André is a computer scientist. He is also a puppeteer. He finds conversation difficult, so he speaks through his puppets. Mischievousness is best expressed through a puppet called Boo, whereas Sylvie is sociable and Ben-Gurion makes arrangements. If you interrupt while a puppet is speaking, André will storm off or lock you in the bathroom. André is ‘managed’ by his sister Amanda, a cab driver, who possesses all the empathetic intelligence that her brother lacks. It’s quite a job; when a boy accidentally spilt his milkshake, André beat his head in, and spent a year in a centre for juvenile offenders.

Randall is a courier in Chicago, delivering packages by bike. He’s also an accomplished poet, but he’s literal-minded and naive; when the manager of a pornography store gives him a gun to deliver, he obeys without question. Randall lives with his boyfriend; Mike is affectionate and protective, but he, too, takes advantage of Randall’s social naivety. He brings other lovers into their house, even into their bed, smugly confident that Randall won’t be able to interpret the clues.

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