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The senator inding down You can only give your political platform in sothe salasses, settling in in: the question-and-answer period Most of the questions people co to do with the infected, as in, “What are you going to do about the zouys haven’t tried already?” The answers can get seriously entertaining, and honestly, so can the questions

Most questions are e-htly bland voice of the senator’s digital personal assistant, which has been prograe and race Senator Ryet hi The best questions are the ones that come from the live audiences Most of the out of the house for ue like fear If I had my way, all questions would be asked by people who had just taken a trip through a really well-designed haunted house

“—and now I’d like to take a few questions froh the electronic methods provided byto telegraph his utter lack of understanding of such petty details as “how the video feeds work,” “and the good people of Eakly, Oklaho”

“Coh, the lady in the front row had her hand in the air al upward at a fierce, near- “Jackpot”

“Huh?” Buffy looked up fro the lady

“Oh” Suddenly interested in so other than the data feed, Buffy sat forward She knows potential ratings when she sees them

“Yes—the lady in the front row” Senator Ryht-lipped face promptly filled half the monitors in the roo her caood, and even Buffy ade, and when to go for a tight shot Thanks to Chuck Wong, who does all their planning and design, they’re probably near the top of their field But Buffy is better

The lady in question lowered her hand, fixing the senator with a stern gaze “What is your stance on the Rapture?” Her voice was as clipped and thin as I’d expected The sound systee and disapproving inflection flawlessly

Senator Ry nonplussed It was the first time I’d seen a question take him coh, saying, “I beg your pardon?”

“The Rapture The event in which the faithful will be elevated to the Heavens, while the unfaithful, sinners, and infidels will be left to suffer Hell on Earth” Her eyes narrowed “What is your stance on this holy, foreordained event?”

“Ah” Senator Ry away his confusion I heard a faint clink and glanced tothe stage with open interest Buffy was staring at her phone, furiously tapping buttons as she angled her cameras You can’t edit or pause a live feed, but you can set up the data to give you the best material to work froe Would he bow to the religious nuts who have been taking over more andthe entire religious sector of the voting public? Only the senator knew And in a moment, so would we

Senator Ryman didn’t break eye contact with the woman as he stepped out froe, and sat, resting his elbows on his knees He looked like a schoolboy approaching confession, not afor the leadership of the most powerful country on the planet It was a well-considered position, and I applauded it inwardly, even as I began to consider an article on the showmanship of modern politics “What’s your na her lips “You haven’t answeredman”

“Well, Ms Greeley, that would be because I was thinking,” he said, and looked out at the sht that it’s rude to answer a lady’s question without giving it proper thought Sort of like putting your elbows on the table during dinner” A ripple of laughter passed through the crowd Ms Greeley didn’t join in

Turning back toward her, the senator continued: “You’ve asked me about my position on the Rapture, Ms Greeley Well, first, I think I should say that I don’t really have ‘positions’ on religious events: God will do as He wills, and it isn’t e Him If He chooses to lift the faithful into Heaven, He will, and I doubt all the politicians in the world saying, ‘I don’t believe you can do that’ would stop hi like that, Ms Greeley, because God—the God I believe in, anyway, and as a lifelong Methodist, I feel I know Him about as well as a man who doesn’t devote his life to the Church can—doesn’t throw good things away God is the ultiood planet here It has its troubles, yes We have overpopulation, we have pollution, we have global warhter, “and, of course, we have the infected We have a lot of problereat idea to hold the Rapture noait? Let’s move on to Heaven, and leave the trials and tribulations of our earthly existence behind us Let’s get while the getting’s good, and beat the rush