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Finding a host for our new site was disturbingly easy One of Buffy’s biggest fans runs a s to put us up and online in exchange for a minimal fee and a lifetime membership to our exclusive features, once we had so him, we had a URL, a place to put our files, and our very first subscriber The baby bloggers who contacted us the first night were quickly joined by two dozen others, and that gave us the liberty to pick and choose, looking for people who fit a profile other than “available” We wound up with twelve supporting betas, four in eachcontent for a site that hadn’t even officially launched yet Never in et everything you’d ever wanted but it was

After the End Tiot the notice that we had been chosen to accon, with my naraphic designer and technical expert, and Shaun responsible for hiring andback; once youis a territorial world, and the other betas would eat you alive if you tried

I hadn’t slept ht in teeks Sleep was a luxury reserved for people eren’t trying to design their futures around a ht still prove to be a rotten apple I just had to hope the dirt we found on the cah to support us, or our careers would be short, sour, and too interesting by far

“Still, you seeht,” Senator Ryer than it sounded on the newscasts; either he didn’t realize ere fil fake around the people ere going to be sharing his quarters over the next year “If you’ll co, and she’s been looking forward towith you for the whole can?” I asked He started to walk toward a nearby door, and I followed, gesturing for the others to do the sa to be staying on the facare of the kids while her husband did the —but I wanted his The best sound clips are the ones you gather for yourself

“Em? I couldn’t make her come the whole way if I used a tractor pull,” the senator said, and opened the door “Wipe your feet, all three of you There’s no point to h another daate and you’re not clean, we’re dead already May as well be friendly about it” Then he was inside, bellowing, “E “I like him” I nodded We’d just met the man, and he was probably ato like hi about him that said “I kno pointless all of these political circuses are Let’s see how it long it takes for the, shall we?” I had to respect that

Heus for a bunch of saps, but if he was, he’d slip eventually, and we’d take hi with him, and definitely better for our market share

The interior of the house was decorated with a distinctly Southwestern flare, all bright, solid colors and geometric patterns Southwestern art has shifted in the last twenty years; before the Rising, any house with that s would have boasted a coyote statue or two and possibly a polished steer’s skull, complete with horns I’ve seen pictures—it was pretty morbid stuff These days, representations of any anihs more than forty pounds have a tendency to make people uncomfortable, so coyotes and steers are both out of fashion, unless you’re dealing with a serious nihilist or soht” Only the painted deserts remain An enor the house as having been put up before the Rising No one builds s like that anymore They’re an invitation to attack

The kitchen was defined by raised counters rather than walls, spilling tile flooring into the hall and attached dining roo by the big butcher’s block at the center e entered, arms around the waist of a woman in blue jeans and a flannel luirlish ponytail He was er than he had ethethem this private time My journalistic instincts said “stay,” and I certainly wasn’t turning off the cameras, but my sense of ethics toldon son

Luckily, Buffy saved us fro the air appreciatively, and asking, “What’s for lunch? Wow, I’ That s to help?”

Senator Ry an arin on Buffy, and said, “I think things are pretty much in hand Besides which, Emily’s too territorial to share her kitchen with another woman Even if it’s a borrowed kitchen”

“Quiet, you,” said E him in the ribs with a wooden spoon He winced theatrically, and she laughed The laugh was bright, perfectly in keeping with the practical, elegantly siuess which of you is which I know you have two Georges and a Shaun—how is that fair?” She put on an exaggerated pout, not looking a bit like a senator’s wife “Three boys’ nae”