robopriest | RUFUS CATCH-ALL

...

[He shakes his head.]

Of course not.

Then what was the rest?

[His smile is...thin.]

Its complicated, but... [He shakes his head, his tone distant.] My son is dead, Rufus.

. . . How so?

It's a long story.

[He's silent, before he gestures at a nearby bench.]

I'll tell it to you. Want to sit for a while, Rufus?

[If he's going to hear the story, they may as well sit down. He goes to the indicated bench.]

[He sits down, too, folding his hands in his lap.]

...Randomly. Rufus, do you have children?

[Seated together, Rufus looks straight ahead at the town.]

No.

Hm. Would you ever want to have some?

I haven't thought about it.