just how much blood a Kin needed, but he was positive it was more than
his team could supply, and probably more than anything short of a base
or mid-sized ship could handle; if he became one, he'd lose his team,
maybe even have to be discharged. "You said the virus has to get into
my bloodstream to infect me?"

"Yes, sir--well, or into your digestive tract. But it's hard to get
infected accidentally, except in a lab explosion like the original
ones; most Kins got that way feeding a friend or family member. And
then you have to be seriously weakened for it to change you. So if you
don't feed any Kins, or if you do and then don't get badly hurt or
sick, you'll stay just the way you are."

"Thank you." That was better; he could still lead this mission safely.
He turned to his second-in-command. "Report."

"We have quarters at the System Palace," Gunnery Sergeant Audra King
said. "Count Nilssun was expecting us, and wants to see you at your
earliest convenience. She's sent transportation and an escort."

"She expected an E-Team?" No one was supposed to know about an E-Team,
not even the person who'd called for help; teams that came in openly,
like his, had covers that would allow them to go around asking
questions about anything and everything.

"Yes, sir." King gave her team leader a wry grin. "I'm afraid she was
in IntelDiv herself, on an E-Team, before her brother died and she was
named to succeed. I'd guess one of her former teammates let her know
we were assigned here."

That sounded likely; it was just a good thing the problem had solved
itself before his team had to file its evaluation. "Was she upset?"

"No, sir. Pleased."

"That's good, I suppose." Thompson kept from scowling by an effort of
will. "When's the transport supposed to get here?"

"Should be already, sir."

"It figures." If the Count had expected them, she'd probably given
orders that she be notified when ten Marines arrived; being former
E-Team herself, she'd be able to guess that with the primary danger past,
they'd be likely to come in openly. "Main entrance?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay, let's go."

* * * * *

They were taken to the System Palace in a luxury limousine, with a
dozen System Security troops riding escort on gravcycles, then settled
into a decade apartments in the Palace's guest wing. Thompson changed
into dress blues, and wasn't surprised, moments after he was finished,
to hear a k