"She's just the right size," Re-l said, rolling her eyes at the name. Not that it mattered, since the kitten had no access to language, and couldn't possibly care what she was called.

Re-l's ribs were aching again. The pain came and went in waves, and there was nothing to do when it was there but breathe through it. In a way, though, Re-l was grateful for the sensation. Sometimes this world, with its beautiful parks and lack of people, seemed like a very strange dream. The pain made it real.

"Tell me something true," she said. "Did you ever meet any of the philosophers or poets? What were they like?"