«I cheated», Margaret looked annoyed. «Remember, seven years ago there was an experiment with awards of extreme athletes? I just got into this thing. Always been interested in parachute sports, and eventually acquired the white-gold level. I never even thought about the result – I simply like flying. Jump off the rock into the abyss and lose yourself for a few moments. If I knew that with this bracelet, people would be asking me every day: „Oh, so you are a scientist!“ then I wouldn’t jump at all! I would be happy to have a level like yours».

«Understa-a-a-and», Mansour stretched this word pondering. «No, you’re all right! Your white-gold bracelet is well deserved. I’ve never dared to parachute or dive in my life, but I’m great at quests and creative thinking».

Margaret stopped and looked up.

«Here it feels surprisingly harmoniously somehow», she said.

«Right», Mansour nodded. «These ponds are a historical monument, and above them, there is a piece of real sky that is kept. Being in this alley feels magic, I always liked it. Here in this building», Mansour pointed to the wall of the building to the left of them. «I think, on the one hundred seventh level – the exact holographic reconstruction of the ponds, the way they were in the twentieth century. It has nothing to do with what they are right now. But you know I like a real pond for some reason».

They stood for a minute trying to see a narrow strip of sky between the walls of two huge buildings going hundreds of floors up.

«I want to see the ponds», Margaret said.

«Let’s go», Mansour carefully took her hand and led her further down the side street. «You know, I have a somewhat unusual hobby. Perhaps, if I show my work to the Central Artificial Intelligence bureau I might get the white-and-gold bracelet, too. Maybe. I don’t know; because I don’t want to show it to anyone. But feel like I want to tell you about it».

«This is your secret, and you want to entrust it for me?» Margaret was surprised. «Please don’t do it! Although… wait… Go ahead! Tell me! I might then just have the reason today not to inject myself with a lethal dose of poison».

«Poison?» Mansour even jumped from surprise. «Why would you want to poison yourself? We live in a perfect world, and you have a white and gold level! That’s like the ultimate. Most people can only dream about it. I can’t even imagine what else one can dream about?»

«That is it, exactly – nothing to dream about!» Margaret stopped and looked closely into his eyes. Her eyes were thunderous. «You can’t even imagine how disgusting it is when there is nothing more to strive for, every day looks like yesterday, and tomorrow will be the same as today! I can no longer parachute after I had a fracture, and I have this white-gold level for life as injury compensation! So, I drive around different cities and streets like this one. Went all over the world. This city was the last one on my list. Everywhere – everything is the same. Here, at least, you and your secret. So what is it?»

«I wrote a book», Mansour shrugged.

«A book? Is that it?» Margaret resented. «…with the help of programs-editors any fool can do that».

«No, I wrote it without programs», Mansour hastily explained. «And in general, without gadgets».

«How’s that?» Margaret asked doubtable inquisitiveness.

«We’ve already come to the pond», Mansour said. «Let’s sit down. There are benches, and you can even see the sky from here. By the way, at this very crossing once there used to be a cafe named after you – «Margaret».