Like many clients of Three Little Boys Corp, Caleb is a recent victim of violence. He is questioned about the unfortunate event in his first interview. He recounts that he was walking to the drugstore near his apartment and was confronted by two young men, one armed with a knife. He briefly resisted, and was knocked to the ground and kicked in the stomach by the youths. He sustained no significant injuries. Caleb admits that this event still fills him with rage, and that he feels violated and helpless. Interviews with potential Three Little Boys Corp clients indicate that at least fifty-eight percent have suffered Preventable Tragedies such as assault, injury, or automobile accidents within the last sixty days.

Caleb is not particularly remarkable as a client. He is not a celebrity, or a powerful governmental figure, like many other clients, but is still treated with the utmost respect. He is about to receive one of the most powerful gifts humankind has ever seen fit to bestow upon some of its members. When Caleb completes his treatments at Three Little Boys Corp, he will never have to be alone again. He will know, beyond the certainty of any religious zealot, that someone is watching over him. The Three Little Boys will be with him day and night -- guiding, calming, helping.

Caleb has already completed a lengthy application that required several essays and letters of reference. He is twenty-eight years old and has been employed as an assistant manager of a high-end antique furniture store for three years. He earns thirty-four thousand dollars a year and has no significant debt other than a monthly car payment. He rents his apartment in a young and desirable neighborhood for seven hundred ten dollars per month. His agent at Three Little Boys Corp works out his monthly payment according to a sliding scale. A percentage of his earnings will automatically be deducted from Caleb's paycheck as long as he uses his Three Little Boys.

This could well be the duration of his lifetime. Despite the expense, few clients return to Three Little Boys Corp and ask to have their Three Little Boys removed. The Three Little Boys, with their ever-present advice delivered in delicate soprano to the client's ears alone, quickly become indispensable in the client's life. Removing them, like removing a part of the body, is costly and unpleasant. For this reason, is it crucial that Three Little Boys Corp evaluate the psychological stability of their clients and insure that they are committed to the process.

Caleb undergoes a lengthy set of psychological tests to verify that he is ready to receive Three Little Boys. He returns several times for additional tests, and submits to a background check to rule out past medical conditions or criminal activity. His agent assures him that all of this is normal procedure. Three Little Boys Corp simply can't be too selective about who is allowed to receive the Three Little Boys. Any possibility of schizoid tendencies must be eliminated. Since the client will hear, and eventually see, their own Three Little Boys delivering guidance throughout each day, they must be absolutely prepared to deal with difficulties of perceiving events that will be invisible to others.

Caleb's agent explains that his perceptions of the Three Little Boys will be largely predictable. There is little variation among clients. For the first month after his treatments, he become aware of a presence, a feeling that someone is accompanying him everywhere he goes. Shortly afterwards, he will begin to hear bits of his Three Little Boys singing in their thin soprano harmony. Many clients reported hearing their Three Little Boys first in dreams. Within four to six weeks, the Three Little Boys will begin to sing audible instructions. These might assist the client to perform simple actions, for example, the Three Little Boys might sing out "Turn left" in their lovely harmonies to guide the client towards an open parking space. The Three Little Boys will be aware of events beyond the client's abilities, and they will guide their clients with extrasensory precision. Clients learn to trust their advice in all matters. Three Little Boys protect their clients from harm, frustration, and suffering. In addition to these benefits, clients enjoy the sense of a constant protective presence in their everyday lives.

In eighteen months to two years, eighty-six percent of clients report that they occasionally see the Three Little Boys. The Three Little Boys generally appear as a triad of youths hovering nearby on a small cloud. While some clients initially find the apparition distracting, most say that they eventually appreciate the ability to speak directly to their Three Little Boys. When unwanted, the Three Little Boys obligingly disappear in most cases.

Caleb has read the immense media coverage that Three Little Boys Corp has received in its four years of business, and is quite familiar with what he can expect as a client. He remains cheerful and motivated throughout the interviews and tests. Three Little Boys Corp vigorously evaluates all potential clients to insure that miscreants or sociopaths cannot use the natural advantage of having Three Little Boys as guides. Three Little Boys Corp only wants clients who will use the Three Little Boys to enhance their own safety and enjoyment of life, not as a tool to abuse others.

Caleb understands that his Three Little Boys come with certain liabilities. He will be barred from entering gambling establishments, as his Three Little Boys could easily whisper information to him (in their delicate, heavenly voices) that would give him an unfair advantage. Caleb is warned that other people may react to the knowledge that he has Three Little Boys with hostility, and that there is as yet no anti-discrimination legislation protecting people who have Three Little Boys. Many people, unwilling to pay Three Little Boys Corp's high fees, are terribly jealous of others who enjoy the guidance of constant companions. Unfortunately, his agent tells him, there are also some individuals who believe the Three Little Boys were agents of the Devil, or that they are nothing more than the hallucinations of gullible people who have been subjected to frightful chemical "treatments."

The agent insures that Caleb understands that possessing Three Little Boys may carry risks that are not yet known. The research that led Three Little Boys Corp to discover this incredible effect was rooted in the mysticism and pharmacology of a sect of Medieval monks who wrote about their attempts to contact angels. Their techniques were enhanced using recent advances in genetic therapy, and new non-surgical treatments for seizure disorders that use intense stimuli to reinforce specific neural pathways. Despite intense research, the exact mechanism by which Three Little Boys function is not fully understood. In fact, it continues to be the subject of intense philosophical, theological, and scientific debate. Despite its critics, Three Little Boys Corp does a brisk business because of the incontrovertible fact that Three Little Boys Corp changes lives.

Caleb acknowledges these cautions and signs the relevant release forms. A board of evaluators reviews his completed application, and he receives a phone call from his agent telling him that has been approved. It has been nearly five weeks since he first sent in his application. He has only told a few close friends of his plans because he feared the embarrassment of being judged unfit for Three Little Boys. Also, he believes that certain members of his family may not be supportive of his decision. Naturally, his agent at Three Little Boys Corp is aware of this, and he and Caleb discuss how to break the news. Caleb believes his brother and sister will be tolerant of his decision, but his parents may express disapproval. His father is moderately religious, a Northern Methodist, and despite the progressive leanings of this denomination, he may consider Three Little Boys to be a challenge to church teachings. Caleb's parents may also express concerns about his health, claiming that he should wait until the exact nature of the Three Little Boys is fully understood.

These types of anxieties are common among the friends and family of new clients, particularly parents and other members of older generations. Having grown up in a time when it was believed that science could explain everything, they are unprepared to deal with a new era in which the most important effect of science is to change lives. Caleb and his agent try out a few role plays so that Caleb will feel confident telling his parents about his decision. By company policy, he will not undergo any treatments until he has told his immediate family.

Using the sliding pay plan generated by his agent, Caleb makes arrangements to have a percentage of his paycheck deducted every month. He and his agent have already worked out a personal budget so that he'll be able to live on the reduced income. He keeps to this budget religiously during the month before his first treatment. His agent calls frequently, just checking in on him. Caleb tells his agent about the difficult phone call when he told his parents about his decision to get Three Little Boys. They were even more worried than he had thought they would be. Caleb was surprised when they confessed the fear that he was getting involved with some sort of mind-control scheme. They were very suspicious of Three Little Boys and the practices of Three Little Boys Corp. Nonetheless, Caleb felt that they would ultimately support his decision.

Caleb's agent is very respectful of their concerns, and reminds Caleb that he can still change his mind. The agent tells Caleb that he can always delay his treatments for a month or two, to give his family time to adapt to the idea. Caleb appreciates the offer, but he's getting progressively more excited about the possibility of having Three Little Boys in his life, and so he says he'd rather go ahead on schedule. His agent helps him think through some other ways of showing his parents how Three Little Boys will enhance Caleb's life.

When he hangs up, Caleb thinks about how it almost seems he has a constant reassuring companion now, in the form of his agent. He considers that Three Little Boys Corp might do this on purpose to help people get a sense of what it will be like to have Three Little Boys.

The day before his first treatment, he has another medical exam with a Three Little Boys Corp-approved doctor. Caleb is terribly nervous that they'll find some previously-hidden disqualifying factor, but the exam is normal. The following morning, Caleb returns to the Three Little Boys facility with a small overnight bag. He has been here so many times for interviews and tests that the building is familiar to him. His agent meets him at the front desk and greets him as a friend. Caleb feels nervous and yet as happy as he's ever been before.

His agent carries Caleb's bag and they walk together to his office to do some last minute paperwork. Caleb will be here for three days of treatments. The agent uses his computer to sign Caleb into a room and asks Caleb if he has any special meal requests. They ride the elevator up four floors to drop off Caleb's bag in the room. Sunlight filters through an assortment of plants at the window. It's quiet, unadorned but somehow beautiful, like a monk's cell.

Caleb and his agent tour the treatment section. Caleb has seen all the facilities before, during his application process, but this time his agent goes into even more detail. Often the agent stops people working in the facility to say hello and introduce them to Caleb. They invariably smile and greet him enthusiastically. Caleb wonders if all of them have Three Little Boys, but he hesitates to ask. He can't quite explain why it seems like an impertinent question.

It is just past noon, and Caleb walks with his agent to the building cafe for lunch. He doesn't feel hungry. He wants to get started. He's ready for everything to change. His agent chides him about the bowl of soup that Caleb leaves uneaten, but tells him it's perfectly normal to be nervous.

They take the elevator back to the treatment section. His agent says good-bye for now; he'll see Caleb at the end of the first treatment, late tonight. Caleb feels a swell of anxiety as his agent shakes his hand. He is momentarily terrified, like a small child on the white medical table. He wants to beg the man to stay with him, but is embarrassed at his weakness. He tells himself to calm down, and that this would be over soon.

Caleb understands the treatment process, but listens again as the doctor explains that his arms and legs will be restrained for much of the first day's treatment. He may experience seizure-like states, including uncontrollable muscular contractions, loss of bowel control, brief cessation of breathing, and powerful hallucinations, as a side effect of the hyperstimulation his brain would receive. A mask fitted tightly over his face will deliver air infused with genetically altered retroviruses that would introduce the first wave of subtle changes to his metabolism. After an hour or two, his mind will retreat into unconsciousness. The team will continue to minister over his twitching, gasping body. He will emerge from the brain's protective haze some time that night. He will be exhausted and -- the doctor winks over his mask -- hungry.

They attach the bindings to Caleb's arms and legs. Padded belts cross his body at his chest and hips. Soft blocks are placed on either side of his head. Caleb is afraid, and wishes he had asked his agent to stay with him. He just wants someone to hold his hand. He sees the rubberized mask held in one fleshy hand come over his nose and mouth. The doctor's eyes appear in his field of vision and tightens the mask. Then each breath comes in a soft medical hiss. They tell him they are ready to start. He thinks he detects a faint change in the taste of the air, like bread baking. A light appears over his head and begins blinking. He wants to ask them to stop just long enough for someone to hold his hand, but he has already surrendered.