“You were saying that the kind of man Robert wasis hard to find,” she said.Yes…it is.”I thought you were that kind of man?”Well…I am that man in the making.”Why do you think things are like that?”Society…you are right. Society has made the modern man promiscuous.”What? I thought you didn’t get my point.”I see your point now…it’s a very important point.”She smiled and allowed me to do the same. “A point that you are now using as anexcuse,” she said.I smiled, “what excuse?”That it’s all society’s fault.”No…oh…no,” I smiled again. “It’s not all society’s fault. We can also blamewomen.”What! Blame women for what?”For making it easier for men to be dogs.”Are you freaking me?”I wish I could but you won’t let me.”

“I don’t mean to insinuate that you are unfeeling or stifled of life…excuse me onthat one. I just meant to ask you how you breathe when you are down here reading orwriting.”He smiled. “I have five years more experience in breathing on this earth than you. Iknow when it is I can breathe and when it is I can’t and I know just what to do whensuch a thing as suffocation occurs.”I can’t believe it, there is actually a qualitative property to every breathtaken…That must be wonderful. You must also know your cells are degenerating fiveyears faster than mine.”He smiled again, the same relaxed annoying way. “I get that you find it amusing toliken me to my cadavers. It’s not the first time you’ve done it, but truly we are not inlieu to play smart.”I was wondering if you could call the cadaver of a smart man, a smart cadaver. I’vealways wondered.”

“The winged human glanced towards Retina briefly. “It’s okay Dr. Blade. Scientists should never be blown away from the nature of facts.” Roma smiled. “And by scientists, are you one?” “That is dependent on your opinion Dr. Hill. I’m well versed by Dr. Sangha.” Roma moved towards him, narrowing his eyes. “It is my opinion that no respectable scientist will allow himself to be a subject of ridicule by turning in his human DNA to become a freak, a beast or whatever the hell it is you think you are.” The winged human was unaffected. “I’m sure Dr. Hill that freak or beast doesn’t apply.” Roma drew his head back slightly, studying the demeanor of the winged human. “What’s your name?” “I’m Seganus,” he replied humbly. Roma moved a little closer to him wearing a deep frown. “You don’t think the word freak or beast applies?” “No. I don’t think so.” “Is that the carnivorous beaks of the Titanis Walleri I see on you?” “No.” “Can you hold the 360 Degrees field of view of the Woodcock.” “No.” “The long bills of the Australian Pelican?”“No.” “Do you lay the large eggs of the Ostrich?”“Dr. Hill,” Retina cautioned. Lorenzo seemed amused by the situation. He was smiling.“No,” Seganus replied. Roma continued. “Then you’ll say you don’t have those qualities birds posses?”“No.” “You’ll say you’re human?” Seganus blinked before he spoke. “Yes.” Roma moved closer to him. “Then why the freaks are you wearing wings?”

“He felt a psychosomatic rush of emptiness before he spoke. “Since we are getting to the real point, I am not stupid John. And it would be foolish to think me ignorant. Isn’t this about the Science Nation interview? Isn’t this because I mistakenly used the word “soul?” Isn’t this about you and the others thinking somewhere along the lines, I had gained an imaginary soul? We all know when you gain a soul, you lose a mind. Don’t we john?” John hesitated briefly staring at Roma. “I believe so yes. Souls are luxuries for speculative minds. Real scientists can’t afford such luxuries. They have the world to save.”Roma narrowed his eyes. “Or destroy.”

“Eliza—” I said, “so many of the books I’ve read to you said love was the most important thing of all. Maybe I should tell you that I love you now.” “Go ahead,” she said. “I love you, Eliza,” I said. She thought about it. “No,” she said at last, “I don’t like it.” “Why not?” I said. ”It’s as though you were pointing a gun at my head,” she said. “It’s just a way of getting somebody to say something they probably don’t mean. What else can I say, or anybody say, but, ‘I love you, too’?”

“I ask of nature that it gives me life, unfiltered, show me what I am and every variation of me. That I may separate from it all, so I can know who I am.”

“I love you, Eliza,” I said.She thought about it. “No,” she said at last, “I don’t like it.”“Why not?” I said.“It’s as though you were pointing a gun at my head,” she said. “It’s just a way of getting somebody to say something they probably don’t mean. What else can I say, or anybody say, but, ‘I love you, too’?”