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“We didn’t get to choose our own na a smile Shaun and I don’t even knohat na, and when the Masons adopted us, ere both listed under “Baby Doe”

“Oh, but one of you did,” she said “One of the Georges is also a Buffy, and if I reht, it should be the blonde one” She turned, extending a hand toward Buffy “Georgette Meissonier, correct?”

“Absolutely,” Buffy said, taking her hand “You can call me Buffy Everyone else does”

“It’s a pleasure totoward Shaun and ia Yes?”

“Got it,” Shaun said, saluting her So fun I’ve never understood how he does that

I stepped forward, offering her a hand “George is fine by ia Whichever is easier for you, Mrs Ryrip was cool, and the glance she cast toward ht for you? They’re all soft bulbs, but I can dim thea bit more if you needas I studied her face more closely Her eyes weren’t dark, as I had first assumed; what I had taken to be deep brown irises were actually her pupils, so dilated that they pushed the natural es “Wouldn’t you know if the lights were a problem?”

She smiled, wryly “My eyes aren’t as sensitive as they used to be I was an early case, and there was so on You’ll tell et to be too much?”

I nodded “Sure will”

“Wonderful You three make yourselves co fish tacos with er to the senator, adding playfully, “I don’t want to hear a word of co these nice reporters drunk before things even get started”

“Don’t worry, ma’am,” Shaun said “Some of us can hold our liquor”

“And sohs ninety-five pounds, soaking wet The one ti onto a table and reciting half of Night of the Living Dead before Shaun and I could pull her down “Thank you, MrsEht Now all of you, go sit dohile I finish taking care of business Peter, thather on the cheek beforeroohtly ragged line I’ll challenge senators and kings for the right to know the truth, but far be it fro the places everyone took around the table was interesting in a purely sociological sense Shaun settled with his back to the wall, affording him the best view of the room He may seem like an idiot, but in some ways, he’s the most careful of us all You can’t be an Irwin and not learn so your exits open If the zo

Buffy took the seat nearest the light, where the caet the best pickup shots Her portables work on the principles defined during the big pre-Rising wireless boom; they trans her to coure out howup and wandering off to do soets e proposals a week than he likes to think about, and he lets me handle them all

The senator took the seat closest to the kitchen and his wife, thus conveniently leaving ree of shadow So he was a family man and someone who understood that consideration was a virtue Nice I settled, asking, “You provide home-cooked meals for all your news staff?”

“Just the controversial ones,” he replied, his tone easy and assured “I’ to beat around the bush I read your public reports, your op-ed pieces, everything, before I agreed to your application I know you’re sive bullshit That doesn’t,” he held up a finger, “ht with you, because there are so to do with o zones”

“We respect that,” I said Shaun and Buffy were nodding

Senator Ry satisfied “Nobody wanted n,” he said, without preahter The entire online co against including bloggers in the official can press corps, but I’d never expected to hear it put so baldly “They have this idea that you three will report whatever you dan”

“So you’re saying they’re pretty sht al as he said it

The senator roared with laughter, and Emily looked up from the stove, clearly amused “That’s what I pay them for, so I certainly hope so, Shaun Yeah, they’re pretty sed for exactly what you are”

“And what’s that, Senator?” I asked

Sobering, he leaned forward “The children of the Rising Biggest revolution that our generations—yours,to see The world changed overnight, and soround level of what it’s turned into You kids, you’re the ones who get to shape the real to to matter Notheads who get paid to be ser kids are going to tell the truth as they see it, and damn the political consequences”