"There is a dark side to this place, you know. Yeah. Every. damn. post. in Bureaucracy. That's just the beginning. He's got to write position papers. I know! It's just about the worst thing that can happen to you here, especially when you see everybody else manifesting their dreamlives. But it's just too, in it's way. This guy certainly deserved it."

"This guy certainly deserved it."

Dawn breaks over Marblehead. "He's the guy who replaced Firefly with Joe Millionaire, isn't he?"

Another thought occurs. "You know, I was suspicious about the whole election thing, because I never thought of Aeshma as being smart enough to think of it. I wonder if somebody didn't whisper the idea in his ear. Maybe the Mayor needs some more to do, like coming up with a preference based voting system that is simple, understandable, fair, and acceptable to every single Buffista. That should keep him occupied for awhile."

"Good Dog! You're right. The mayor is clearly trying to escape!" I think for a moment. "I think that after he figures out a voting system, we should set him to reconciling the Pro-Tara and the Get-Over-It factions."

DX rubs his chin in a sinister fashion. "Hmmmm. But do we want to drive him to madness?"

I leave David and DX thrashing out the matter and head over to Slacker who is explaining to Susan how his new boss is a real tool.

"Dude. Wanna dance?"

"Siempre tarde. Apurense."

I can hear music playing and conversation. The door's open and a very strange and not entirely friendly looking plant is stationed just inside of it. I'm hurrying my charges along, but it's not easy to organize a group this large.

"Cinco, seis, ocho, once... Where's James?" All I see are sheepish looks being exchanged. "Come on, speak up. We're already late."

"He got hungry." It's the pretty blonde one. He's nothing but trouble.

"Well, go get him. And don't let him eat anything. You know that you shouldn't eat before a performance." Since we have to wait, I busy myself checking the costumes, making sure the seams on all the stockings are straight, all the ties are straightened. I check one last time that the music is cued to the right spot. Just then, the two vampires stroll up. I only have time for a stern look.

"Ok, remember what we've practiced. You all are ready, you look great. If you make a mistake, asi es no mas. Just keep going." I give them a final look and we go into the party.

They immediately clear a space in the middle of the room. A group of 12 vampires will do that. I set the radio on the ground and turn the music on. Carlos Gardel's voice floods the room and the Dead Can Dance Tango Troupe starts their performance. It's no mambo, but they do a fine job and it's sexy as hell. They finish and leave silently to do... whatever it is that they do when I'm not around. I've found it's usually best not to ask.

I spot Penny over by the couch and walk over to introduce myself. I give her a kiss on the cheek Chilean style.

"Hi, I'm Kat. My husband and I own the hotel in the Bresilico and the Dead Can Dance Studio. Welcome to Sang Sacre. I hope you liked the performance."

Yay, Kat's here and she brought dancing undead! How cool is that?

I scamper over to grab a kiss before she's whirled away in the party.

Ooh. Kisses from Hec. My favorite kind. I flash Penny a quick smile and gesture towards the radio.

"Do you tango?"

"Do you tango?"

"I do in Sang Sacre! Astor Piazzolla, if you please, Penny."

What a great show! I immediately decide to buy tickets to the entire Dead Can Dance season. Luckily, I have a CD by Tango Viveza that meets with Kat's approval. We push back the furniture so everyone can dance.

Oh, crap, they reformed the dance troupe. I always half suspected that Aeshma hadn't been the one responsible for all the deaths at the dance studio. Darn it, Bob moves gorgeously, I don't know why they refused to let him on the team. Vampire politics, I stay out of it.

I finish writing out the baby gargoyles instructions for Penny. As noisy and busy as it is in here, I know she wasn't able to follow everything. A baby gargoyle will bond with creatures it grows up with, but Penny would have to keep an eye out taht the rough-housing didn't get too enthusiastic. So long as the gargoyle didn't mind the occasional claw-sharpening from the cat, everything should be fine.

I tuck the note on Penny's desk then go to find Bob. He's in the farthest corner from where the dancers performed, combining the contents of his usual flask of blood with a bottle of whiskey.

I decide not to bother talking. "You want to go?" I say quietly.

He drained his glass and nodded, not talking.

Penny's busy talking politics on the far side of the room, so I just wave at her and lead my sulking vampire out. I shouldn't be so pleased, but putting him in a better mood was always a great deal of fun.

I wave Bob and Connie off into the night and drag Slacker onto the dance floor.

"Come on, time to work off some of those nachos."

"Where am I going to put my backpack?"

"Under the table, for heaven's sake. No one is going to take your playstation. Why would they want to?"

"Fine .I'll dance with you, but I had a much better view from the buffet."

"One dance. And if I catch you ogling those little girls I'll set the houseplants on you."

"They're not so little. . . "

I fix Slacker a look and start to dance. He's not very good, which suits me fine.

"You dance like a spaz."

"Look who's talking, rock boy."

Soon we're giggling and trying to out-gesture each other on the floor. The vampire dancers raise their delicate eyebrows, but they don't seem to mind our clutziness, probably because it makes them look even better.

"I'm gonna dip you."

"What? Oh, hell!"