can be real love between men and animals because they don't love you back like a person would. Love between men and boys is also a touchy subject, because love is a mature thing, and boys may not be mature enough to handle love. Therefore I would say it's best to avoid it. And love between two males is entirely up to them. They are old enough to make their own decisions. But still these are my answers, and those of you who do not agree with me do so because you make your own opinions. I don't have all the right answers for love, just the ones I think are right. Your answers don't come from here,"
Gus then pointed to his head, and went around the room, touching each individual on their head and saying, " but here. That, Socrates, is why there can be no clear answer to love. It's all what you believe is right. The most important thing to believe in, is yourself and your own ideas. Those are the only ones that count."
"Gus, have you ever been in love?" asked Pausanias.
"Once, a long time ago, and I miss that feeling. That's why I want it back." was the answer. Gus then looked up into the group, and saw the wide eyes of all seven conscious individuals staring at him. "Sorry guys, but just where did that flute girl go?"
"I'll have my servants fetch her!" answered Agathon. But it was no use. Gus passed out from the alcohol, lay next to Alcibiades, and slept for the night.
"Every person can be right? Can this be possible? The only person who can answer all the questions about love is yourself?" questioned Socrates, before involving himself in yet another deep thinking trance.
"Well he certainly isn't beautiful looking," smirked Agathon, "from the outside."
And with that all said, the Symposium finally came to a conclusion, without anyone being crowned the winner.