Cyprus and Oversoul Seven were now two flakes of snow on the windowsill. Embarrassed, Seven said, “Josef’s very excitable.” Just then, Josef threw the cover off the easel, displaying not a half-completed painting at all, but the empty canvas beneath.

“And quite deceitful,” Cyprus said.

“No, no, I’m sure he doesn’t mean to be,” Seven answered uneasily, because obviously it wasn’t going to be one of Josef’s better days.

Josef stared at the canvas hatefully. “Blank. All blank,” he muttered. “Bah!” Completely disgusted, he planked down on the bed. Hosentauf wouldn’t be back, he knew, but his wife would, with her eldest son. They’d boot him out. There’d be no more hedging or excuses. He’d be back on the plains on his skis, with his supplies on his back, cold and hungry, until he could find another farmer willing to give him bed and board for a painting. And worst, he just couldn’t make himself paint anything at all.

This time his torment was quite real. He threw the sticky varnish-covered brush across the room and wondered what to do.

“Your dream,” Oversoul Seven said. “Cyprus, can’t I remind him? The painting I gave him in the dream! He’s forgotten all about it.”

“No, you cannot,” she said. “No prompting in this part of the examination. You know that. Twenty-five demerits in case you have any ideas.”

“Examination or not, I mean, he is in trouble,” Seven said.

“Oh, somebody help me,” Josef moaned.

“How many demerits?” Seven asked.

“Twenty-five, and you have several already,” she reminded him.

“And you still won’t tell me what happens if I fail? Or pass?”

She said gently, “That’s part of the examination, too. You have to find that out.”

“Oh, dear God, I’ll never lie or cheat again if you’ll just help me now,” Josef prayed.

“Your dream!” Seven transmitted the words directly into Josef’s mind. “The painting in the dream!”

The instant transformation in Josef was extraordinary. Suddenly he shouted, leapt up from the bed, threw his arms around himself, and danced about the room.

Oversoul Seven almost burst with excitement himself.

Cyprus made a determined effort not to show any expression at all, and to guard her thoughts.

“Get to it,” Seven signaled Josef.