The narrator tells us that he's at lunch with a friend of his sister's. He wants to bring the friend's sister to meet the protagonist of his new series. He's also a big fan of the protagonist's name, which is "Arabian," and he'd like to meet him. He also wants to know what the protagonist plans to do with his next series. The narrator says that he wants the protagonist to take all of his "unearned talent" and "forced situations and settings" and give it to his sister. He compares his sister to an "indie band enthusiast" who "assumes credit" when an artist is signed to "a major label." The narrator hopes that the two of them can figure out a way to finish the "mess of bad ideas."