Taro took a sip of the magic tea Ryoko poured into his mug. He wasn't surprised to find that the tea's temperature was perfect and it tasted great. He kept his eyes on the silver teapot as Ryoko set it down on the table. There was no way in the world that anything this girl just told him could really be true - except that it was. So Taro accepted it. He was glad to be sipping the tasty liquid; just as he was glad to be sitting across from the girl that served it to him.

There was still one thing that still bothered him, though. And it bothered him a lot. "I don't understand what you said before. You said you tried to kill somebody… because you were bored?"

"Yes... I didn't understand."

"Didn't understand what?"

"I didn't understand the concept of death regarding organic life forms… until I nearly died myself." Ryoko sighed. "In that very last instant, as my brain was about to revert back to random particles, I understood. I had watched my body dissolve. My connection to the digital entity was gone. I knew that if I didn't do something - anything - soon, then I would no longer exist. I would be gone. Forever." Ryoko made a fluttering motion with her fingers. "Just so many random particles floating in the ether. In that instant I discovered this incredible will to live! This overwhelming drive to survive! Deep inside of me!" She moved her hands over her heart. "I didn't know it was in here."

"But you did kill… You killed the plumber; a guy who was practically my next door neighbor! What happened there? You have to admit it's quite a coincidence that you were there to save the day."

"I had to move forward - and I found the perfect means. Somehow I needed to get to this communications building... and the data center. The plumber was the first person I contacted to help me. The location of his store was perfect. So I hacked into his Internet browser." Ryoko shook her head. "I should have known then. I noticed that he went to lots of strange, gross, violent web sites. But I truly didn't think his fantasy life bled over into his real life. So I fed him pictures and pop-ups -"

"- of the Sky Tower Cabins!" Taro interjected. "You did that to me! That's what gave me the idea to get away!"

Ryoko shrugged. "Yes. You were next on my list."

Taro shook his head. Ryoko had been totally honest, though. She told him she was using him. Taro decided to get the conversation back on track.

"Okay. So you killed this plumber."

"In a way, I did. But it wasn't really like that."

"You stuck a knife through his heart! ... Didn't you?!"

"Yes, I did. But I didn't see it that way at the time. You see… in my mind I was killing myself… my old self. That man had all the power. And his mind was warped. Because he was going to use his power to kill that innocent girl... just because he could."

"Rena."

"I could tell... she really wanted to live! As much as I wanted to live! This man had no right to her life!"

An uncharacteristically emotional Ryoko Asakura hit the table with the base of her fist. Taro had never seen such anger in her eyes.

Ryoko paused to take a deep breath. "And then... then I saw myself... embodied in this man. And I hated her! I hated that Ryoko!"

"So you acted."

"Yes I did. It was my way of making up for the wrong that I almost did to an innocent guy. And my way of killing off that evil person that was still part of me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I think I do." Taro paused for a few seconds. "But what about Lito?"

"Lito will be fine. I just gave him a serious kick in the butt."

"You could have killed him."

Ryoko nodded. "Yes, I could have killed him. I know exactly how to do that."

Taro fell back into his seat... amazed. He took a sip of his tea. "So does the person who kept you from killing this innocent guy, your superior, the one that tried to delete you. Does he know that you survived?"

"No."

"And if he found out?"

"She would delete me. For good. She's not the type to make the same mistake twice."

"So you have enemies," Taro motioned toward the windows, "out there."

"Yes, I have enemies… out there."

Taro gave Ryoko a warm smile. "Well... you've got a friend in here." He glanced over to the bed in the corner.

"I didn't mean to kick you out of your bed," Ryoko said, knowing exactly what Taro was thinking.

"I don't mind the couch. It's nice having you here, with me, instead of inside that TV set."

"You're sweet." Ryoko got up and walked over to the couch. She bent over and set her hands down on both cushions. For an instant, some light spilled out from underneath them. "You do know that this is a sleeper sofa with a super comfortable mattress, don't you?"

Taro shook his head. "No, it's not. It's just a regular old couch." Then he walked over and lifted up the cushion, revealing the sleeper sofa mechanism beneath which now held a clean white mattress folded in thirds. "Wow. I didn't know that was in there."

"What would you like me to wear?" Ryoko asked.

"Huh?"

"I want to earn my keep." She glanced over toward the studio. "What would you like me to wear today?"

Taro chuckled. "Flannel socks?"

Ryoko giggled. "You just won't let that image go, will you? Okay then, close your eyes." Taro looked up like he'd just stepped on an electrified rail. "Do it!" the girl insisted.

Taro closed his eyes. When he opened them Ryoko was standing before him dressed as a police officer, though it was the sexiest police uniform he'd ever seen.

He looked down at her tiny shorts. "I don't see too many cops with legs like that," he lifted his gaze, "and that sexy neckline. You look hot!"

Ryoko winked. "What the heck? You got me as a prisoner. How about a painting of me as a cop?"

Taro started laughing. "That's excellent!" Then he put his hand up to his chin. The wheels in his brain were spinning now, drawing him toward his easel like a ball bearing to a powerful magnet. "I like it! I like it!" he said as he jogged toward his studio. He was in another world; a world of unlimited possibilities. "This could be a fantastic theme!" he gushed. "Law and Order!"

A very pleased Ryoko Asakura followed the artist at a much slower pace, and took her place on the platform.

"So this is the mystery project you've been working on for the past three months." Uncle Shiitake walked back and forth, his eyes glued to the far wall, studying the three chalk drawings and seventeen full-color paintings that now hung there. "I must say... These are amazing!"

He stopped to analyze a near life-size work depicting a beautiful long-haired girl in a bright red and yellow three-piece suit standing before a jury. The caption below read simply, The Attorney. "Your model is remarkable," he said. "She looks great in whatever she's wearing. And these colors are wonderful! They give your work so much life!" He walked past a few of the other paintings - The Cop, The Judge, The District Attorney, The Highway Patrolman, The Meter Maid. And also The Bank Robber, The Speeder, The Jaywalker, The Gangster. And of course on the far end, his original work, The Prisoner.

"It's a Law and Order theme. What do you think?"

"I think it's very creative." He walked over to a painting of Ryoko sitting with her legs crossed provocatively while displaying some cleavage as she bent forward over a tiny table and typed on a Stenotype machine. The caption read, The Court Stenographer. "Men would flock to a court where this young lady was working."

"Do you think the pictures are too risque?"

Uncle Shiitake chuckled. "No, of course not. You're a young man in your prime. Of course you'd be inspired to create works like these." Then he gave Taro a knowing smile. "But this girl. This lovely girl. It's very obvious that she's much more to you than a model."

Taro started blushing. "Well…"

"Don't be ashamed. Throughout history it's been women that have inspired men to produce their very best work. Andrew Wyeth created more than 240 drawings and paintings of his Helga." His uncle chuckled. "Many of them nudes. And he was a married man!" He walked past the row of paintings again. "Wyeth's Helga wasn't a fraction as beautiful as your model."

"We're not doing anything, um, you know…" Taro protested.

Uncle Shiitake patted Taro on the back. "These are marvelous. I'm going to call my friend Tomo."

Taro froze in shock. "Tomo Hasegawa? The owner of the Hasegawa Art Gallery?!"

"Yes. He's got a large exhibit coming up next week and he owes me a favor. Although when he sees your work, he's going to be thanking me!"