Two months later...

Ross looked idly out the window at the rolling hills, dotted with trees and the occasional deer. He still wasn't used to being a passenger on these long road trip, but that was just one advantage of a girlfriend who never got tired. As they bumped along the small rural road in his cheap sedan, he turned back to Madison.

"How far till we reach your mom's place?"

"Oh, we've been on the property for about half an hour," she told him matter-of-factly. "We're about to get to the house."

"What?" Ross sat up, startled. "You mean she owns all of this property? Holy shit, is your family, like... wealthy?"

"Do you have any idea how much it cost to make me?" she asked. "There's a reason replacement golems tend to be high-ranking officials and CEOs, not teenage girls. And if you think this is impressive, wait till you see the house".

As if on cue, an impressive edifice appeared as they crested a tall hill. It was more like a castle than a house, a massive stone edifice with tall, ornate windows and several large spires. The landscape around it was immaculate, including a hedge maze, a baroque garden, and a massive swimming pool flanked by cherry blossoms.

"Holy shit!" Ross repeated. "Madison, why didn't you tell me you were this rich?"

Madison shrugged. "It didn't come up. I don't like to talk about it. I- er, the real Madison had trouble making friends in high school because of it. I wanted to keep it under wraps at college."

"What does your mom do?" he asked incredulously.

"Well, she and my dad founded Netsah," Madison said nonchalantly. Netsah, Inc. was the leading producer of commercial golems and one of the largest and most profitable corporations on the planet. "He was the golem nerd and she handled the business side of things."

"How the fuck did I not know this?" Ross asked incredulously. "What's next? Bill Gates is your uncle and Warren Buffett is your stepdad?"

Madison winced slightly. "Dude, it's not that big of a deal. Don't be weird."

"Don't be weird? Jesus Christ, Madison, your mom's company has more money than some countries!"

They pulled into the driveway, a large paved circle surrounding a fountain topped by a huge, beautiful tree. Ross had never seen anything like it; the branches wove in and out of each other to create a complex thicket that spread out in all directions from the trunk. It made him think of those fractal posters that stoners put up.

A well-dressed valet appeared at his window. He opened the door nervously and handed the keys to the man. Another man in an identical uniform was opening the door for Madison.

"Good afternoon, Miss Madison," he said in a smooth baritone. "It's good to see you again."

"Thank you," she replied. Ross moved to open the trunk but the valet politely put an arm on his shoulder.

"That won't be necessary, sir. We'll bring your bags to your room. Ms. Hill is waiting for you on the veranda."

"Thanks," Ross mumbled awkwardly. He stuck a hand in his pocket, then blushed. He didn't have any cash to tip the valet, so he asked Madison if she did.

"Are you kidding?" she asked. "They wouldn't know what to do with it. They're golems!"

Ross stared at the men, one of whom was driving the car away while the other disappeared around the side of the house. The whole scene felt slightly dreamlike.

"You'll do fine," Madison said. "My mom's gonna love you. Just be yourself."

With that, she took his arm and led him into the house.