?Print media?? Shaun?s eyebrows shot upward. ?Like magazines??
?Try newspapers,? said Buffy, eyes on Rick. I had to give him this much: He was taking her poking with good grace, and he wasn?t squirming. Yet. ?That?s why he?s such a golden oldie.?
?Newspapers,? I repeated, disbelieving, and pulled up the next page in his file. The rest of his credentials filled the screen. I slid my glasses back up to cover my surprise. ?Here we go?Buffy?s right. Staff writer, St. Paul Herald, five years. Field reporter, the Minnesota News, three years. How old are you??
?My recertification to virtual media was fully processed eighteen months ago. I got on Wagman?s team fair and square,? said Rick, before adding, ?And I?m thirty-four.?
?Fair and square means, what, you got on by waiting for her to realize Ryman had the right idea and then chasing her ambulance?? asked Buffy sweetly.
?All right, that?s enough.? Removing my glasses, I looked from Rick to Buffy and back. ?What?s the story, you two??
?Richard ?Rick? Cousins, Newsie, stated biases are left-wing Dem without crossing any lines into actual psychosis, solid writer, good with deadlines, not too adept at use of imagery, and the bastard beat me in an essay contest six years ago,? Buffy said.
?You can?t hold that against me,? Rick protested. ?It wasn?t a teen competition. You were sixteen.?
?I can hold anything I want against you,? said Buffy, glowering at him before her face split in a wide grin. ?You didn?t say you wanted the files on Rick, Georgia. Finally looking for a real story, you perverted ambulance chaser??
?Don?t flatter yourself, Buffy. Any story you?ve had your hands on can?t possibly be real,? Rick countered.
Shaun and I exchanged a look. ?Think they know each other?? he asked.
?Getting the feeling. Buffy??
She looked, briefly, like she didn?t want to explain. Then she shrugged and said, ?After Rick beat me, we started writing. He?s a pretty cool guy, once you get past the part that he?s older than the dawn of time.?
?I choose to take that in the spirit in which it was offered,? said Rick. ?Especially since it comes from someone who thinks Edgar Allen Poe is socially relevant.?
Buffy sniffed.
?Right, you know each other,? I said. ?How?s his bribe? Do we hire him??
?He?s got good footage of Wagman from the last six months, a couple exclusive interviews, and a full recording of her chief of staff making the resignation calls,? Buffy said.
I shot Rick a startled look.
He grinned. ?He didn?t say I had to stop taping.?
?If I was interested in boys, I?d kiss you right now,? said Shaun, deadpan. ?George, in Newsie-speak, what does that mean for ratings??
?Three percent increase for starters, more if he can write well enough to sustain an audience. Rick, we can take you as a beta, you get your own byline but you run everything through me or my second, Mahir Gowda, no direct access to the candidate; if Ryman doesn?t get the nomination, you?re on a six-month base contract. I can e-mail you the legalese.?
?And if he does get the nomination??
?What??
?If he gets the nomination?which he will?what do I get??
I smiled. ?You get to stay with us until the bitter end, or until I fire your ass, whichever comes first.?
?Acceptable.? He held out his hand.
I shook it. ?Welcome to After the End Times.?
Shaun clapped him on the back before he had a chance to let go. ?More testosterone on the field team! My man! What do you think about poking dead things with sticks??
?It?s a good way to get ratings and commit suicide at the same time,? Rick said.
I snorted. ?All right. You can stay.?
There was a knock at the door. It opened before any of us had a chance to react, and Steve entered, sunglasses obscuring the majority of his expression. I stood.
?Is it time?? I asked.
Steve nodded. ?Senator asked me to make sure you were ready.?
?Right. Thanks, Steve.? Grabbing my bag, I hooked a thumb toward our newest addition. ?Rick, you?re with me; we?re on the floor. Buffy, I need you here, working the terminals. Hit my remotes and tell them we?re streaming raw footage starting in ten minutes, and they should be ready to start doing the forum-facing clean and jerk.?
?Editorial power??
?Fact only, no opinions until I log on and start setting the baselines.? I was checking equipment as I spoke, hands moving on autopilot. My recorder was charged, and the readout on my watch indicated that all cameras were operating at seventy percent or above. ?See if you can rouse Mahir, and yes, I know what time it is in London, but I need someone sane stomping on the trolls. Shaun??
?Outside the convention hall with my skateboard and my stick, watching to see if the protestors and picketers do anything worth reporting on,? Shaun said, snapping an amiable salute. ?I know my strengths.?