Conditional Reality

The French-English dictionary talked to Buttercup Tablemanners. She knew no French, so the conversation quickly went nowhere. Instead, Buttercup sat on her couch and let the words wash over her. One minute Buttercup was sipping espresso at a sidewalk café in Paris. The next she was tasting a glass of wine in the south of France. The dictionary spoke for a long time then stopped. Buttercup opened her eyes. What happened? she said. I’m not here for your dreams, said the dictionary, I’m looking for meaning in life. Buttercup’s face suddenly felt warm. There’s no such thing, she said.