‘You’ve done moderately well,’ the guide said, as he handed Pat three large silver coins. ‘This should be enough for you to get something decent. You can make your selection in the next room.’

‘Is that all?’ Pat was disappointed by the unceremoniousness of it all. He had wondered about this his whole life.

‘Oh, no, you’re absolutely right. You get a bonus for believing in reincarnation this time,’ the guide remembered, and gave Pat a smaller brass coin with a hole in the centre. ‘Not many people do, you know.’

Clutching his tokens, Pat walked slowly to the next chamber. It’s funny that it’s come to this, he reflected. He remembered the last time he had gone through. The old fashioned way was that you spun a big wheel and, puff! Next thing you knew, you were a bricklayer’s son or a racoon.

The guide had told him that too many souls had complained about the randomness so they switched to this token system. The market would work its magic so that good souls had the pick of the most popular lives. ‘We’re getting with the times,’ the guide had said jovially. ‘You know, supply and demand and all that.’

It was sensible, Pat supposed. But he still felt a bit glum, standing in front of the vending machine. It hummed and flickered, much like the candy dispenser at the pool where he used to swim. Some of the slots were already empty.

‘Ah well,’ he thought.

He pushed the coins through the slot, saw his credit flash up, and pressed ‘D’, then ‘4’.

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