"Don't look so alarmed, what did you expect me to wear — Armani?" We both started to laugh, softly at first. Soon our giggles had turned to guffaws. Julian certainly had not lost that wicked sense of humor that had kept me entertained so long ago. As we relaxed in my cluttered but comfortable living room, I couldn't help but notice the ornate necklace of wooden prayer beads dangling from his neck. "What are those? They're really beautiful." "More about these later," he said, rubbing some of the beads with his thumb and index finger. "We have much to talk about tonight." "Let's get started. I could hardly get anything done at work today I was so excited about our meeting."