"Really," she says, sounding thoughtful and surprised. "Lucky." She had been considering that particular issue- best not to press him, though, lest it become too clear that she'd rather a few people from back home not follow her here.

"Working with people's nice," she purrs idly, shifting in her seat. "Always something new. They add an unpredictable element- I'd get bored flicking through papers all day, no matter how interested I was in their contents. And job satisfaction is too mild a term, of course; you don't get Christmas cards from a PhD."

Yes, she has been known to get Christmas cards from some of her repeat clients, the ones who are useful enough or fun enough to at least be made to feel as if they've accessed a closer, more personal social circle.