She leaned against the bluestone wall. The Merovingian had thought it best to put her in quarters befitting a prisoner and had sent only dry bread and water. Naturally she played with the code and had a lovely, large warm roast beef roll and a glass of wine. Because there was nothing to do in the Spartan room, Zoe made herself a book, reading it as her captor and his henchmen opened the door.
"I haven't gone anywhere." Her eyes were still on the writing in front of her, but the Frenchman spluttered angrily and she raised her eyes with a smile.
"'ow did you get zat book? I nevher sent you zis!" One of the guards took the offending object from her fingers.
"You didn't do your research, did you?" Her hair brushed her shoulders as she spoke, a small smile playing at her lips as the man grabbed the book from his employee.
"Vat research should I 'ave done?" He scoffed, "You are nosing but a deletion program." Her laughter allowed him to curse fluently in the language of his choice.
"Yeah, but I make things from code, remember? That's why I'm still endorsed by the Source. I haven't outlived my purpose." He glared at her. "What I want to know, Merovingian, is why I'm here. You must have a better reason than because you felt like it."
"I vant ze Oracle. You are a means to an end. Nosing more." She didn't believe him and raised a card with his picture on it for him to see.
"Uh-huh, sure and I'm the Queen of the Matrix. Why don't we make a deal, you tell me the truth, and I give you this card." She spun it gently in her fingers. "It's a record of your codeic signature, which means as long as I have it, I can use it to delete you." He spluttered in disbelief, cursing her as much as he could, she raised an eyebrow and waited.
"Alright," he sneered finally. "I vill tell you vy you are 'ere. After you give me ze card."
"Nope, I wasn't programmed yesterday. Information first, card next, ok?"
"Alright, alright. You are 'ere because I 'ave a plan and you are a part of it."
"Go on."
"Ze One 'as been, making sings 'ard for me. I plan to use your code to create a program zat will kill 'im. Zere is, naturally, anozer program zat vill be part of zis. I 'ave been vaiting to get you 'ere before I put my plan into action." She threw the card to him as he finished.
"You can forget it, my code stays part of me and there is nothing you can do about it." She waved, dismissing him. "Have fun with all those people you're going to find hating you." He brushed off her comment, leaving before he could hear the song that left her lips.
"With six loyal servants,
For comfort and care." The men stopped, looked at her and bowed.
"What do you…"
"Wish of us?"
"Bring me the other program the Merovingian intends to alter." They nodded, walking away, the door slightly ajar. She smiled happily to herself. What ever was the Merovingian going to do when his best programs proved to be dissenters? She sent about turning the table into a beautiful set of diamond jewellery for the wife of the Frenchman, weaving a much more love-struck version of "Greensleeves" into every symbol. Her creations were like songs, they played in the mind even after the original had gone, there effect not lessened. She would have to find a way to get to the other program before the Merovingian could, but for the moment she would have to content herself with making him unable to resist his wife, scorning all others in her favor.