Jezebel's Ladder by Scott Rhine Page A

step on the path of the
Destroyer.”
    Jez squinted her eyes. She was
having trouble keeping him in focus as he said, “That which destroys life
creates nothing of its own. The virus only steals the creations of others and
moves on in its unending hunger. This trait is the opposite of human and cannot
be allowed to infect the Union of Souls.”
    Jez was puzzled. “You’ve read that
page already?”
    The swami tilted his head. “That is
the wrong question. Your first assignment is to list your fundamental beliefs.
The atoms from which all other decisions are made. This is known as the ethical
geometry of your society. If they conflict, decide what must go. Usually there
is another set of assumptions hiding behind the first set. I will return when
you wish to discuss your results.”
    As Jez reached out to touch him,
the man vanished. She staggered into the wall and propped herself against it
for a long while. Implications swirled in her mind like sheets of newspaper
inside a tornado.

Chapter 11 – Taking Charge
     
    Jezebel staggered up to Benny’s office in a daze. The
secretary tried to stop her, but Benny intervened, “It’s okay. Come in here and
sit on the couch. You shouldn’t be running around like this after a theta
shock.”
    “Shock effects last about half the
duration with each successive page,” she mumbled, borrowing his brain power for
the regression analysis. She hadn’t mastered the page and wouldn’t for months,
but she was definitely infected. Perceptions were already shifting.
    He carried her over to the plush
sofa. Benny smelled great, better than the donuts had. Other appetites stirred.
Jez shook her head. “Why are there boxes on your desk?”
    “When Dirt Bag ordered me to zap
you with the blank page, that was the last straw. I quit on principle. I was
just cleaning my things out of the office.”
    “Where did he put the blank page?”
she demanded.
    The star pointed to a wall safe
that had an alphanumeric key pad. “In there with the rest. I can’t get in any
more. Dirt Bag changed the combination. All I know, from hearing the beeps, is
that it has nine characters.”
    When she tried to stand and toppled
again, he said, “You need water, electrolytes, and food. I’ll be right back.”
    Benny ran to the break room.
    With him gone, she took out her
origami butterfly and concentrated. There were a dozen actives in the
conference room directly beneath her feet. She borrowed brain power from them
and smiled when the answer came to her. She activated the alphanumeric touch
screen and typed in the name CLAUDETTE. The safe opened.
    On top was the page they had used
against her. Just as she suspected, the sheet wasn’t blank after all. Dirt Bag
just couldn’t see it. The page represented a code of ethics. He had none. She
laughed out loud like a crazy person. As she changed the password to the safe,
Benny’s ex-secretary came in. “Can I help you, ma’am?”
    Giggling, she said, “I’m going to
find that nice man and let him buy me lunch. When we get back, I’ll agree to
talk terms with Mr. Fortune.”
    “Ma’am?”
    Jez leaned over Benny’s computer,
and typed a one word e-mail to Elias Fortune. “Checkmate.”
    “He’ll understand. There are going
to be some changes around here soon.”
    ****
    Jez ate with Benny in a booth at
Spago. Photographers and fans stared at Jez because of her dowdy clothes. Who
was she and why was Mr. Hollis dating her? Was it for his charity?
    Benny made pleasant conversation,
but he was depressed. When the waiter left, he admitted, “I want a drink.”
    She grabbed his left hand. “You’re
free of a major asshole. This is the best thing that ever happened to you,
besides having lunch with me dressed like a bag lady.”
    He played with the stir stick in
his iced tea. “Jez, Fortune is going to come after me. There are some things
about me you don’t know. They’re going to come out in the press, and it’s going
to be ugly.”
    “You worry too