Chapter 3: Interview

"How long have you been at this, Terry?" Pru asked.

"I started Neo-Tantra four or five years ago, Pru. It caught on quickly, and last year I had revenues of fifty million credits or so. I know that, if I want to continue growing, I need better management than I can provide. Management isn't my strong point. I need marketing, too.

"Well, at least you've got my attention, and you've got me here. But I'm not entirely sure this isn't a fool's errand." Pru's skeptical tone contradicted her own growing awareness of Terry's sincerity. He was seriously committed to what he was doing, even though Pru still wasn't sure what that was.

"It's not, I assure you," Terry said. "But I want to ask you about some other things; we can talk about the product later. Were did you get your languages?"

"My family were sort of itinerant teachers. Both of them taught languages — Dad taught French and German, Mom taught Arabic and Chinese."

"Your mother must have a remarkable background."

"Well, not really. She's ethnic Chinese, but she was born and raised in Egypt.

"Anyway, they lived in Europe and the Middle East and China at different times in their careers, and of course, I went with them. They retired in Morocco, and when I came here to Ann Arbor, I studied languages and philosophy. Well, that didn't look like it would support me as I want to live, so I added some marketing stuff: an MBA. That's about it."

Terry nodded. "Well, I'm delighted that you've lived in all those different cultures. It's not enough to have the language; you need to know where it lives, the air it breathes. Do you still travel? Are you OC very often?"

"Oh, yes. I've been OC quite a bit and not just at home. You see, I spent most college summers with the folks, and I get to wherever they are whenever I have spare time. I was in Beijing again just last fall. But now, they're in Morocco — outside the Tangiers-Ceuta Controlled Area. It's a village that's not Controlled, and they prefer that. For that area, so do I; I spent quite a bit of time there as a teenager. It overlooks the Straits of Gibraltar, you know. Great view."

Now Pru took the initiative. "Tell me about this Neo-Tantra. Not the theology; not now. Tell me about the business. That's what I'm interested in."

"Good," Terry said. "But, I do want to give you some background that's relevant, I think.

"Since the eradication of sexually transmitted disease and the universal acceptance of fertility implants, the old ideas of sexuality have changed fundamentally. That's well known and not really an issue, but it provides the basis for what we do. Sex is no longer taboo for most people in most places. And Neo-Tantra isn't a religion."

Pru thought of the couple on the train. "Well," she added, "modern attitudes toward sex also have to do with changes in attitude of the major religions. The Christian churches' shift away from sex as inherently sinful has made a big difference. Even Islam has changed its views on sex and women. As a result, other factors have become more important. Privacy, for example, remains an important factor, and selection is a big issue."

"Right. In many cultures, people don't wear much in the way of clothing in the CAs and don't mind body contact with friends, even in public, but actual intercourse — most forms of intimacy — generally occurs in private. And, while the com gives us all the selection options we need..."

"And more," Pru added.

"And more," Terry acknowledged, then went on, "but, most of us want to make our choices of partner in pretty traditional ways. The customs and the technology for all that are pretty well defined."

Pru picked up the thread. "We don't touch strangers. We touch friends and lovers, even sexually and sometimes even in public. We find privacy shelters when we want to make love away from home. We can't have children unless both partners have their implants neutralized. There's a relationship contract for just about any combination. So, where's your market niche?"