After Tom had left—with a mixture of reluctance and obsequiousness, a pain in his face and defiance, before he turned on his heel and was gone—the general said, Rachel, I’m glad we can talk one-on-one.

He said, Tom is a wonderful editor, but he is also a bit of a true believer, if you know what I mean. I feel like you’re a different personality.

You feel that, I said.

So we’ve got you quoting Marx and bantering with one of the people who caused the end of the world.

Yes.

I’ve also, and this just happened to fall into my lap, just routine background stuff, you know, I’ve got you—the general checks his notes—saying that the idea of the mass slaughter of the ultra-wealthy helps you sleep better.

I’m not sure what you’re referring to.

Oh, it’s right here in one of the transcripts, a journalist friend of yours, she was apparently at the Washington Post. You said: You hear what happened to the rich people, the billionaires, I mean the super rich, luxury custom bomb shelters and compounds and all that? And they thought they were making themselves safe. And you explained that you’d heard how there was a clamoring for these rich bunker spaces, the whole system wanted them. And then your friend asked: What happened to all those billionaires? And you said: Killed like pigs in their ultraluxury slaughterhouses. Hunted and slaughtered, or starved out, or suffocated, in the safest little crannies in their beautiful ultradeluxe bunkers. Shot or stabbed or beat to death. And your friend said—oh, this was in a discussion about how to get to sleep, did I mention that?—your friend said: And that helps? And you said: Every night. And she said: Them dying. And you said: Beats counting sheep.

What’s the point? I said. If I do this, will I go to Prospect Park, yes or no?

I like you, Rachel. I think we can partner on this. You’re a good writer, and I think you’re a very pragmatic person. And if not …

What if not?

C’est la guerre.

So, Prospect Park?

The general pressed his fingertips together, then opened his hands wide. Prospect Park, he said.