You're right, Alan. Bruno's a tough old bastard who's seen many dead and wounded men and women in his time—some he knew—but this one's different.

First, where does this analysis emanate? It seems almost to fly in the face of Hindu philosophy that says death is simply a passage to the path of the sun, which means the soul will never return, or the path of the moon, which means the soul will return. Despite this philosophy, you and your group characterize cold and dark and Jill—death—as fearsome. Can you explain?

If I understand you correctly then, you represent the wiser, more cautious contingent within your group. Do you have someone who represents this reckless, risk-taking contingent—someone who would like to add his or her name to the secondary group? If so, please introduce him or her to us.

Thank you for the invitation, Lucia. May I say that the growth and maturity you have shown in the months since this group began is an example to young women throughout the world. Benny and Amalie, your impact upon this group's discussion has been profound. Marcus, please accept the reverent affection of my family. I have more to say to each of you but I shall wait until the occasion arises.

As a stop-loss officer for a California-based human resources consulting firm with offices throughout India and the world, I look at the facts and make difficult decisions that significantly affect people's lives. My doctoral degrees are in psychiatry and law from University of California at Berkeley, so even though I am young, only 25, I have knowledge and wisdom to share. Philosophically, I am an atheist with deep respect for tradition and its leavening effect upon the individual, the family and the masses. Socially, I am a lesbian with a penchant for lissome young women with dark eyes, skin and hair. Perhaps in contrast to my education and profession, my sexual partners tell me that I am a maniac in the sack.

What do I think of Jill Price? I revere her focus and achievements, but I must agree with Amalie and Benny. Psychologically, Jill is a homicidal bitch who has yet to celebrate her 15th birthday. Thank whatever deities you care to imagine that Jill Price is a genius at selecting and retaining brilliant executives because she has never lost, and never will lose, her taste for violence and blood.

What is my opinion of Jill's hostile, yet benign takeover of the world? I think it's great. The human species is getting exactly what it deserves. Perhaps women once ruled human tradition and perhaps not. Regardless, the men who have been running things have made a general mess of things with few exceptions so it's time they give up control, whether they admit it to themselves or not. Before any of you entertain fears that I am a women's-rights freak, let me assure you: I am. Having said that, I dote upon my father, grandfather, uncles and brothers—of which I have many, being from a large and loving family. I revere the women in my family who, with few exceptions, are wise, witty and wonderful.

Finally, what do I say about Ume, Sara, Lizzie and the other executives who rule Pere and the world? I revere them. I offer them my life and my critical skepticism. Sign me up. Hook me into the neural network and set the world before me. Questions?

Thank you for asking. Thank you also for choosing the profession of teaching children. No greater calling exists if you love it and perform it well, which I believe you do. To answer both your questions, Minnie, I will follow the example of Marcus, the man I most love and admire in either group, and tell a brief story.

For generations the women in my family have struggled for women's rights and children's rights throughout India and the world. In recent years, my grandmother, my mother, my sisters and I have been working actively to persuade local governments in southern India to prosecute aggressively the crime of trafficking in children for the purpose of pedophilia with tourists. Only recently have we begun to succeed. Before leaving home to attend Cal in Berkeley, California, my voluntary part in this work had been to develop a database that local police and prosecutors use to sift through crates of financial transactions, telephone records and other evidence going back decades. Imagine my heartache when I learned from my mother and grandmother that my database had helped law enforcement to discover a pattern of involvement related to my father's successful tourism business. After my grandmother and mother persuaded my father to testify against the criminals who had organized this activity, the local courts sentenced him to prison for this disgraceful act.

For years now, my family had also been in the process of emigrating from India to Sacramento, California. Several of my uncles and older brothers had moved, purchased homes and businesses and begun to establish their families. With my father's minimum prison term of 10yrs and with this disgraceful act upon his record, he could not emigrate so my grandmother and mother declared that they were remaining in Bengaluru to assist their son and husband. The effect of my father's crime and my grandmother and mother's decisions to stay is that our entire family is now returning to India. Throughout our generations, we have always been close as a family. When we decided to emigrate, we were all going. Now, we will never leave India because the women in my family have so decided. I hope that answers your questions, Minnie.

To answer your question, Marcus loves his family and his friends more than he loves life itself. The women in my family wept in tender sympathy when they read of the decision process he and Lenora went through before allowing their youngest daughter to attend USC. Beyond that, if Ume explained why it was necessary, Marcus would willingly lay down his life for her or her family because he owes her a life. He said so and I believe he would do it. Don't you agree?

You are a holy man, Marcus, and as such, you are a teacher of moral good by word and by example. Beyond your example as a husband, father and friend, you emit a spiritual light that is plain to see for all who have been blessed with the ability to see. When people consider your words and deeds, they feel this holy influence whether you intend it or are even aware of it.

Let me give you and everyone else an example. Before anyone had any idea of his guilt, suppose my father and you met, became friends and he told you he bore a terrible guilt, wished to confess it and wanted confess to you, Marcus. First, would you listen? If you would listen and he told you of his crime, then how would you react, initially, I mean? Finally, once he had told you the truth and asked your advice, what would you have told him?

These are not difficult questions, Avani. Of course, I would listen. Why wouldn't I? He is my brother and for all I know, God sent him to me specifically to help him unburden his soul of this crushing guilt. As far as my initial reaction, I would touch him, even hold him if he let me. A man, any man, with such a terrible remorse and yearning to confess is within the grace of God and therefore eligible for mercy and forgiveness. Since God mercifully forgives your father his sin, regardless of his belief, who am I to deny him? My answer to your final question is simple: I would advise him to confess his crime, accept the resulting punishment and face the public humiliation that follows. While he did this, I would stand beside him through all of it—even to face the cameras—if he asked it of me.

Half a world away, you reach inside my breast and clutch my heart, Marcus. Do you know that?

Now, let me ask the same questions of Alice or Carlo or Doug or Jules or Les or Stephanie that I asked of you. What would any of you say to my father?

Slip a shim through his cerebral cortex and drop him in the river—save society the trouble.

It is true that I am an atheist but that doesn't mean I don't sense spirituality or the lack of it in others, Alice. As an atheist and a skeptic, I believe in natural selection and the evolution of species. Through hundreds of thousands of years of human evolution, is it so difficult to accept that a person can be a skeptic, and yet sense spirituality and love in a man like Marcus?

Theists declare that all love, tenderness, spirituality and so on flow through the human heart from one source—belief in some sort of god. A skeptic like me contends that just because theists say it does not make it so. In fact, that they say it makes it false since almost everything theists say proceeds from a false premise—belief in some sort of god. Skeptics declare that all love, tenderness, spirituality and so on flow through the human heart from one source—natural selection, partly through genes but mostly through memes.

In other words, all that is good and decent in humans does not spring from belief in a non-existent god, Suze. All that is good and decent in humans springs from natural selection. Does that help?

Okay, Avani, you have two bodyguards and you work for me in Midori. Start in intelligence analysis with a spectrum of increasing opportunity. We've integrated the information you'll analyze within your employer's current work stream so your current situation remains the same. The only differences are you'll also receive a paycheck and a benefits package from Midori.