He thought about turning to the orange-tie man and asking, Do you think all religion is born of desperation? As much as he wanted to be humble in the presence of the universe and open to all its possibilities, he had to draw the line somewhere. Omamori, yes. Mayan calendar, no. Tarot decks? Far-fetched, though he couldn’t explain a clear difference between a tarot card and the pouch he cupped in his hand. Another question to pose to the orange-tie man: Am I right in thinking that every person who has ever lived on this planet has harbored a multitude of inconsistencies? He trusted the Yamanote’s circular path to help his mom, but a circle also carried negative connotations: Circular logic. Going in circles. Circling the drain. {read}