the handle and flashed into the plaster. Dani stepped back as the wall faded and revealed a gray-bricked room beyond, lined with square insets. Cold blue light lent everything a steely glint.
She followed Ben inside while the sweeper went back to work. A few steps later, she glanced back and twitched when the wall rematerialized and sealed them in.
“Adding to the heap?” She winced as her voice echoed. “What’s that mean?”
Ben scanned the insets. “Just a saying some like to toss around here. Don’t read too much into it.”
“A saying? Like a password?” Dani asked. “Do you have secret handshakes too?”
“If I said we did, would you go along with this nice and quiet-like?”
“No.”
“Then no. No secret handshakes.”
Dani tried to gauge how far the hallway went, but couldn’t see an end. “Where are we?”
“Storage.”
“For?”
His lips pressed into a wrinkled line as he went to a nearby inset and withdrew a small silver container. Dani craned her neck as he turned around to display …
“A trashcan?”
He spun it to reveal a gold plaque on the front. Engraved words read: Jason Scottsdale. With a flourish, he removed the lid of the miniature garbage can and tucked it under one arm. He dipped a hand in and came up, fingers pinched around a clump of gray dust.
Dani shifted back. “What is that?”
“Ashes.” Ben lifted his hand. “Welcome to reality.”
Before she could dodge, he blew the ash into her face. His foul breath hit her along with a cloud of particles. She gasped in shock and sucked in a mouthful. Bending over, she retched, trying to expel every last grain that coated her tongue. No matter how much she spat and hacked, the stuff clung to the back of her throat. Her hands shook, bile surged up her throat, and she wondered if gulping sanitation gel might be overkill.
At last, desperate for breath, she straightened and prepared to shriek at the janitor for—
Her knees locked. Ben had vanished. A younger man stood in his place, sporting combed hair and a tie. He appeared transparent except for his facial features and faint body outline.
Grinning, he held his hand out. “Er … hello. I’m Jason. You must be the new recruit.”
Eyes widening, Dani backed up until she bumped into the opposite wall. Cold brick pressed against her thin robe, and she shivered.
This was … this was … the man in the library. The one who had …
Died.
He withdrew his hand and smiled sheepishly. “I wish I’d lived long enough to meet you properly, Miss Hashelheim.”
She blinked. “Wha—you know me?”
“In a fashion. Once a Cleaner, always a Cleaner, even after we retire. We stay tapped into the company newsletters and memos.”
“This,” She waved at the hall, which had taken on a foggy blue texture, “is retirement?”
“Not exactly sipping beers on a tropical island, huh? But it lets us stay in the fight, if in a small way. Like helping with Employee Orientation. That’s why Ben brought you here, isn’t it? To give you the chance to clear up any doubts and confusion.” He crossed his arms. “So go ahead. Ask me anything.”
Dani chewed her lip. “Were you … clean?”
“Clean?”
“You know. Herpes. Syphilis. That sort of thing.”
“You summoned my ghost to find out if I had any STDs?”
“It’s important!”
He sighed heavily, but shook his head. “I was a virgin, okay? Never had any health issues beyond a couple broken bones. Satisfied?”
A small knot of tension loosened inside her stomach, but her relief proved short-lived. “Is this supposed to guilt me into believing?”
His brow wrinkled. “Guilt?”
“Like Scrooge seeing the three ghosts. Aren’t you going to blame me for your death or something?”
“Blame you? Hardly.” He smiled. “Lady, you saved a lot of people from getting killed. If your talent hadn’t awakened like it did, things would’ve been a lot messier before the end. That beast you destroyed was called a blot-hound. Ben got called in because it was infecting the water supply on campus. Unchecked, it would’ve caused widespread manic depression, illness, and not a small number of suicides by the end of the semester. That’s partly why we’re here.” His voice turned wistful. “Well, I guess, why you’re there is more accurate. I had my time, short as it was. Now it’s yours.”
“Mine? I don’t want this.”
“You sure? Think about it, Miss Hashelheim. The Cleaners are dedicated to wiping out all forms of Scum throughout the world. All sources of filth and disease. We stand against everything that wants to drag humanity down into the muck of Corruption.”