After a few minutes of strolling through the dreamy, moonlit garden, Gwen stops. "We're here," she says.

'Here' is a discreet patch of earth behind a statue, hidden from the main path by a row of high, thick bushes. The earth is damp. There's a faint smell of flowers in the air. Gwen releases your hand and precipitates forward—rather like a little girl, you think—and kneels down on her knees. As you watch her, you feel you have gained a greater understanding of Gheibollahi's tastes, and a queasy feeling roils violently in your stomach. Gwen lifts her nose from the flowers and looks back at you. Seeing your expression, her innocent smile fades. "You... don't like them?" she asks.

You rouse yourself from your somber reflections. "N-No, I was just thinking about something else. Please, show me them."

With her face beaming once more, she gets up from her kneeling position and takes your hand again.

Gwen spends a few minutes showing you the flowers and explaining their characteristics. "This is a margerine rose," she says, plucking one that is a dark purple with yellow spots from the bunch. "It's very rare. The petals are very soft and they smell delicious." You nod; then, for some reason, a nagging feeling tells you to consult your botanical database... Your eyes widen. "You—You little minx!" you exclaim, and playfully lunge at her.

Gwen giggles furiously as she evades your half-hearted attack. "No, no! What are you doing?"

"You're not a minx," you reconsider, eying her red mane, "You're a vixen! A malapertly mendacious vixen!"

Innocently, she shakes her head. "I'm a vivaciously veracious mink." Gwen wags her finger. "Now, do calm yourself, dear Xanthippe, and have a look at my lovely darlings." Her eyes shining, Gwen stoops down and inclines the purple ‘margerine rose’ to her nose. Then, she turns to you with a smile. "Smell it." You do so. The flower's scent is indeed delicious, and you tell her so. Her eyes twinkle with delight.

"So, what is it really called?" you ask.

"Oh! Why, anything we want, silly!" Gwen laughs, and regards the flower once more. She traces it from stem to calyx with her finger, then pauses, and slowly turns her head in your direction. Her eyes flick up to yours for a moment, then wander back to the flower. "Do you think it's possible for someone to love an ugly flower just the same as they love a beautiful one?" she asks quietly.

"I... I suppose," you say slowly, baffled by the line of questioning. "They will if it's dear to them."

Gwen smiles wistfully. "Do you think there's something beautiful about an ugly flower?"

You tilt your head to the side and consider the question. Was there something beautiful about an ugly flower? "Of course," you tell her. "An ugly flower is still a flower."

A strange look passes over Gwen's face, and she looks off into the distance as the sound of the fountain's gurgling fills the air. "Do you—Do you think there's something beautiful about a flower that isn't a flower?" she asks in a frailer voice.

You study her as the wind plays with her long, wavy red hair, and the moon's light falls across her expressionless face. She seems so achingly sad, and because of that you feel compelled to tell her the truth. "There's a lot of things in this world that aren't flowers, but are still beautiful," you tell her, and you see an emotion resembling gratitude gradually kindle in her eyes. She grabs your hand, squeezing it tightly. "Thank you," she says, "Thank you for being my friend." Gwen smiles warmly, and you realize that that is indeed what she is.

Not long after, as the moon vanishes, a dark cloud passing over it, Gwen sighs. "Well, I suppose that's all the time we have," she says. "Come on, I'll take you back before your husband can worry that you’ve been kidnapped."

Walking out of the garden, you find a servant waiting for his mistress at the garden's entrance. Gwen waves to him cheerily, and the servant nods in acknowledgment, opening the door for you both as you enter. As you walk down the corridor, you ask Gwen if she intends on returning to dinner.

"Oh, no," she says. "I intend on avoiding it as studiously as possible. Besides, Master Gheibollahi's having a grand old time with his male friends—particularly your husband. He won't care."

As you arrive at a lavish sitting room, Gwen plops herself down on a sofa, patting the spot next to her. "Let's wait here while the men finish talking."

You take a seat beside her. "They'll know where we are?" you ask. Gwen snorts. "Even if only in name, I'm still the mistress of the household. A servant will come tell us when they're done."

The two of you sit in silence for a while, both of you staring into the distance, neither of you knowing what to say next.

Finally, without taking her eyes off the room's decor, Gwen quietly asks you, "What you said, about making things right... do you really believe that?"

"Yes."

Gwen doesn't answer, but her gaze intensifies. It's enough to let you know that she wants to talk about it, so you keep quiet and wait.

"What do I need to do?" she asks at last.There's a tremor in her voice, but the question is clear.

"You have to kill Mr. Gheibollahi," you say simply.

Gwen turns and stares at you incredulously. "... What?" she asks. "What are you—"

"—You need to kill the man he is, and help him find the man he should be," you continue.

Gwen visibly relaxes. "For... For a moment there, I thought you were being serious..." She composes herself, then laughs a little. "Actually killing my husband would be..."

"... the easiest thing in the world," you finish. "We're androids. We're stronger and faster than any mortal man. In comparison, helping your husband become more human... I won't say it's impossible, but it's certainly not something we're used to."

Gwen exhales, shakes her head. "This is a lot to take in. Are you sure about this? Are you sure this is the right thing?"

You nod. "I am."

"But I don't know what this means for our marriage—"

"—It doesn't matter. This is something you have to do," you say impetuously.

She looks at you with a mixture of respect and fear. "I'll... I'll try."

"You will succeed."

She composes herself again. "So what's the plan?"

"I..." You pause. "I'll ask my husband to help you. I'm sure he'll agree to it. He'll help you give meaning to your husband's life."

Gwen fiddles with the folds of her dress, avoiding eye contact. "And... Mr. Brennan... He can make me a person?"

You hesitate. You know Mr. Brennan doesn't believe you or any of your kind can become persons. And yet... and yet... ever since living with him, you've felt yourself changing...

"He'll try. It's not something he believes is possible, but it is something you should strive after."

The red-headed android struggles with this concept. "I... I see. But if he doesn't believe it's possible, then what's the point?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. It's something to live for. Don't you want to be a person?"

Gwen looks down at her hands, as if contemplating her own existence. Then, she nods slowly. "Yes... I want to be a person." As she draws a deep breath, a weak smile forms on her face. "I guess I'll have to try very hard."

"It's..." You pause. "It's not a question of trying hard. It's a question of finding meaning in your life. You'll find it in helping your husband achieve his purpose. And in doing so, I'm sure you'll find the meaning that you're looking for."

A long silence follows your words. Gwen looks at you, looks deep into your eyes. "Thank you... for everything," she says suddenly, and hugs you.

The two of you sit in silence for a while. "So..." Gwen says at length. "What now?"

You think for a moment, then smile. Mr. Brennan won’t complain if you give her a head start, right?

“Your first lesson is…”