"Ms. Zell," I said softly.
She shook herself, like a bird settling its feathers, and gave me a hard look. I’d seen a lot of hard looks in my day, but this was a good one. I believed she meant to do exactly what she’d said with her shiny new axe.
"How soon can we schedule it?" she asked.
"We can’t," I said.
"What do you mean?"
"I won’t do it," I said.
"Don’t be silly, of course you will."
"No, Ms. Zell, I won’t."
"Two million beyond your fee. Two million dollars that no one knows about but us." She seemed very sure of herself.
I shook my head. "It’s not about money, Ms. Zell."
"You have to do this for me, Ms. Blake. You’re the only one who can raise a zombie that can feel real fear and real pain."
"I couldn’t guarantee that he’d feel the same pain he would have felt when he was alive," I said. I tried to concentrate on the details so I wouldn’t concentrate on other things.
"But he will feel pain, real pain?"
"He’ll be able to feel. I’ve had zombies stumble on rocks and fall. They react like it hurts."
"Perfect," she said, and that one word was full of so much anticipation.