"So", said Vivian when driving out of the parking lot, "first you're going to meet my partner and hear something about the firm you might soon be working for, then we'll have some little tests. Alright?"

He nodded.

"You really don't speak?"

He shook his head.

"Fine. However you want. Anyway, you're in for a job where you needn't say anything. Efficient men are usually better than gloaters."

He tried to shoot her a bewildered glance to get an explanation for her last remark, but she ignored it.

After some time of silent driving, she addressed him again: "Do you have problems with seeing blood?"

He communicated to her that this was not the case.

"Problems with brutality?"

He shrugged. What kind of brutality? In films, he didn't mind. Against others... That depended. Against himself? Then he would fight back.

To his relief, she re-formulated the question. "Does it trouble you to be brutal with people?"

Well, that depended, too. But somehow he assumed she wanted a yes, and so she got one.

"Your normal nature?"

This time he was completely honest and shook his head.

"But you can."

Yes, he could.

"Are you a diligent worker?"

At least he supposed so and gave her another nod.

"Always done your homework?"

He had, and not too bad.

"Said your prayers?" But this time she winked at him through the mirror.

He grinned at her reflection and shook his head.

"Good boy."

For some time they drove in silence. Ahead were the lights of the city, all around them the bright lights of the cars. When he shut his eyes, he could still sense the light through his eyelids.

Vivian misinterpreted this. "Tired, are you? You can try and get some sleep until we're there."