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advanced text, surprised it appeared
in the dream. More surprising because you hadn't seen it
before.”
    “You can't be sure.”
    She hops on the bed, glancing to see if Jamie cares.
He doesn't. She kicks off her shoes and lies back crossways, her
small feet dangling off the edge. “It's a rare book,” she says, “I
believe they're all accounted for.”
    “Have you read it?”
    “No, I haven't found the source of happiness.”
    He doesn't know if she's serious. Either way it's
easier to hear this come from her lips than those of Ray's. She
seems more real than him, so it's natural he reclines next to her.
Po shuffles a little closer. She touches his hand, his smooth
fingers.
    “So,” he says, a little unsure of where this is
heading. She hasn't run away, or stuck a knife in him, which is
nice. She replies with smiling eyes and squeezes his hand.
    “ No, sorry, still haven't found the
source of happiness.”
    She breaks into a smile. Laughter ripples through her
body and into her heart and cheeks. It's infectious. Jamie laughs
in hiccups and between the two of them it becomes unbridled and
unstoppable as all the angst in the world releases.
     
    The source of happiness Jamie finds out is another
obtuse concept. Po's not even sure Ray has found it. For them and
the few followers left of the foundation it's become a holy grail.
Worthy, considering the alternative—joining the slavery of minds.
Po's tied to the hope of the other. She's sorry Jamie had a rough
time in the ionizer but argues for the necessity of profound
experience to strengthen him for what awaits. She leaves it at
that. Only so many beans to be spilt. She can't remember the cliché
of breaking eggs to make an omelette so her argument tails off. The
monster is just a reflection of who Jamie is, the sooner he
accepts, the sooner he'll face the next test. Jamie's had enough of
tests. He wants a job.
    “Maybe you can help fix our servers? They're playing
up.”
    “Job's that pay,” replies Jamie. The thaw is coming
to an end. Po seems tired of him but there's something about her
that cares.
    “Be careful out there Jamie.”
    “Was doing a pretty good job before I met you
guys.”
    “It's not what I mean. It's different now, even if
you can't see it. The negate transfigurantes. ” He doesn't
want to hear more but indulges Po out of politeness and the recent
improved relations.
    “They congregate in places of power,” she says, “not
so much negative in an evil sense but making sure you're stuck in
their world.”
    It's sad for Jamie, he concludes he doesn't really
understand her. Po seems distant, spirited away by a nonsensical
quest. He makes a half-hearted promise to look at their 'set up' in
his own time.
     
    The refusal to continue went unopposed by Ray and,
without someone to rub against returning home, was anti-climactic.
Faced with a cold apartment, a queasy stomach, and an unmade bed,
Jamie was left with holograph messages. There's one. It's the blue
eyes. Jamie has another interview. It's a little odd because it's
at unpronounceable . It was a good thing they didn't keep a
record of his previous interview, she tells him. Jamie hopes for a
different HR executive, but more so that the position hasn't been
filled.
     
    “Lets not make this difficult.” Grace hides her
embarrassment with a statement of blame. She sees the same man who
was there a couple of weeks before, not Po's version, the man who's
changing. Jamie catches himself, wonders how she was his fantasy
and shakes his head. Fortunately Grace's eyes are buried in her
screen.
    “Well congratulations, you qualified this time.”
    Thank you won't escape his lips, and it tumbles out
in the form of a cough.
    Grace ignores him. “We'll be in touch.”
    “And the job is?”
    “We'll let you know in due course. But what I can say
is, you're very lucky.” Jamie loosens the tension in his shoulders.
“We have yoga too,” she says, “we'll send the offer and
agreement—and take