Chapter 2

“Thanks.” Voice in my head.

“For what?” My voice.

“Pest Control.” Head ... but ears too.

Since the voice seemed friendly I asked.

“Where am I?”

“Here.”

“I noticed ... it’s not where I was.”

“Where was you?”

“Chicago.”

“What is that?”

UhOh.

“Chicago is a city.”

“A what?”

“City.”

“What?”

“A city is a collection of people working toward a common goal and living in harmony with each other.”

“What goal?”

“To grow barley.”

“To what end?”

“To brew beer.”

“I see ... the transition from hunter-gather to farmers.”

“Yes ... wait...”. A general muse and pause as I mulled over a ‘lightbulb moment.’ A snap of fingers. “I have it ... you read my mind.”

“The pictures in your mind.”

“The words?”

“Scenes of ideas and ideals ... words are arbitrary.”

“I see.”

“You don’t but it was polite of you to say.” The voice paused. There was a shimmer and my ideal woman appeared. She examined herself ... minutely. I did too. Satisfied, she seemed to gaze into my mind.

She spoke, “I see I got me right.” Her gaze followed me from head to toe and halfway back up.

I blushed, “You could put on some clothes.”

“What ... I got it wrong?”

“No ... you got it embarrassingly right.”

An uplifting laced bustier, stopping short of her navel a garter belt and stockings with 4 inch heels ... no hair from the neck down ... perfect ... damnit.

“I don’t see why you want this ... it’s very uncomfortable ... and I don’t need it.”

She shimmied and the garment was gone.

She didn’t need it.