Installment 14

I love bookstores.

Particularly when they started adding coffee-shops inside them. In an ideal world, I'd build a two-story house and live up-stairs with a bookstore below that I could visit anytime I wanted, or even spend the day there. Good and bad fiction, modern bestsellers, ancient classics - it was all just a marvelous way to learn new things explore different possibilities.

So it was natural that I brought Helen here as part of celebrating our anniversary. We liked to celebrate the day we met and the day we got our freedom back - since they weren't too far apart, we rolled them into one happy event.

Of course, I liked to surprise her with something she hadn't read before, so we separated after we visited the coffee-shop, just so we could find unique gifts for the other.

As I rounded one end of an aisle, I saw a couple of familiar faces at a table.

"Hey Roger, hiya Sue!"

"Joe! It's good to see you again!"

Roger and Sue were happier than I'd ever seen them. The worry lines were gone from their faces. Joe had put on some weight and Sue had let her always beautiful hair grow down past her shoulders. No tunics now, Joe was wearing a simple button-down shirt, with rolled up sleeves and a muted pinstripe pattern. Sue wore a russet camisole under her flowery blouse in autumn colors, which brought out the color of her hair and eyes.

They sat in front of matched laptops, both busily typing away until I had interrupted.

"Pull up a seat, Joe, and tell us how things are going."

"Well things are back to normal as ever. I give lectures and seminars from time to time, spending the rest consulting and writing. How about you?"

Roger started out, "Our paper had mixed reviews, but mostly emotional responses. No one could really refute the data, other than trying to duplicate that research is more expensive than most people want to try. However, the earlier tests were all sound and the prefect's own files tended to support the fact that his 'dream-sculpting' methods were dangerous and the side-effects mitigated serious real-world application."

Sue put her hand over his, then continued, "He means to say that we proved it wasn't workable and nobody wants to try it anymore. Costs too much for no results."

"Well you two certainly look great these days. I thought I even saw you on TV the other day - some public station?"

Sue smiled, "It seems we got popular there for awhile, when the media found out we had a scoop on some secret research being done on human subjects with government funds. It sounds bad on the surface, but it was really all legal. They were more interested in the skeletons the prefect had hidden away in his files. But they've mostly left us alone now, though we did get a book deal out of it."

Roger continued, "Well, it's a technical book, anyway. Not some morbid expose'. Sue is helping me translate the code into something people can read and understand. It turns out that the algorithms we use can be turned into simple aphorisms people can use in their lives."

Sue added, "Actually, it looks to be a series of books, as there is just so much data there. We were dealing with dreams, which as you know are just mirrors of life itself, so all we were working with there can be applied to everyday living. Once we get the initial text finished, then we will spend what may be years just digesting all this code."

I had to ask, "And the prefect let you do this?"

Roger and Sue looked at each other, then Sue spoke, "Well, we'd saved all his libraries as back-ups, and under the conditions of the research, it became University property, but was also under a government grant, so the ownership was questionable. However, the prefect signed over permission to us for all his personal code files. That pretty much gave us complete access to everything there..."

Roger interrupted, "While anyone can really see the core data, most of the people who can make sense of it haven't lived it like we did, so between my coding skills and Sue's people skills, we are able to translate it into sensible pieces..."

"And we have you to thank for the final approach to this," Sue finished. "Once we could put our own dreams to use, we discovered access to a complete new world of ways to help people - which is why we originally got into the field."

They smiled at each other, obviously happy and in love.

"Just curious," I asked, "What became of the prefect."

"Well, he was a changed person after he got out of the hospital," Sue said, somberly. "Of course, he still had his tenure and all his benefits - in fact, he can retire anytime he wants to. But he was never the same after that. He took up studying philosophic and religious works. We haven't talked much since."

"And he's teaching Freshman Ethics classes as well as grad-level ones. Doesn't touch programming anymore, just courses in responsibility, cause and effect, those fields. Looks like he'd rather teach than sit around a big, empty house all day." Roger went silent with that.

Sue changed the topic. "And how is Helen? Have you seen her lately?"

"As a matter of fact, we spend most of our time together. She's around here somewhere picking out a present for me - which is what I'm supposed to be doing. We make it an annual event."

"That's cool. Sue and I have a similar arrangement. Well, a bit more formal." Roger looked down at Sue's hand on top of his and caressed it with his thumb. The ring was visible.

"Congratulations! I'd wished I'd known."

"Well, we ran off to a tropical vacation and had it performed by a local padre in a small chapel. Very romantic." Sue flushed at her own thoughts.

"And came back the states and made it legal and all that. But the best news is that, well, um..." Roger looked at Sue, as if she should tell me.

"We're expecting." Her free hand went to her belly, which was just starting to show.

"I'm just so happy for both of you. Helen will be envious, more or less."

"More or less." Roger and Sue said together, and laughed with me at my mannerism.

"Hi guys!" Helen appeared from the stacks, and came over to kiss the top of my head with her arm around my shoulders. I pulled out another chair and she sat.

We spent the rest of the afternoon talking and catching up. Which is a great use for a bookstore.

- - - -

The library was now empty. It's lighting was subdued, as usual, with the spots shining on the shelves to select books, but the table well enough lit to read at.

None of my guests were here at this time. I really didn't have any questions at this point, so that made sense.

Really, I just wanted to see the place again, I guess.

At that thought, one of the doors on the far end opened and someone walked in. It was a calm and assured walk with a long stride, but no hurry to get anywhere. He stood finally at the far end of the table, his face in shadows, his hands on the chair at that end.

"Hello," I said, not really recognizing who it was.

"Hello." the person returned. "Of course you probably wouldn't recognize me. I've changed since we started out together."

Something was familiar about that voice. "You've come to teach me about telepathy."

A low chuckle escaped. "No, you already know all that - and can easily find out anything you want from any of these books, as you already know."

"Then what are you here for? Do you have some capstone lesson to all this?" I asked.

"Well, I wouldn't say it's a final lesson or teaching, more like the next level that we're ready for."

"We?"

At that, the other sat. He leaned forward into the light.

It was my own face.

"I just wanted to let you know how far you've come, and congratulate you on your progress."

"Our next step is still ahead, something you've been wanting to take for some time - something we've been wanting to take."

And then something very strange, yet completely familiar happened. I began to see form both ends of the table at once. These finally melded into one vision, a concept more than some sensation or perceptic.

It was a peace beyond description.

- - - -

Helen and I walked hand-in-hand across the cartoon grass under the smiling sun and puffy, silver-lined clouds.

The soft grass rustled under our bare feet. I was in my usual, comfortable bib overall, and she wore a simple sundress with a bow in her hair that matched her eyes.

You just couldn't get happier than this.

Dog galumphed up the hill, his backend wagging his front at his tail seemed to spin around like a propeller. Cat was jumping after him, far more gracefully, but nearly as excited.

Dog jumped up on my legs and nearly knocked me down. His long tongue and ears hanging down as I petted his head and scratched behind his ears.

Cat rubbed up against Helen's leg, who reached down to pick her up in one arm while petting her with the other. The purring was audible to everyone.

We all sat, happy contented. Dog and Cat sprawled in the grass. Helen giggled as she looked at them and then at me, and we both laid back together.

The clouds were forming various shapes as part of the interminable guessing game they played for us.

"Does it get any better than this?" I said aloud.

"Depends." answered Cat.

"Yup, depends." said Dog.

"Depends?" asked Helen.

"Just depends." said Cat.

"Depends on what?" I asked.

"On you." said Dog. "How's your imagination these days?"

"Oh, pretty good. Keeps me busy." I answered.

"Well if you want to imagine something better, then you can have it. If you're happy with what you got, then it just continues. Simple," Cat explained.

"So we can do anything we want here, experience anything we seek?" Helen asked.

"Just like every other dream. Here, you just do it as a cartoon." Dog answered.

Helen propped herself on an elbow and pulled a wheat straw out to run it down my arms and tickle my face.

I brushed it aside as much as I could, starting to smile even more broadly as I looked into her gorgeous eyes.

Dog and Cat looked at each other and then quietly moved off down the hill, leaving us alone.

"You know, I could imagine something we could do here that would make it even nicer..." Helen moved closer to me and took the bow out of her hair, letting is cascade down the sides of her face and tickle my own.

I moved my arm around her waist and caressed her back. "And I'm can imagine that we could even be happier than this."

We flowed into each others arms with kisses.

And the sun closed his eyes, still smiling, and pulled a cloud across its face to let us have some privacy.

Helen giggled and sighed.

My smile never quit the whole time.