The Savage Girl - Alex Shakar [64]
She backs away, but he closes in on her again as he talks, shoulders squared, as though he were about to take her and break her like a twig over his knee. She steps back again and feels through the fabric of her skirt the cold metal of the vent behind her.
“A little of both, maybe,” she says.
He nods. “Thank you for your honesty,” he says, his tone calmer. “Now allow me to be equally straight with you. I need Ivy. As far as I’m concerned, she is the future, she’s everything I’m predicting: tribalism, virtualism, postirony, the whole new era to come. And if I’m right, everybody wins. I win. Ivy wins. And you win, too, Ursula. You win big. The savage look is your baby, and that baby is a prodigy, it’s an itty-bitty, speed-reading, concert piano–playing whiz baby. And when that baby grows up and takes over the world, who’s gonna be there right beside it? You are, Ursula. You and your sister both, the two of you, rich, powerful, invincible. Think of it. You and Ivy. Queens of the urban jungle.”
He’s studying every millimeter of her face, alert to the smallest reactions.
“Queens of the jungle,” he repeats, emphatically. “Killing and eating and playing. Noble and beautiful and strong. No more fear, no more failure, no more rules. Nothing can touch you. It’s all yours. No bullshit. That’s it. That’s the deal. That’s the opportunity I’ve created, for Ivy and for you. And do you know why I’ve done this for you? Because I respect you.”
Despite her fear she laughs, and then immediately regrets it.
“Dammit, shut up!” he bellows. “Listen to me!”
Her heart stops. She doesn’t dare breathe. He shakes his head, cools down again, and starts speaking in a level tone:
“I don’t compliment people often. I like them to listen to me when I do. So listen. You’re a damn quick study, Ursula. And you’re an inspired salesman. That stuff you pulled at the presentation was good. You’re gonna go far. I guarantee you I will personally see to that. I would’ve brought you in on the high-level planning earlier, except with your sister’s being involved I thought it would be better to give you as much time as possible to get to know us and see what we’re doing.”
“I’m not a quick study. It’s taken me two months to figure out I’ve been used.”
“ ‘I’m not a quick study,’ ” he imitates her voice, an unflattering whine. “ ‘I’ve been used.’ ” He lets out a heavy breath through his nose. “Ursula, listen to me.” He cups his hands into a megaphone. “THIS IS YOUR THERAPIST TALKING!” he shouts in her face. Then he brings his face within an inch of hers and goes on talking in a rapid whisper. “You’re not a baby inside, do you understand me? You’re a fucking queen inside. You’re regal, powerful, smart, sexy. You’ve got exactly what it takes to rule this shitheap of a world. I knew that from the day you walked into my office, Ursula. You positively floored me. So much that I didn’t believe it. I just thought my feelings for Ivy were clouding my judgment, but seeing you on the job, seeing you day after day in action, proved it. My instincts about you were absolutely right. You’ve got more style and talent and brains and guts than most of these marketing morons have in their wildest fantasies. You’ve got it all, Ursula. I know it. I see it. I’m trained to see it. Believe me, I’ve devoted my life to separating out the human garbage from the real potential out there, the potential for living, the potential for exercising real power and creativity and life force. You have the power to live life to the hilt. And deep down you know you have it, you know it’s in you.”
He looks at her keenly, taking her shoulders gently in his hands.
“But you’re afraid,” he continues. “You’re afraid to let it out. You’re afraid that by showing your power you’ll make other people feel inferior. You’re afraid they’ll resent you. You’re afraid of leaving behind the safety of what you know for the uncertainty of all the things you could