"David," Jan said, "that's an interesting premise. There's almost certainly some truth to it, at least as far as Ray is concerned." She smiled, throwing her arms wide. "Sorry to disappoint you, if you thought I was going to start brandishing verbal cudgels in defense of the mystery story."
"You think he's right?" Roger demanded as two students marched through in a very short (but solemn) procession, one of them carrying a glass coffee pot in front of her reverently.
"Not at all," she replied, "but I think there's little point in arguing about things which can never be proven. I am not, after all, a writer of fiction. I'm a reporter, and what really entrances me is facts, not fictions. Science fiction may expand your mind in some ways, and mystery stories may teach you that human intelligence can solve even apparently impossible conundrums, but what counts is what you do with that information."
"I'll go help make the coffee," Roger said.
As he got up and walked toward the kitchen, David said, "That's pretty general."
"Fair enough," she said, leaning forward. "Here's something a bit more specific. I imagine there are millions of science fiction enthusiasts in the world. Would you say that's accurate?"
He nodded. "Absolutely."
"And, of all those millions, only one has done what Ray Stone did. So, science fiction was, I agree, a factor, but there were apparently other factors as well."
"Miss Sleet," Ms Tumolo put in, "what would you say those other factors might have been?"
"That is a very interesting question," Jan replied. She looked around at the students. "I'd like to find out how all of you would answer it."
Ms. Tumolo's expression indicated that she was surprised my employer was finally doing something which could be educational.
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