Winter 2007 9

"He's in denial," Weft said firmly.

Helmine looked suitably amused for a moment. "And so... why do you care that I should ruin my life by getting involved? It would be interesting, to see if he crashes and burns... or makes it."

"I'd give the same advice to anything with a soul," said Weft, electing to evade the main question. And I'd follow it myself if I could. Wouldn't I? Well, only like she says, to watch him crash and burn.

"I have been told I have no such thing," Helmine snorted. "How about then?"

"Really? Who tested you?" Weft asked, tilting his head.

"Are you maybe forgetting something?" Helmine asked, raising both eyebrows dryly and -- apparently -- boredly.

That expression was familiar too.

"Forgetting what?"

"I asked you something first."

"Asked me... oh. Well, if you didn't have a soul, you'd be the same as him," Weft said. "I can't believe it, though."

"Try me. I'm a sergeant." Pause. Maybe the old joke didn't really work outside... yes, probably not. "All right. Was."

"Are you saying it's possible to suspend your destiny while you're employed and then turn it back on afterwards?" said Weft. "That sounds anarchic."

"Souls, I am told, are impossible to get back once lost," Helmine said a little stand-offishly. How dense could this man be?

"No, you can't lose them. It's not like, like tax evasion." The holy man frowned. "Although, I wouldn't have believed it was possible to be born without one before meeting my current assignment, so who knows."

"Mh, If people couldn't be born without a soul, and couldn't lose their soul later, where'd people without a soul come from?"

"I said, I wouldn't have thought it possible, until meeting one. Anyway... enough talk of work."

Ignoring the attempt at changing the topic, Nico asked, "But if you had never heard of people without a soul, how would you know to find out if someone has a soul or not?"

"You mean you can't see them?" Weft asked acidly.

"No," che answered cheerfully. "You can?"

"Of course not," said Weft. Obstinate? Oh, he'd barely begun to be.

"All right, so how can you tell?"