“Marianne,” said Mark, leaning in to his computer screen. “You need to get out more. Go to St. Augustine, go to the Keys. Don’t do one of those Everglades tours—too many mosquitoes. Stay somewhere nice. They’ve got an orchid-flower massage and facial at the Naples Waldorf Astoria that you would love. You want me to send you some links?”

Later that day, Regina called from the road to discuss the article and reassure Marianne that everything was fine.

“There is nothing negative about the school or any of the instructors.” Regina’s telephone voice was so low, smooth, and controlled that Marianne had to strain to hear her. “They didn’t find a single student to say anything bad about the Ranch. Has anyone called you? Did you talk to anyone before the article came out? Even casually?”

“No,” Marianne said. She thought suddenly of the exchange she’d had with Sophie, and Sophie’s warning that it wouldn’t be hard to figure out the Ranch’s funders. But would Sophie contact the newspaper? Marianne thought of Sophie’s bumper stickers, the things she’d said in passing about Bible bangers. “I didn’t talk to anyone.”

“Good,” said Regina. “Very few people read the newspaper, after all. Though if they do call you, please refer them to me. Is that okay with you, Marianne?”

“I guess that would be appropriate,” she said. “Since most of the suspicious details are about GWGW.”

“And you don’t remember talking to anyone about GWGW?” Regina asked. “Maybe call the landscapers. The photograph—”

“Can you tell me about the personhood thing, Regina? I mean, what does that have to do with your schools? It’s not exactly an issue everyone agrees on.” Marianne hesitated to say where she stood on the idea that zygotes and embryos should have the same rights as people, but then a terrifying thought came to her mind. “Wait, our money didn’t go to that, did it?”

Regina laughed lightly. “My dear, Genesis Ranch is not exactly contributing to our bottom line. It’s rather the other way around, so no—none of your revenue has influenced anything politically. However,” she continued, her voice quiet and smooth again, “the association with certain political causes does provide an advantage, financially and strategically.”

“But we’re not that kind of school,” Marianne said. “We’re meant to be inspirational, not political. We never advertised any of this to our students. I don’t think they want to get mixed up in this.”