A revolution is taking place within her, as though a life-time‘s experience could be outdistanced in the span of a con-versation. Like a molting snake she finds herself sheddingher useless defiance, pathetic innocence, and sense of being anoncontender-the butt of a legal joke. The beauty of it is thatthere is no point at which she has to make a decision. She isnot required to decide, for example, if she can overcome herreservations, work herself into enough of a rage, do the deed incold blood, cope with consequences. Lost in a desert, you drinkthe tainted water thatyourfriend is offering. Fatally afflicted,
you put yourself in the surgeon‘s hands. The pros and cons nolonger count. The options have run out. Survival is what‘s nowon the table.
"Renny is blue-chip," Alison is saying. "He makes a rottenhusband but he has a good Rolodex. And he owes me a favor.
And could use the money, of course. But don‘t worry, he‘llgiveyou a fair price."
Todi is canti