The listeners reacted with complete silence. There was no emotion on their faces. It could have seemed that the audience had an emotional-volitional disorder, which professionals call "alexithymia. Their reactions completely fit this definition, which means "no words for feelings" in Greek. The eyes of the invitees caught a fulcrum in the void. The meaning of what was said, like a matryoshka doll, unfolded into a logical chain and lay in layers, like cream on dry cake crusts, between the layers of worldview that had been formed over centuries into a vital concept of human understanding.

He brought Ruthra's group out of this state by offering to let Rangit voice his expertise in some area related to the topic of their gathering.

– So any browser intelligence can do that now," remarked a guy in a tight T-shirt, the leader of a Silicon Valley startup.

A thin strand of hair tied in a braid hung down from his chin to the unicorn horn embossed on his T-shirt. Apparently, he wanted to show the status of his enterprise, because unicorn companies are private firms valued at one billion dollars or more.

– If you want a dry report from "Wikipedia", you're welcome – you can do it without browser, any text voiceover. But you need dialog, emotional component, polemics, right?

– I beg your pardon, – the lady in large glasses with thick darkened glasses, resembling an abstruse scientific worm, – don't talk in clichés about women's logic, – she corrected her glasses, – I am not a skeptic and I didn't want to be misunderstood, – the lady sighed, – and especially do not take my doubts for distrust, – she looked around at those sitting next to her, – although it can be taken for rudeness, – the lady said quietly, again looking around at her neighbors, as if consulting them, – I beg your pardon, but I will express my… opinion," she paused for a second, "I wanted to say it differently… well, let it sound like this.

The hall was silent. Ruthra, too, was waiting for specifics. Apparently realizing this, she added, smiling:

– Yes, opinion itself, sorry," her excitement was evident, "as far as artificial intelligence emotions are concerned, are we not mistaking wishful thinking for reality?

– I see your point," Rutra replied, the hall relieved of its tension, "let's ask about the taste of oysters to the one who ate them.

Smiles appeared in the audience.

– That's what I'm saying, let's listen to it and afterwards give an opinion on our perception.

– Well, if that's the case, let him choose a topic where emotions should be," she paused again, "because there may be topics with a scientific bias, where emotions are not necessary.

– I see your point," Ruthra replied, "but please consider, he may be comical, of course, but still the emotion will be expressed more as an accent than as a necessary component of a role in the theater.

– We accept," the same guy with a unicorn on his shirt signed off as if for everyone.

– Then…" Ruthra paused, and after a moment's thought, he suggested: – Let's let you pick a topic," he said, glancing at the skeptical lady.

– Me? I suppose so. Since the subject has to do with theology, let her satisfy my curiosity. I was wondering why we were wearing…" she hesitated, looking around as far as she could, "I apologize for my 'we,' but I think I'll be understood correctly.

– Science uninhibited," retorted a smiling middle-aged man dressed in a dishdasha5 .

A note of silence once again hung in the hall.

– So we are waiting for a topic or a question," Rutra said smiling.