A few interviews, to start.

Lisa sat at the small cafe table, opened her backpack, and pulled out a small portable recorder. As she fiddled with the wires to set everything up, she noticed a shadow fall across the table and looked up.

"Hi," a woman said politely. She was tall, with a plain face, an athletic build, and medium-length auburn hair. "Lisa?"

"That's right. Do you mind if I record this conversation?"

"Of course not." The woman pulled out the chair and sat down. "My name is Patty. That's a cool setup. Is that for your podcast?"

"Among other things," Lisa said.

"I loved your episode on that little town outside of Boulder," Patty said with a sincere smile. "It made me really want to move there."

Lisa looked up from the equipment suddenly. "And leave Jonny?"

Patty shrugged. "I mean, he doesn't really need me. I'm one of three dental hygienists in town, and since everyone gets free preventative care the demand for dental work has dropped precipitously."

"But how would _you _feel?" Lisa asked pointedly. "Wouldn't you miss him?"

"I'd miss my home," Patty said. "I don't really know Jonny that well. Of course I'll do anything to make sure his needs are met, but he's made it clear that he wants us to live our best lives as much as we still can. If he needs me, I'll be there in a heartbeat, but he doesn't really need me."

The waiter arrived to take their orders. Lisa asked for a coffee and a croissant, and Patty just got a cup of tea. Lisa gestured towards him, opening a new line of questioning. "Do you know that guy?"

"No," Patty said. She seemed slightly surprised by this question. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you're all doing this together, right? What if you and he don't get along or have a personality conflict or something? Do you just automatically get along with everyone in town?"

The waiter reappeared with their drinks and Patty asked him to sit and join them. He immediately complied with a friendly smile, asking what they needed.

"I'm recording this conversation," Lisa said immediately.

"For the podcast," he nodded. "Of course. My name is Thomas. Can I help answer your questions?"

Lisa sized him up. He was thin and handsome, with a mop of curly black hair and a confident, easy-going grin. He leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head, waiting for her to speak.

"Patty here says you've never met," Lisa said. He confirmed that he'd waited on her in the past but never really had a conversation with her. "So, how do you feel about her?"

"She seems nice," he said immediately. "Much nicer than before, anyway."

Lisa was taken aback, but Patty just laughed. "It's true," she admitted. "I was kind of a bitch until I was converted."

Lisa was shocked. "You mean... you're saying Jonny changed you? Made you nicer?"

Patty shook her head. "Not at all. I remember the day he converted me like it was yesterday. He came into our office for a root canal. I noticed him speaking in hushed tones to the receptionist and the doctor and assumed something untoward was going on. When we crossed paths in the hallway, he touched me here."

She tapped her forearm and sighed wistfully. "Suddenly everything changed. All he said was 'keep doing what you're doing and keep my secret'."

"So what did you do?" Lisa asked.

"Helped with the root canal and sent him on his way. Later that week, Dr. Cassell had a staff meeting and invited Jonny. He converted the employees who weren't around the first time he came in, and then he told us what he wanted."

"You mean he gave you your orders."

Now Thomas laughed. "You're a tough one, huh?"

"She sure is," Patty said. "It's refreshing. Describing and defending our town really makes me proud of what we've built here. All Jonny told us was to treat others well."

"That's it?" Lisa asked. "That's all he told you to do?"

They both seemed bemused at her incredulity. "Of course," Patty said. "He's not a monster. I'd been bitchy and mean for years, and suddenly my mood just... lifted. I'm still me, I still enjoy life, but I'm **** and less cruel now."

Thomas nodded. "I had debilitating clinical anxiety, but Jonny fixed that immediately."

"He just told you not to be anxious and you stopped?" Lisa leaned forward, her untouched croissant forgotten on her plate. She was fully engaged now.

"You still don't understand," Thomas told her. "That's ok. It's hard to wrap your mind around. No, Jonny's never given me a direct order other than to keep his secret. We don't just follow his orders; we understand what he wants and attempt to give it to him without being told."

"What does that mean?" Lisa asked. "He wanted you to stop being anxious?"

Patty patted her gently on the arm. "Oh, Lisa. Some of us know Jonny quite well and others have barely spoken to him, but there's one thing we all understand: Jonny is a compassionate, empathetic person. More than anything, he hates to see other people suffer."

Lisa blinked, rolling the logic around in her mind. "So if you're all dedicated to making him happy, and suffering makes him unhappy..."

Patty spread her arms wide and grinned. "Welcome to paradise."