Before the Fall update

More interesting.  Story has moved to Ben Kipling, money launderer.  Threat of violence to Kipling.  Author also does a good job describing the hard-to-get-your head around massiveness of the new wealth.  Class distinctions between regular rich people and unimaginably rich people and regular people.  Our survivor, Scott the Painter, is now staying with another fantastically wealthy person--Layla.  Art lover, she can make his career . . . but he is standoffish about her power.  Still a bit shell-shocked, though this is one of the least convincing aspects of the book.