Page 104 of The Women of Wild Hill

“Yes?”

“I’ve heard folks say the incident on the Island was just a beginning. Their guts are telling them there’s more to come.”

“Are any of thesefolks’guts worth several hundred billion dollars?”

“No,” the politician admitted.

“Then maybe you should listen to me.”

The politician grinned like the simpering lackey he’d never imagined he’d one day become. “I’m all ears.”

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to consolidate power. We can see to it that all who were lost on the Island are replaced with men dedicated to seeing the new mission through to fruition. The truth is, that rogue wave got rid of a lot of dead weight. Now we can move forward twice as fast.”

“The new mission?”

“Imagine a world where a few brilliant men hold power. With no taxes to pay or regulations to obey, we’re able to consolidate our wealth. As the planet’s CEOs, we will breed with the finest females and elevate those who share our values and genetic traits. Technology will allow us to keep the populace under control. Wewill recruit the finest scientists to extend our lives and the greatest engineers to begin the work of colonizing other planets. If our generation is unable to achieve immortality, our descendants will leave this planet and the dregs of our species behind.”

“What’s wrong withthisplanet?” The young woman had returned with a pitcher of the delicious red drink, which she used to refill their glasses.

The tycoon’s lip curled into a sneer. There was nothing he despised more than having to explain his ideas to the inferior sex. He stopped sucking his drink long enough to tell her. “It’s dying.”

“I know how to make it better. Want to hear?” Sibyl pretended to wait for an answer, but they were both too busy guzzling the oddly delicious drinks she’d brought. “Okay. So, first imagine we get rid of all the bad guys out there. Suddenly, there are no more rapes and murders. Violent crime drops ninety percent overnight. There’s no child pornography. Very little sexual abuse. We give women around the world full control over their reproductive systems. Most choose to have fewer children. There’s less poverty, so no need to fight over resources. No need to wage war. The earth’s human population starts to plummet. Children don’t starve anymore. Then we dismantle all the companies that have been raping the earth. Nature begins to heal. Meanwhile, the half of the earth’s population that’s been held captive for millennia is free to learn and invent and work on ways to restore harmony between humans and the earth.”

“So your idea is to get rid of men?” the billionaire interjected.

“Of course not,” Sibyl said. “We’ll just weed out the ones like you. The good guys don’t want you assholes around any more than we do.”

The politician frowned. It had just gotten personal.

The billionaire laughed. “I think we’ve heard enough of this bullshit. It’s time to leave.”

When they turned toward the doors, they saw dark clouds pressed against the windows. The politician’s mind felt fuzzy. The billionaire couldn’t quite find the energy to stay on his feet.

Sibyl took the empty glasses off the counter. “I’m afraid it’s a little too late for that. The tide has already turned.”