"They can't get any worse.  The cure rate has been good.  Sometimes they can be left alone after that.  There are subjects who have lived as many as ten years after treatment, and not reverted.  Other times counseling is needed, to find the things that drove them to catatonia in the first place.  A certain percentage, of course, simply drift back into oblivion in weeks or months.  I'm not trying to tell you I've solved all the mysteries of the human mind."

"You've solved enough of them to scare the hell out of me."

"Yes.  I can understand your feelings.  Most of the methods I use would be far too technical for you to understand, but I think I can explain something about the technique.

"First, you understand that I know you better than anyone in the universe.  Better than . . ."

I laughed.  "Better than my mother?  She's not even in the running.  Were you trying to think of another example?  Don't bother.  It's been a long time since I was close to anyone.  I was never very good at it."

"That's true.  It's not that I've made a special study of you-at least, not until lately.  By the nature of my functions, I know everyone in Luna better than anyone else.  I've seen through their eyes, heard through their ears, monitored their pulse and sweat glands and skin temperature and brain waves and the churning of their stomachs and the irising of their eyes under a wide variety of situations and stimuli.  I know what enrages them and what makes them happy.  I can predict with reasonable certainty how they will react in many common situations; more importantly, I know what would be out of character for them.

"As a result, I can use this knowledge as the basis for something that could be considered a fictional character.  Call this character ParaHildy.  I write a scenario wherein ParaHildy is stranded on a desert island.  I write it in great detail, using all the human senses.  I can abbreviate and abridge at will.  An example:  you recall picking up a handful of sand and studying it.  It was a vivid image to you, one you would have remembered.  If I'm wrong about this, I'd like to hear about it."

As you might expect, I said nothing.  I felt a cold chill.  I can't say I liked listening to this.

"I gave you that memory of sand grains.  I constructed the picture with almost infinite visual detail.  I enhanced it with things you weren't even aware of, to make it more lifelike:  the grittiness of the grains, the smell of the salt water, tiny sounds the grains made in your hand.