PROLOGUE

BILL: HAVE YOU READ THIS CYBERPOEM THING?

LIAO: (RAISING AN EYEBROW) SHOULD I?

BILL: WELL, I DIG IT!

GUS: IT MIGHT BE A FUN WAY TO PASS THE TIME. NOT MANY CUSTOMERS ARE COMING HERE.

NADYA: HMM. IF WE START TALKING ABOUT POETRY, IT MIGHT FREAK OUT POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS.

LIAO: WHEN NO CUSTOMERS ARE AROUND, LET'S TALK ABOUT ANYTHING WE WANT. HOWEVER, IF CUSTOMERS ARE WITHIN EARSHOT, WE SHOULD DISCUSS COMPANY PRODUCTS.

BILL: (NODDING) SEEMS FAIR ENOUGH TO ME.

NADYA: YEAH, I'D RATHER TALK ABOUT POETRY THAN MERELY PRETEND TO BE BUSY. LOOK AT THIS TRADE SHOW – IT IS AN AWESOME JOKE?! SO MANY PEOPLE ARE PRETENDING!

LIAO: RELAX. WHAT SEEMS LIKE PRETENCE OR JEST IS MOST OFTEN UNSURE PEOPLE ATTEMPTING TO DO THEIR BEST.